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Understanding


Brushstroke
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In all that I have read and heard of TWI, it appears they place a great emphasis on understanding, and knowledge, as if this is the basis of the Christian life -- to study the Bible as I would study my textbooks for my classes. And they claim to have the correct understanding of the Bible! To those that still cling to TWI teaching and philosophy, as well as to those that don't, I have something from my good friend Jeff, who calls himself "azrienoch":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9r6EWxxLfE

When we try to understand and comprehend, we often find that we don't understand or comprehend. When we try to see or envision, we often don't. When we simply look, observe, and take in what we are looking at without thought, we find that understanding and insight comes naturally. So for those of you who claim to understand, who search for truth through your own insight, who study so diligently and who so virulently work to gain knowledge as Wierwille did: all your efforts to attain knowledge are in vain. Why bother wanting to know so much, when you can become like a child as Christ commanded and know so little, and be at peace? The understanding that you will never understand is much more liberating.

Just a little food for thought...:)

~ Phil

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Hi Phil

I watched your friends video and found it interesting, albeit a disclaimer about a couple of things might have helped, just my opinion.

Your last statement, where you said

So for those of you who claim to understand, who search for truth through your own insight, who study so diligently and who so virulently work to gain knowledge as Wierwille did: all your efforts to attain knowledge are in vain. Why bother wanting to know so much, when you can become like a child as Christ commanded and know so little, and be at peace? The understanding that you will never understand is much more liberating.

Those words spoken to your friends parents (and her) might be helpful, to you at least.

:)

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In all that I have read and heard of TWI, it appears they place a great emphasis on understanding, and knowledge, as if this is the basis of the Christian life -- to study the Bible as I would study my textbooks for my classes. And they claim to have the correct understanding of the Bible! To those that still cling to TWI teaching and philosophy, as well as to those that don't, I have something from my good friend Jeff, who calls himself "azrienoch":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9r6EWxxLfE

When we try to understand and comprehend, we often find that we don't understand or comprehend. When we try to see or envision, we often don't. When we simply look, observe, and take in what we are looking at without thought, we find that understanding and insight comes naturally. So for those of you who claim to understand, who search for truth through your own insight, who study so diligently and who so virulently work to gain knowledge as Wierwille did: all your efforts to attain knowledge are in vain. Why bother wanting to know so much, when you can become like a child as Christ commanded and know so little, and be at peace? The understanding that you will never understand is much more liberating.

Just a little food for thought...:)

~ Phil

if you ever fly in an airplane it would be in your best intrest for the pilot to have studied and learned the class material thats he needs to fly that airplane ! i certainly wouldnt fly in a plane where someone used insight as a guide. would you be at peace if the pilot knew so little ? probably in pieces !!!

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I have children and my children have children.

guess what they do?

they want to know and find and seek and understand EVERYTHING in their world.

Why is a very popular question.

I dislike people who have this unseen spiritual awareness or knowing and deny the facts.

like suffering from an ailment and saying well only God knows what to do now aint much peace in living is there?

or on the street living on a curb because you rely on Gods knowledge to get a job.

give me a break.

The bible clearly says we are NOT TO BE as children that we are to grow up in our understanding of HIM and one another and where we live.

that is the wishful thinking of insanity and disfunction taught in churches.

like you have that magic wand God given even that can make "dreams come true" like in disney land.

As little children means in the context of love and trusting God as a Father.. yeah we can do that. but get potty trained first get it?

BUT GROW up first. not as a child we are to be responsible for much and we can not do that without knowledge of the world we live in and hopefully for me the bible. Gezz how many kids do you know went into some of those famous battles written in the bible or could lead scores of folks across many lands to what BUILD communities and lands and farms and shops.

Paul was a saddle maker where did he learn that? he went to school and interned under a person that takes knowledge of a skill .

be real . God is real and He knows were we live and it isnt in some ignorant insane world of making a magic because he can. It is a relationship with the LORD, obeying and loving and trusting with the knowledge we need to survive LIFE.

The bible says do not steal.

simple fact yet if i never read that or knew that i would be stealing away thinking God is ok with that.

so i read it and now im held accountable for knowing it.

the bible is a large volume of rules and regulations and life style hints and helps, if you do not know them or have enough education to understand them what good is it?

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if you ever fly in an airplane it would be in your best intrest for the pilot to have studied and learned the class material thats he needs to fly that airplane ! i certainly wouldnt fly in a plane where someone used insight as a guide. would you be at peace if the pilot knew so little ? probably in pieces !!!

