What exactly is 'Mystical Insight"?

[Via dolarossa]

Just been reading Major post on theosophy and had to look it up.

theosophy

thē-ŏs′ə-fē

noun​

1. Religious philosophy or speculation about the nature of the soul based on mystical insight into the nature of God.

What is mystical insight?

I have heard of it but have no idea what mystical means or what a mystic does.

thanks

 

[Siloam]

Something that is Mystical concerns things apart from the senses or normal logic.

So I would say mystical insight is an understanding correct or not that originates outside common experiences, i.e. from a spirit

It could be insight from God, or the enemy.

In terms of Majors post, I would say Halloween is not from the God of light.

 

[Major]

Just been reading Major post on theosophy and had to look it up.

theosophy

thē-ŏs′ə-fē

noun​

1. Religious philosophy or speculation about the nature of the soul based on mystical insight into the nature of God.

What is mystical insight?

I have heard of it but have no idea what mystical means or what a mystic does.

thanks

Via............it is what Paul preached against in Galatians........GNOSTICISM.

The word Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis, meaning "knowledge." The Gnostics believed there was a mysterious or secret knowledge reserved for those with true understanding, leading to the salvation of the soul.

This radical distinction between our bodies and our spirits led Gnostics to twist the early church's understanding of who Jesus was and is. The Gnostics saw Jesus as a messenger bringing the special knowledge of salvation to humanity's imprisoned soul. They believed that when Jesus came to earth He didn't possess a body like our own; instead, the Gnostics taught that He only seemed to have a physical body (known as the heresy of "docetism," from the Greek verb "to seem"). This was a denial of the Christian doctrine of the incarnation—the belief that Jesus was both fully God and fully human. But the Gnostics went even further: they also denied the bodily resurrection of Jesus, an event Paul argued must have taken place or our faith is in vain which was the MYSTERY and was completly different than the Bible.

Gnosticism, as an intellectual product, is grounded firmly in the general human act of reflecting upon existence. The Gnostics were concerned with the basic questions of existence or “being-in-the-world” (Dasein)—that is: who we are (as human beings), where we have come from, and where we are heading, historically and spiritually.
Source: (cf. Hans Jonas, The Gnostic Religion 1958, p. 334).

What all that means is that regardless of WHAT GOD SAID......if "WE" have this mystery knowledge it frees us up to do what WE want to do without guilt or sin.

The reason Paul taught against this MYSTERY Philosophy was that some in the church took extreme actions and permitted their physical passions to run whatever course they chose. Those in this group justified their libertine lifestyles with the erroneous notion that their evil bodies were destined for destruction anyway, while their spirits, which they believed were good, would remain unharmed.

That same idea is still with us today throughout the church and you have seen that same thought right here.

 

[Lanolin]

I don't think theosophy is from God it's more of an occult practice...from what I know.

We do have 'inner light' as Quakers call it when God speaks to us in that still small voice, the more contemplative branches of Christianity are more 'mystical' but as with everything we need to check/confirm it with the Word of God in the Bible.

 

[crossnote]

In terms of ‘mysticism’, mystical insight refers to a direct communication with God.
OTOH, the Christian has an indirect communication with God (Christ our mediator).

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
and His written word. 1 Timothy 2:5 KJV

 

[Via dolarossa]

In terms of ‘mysticism’, mystical insight refers to a direct communication with God.
OTOH, the Christian has an indirect communication with God (Christ our mediator).

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
and His written word. 1 Timothy 2:5 KJV

Makes perfect sense now you mention it.

 

[Major]

In terms of ‘mysticism’, mystical insight refers to a direct communication with God.
OTOH, the Christian has an indirect communication with God (Christ our mediator).

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
and His written word. 1 Timothy 2:5 KJV

The problem with that is that we do not know who it is we are in communication with!!!

 

[Via dolarossa]

The problem with that is that we do not know who it is we are in communication with!!!

So how did the prophets know they were communing with God?
Did He not commune with them directly?

