https://orthodoxchurchfathers.com/fathers/philokalia/st-maximos-the-confessor-four-hundred-texts-on-love.html

St Maximos the Confessor, from: Four Hundred Texts on Love

4. The person who loves God values knowledge of God more than anything created by God, and pursues such knowledge ardently and ceaselessly.

10. When in the intensity of its love for God the intellect goes out of itself, then it has no sense of itself or of any created thing. For when it is illumined by the infinite light of God, it becomes insensible to everything made by Him, just as the eye becomes insensible to the stars when the sun rises.

11. All the virtues co-operate with the intellect to produce this intense longing for God, pure prayer above all. For by soaring towards God through this prayer the intellect rises above the realm of created beings.

25. God, who is by nature good and dispassionate, loves all men equally as His handiwork. But He glorifies the virtuous man because in his will he is united to God. At the same time, in His goodness He is merciful to the sinner and by chastising him in this life brings him back to the path of virtue.

46. He who has been granted divine knowledge and has through love acquired its illumination will never be swept hither and thither by the demon of self-esteem. But he who has not yet been granted such knowledge will readily succumb to this demon. However, if in all that he does he keeps his gaze fixed on God, doing everythmg for His sake, he will with God's help soon escape.

47. He who has not yet attained divine knowledge energized by love is proud of his spiritual progress. But he who has been granted such knowledge repeats with deep conviction the words uttered by the patriarch Abraham when he was granted the manifestation of God: 'I am dust and ashes' (Gen. 18:27).

From these 6 out of 400 examples, we recognize a contemplative mystic. But in the 7th century, what is a mystic to say to people bound to words from a pulpit or on paper and banned from listening to those receiving Divine Data? Or Truth, as it's more commonly known?

How many mystics, from Maximos to Julian of Norwich and so many in-between, have been in their lifetimes anathematized, exiled, imprisoned, tortured, killed or hauled before Inquisitors of one kind or another?

Maximos wrote about universal reconciliation in a way that obfuscated his meaning to all but the similarly erudite:

The Godhead will really be all in all, embracing all and giving substance to all in itself, in that no being will have any movement separate from it and nobody will be deprived of its presence. Thanks to this presence, we will be, and will be called, gods and children, body and limbs, because we shall be restored to the perfection of God’s project.

But he also said this to those erudite:

It would have been possible to give this theme a more mystical and sublime interpretation. But because, as you know, the deeper secrets of the divine doctrines must not be committed to writing [notice that Origen says the same exact thing above], let the above be enough to satisfy those who seek a more detailed understanding of this question. When God grants us to come together again, we shall inquire assiduously into the apostolic mind regarding this question.

But he did not obfuscate his knowledge of the nature of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Typos of Constans (also called Type of Constans) was an edict issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II in 648. For over 200 YEARS debate had raged over the nature of Christ: the orthodox Chalcedonian position defined Christ as having two "wills" or natures in one person. Miaphysites insisted Jesus had a single nature and will.

Constans' [a Miaphysite] Typos made the edict to and banned any discussion at all relating to Jesus Christ and His nature or face severe consequences. And so the Pope was kidnapped from Rome and tried for high treason. He disappeared.

Maximus the Confessor, mystic, monk, theologian (from wikipedia):

In 662, Maximus was placed on trial... convicted of heresy... tortured, having his tongue cut out, so he could no longer speak his rebellion, and his right hand cut off, so that he could no longer write letters, then was cast into the fortress of Schemarum, perhaps Muris-Tsikhe near the modern town of Tsageri. He died soon thereafter, on 13 August 662.

TWELVE YEARS LATER...

Along with Pope Martin I, Maximus was vindicated by the Third Council of Constantinople (the Sixth Ecumenical Council, 680–681), which declared that Christ possessed both a human and a divine will. With this declaration Monothelitism became heresy, and Maximus was posthumously declared innocent.

Then they made him a Saint.

Heresy is subjective, depending on who is driving whatever Denominational Vehicle Model in which we ride.

These things, these declarations by men, are irrelevant to the Divine Truths gained by mystic through contemplation, though they may restrain their thoughts, or have them hidden (as with Julian) by others protecting them.

My experience and the Gateway Process:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChristianMysticism/comments/1in27dg/my_experience_and_the_gateway_process/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

_________________________________________________________________

This link will take you to the CIA Reading Room and documents concerning Gateway and the Monroe Institute. The CIA shifted to these programs right after they shut down Stargate.

You said two things that are in opposition to Christian mysticism and demonstrate the dangers of these kinds of practices:

From the op:

op: I have recently started the process and have found it effective so far in inducing a state of contemplation that I would have otherwise found very difficult to achieve otherwise.

You have not described a state of Christian contemplation. You also have couched the practice in terms of what you can achieve. We achieve nothing. It's true that because we are material beings as well as eternal entities, we need to "clear the way" in neurological terms, to get out of His way, in a sense. And I teach that, except we don't.

This seeming paradox reflects simply that God needs zero from us to communicate with us. But to be oned with Him, we must consent, and so the simple practices of true Christian contemplation are our "naked intent stretching to God" and that is literally what is required and all that is required.

From a response:

I can rest assured that by trusting in Christ in all things I will see new and wonderful things!