Every time I've flown in an airplane, I've taken it as a given that the flight crew in the cockpit has extensive

experience, and any of the three (pilot, co-pilot, navigator) is capable of flying the plane if need be.

If you ever fly in an airplane, it would be in your best interest for the pilot to be EXPERIENCED and have learned

under more seasoned pilots, rather than simply be able to get a perfect score on a written test of piloting.

JFK Jr lacked that experience with flying on instruments only, although he seems to have had the textbook knowledge

of it sufficient to be allowed to fly without a co-pilot. His body and that of his passengers were never found- nor was

his plane, from when it went down.

As someone fond of textbook learning, I had to learn the limitations of paper-and-ink, and learn they were bigger

limitations than I wanted to admit....

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I have children and my children have children.

guess what they do?

they want to know and find and seek and understand EVERYTHING in their world.

Why is a very popular question.

I dislike people who have this unseen spiritual awareness or knowing and deny the facts.

like suffering from an ailment and saying well only God knows what to do now aint much peace in living is there?

or on the street living on a curb because you rely on Gods knowledge to get a job.

give me a break.

The bible clearly says we are NOT TO BE as children that we are to grow up in our understanding of HIM and one another and where we live.

that is the wishful thinking of insanity and disfunction taught in churches.

like you have that magic wand God given even that can make "dreams come true" like in disney land.

As little children means in the context of love and trusting God as a Father.. yeah we can do that. but get potty trained first get it?

BUT GROW up first. not as a child we are to be responsible for much and we can not do that without knowledge of the world we live in and hopefully for me the bible. Gezz how many kids do you know went into some of those famous battles written in the bible or could lead scores of folks across many lands to what BUILD communities and lands and farms and shops.

Paul was a saddle maker where did he learn that? he went to school and interned under a person that takes knowledge of a skill .

be real . God is real and He knows were we live and it isnt in some ignorant insane world of making a magic because he can. It is a relationship with the LORD, obeying and loving and trusting with the knowledge we need to survive LIFE.

The bible says do not steal.

simple fact yet if i never read that or knew that i would be stealing away thinking God is ok with that.

so i read it and now im held accountable for knowing it.

the bible is a large volume of rules and regulations and life style hints and helps, if you do not know them or have enough education to understand them what good is it?

Wow, nice job at getting pi$$ed off over nothing, pond. You completely misunderstood what I was trying to say.

We are not to be as children with no knowledge, but we should not become confident and prideful in our knowledge. And we certainly should not become like children in the idea that everything we ask will come true, like it's all some sort of magical power. That's just foolish. That very idea is what TWI emphasizes, however, in their Law of Believing. Groups like TWI as well emphasize knowledge of the Bible or understanding this concept or comprehending that concept, etc. It's the same philosophy as Gnosticism, which leads to a person being puffed up in their own knowledge. It's almost as if attaining knowledge or gnosis becomes the goal of the Christian life, and not a relationship with God. But even if we do have knowledge (which we should have), we should become like children and humbly admit that we will never fully know.

Azrienoch's video is an attack on the theory of innatism. This view, held primarily by Steven Pinker and Noam Chomsky, holds that children are able to comprehend the world around them and have the capacity for language as a part of something handed down through natural selection. To extend this further, we could say the video also symbolizes our own fragile understanding of the world. There is no such thing as an innate understanding of what this object is, or what that concept is, or where such-and-such object came from, when this event happened, etc. Oftentimes, we think as if we do understand and in turn become prideful. I'm not saying a kid is going to be puffed up with pride because he just learned to talk, but by extention of the concept, our understanding or our acquisition of new knowledge makes us prideful.

~ Phil

Edited by Brushstroke
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Brush stroke, that was a pretty astute observation made from the outside looking in.

*Ever searching but never actually coming unto a knowledge of the truth* ....to me seems to epitomize the way ministry doctrine and it`s participants.

Sadly, many will never know the simplicity and beauty of the 2 great commandments given by Jesus.

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Brushstroke, I don't think pond was angry. If I'm reading her correctly, I think she was just pointing out that there's balance needed, a balance between having knowledge of the Bible and acting on that knowledge by trusting God and loving Him and others.

You raise a good point. It's true that knowledge puffs up but love edifies. It's not that we don't need any knowledge of God that we can gain via His Word. But having it all in your head, as some sort of intellectual exercise, isn't enough.

WordWolf's point about JFK Jr. is a good one.

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Wisdom and understanding are commonly mentioned together.

