HHMI Newsgroup Archives
From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Friday, July 04, 1997 2:38 AM
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Understanding the concept of Spiritual Maturity
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: Do Jews need to accept Jesus as Messiah ???
From: Linda D Semler
Dear Eddie;
This is a wonderful issue and one definitely worth pursuing IMHO.
The following are scriptures which I wrestle with:
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters
of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were BOTH *** righteous**** before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord*** blameless.*** Luke 1:5-6
From Eddie:
***************
The word "blameless" is the Strong's Word (273). When you look the word up in the Thayer's Greek Lexicon, it will tell you that the
corresponding word in Hebrew is (Tam ... 8535 or Tamim 8549).
In Exodus 12:6 it is written:
"Your lamb shall be WITHOUT BLEMISH (8549 = Tamim) ..."
This is a BRIDAL concept being "without blemesh" or "blameless".
In Ephesians 5:27 it is written:
"That he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing: but that it should be holy and
WITHOUT BLEMISH"
In Genesis 17:1 it is written:
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am Almighty God, walk before me and be
thou PERFECT (8549 = Tamim or "without blemish").
In Joshua 24:14 it is written:
"Now therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him in SINCERITY (8549 = Tamim or "without blemish") and in truth ..."
In Psalm 119:1 it is written:
"Blessed are the UNDEFILED (8549 = Tamim or "without blemish") who walk in the TORAH of the Lord"
Tamim (8549) means "Spiritually mature". It DOES NOT mean sinless. So, in Luke 1:5-6 , it tells us that Zacharias and
Elizabeth were "blameless" or (TAMIM or "spiritually mature") because they (loved God) and kept His commandments (John 14:15).
From Linda:
***************
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master,
**** what good thing shall I do, that I may have ETERNAL LIFE?*****
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:**** but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments.*****
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou
shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed,
saying,****** Who then can be saved?*******
26***** But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. ******
Matthew 19: 16-26
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying
,*** Master, what shall I do to inherit ETERNAL LIFE?****
****26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?*****
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy
mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28***** And he said unto him, tHOU HAST ANSWERED RIGHT, THIS DO, AND THOU SHALT LIVE.******* Luke 10:25-28
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am really looking forward to others insights into these scriptures.
Blessings.
Linda
From Eddie:
***************
I discuss the concept of (TAMIM) or spiritually mature and I talk about this scripture of this "rich young ruler" in my book,
"Who is the Bride of Christ?".
So, let's examine this story briefly.
Almost 100% of the time when I have heard the rich young ruler preached in church, it has been preached in the context of salvation.
But, as I will explain, salvation was NOT the question or the explanation given. It was about being the GREATEST in the Kingdom of
Heaven. Let us examine this.
In Matthew 19:16, the rich young ruler asked:
"And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good shall I do, that I may have ETERNAL LIFE?"
Most commonly ETERNAL LIFE which is the Strong's word (2222) and is the Greek word, "ZOE" has been equated within Christianity as
SALVATION. But the Greek word ZOE means "the most abundant life their is". In John 10:10, Yeshua/Jesus said:
"... I am come that they might have LIFE (2222 = ZOE) and that they might have it MORE ABUNDANTLY (or the HIGHEST FORM OF LIFE)"
The opposite of the ZOE life is the PSUCHE life. The PSUCHE life is the "life of the flesh, the fleshly life or the self-willed
life". The ZOE life is the "life of the Spirit and completely yielding your life in obediance to God and His Will for your life".
In John 12:25 it is written:
"He that loves his life (5590 = PSUCHE = self-willed life) shall lose it; and he that hates his life (5590 = PSUCHE = self-willed life) in
this world shall keep it unto LIFE (ZOE = 2222) ETERNAL"
So, ZOE (2222) is the MOST ABUNDANT LIFE (John 10:10). It is the HIGHEST LIFE you can life. The PSUCHE life is the fleshly life
that wars against the ZOE life. We are to lay down our PSUCHE (fleshly life) to have the ZOE (spirit life of God). We are to hate
our PSUCHE life (the desires of the flesh that are at enmity against God and His Will for our lives) and to seek the ZOE life (the Spirit
life).
