October 12, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Luke.
I will say only a few words tonight. I have heard the preacher's (Rev. J. S. Gordon) remarks and your conversation regarding the same. Well, the preacher, as you say, is broader-minded than most orthodox preachers and has some knowledge of spiritualism, yet intellectually he believes in the trinity and vicarious atonement and some other of the fundamental doctrines of the church. He has in his soul considerable Divine Love without knowing just what this Love means, except that from its possession he experiences a wonderful happiness and a consciousness that God is close to him in His Love. He has not formulated these feelings of his soul into mental beliefs, but his realization of the presence of the Love comes to him notwithstanding the intellectual drawbacks which, in a degree, retard the growth of his soul. But, as he says, he rests more upon the unconscious knowledge, if I may call it such, of his possession, and the actual living, working presence of this Love, than upon the beliefs in these dogmas of the church.
He has a comparatively open mind, but as he believes so implicitly in the Bible, he has not yet found any evidence in other writings or books or teachings sufficiently strong to cause him to renounce his beliefs in the Bible teachings. But should he find such evidence he would not hesitate to change his beliefs in these things for what might appear to him to be the truth. He is not one of the iron-bound believers in the church dogmas or ecclesiastical interpretations and constructions of the declarations of the Bible, so that under all circumstances, and in spite of truths that might otherwise come to him, he would say a thing is true just because it is in the Bible. He will grow in freedom and knowledge, and it may be well for you to get acquainted with him and gradually declare to him the truths as we have explained them to you.
It is not necessary for me to comment on a particular thing that he preached, for some things that he said are true and some things are not.
I am glad that you three (Dr. Leslie R. Stone, Eugene Morgan and James E. Padgett) are so interested in these matters as to cause you to listen to the thoughts that the preacher expresses and to comment upon and analyze them. It will do you good and develop in you a large understanding of what we have been writing you. The argument of contrast is sometimes a very powerful and discriminating one, and I would advise you to attend his discourses, whenever you feel that he intends to preach upon a subject that may affect or in any way relate to the truths in which you are interested.
Give my love to your friends and tell them to believe and pray and especially pray, for thereby will light and knowledge and faith come to them. I will say good night and leave you my blessing.
Your brother in Christ,
Luke
Showing posts with label vicarious atonement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vicarious atonement. Show all posts
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Luke Writes on the Subject: "What is the use in believing in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as salvation from sin."
June 4, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Luke, writer of the third Gospel that was.
I desire tonight to write a short message on the question: "What is the use in believing in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as a salvation from sin?"
I know that this belief is at the foundation of the so-called Christian religion and is the cornerstone of most of the churches as they now exist, but as such a belief is false and does not effectuate the object claimed for it, I must declare the utter uselessness of such a belief and the great harm it is doing to mankind.
A thing is just what its internal qualities make it. I mean by this, what the ingredients of its composition causes it to really be; and these ingredients cannot be supplied unless they have in themselves an existence of those qualities which are sufficient to make that composition just what is necessary and required to produce the thing in its genuine substance.
This applies to things of the soul, and unless the qualities of the soul are such as to eliminate the elements of sin and everything that prevents that soul from coming into harmony with the Laws of God, that soul will continue in sin and separation from the Divine Nature of the Father.
The soul is in each individual an entity, which is distinct and separate from the soul of every other man, and is dependent for its qualities, not in what that other man may do or not do, but upon that which will make those qualities like, or in substance the same as the qualities of that thing which is desired or sought for, as a necessary acquirement in making the substance of that possessed and that desired similar.
According to the belief of which I speak, the sacrifice mentioned causes the salvation of man by appeasing the wrath of God and lifting from man the condemnation under which he was suffering, and by accomplishing such an object, man became a new creature in his soul qualities and was given the qualities that are required to make him like unto the Father and, therefore, he has nothing further to be done for him in order to relieve him entirely from the possession of this sin and from the demands of God - the sacrifice is sufficient to bring about these results.
But as we have told you, and as even the followers or possessors of these beliefs assert, Love is the great necessity to effectuate the union between God and man, and this Love must dwell in the soul of man as well as in the bosom of the Father waiting its bestowal on man. It can be obtained only by sincere seeking on the part of man, and no other way is provided by which it can be obtained.
The sacrifice or the shedding of blood does not cause the inflowing of this Love into the souls of men, and the mere fact even if it were true that an angry God had been appeased, or debt paid, or a mortal is redeemed would not cause this Love to become a part of the souls of men.
I know that it is asserted that these things, in some mysterious way, reconciles God to man, and thereby causes the acceptance of man by God, and when that is done all the sins and depravity of a man's soul immediately become no longer a part of his soul's qualities, and the soul is perfected and its condition is that which enables it to become of a nature like that of the Father.
But a difficulty with this conclusion is that only Jesus and God are the ones that are participating in this great work of redemption, and man is eliminated from the necessity of doing anything, except to believe that the sacrifice is sufficient to cause his full salvation and all that it means.
How this belief that the sacrifice or the flowing of the blood can make a sinful soul pure, or become a partaker of the Divine Nature of the Father, has never been explained by the teachers of the Christian doctrines in any way that is consonant with reason and cannot be so explained, for the one reason that is of itself sufficient and, that is, that the sacrifice does not work such a consummation. No one man, not even Jesus, can do the work of another, or for another, that will produce the results necessary to insure the reconciliation mentioned.
It is claimed that Jesus died to save all men from their sins, or that he that believeth on the name of Jesus shall be saved from their sins. But the question again arises: "How? In what way can it be argued that his death made the impure man clean, even though he believed it did? Can his blood shed on Calvary cleanse the soul of any man?" I know that it is claimed that in some mysterious way it does, but no one explains the how.
Can anyone of the great theological teachers tell you by what mysterious or other process this blood operates on the Mercy or Love of God, so that the sinner is saved from his sins or from the penalties which the violation of God's Laws entail? I know that they cannot, and for the same reason as before stated, that the blood does not accomplish these results.
Then what is the use in accepting such belief when it cannot be understood or explained and is the blindest of blind beliefs of mortals?
No, no sacrifice of Jesus, no shedding of his blood, and no vicarious atonement as it is called, can save a human soul from sin, or bring it into the Love of the Father, or cause it to become a partaker of the Divine Nature.We have already, in previous messages, declared and explained to you what and what only brings to men salvation, and I will not here repeat, but will say this, that: "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." Nothing less is sufficient and nothing added to can in any way bring about man's salvation.
