SEEKING THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL
FROM THE BIBLE TEACHINGS OF
TED A. ROBERTS
Originally written in April, A.D. 2000;
Updated in A.D. 2006, 2015, & 2016
Seeking the Everlasting Gospel Ministries
Digging Scriptures for Truth
©copyright 2016 by Ted A. Roberts
www.facebook.com/seekingthegospel
NOTE:
All Scriptural quotes are from The King James Version, unless otherwise noted. The passages or words are sometimes in CAPITALS or BOLDING for emphasis. Words in italics, however, within quoted scriptures, are not for emphasis, but were placed within by the King James editors, who 'added' these words for sentence flow, which were not in the original autographs. Text [within brackets] are the authors own thoughts inserted into the biblical text for teaching purposes . . . Let me also add that my End Notes section (located at the bottom of this page) shouldn't be overlooked when reading this text. Even though it displays necessary dictionary meanings, it also contains my own notes, which are of extreme importance to the full understanding of where I am traveling with my thoughts. It seemed appropriate to employ them in the End Notes section instead of the chapters themselves, so that I do not interrupt the flow of my thoughts within the context of this writing.
WARNING!
Even though the last paragraph (just above) is the text that appears in my book, I must warn the reader that this present website does not allow certain formats to carry-over from my original Word files. For instance, important italicized words do NOT show in the scriptural quotes below - unless I spend time (that I do not have) manually adding them back in! For certain, in my Paperback books and Ebooks, the formatting is how it should appear. Therefore, you might want to read scripture passages in your own Bible as well as on here to preserve proper italics in said scriptures. However, do not skip my quotes within the scriptures, for (and also of importance) I add my own notes within many of them.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Click on BLUE Links:)
Back of Book Description
Chapter 1: The Law of Love
Explanatory Notes for Chapter 1
Chapter 2: The Word of God
Explanatory Notes for Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Can God Hate?
Explanatory Notes for Chapter 3
MORE TO COME...
Back of Book Description
The Gospel of Jesus Christ will salvage us unto life eternal ... But just what is the Gospel of Christ? Is it the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus, who was on this earth 2,000 years ago? Is that the good news? Yea, verily, that is good news. However, as this book points out, 'to love one another as He loves us' is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is love that kills our outward-man’s ways [Death]; buries him in baptism [Burial]; and causes our inward-man (named Jesus) to resurrect on the inside of us [and the Resurrection] ... Follow Christian Author Ted Roberts on a journey of spiritual enlightenment that, not only covers the basics of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also travels the roads of Godly agape love, and ultimately ends with what true love can actually do for a truth-seeking Christian who needs to know where that journey can lead them. And that journey ends at the road of life eternal, and of a spiritually understood Resurrected body! This book goes far beyond mere Christian Philosophy, but rather shows us a world of wonderment, which is very real, and that can only be understood and taught by God from the True Reality Realm, from which Jesus actually, and literally resides!
Brotherly Love author, Ted Roberts, has not only sat under an extremely gifted ministry during his youth, but he has also been studying the Written Word of God, along with History, for the past 30 years. Wishing to search, meditate on, and examine the Written Word as much as possible, and as in-depth as possible (along with historical documentations that actually complement the Divine Text) the author's wish is that he can please his Lord in the quest of helping others to understand the richness of God's vast repertoire, and to help people travel the road that the Apostle Paul explains as thus:
Ephesians 3:17-19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Chapter 1:
The Law of Love
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel* of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ will salvage you unto life eternal. But just what is the Gospel of Christ? Is it the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, who was on this earth 2,000 years ago? Is that the good news? Yea, verily, that is good news. However, as I will point out in this writing, to love one another as He loves us, is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is love that kills our outward man’s ways; buries him in baptism; and causes our inward-man (named Jesus) to resurrect on the inside of us. And, as this writing progresses, we will see together how this message has been overlooked by many of the brethren (being composed of both men and women − Galatians 3:28*) over the passing years. Also, in this writing, I give no new revelation amongst God's chosen, but merely a reminder to those in need, and of a truth that does not hurt being repeated.
Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the great commandment* in the [Mosaic] law*? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it [practically the same thing], Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
A commandment is the same as a law − as we can see from the Greek meanings from Strong's Dictionaries [see End Notes at the back of this book]; and we know that the law that was spoken of here, in our quoted scripture above, was from the "Mosaic law" − the law that was set up in the Old Testament and given to Moses, the great man of God. However, the old Mosaic Law [i.e. The Law given to the people by Moses] has actually changed . . . Did it?
Hebrews 7:12
For the priesthood being changed*, there is made of necessity a change* also of the law.
The law was then replaced with a new law. So, instead of observing a law after Moses, we now observe (and has been so for the past two thousands years) a law after Christ:
Galatians 6:2
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
This law of Christ is not a law for a fleshly creature, but is rather a law for a spiritual creature; instead of being a law for a son of man, it is a law for a son of God; instead of being a law for an outward man, it is a law for an inward man:
Romans 7:22
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man*.
And the law after the inward man is the law of Christ. And this new law says only to love one another:
Romans 13:8b
... for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
But which law has been fulfilled by those who love one another? Well, it could apply, actually, to both the old and the new law. Though, as we shall see, when we progress in this writing, Paul (in verse 8b) is specifically referring to the new law after the inward man. However, by 'changing' from one law to another, are we completely destroying the old law by the bringing in of the new? Almost as if the old law meant nothing at all?
Matthew 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil*.
Romans 3:31
Do we then make void the [Mosaic] law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish* the law.
And how do we establish the old law, while making it new?
Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant* that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind*, and write them in their hearts*: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
By having the law develop in our hearts [i.e. our minds], we do establish it . . . However, and it must be pointed out, that only the 'truest essence' of the Mosaic Law is written into our hearts − without all the baggage of the carnal ordinances, which were nothing more than outward rituals that merely represented true worship, that were also adhered to during the Old Testament period. But once the truest essence of the Mosaic law develops within (that is, this spiritual law, which is now called the Law of Christ), it is comprehended as only "One Word" for our Inward Man . . . One word? Yes, the law changed into only One Word.
Galatians 5:14a
For all the law is fulfilled in one word*...
What does that mean, into one word? The most important part of this writing will be the explanation of what one word really means...
St. John 13:34
A new commandment [a new LAW] I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Even though this commandment is not really new (as we can see from Matthew 22:36-40, our second quoted scripture in this writing), the changing and the fulfilling of the entire Mosaic law made it new. And how it changed, again, was going from natural to spiritual − it is now for a spiritual creature rather than for a natural creature. As Jesus was setting up the New Kingdom, He was also setting up the New Law.
St. John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Now, by having this one commandment for a new law, to love one another, does this lessen the aspect of the foremost commandment in the Mosaic Law to love God first? Nay; but by loving one another we complete the first part . . . Observe what John says:
1 John 4:19-21
We love him [God], because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Like Jesus emphasized in Matthew 22:36-40 (again, our second quoted scripture), loving God and loving your brother are practically the same thing. And as I myself have emphasized before, this brotherly love is the very gospel of Jesus Christ. How and Why? Well, this love, as Paul had pointed out in Galatians, is summed up in one word. Remember him saying that? Even though, in all actuality, it's expressed in a "phrase", it is:
one word,
one commandment,
one LAW.
Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour* as thyself.