 

[Lanolin]

Prophets of the Old Testament knew it was God because they only worshipped one God. They were not worshipping any other gods. God revealed himself to them, whether it was through a burning bush, or an angel messenger, or at night, or by a fleece or just His voice from up high.

They were not using any mediums. Because God had chosen those prophets. He had a special people for Himself - Israel.

In the new testament, God spoke through his son Jesus. Everyone who goes through Jesus now has a relationship with God.

 

[Major]

So how did the prophets know they were communing with God?
Did He not commune with them directly?

1 Peter 1:10 as evidence of a sharp distinction between of the human and divine intention of OT prophecy. In this passage, the apostle Peter writes:..............
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

According to this Scripture, it teaches that the OT prophets did not understand the meaning of their own prophecies. For this reason, it is said, the human and divine intent of Scripture cannot be regarded as one and the same.

The term here we are talking about is “perspicuity” and it refers to the overall clarity of God’s Word in which the meaning of Scripture was basically clear and comprehensible to its original audience. Then when the New Test was written, those words were understood as comeing from God.

2nd........Anything that was said by a prophet that did not come true.........that man was stoned to death. That tended to eliminate those who lied for their own lusts.

 

[Via dolarossa]

Anything that was said by a prophet that did not come true.........that man was stoned to death. That tended to eliminate those who lied for their own lusts

But Being a prophet must have also been quite a depressing role.

I wonder how many said” please Lord, choose someone else?”

 

[crossnote]

The problem with that is that we do not know who it is we are in communication with!!!

Hopefully we know who we are addressing…the One who saved and renewed us.
It’s those without Christ who speak to that which they know not.

John 10:27 KJV
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

John 10:14 KJV
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

 

[Major]

But Being a prophet must have also been quite a depressing role.

I wonder how many said” please Lord, choose someone else?”

Moses didnt want the job. He complained that his speech was bad.

Jonah ran away and God had a fish eat him!

Jeremiah cried all the time.

Elijah suffered the brutality of the king who wanted him dead.

Ezekiel suffered the death of his wife as a providential sermon illustration.

Hosea suffered a disastrous marriage to a prostitute and God told him to stay with her.

Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions.

 

[Major]

Hopefully we know who we are addressing…the One who saved and renewed us.
It’s those without Christ who speak to that which they know not.

John 10:27 KJV
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

John 10:14 KJV
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Yes but the questions was.........."So how did the prophets know they were communing with God?"

Today we should know but in fact we do not. Most of the time it is not God speaking to us but our own consciousness or Satan himself.

How many times have you heard it said..........."God SPOKE TO ME last night"?

Really????

IMHO.......If He told you something that is not written in the Word of God, then it was not God you were listening to.

Some professing Christians claim to have heard an audible Word of God. Some will read this post and argue with it that THEY have had God speak to them in an audible voice. I say that they are over medicated, time for medication or maybe they are hungry and what they here is their stomach. But that is just me.

In most every case this claim has been made in order to draw attention to them selves in some way. It makes them LOOK special and religeouse. GOD SPOKE TO ME. Of course that is exactly the opposite of what the Word of God says but who cares!!!!!!

In most cases, that claim has been followed-up with the request, and a demand for money or a love offering. The money, somehow, according to those who supposedly “hear” God’s audible voice, will release His blessing — usually guaranteeing a financial or material blessing upon the one who contributes money to the one to whom God supposedly spoke to, audibly. Wolves in sheep’s clothing are prevalent everywhere in the world today and that is why we need to understand who it is that we think is speaking to us.

But, I am just an old fashioned "Puritan" so who cares.

 

[crossnote]

Yes but the questions was.........."So how did the prophets know they were communing with God?"

Today we should know but in fact we do not. Most of the time it is not God speaking to us but our own consciousness or Satan himself.

How many times have you heard it said..........."God SPOKE TO ME last night"?

Really????

IMHO.......If He told you something that is not written in the Word of God, then it was not God you were listening to.