Yeshua/Jesus layed down His PSUCHE life (the will of the flesh) to obtain the ZOE (2222) life which was to do the Will of God
and to die on the cross/tree for the sins of the world.
In John 10:17 it is written:
"Therefore, doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life (PSUCHE = 5590) that I might take it up again"
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Yeshua/Jesus yielded his PSUCHE life for the ZOE life of God. In Matthew 26:38 it is written:
"Then saith he (Yeshua/Jesus) unto them, My SOUL (PSUCHE = 5590) is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death ..."
The corresponding Hebrew word for ZOE (2222) is CHAI (2416). The corresponding Hebrew word for PSUCHE (5590) is NEPHISH (5315).
So, the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16 wanted to know what he needed to do to have ETERNAL LIFE (or ZOE = 2222 which is the
HIGHEST LIFE which spiritual BEGINS with salvation but really refers to SPIRITUAL MATURITY).
The rich young ruler indicates that he has kept the commandments of God (Matthew 19:17-19) and he then asked in Matthew 19:20:
" ... what lack I yet ?"
In Matthew 19:21, Yeshua/Jesus said:
"If you will be PERFECT (5048 which is the Greek word (telioo) which comes from the Greek word (5046) which is (telios) ... come and
follow me"
Therefore, Yeshua/Jesus was answering the rich young ruler and told him what he needed to do to have (ZOE) and be PERFECT
(5048). The Greek word (Telios) (5046) from which (5048) is based corresponds to the Hebrew word (8549 = TAMIM) which means "to be
spiritually mature" which is the same concept as having (ZOE = 2222 = the fullness of the Spirit led life of God).
The disciples didn't understand that Yeshua/Jesus was communicating SPIRITUAL MATURITY and the HIGHEST REWARD in the
Kingdom of Heaven because in Matthew 19:25 they asked as it is written:
"Who then can be saved?"
Yeshua/Jesus responded and showed that he was talking about what was required to have the HIGHEST PLACE in heaven (the ZOE
= 2222) life of God as Peter replied in Matthew 19:27 as it is written:
"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we HAVE FORSAKEN ALL and FOLLOWED THEE (unlike the rich young ruler in Matt 19:22 who
walked about from FOLLOWING Yeshua/Jesus COMPLETELY)."
Yeshua/Jesus responded in Matthew 19:28:
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that you which HAVE FOLLOWED ME, in the REGENERATION (Messianic Age) when the Son of man
shall SIT IN THE THRONE of his glory, you ALSO SHALL SIT UPON TWELVE THRONES (the HIGHEST PLACE and RANK in heaven) judging the twelve
tribes of Israel (all the other believers who are less in the kingdom)"
So, by examing this story in it's ENTIRE context and understanding the Hebraic concepts behind the passage, we can see
that rich young ruler was asking what he needed to do to have the HIGHEST PLACE (ZOE = 2222) in the Kingdom of Heaven. The rich young
ruler FAILED to give up is self-willed life (PSUCHE) and COMPLETLEY follow Yeshua/Jesus. However, the disciples DID so Yeshua/Jesus
promised them that unlike the rich younger ruler they will SIT ON THRONES (the HIGHEST POSITION in the kingdom of Heaven which
corresponds to the position of the Bride (Revelation 5:10) and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (all the other believers who are saved
and in the kingdom of heaven).
This is just a brief summary of the concept of spiritual maturity. I explain this in GREATER DETAIL in my new book,
"Who is the Bride of Christ?". In the book, I explain more fully, (TAMIM and ZOE) as concepts of spiritual maturity which is a
spiritual characteristic of the Bride of Christ.
Linda, I hope that I have answered your question.
Eddie Chumney
**************************************************************************
Return to
Newsgroup Archives Main Page
Return to our Main Webpage
�2011
Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by
Web Design by JB.