The word "even" in Galatians 5:14 is italicized, so it does not dictate that we should understand that word to mean "also" − as if Paul meant to say: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, and it also means that you must love your neighbour as yourself." By the word "even" being stuck into the text by the translators at that point (which [as I point out at the bottom of the Table of Contents page] italicized words in the King James Bible* aren't emphasized words from the original autographs, but were merely stuck in by the translators for ease of sentence flow), then it's very possible that some unknowing person could allow their thoughts to stray from what Paul actually meant in the text. It really should have read, thus: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, in this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself." Simple enough, just leave out the italicized word in this instance, and you can get a clearer thought on what the original autograph wished to convey to its readers − which is: "loving one another is 'one word.'" . . . However, and at the same time, I wish to express my belief that we shouldn't be too harsh on all italicized (added) words in the King James text, for most of the time the added words really do help us grasp the true meanings easier; but, with the knowledge of their true purpose, and of why they are even there to begin with, we can realize that we shouldn't rely on them as original Autograph words, and that we should be wise in our decisions to either respect or to ignore them in different instances throughout the text . . . Again, the many italicized words in the KJV can really help us to understand the original meanings of the scriptures; but as times change, the literary differences of today's phraseology is apparently different from that of hundreds of years ago, so that by the translators adding the word 'even' within the sentence, we cannot come to the conclusion that this didn't actually help the readers of that day and time to fully understand the essence of the original intended thought. Therefore, by modern understandings, it's useful for us to comprehend why these men decided to add the italicized words in to begin with (and, even more importantly, to know that they were smart enough to let us know when they did), and to even respect the help that they intended to give the reader, but also to be wise enough to not see this endeavor as an ignorant mistake on the part of the old translators.
But, moving along, it is curious of why Paul phrased it that way: one word. And I declare that it is no coincidence that he did! Let's observe further:
Proverbs 13:13-14
Whoso despiseth the word [prophesying about the approaching new law − which, in all actuality, always was in existence, but man wasn't ready for it yet] shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment [again, this new law] shall be rewarded. The law of the wise [of Christ] is a fountain of life [when was the Mosaic Law life giving? as Paul points out in Romans Chapter 7, it actually brings death], to depart from the snares of death [which, again, the snares of death being the Mosaic Law].
During the course of that scriptural quote, I made some pretty outrageous statements about the snares of death being the Mosaic Law. But let us quickly see what Paul said:
Romans 7:9-10
For I was alive without the [Mosaic] law once: but when the commandment came [you shall not covet: see verse 7], sin* revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
So, by Paul saying this, we can see that the law that is a fountain of life, as is pointed out in Proverbs, is the NEW law and not the old . . . But let us continue about the ONE WORD...
Explanatory Notes for Chapter 1
*Gospel: Euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on); Word Origin: Greek, Strong's Greek Dictionary #2098. 1. a reward for good tidings. 2. good tidings.
People’s New Testament Commentary:
Romans 1:16: God's plan of salvation in Christ. Its three great facts are the death, burial, and the resurrection of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation. The gospel is God's only appointed means of salvation. The name of Jesus Christ "is the only name whereby we must be saved [Acts 4:12]." All God's saving power is manifested through the gospel.
Easton's Bible Dictionary:
A word of Anglo-Saxon origin, and meaning "God's spell", i.e., word of God, or rather, according to others, "good spell", i.e., good news. It is the rendering of the Greek evangelion, i.e.: "good message." It denotes "the welcome intelligence of salvation to man as preached by our Lord and his followers. It was afterwards transitively applied to each of the four histories of our Lord's life, published by those who are therefore called 'Evangelists', writers of the history of the gospel (the evangelion). The term is often used to express collectively the gospel doctrines."
Vine's Dictionary of NT words:
(Noun and Verb: to preach) (A-1, Noun, 2098, euangelion) Originally denoted a reward for good tidings; later, the idea of reward dropped, and the word stood for "the good news" itself. The Eng. word "gospel NTB," i.e. "good message," is the equivalent of euangelion (Eng., "evangel"). In the NT it denotes the "good tidings" of the Kingdom of God.
*Galatians 3:28
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
*Commandment: Entole (en-tol-ay'); Word Origin: Greek, Strong's Greek Dictionary #1785: 1. an order, command, charge, precept, injunction. that which is prescribed to one by reason of his office. 2. a prescribed rule in accordance with which a thing is done. a precept relating to lineage, of the Mosaic precept concerning the priesthood ethically used of the commandments in the Mosaic law or Jewish tradition.
