Introduction...
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Welcome all Christians who wish to understand their faith as a lifestyle. True faith is not blind but gains experience, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. The Christian Mystic begins to understand God's "natural laws", laws of science.
This ministry (sharing of knowledge) comes to you from "The Ancient Antiochene Church of God". Most of the articles posted here are from the thoughts, writings and teachings of Presbyter Eric William King and the AACM Quorum (made up of Christian Rosicrucians). We have two other main online ministries besides this one. These are:
Return to common sense.....
There is nothing truly supernatural, all is actually "natural". When we say "supernatural" we mean very natural. As we begin to understand God's moral, spiritual, and natural laws we become more cognitive, awake, aware, and alert to our environment and actions.
Ancient Antiochene Christian Mysticism does not teach what modern mysticism has accepted regarding many issues. We do not teach or believe in reincarnation, we do not teach that everybody has to become vegetarian, we do not teach doctrines of "Ascended Masters" and quite frankly, we reject most of the delusional science of modern paganism and New Ageism.
As Christian Mystics we share our experiences on a platform of Sola Scriptura and True Science.
Let us learn and grow together to the Glory of God,
So Mote It Be.
~AACM Quorum
Who and what are the "Rosicrucian's"? It is simply stated:
We understand that the anonymous author/authors were devout Lutheran Protestants who wished for a revolutionary coming together of God's "natural laws" and Christian Theology. The first so called "Rosicrucian's" were Christian Lutheran Mystics.
Today we carry on the CRC tradition through this ministry, "Ancient Antiochene Christian Mysticism".
Rosicrucian
Christian Mysticism
By Presbyter Eric William King
November 30th 2024
“Antiochene Mystical Christian Vision.”
Most Christians haven't a clue about this important subject.....
I would like to relate to my fellow Christians some interesting insights regarding Christian Mysticism which help us to view our “outside” world with the “special insight”, with the Mind of Christ. I hope that you have read and contemplated [mentally studied] some of my lectures and writings regarding Dispensations, Earth Ages, Space & Time, and other theological issues before going into our articles regarding “Ancient Antiochene Christian Mysticism”.
First of all, just what is mysticism? Well, this has different answers depending on who you are talking with. As a Biblical scholar I can say that I have looked into this topic due to its connection to “religion” in general. The apostle Paul used the Greek word “mystery” and “mysteries” when referring to a special knowledge that he claimed to have. He always summed up all mysteries as being contained “in Christ.” In apostle Paul’s time the word “mystery” and “mysticism” was not referencing something “strange” or “weird”. It was understood to mean “a special knowledge gained through experience.”
Jesus Himself stated that it was given to His apostles to know and understand these mysteries, but many could not understand. Not all are mystics. Jesus stated that only those who “have eyes to see, and ears to hear” will truly understand. Of course, Christ is referring to “spiritual sight” and “spiritual vision” here. So, as we go a bit deeper into the Christian message, we find that only those who receive the Holy Spirit will have proper discernment regarding “spiritual things”. Those who experience spiritual things minus the Holy Spirit will have distorted experiences which open the doorway to Demonism.
As Christianity began to develop in its early stages, those who knew that they were “spiritual beings” had longed for the right path, “the Way”. Divine Intelligence introduced the Way through St. John the Baptist who pointed to Christ and stated: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.” So, though there are many paths in which “mysticism” can be experienced and known, it’s clear path and techniques come through the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Older “paths” that were introduced through the dispensations of time past were prepping the Human race for its introduction to God Himself in the person of Jesus the Christ. We must understand the ages and dispensations are like classrooms. Each dispensation a new grade for learning. All build upon each other until we arrive to where we are now, in the Ecclesiastical Dispensation.
Mysticism can be explained also as an experience, not just some kind of “esoteric or theological knowledge”. It can be the experience of the reality of a Divine Creator, a connection is made in the psyche which gives and inner confirmation and sometimes an epiphany. This communication or awareness can come on immediately. This would be an example of a “mystical experience”. A false “mystical experience” would be one that expresses something that is different than the Divine Will of God or in conflict with the Divine Matrix. Only a true Christian can gain this discernment through the study of God’s word ~ the Holy Scriptures.
Remember, we have a “spiritual fight” between the “principalities and powers of the air” and those who are truly seeking God. There are dark and deceiving spiritual forces that God makes us aware of in His precious word. God protects those who are truly “sealed” with and through, the power of the Holy Spirit of God. Let us always make sure that we have the “Christian Cross” with the “Rose of Sharon” at its center, Jesus the Christ ~ the true Christian Rose Cross, C.R.C.