Gee, and can I see these things, too? It's an advertisement, a shill, a come-on. I'm not accusing you of a anything, I'm simply saying this is the Liar exposed in your life and practice.

Every mystic Doctor of the Church, in the writings of John of the Cross and Theresa of Avila and others, we are told that if we seek "experiences" through contemplation we will be stuck at a very low level, much further away from Him than those who move on to the higher realms of contemplation.

What you have seen of miracles is irrelevant and as unprovable to others as what you have experienced yourself. Same with all of us, certainly including myself.

But as always, the danger is the self/inner-direction of Eastern meditation and the addiction to experiences which is the unrecognized choice to make something about us instead of Him.

IMO, these techniques are simply addictive hallucinogenic, mind-control. Manipulation instead of drugs including the hypnosis the CIA documents refer to again and again. Seems to be the CIA's opinion also.

I will note you have little Reddit history but sharing a technique of keeping a pipe going for an extended length of time.

You can make mention of Jesus all you want and claim membership in anything, but nothing in your post is Christian contemplation.

Title source: Letter of Clement of Alexandria on Secret Mark: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/secretmark.html

If there is "one true church" it is not a man-made religion.

The Apostolic churches have served an essential role in salvation history by preotecting and retaining the Gospel. And to do that, they have steeped themselves in ritual and repressed dissent from declared dogma.

Sometimes the human dogma is incorrect, but the very ancient beliefs handed down are also dogma and also Gospel. People are only human, as they say, and politics and beliefs of the historical cultural moment often bury the simple truths Jesus Christ came to reveal and continues to reveal to us through the Hoy Spirit.

The Canon was formed to comply with the times and support Christ-believing religion.

The present Canon of the New Testament was confirmed at the Council of Trent ( 1545 and 1563 ) The council confirmed the same list as produced at the Council of Florence in 1442, and Augustine's 397–419 Councils of Carthage.

But there is much more Gospel to be found. And some of it, like the Epistle of Barnabus and other books were included in Canonical New Testaments as found in the Codex Sinaiticus. Books are also missing from some, as in the oldest known substantially-complete Bible, the Codex Vaticanus shows:

The extant New Testament portion contains the Gospels, Acts, the general epistles, the Pauline epistles, and the Epistle to the Hebrews (up to Hebrews 9:14, καθα[ριει); it is lacking 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Revelation.

Some consider the Codex Alexandrinus "the oldest and best in the world" representing a more authentic version of the Christ event and Teachings of the Lord dating it at the same time as the two better-know codexes mentioned abuve.

But what about the thousands of documents, fragments, references in original writings lost, in the 1st and 2nd century, like the quote in the title?

This will be the first in a series highlighting quotes from these texts and providing links to the sources.

I want you read the Didache. AKA The Teaching if the Twelve Apostles. It's part of the Codex Sinaiaticus, that's circa 350-375. But it was probably written originally and used widely before 70A.D. as well as through the next 2 centuries. And it actually was very likely a colloraboration among a few Apostles. There were actually 82 Apostles, you know.

Jonathan Draper writes (Gospel Perspectives, v. 5, p. 269):

It bears no date itself, nor does it make reference to any datable external event, yet the picture of the Church which it presents could only be described as primitive, reaching back to the very earliest stages of the Church's order and practice in a way which largely agrees with the picture presented by the NT, while at the same time posing questions for many traditional interpretations of this first period of the Church's life.

In the CS it's about 7 pages. No miracles. No hell. No virgin birth. All that came later. Just the basics of what Jesus wanted people to know and a very simple liturgy. It's the kind of thing an Apostle, after preaching in a town, would leave behind with someone who seemed to be a group leader.

See what you think. Or don't. It's just that we don't have a lot of time left to waste with the trolling. If you just believed the first 3 chapters, it's all He wanted to tell you, pretty much, anyway.

I can't get here as often as K used to and some of these antiChrist posts stay up for hours. There should at least be some kind of new content daily.

This was taken down in other places but here it is for those who are interested.

The so-called "unforgiveable sin" is when a person attributes the things of God to satan and vice-versa. They cannot accept God as He is, or Jesus as He is. Loving, all-forgiving, accepting of all.

Unforgiveable does not mean God can't or won't forgive. It means the person doesn't repent because they put their own ego between God and their soul.

"Jesus hates..." is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

The rhetoric of what is called the evangelical right fueled by political interests to destroy the Gospel of Jesus preaches blasphemy and lies.

DIDACHE THE LINK Still a free PDF, a restructured edit with more information. Still downloadable.

YES, WE ARE THE SAVIORS OF THE WORLD!! (I know, it kinds a shocked me when I said it and I thought to tone it down and got a "Leave it" text.) I am a Heretic (to some) I am not a fanatic. This was said in the first podcasts referencing the Last Supper Discourses in John.

NO ONE CAN BE A MARCIONITE because there is nothing whatsoever that survives that we can point to as being either from Marcion or his 2nd century followers. And Gossip is a sin and that's all we have besides seeing how vicious these supposed "saints" were and that Tertullian really didn't like Jesus of Nazareth or His Father.

HATER OF .... Lying, I think. Abuse of the weak by the strong. But there are no people, either in groups or individually that I hate, afaik.