Brushstoke, TWI teaches that wisdom is "knowledge applied," ie, doing something with it, not just head knowledge. Very interesting just looking quickly at a concordance at the scriptures mentioning "understanding" and how it governs our actions (or should do). There are two forms of effort required: one is to get the knowledge in (by reading, study, or listening to/ observing/ following a teacher or more experienced person); and the other effort is thinking it through (meditating thereon) to the point you can apply it accurately to any situation in which you find yourself.

TWI suborned our critical thinking ability and replaced it with crippled thinking ability. It called use of our God-given ability to use our brains as "leaning to our own understanding" if we "understood" something differently from what the leaders there wanted us to think.

Crippled thinking ability meant that we could not think things through to the point of applying them accurately. We lacked wisdom and understanding and empathy by seeing things too simplistically. Thank God, He can teach us anew and give us fresh understanding of those things that we "learned" inaccurately. In vain is the net spread in the sight of the bird.

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Wisdom and understanding are commonly mentioned together.

Brushstoke, TWI teaches that wisdom is "knowledge applied," ie, doing something with it, not just head knowledge. Very interesting just looking quickly at a concordance at the scriptures mentioning "understanding" and how it governs our actions (or should do). There are two forms of effort required: one is to get the knowledge in (by reading, study, or listening to/ observing/ following a teacher or more experienced person); and the other effort is thinking it through (meditating thereon) to the point you can apply it accurately to any situation in which you find yourself.

Whether you are attaining that knowledge through study/following a teacher or through your own personal meditation, both methods reduce Christianity to nothing but an intellectual discourse either with a book, with another person, or with yourself. Practical application of head-knowledge isn't Christianity. In Christianity truth or knowledge is not a philosophical concept nor is it a theory, a teaching, or a system, but rather, it is Christ Himself (John 14:6). Before Christ men could only conjecture about the Truth since they did not possess it. With Christ the eternally complete divine Truth enters into the world. For this reason the Gospel says: "Truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). I think that if TWI followers believe they have knowledge and truth because of some sort of practical method of studying the Bible and applying its' principles to their lives/applying principles for further study, or because of some sort of immutable law (the Law of Believing) then they're either guilty of bibliolatry and putting the Bible (the "wonderful matchless Word") above Christ, or they're guilty of bowing down to a law and it is then the law that guides their lives, not grace. Christ is the Word of God, not the Bible. The Bible is God's word in that it is inspired by Him. It's a record of God's ultimate revelation to mankind and is a collection of scriptures inspired by God that are to be a guidebook for the Church, it is the book of the Church, but not His Word (Gk. "Logos") and should never be spoken as such.

But I'm rambling again. Sorry if I got off topic. :blink:

TWI suborned our critical thinking ability and replaced it with crippled thinking ability. It called use of our God-given ability to use our brains as "leaning to our own understanding" if we "understood" something differently from what the leaders there wanted us to think.

Crippled thinking ability meant that we could not think things through to the point of applying them accurately. We lacked wisdom and understanding and empathy by seeing things too simplistically. Thank God, He can teach us anew and give us fresh understanding of those things that we "learned" inaccurately. In vain is the net spread in the sight of the bird.

Even as someone who's going into psychology and understands to a degree the reasons why and how people can be brainwashed, it still baffles me.

I agree, thank God!

~ Phil

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Im not angry.

it is a fact for most of human history most people have not had a book to read from because frankly only the clergy could read and write.

was God on vacation did widom escape all the masses? do you believe only the clergy and those granted he ability to read "knew God?"

i think knowledge puffeth up is like this I know more about something than you so im better .

like I can drive a car you cant im better than you for example.

I sit the president at work so Im better than you.

puffed up about who or what they know.

that another may not today we call it "stuck up" .

I do not believe it has anything to do with how much bible verse you know. or dont.

I can read you cant god loves me more is knowledge puffed up and it is not a good thing to think about oneself or another.

our history as disciples of christ has often had a heirarchy involved and if your wise we still do today we respect "certain" steriotypes and amounts of education for example.

people say well he is a dr after all he knows better than me... and the dr say well I am a dr. after all i do know better than everyone eles!

but ask the dr. to change the oil on his car and he is lost. that is puffed up, see? i mean it is Gods will that we have talents and skills and abilities for sure, just do not get to the point your puffed up.

a relative of mine showed me this the other day he is arrogant and racist and when he gets all prideful about his house he says stuff and he "puffs up" i can SEE it with my eyes. All full of what he thinks he "knows". he knows he has his house and his life and doesnt really consider the other guys position.

a puffed up person is stuck up because they believe they have this knowledge that no one has when in reality everyone eles may very well have the same "knowledge but not believe they are better than anyone for it but rather use it to serve and love one another as Jesus comands.