*Law: Nomos (nom'-os); Strong's Greek Dictionary #3551. 1. anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command of any law whatsoever. a law or rule producing a state approved of God. by the observance of which is approved of God a precept or injunction the rule of action prescribed by reason of the Mosaic law, and referring, acc. to the context. either to the volume of the law or to its contents the Christian religion: the law demanding faith, the moral instruction given by Christ, esp. the precept concerning love the name of the more important part (the Pentateuch), is put for the entire collection of the sacred books of the OT.
*Changed / translated: Metatithemi (met-at-ith'-ay-mee); Word Origin: Greek, Verb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #3346. to transpose (two things, one of which is put in place of the other). to transfer. to change. to transfer one's self or suffer one's self to be transferred. to go or pass over. to fall away or desert from one person or thing to another.
*Change / translated: Metathesis (met-ath'-es-is); Word Origin: Greek, Noun. Strong's Greek Dictionary #3331. transfer: from one place to another. to change. of things instituted or established.
*Inward / inner: Eso (es'-o); Word Origin: Greek, Adverb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #2080. to within, into within. the internal inner man. the soul, conscience.
*Fulfil: Pleroo (play-ro'-o); Word Origin: Greek, Verb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #4137. to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full. to render full, i.e. to complete. to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim. to make complete in every particular, to render perfect. to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking). to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish. to fulfill.
*Establish / Maintain: Histemi (his'-tay-mee); Verb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #2476. to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set to bid to stand by, [set up]. to place, to make firm, fix establish. to uphold or sustain the authority or force of anything. to set or place in a balance. to stand immovable, stand firm. to be of a steadfast mind of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waiver.
*Covenant / testament: Diatheke (dee-ath-ay'-kay); Word Origin: Greek, Noun. Strong's Greek Dictionary #1242. a disposition, arrangement, of any sort, which one wishes to be valid, a testament or will, a compact, a covenant, a testament.
*Mind: Dianoia (dee-an'-oy-ah); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #1271. the mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring understanding mind, i.e. spirit, way of thinking and feeling thoughts, either good or bad.
*Hearts: Kardia (kar-dee'-ah); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #2588. the heart. that organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, and hence was regarded as the seat of physical life. the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence of the will and character of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate.
*Word: Logos (log'-os); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #3056. of speech. a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea what someone has said. the sayings of God. decree, mandate or order of the moral precepts given by God. Old Testament prophecy given by the prophets what is declared, a thought, declaration, aphorism, a weighty saying, a dictum, a maxim. discourse. instruction. doctrine, teaching. its use as respect to the MIND alone. reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating. account, i.e. regard, consideration. In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds. A Greek philosopher named Heraclitus first used the term Logos around 600 B.C. to designate the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe. This word was well suited to John's purpose in John 1.
*Neighbour: Plesion (play-see'-on); Adverb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #4139. a neighbour. a friend. any other person, and where two are concerned, the other (thy fellow man, thy neighbour). according to the Jews, any member of the Hebrew nation and commonwealth. according to Christ, any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet.
*The King James Bible...
I know that there will be some who will object to my usage of the King James Version (or, also called the Authorized Version) for my scriptural quotes herein, which was first published in 1611 A.D. I am fully aware of the controversy over Bible translations, and especially over the Hebrew and Greek source texts that are either feared, rejected, or accepted. My personal study choices are three English versions, namely the original William Tyndale Version of the early 1500's A.D., the King James Version of the early 1600's A.D. (which was updated with more modern spellings in the mid 1700's A.D.), and the more recent J.P. Green literal Version (of the mid 1900's A.D.: which is found in the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic Interlinear Bible − which also has the very helpful Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary numbering system, which allows anybody to become familiar with the original languages). These three English versions, for the most part (except for some minor details − as outlined meticulously in J.P. Green's introductions), share the same Greek source texts of the New Testament with each other, and the same Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament. And for that reason, it becomes helpful to compare these three English renderings with each other . . . I will give my full reasons of my biblical choices in my upcoming writing, entitled: 'The Bible is Not a Buffet.'
