The Outer Darkness Of Mind And Being

While doing some research on the interpretation of the long ignored Gospel phrase of the "outer darkness", I sent the following to a ministry pertaining to their web page on this subject.   What I wrote is an applicable invitation to all those who call themselves Christians.

Shalom Jack Kelly & Grace Through Faith Ministries:

I happened across your web page on the Outer Darkness (click to access), and encountered a deep-seated spiritual oxymoron that you might wish to reconsider. You write: The problem I’ve had in researching this is there’s no general agreement among scholars as to what it is, where it is, or for whom it’s intended either. There’s also no agreement as to whether it’s a physical location or a state of being. The phrase outer darkness literally means, “outside, where there’s no light”. The Greek word for darkness can be used metaphorically to mean obscurity, which is the condition of being unknown. And there’s also a sense in which spiritual ignorance or blindness can apply. An accompanying phrase describes it as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, which denotes extreme anguish and utter despair. No matter what else you think about it, the Outer Darkness is definitely not a nice place to be.

The problem is that you are at a great disadvantage in your attempt to comprehend this important condition of mind and being -- and you are primarily disadvantaged because over the last 1700 years or so, many important teachings and concepts have either been corrupted (see http://BibleCorruption.com ), and/or dogmatically obscured. The primary spiritual oxymoron in the above statement is in your words: "...there’s no general agreement among scholars as to what it is" -- and this is true because those who you portray as scholars and experts, are among those who dwell in the "outer darkness" of mind and being. In the Gospel account, Jesus commands his disciples not to be called teacher, because there is One Teacher -- and it is this One Teacher that is the only True Source of Knowledge. And today's Churches are faith-based, because the Church long ago threw away the Key of Knowledge ( http://KeyOfKnowledge.org ) in the manner of the carnal Jews who Jesus portrayed as blind guides. And why were they blind guides? Because they threw away the Key of Knowledge -- and in their carnal interpretations of the scriptures, they obstructed the seekers quest to enter the (inner) Kingdom. The earliest disciples and followers of Jesus portrayed the One Teacher as the True Prophet (see http://TheThreeLies.com#TrueProphet ) -- and in the words of Peter to his disciple Clement: “Hence, O beloved Clement, if you would know the things pertaining to God, you have to learn them from Him alone, because He alone knows the truth. For if any one else knows anything, he has received it from Him or from His disciples” And sadly, these words are as true today, as when they were originally spoken.

To what degree are the above words of Peter true? Peter is again quoted in the following subheading entitled The Spiritual Disenfranchisement Of The Mind where he states: "...therefore great care is to be taken, that when the law of God is read, it be not read according to the understanding of our own mind. For there are many sayings in the divine Scriptures which can be drawn to that sense which every one has preconceived for himself; and this ought not to be done. For you ought not to seek a foreign and extraneous sense, which you have brought from without". And what this means is that because all of mankind who are of what Paul portrays as the "natural" organic mind (see Mystery Of the Gospel), all dwell in what Jesus portrayed as the "outer darkness" of mind and being -- i.e., the lost prodigal sons who dwell under the mindset and control of the "Citizen... of the Far Country". And this is why Peter warns not to take any interpretation of the scriptures from "without" -- i.e., . "...For you ought not to seek a foreign and extraneous sense, which you have brought from without." Why? Because the scriptures are composed and written in the language of the soul -- and it is impossible for those who dwell in the "outer darkness" of mind and being to comprehend the meaning. And just as important in the above words is the warning that when the scriptures are read, "....it be not read according to the understanding of our own mind. For there are many sayings in the divine Scriptures which can be drawn to that sense which every one has preconceived for himself; and this ought not to be done. Why? Because the true meaning of the scriptures can only be revealed to those who have escaped that condition of mind portrayed as the "outer darkness" -- and no longer dwell "without".

Actually, the meaning of the reality of this world -- i.e., the Far Country --' is portrayed exactly in your interpretation provided in the words: “outside, where there’s no light”. And this reality of dark unknowing is explored in the article An Inconvenient Truth -- and more specifically at the subheading entitled In The House - Taught In Parables - The Inner Kingdom & The Key Of Knowledge. And what this means is that the salvation of the Gospel was given to those who pick up their own cross and travail in TheWay -- thereby becoming what is portrayed as The Final Temple -- which enables the seeker/disciple to "enter the House with the Lord"!!! There is no salvation for those who call upon the name of the Lord with their lips, while remaining "without" (outside). Because my brother Jesus came to call the lost prodigal sons and daughters out of this world -- i.e., the Far Country -- and return to the Kingdom from which they originally emerged (see http://GateOfEden.com ) -- yet, those who do not come to TheCall, cannot inherit the Promise of the Gospel. The problem is that so long as they remain "without" in the "outer darkness" of mind and being, they have neither remembrance of their more distant past -- even during that time when they dwelt in the Kingdom -- and neither are they able to see and perceive with any clarity or Enlightened Light. And thus, as the Gospel account states, "...there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt 22:12-14 NKJ)

It is important to recognize that faith without actions did not save the person who had come to the feast and TheCall, from his fate of being thrown out into the "outer darkness". As can be seen in the words:"So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt 22:12-14 NKJ). The "wedding garment", is the garment of spiritual purity which is fulfilled when the seeker/disciple fulfills the Law within himself, and becomes The Final Temple. And there is a big difference between what is portrayed as the "outer darkness" of mind and being (see Outer Darkness), and what Jesus portrayed as The Prison.