Today many false “New Age” groups are teaching that all people have an “inner connection with God” and that there be no need for an “intermediary”. This is the current and most popular concept of mysticism. The true Ancients understood the fallen condition of man. Man for thousands of years had mystical “revelations” of God but they did not have the proper “Way” to interpret those mystical experiences. Even today, those stuck in religions have no clarity of true mystical experience. People today will say; “There are many roads to God.” What this simply means is the fact that God will and does make Himself known to people in multiple and under complex circumstances but these are not necessarily “salvation moments”.
In other words, many people are experiencing the reality of God but that is not what gives you “new birth” or proper “regeneration” – Healthy Growth! Only the Revelation of Jesus Christ gives one the proper mystical experiences and healthy spiritual growth – it includes growing pains. Many have this idea that God wants them to “feel” at ease and “peaceful” at all times. How would you learn or grow if you felt “right” all of the time? As the new Christian begins to learn - a fight happens between his new nature in Christ and his old rotten nature – the war begins. Growth takes work but it is well rewarded, in this life and the next.
One misunderstanding today for most going by the name “mystic” or “mystic Christian” is this idea that all Humans contain a particle of God’s essence within them. Though the Bible teaches that Humans are created in the “image” [icon] of God it does not teach that we are “little God’s”. As Christians, we become “little Christs” in that we take on the nature of Jesus Christ [Christlike] - through the Holy Spirit we are “partakers of the Divine Nature.”
To become “saved”, regenerated from spiritual death, one must accept the person of the Holy Spirit. True faith comes by hearing the Word of God. By this and the unction of the Holy Spirit the person may have a “spiritual marriage”, one receives true union with the Holy Spirit and is thus “sealed” unto the day of redemption [the Sacrament of Baptism]. When a person becomes “born from above” then the clarity of understanding “the Human mystic connection of God” begins. Jesus stated the fact that; “No one comes to the Father but by Me [Jesus Christ].” So, to receive the full revelation of the Triune God we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. Jesus Saves us from the “fallen program”, from sin and death. Jesus shows us the Way back up into the Divine Matrix – freeing us from this Fallen Matrix.
It is very true that people who have a mystical experience with the Great Divine will interpret that experience objectively based on their own learning and experiences. It is the objectivity that gets us in trouble sometimes. A person may think: “Because this is the way I experienced it; this is the way that you also must experience it.” Thus, the myriads of manmade religions. The Christian message teaches us that there is truly only one God and God is not trapped in multiple personalities. Though our experiences in our personal relationship with God are sometimes very different and unique that doesn’t change the person that God truly is. Our God has talked with us through other Humans and given us a communication device called Holy Scriptures.
As Christians we can document and understand that God has worked with all of His creation throughout our present space-time continuum in differing dispensations of time. God reveals information as Humanity is ready to understand and properly experience it, much like a parent raises a child. During growing pains, we experience emotions but just because we may experience happiness, sorrow, anger, etc. we must realize that these emotions are not all the same for everybody because what sparks these emotions is a different point in each individual based on past experiences and personal logic.
We must never confuse true Christian Mysticism with metaphysics, occultism, magic or any other of the fanciful New Age topics. Many religions are practicing some form of spirituality or “mysticism”. What religions do is capitalize on one person’s experience and make money off of it. Many denominations were started this way. True experience with God is a most personal thing. As Christians we must never forget that.
It is my hope that this short article has helped those who might inquire about this topic. If you are able, use your Bible everyday and study with us here at “The Shepherds Way” and the “Nugget of Truth”. As a Christian you are to become a living copy of the title-deed or testament (will) of God. “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tables of stone but on tables of human hearts.” (2nd Corinthians 3:3) You are to become “sealed” with the TRUTH…with the WORD of God. The Gospel was sealed by “the blood of Jesus Christ” and He becomes our LIVING TESTIMONY that the title deed transaction was complete. We now have a written copy of the WILL OF GOD, a title deed containing the complete history of our planet and the entire Pleroma. This title-deed is the Holy Scriptures.
We are taking time out to learn about true Christian Mysticism.
This is most certainly true.
Eric William King (February 30th 2024)
Ancient Antiochene
Mysteries
“Antiochene facts revealed.”
By presbyter Eric William King (August 22st 2024)
The true Christian community traces its origins to the Christian community founded in Antioch. This was the Antioch in Syria built in 301 B.C. It became the third largest city in the Roman empire with a population of 500,000 people.