*Sin: Hamartia (ham-ar-tee'-ah); Word Origin: Greek, Noun Feminine, Strong's Greek Dictionary #266. equivalent to 264. to be without a share in. to miss the mark. to err, be mistaken. to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong. to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin that which is done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many.
Chapter 2:
The Word of God
Revelation 1:2
[John] Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony* of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
What is the Word of God in this passage? Is it the same as the One Word that we just learned about when we saw that the One Word was love? And what is His testimony? Think about that, too . . . Yes, it has to be the same as the Word of God − testifying of the Gospel. Jesus, during his stay upon natural earth, testified about love; and even gave that as His commandment and conclusion of His teachings. Therefore, near the end of His life on this earth, He did not slap the teachings of the Mosaic Law onto His disciples, but rather He actually gave them a new law, like we have already seen:
St. John 13:34
A new commandment [a new law] I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Jesus well knew, like Paul knew in Romans chapter 7, that adherence to the old Mosaic law of sin and death would actually kill His students, so He was not about to re-give it to them − especially since the old law was about to come to a close anyway . . . And, again, the Old law was, by Jesus Himself, completely fulfilled. Let's read that again:
Matthew 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Again, He was going to bring it to a close − an end! Like Romans 7 points out, the law of Moses only brings sin and death, for it brings the knowledge of sin to your attention. And by having a knowledge of sin, you are then tempted to do so. What Jesus actually did was that He gave his students a new law; and, again, just as Paul phrased it in Galatians 5:14, that new law, or much rather that One Word, is Love. Therefore, if the sum of what Jesus was teaching was Love, and the sum of the new law is Love, and His conclusion and one commandment to his disciples was Love, then Love has to be the good news that will salvage our lives...
Love will salvage our lives? Truly?
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments [love one another]: for this is the whole duty of man.
Again, the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus is to love one another. And, as it's expressed in Ecclesiastes, the whole conclusion of Jesus is Love; that is, the whole nature of Jesus is Love [2 Peter 1:4*].
But is love really all that important? And can love really save our lives? And just who is this "one another" that we must love in order to fulfill this law of Christ?
Matthew 5:46
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans* the same?
But, before getting any deeper on these thoughts just yet, perhaps we can balance this writing by asking ourselves another question: Can God hate?
Explanatory Notes for Chapter 2
*Testimony/witness: Marturia (mar-too-ree'-ah); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #3141. a testifying. the office committed to the prophets of testifying concerning future events. what one testifies, testimony, i.e. before a judge.
*2 Peter 1:4
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
*Publicans: Telones (tel-o'-nace); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #5057. a renter or farmer of taxes among the Romans, usually a man of equestrian rank a tax gatherer, collector of taxes or tolls, one employed by a publican or farmer general in the collection of taxes. The tax collectors were as a class, detested not only by the Jews, but by other nations also, both on account of their employment and of the harshness, greed, and deception, with which they did their job.
Chapter 3:
Can God Hate?
Are we supposed to love everyone on natural earth? . . . Is that a strange question? Well, if we are to take upon ourselves the “nature” of Christ Jesus [2 Peter 1:4], then we must understand that God not only loves, but He also can HATE as well. Is that an outrageous statement? However, and as I will shortly show, this type of 'hate' is NOT as the world understands, or demonstrates, about hatred; but a 'Godly hate' is a type of expression that is unheard of in the ungodly world. As the world can hate to extreme bitterness, and being very unmerciful in its actions and thoughts toward the objects of contention, Godly hate, on the other hand, will actually direct itself to the core of a matter, to make the object in question a better element. How so? As I will show, God does not hate individual people, but rather He hates it when individuals give in to an evil course. If a person decides to continue within this said evil way, then they will become that evil way themselves, will go beyond repair, and will prove that they truly were never the elect of God. Therefore, and for this reason, we are not required to love a worldly, corrupted individual in the same manner as we would love an elect of God (this will take a bit of explaining, as I will presently do); but, on the other hand, we also are not allowed to hate them with a 'worldly hate' either − but a Godly hate (as we will come to know) will actually keep us from the same path that those certain corrupted individuals have chosen.