I will not write more tonight, as what I have said should cause men to think and understand upon what false and baseless foundation they stand when they rely upon the belief in Jesus' sacrifice to save them from their sin.
With all my love and blessings I will say, good night.
Your brother in Christ.
Luke
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Luke, writer of the third Gospel that was.
I desire tonight to write a short message on the question: "What is the use in believing in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as a salvation from sin?"
I know that this belief is at the foundation of the so-called Christian religion and is the cornerstone of most of the churches as they now exist, but as such a belief is false and does not effectuate the object claimed for it, I must declare the utter uselessness of such a belief and the great harm it is doing to mankind.
A thing is just what its internal qualities make it. I mean by this, what the ingredients of its composition causes it to really be; and these ingredients cannot be supplied unless they have in themselves an existence of those qualities which are sufficient to make that composition just what is necessary and required to produce the thing in its genuine substance.
This applies to things of the soul, and unless the qualities of the soul are such as to eliminate the elements of sin and everything that prevents that soul from coming into harmony with the Laws of God, that soul will continue in sin and separation from the Divine Nature of the Father.
The soul is in each individual an entity, which is distinct and separate from the soul of every other man, and is dependent for its qualities, not in what that other man may do or not do, but upon that which will make those qualities like, or in substance the same as the qualities of that thing which is desired or sought for, as a necessary acquirement in making the substance of that possessed and that desired similar.
According to the belief of which I speak, the sacrifice mentioned causes the salvation of man by appeasing the wrath of God and lifting from man the condemnation under which he was suffering, and by accomplishing such an object, man became a new creature in his soul qualities and was given the qualities that are required to make him like unto the Father and, therefore, he has nothing further to be done for him in order to relieve him entirely from the possession of this sin and from the demands of God - the sacrifice is sufficient to bring about these results.
But as we have told you, and as even the followers or possessors of these beliefs assert, Love is the great necessity to effectuate the union between God and man, and this Love must dwell in the soul of man as well as in the bosom of the Father waiting its bestowal on man. It can be obtained only by sincere seeking on the part of man, and no other way is provided by which it can be obtained.
The sacrifice or the shedding of blood does not cause the inflowing of this Love into the souls of men, and the mere fact even if it were true that an angry God had been appeased, or debt paid, or a mortal is redeemed would not cause this Love to become a part of the souls of men.
I know that it is asserted that these things, in some mysterious way, reconciles God to man, and thereby causes the acceptance of man by God, and when that is done all the sins and depravity of a man's soul immediately become no longer a part of his soul's qualities, and the soul is perfected and its condition is that which enables it to become of a nature like that of the Father.
But a difficulty with this conclusion is that only Jesus and God are the ones that are participating in this great work of redemption, and man is eliminated from the necessity of doing anything, except to believe that the sacrifice is sufficient to cause his full salvation and all that it means.
How this belief that the sacrifice or the flowing of the blood can make a sinful soul pure, or become a partaker of the Divine Nature of the Father, has never been explained by the teachers of the Christian doctrines in any way that is consonant with reason and cannot be so explained, for the one reason that is of itself sufficient and, that is, that the sacrifice does not work such a consummation. No one man, not even Jesus, can do the work of another, or for another, that will produce the results necessary to insure the reconciliation mentioned.
It is claimed that Jesus died to save all men from their sins, or that he that believeth on the name of Jesus shall be saved from their sins. But the question again arises: "How? In what way can it be argued that his death made the impure man clean, even though he believed it did? Can his blood shed on Calvary cleanse the soul of any man?" I know that it is claimed that in some mysterious way it does, but no one explains the how.
Can anyone of the great theological teachers tell you by what mysterious or other process this blood operates on the Mercy or Love of God, so that the sinner is saved from his sins or from the penalties which the violation of God's Laws entail? I know that they cannot, and for the same reason as before stated, that the blood does not accomplish these results.
Then what is the use in accepting such belief when it cannot be understood or explained and is the blindest of blind beliefs of mortals?
No, no sacrifice of Jesus, no shedding of his blood, and no vicarious atonement as it is called, can save a human soul from sin, or bring it into the Love of the Father, or cause it to become a partaker of the Divine Nature.We have already, in previous messages, declared and explained to you what and what only brings to men salvation, and I will not here repeat, but will say this, that: "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." Nothing less is sufficient and nothing added to can in any way bring about man's salvation.
I will not write more tonight, as what I have said should cause men to think and understand upon what false and baseless foundation they stand when they rely upon the belief in Jesus' sacrifice to save them from their sin.
With all my love and blessings I will say, good night.
Your brother in Christ.
Luke
Monday, April 29, 2013
Helen Somerville Writes About Her Strong Conviction That Jesus Was God and How She Suffered Because of this False Belief
January 16, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Hannah Somerville.
I am the spirit of one who lived on earth the life of a leader of a sect that believed in the resurrection of the body and the eternal punishment of those who refused to believe in the vicarious atonement of Jesus and his sacrificial death.
I have been in the spirit world a great many years and have long ago learned the great errors of my beliefs and teachings, and now know that the earthly body does not rise again and Jesus did not make a vicarious atonement, nor did His death on the cross satisfy the justice and demands of an angry God.
I know that other spirits have written you this same denial of a false belief, but I wanted to do so, also, for I realize to such a great extent how harmful such beliefs are. I was in the spirit world a long time before I was relieved of these beliefs, and I stood still in my progress for many years waiting to be called to Heaven and meet my Lord face to face and receive from Him the great commendation of, "Well done, good and faithful servant." But I received no such call, and I never got any nearer to God, apparently, than when I first entered the spirit world. And all this time, I was in such a condition that I was not susceptible to the teachings of other spirits who know the truth and attempted to show me the errors of my belief.
This may seem strange to you, but I want to tell you that the conviction of a strong belief is one that is not easily removed or shaken, and I did not find any greater and convincing force in the assertions and arguments of spirits, than I would have found in the arguments of mortals, had I remained on earth.
I saw many spirits and talked with them, and they told me that Jesus was not God, but merely a spirit like myself, only the perfect one; but I would not believe, for my earth belief could not be shaken.
I even saw a spirit who said he was Jesus and that I must not believe in him as God, or in any vicarious atonement; but yet, I would not be convinced of my errors.
This earth belief is a wonderful thing when it once possesses a man as it did me, and so many spirits have suffered from it, as I suffered.