Ancient Antioch basically became the leading center of Christian thought. The term "Antiochene" designates a distinct theological style. The original "followers of the Way" were first called "Christian" in Antioch (Acts 11:26). One of the leading members of the Antiochene Church was St. Barnabas. He was sent to organize the new church (Acts 11:19-25).
Some Cypriote and Cyrenic Jews who had been brought up in Greek communities and who had different perspectives on the world than Palestinian Jews resided in Antioch. The bulk of the Ancient Antiochene Church of God was in fact Gentile. The Greeks that accepted the Gospel were referred to by the Antiochene Christian Jews as “Godfearers”.
Antioch became the center from which many missionaries were trained and sent forth. From Antioch, Apostle Paul started his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3) and returned to it (Acts 14:26. His third journey also started from there.
St. Ignatius of Antioch (3rd Bishop of Antioch) was Bishop there for forty years. He was one of the first to call the "one church" catholic - meaning universal.
The early church of Antioch had prophets and teachers (Acts 13:1-5). Some important people in the early Antiochene Church were:
1 Barnabas “Son of Encouragement” - Jew
2 Simeon (who is called Niger) “black man”
3 Lucius of Cyrene - Greek
4 Manean (member of the court of Harod) - Gentile
5 Saul (Apostle Paul) - Israelite
We see that it was racially diverse.
Antioch was a great business center because of its trading by ships in the Mediterranean Sea - Great business connections and multi-cultural. Now we will cover some history regarding the first Antioch School of Theology and theological development there.
Developing theology in the school involved:
A tendency toward Aristotelian stress on concrete reality, factual historic information and analysis. They favored a historical understanding and factual, literal reading of Scripture (Plainest). They also did not deny the Mysteries of the Scriptures but held many of these sacred teachings for the more mature Christians (Such as the Cabbalistic teachings). Their Soteriological understanding is in agreement with St. Luther’s as expressed in “The Book of Concord”, thus the modern day Antiochene Christians use the Lutheran Orthodox catechism in their teachings.
In Antiochene theology the Original Model predominates (Dual nature/dual will). Though early Antiochene Christians struggled about issues regarding the incarnation and Deity of Messiah, their early appointed Bishops helped clear the path to proper understanding. They also fought against Docetism. The seventh and last true great Bishop of Antioch (before the Alexandrian teachings started to corrupt, and come in) was St. Theophilus. He was the first to use the theological term, “Trinity” (169 – 182 A.D.) showing that the doctrine of the Trinity came from the Ancient Antiochene School. (Not from Roman Catholics)
The Ancient Antiochene Church of God also has the proper understanding between Apophatic and Cataphatic theology from Absolutism. We believe that Cataphatic theology keeps Apophatic theology from subjectivisim.
We also hold to early and latter developmentism of Dispensational Theology. Thus, we believe in seven literal dispensations and numerous “Earth Ages” (Earth Ages before the “first humans” and a final three after the first humans).
We believe that we are “partakers of the Divine Nature” (2nd Peter 1:4) and that we must be constantly aware of God’s presence in us just as a pregnant woman is aware that a growing and living child dwells within her. (Jeremiah 30:6)
Begin to truly understand the Depth of Ancient Antiochene Christian theology….
We recognize 32 Bishops from the Ancient Antiochene Church but we really only “super trust” the first seven because Bishop Maximus was the 8th and brought some pagan Alexandrian teachings into the church. After him, most all other early bishops were corrupted by it and in fact brought other heresies in. Here is the list of the first seven:
1-Apostle Peter (Spoken of in Scripture)
2-Evodius – (53-69 A.D.) Protector of the original ‘Q’ document.
3-Ignatius – (70-107 A.D.) He was martyred in the reign of Trajan. His Seven Epistles are unique sources for the Church even today.
4-Heron – (107-127 A.D.) Had some of the early and proper Christian Cabbalah teachings.
5-Cornelius – (127-169 A.D.) Had the proper doctrine of True Israel.
6-Eros – (154-169 A.D.) Known as “Eros of Antioch”.
7-Theophilus – (169-182 A.D.) The last true Greek Bishop.
As time went on, with the help of the Cappadocian Fathers (320-400 A.D.) the true Antiochene Church escaped the neo-Arian heresy.
Regarding one of the last things that Bishop Theophilus (7th Bishop) left the church was his letters titled “Apology to Autolycus” which contain a series of books defending Christianity that were written to a pagan friend of his.
We are learning Ancient Antiochene facts.
This is most certainly true.
Eric William King (August 22nd 2024) (From: "Ancient Antiochene Mysteries - Part 16")
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