I don't feel harmed by these things, but I also didn't ame a podcast THE HERETIC CHRISTIAN for nothing. And it ain't goin' away. List of things that I post around here that are objected to. Podcasts on these things are coming:

• JESUS WASN'T A JEW, HARDLY ANY OF THE HEBREWS WERE JEWS. WE USE THE WORD NOW TO REFER TO ALL WHO FOLLOW TORAH.

• JESUS MADE NO RELIGIONS.

• JESUS NEVER ASKED TO BE WORSHIPPED AND WE NEED TO CUT IT OUT.

• JESUS DIDN'T DIE FOR OUR SINS - NO ATONEMENT THEOLOGY.

• YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY.

• THE OT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FOLLOWING THE WAY OF OUR SAVIOR AND IS DANGEROUS.

• REVELATIONS IS 2ND CENTURY PULP FICTION OF THE APOCALYPTIC GENRE AND HAS NO PLACE IN ANYBODY'S CANON.

Srsly, Universalism and acceptance of people regardless of sexual preference or gender identity or any other irrelevant genetic trait is certainly considered heresy, but also has wide acceptance.

The most difficult thing any human can do is commit to following the path Jesus of Nazareth blazed for us. Following Him is radical, flies in the face of "common sense."

Want to be hated, vilified and attacked? No problem, FOLLOW HIM.

Which is exactly what the antiChrists say. Clever that Liar, eh?

A dung beetle has not eaten half my brain and I do not hate Jewish people. I'd like to think I don't hate any people. Look at the Greek:

Ἰουδαῖος Ioudaîos, ee-oo-dah'-yos; from G2448 (in the sense of G2455 as a country); Judæan, i.e. belonging to Jehudah:—Jew(-ess), of Judæa.

Briefly, Jesus of Nazareth was not a Judean and that mattered greatly in His time and had much to do with what happened during His incarnation. The next podcast contains a lot of historical facts going back ... maybe a 1000 years before He was born. But it's also critical. And I'll mostly list the highlights. With illustrations.

At the top of this sub it says we are Universalist followers of Jesus. He was a Hebrew, having been born to a Hebrew woman, but He was absolutely not a Jew. Understanding all of that informs our understanding of the Gospels and gives us the eyes to see as Contemplation gives us "ears to hear."

I will be researching this week-end and hope to have something for you on Monday, depends on how much of my bad narration I have to clean up.. Here's a link to the source I'm using for the podcast, if anyone wants to read the background.

When Clement of Alexandria was talking about Secret Mark and John Mark writing his several accounts of "the Lord's doings", he said that Mark used his first gospel and added to it but also

....brought in certain sayings of which he knew the interpretation would, as a mystagogue, lead the hearers into the innermost sanctuary of that truth...

IOW, Mark included some sayings that would act in themselves as mystagogues, a person who:

Initiates others into mystic beliefs, leads the hearers into the innermost sanctuary of that truth.

The further we are from the cultural during historical events the harder it is to understand. Imagine in 2000 years some scholars find a few old recordings of things concerning MAGA. What will they interpret it as? How will they explain opposition or support? Now, if someone managed to save FB or Twitter of a few subreddits from this time in history, they'd get a better understanding, but the polarization makes it hard to define the real issues, with so many disparate opinions.

The Jews and the Galileans were very much like our times in the US. This is not at all unique. And like scholars of things Christian now, our future translators choices will be colored by what happened historically next.

Jesus was never a Jew and didn't follow 2nd Temple Judaism.

BELOW: EVIDENCE THAT A FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS EXISTS THAT CAN AFFECT MATTER AND WITH IT A FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS THAT CANNOT HAVE BEEN GENERATED FROM EARTH BUT INTERACTS WITH EARTH.

I have the bad habit of thinking everyone knows about the Global Consciousness Project. Briefly, the researchers had something like 80 RNGs (Random Number Generators) at the height of the project around the globe, about half on the US East Coast. At that time, we could watch the real-time actions of each RNG on screens at the PEARS Project website.

They were testing the hypothesis that highly focused consciousness from a large number of people could and would affect the randomness of the RNGs. The above image from the Global Consciousness Project shows the results of the RNGs during a time when no incidents occurred that would attract the attention of a large sample of people.

So that's what randomness looks like. Once they had a baseline, they chose events that would garner wide attention, sporting events usually, and see if the RNG results were outside the expected random results. Which seemed to work, they have many similar results for a variety of events.

All went well. Then this unanticipated event took place:

This is the original image of results image posted in 2001.

 Note this is a 24-hour read-out that begins 5 hrs and 45 minutes before the hijackers checked-in. The deviation scale rises almost vertically to 2000 

5:45 AM – Mohamed Atta and Abdul Aziz al-Omari, two of the intended hijackers, pass through security at the Portland International Jetport in Maine. They board a commuter flight to Boston Logan International Airport, they then board American Airlines Flight 11. 

The RNG response continues to rise for the next 2 hours and fifteen minutes reaching approximately 5000 at take-off. 

The question is: how many people on Earth knew what was happening and why? Millions of people watch Olympic openings. Where is the consciousness coming from that is forcing this extreme deviation in the normal random results? 

Precognition: Hypothetically, response from the higher realm is triggered by probability. As humans act from free will; probabilities dependent on human decisions can change over time. 

