Methodology
What? Why? And How? An overview of methodology
Key Concepts
Noûs (νοῦς): New Creational Life opened up to us through Jesus in the Holy Spirit vs The Vanity of the Disintegrated, Fallen Mind
Phronéō (φρονέω): The operations of the Mind/heart/soul/nous
Metanoéō (μετανοέω): The Transforming Word of JHWH unto New Creational Life or Eternal Judgment
Im-raw (אִמְרָה): The Word of the Redemptive Presence
Hypomonḗ (ὑπομονή): Persevering Endurance From Our Conception to the Very End of the Age Through the Spirit Who Is Given Unto Us For the Good of the Other Unto the Glory of God
Double-Mindedness (Dípsychos): The unstable state of double-mindedness that arises when there are in us two (di) spirits (psyches) vying in a never-ending battle for control
By Theme
Reconciliation
Part 1: The external “change” engineered by fallen man failing in its ultimate ends while working to effect glorious transformation
Part II: The Fivefold Path of Reconciliation: The “change” effected in the fallen mind: Hell itself internalized making us, in the end, “foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless”
Part III: The Fivefold Path of Reconciliation: The “change” effected not by fallen man but by God in Christ (as we pass from suppression to confrontation and victorious union)
Flourishing
Part I: The Dual Nature of Flourishing: Four Hebrew words in a single Psalm— composed “For the Sabbath Day”: Pārakh (פָּרַח); Tsûts (צוּץ); Ra’ănān (רַעֲנָן); and Nûb (נוּב). Introduction
The Lord’s Prayer
“Hallowed (Hagiázō [ἁγιάζω]) be Your name”
Part I: “In the Heavens”: The Lord’s Prayer & Psalm 120-124
Part II: The OT Background: קָדַשׁ (kä·dash)
“Give us this day our epioúsios (ἐπιούσιος) bread”
Part I: Matthew 6 & The Living Bread of the Future Kingdom
Part II: Lk 10-11, “Joy in the Holy Spirit”-> The Good Samaritan-> The “One Thing Needful”-> The Lord’s Prayer
Part III: John 6 & The Church Fathers: The Living Bread of New Creation
Lead us not into Temptation/Testing (Peirasmós [πειρασμός])
Part I: Synthesis of the first six petitions as God’s eternal Kingdom breaking into This Age (1-3), in Christ (4th) through the sacrifice of love (5th), leading…to…a clash (6th)
Part II: The Gospels—Prayer, The Parable of the Sower and The Garden
Part III: The OT Roots in Nasah (נָסָה), Bachan (בָּחַן) and Tsaraph (נָסָה)
Part IV: Acts to Hebrews
Part V: James to Revelation
Ekpeirázō (ἐκπειράζω): The infernal counterpart to peirázo and peirasmós—Hypertesting, an attribute of false communities which seeks not to reveal and refine but to destroy
Self-Emptying (Kenosis)
Kénōsis (κένωσις), Phil 2 and the paradox of true glory in Love’s self-emptying vs the false glory (kenodoxía) of self-love
Into a Bound Slave (Désmios)
Désmios (δέσμιος), Part I: Christ & Barabbas; Paul & the Pýthōn Spirit: “Bound prisoners” Whose binding brings freedom, binding the spirit of deception and transforming captors into disciples
By Theme (cont.)
Be wise (phrónimos) as serpents and pure (akéraios) as doves
Part I. Phrónimos: Operating with a purified mind/heart/soul/ spirit/nous such that we live “according to Christ” and “by the Spirit”
Part II: Akéraios: The “unmixed” purity of the Holy Spirit overcoming the world and its passions of the flesh
The Scandal of the Gospel
Skandalizó (σκανδαλίζω): NT Synthesis and OT Background in Mikshôl (מִכְשׁוֹל): The four dimensions of stumbling in the Christian life centered on our response to the Messianic King
ὀνειδίζω (on-i-did'-zo): The unjust rebukes of the world together with the penetrating rebuke of Christ which, if received, can become for us a final Beatitude
Works of the Flesh
From the “Fruits of the Spirit”… to the “Works of the Flesh”: Part I. From the Law’s “yoke of bondage” to the freedom of life in the Spirit born out of our co-crucifixion with the Lover of our souls
From the “Fruits of the Spirit”…to the “Works of the Flesh”: Part II. The operations of the Spirit in us that we “not fulfill the deep desires of the flesh” (Gal 5, I John 3 and Jam 2)
From the “Fruits of the Spirit”… to the “Works of the Flesh”: Part III. From carnal lust to spiritual idolatry and pharmakeía to divisions (heresies) and, finally, total spiritual corruption
Stenochōría (στενοχωρία): Distress in the straits of life—confronted, processed & transformed
Fasting
Part I: Introduction: The context of the Sermon on the Mount
Part II: DFK on the context of Lk 5 (audio)
Part III: DFK, a biographical background to a living exposition
Part IV: A Seven-Fold Synthesis, The Text
By Scripture
Exodus
The Plagues
Arbêh (אַרְבֶּה): The Dual Nature of the Plagues: The all-consuming plague of locusts upon Egypt transformed through the rejection of God’s Holiness into the Covenantal Curses upon the people of God
The Psalms
