Unveiling the Mystical Gospel of John (Gospel of John - pt. 1)

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In this lesson, we embark on the first installment of our upcoming series, where we delve into the Gospel of John from a mystical perspective.
The Gospel of John, often regarded as a mystical text, can be a source of confusion for many. In this session, our aim is to shed light on various aspects of Jewish mysticism and how they harmonize seamlessly with the Gospel of John.
Mystics are captivated by the essence of reality and often seek to perceive, with the mind, the mysteries beyond our ordinary sight. During this session, we will explore specific Bible verses that are central to mystical contemplation. These verses often revolve around moments in the Bible where the barrier separating humanity from God is momentarily lifted.
One such example is found in Ezekiel's first of two visions, as described in Ezekiel chapter One. The story commences with the heavens opening up, leading to a remarkable vision of the divine likeness on the throne-a likeness resembling a human form. This apparent paradox raises intriguing questions: How can the formless God possess an image resembling a man?
Join us as we embark on a journey to demystify the mystical and reveal how John's Gospel communicates the profound message of who Jesus truly is.
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Support Fig Tree Ministries:
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www.figtreeteaching.com
Class Handout: www.figtreetea...
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
List of Signs from John - see either of the books below
NT Wright - Following Jesus - see page 35 - amzn.to/49ntkYv
Jewish Annotated New Testament - see notes (pp. 178 (Cana), 185 (Official's son), 186 (healing lame), 188 (feeding), 196 (Blind Man), 200 (Lazarus), Crucifixion (God's Glory).
amzn.to/3Ot5cvu
Learn About Jewish Mysticism: (Affiliate links)
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner - Honey From The Rock - (my 1st choice!) amzn.to/497RIO9
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner - Jewish Spirituality: A Brief Introduction for Christians - amzn.to/3OppXbs
Byron L. Sherman - Kabbalah: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism - amzn.to/3ubdqBw
Learn About Christian Mysticism: A GREAT Resource!
Bernard McGinn - The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism - amzn.to/49dPX1j

Опубликовано:

20 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 14

@amyk6403 7 месяцев назад

I wasn't planning on studying John anytime soon. I'm currently working on Exodus. BUT now I am "all in." I think I'll do your Exodus study while I'm waiting on these lessons to come out. This is fascinating to me. I always feel like there is something deeper in this text that I'm not quite grocking. Can't wait for future content and thanks for offering handouts!

@jennaluvsflatearth8303 Месяц назад

Knowledge is power ❤ wisdom comes with patience and observation or personal experience. I’m here just learning ❤❤❤ but commenting not because i know anything but to help your algorithm. Thank you for these videos!

@Kampfwageneer 2 месяца назад

Adam Kadmon. Xristos Anesti! ☦❤

@MrHwaynefair 7 месяцев назад

Hard to communicate how I resonate with your introduction… I am preparing a series on The Mystery of Christ- a quest to discover what Paul meant in 1 Cor.2 where he speaks of a Wisdom hidden in a Mystery… The “clues” lead me (thus far) to 3 prominent revelations: 1. Christ as THE Image of God 2. Christ as the Cosmic Creator and Sustainer (who fills everything in every way) 3. Christ as the eternal Archetype of humanity (His Image as Last Adam is stamped on the very being of all humanity). A verse that mystically alludes to this: “God was pleased to UNCOVER (apocalupto) Christ IN me…” and “Christ [the Image] in you, the hope of Glory” as ultimately true of every human being (for we all bear His Image, though largely obscured and hidden)… Really looking forward to the remainder of this series! Thanks and God Bless! wayne fair

@FigTreeMinistries 7 месяцев назад

Yes! Yes! Yes! and Yes! My understanding is that for the mystics - when an infinite God enters into the finite cosmos - it is in the image of the archetypal man. Philo and Paul call this the Heavenly Man and later Judaism calls the Adam Kadmon - the original Adam. Also, about two years ago a friend of mine who is a retired math teacher pointed out the concept of fractals and that humanity is, in a sense, a fractal of the original - the original Heavenly Man. That has kind of blown my mind. for instance - this presentation - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OlD2rcm971U.html although I don't think he links humanity as a fractal of the Heavenly man - but simply as proof of an intelligent creator.

@FigTreeMinistries 7 месяцев назад

Now subscribed to your channel!

@MrHwaynefair 7 месяцев назад

@@FigTreeMinistries ❤️ very honored!