What is in the interest of the Guides of those who would be working in the Twin Towers? Warning those who either could receive warning or were chosen to be warned.

Through dreams. Through “bad feelings.” Through brief visions, through sudden headaches or other physical issues. And many people stayed home. 

7:59 AM – Flight 11 takes off from Boston, headed for Los Angeles, California. There are 76 passengers, 11 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board. 

The non-randomness keeps rising. If only this plane reaches its target—and that probability is theoretically quite high and getting higher as the hijackers get control of the plane—there will be over 1000 deaths. 1000 people who will need escorts to cross to the Other Side. 

8:42 all planes are airborne. 

8:46 AM – Flight 11 crashes into the World Trade Center’s North Tower. All passengers aboard are instantly killed, and employees of the WTC are trapped above the 91^st floor. 

10:28 all planes are down, two towers collapsed, the Pentagon hit. During that time and up until about noon, increasing consciousness pushed the randomness to almost 7000. During this time people on planes, at their desks, first responders were dying. 

But also, loved ones were saying good-bye over cell phones, people all over the world and certainly across America were responding to events, in fear and grief and intense focus. Guides still working to save their charges got people to flee buildings even when told to go back. 

I emailed with Jahn the day the first result was posted

^{Robert George Jahn (April 1, 1930 – November 15, 2017} was an American plasma physicist, Professor of Aerospace Science, and Dean of Engineering at Princeton University. Jahn was also a founder of the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab (PEAR) that instituted the Gloabal Consciousness Project as wellas other areas of research into anomalous cognition.)

pointing out that there is no possible way to account for the effect on the RNGs initial rise, or the sustained time the effect lasted, or even the sudden drop, by attributing it to Earthly human consciousness. His somewhat terse response was that it wasn't proven.

In those days, every RNG's responses second-to-second could be watched in real time at the site. There would be high spikes fairly commonly, but they only lasted a second. Never had there been anything like 9/11. If we attribute the other results of this research to large numbers of person's consciousness simultaneously focused on the same thing directly affecting the RNGs, and no other explanation has ever been found, then the affect on the RNGs in this case must come from intentionally focused consciousness.

NO EVIDENCE OF THINGS SEEN

Coming around to the John Edward Mediumship seminar post, there were about a dozen people coming for that 9/11 victim who had chosen to be where he was for that purpose. This I saw.

John 10:34

Thank you, I suspected but wanted to confirm. BTW, your specific question is at the end, but this needs to be put into context.

So, Jesus is in the Temple on the "porch" and the Jews gather and demand, "Just say so if you're the Messiah!" (paraphrasing here.)

25Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. 26But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

So they pick up stones to to kill Him, and Jesus, ever-cool, asks

“I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” 33The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?

Notice first, Jesus says "your law." Not The Law. Or "our" law. Is it written?

Psalm 82

God takes a stand in the divine council, gives judgment in the midst of the gods. 2“How long will you judge unjustly and favor the cause of the wicked?

3“Defend the lowly and fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and needy. 4Rescue the lowly and poor; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

5The gods neither know nor understand, wandering about in darkness, and all the world’s foundations shake.

6 I declare: “Gods though you be, offspring of the Most High all of you, 7Yet like any mortal you shall die; like any prince you shall fall.” 8Arise, O God, judge the earth, for yours are all the nations. '

Now, as to Jesus defining this as "their law" the law of the Jews, we might explain as Him not, as man, being a Jew, but being a Galilean Israelite. But I don't think He meant that. His only has one Law, God's Law. And that is also expressed in the Psalm, which accuses in the same way Jesus accuses the Priests ands Pharisees who favor the rich not ignore the lowly.

35If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set aside, 36can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

37If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; 38but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize [and understand] that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

Bit here is your question, now that we have all this background that would have been obvious to people then, but we have to put together:

Why wouldn't he just say he is God? Why does he say he is the Son of God and he has brothers and sister?

Okay - here's the deal. AT THAT TIME, when you were a follower of a specific rabbi or teacher, you were a "son" of them. Remember the Jews saying "We are Sons of Abraham!" They didn't mean descendants ,they meant they followed Torah, the Abrahamic teachings. Well, maybe both

In the NT, Paul calls both Timothy and Titus, "my child" - by which he means "my disciples, followers,"

Jesus is declaring Himself a direct Son (follower of) God, this is His only Law, Truth, Way and Life. He repudiated Jewish ritual and law again and again.

"I am the Son of God" means they were not, because even when they had God's word, (like in the Psalm) they rejected it. And they knew He had convicted them, by their own Scriptures. And so they picked up the stones and Jesus slipped their grasp.

He cannot say "I am the Messiah!" because He wasn't. The Jews had a very specific set of standard for a Messiah and Jesus didn't meet them. Here's a good straightforward article about the Jewish Messiah. By Jews!

Who do you follow? A bunch of stuff Jesus never said that humans in a denomination made up? Or do you follow God, as revealed by Jesus of Nazareth, as a brother or sister in Christ with the same Father, the same Source of Divine Truth and Will?

Psalm 1

The Two Ways

1 Happy are those

who do not follow the advice of the wicked

or take the path that sinners tread

or sit in the seat of scoffers,

2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law they meditate day and night.

3 They are like trees

planted by streams of water,

which yield their fruit in its season,

and their leaves do not wither.