Ps 63, “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah”: Part 1. Intro to T. F. Torrance’s “kataphysic inquiry” and the “epistemological inversion” required in any study of the Living Word
Psalm 63, “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah” (Miḏbār [מִדְבָּר]): Part II: From the Wilderness of Paganism to “Affliction” (anah [עָנָה]) to a Pit to Covenantal life in the Passover
Ps 63:1a O God (ĕlôhîym) you are my God (êl); Early will I seek (shakhar) You. Part III
Ps 63:1b My soul thirsts (tsâmê) for You; My flesh longs (kâmah) for You; In a dry and weary land Where there is no water. Part IV: The paradox of thirst and the Brave New World of controlled impulse
Ps 63:1b My soul thirsts (tsâmê) for You. Part V: Psalms-Prophets: Our thirst eternally unmet in the vanities of This Age or finally satisfied in the Kingdom of the Suffering Servant
Ecclesiastes
Eccl 7:7: Raving Madness or Shining Light? T.F. Torrance and the approach to our word studies revisited
Isaiah
Is 53:5a: Part I: “He was pierced (מְחֹלָ֣ל; chalal) for our transgressions (מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ; pesha)”— Genesis - Leviticus: Opening a Pathway to Reconciliation
Is 53:5a: Part II: “He was pierced (מְחֹלָ֣ל; chalal) for our transgressions (מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ; pesha)”— The Book of Numbers: The pathway through the defiling plague of sin by propitiation
By Parable
The Good Samaritan
“Give us this day our epioúsios (ἐπιούσιος) bread,” Part II: Lk 10-11, “Joy in the Holy Spirit”-> The Good Samaritan-> The “One Thing Needful”-> The Lord’s Prayer
The Parable of the Sower
“Lead us not into testing,” Part II: The Gospels—Prayer, The Parable of the Sower and The Garden
The Pharisee & Tax collector
The Prayer of the Publican, The Jesus Prayer, Merkabah (“chariot”) Mysticism and Modern Hymnody
The Rich Man & Lazarus
Part II: The Flaming Eyes of the Risen Christ: Part II. Preface to the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: The 18-fold pathway of the love of self, love of money (philárgyros) and the flame of God’s Holiness
Part III: The Eyes of the Risen Christ as a “Flame (phlóx) of Fire”: The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, I: The paradoxes of the false holy spirit of wealth
Part IV: The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, II: The paradoxes actualized
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The Rich Young Ruler
From the Rich Man & Lazarus to the Rich Young Ruler: Religious Activism and the “The Holy Church of Christ without Christ”
The Rich Young Ruler, Part I: An Introduction to “The Paradox of Suffering” in Seeking Riches (Ktēma & Chrēma) vs Treasure (Thēsaurós)
The Rich Young Ruler, Part II: From the earthly Law of More money = More divinely blessed to the eternal treasures given and received in the spiritual Law of Love
The Rich Young Ruler, Part III: Who is guarding (phylássō) whom? Or, do the things we own end up owning us?
Holiness
Baw-dal (בָּדַל): Part I: The Division of Light from Darkness, Heaven from Earth, God’s Covenant People from the Nations and the True Priesthood from the Counterfeit: Part I. The Pentateuch: Gen-Lev
Baw-dal (בָּדַל): Part II: The Division of the True Priesthood from the Counterfeit, True Justice from Vengeance and Eternal Blessing from the Self Delusions of False Shalom: Part II. The Pentateuch: Num-Deut
Perílypos (περίλυπος): The Hell-encompassing suffering of redeeming Love or the inner torment in its rejection
The Holiness of Christ
The Eyes of the Risen Christ as a “flame (phlóx) of fire”: Part I: Beginning at the End: The Revelation of Jesus Christ and the “flame” of His holiness bringing judgment or transforming glory
The Eyes of the Risen Christ as a “Flame (phlóx) of Fire” Part II. Preface to the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: The love of self, the love of money (philárgyros) and the flame of God’s Holiness
The Eyes of the Risen Christ as a “Flame (phlóx) of Fire”: Part III: The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, I: The paradoxes of the false holy spirit of wealth
Humility
Part I: Lowliness and the Paradoxical Power of “not rising far from the ground”— The Gospels
Part II: Acts—From the false techniques of religious syncretism to the transformative reception of the mystery of the voluntary humiliation of Christ
Leaven (zýmē)
Part I: Leaven in the Gospels: The operations of the Holy Spirit to bring God’s Kingdom; Or the workings of religious hypocrisy and fallen human power to establish a false kingdom Now
Part II: Leaven in the Epistles: From the leaven of spiritual conceit, malice and wickedness to the unleavened Passover bread of sincerity and truth—a life in Christ walking by the Spirit
Chileab (כִּלְאָב): The second son of David by Abigail—after Amnon & before Absalom—lost to historical account yet one who from his change of name became the “image” of his Messianic “father”