At last the light came to me, and my soul was set free to progress to the higher spheres. But how much time I lost, and how much unhappiness I needlessly endured I cannot tell you. Now I am in a Celestial Sphere, where I know that Jesus made no vicarious atonement and is not God, but my loving elder brother.
I have never written before and I wanted very much to write, and your band was kind enough to let me do so. My name was Hannah Somerville, and I lived in England and died in 1682.
I have forgotten the name, but it was a sect of dissenters. Yes, and I have given you my correct name. Yes, I can. I believe and know that Jesus was and is the son of God and the most beloved son, too.
I will say good night.
Hannah Somerville
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Hannah Somerville.
I am the spirit of one who lived on earth the life of a leader of a sect that believed in the resurrection of the body and the eternal punishment of those who refused to believe in the vicarious atonement of Jesus and his sacrificial death.
I have been in the spirit world a great many years and have long ago learned the great errors of my beliefs and teachings, and now know that the earthly body does not rise again and Jesus did not make a vicarious atonement, nor did His death on the cross satisfy the justice and demands of an angry God.
I know that other spirits have written you this same denial of a false belief, but I wanted to do so, also, for I realize to such a great extent how harmful such beliefs are. I was in the spirit world a long time before I was relieved of these beliefs, and I stood still in my progress for many years waiting to be called to Heaven and meet my Lord face to face and receive from Him the great commendation of, "Well done, good and faithful servant." But I received no such call, and I never got any nearer to God, apparently, than when I first entered the spirit world. And all this time, I was in such a condition that I was not susceptible to the teachings of other spirits who know the truth and attempted to show me the errors of my belief.
This may seem strange to you, but I want to tell you that the conviction of a strong belief is one that is not easily removed or shaken, and I did not find any greater and convincing force in the assertions and arguments of spirits, than I would have found in the arguments of mortals, had I remained on earth.
I saw many spirits and talked with them, and they told me that Jesus was not God, but merely a spirit like myself, only the perfect one; but I would not believe, for my earth belief could not be shaken.
I even saw a spirit who said he was Jesus and that I must not believe in him as God, or in any vicarious atonement; but yet, I would not be convinced of my errors.
This earth belief is a wonderful thing when it once possesses a man as it did me, and so many spirits have suffered from it, as I suffered.
At last the light came to me, and my soul was set free to progress to the higher spheres. But how much time I lost, and how much unhappiness I needlessly endured I cannot tell you. Now I am in a Celestial Sphere, where I know that Jesus made no vicarious atonement and is not God, but my loving elder brother.
I have never written before and I wanted very much to write, and your band was kind enough to let me do so. My name was Hannah Somerville, and I lived in England and died in 1682.
I have forgotten the name, but it was a sect of dissenters. Yes, and I have given you my correct name. Yes, I can. I believe and know that Jesus was and is the son of God and the most beloved son, too.
I will say good night.
Hannah Somerville
Sunday, January 27, 2013
St. Paul Writes That the Bible Cannot Be Depended On As Containing Things That He and Others Wrote Because Their Original Writings Are Missing
October 26, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Paul.
Yes I am, and I want to say just a few words. The book on the "vicarious atonement" that you have been reading - about the ransom price and the blood of Jesus and the sacrifice on the cross - as to these things is all wrong, and you must not believe what it says.
Well, I know the Bible ascribes to me the teaching of these things, but I never did; and I tell you now, as I have before told you, that the Bible cannot be depended on as containing things that I wrote, for there are many additions to what I wrote and many omissions of what I wrote; and so with the others whose names are stated as the writers of the New Testament - many things contained in that book were never written by any of the alleged authors of the book.
The writings of any of us are not in existence and have not been for many centuries; and when they were copied and recopied, great additions and omissions were made, and, at last, doctrines and dogmas were interpolated that we never at anytime believed or wrote.
I have to say this, and I wish to emphasize my statement with all the conviction and knowledge of the truth that I possess: Jesus never paid any debt of man by his death or his blood or vicarious atonement. When Jesus came to earth, his mission was given him as he progressed in his soul development and not until his anointing was he wholly qualified to enter upon his mission or the work thereof.
The mission was twofold, namely: To declare to mankind that the Father had rebestowed the Divine Love which Adam or the first parents had forfeited; and, secondly, to show man the way by which that Love could be obtained so that the possessor of it would become a partaker of the Divine Nature and Immortal.
Jesus had no other mission than this and any statement by the preacher or teacher or church doctrines or dogmas or by the Bible, that his mission was other than I have stated, is untrue. He emphatically never claimed that he came to earth to pay any ransom for mankind, or to save them by his death on the cross, or to save them in any other way than by teaching them that the Great Gift or privilege of obtaining immortality had been bestowed upon them and that by prayer and faith, they could obtain it.
The author of the book is all wrong in his theories, but if you accept the statement of the Bible as true, he makes a very forcible presentation of the Scriptures. But the Scriptures do not contain the truth on this subject, except by the New Birth that Jesus taught; and that being so, his explanations and theories must fall to the ground. Some day and that very soon, he will come to the spirit world and have an awakening, which will cause him much suffering and remorse, because of his teachings of the false doctrines that his book contains.
I did not intend to write so long a letter when I commenced, but your questions required answers, and I could not give you answers in less space. But nevertheless if you shall obtain any benefit from what I have written, the time consumed will be compensated for. I must stop now but will come again sometime.
Your brother in Christ,
St. Paul
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Paul.
Yes I am, and I want to say just a few words. The book on the "vicarious atonement" that you have been reading - about the ransom price and the blood of Jesus and the sacrifice on the cross - as to these things is all wrong, and you must not believe what it says.
Well, I know the Bible ascribes to me the teaching of these things, but I never did; and I tell you now, as I have before told you, that the Bible cannot be depended on as containing things that I wrote, for there are many additions to what I wrote and many omissions of what I wrote; and so with the others whose names are stated as the writers of the New Testament - many things contained in that book were never written by any of the alleged authors of the book.
The writings of any of us are not in existence and have not been for many centuries; and when they were copied and recopied, great additions and omissions were made, and, at last, doctrines and dogmas were interpolated that we never at anytime believed or wrote.
I have to say this, and I wish to emphasize my statement with all the conviction and knowledge of the truth that I possess: Jesus never paid any debt of man by his death or his blood or vicarious atonement. When Jesus came to earth, his mission was given him as he progressed in his soul development and not until his anointing was he wholly qualified to enter upon his mission or the work thereof.
The mission was twofold, namely: To declare to mankind that the Father had rebestowed the Divine Love which Adam or the first parents had forfeited; and, secondly, to show man the way by which that Love could be obtained so that the possessor of it would become a partaker of the Divine Nature and Immortal.
Jesus had no other mission than this and any statement by the preacher or teacher or church doctrines or dogmas or by the Bible, that his mission was other than I have stated, is untrue. He emphatically never claimed that he came to earth to pay any ransom for mankind, or to save them by his death on the cross, or to save them in any other way than by teaching them that the Great Gift or privilege of obtaining immortality had been bestowed upon them and that by prayer and faith, they could obtain it.
The author of the book is all wrong in his theories, but if you accept the statement of the Bible as true, he makes a very forcible presentation of the Scriptures. But the Scriptures do not contain the truth on this subject, except by the New Birth that Jesus taught; and that being so, his explanations and theories must fall to the ground. Some day and that very soon, he will come to the spirit world and have an awakening, which will cause him much suffering and remorse, because of his teachings of the false doctrines that his book contains.
I did not intend to write so long a letter when I commenced, but your questions required answers, and I could not give you answers in less space. But nevertheless if you shall obtain any benefit from what I have written, the time consumed will be compensated for. I must stop now but will come again sometime.
Your brother in Christ,
St. Paul
Saturday, January 5, 2013
John Carroll, a Spirit in the Fifth Sphere, Writes to Encourage James E. Padgett to Go to the Lord for the Inflowing of Divine Love
October 8, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
Go to the Lord and your strength will be renewed and your soul will receive a wonderful inflowing of the Divine Love, so that you will be able to throw aside all worries and earthly cares and be in condition to receive the great truths that are awaiting you, for you have as your helper and friend the greatest spirit in all God's universe. This I tell you because you need to be sustained and will be as long as you live the life of a mortal.
I am not one who is known in the annals of the church or in the lives of the saints, for I never was a saint on earth and neither am I here, but only a lowly follower of the Master, who to me, is the most wonderful of all God's creatures. So you must believe that he is your friend and saviour, for he is and you need not believe in his blood, or his vicarious atonement, or his self sacrifice either. Only believe in the Divine Love and in the further fact that Jesus is the wayshower to all who may seek this great salvation.
I must not write more, for I am not one of the high Celestial Spirits, as I live in the Fifth Sphere only, but nevertheless, I have a very great deal of that Love and a happiness which I cannot tell you of.
So with all my love, I will say goodnight.
Your friend,
John B. Carroll,
a one time resident of Baltimore, Maryland
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
Go to the Lord and your strength will be renewed and your soul will receive a wonderful inflowing of the Divine Love, so that you will be able to throw aside all worries and earthly cares and be in condition to receive the great truths that are awaiting you, for you have as your helper and friend the greatest spirit in all God's universe. This I tell you because you need to be sustained and will be as long as you live the life of a mortal.
I am not one who is known in the annals of the church or in the lives of the saints, for I never was a saint on earth and neither am I here, but only a lowly follower of the Master, who to me, is the most wonderful of all God's creatures. So you must believe that he is your friend and saviour, for he is and you need not believe in his blood, or his vicarious atonement, or his self sacrifice either. Only believe in the Divine Love and in the further fact that Jesus is the wayshower to all who may seek this great salvation.
I must not write more, for I am not one of the high Celestial Spirits, as I live in the Fifth Sphere only, but nevertheless, I have a very great deal of that Love and a happiness which I cannot tell you of.
So with all my love, I will say goodnight.
Your friend,
John B. Carroll,
a one time resident of Baltimore, Maryland
Friday, September 28, 2012
St. Celestia Writes About the Great Gift of Divine Love and That Jesus Did Not Come as a Sacrifice for our Sins
August 8, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Celestia.
I was a Christian woman who was martyred by the fanatic Church of Rome. I lived in Italy and was a follower of Jesus, but not a believer in the doctrines of the Romish Church.
It was long years after my death I was canonized by the very church, which killed me. Of course, the Pope and officials who canonized me were different from those who killed me.
I want to tell you that I am interested in your mission and am trying to help you do the work of the Master. He is the saviour of mankind and it must be taught what manner he is their saviour - not as the Jesus who died on the cross, not because his blood was spilled by the Roman soldiers, not because of any vicarious atonement, but because he brought to the light and knowledge of men the fact that the Father had after long centuries when He had withdrawn the Great Gift of the Divine Love rebestowed it and taught the way in which men might become partakers of that Love even by prayers and faith.
The soul of man is the one thing that enables him to become like the Father and is the most important part of man's creation. If men will understand this and learn that this soul is capable of receiving this Divine Love and becoming a part of God's Divinity, they will fully realize the mission of the Master in coming to earth.
Let man abandon the idea that Jesus came as a sacrifice for their sins. He came as a messenger from God, bringing the Divine Gift and the knowledge as to how men might obtain that gift. He did not come to pay any debt, which man owed the Father or to appease any wrath of the Father, because man owed no debt and God had no wrath towards him. He came as a mediator in the sense that he was a messenger of light and truth and a shower of the way. Why will men continue to cling to the old damnable doctrine of sacrifice?
Even in the days of Abraham, God never required a sacrifice for sin and no sin of man was ever removed by shedding the blood of a goat or any other animal. To teach and believe such a dogma places God on the plane of an angry and jealous God and makes Him satisfied with the trifling thing of having the blood of an animal shed to appease his anger and remove his jealousy.
God is now and has been from the beginning a God of Love and man is and has been the object of that Love. But unless man seeks that Love and opens up his soul to the inflowing of that Love, he can never become reconciled to God. Love cannot be obtained in the soul of man by anything other than the desire and will of man to have it come into his soul. God wants only the love of man not his fear or dread of consequence because of disobedience. So I say let men know that there is only one thing in all the universe that will reconcile him to God. And that is the opening up of the soul of man to the inflowing of the Divine Love and the prayer to God that such Love may come into his soul.
I do not know that I can say more tonight and will stop, but sometime I will come again and write further.
My home is in the Celestial Heavens far above the spiritual world. Well, we are all working with the Master and where he leads we follow and work, also. If you will pray and believe you will most assuredly.
Yes, we all pray for you and our prayers ascend to the Father with all earnestness and faith. You would be surprised to know the number of Celestial Spirits who are interested in and are praying for you. I will surely tell him, but as you say, he knows it already, but as you wish me to do so, I will and I know that he loves you, too, and wants you to become his true disciple.
I will say goodnight.
Your friend and Sister in Christ,
St. Celestia
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Celestia.
I was a Christian woman who was martyred by the fanatic Church of Rome. I lived in Italy and was a follower of Jesus, but not a believer in the doctrines of the Romish Church.
It was long years after my death I was canonized by the very church, which killed me. Of course, the Pope and officials who canonized me were different from those who killed me.
I want to tell you that I am interested in your mission and am trying to help you do the work of the Master. He is the saviour of mankind and it must be taught what manner he is their saviour - not as the Jesus who died on the cross, not because his blood was spilled by the Roman soldiers, not because of any vicarious atonement, but because he brought to the light and knowledge of men the fact that the Father had after long centuries when He had withdrawn the Great Gift of the Divine Love rebestowed it and taught the way in which men might become partakers of that Love even by prayers and faith.
The soul of man is the one thing that enables him to become like the Father and is the most important part of man's creation. If men will understand this and learn that this soul is capable of receiving this Divine Love and becoming a part of God's Divinity, they will fully realize the mission of the Master in coming to earth.
Let man abandon the idea that Jesus came as a sacrifice for their sins. He came as a messenger from God, bringing the Divine Gift and the knowledge as to how men might obtain that gift. He did not come to pay any debt, which man owed the Father or to appease any wrath of the Father, because man owed no debt and God had no wrath towards him. He came as a mediator in the sense that he was a messenger of light and truth and a shower of the way. Why will men continue to cling to the old damnable doctrine of sacrifice?
Even in the days of Abraham, God never required a sacrifice for sin and no sin of man was ever removed by shedding the blood of a goat or any other animal. To teach and believe such a dogma places God on the plane of an angry and jealous God and makes Him satisfied with the trifling thing of having the blood of an animal shed to appease his anger and remove his jealousy.
God is now and has been from the beginning a God of Love and man is and has been the object of that Love. But unless man seeks that Love and opens up his soul to the inflowing of that Love, he can never become reconciled to God. Love cannot be obtained in the soul of man by anything other than the desire and will of man to have it come into his soul. God wants only the love of man not his fear or dread of consequence because of disobedience. So I say let men know that there is only one thing in all the universe that will reconcile him to God. And that is the opening up of the soul of man to the inflowing of the Divine Love and the prayer to God that such Love may come into his soul.
I do not know that I can say more tonight and will stop, but sometime I will come again and write further.
My home is in the Celestial Heavens far above the spiritual world. Well, we are all working with the Master and where he leads we follow and work, also. If you will pray and believe you will most assuredly.
Yes, we all pray for you and our prayers ascend to the Father with all earnestness and faith. You would be surprised to know the number of Celestial Spirits who are interested in and are praying for you. I will surely tell him, but as you say, he knows it already, but as you wish me to do so, I will and I know that he loves you, too, and wants you to become his true disciple.
I will say goodnight.
Your friend and Sister in Christ,
St. Celestia
Monday, September 24, 2012
George Whitefield, a Former Preacher of England, Changed His Beliefs, Receives Divine Love and Resides in the Celestial Spheres
August 8, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, George Whitefield.
I was a preacher of England and a contemporary of John Wesley. I am in the Celestial Spheres where are only those who have received the New Birth that has been written about by other and more ancient spirits.
I merely want to say that I am still a follower of Jesus, but a little different in my knowledge of what he was and is. I do not now look upon him as God, or a part of God, but as His true son, and the greatest of all the spirits in the spirit world. There are none to be compared to him in beauty or spirituality or in his knowledge of God's truths.
I used to preach to thousands about his vicarious atonement and his blood sacrifice, but now I see his mission in a different light. it is not his death on the cross that saves men from their sins, nor his sacrifice that appeases the wrath of an angry God, but his life and teachings of the Divine Love bestowed on mankind and the way to obtain that Love that saves men from their sins. There was no need to appease the wrath of an angry God for there was no angry God, only a Loving and Merciful God; and when men think that unless they turn from their sins, they will be forever burned in a fiery hell, they are the dupes of preachers, such as I was and will never get the Love of the Father by such teachings.
God is Love, and men must know it - and His Love is for all of every race and clime.
I see now what a great mistake I made in my conception of God and of Christ's mission on earth, and how much harm I did to mortals in my preaching and how I slandered the Father of Love. But I was honest in my beliefs and taught as I thought the truth to be, yet, that does not alter the fact that many a mortal after he became a spirit was retarded for a long time in his spiritual progress, because of these false beliefs, which in order to progress he had to give up and start anew in his efforts to find the truths of God.
And as I worked hard and preached eloquently to make mortals believe these injurious doctrines while on earth, so now I am working hard and preaching eloquently to make spirits who come over with these beliefs, unlearn them and see the truth as it is.
I am in sympathy with the movement which the Master is now making to spread the truth of these spiritual things on earth and am ready to follow him in all his efforts to bring about the salvation of men not only from sin but from erroneous beliefs.
So I come to you to-night to express my sympathy and interest in the cause. Let your work proceed and do your best to make known to men the great truths, which the Master shall teach. We will all join in the work and do everything in our power to speed the great cause of men's redemption from sin and ignorance.
The man must have the soul development by obtaining the Divine Love, because you cannot inspire a man to preach grand and sublime spiritual truths unless he has the capacity in his own soul to feel and understand the truths.
I will not write longer tonight.
I am your true friend,
George Whitefield
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, George Whitefield.
I was a preacher of England and a contemporary of John Wesley. I am in the Celestial Spheres where are only those who have received the New Birth that has been written about by other and more ancient spirits.
I merely want to say that I am still a follower of Jesus, but a little different in my knowledge of what he was and is. I do not now look upon him as God, or a part of God, but as His true son, and the greatest of all the spirits in the spirit world. There are none to be compared to him in beauty or spirituality or in his knowledge of God's truths.
I used to preach to thousands about his vicarious atonement and his blood sacrifice, but now I see his mission in a different light. it is not his death on the cross that saves men from their sins, nor his sacrifice that appeases the wrath of an angry God, but his life and teachings of the Divine Love bestowed on mankind and the way to obtain that Love that saves men from their sins. There was no need to appease the wrath of an angry God for there was no angry God, only a Loving and Merciful God; and when men think that unless they turn from their sins, they will be forever burned in a fiery hell, they are the dupes of preachers, such as I was and will never get the Love of the Father by such teachings.
God is Love, and men must know it - and His Love is for all of every race and clime.
I see now what a great mistake I made in my conception of God and of Christ's mission on earth, and how much harm I did to mortals in my preaching and how I slandered the Father of Love. But I was honest in my beliefs and taught as I thought the truth to be, yet, that does not alter the fact that many a mortal after he became a spirit was retarded for a long time in his spiritual progress, because of these false beliefs, which in order to progress he had to give up and start anew in his efforts to find the truths of God.
And as I worked hard and preached eloquently to make mortals believe these injurious doctrines while on earth, so now I am working hard and preaching eloquently to make spirits who come over with these beliefs, unlearn them and see the truth as it is.
I am in sympathy with the movement which the Master is now making to spread the truth of these spiritual things on earth and am ready to follow him in all his efforts to bring about the salvation of men not only from sin but from erroneous beliefs.
So I come to you to-night to express my sympathy and interest in the cause. Let your work proceed and do your best to make known to men the great truths, which the Master shall teach. We will all join in the work and do everything in our power to speed the great cause of men's redemption from sin and ignorance.
The man must have the soul development by obtaining the Divine Love, because you cannot inspire a man to preach grand and sublime spiritual truths unless he has the capacity in his own soul to feel and understand the truths.
I will not write longer tonight.
I am your true friend,
George Whitefield
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Robert Ingersoll Writes That He Knows Nothing About Divine Love, But is Willing to Learn the Truth
August 5, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll.
I am a spirit who when on earth taught men that the only salvation required for them was good deeds and kind hearts, and that the Bible, outside of its moral precepts, was not worthy of belief, that many of its sayings were untrue, and that all of its teachings as to belief and faith were not worthy of consideration.
I was perfectly sincere in what I taught and thought and, hence, I don't feel that I was guilty of any very great sin, although I have now changed some of my beliefs, or better, thoughts. I did not believe that Jesus ever really lived, as was set forth in the Bible, and I certainly did not believe in a vicarious atonement, or any salvation through blood or propitiation of an angry God. Neither did I believe in any New Birth or in any of the doctrines of St. John having reference to a soul being redeemed; but believed that every man's future state, should there be a future state, depended upon his deeds of love and mercy towards his fellow man.
I believed that God was not to be worshiped or consulted, neither would He, nor could He, save a man from anything that might tend to make him unhappy; but that man's love for one another was the great thing that would determine his condition in the future life, should such life exist.
I did not deny that there would be a future life. I merely didn't know anything about it and, hence, all my teachings were directed to making men live on earth in a way that would bring to them happiness while mortals. And my foundation stone, as it were, was love, one towards another. And with this went love, kindness and forgiveness and good feeling and fair dealing. Especially did I emphasize the necessity for love at home.
I am still of the opinion that these qualities, if possessed and expressed in action, will make men happier, make the world better, and finally do away with evil and distress.
I now see, though, that there is a future life and that men who would enjoy the greatest happiness in this future life must not only have this love and kindness for one another, but must also seek the Love of God, and believe that God is a Father of Love and believe that He is interested in the soul of each individual man.
I am in the Fourth Sphere and have much happiness in my intellectual pursuits and in my love of my fellow man, and am trying to help them get the best out of life on earth. I do not yet believe in the teachings of those parts of the Bible which, in effect, say that you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved, for I do not believe that any mere belief will save a man from anything. I know that many here believe that Jesus is the saviour of men, as taught by the orthodox churches, but I think that such spirits are as much mistaken as were those who believed the same doctrine when on earth.
I consider myself as saved. I have not found any hell as taught by the churches, although each man has to pay the penalties for his evil deeds done on earth, and many men are suffering here since they became spirits. I will confess that I was somewhat surprised to see that spirits who did not live correct lives on earth are suffering very serious tortures; but this I suppose is the effect of the law that demands a penalty for every violation of its command.
But I do not understand that this suffering will have to continue forever, or that the state of these men is fixed. Progression is the law of the spirit world, and I cannot conceive that any spirit will remain the same through all eternity. To me, the great satisfaction is that there is no orthodox hell and no devil to punish the wicked. I am myself not entirely satisfied that the condition of those who suffer from their evil deeds may not last a long time, as I am told that many of these spirits have been in a condition of suffering for a long time.
Well, I am satisfied with the condition that I am in, and in the possibility of progression, and I need not the teachings of the spirits who profess to have knowledge of a higher love that brings happiness of a kind that enables them to enjoy supreme bliss. Such spirits, I believe, are those who had the old ideas of the churches, against which I taught. I was not compelled to undergo such suffering when I came into the spirit world or to endure much darkness; but I suppose there were some deeds which I had to pay the penalties for and, hence, I had to suffer some. But as my love for all mankind was my principle and feeling when on earth, this love gives me a position which I now enjoy.
I could write much longer, but I will not do so tonight, and will come again sometime and explain some of the laws of the spirit world.
I am Robert G. Ingersoll and was called an infidel.
Well, my friend, that is a very astounding proposition, and you must be either a very ignorant man or a very self-conceited one to make such a statement. Well, as to the last statement, you are right. I have an open mind and am willing to learn any truth that may be presented to me in such a way as to convince me that it is a truth. You are stating things of which I have no knowledge, and which I do not believe to be true. I have thought a great deal of God and believe in a God, but as to this Divine Love, I have never heard of it nor ever thought of it.
I know of no love but the love for man, and that means spirit for spirit, and a certain love of God for man. But as to a Love that makes one partake of divinity, I have never heard. And as to the New Birth that you speak of, I don't believe in it any more than I did on earth. To me it seems foolishness. What is there about me or any other spirit to be Born Again? You might probably say that when I left my body and became a spirit I was born again, and in a sense that is true, but when you tell me that I must be Born Again and that by such birth I will become a partaker of divinity, I cannot believe what you say or understand what you mean.
Well, you state your proposition very fairly and very clearly, and I must say that I am impressed with what you say, and it might be that you are right. At any rate, I will keep an open mind and will stand ready to hear any argument from you or any spirit that you have mentioned; and if they can show me the truth of your propositions, I will not hesitate to embrace them. I want to learn everything possible, and as I was an honest inquirer on earth, I will be an honest one here. You make your assertions very strong and you seem to be in earnest in what you say, and for those reasons I must listen to you.
Yes, I knew Riddle very well, and he was a believer somewhat like myself. I have not met him since I have become a spirit, but would like to do so.
I will keep in mind what you say and will observe any difference in beauty that may exist, because if such be a fact there must be some cause for it, and that cause I shall endeavor to understand. I have done as you suggested and I see Riddle, but hardly recognize him, as he is so changed and is so much more beautiful than I conceived of. He has shaken my hand and introduced me to the others. And what beautiful spirits they are! The one who, he says, is your grandmother is glorious in her beauty and brightness and love seems to be a part of her very being. How I thank you for the experience! I am going with Riddle, who says that he has a wonderful truth to tell me and that I will become convinced of its reality.
So, my friend, I thank you for our conversation and if you desire, I will come again and tell you of the result of our interview - I mean between Riddle and myself. I have made the request of your grandmother and she says that she will be pleased to tell me of this Love that you speak of. But let me tell you this before I stop; that what you said about the difference in beauty and brightness of the spirits is true, and that I am as a dark night compared to the noonday sun in my appearance compared with theirs.
I am so glad I came to you tonight. So my dear friend, I will say goodbye for a little while.
Your friend,
Robert G. Ingersoll
* * * * * * * * * *
Helen Confirms that Robert Ingersoll Will Soon See the Truth
August 5, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Helen.
Yes, they were and Ingersoll is now with Mr. Riddle and your grandmother. He seems much inspired with your grandmother and listens to her with great interest. I believe that he will soon see the truth and will seek for this Divine Love and New Birth. So with all my love. I am,
Your own true and loving,
Helen
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll.
I am a spirit who when on earth taught men that the only salvation required for them was good deeds and kind hearts, and that the Bible, outside of its moral precepts, was not worthy of belief, that many of its sayings were untrue, and that all of its teachings as to belief and faith were not worthy of consideration.
I was perfectly sincere in what I taught and thought and, hence, I don't feel that I was guilty of any very great sin, although I have now changed some of my beliefs, or better, thoughts. I did not believe that Jesus ever really lived, as was set forth in the Bible, and I certainly did not believe in a vicarious atonement, or any salvation through blood or propitiation of an angry God. Neither did I believe in any New Birth or in any of the doctrines of St. John having reference to a soul being redeemed; but believed that every man's future state, should there be a future state, depended upon his deeds of love and mercy towards his fellow man.
I believed that God was not to be worshiped or consulted, neither would He, nor could He, save a man from anything that might tend to make him unhappy; but that man's love for one another was the great thing that would determine his condition in the future life, should such life exist.
I did not deny that there would be a future life. I merely didn't know anything about it and, hence, all my teachings were directed to making men live on earth in a way that would bring to them happiness while mortals. And my foundation stone, as it were, was love, one towards another. And with this went love, kindness and forgiveness and good feeling and fair dealing. Especially did I emphasize the necessity for love at home.
I am still of the opinion that these qualities, if possessed and expressed in action, will make men happier, make the world better, and finally do away with evil and distress.
I now see, though, that there is a future life and that men who would enjoy the greatest happiness in this future life must not only have this love and kindness for one another, but must also seek the Love of God, and believe that God is a Father of Love and believe that He is interested in the soul of each individual man.
I am in the Fourth Sphere and have much happiness in my intellectual pursuits and in my love of my fellow man, and am trying to help them get the best out of life on earth. I do not yet believe in the teachings of those parts of the Bible which, in effect, say that you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved, for I do not believe that any mere belief will save a man from anything. I know that many here believe that Jesus is the saviour of men, as taught by the orthodox churches, but I think that such spirits are as much mistaken as were those who believed the same doctrine when on earth.
I consider myself as saved. I have not found any hell as taught by the churches, although each man has to pay the penalties for his evil deeds done on earth, and many men are suffering here since they became spirits. I will confess that I was somewhat surprised to see that spirits who did not live correct lives on earth are suffering very serious tortures; but this I suppose is the effect of the law that demands a penalty for every violation of its command.
But I do not understand that this suffering will have to continue forever, or that the state of these men is fixed. Progression is the law of the spirit world, and I cannot conceive that any spirit will remain the same through all eternity. To me, the great satisfaction is that there is no orthodox hell and no devil to punish the wicked. I am myself not entirely satisfied that the condition of those who suffer from their evil deeds may not last a long time, as I am told that many of these spirits have been in a condition of suffering for a long time.
Well, I am satisfied with the condition that I am in, and in the possibility of progression, and I need not the teachings of the spirits who profess to have knowledge of a higher love that brings happiness of a kind that enables them to enjoy supreme bliss. Such spirits, I believe, are those who had the old ideas of the churches, against which I taught. I was not compelled to undergo such suffering when I came into the spirit world or to endure much darkness; but I suppose there were some deeds which I had to pay the penalties for and, hence, I had to suffer some. But as my love for all mankind was my principle and feeling when on earth, this love gives me a position which I now enjoy.
I could write much longer, but I will not do so tonight, and will come again sometime and explain some of the laws of the spirit world.
I am Robert G. Ingersoll and was called an infidel.
Well, my friend, that is a very astounding proposition, and you must be either a very ignorant man or a very self-conceited one to make such a statement. Well, as to the last statement, you are right. I have an open mind and am willing to learn any truth that may be presented to me in such a way as to convince me that it is a truth. You are stating things of which I have no knowledge, and which I do not believe to be true. I have thought a great deal of God and believe in a God, but as to this Divine Love, I have never heard of it nor ever thought of it.
I know of no love but the love for man, and that means spirit for spirit, and a certain love of God for man. But as to a Love that makes one partake of divinity, I have never heard. And as to the New Birth that you speak of, I don't believe in it any more than I did on earth. To me it seems foolishness. What is there about me or any other spirit to be Born Again? You might probably say that when I left my body and became a spirit I was born again, and in a sense that is true, but when you tell me that I must be Born Again and that by such birth I will become a partaker of divinity, I cannot believe what you say or understand what you mean.
Well, you state your proposition very fairly and very clearly, and I must say that I am impressed with what you say, and it might be that you are right. At any rate, I will keep an open mind and will stand ready to hear any argument from you or any spirit that you have mentioned; and if they can show me the truth of your propositions, I will not hesitate to embrace them. I want to learn everything possible, and as I was an honest inquirer on earth, I will be an honest one here. You make your assertions very strong and you seem to be in earnest in what you say, and for those reasons I must listen to you.
Yes, I knew Riddle very well, and he was a believer somewhat like myself. I have not met him since I have become a spirit, but would like to do so.
I will keep in mind what you say and will observe any difference in beauty that may exist, because if such be a fact there must be some cause for it, and that cause I shall endeavor to understand. I have done as you suggested and I see Riddle, but hardly recognize him, as he is so changed and is so much more beautiful than I conceived of. He has shaken my hand and introduced me to the others. And what beautiful spirits they are! The one who, he says, is your grandmother is glorious in her beauty and brightness and love seems to be a part of her very being. How I thank you for the experience! I am going with Riddle, who says that he has a wonderful truth to tell me and that I will become convinced of its reality.
So, my friend, I thank you for our conversation and if you desire, I will come again and tell you of the result of our interview - I mean between Riddle and myself. I have made the request of your grandmother and she says that she will be pleased to tell me of this Love that you speak of. But let me tell you this before I stop; that what you said about the difference in beauty and brightness of the spirits is true, and that I am as a dark night compared to the noonday sun in my appearance compared with theirs.
I am so glad I came to you tonight. So my dear friend, I will say goodbye for a little while.
Your friend,
Robert G. Ingersoll
* * * * * * * * * *
Helen Confirms that Robert Ingersoll Will Soon See the Truth
August 5, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Helen.
Yes, they were and Ingersoll is now with Mr. Riddle and your grandmother. He seems much inspired with your grandmother and listens to her with great interest. I believe that he will soon see the truth and will seek for this Divine Love and New Birth. So with all my love. I am,
Your own true and loving,
Helen
Saturday, August 4, 2012
St. Paul, Saul of Tarsus, Writes That He Was Never Stricken Blind as the Bible States But Taught the Truths of the Master Jesus as His Disciple
June 28, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
Saul of Tarsus, now Paul of near Damascus.
Well, as you are so longing tonight for love and fellowship with the disciples of the Master, I thought that I would write you just a little to show that all the Master's disciples are in their living spiritual bodies, and I am alive and will never again die.
I have written many epistles, which are contained in the Bible, and some are nearly correct, and in them you will find my idea of God and of the Master. I never taught that the Master was God, and neither did I teach the doctrine of the vicarious atonement or the sufficiency of Jesus' blood to save a sinner from the sins of his earthly deeds. I never taught that any man's sins would be borne and the penalty for same be paid for by another - and wherever these doctrines are set forth in my epistles, they were not written by me.
I agree with John. God is Love - for this means that God is everything that is good and pure and lovely. Love is the fulfilling of the law and Love includes everything.
Yes. It (the thorn in the flesh) was my doubt at times that I was called to preach the truth of man's salvation as taught by Jesus. I say I doubted at times that I was called to do such work, for notwithstanding the Bible narrative of my conversion, I was not altogether convinced by the vision that I saw. I know now that it was a true vision and that I was called, but when on earth I had doubts at times, and this was my "besetting sin."
Well, as to that I am afraid that I will have to disillusion you, for I was never stricken blind or taken to the house of the prophet of God as the Bible says. My vision, though, was plain enough, and I heard the voice upbraiding me, and I believed, but at times there would come this doubt that I speak of.
Of course, from my epistles you would never think that I had any doubts, and I purposely abstained from making known my doubts and so called it my "besetting sin." But I thank God that I never let that doubt influence me to prevent me from giving the work my call, for if I had, I would have undoubtedly relapsed into the persecuting Jew. As I continued to preach, my faith grew stronger and after a while my doubt had left me, and in my latter years I had no doubt.
No, I am not in as high a sphere as is St. John, for I have not that Love that he has; but I am in a very high sphere and am the governor of the city in which I live. I am probably as much filled with this Love as any of the inhabitants of my city and, consequently, having been a disciple of the Master, they selected me for their governor.
No, Peter is not in the same sphere. He is in a higher one. Some are higher and some lower. Andrew is in my sphere, but does not live in my city.
I am glad that you called me tonight or rather, the influence of your love, as I am much interested in the work that you have to do for the Master. You will be able to do this work and it will be a great revolutionizing one when it is published.
Well, I will be glad to write you at times and will give my present opinion on some of the things I discussed in my epistles. So as I have written considerably. I will say goodnight and stop.
Your friend and brother,
St. Paul of the Bible
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
Saul of Tarsus, now Paul of near Damascus.
Well, as you are so longing tonight for love and fellowship with the disciples of the Master, I thought that I would write you just a little to show that all the Master's disciples are in their living spiritual bodies, and I am alive and will never again die.
I have written many epistles, which are contained in the Bible, and some are nearly correct, and in them you will find my idea of God and of the Master. I never taught that the Master was God, and neither did I teach the doctrine of the vicarious atonement or the sufficiency of Jesus' blood to save a sinner from the sins of his earthly deeds. I never taught that any man's sins would be borne and the penalty for same be paid for by another - and wherever these doctrines are set forth in my epistles, they were not written by me.
I agree with John. God is Love - for this means that God is everything that is good and pure and lovely. Love is the fulfilling of the law and Love includes everything.
Yes. It (the thorn in the flesh) was my doubt at times that I was called to preach the truth of man's salvation as taught by Jesus. I say I doubted at times that I was called to do such work, for notwithstanding the Bible narrative of my conversion, I was not altogether convinced by the vision that I saw. I know now that it was a true vision and that I was called, but when on earth I had doubts at times, and this was my "besetting sin."
Well, as to that I am afraid that I will have to disillusion you, for I was never stricken blind or taken to the house of the prophet of God as the Bible says. My vision, though, was plain enough, and I heard the voice upbraiding me, and I believed, but at times there would come this doubt that I speak of.
Of course, from my epistles you would never think that I had any doubts, and I purposely abstained from making known my doubts and so called it my "besetting sin." But I thank God that I never let that doubt influence me to prevent me from giving the work my call, for if I had, I would have undoubtedly relapsed into the persecuting Jew. As I continued to preach, my faith grew stronger and after a while my doubt had left me, and in my latter years I had no doubt.
No, I am not in as high a sphere as is St. John, for I have not that Love that he has; but I am in a very high sphere and am the governor of the city in which I live. I am probably as much filled with this Love as any of the inhabitants of my city and, consequently, having been a disciple of the Master, they selected me for their governor.
No, Peter is not in the same sphere. He is in a higher one. Some are higher and some lower. Andrew is in my sphere, but does not live in my city.
I am glad that you called me tonight or rather, the influence of your love, as I am much interested in the work that you have to do for the Master. You will be able to do this work and it will be a great revolutionizing one when it is published.
Well, I will be glad to write you at times and will give my present opinion on some of the things I discussed in my epistles. So as I have written considerably. I will say goodnight and stop.
Your friend and brother,
St. Paul of the Bible
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