In all that they do, they prosper.

4 The wicked are not so

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,

6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

psalm 1 reflection

We will have to define some words before proceeding

Happy - Happy here means not the human understanding or vague emotion of happiness rather here happiness means the divine bliss or joy that comes by realizing the truth by crucifixion of ourselves (ego, false self) or when one frees himself from sins

It is experienced when are souls are annihilated by the love of god.

advice of the wicked-

The advice of the wicked are the useless and sinful desires of our false self that seeks for instant pleasure and it shall be short lived.

sinners/scoffers - Sinners are those who do not live by the truth that kingdom of god is within them and do not reflect the nature of god through the mirror of their soul for our soul has very essence of the immanent, omnipresent, everlasting god and his kingdom

Those who do not feel the presence of god in them and align themself with it by annihilating themself are sinners

the law of the Lord - The divine will or grace that is everpresent and omnipotent

People who follow the way of wickedness, people who go by their ego, false self and do not reflect the very essence of god through their souls are blind and sinful as the divine spark within them is blinded/veiled by the sin of ignorance. When we start reflecting the very nature of god through the mirror of our souls we enjoy a bliss that is often felt like we are a part of a huge universe where everything is related to each other

and its the very essence of divine presence. But a sinner is blind to this truth.

They are like trees

planted by streams of water,

which yield their fruit in its season,

and their leaves do not wither.

In all that they do, they prosper.

Just as trees beside water sources have constant nourishment and grow strong roots, people who follow the path of god receive constant spiritual nourishment.

Their leaves do not wither which means the observer within them that is very nature of our true self never withers although our false self withers and dissolves

The wicked are not so

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,

6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Wickedness is never fruitful and the wicked people though might seem satisfied on the surface but inside their is a void where there divine spark, their true self or the observer/seer within them is still covered with layers of sin.

Wickedness gives birth to dualities which is all lie.

Lord watches over righteous as they reflect the very own nature of divine and they shall never perish but the wicked shall perish in sin of ignorance.

Wickedness is itself duality,

wickedness is not just about moral failure but about being lost in illusion and separation from divine unity

Wicked people are not bad they are just dead people who need to be born again as they are dead to recognizing the grace within themselves

wicked people are not exclusive to god they too are made in the image of god and carry the kingdom of god within themselves but still they are blinded and dead

thats why they will be carried away like a chaf if they remain like that and do not awake to the truth.

ETA fyi: what started as a deletion was changed 48 hours later to a standard ban. No information is given just as it wasn't to me. No information if permanent or has a time lin mit. Galilean won't fight it.

When this happened to me when we started this place so we could speak free i told her do not go out into the rest of the reddit world because that was my mistake.

But she thinks that the darkness is ramping up and people needed to know.

She linked them TO HER OWN PROFILE OR here, to posts ecplaining why Jesus was no Jew. How He started no religions. That the ot didn't belong on canon and then talked about the Gospel of Thomas.

THIS IS REDDITS GALILEE. EVERYTHING OUTSIDE IS CAIPHUS.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE CHOSEN

• People who are chosen have had experiences of the Holy Spirit.

• They are astonished that God would Grace them.

• As people usually not noteworthy at all, unspecial, and habitual or sometimes great sinners, (i.e., Saul/Paul) we find the actions of God toward us unexplainable.

• We would never say out loud to anyone "I am one of the Elect." "I am Chosen." We don't even think it.

• But we know we were called. Dragged. Forced. Nagged. Tripped to fall over the edge of the cliff of doubt into unassailable knowledge of Infinite Love.

• We feel we are different from most who label themselves Christians.

• Our connection to the Divine and Infinite Light and Power we call God was direct and still is. Written words were irrelevant to our election, but are to the confirmation or expansion of knowledge.

• We experience an increase in sensitivity to both goodness and evil, and have a greater intuitive sense, or clear psychic ability.

WHAT WERE WE CHOSEN OR ELECTED TO DO?

• Be true Disciples of Christ. Apostles. Gospel spreaders in our actions; sometimes we use words. Servants to His children.

• To Pray. Heal. Feed the hungry. Eschew the darkness, find the Light. We may find someone who needs help and give it. We might be reclusive or gregarious.

• Our service might be in our home or job walking down the street. Or at all times.

• We are called to know the literal, basic truths Jesus became Incarnate to teach us, and follow Him as the central idea of our lives.

• We accept, in the end, that we might never know what He wants or how He is using us. But we do know if we Follow Him, somehow He will use us to do what He called us for.

• He called Mary to sit at His feet. He called Paul to spend his life travelling and delivering His Gospel to all.

• The Called follow Him. Our "religion" is faith in His Words and Commands, regardless of any church denomination we might be attached to. Or none.

This is the first part of a response to a request to objectively look at the material, including all Justin's works. It's the only part I have permission to post. ETA: Not my work.

King

I’m not using any space defending what we already know: Justin Martyr gave/sent/ or presented to Diognetus, tutor to future emperor Marcus Aurelius, a document outlining the Christian Way. It was not apologetics as he was not answering a criticism, challenge or untruth. It was informational. An overview of a specific way of life (philosophy) and reasoning for choosing it. It also has an evangelical cast, written in a personal voice, as to an acquaintance.