As a Christian you should be cognizant of the first part of the parable of TheCall -- i..e, "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come" (Matt 22:2-3 NKJV). As a Christian you were provided the greater opportunity to be among the invited, and these words are spoken to you. And in the parable, those who had been invited, but remained consumed by the cares of this world, were dealt much more harshly than those who were cast into the "outer darkness". And this is why Peter wrote that the fate of the complacent Christians is far worse than even the unbelievers and common sinners (see Fate Worse). And as can be seen in The Ten Minute Test, Paul portrays those who come to the knowledge of TheWay, and turn back to the thinking, lifestyle and ways of this world, as "apostates" to the Kingdom -- of whom there can be no sacrifice for their salvation. Quoting An American Tragedy Perpetuated: Jesus warned that those confined to what he portrayed as The Prison, cannot be released until they have paid back their last debt -- i.e., “Thou shalt by no means come out from there, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing” (Mat 5:26 - see The Prison). While those who have not themselves picked up their own cross and travailed in TheWay in imitation of the Pattern of Christ, perpetually dwell in what Jesus portrayed as the "outer darkness" of mind and being (see Outer Darkness) -- totally blind to their more distant past that has invoked the Laws that has orchestrated the life that they are presently living. And that the modern Church remains a victim of what can only be rightly portrayed as the Stockholm Syndrome -- embracing the very dogmatic ignorance that was literally forced upon the Church by the Emperors of Pagan Rome (see The Government Intrusion And Takeover Of The Church) -- has had the effect of shackling the Christian world in a Spiritual Diaspora of Ignorance from which they have yet to even begin to emerge.

Now, you need not remain confined and shackled in the "outer darkness" of mind and being (see Outer Darkness) -- and if you begin to live the necessary Consecrated Life that enables you to put on the "wedding garment", there is a place for you and all Christians In The House at the Table of the Lord. But to come to TheCall, you will have to let loose of the thinking and mindset of the pseudo-scholars of this world, the counterfeit teachers and leaders, and seek to learn ONLY from the True Prophet. In fact, the plight of the modern Christian is exactly portrayed in the most used scripture of the early Gentile Christians which was known as The Shepherd Of Hermas -- and I will quote from the subheading The Mystery Of The Gospel:

(quoting)

In the introduction of the early Christian writing known as the Shepard of Hermas, it is written: “The Pastor of Hermas was one of the most popular books, if not the most popular book, in the Christian Church during the second, third, and fourth centuries... In ancient times two opinions prevailed in regard to the authorship. The most widely spread was, that the Pastor of Hermas was the production of the Hermas mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans. Origen states this opinion distinctly, and it is repeated by Eusebius and Jerome”. If, then, it is true that the Pastor of Hermas was one of the most important scriptural authorities over the first four centuries, then we can use it in our endeavor to better understand the essence of early Christian thought. What the Shepherd of Hermas has to say is very important to us today, because it represents the scriptural tradition that was taught directly to the faithful flock by the Apostles of Christ. Thus, on the nature of scripture, in the Shepherd we find: “I am senseless, sir, say I, and do not understand these parables. For how she can crush out, and on the other hand save, I do not perceive. Listen, says he. Those who have never searched for the truth, nor investigated the nature of the Divinity, but have simply believed, when they devote themselves to and become mixed up with business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world, do not perceive the parables of Divinity; for their minds are darkened by these actions, and they are corrupted and become dried up. Even as beautiful vines, when they are neglected, are withered up by thorns and divers plants, so men who have believed, and have afterwards fallen away into many of those actions above mentioned, go astray in their minds, and lose all understanding in regard to righteousness; for if they hear of righteousness, their minds are occupied with their business, and they give no heed at all. Those, on the other hand, who have the fear of God, and search after Godhead and truth, and have their hearts turned to the Lord, quickly perceive and understand what is said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord in them. For where the Lord dwells, there is much understanding. Cleave, then, to the Lord, and you will understand and perceive all things”.

The message that is very clear from this early Christian writing is that it is impossible to mature spiritually, while attempting to divide oneself between the two worlds. In our present day culture we are living proof as to the validity of the wisdom that is portrayed in this writing -- i.e., one cannot perceive the true meaning of the parables and the inner significance of the historical narrative of the scriptures, while one devotes their lives to their “business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world”-- which would include the whole array of addictions provided by all the many leisure’s and entertainments that captivate and control our every-day lives. Further, do we truly do unto others as we would want others to do unto us -- i.e., do we send our children (the souls who were placed in our care) off to government secularized schools to become imbued with the thinking, mindset and lifestyle of the heathen culture in which we presently live? In the Shepherd of Hermas a reference is made to a tower, of which it is written: “And the tower, I asked, what does it mean? This tower, he replied, is the Church. And these virgins, who are they? They are Holy Spirits, and men cannot otherwise be found in the kingdom of God unless these have put their clothing upon them: for if you receive the name only, and do not receive from them the clothing, they are of no advantage to you. For these virgins are the powers of the Son of God. If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name”.In understanding what is written, it is most important for us to be aware of the continual message found in the words:“If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name”.Thus, if you call yourselves Christian, but fail to purify and develop your mind and body from the defilements of this world -- and do not possess the true Knowledge of the Spiritual Christ -- and have not yourselves inherited the same higher powers of mind that the Son of God promised all his followers would possess -- then “it will be in vain that you bear His name”. And again, this is demonstrated in the words spoken to those who believed upon the coming of the Lord, and even called upon his name, but had failed to bring with them the oil of purification, where it was stated: "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you"

As a Servant of TheWay who has been sent forth to make TheCall in our present time, the above is the Invitation given directly to you and the Christian world.

GodSpeed in TheWay,

Brother Of Yeshua/Jesus

http://BrotherOfJesus.org