Romans 9:13-16
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I HATED*. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth*, nor of him that runneth*, but of God that sheweth mercy.
If God can hate with His 'Godly hate' (that I point out by the Greek word: Miseo [See End Notes]), then so must we hate as well!
What? Truly?
Philippians 2:5-6
Let this mind* be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God* [like minded], thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
Does becoming Christ-like then allow us to hate certain people because we think them ungodly, or unworthy for life eternal [That is, hating as an ungodly man would hate]? God forbid! But what did Esau, whom God hated, really represent?
Romans 9:7-8
Neither, because they are the seed* of Abraham [a natural Jew], are they all children [of God]: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh* [carnally minded − ungodly], these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. [13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Here, in these references, Esau is not representing any particular person on earth (even though Esau was a real man), but he rather represents [through Paul's comparison] a 'child of flesh' − a child of 'carnality' − as we can see in our Greek meaning of the word Flesh: Sarx [See End Notes]. He became, if I may use this reference, a 'poster boy' for the ungodly mind. It is not the particular man that is being hated here by God, but rather what this man represents − fleshly knowledge.
Wilson’s Dictionary of Bible Types, 1957;
from 6th printing in 1972.
(By Walter Lewis Wilson, M.D., D.D., L.H.D.)
Esau: This is a type of the flesh and the life of selfishness in contrast with Jacob and the life of faith.
Hebrews 12:15-16
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator*, or profane person*, as ESAU, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Proverbs 8:13
The fear [respect/reverence] of the LORD is to hate evil* [not a particular man]: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward* mouth, do I hate.
Esau, being the prime example of fleshly knowledge, wisdom and understanding, in scripture, was the object of Godly hatred. And what people represent tells us who those people are; or, rather, who or what those people have become. In trying to help an ungodly person become a Christian, and help them we should do − for we, ourselves, cannot know whom God has or has not chosen − we must be very careful not to be captured, or to be tempted by evil in our attempt to help them out of their ways [Novices, take heed!]. On the other hand, in attempting to abstain ourselves from all appearances of evil [1 Thessalonians 5:22*], we must also be careful in what we restrain ourselves from − for, indeed, we could be entertaining angels unawares*, for we may be mistaken in what we consider to be evil.
Matthew 7:3-5
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam* that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
In other words, before even considering someone as to being in the wrong about a matter, make sure that you are mature about life's matters yourself! Do we have skeletons in our own closets? How are we to know if a “current” ungodly person will not someday become a child of God themselves? Unless we are an ordained Prophet of God (ordained by God, not by men), then we cannot know anybody's future. Therefore, hate NOT any particular person, nor treat any particular person as garbage (just because we think them evil), but rather treat everyone with kindness, and hate the evil which has captured them. Indeed, this type of Godly hatred (which is hating an evil path) is required by all the saints of God.
Hebrews 12:14
Follow peace with ALL men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Romans 12:16-21
Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of ALL men [not just whom we consider saints]. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with ALL men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath [be peaceful, not wrathful]: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
At the same time, however, we also have an opportunity to become Fruit-Testers as well; and we cannot be naive about any matter.
Did I say a 'Fruit-Tester?' And what can that mean? Is this Fruit-Testing, of what I am suggesting for us as Christians to do, a "type" of judgment in its own right? Indeed, it truly is! But, again, it is definitely not as the world judges, as I am going to point out.