Some professing Christians claim to have heard an audible Word of God. Some will read this post and argue with it that THEY have had God speak to them in an audible voice. I say that they are over medicated, time for medication or maybe they are hungry and what they here is their stomach. But that is just me.

In most every case this claim has been made in order to draw attention to them selves in some way. It makes them LOOK special and religeouse. GOD SPOKE TO ME. Of course that is exactly the opposite of what the Word of God says but who cares!!!!!!

In most cases, that claim has been followed-up with the request, and a demand for money or a love offering. The money, somehow, according to those who supposedly “hear” God’s audible voice, will release His blessing — usually guaranteeing a financial or material blessing upon the one who contributes money to the one to whom God supposedly spoke to, audibly. Wolves in sheep’s clothing are prevalent everywhere in the world today and that is why we need to understand who it is that we think is speaking to us.

But, I am just an old fashioned "Puritan" so who cares.

But you had said (post #7)...

"The problem with that is that we do not know who it is we are in communication with!!!"

I'm speaking more in terms of prayer, not 'The Lord told me such and such'.
Also, there is this...

(1Jn 1:3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

In most every case this claim has been made in order to draw attention to them selves in some way. It makes them LOOK special and religeouse. GOD SPOKE TO ME. Of course that is exactly the opposite of what the Word of God says but who cares!!!!!!

That's more in accord with how I defined a mystic in post #5
"
"In terms of ‘mysticism’, mystical insight refers to a direct communication with God.
OTOH, the Christian has an indirect communication with God (Christ our mediator)."

 

[Lanolin]

I don't think people generally share too much of what the Lord says to them these days because if they did that, they'd get sectioned.

In some cases, the Lord may speak to you personally, but its only meant for you, otherwise He would say it to everyone else as well! Aside from the fact there are billions of people in this world as well and speaking to everyone would not be possible.

In Old Testament times, all his chosen people were in one place before they were scattered. But after Jesus resurrected, they were gathered in one place, the upper room, when they were given the gift of tongues. Instead of God speaking in one language, He spoke many different languages, in tongues they didn't hadn't learned. Look it up in Acts 2.

They had been in prayer and all in one accord when that happened, and there were witnesses, and also non believers who said they were just drunk.

 

[crossnote]

In some cases, the Lord may speak to you personally, but its only meant for you, otherwise He would say it to everyone else as well!

Good point.

Aside from the fact there are billions of people in this world as well and speaking to everyone would not be possible.

Now you know what’s coming next …

Matthew 19:26 KJV
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

 

[Via dolarossa]

Moses didnt want the job. He complained that his speech was bad.

Jonah ran away and God had a fish eat him!

Jeremiah cried all the time.

Elijah suffered the brutality of the king who wanted him dead.

Ezekiel suffered the death of his wife as a providential sermon illustration.

Hosea suffered a disastrous marriage to a prostitute and God told him to stay with her.

Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions.

I knew about some of those.

I thought God said you could put away a wife that was am adulterer?

but anyway Hosea is a good stories to read next thanks

 

[Major]

I knew about some of those.

I thought God said you could put away a wife that was am adulterer?

but anyway Hosea is a good stories to read next thanks

He did but.....God used Hosea as a lesson to show the reality of life in that God is seen as Israel’s husband and covenant infidelity is likened to marital unfaithfulness. Marriage thus becomes a metaphor for God's covenant relationship with Israel, and whoredom a metaphor for idolatry.

 

[Dave F.]

In most cases, that claim has been followed-up with the request, and a demand for money or a love offering. The money, somehow, according to those who supposedly “hear” God’s audible voice, will release His blessing — usually guaranteeing a financial or material blessing upon the one who contributes money to the one to whom God supposedly spoke to, audibly. Wolves in sheep’s clothing are prevalent everywhere in the world today and that is why we need to understand who it is that we think is speaking to us.

My favorite was " Send me $1000.00 seed money and I will pray for you!" as if ONLY HE was allowed to come boldly to the throne. This guy was on tv every week, making the same request. Unfortunately he raked in millions of dollars from people who never read the word of God.