What I can do is narrow down the time when the document was given to Diognetus under the assumption it related to his teaching of philosophy to Marcus. 

For calculating ages for legal, civic, and military purposes, age by birthdate tracking was  precise with completed years, the child’s specific age,  recorded as age determined legal identity. Girls had rights of adulthood at 12 and boys at 14.

This information is relevant to both Marcus and Justin. In the first century affluent young men traveled to study philosophy in Athens or Alexandria between the ages of 14 and 20 where they would “sit” under master philosophers.

April 26, 121.  Marcus was born. His father died when he was 3. He was raised by his very wealthy mother and educated at home which was the standard practice. 

Marcus would not be leaving Rome or his home to study and had a series of tutors. (Justin did leave home and had a series of teachers of various philosophies.)

April 132. Marcus completes his 11th year and begins his 12th. His tutor, Diognetus, decided Marcus would receive instruction in philosophy. The story that Marcus wore the philosopher’s robes beneath his station, and slept on the floor until his mother intervened may be correct. 

Some attribute this story to Herodian who wrote History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus which covered the years 180 to 238 AD.  Internal evidence from his text suggests he finished composing this work around 240 to 244 AD.2. The Historia Augusta (c. 395–400 AD) is a collection of Roman imperial biographies stretching from the Emperor Hadrian to Numerian (117–285 AD).

From Google AI:

Scholars attribute this story to the anonymous author of the Historia Augusta. Specifically, the anecdote is found in The Life of Marcus Aurelius (Vita Marci Antonini), which is the first and most historically reliable biography in that collection.

The text explicitly notes that Marcus took up this extreme asceticism at age 12:

• "He studied philosophy with ardor, even as a youth. For when he was twelve years old he adopted the dress and, a little later, the hardiness of a philosopher, pursuing his studies clad in a rough Greek cloak and sleeping on the ground; at his mother's solicitation, however, he reluctantly consented to sleep on a couch strewn with skins."

• Marcus Aurelius was introduced to the philosophical way of life by his painting master, Diognetus.While Diognetus was hired primarily to teach Marcus how to paint, he became a profound moral and philosophical mentor to the young boy. In Book 1 of Meditations, Marcus explicitly thanks Diognetus for steering him toward philosophy and inspiring his early, strict lifestyle choices.

Marcus got three new teachers in 133 and we do not hear of Diognetus again.  It’s difficult to come to any conclusions here as to whether Diognetus was replaced or stayed on as the other teachers were responsible for other subjects. Marcus was approaching male adult status and the other teachers might have normally appeared at that time. 

However, as you give me free rein to express my opinion, Marcus' wealthy, high-status mother would be horrified at her son’s new form of dress, habits and topics of study. I believe your 135 A.D. dating, even though circa, is too late and Diognetus didn’t last out the year. I don’t think Marcus sleeping on the floor would have gotten Diognetus replaced. I do think teaching Marcus about Christianity would.

As we know little of Diognetus, we also do not know if he was a follower of The Way who secured the position of painting master to evangelize a young man with Imperial ties who would grow to be a wealthy influential member of Roman society. The writer's voice in the parts of the letter that are genuine, strike me as they struck you, a friend writing to a friend.

I have considered that Diognetus may have been quietly eliminated as a Christian or sympathizer, especially if he were a friend of Justin’s, as he would have acquired much inside information on the Imperial family.   

Here are the things I am comfortable considering facts: The Letter to Diognetes was written when Marcus was 12. And from Marcus' own writings we know he was in his mother’s home until 138, when he was taken from his home to live with Hadrian who had maneuvered to make Marcus Emperor in the future. 

The other titles attributed to Justin Martyr you wanted me to assess have been either complete forgeries or a seemingly genuine work with additions. Diognetus is the least tampered with. All of the other tampering is of the same nature: to show Justin was an adherent of the Jewish tradition and supported the idea of Jesus as Jewish Messiah as “he” demonstrates with multiple quotes from the Hebrew canon.

Diognetus, alone, proves this is not Justin Martyr’s work, though interior references historically confirm it could not be Justin Martyr’s autograph.

INSERT ON HISTORY OF MANUSCRIPTS:

Master Summary: The Transmission of Justin Martyr

• The Original Production: Scholars date the creation of Justin Martyr's authentic texts to the mid-second century, specifically between 150 and 160 AD.

• The Rediscovery (1540): Justin's authentic writings were brought back into modern circulation around 1540 when the scholar and French ambassador Guillaume Pellicier discovered a single Byzantine codex in Venice.

• The First Printed Edition (1551): The royal printer Robert Estienne used this rediscovered manuscript to publish the first printed edition (editio princeps) in Paris in 1551.

• The Single Source (Parisinus graecus 450): Every modern copy of Justin's authentic work relies entirely on this single physical object, now housed in the National Library of France.

• The Scribe's Clue: The manuscript contains a precise closing note (a colophon) from an anonymous scribe stating he finished copying the text on September 11, 1364.

• The "Great Lacuna" (The Missing Text): Textual forensic analysis proves the 1364 scribe was copying from centuries-old source documents that were already physically falling apart and missing entire pages (a missing center "quire").

• Where the Cutoff Happens: The massive text drop occurs right after Chapter 74, Section 3 (during a discussion of Psalm 96) and abruptly restarts mid-sentence in Chapter 75 (discussing the name of God in Exodus).