@MrHwaynefair 7 месяцев назад

@@FigTreeMinistries Hmmm - I thought I posted a reply to this- but it seems to have disappeared 😬 Anyway- just wanted to say how much I appreciate your reply- it’s thrilling when you come across someone who “gets” what and why you’re so passionate about such wonderful revelations from Scripture 😊 May God continue to bless you and your ministry!

@FigTreeMinistries 7 месяцев назад

100% agree! I also think there is a shift happening. More people are searching for something deeper. More people are open to the depth of scripture. More people are hungry for God's spirit and revelation. Thanks for all you do!

@SevenStarBibleQuest 7 месяцев назад

Interesting stuff. In regard to your opening comments, I can say that, as an evangelical, I am certainly open to there being a deeper meaning and hidden elements to the biblical text. I have in fact long had the conviction that there is a surface literal meaning and, at least sometimes, another obscured meaning that only the truly diligent procure. However, one concern here I have with the "mystical" approach is that I feel it might lead to a tendency, at least for some, to begin to spiritualize and allegorize the entire text and to leave the plain literal meaning behind. In fact, I think we're seeing something like this in so-called progressive Christianity, in which even core tenets like the bodily resurrection of Christ are often being denied. If in fact there is a deeper meaning to some parts of the Bible, and hidden elements, I think that we need to understand them as being in addition to the literal meaning that rests on the surface--a meaning that is fully true and intended by the authors--and not some gnostic-like alternative truth that only the spiritual elite are able to discover.

@FigTreeMinistries 7 месяцев назад

Thank you for your comment. In a week or two, I will be doing a lesson on the traditional four senses of reading the Bible - from the literal or plain meaning to the more spiritual or hidden meanings. From the beginning, there has been tension in how people read and interact with the text since the Bible is so experiential. There has also always been a tension between the normative church reading of the Bible and the more mystical reading of the Bible. I agree with you that any reading of the Bible can go astray. This has always been the case and always will be. Part of my goal is simply to introduce the Jewish (and Christian) mystic category, as many people are unaware of this area of Jewish and Christian practice. If we can demystify the mystics, we will see that they are not attempting to create a gnostic-like religion that only a few can attain. I would also add, though, that Christianity contains mysteries and that we ought to be able to acknowledge those mysteries. We must strive for balance. If we only read on a TOO literal level, then our faith practice runs the risk of becoming wooden and dogmatic. And sometimes, a literal reading of the Bible is precisely the opposite of what the (ancient) author intended. Some parts are to be read literally - others are figurative. It takes spiritual maturity and discernment to know the difference. How do we ultimately find and hold these tensions in balance? Through the process of spiritual growth, education, and maturity (Hebrews 5:11-6:3) in Christ.

@SevenStarBibleQuest 7 месяцев назад

@@FigTreeMinistries Thanks for the response. In general, I lean on a literal understanding of the text. Adam and Eve were our actual parents, there was a flood, the Exodus really happened, Jesus died on a cross for our sins and resurrected bodily. That said, I agree that there are mysteries. I will be interested in checking out your forthcoming videos. Parts 8 and 9 of your Sea of Galilee series, where you talk about the 153 fish, have been very useful for me, especially as I was able to marry that information to some other information I found recently. Here's something on that that you may at least find peculiar: As you discuss in your video, the 153 fish that are caught are understood by some to be representative of the believers that will be drawn in by Christ through the apostles' preaching. And undoubtedly as you know, Paul has long been understood as the apostle specifically to the Gentiles, while Peter is representative of the ministry to the Jews. And of course the Jews and Gentiles, together, represent the mystical body of Christ. Did you know that, in the King James Version, the names Paul and Peter both occur in exactly 153 verses?

@FigTreeMinistries 7 месяцев назад

I didn't know that! God certainly does work in mysterious ways! The topic of literal v symbolic/figurative reading of the text is a difficult problem. For whatever reason I have never read the text too literally even though I have largely attended Evangelical churches and an Evangelical seminary (even though there are variances within the Evangelical tradition and even my professors did not read the text monolithically - only one I can remember that read the text overly literal). It seems to me that how we read the text is largely a function of us as individuals. I have spoken with many within the Evangelical church who don't read the text literally but are afraid to say anything. They feel they will be looked down upon by their community or worse someone will label them a heretic. At the same time, the deeper I read/understand the Bible the more TRUTH become apparent. In my opinion when we properly read past the literal it reveals levels of truth about God, his creation, and humanity that cannot be expressed in an over literal sense. In my opinion, I believe when we can read the text through all four senses (Literal, Symbolic (Allegorical), Moral, and Anagogical/mystical) simultaneously we will gain a deeper and more profound understanding of Jesus and God's Kingdom.