And, as you will see, of what I am suggesting here, it is NOT to be considered as passing “judgment” on people as the world understands it; but rather, it is a righteous judgment that is required by God, for we cannot embrace any evil path.
Explanatory Notes for Chapter 3
*Hated: Miseo (mis-eh'-o); Verb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #3404. to hate, pursue with hatred, detest to be hated, detested.
*Wills: Thelo (thel'-o); Word Origin: Greek, Verb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #2309. to will, have in mind, intend to be resolved or determined, to purpose, to desire, to wish. to love, to like to do a thing, be fond of doing, to take delight in, have pleasure.
*Runs: Trecho (trekh'-o); Word Origin: Greek, Verb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #5143. to run, of persons in haste. of those who run in a race course, metaph. of doctrine rapidly propagated by a metaphor taken from runners in a race, to exert one's self, strive hard. to spend one's strength in performing or attaining something. word occurs in Greek writings denoting to incur extreme peril, which it requires the exertion of all one's effort to overcome.
*[Let This] Mind: Phroneo (fron-eh'-o); Word Origin: Greek, Verb, Strong's Greek Dictionary #5426. to have understanding, be wise to feel, to think. to have an opinion of one's self, think of one's self, to be modest, not let one's opinion (though just) of himself exceed the bounds of modesty. to think or judge what one's opinion is. to be of the same mind: i.e. agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious. to direct one's mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for. to seek one's interest or advantage to be of one's party, side with him (in public affairs).
*Form of God: [From: Henry Concise Commentary] The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble him in his life, if we would have the benefit of his death. Notice the two natures of Christ; his Divine nature, and human nature. Who being in the form of God [that is, the nature], partaking the Divine nature, as the eternal and only-begotten Son of God.
*Seed: Sperma (sper'-mah); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #4690. from which a plant germinates the seed i.e. the grain or kernel which contains within itself the germ of the future plants of the grains or kernels sown metaph. a seed i.e. a residue, or a few survivors reserved as the germ of the next generation (just as seed is kept from the harvest for the sowing). the semen virile, the product of this semen, seed, children, offspring, progeny, family, tribe, posterity. whatever possesses vital force or life giving power of divine energy of the Holy Spirit operating within the soul by which we are regenerated.
*Flesh: Sarx (sarx); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #4561. flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts. the body of a man used of natural or physical origin, the sensuous nature of man, "the animal nature." without any suggestion of depravity, the animal nature with cravings which incite to sin. the physical nature of man as subject to suffering. denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God.
*Fornicator: Pornos (por'-nos); Word Origin: Greek, Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #4205. a man who prostitutes his body to another's lust for hire. a male prostitute. a man who indulges in unlawful sexual intercourse, a fornicator.
*Profane / unclean Person: Bebelos (beb'-ay-los); Word Origin: Greek, Adjective, Strong's Greek Dictionary #952. accessible, lawful to be trodden. of places, profane, unhallowed, common, public place. of men, ungodly.
*Evil: Ra (rah); [Hebrew.] adj, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary #7451. bad, evil, disagreeable, malignant. bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery). evil, displeasing [etc.].
*Froward [Mouth]: Tahpukah (tah-poo-kaw'); [Hebrew.] Noun, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary #8419. perversity, perverse thing.
*1 Thessalonians 5:22
"Abstain from all appearance of evil."
*Entertaining angels unawares...
Hebrews 13:2
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
*Mote and Beam:
Mote: Karphos (kar'-fos); [Greek] Noun, Strong's Greek Dictionary #2595. a dry stalk or twig, a straw. chaff.
Beam: Dokos (dok-os'); Word Origin: Greek, Noun Feminine, Strong's Greek Dictionary #1385. A Beam.
Mote & Beam [From: Wilson’s Dictionary of Bible Types]: The word Mote describes what may be a very small and inconsiderate flaw in the life of another person, whereas the critic may have faults and flaws far greater than in the one he observes and criticises. The mote is in the flaw in the other person’s life, while the Beam is the flaw in our own lives.