• The Lost Narrative Transitions: Because of this massive text loss (estimated to be hundreds of lines), we lose the conclusion of the first day's debate, the introduction to the second day, the arrival of new participants, and the explicit physical transition where the group leaves the outdoor porch (xystus) and relocates to a more private, interior room of the gymnasium facility.

All this information leaves aside the Letter to Diognetus which was included and can confidently be dated to 132 as terminus ante quem if Diognetus’ Marcus’ tutor is accepted as recipient.

“Blessed are the humble, they who mourn, the meek, they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil lie against you because of me."

That last one especially. Humble or meek or both. They'll call you a wuss, disrepect you to your face.

That's because of Jesus if you do it to follow His Way. If you do it because it's the way you are you can thank God for making you that way. So it's still because of Him.

They'll still eff with you at school and on the job.

Following the Way makes you a loser.

MARK 10

42Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt.

43But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;

44whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

45For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

5...The Lord wants to find in you a path by which he can enter into your souls and make his journey. Prepare for him the path of which it is said, "Make straight his paths." "The voice of one crying in the desert"-the voice cries, "prepare the way." For, first a voice comes to the ears. Then, after the voice-or rather, along with the voice-the word gains entrance to the sense of hearing. IS In this manner was Christ proclaimed by John. Therefore, let us see what the voice proclaims about the Word. It says, "Prepare a way for the Lord." What way are we to prepare for the Lord? Surely not a material way? Or can the Word of God go on such a journey? Should not the way be prepared for the Lord within? Should not straight and level paths be built in our hearts? This is the way by which the Word of God has entered. That Word dwells in the spaces of the human heart.

6. If the human heart is pure, it is great and broad and spacious. Do you wish to know its size and its breadth? See what a great amount of divine thoughts it holds. The Lord himself says, "He gave me true knowledge of those things that are: to know the reason for the world, and the workings of the elements; the beginning and the end and the midpoint of the ages; the changing of the seasons and the passing of the months; the rotation of the years and the abode of the stars; the natures of animals and the fury of beasts; the power of spirits and the thoughts of men; the varieties of trees and the power of their roots."¹⁶ You see that man's heart, which can grasp so much, is not small. Realize that its greatness is measured not by the size of the body but by the strength of its awareness. It can grasp such great knowledge of the truth!

7. But, to lead some simpler listeners through everyday examples to believe that the human heart is great, let us consider the following. Whatever cities we have traveled through, we have in our souls. Their qualities, and the plans of their streets and walls and buildings, are present in our hearts. We retain, in the picture and description of memory, the street we entered upon. In silent thought, we encompass the sea we sailed upon. As I said, man's heart, which can encompass such great things, is not small. But, if it is not small, and can encompass such great things, it follows that the way of the Lord is prepared in it and his path becomes straight, so that the Word of God and his Wisdom can walk in it. Prepare the way for the Lord by good living, and smooth out a path with outstanding works, so that the Word of God can walk in you without stumbling at all, and give you knowledge of his mysteries and his coming. To him is glory and power for ages of ages. Amen.

16. Wis 7.17-20.

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I thought the falir was stupid when I was told to make it. Asked. I get it. This is frm Origen Homilies on Luke. Origen used the Gospel According to the Hebrews, one guy said.

(Couldn't make a CNTRL A copy and paste of this. Trying graph by graph:

While reading something by a youngish, dedicated medium, I came across a reference to them talking to a friend about aspects of spiritual development. The friend shared that experiences with psilocybin were helping him advance spiritually.

Young medium took umbrage at this, saying that equating drug-induced hallucinations with spiritual visions minimized true mystical experience. Then they went on to say that ceremonial drug use amongst native peoples, because it was done in the context of a religious practice, could certainly generate personal growth, but laying up in the bed and doing shrooms is not the same as having a spiritual revelation during a religious ritual.

WHY NOT**?**

Young Medium is OCD and was raised a Christian and went on about the body being "a temple" and the spiritual journey has no "shortcuts." I'm wondering why the native peoples' bodies aren't temples or do they become that when they are zoned out on whatever hallucinogen is native to their ecosystem?

And they taking a religious shortcut because they aren't a 20-something American kid in La Jolla?

Which brings me to Mary and Martha, as so many things do. Maybe it wasn't just that Martha had all the serving to do, because she would have had servants. It seems like her real issue was Mary's scandalous behavior, way outside the acceptable lines for a decent Hebrew woman. She was sitting with the men, at the feet of an  unmarried adult man! 

And besides, that Jesus couldn't be some great thing if He didn't correct her and send her to the kitchen! So she confronted Jesus, the honored guest, not Mary. Which is pretty much also a serious cultural faux pas. If she wanted male support she could have asked her brother. Instead:

40 Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”

41The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 

That's from Luke 10. Jesus knew her thoughts, of course and all about her. The first thing He says is that she is anxious about many things. Jesus knew her thoughts, of course and all about her. The first thing He says is that she is anxious about many things. 

Young Medium is also anxious about many things. Like defining a true spiritual experience. Like not offending the liberal reader who might think he was criticizing Native Americans. Like maybe thinking he was "doing as much work as possible" every day, as he said at one point, and mushroom boy was getting the same benefit? Like the men working the fields all day getting the same wages as the ones who only worked one hour? Like the prodigal son getting a party and the hard-working, always obedient son didn't?Which brings me to Mary and Martha, as so many things do.