Im not angry.

it is a fact for most of human history most people have not had a book to read from because frankly only the clergy could read and write.

was God on vacation did widom escape all the masses? do you believe only the clergy and those granted he ability to read "knew God?"

i think knowledge puffeth up is like this I know more about something than you so im better .

like I can drive a car you cant im better than you for example.

I sit the president at work so Im better than you.

puffed up about who or what they know.

that another may not today we call it "stuck up" .

I do not believe it has anything to do with how much bible verse you know. or dont.

I can read you cant god loves me more is knowledge puffed up and it is not a good thing to think about oneself or another.

our history as disciples of christ has often had a heirarchy involved and if your wise we still do today we respect "certain" steriotypes and amounts of education for example.

people say well he is a dr after all he knows better than me... and the dr say well I am a dr. after all i do know better than everyone eles!

but ask the dr. to change the oil on his car and he is lost. that is puffed up, see? i mean it is Gods will that we have talents and skills and abilities for sure, just do not get to the point your puffed up.

a relative of mine showed me this the other day he is arrogant and racist and when he gets all prideful about his house he says stuff and he "puffs up" i can SEE it with my eyes. All full of what he thinks he "knows". he knows he has his house and his life and doesnt really consider the other guys position.

a puffed up person is stuck up because they believe they have this knowledge that no one has when in reality everyone eles may very well have the same "knowledge but not believe they are better than anyone for it but rather use it to serve and love one another as Jesus comands.

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Im not angry.

it is a fact for most of human history most people have not had a book to read from because frankly only the clergy could read and write.

was God on vacation did widom escape all the masses? do you believe only the clergy and those granted he ability to read "knew God?"

i think knowledge puffeth up is like this I know more about something than you so im better .

like I can drive a car you cant im better than you for example.

I sit the president at work so Im better than you.

puffed up about who or what they know.

that another may not today we call it "stuck up" .

I do not believe it has anything to do with how much bible verse you know. or dont.

I can read you cant god loves me more is knowledge puffed up and it is not a good thing to think about oneself or another.

our history as disciples of christ has often had a heirarchy involved and if your wise we still do today we respect "certain" steriotypes and amounts of education for example.

people say well he is a dr after all he knows better than me... and the dr say well I am a dr. after all i do know better than everyone eles!

but ask the dr. to change the oil on his car and he is lost. that is puffed up, see? i mean it is Gods will that we have talents and skills and abilities for sure, just do not get to the point your puffed up.

a relative of mine showed me this the other day he is arrogant and racist and when he gets all prideful about his house he says stuff and he "puffs up" i can SEE it with my eyes. All full of what he thinks he "knows". he knows he has his house and his life and doesnt really consider the other guys position.

a puffed up person is stuck up because they believe they have this knowledge that no one has when in reality everyone eles may very well have the same "knowledge but not believe they are better than anyone for it but rather use it to serve and love one another as Jesus comands.

Im not angry.

it is a fact for most of human history most people have not had a book to read from because frankly only the clergy could read and write.

was God on vacation did widom escape all the masses? do you believe only the clergy and those granted he ability to read "knew God?"

i think knowledge puffeth up is like this I know more about something than you so im better .

like I can drive a car you cant im better than you for example.

I sit the president at work so Im better than you.

puffed up about who or what they know.

that another may not today we call it "stuck up" .

I do not believe it has anything to do with how much bible verse you know. or dont.

I can read you cant god loves me more is knowledge puffed up and it is not a good thing to think about oneself or another.

our history as disciples of christ has often had a heirarchy involved and if your wise we still do today we respect "certain" steriotypes and amounts of education for example.

people say well he is a dr after all he knows better than me... and the dr say well I am a dr. after all i do know better than everyone eles!

but ask the dr. to change the oil on his car and he is lost. that is puffed up, see? i mean it is Gods will that we have talents and skills and abilities for sure, just do not get to the point your puffed up.

a relative of mine showed me this the other day he is arrogant and racist and when he gets all prideful about his house he says stuff and he "puffs up" i can SEE it with my eyes. All full of what he thinks he "knows". he knows he has his house and his life and doesnt really consider the other guys position.

a puffed up person is stuck up because they believe they have this knowledge that no one has when in reality everyone eles may very well have the same "knowledge but not believe they are better than anyone for it but rather use it to serve and love one another as Jesus comands.

First of all pond, I really do wish you wouldn't make your posts in pieces like that. It's kind of annoying. No offense.

And even though I don't really like your tone (maybe you don't mean to sound angry but you come off like that), I agree with what you are saying here. :)

~ Phil

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