Mad Men and Zealots
For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 2 Corinthians 5:13 NASB
Beside ourselves – “You’re crazy! How can you believe things like that?” Ever heard this accusation leveled at you? “Why do you want to go back to the Law when you have been set free by Christ?” “What’s the matter with you? Are you becoming Jewish?” Oh, there will be plenty more as soon as you begin to suggest that the “Law” (that terrible burden on the freedom of men under grace) is still expected and prescribed for believers. You will be called a legalist, a heretic, someone who has lost the faith or, even worse, a Jew. Forget trying to demonstrate that every writer of the Bible was Hebrew or Jewish or a convert to the Jewish way of life. Forget trying to show that Yeshua himself lived a Torah obedient life. None of that will matter when confronted with 1800 years of anti-Judaism. What the text says will be determined by the paradigm, not the words.
As consolation, I offer Paul’s description. “We are beside ourselves.” What does that mean? It means that Paul and his compatriots were viewed as mad men, crazy, insane. The Greek is exestemen, from the verb existemi—“to be confused, alienated, deluded, ecstatic.” In other words, to be viewed as men who had lost their minds. Interestingly, this is the Greek equivalent of tardema, the deep sleep that fell upon Adam (Genesis 2:21) and Abraham (Genesis 15:12). It is a state of unconsciousness. Paul uses this term to suggest that he and his friends were viewed as men living in a dream. If you’re crazy, you are in very good company, for according to Paul, you are crazy for God.
Will your right mind ever return? Well, of course it will when you are arguing for the truth. You might appear to be crazy for God’s sake, but your logic and your examination of the Scriptures will bear you out. The text is the text and once the paradigm becomes obvious, what the text says will become evident. You will be in your “right mind” because you will demonstrate reasonable conclusions (Paul uses the Greek sophroneo—to bring someone to his senses, to be of sound mind). But don’t think this will be accomplished by talking! Being of sound mind means demonstrating right thinking in actions observable to others. The truth of what you say will mean nothing unless it is the truth of what you do. “The only gospel most people read is the life you live.”
Be crazy for the Lord and sound-minded in your behavior and you will unsettle even the most entrenched paradigm. It won’t happen quickly. 1800 years of culture takes awhile to undo. But press on. The finish line is coming.
Topical Index: beside ourselves, existemi, tardema, sophroneo, sound mind, 2 Corinthians 5:13
…and most recently called a “false teacher”. Thanks for the encouragement of this article.
To have my life mean something, be based upon something, outside of my own interests, so called, is to immediately be living a way that makes no sense to the world. Every time I made a choice to stay my course because of love, I made a choice the world around me told me that I was crazy to do. It was not prudent, it was not safe, it was not sensible, and, most importantly, it was not going to ‘get me ahead’ (whatever that means!). And because my choices looked downright crazy, I had no respect, except the fear people reserved for the insane. Love, in my life, never has made any sense. Worse, I went about it in ways that doomed me to failure: I did it for the wrong reasons, in the wrong ways, and in my own power, because I was not getting along with the Source of it. Now, that’s REALLY crazy! And, I have crashed and burned over and over. But, curiously, something has happened each time; even though I ‘failed’ personally, seemingly, the people I cared about still kept getting saved, sober, sane, and served; the things I wanted most for them! In spite of my being unable to ‘do’ any of that! My heart for the situation seemed to be honored anyway, no matter how ‘wrong’ I went about it! This is a strange subject to try to write about.
The flesh does not know how to love, that is true. Love is so mysterious, so off the edges of the page of reality, so called, you cannot see whence it comes and whence it blows, or why. But, even though you do it all wrong, and for all the wrong reasons and in all the wrong ways, failure still does not look like failure; and further, you still get more chances to try again! I think there may be such a thing as failure in the right direction. Every time I ‘did’ love the wrong way, I learned something I didn’t know before. You can look at love from the outside all you want; you can go to Love School and pass all the exams, but still not know the first thing about it, because the most important variable will still be missing, and that is the variable of you. You have to put your body on the line for love before you will be able to see where YOU are coming from in relation to the stuff, and without that information, no adjustments are possible. The first time you try to reach out to that bum on the corner? You are probably going to do it all wrong. He is probably going to point out to you some aspect of yourself that you are not going to want to see, or you are going to be rebuffed, or laughed at, or misunderstood. It is humiliating! But, next time, you might be humble enough to ask instead of tell, to think more about another’s interests instead of what you look like, or are trying to get out of the exchange, and, maybe, one day, you are even going to be able to get beyond yourself enough to really listen, see, care about someone else instead of yourself, and then that someone else will be blessed by you. Ready for a learning curve? Try love!
I am discovering it is better to be “mad” for God, than mad at Him. Been there, done that for waaaay too long. I am choosing to make peace, FIRST with myself, then with others and ultimately with Him. In my spiritual pride I had it backwards and somehow peace (and love) never got around to me or to those most important others I had “killed” along my merry way. I always judged those who said “you have to love yourself before you can love others” as carnal and not ‘spiritual’ like me who believed that I must take Luke14.26 literally: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” I was sincere in my conviction, but I was also wrong…thus I was sincerely wrong and my life was a testament to my error. Thanks be to YHWH that His mercy gives me the time to make the changes I must (and desire) to make. Skip’s words the past few weeks and particularly yesterday’s on grace, atonement and mercy were powerful and helpful. Thank you. In addition, the insightful testimonies of Laurita for the past few weeks have helped me tremendously. Thanks sister for the links to Drs. Caroline Leaf and Frans J. Cronje as well. May YHWH bless you exceedingly, abundantly NOW, in this life and in the olam ha’ba. Shalom, Michael
Fall forward. You just wrote my story too! ❤️???
We were discussing this sort of thing on Shabbat and reading Matthew 24. My son began to explaining the text. How amazing to hear things never uttered about what is to be looking for and who not to listen to. To realize that I have never in 57 years Sat in a service and heard what to beware of what to look for and expect. Years listening to the doctrines of denominational teachings. They always left me dry.
Had a dream before I woke this am. In my dream I was discussing my beliefs with a niece who is clinging to Hinduism and to those type of teachings and I remember saying in the dream, “I guess I’m not satisfied with living in the gray all the time and Yaweh provides a black and white type of truth. He remains constant and unwavering. That’s what I need.
Call me what you want I’ll stand on the rock that remains. Spent too much time building castles in the sand.
I am reminded of Voltaire: “It is the triumph of reason to get on with those who have none.” Perhaps he was not thinking of reason as exhibited in behavior, but his statement in any case is true.
Perhaps it’s not so much the emphasis on the Torah, but the lack of emphasis thereof upon the tslav and the “gospel” (the good news of a Savior). Yes, things WERE (and are) “different” A.D., that is after the death, burial and resurrection of the (very Jewish btw) Messiah.
Why do we need the cross of Christ when we have the Torah? Only One man, and one man only ever kept the Torah perfectly! And His Name? And.. if this man kept the Torah perfectly and did live a Torah-compliant life, then why, (tell me why) was He crucified as a common criminal? (not assigning blame, here.. just asking- what was (No) IS the purpose of His death?
Skip offered a specific answer to this question in his book, “Cross Word Puzzles.”
Michael, is it necessary to look outside of the Scriptures for answers? Do they not testify to us all?
~ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world ~
(1 John 4.14)
Have we seen? Do we testify? ~ If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His ~
Is this “new birth” necessary, -as it was for Nicodemus? Must we also, be “born from Above?”
Are you suggesting I throw away all the books I have away and just put the bible on my shelf?
Well, I wrote a long answer to your question but decided to erase it as I thought you wouldn’t put any value in it. I guess you don’t need any other books, but, right now, and still after 43 years of learning, I certainly do. I just haven’t been able to put my hands on the bible books and absorb it through osmosis. I need to study and also consider what others who have studied have said.
When I was in seminary, we actually were required to buy a lot of expensive books to read in efforts to understand the bible. I suppose those seminaries are wasting a lot of our teachers and leaders time and money.
“Michael, is it necessary to look outside of the Scriptures for answers?”
Actually, I am kind of flabbergasted at that question.
Do you really not read ANY other books beside the bible, carl?
One of the (many) consequences of a traditional answer like this (and I am not presupposing that what I will now say is what you meant) is that it restricts learning to a single, culturally-dependent TRANSLATION of the text. Unless, of course, you are reading the Bible in its original languages. Ah, but then the question is “What Bible?” for even the “original” texts that we have are not the ORIGINAL texts, as is evidenced by the numerous emendation, copyist’s errors, etc. and the fact that we don’t have any primary documents prior to about 100 BCE (or MUCH later).
One of the other consequences is that WE, who live in this century, no longer share the common culture of the authors and therefore have a tendency (should I say disease) to convert the words of the authors (translated) into words according to OUR meanings. And how are we to correct this? By reading more of the words we have already converted into our paradigm? Hardly. We will have to read and study and grasp at all the other literature available to help us UNDO our paradigm so that we can understand what the original authors meant.
Finally, perhaps the most devastating consequence is the parallel belief that all that is required to know Scripture is the inner “voice of the Spirit.” Certainly human history has amply demonstrated the fallacy of this reasoning, but if that were not sufficient, we would also point out that any PRIVATE revelation of meaning is exactly that–PRIVATE. It is not communicable in the public arena where meaning is a function of community. This is the perennial problem of the mystic. He may know something of God, but he can’t communicate it in public discourse because the meaning of what he knows can only be known through the private contact he has had. Sola Scriptura leads directly to this anomaly.
You may not have implied any of these things. It all depends on WHAT YOU MEAN. Fortunately, MEANING is something we can explore in community although it requires more material than the Bible itself.
“One of the other consequences is that WE, who live in this century, no longer share the common culture of the authors and therefore have a tendency (should I say disease) to convert the words of the authors (translated) into words according to OUR meanings.”
And yet…and yet…
In my walk before coming into this greater understanding God spoke revelation to me out of the NIV…1 Corinthians 15:10 “By the grace of God, I am what I am and His grace toward me is not without effect.” These 19 words jumped off the page, wrapped its arms around me, and set me free…my whole life I was never enough…no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be quiet and graceful like the pastor’s wife…etc., etc., etc. Suddenly, by “personal revelation”, I realized I was free to be me and in turn I took that “personal revelation” and was able to share it with others and they were set free too.
Since coming into this greater or deeper understanding God doesn’t speak to me at all…not for years now…no personal revelation, nothing…silence. I don’t trust anything about the Word anymore, so I don’t read it much anymore because every word is suspect. I long for those days of ignorance when I could open up the bible and find God.
It’s an oxymoron…today I feel I understand the things of God better but I’ve never felt more separated from Him…makes me very sad.
Sandy
Dearest Sandy,
The cry of the heart for a great number of us. We are in the 13 years of silence of Abraham’s journey. Yes, we have undone a great deal of confusion. Yes, we have left behind a lot of erroneous teaching. But where does that leave us? Alone. And that’s the real problem. It isn’t that God stopped talking. It’s that we don’t have any place to listen. Once we realize that God spoke through His people (plural), we discover that being islands in the stream is completely inadequate. Where do we go to hear Him speak today? We can’t go back to the Church with all of its syncretism. We are generally regarded with great suspicion in the synagogue. Such a tragedy.
Please do not stop reading the Word even in its present paradigmatic form. God still speaks to us every day through this less-than-perfect vehicle, because today we can’t journey to hear the prophets. He reached you once through it. He can do so again. But now you will be wary and demand investigation.
That was the only measurement of Love God could show us that could reach into our darkest places of doubt and our OWN sense unworthiness.
God:
Can I give them riches? No, that won’t be enough to make them see. The whole earth? No…a universe or a multiverse or a flower or a lover or a healing or a new car….nope. I know! I’ll give them——Me.
“Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friend”
Turns out, as He made something from nothing, when He gave us Himself; He gave us everything AND the Source of everything. Amen!
And when Lot tried to talk to his sons in law and daughters-in-law they thought he was joking. Blind people can’t see. Dang!
Skip said…”But, press on. The finish fine is coming.”
Speaking of the finish line…does anyone have any thoughts on the upcoming year of Jubilee?
It’s original intent was for blessing, but it can also be a time of judgement.
If ever the world deserved judgement…it seems that it would be during these times. Only G-d knows when but, it’s certainly something to ponder.
Judi, You asked: “does anyone have any thoughts on the upcoming year of Jubilee?” ON? I am just hoping to have thoughts IN the upcoming year! As for speculations regarding judgements or blessings- I wouldn’t touch that question with a 10 foot pole…or a 9 foot pole or a 30 handbreadth staff or a 3.048 meter rod (depending on which translation you prefer). 🙂
Hi Michael,
I recently watched a youtube video interview with Jonathan Cahn where he was discussing the Shemitah and year of Jubilee. While I don’t want to get caught up in trying to figure out when, where or how God is going to move, (we can’t put Him in a box) the interview certainly got me thinking about the importance of how we live every minute of our lives. It’s 22 min. long. Worth watching. Let me know what you think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWy4VQnxFvI&feature=em-share_video_user
Judi, Thanks for the link. As my wife can attest I am not a big fan of end time “profits”, but if the past dates are an indicator of future events we could have an interesting year ahead. As a side note, the quote ” May you live in interesting times” apparently is an old Chinese curse. Are we the generation to see the fullfilment of all things? If so, we won’t just have ringside seats, we will be in the ring. I have learned from the boxer formerly known as Cassius Clay “to sting like a butterfly and float like a bee”…uhhh, no, wait, it was the other way around. Rats, now I have to start training all over again! Thank Yah He is our Savior and Shield, through Messiah Yeshua.