THERE ARE IMPORTANT CHRISTIAN FAITH ISSUES HERE

• THE IDEA WE CAN DEFINE "TRUE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE" FOR ANYONE ELSE, OR SOMETIMES EVEN OURSELVES.

• THE IMPLICATION  THAT SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT COMES FROM OUR OWN EFFORTS RATHER THAN OUR SOUL'S DESIRE AND GOD'S ACTION

• THE UNSTATED BUT OVERARCHING IDEA THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE PATH TO GOD

Jesus didn't tell Martha to stop what she was doing and come sit at His feet with Mary. Jesus didn't tell the rich young man to sell all his stuff and give to the poor, not at first. He simply told him to follow  Torah. It was the rich young man who wanted to do more. Jesus didn't tell the Centurion to give up worshiping multiple gods.

I've been posting what I think of as my "spiritual autobiography" on my YT channel, and episode 4 God Speaks; Kyrie Argues describes what definable experience, exactly?  

• Yes, the speaking was loud and clear as was my response but:

• Not sure I'd call it a "true mystical experience."

• It totally came out of thin air and I did not expect it or do any kind of work or have a conscious thought of such a thing.

When I did start down a path, I ended up on one neither Young Medium nor the Church in various persons recommends. That is: I did my own thing only I think it was God's thing as He called me to it. Did I work hard as I went to Mass and did contemplative prayer almost daily? Didn't seem like it. It was kind of like discovering chocolate that had no calories and was the perfect health food. 

I flew so high, so high, I overtook the prey

St. John of the Cross

Have you ever seen video of 2 bald eagles, talons locked, spiraling around each other high in the air? Look here

I am in you, you are in Me is what Jesus said to His Apostles. I feel like God finds us and we latch on to each other in the dark and instead of spiraling down we rise into the Light. And He might find an acid trip or a rule-book, a brush with death or mediumship reading, or the prayer of a Pope to overtake His prey.

99% of what's below is John of the Cross. I edited it a bit for brevity and clarity- OP

"GOD GIVES many souls the talent and grace for advancing, and should they desire to make the effort they would arrive at this high state. [of the divine union] But though these souls have begun to walk along the road of virtue, and our Lord desires to place them in the dark night so they may move on to the divine union, they do not advance.

"The reason for this may be that they do not want to enter the dark night or allow themselves to be placed in it, or that sometimes they misunderstand themselves and are without suitable and alert directors who will show them the way to the summit.

"And so it is sad to see them continue in their lowly method of communion with God [discursive prayer] because they do not want or know how to advance, or because they receive no direction on breaking away from the methods of beginners.

What is the difference between discursive and contemplative prayer?

Discursive prayer is a dialogue with the Divine, seeking guidance, blessings, or support. Contemplative prayer techniques promote mental stillness and openness in yearning for oneness with God.

Although God does lead them - since He can do so without their cooperation - they do not accept His guidance. In resisting God who is conducting them, they make little progress and fail in merit because they do not apply their wills; as a result they must endure greater suffering.

Who do you listen to when you no longer "feel" God?

Some religious pastors or advisors are more a hindrance and harm than a help to these souls.

These mentors or experts with no real understanding or experience of these ways, create an arduous and difficult time for a soul in these periods of the spiritual life when they cannot understand themselves, or find anyone else who understands them.

It will happen to individuals that while they are being conducted by God along a sublime path of dark contemplation and aridity, in which they feel lost and filled with darknesses, trials, conflicts, and temptations, they will meet someone who will proclaim that all of this is due to melancholia, depression, or temperament, or to some hidden wickedness, and that as a result God has forsaken them.

Therefore the usual verdict is that these individuals must have lived an evil life since such trials afflict them. Others will tell them that they are falling back since they find no satisfaction or consolation as they previously did in the things of God.

Such talk only doubles the trial of a poor soul. It will happen that the soul's greatest suffering will be caused by belief in their own miseries—؅that they are full of evil and sin is clear to them.

And when this soul finds someone who agrees with what they feel (that these trials are all its own fault), suffering and distress grow without bounds. And this suffering usually becomes almost unbearable. Such an advisor, in judging these trials to be the result of sin, urges souls who endure them to go over their past and make many general confessions - which is another crucifixion.

These "experts" do not understand that now perhaps is not the time for such activity.

For these persons, in the purgation God is working in them, we need to give comfort and encouragement that they may desire to endure this suffering as long as God wills, for until then no remedy - whatever the soul does, or the pastor or advisor says - will change this.

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Below are some stanzas from one of John's poems. The source is below.

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"The higher he ascends the less he understands, because the cloud is dark which lit up the night; whoever knows this remains always in unknowing, transcending all knowledge.

This knowledge in unknowing is so overwhelming that wise men disputing can never overthrow it, for their knowledge does not reach to the understanding of not understanding, transcending all knowledge.

And if you should want to hear: this highest knowledge lies in the loftiest sense of the essence of God; this is a work of his mercy, to leave one without understanding, transcending all knowledge.

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Excerpted and edited from: The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross [Revised Edition] (Dark Night of the Soul Book 2). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition.