Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2006 4:59 PM
Pastor Vitale,
Several weeks ago I posted on the eagle's forum your letter you sent to me concerning the questions I asked you about the Holy Spirit versus the Spirit of Christ.
It just happens that the administrator responded to your letter today. I'm sending this to you with a spirit of discernment. There are a couple of things he says that seem contradictive. Yet other things seem to go hand in hand with what your ministering. What do you think?
XXX
*** The following text is the response of the Administrator of the Eagle's Forum to Pastor Vitale's Teaching on the Holy Spirit Vs. the Spirit of Christ (See, Part 1 Of This Series How To Test the Doctrine Of Christ - Part 1)
Hi XXX,
This Sister has some truth in part, but overall, I would have to say that she's missing it, big time. Male and Female nouns can mess a person up if they can only discern things by the 'Letter of the Word.' For instance; Jesus is both the Wisdom (Sophia) and Power (Dunamis) of God, the trouble with this is that both these words are Female nouns - Now Jesus is definitely not a woman, but He (like all men) has some feminine characteristics. Spirit (Pnuema) in the Greek is in the Neutral Gender (neither male nor female, an 'IT'), but in the Greek N.T. the Holy Spirit is always referred to as 'HE,' 'Him,' 'His,' etc.. - It would be a violation of Greek to do so unless the Spirit were truly Masculine, regardless of the laws of the Greek Language. God is a Spirit and He is Masculine. Soul is feminine, but since God is a Spirit and possesses a Soul He possess both Male and Female properties within himself. The 'El-Shaddai' principle of God is Feminine (The 'Almighty' or, 'Breasted God'). This is why when Jesus appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos as the 'Almighty' he had his 'Paps' girded with a 'Golden Girdle' (Men don't have 'Paps') - The word 'Paps' is defined in Strong's as: "3149. mastos, mas-tos'; from the base of G3145; a (prop. female) breast (as if kneaded up)."
Note: There is no doubt that the word 'Mastos' in it's bible useage is never applied to a man, yet the word itself as a Greek particle of speech is a Masculine Noun.
Quote From Pastor Vitale's Teaching: “Man consists of spirit (male) and earth (female)”
Evidently this Sister doesn't believe in the tripartrateness of Man; Spirit, Soul, and Body.
Spirit is Masculine, Flesh is Neutral Gender (Neither Male nor Female), and Soul is Feminine.
"My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad (Psa 34:2)." This is not 'License' to translate Soul (lit. 'Nephesh') in the Feminine, because in Hebrew 'Nephesh' is a Female noun..
There are many things I'd like to contribute toward the understanding of Masculine and Feminine properties of God and Man but time and space will not allow it at this point. But TLW I'll look in some of my archives and see what I already have written up on it and put it up on Adullam's Cave soon.
Much Love and Blessings Bro!
Apostolic Administrator.
*** The following text is a teaching of the Administrator of the Eagle's Forum which was attached to his response to the brother who was looking for a witness to Pastor Vitale's teaching on the Holy Spirit Vs the Spirit of Christ.
Dear Friends and Saints of God Most High;
Here is a clear New Testament picture of the 'El-Shaddai,' The Almighty, or 'Breasted God.' In the last several years here have been teachings brought in by the New Age movement in an attempt to make the Holy Spirit into a 'Mother God,' or The 'Goddess (Queen of Heaven)' of pagan folklore; I believe the Lord would have me to share some insights into this area of Christian Doctrine which has been very sadly neglected in most circles until the present time.
Perhaps the Lord is using the New Ager’s to spark life into some of those who are still knowledgeable enough to address this issue; I don’t know, but I feel there needs to be some clarification for the benefit of those who may be wondering about some of these things.
We all believe that God is a 'Triune Being..' this is evident from just a rudimentary study of Scripture; But is He three separate and distinct persons, or is He One Person with three distinct 'Personalities??' Jesus is shown here as the El-Shaddai (The Almighty God), so that eliminates the Holy Spirit from being the 'Mother Goddess;’ Why then, is Jesus the 'Son of God' Revealed here with 'Paps (Mastos, or Mammary Glands)' and a 'Golden Girdle' about them??
Basically, God is a Spirit, possessing a Soul, and living within in a Body. There are three distinct characteristics of the Godhead; He is 'Omnipotent (all Powerful), Omniscient (all Knowing), and Omnipresent (all present).' These things describe the characteristics of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, respectively. The Father Nature is seen in the Omnipotence of God, Messiah His Son is called the 'Wisdom' or Omniscience of God, the Holy Spirit relates to the Omnipresence of God. These relate to the Principles of 'Spirit, Soul, and Body' as they are relative to man, the Creature fashioned in His singular Image and likeness. The question was brought up of whether or not the Father had a Soul; to which we reply, ‘If He didn’t have a Soul He would have no Mind, Will or Emotions.' That’s all we would need about now, a God with no Mind, Will, or Emotions. God said in the Book of Hebrews:
'Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my Soul (Psuche – Feminine) shall have no Pleasure in him (Heb 10:38).'
'Wisdom' is a female noun, both in the Hebrew and in the Greek, and Jesus is referred to as the 'Wisdom of God' both in the Old and New Testaments… This seeming 'Femininity' is because He represents (and Constitutes) the 'Soul' of the Father. Now don’t anyone get scared, this is not any kind of traditional 'Oneness' teaching, and neither is it 'Trinitarian' obviously, I have been around both those blocks with them and they both think this is 'Heresy.' Both the 'Oneness' and the 'Trinity' as they have been taught traditionally, are easily disproved by the Scriptures; and both should be in an hour like this. We all need to take some very careful second looks at what we have been taught about so many things that have really led us nowhere but into confusion. I have never met a Pure Trinitarian. None of them really believe that the Holy Spirit is coequal to Jesus or the Father, or that Jesus is equal to the Father, yet this is exactly the claim of the Trinity (Three in Unity - coeternal, coefficient, co this, co that, and co everything) Doctrine. I don’t wish to attack or tear down anyone’s doctrine here; but we need to just take a good look at the Scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten us.
Jesus is the Pattern and the Goal of the Believer:
'Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For IN HIM dwelleth ALL the FULNESS of the GODHEAD BODILY (Col 2:8-9).'
I believe it is God’s will for the Overcomer to be filled with His Fulness, in his Spirit, Soul, and Body, thus sharing in His Omnipotence, Omniscience, and even His Omnipresence!!
'And to know (By Revelation and Experience) the LOVE (Agape Nature) of Christ, which PASSETH (Human) knowledge, that YE might be FILLED with ALL the FULNESS of GOD (Eph 3:19).'
Male - Female Elements:
The Father is, by far the most 'Masculine' entity that exists anywhere in all creation, when He is rightly defined in His 'Omnipotence (ALL POWERFUL - PURE SPIRIT)' we can easily see how His Feminine Soul is the 'Weaker Vessel,' this shows the relationship that Jesus has with the Father. Within the Godhead Spirit and Soul are 'One (One Nature - in Union)' even as Adam was created with both elements of Male and Female (Spirit and Soul) within himself. He never 'Argued' with himself, and he wasn’t created as 'Twins' or 'Triplets;' He was one Person in God's Image, with three distinct 'Characteristics' of Spirit, Soul, and Body. In Christ the Spirit Man is Masculine, the Soul is Feminine, and the Flesh (Sarx) is actually seen from God’s perspective as Neutral (Selah).
‘Male and/or Female’ from different perspectives
While we are addressing the subject of Masculinity, the Church from the world’s perspective is Masculine (the masculine, many membered Body of Christ). Example:
"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is (the many-membered) Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God (1 Cor 11:3)."
The Church from Christ’s perspective is feminine: The Bride of Christ..
Christ, from the Father’s perspective is Feminine (the weaker vessel).
The world is the weaker vessel from the Church's perspective, etc, etc..
The more we continue to grow up into the Lord, the less 'Feminine' and more ‘Masculine’ our identity becomes, for we become more and more 'Spiritual..' Our regenerated Spirit is called the 'Hidden MAN' of the Heart (1Pet 3:4). And by the way, Peter was talking to the women folk when he used this phrase 'Hidden MAN of the Heart!'
'Let every soul be SUBJECT unto the higher powers. For there is no power (Exousia) but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God (Rom 13:1).'
Jesus was always Subject to the Father:
'And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him (John 8:29).'
The Father was 'Greater' than Jesus:
'Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my FATHER is GREATER than I (John 14:28).'
As I said, the more we become like the Father, the more Masculine we become:
Again, Jesus (The 'Wisdom,' or Omniscient Element of God), with respect to the Father (The 'Omnipotent - Power Element' of God), is 'Feminine;' but with respect to the Church He is 'Masculine (The Bridegroom).' The Church with respect to Jesus is 'Feminine,' but in relationship to the World the Church is seen as 'Masculine (The Body of Christ - The Sons of God).
The Holy Spirit (The Omnipresence of God) in all this is 'Neutral (Pneuma),' just as our bodies are Neutral, with respect to Spiritual things:
'That which is born of the flesh is FLESH (Neutral); and that which is born of the Spirit is SPIRIT (or, Masculine - John 3:6).'
The more we grow into spiritual beings, the more 'Authority' we will possess, just as the Spirit possess more 'Authority' than the Soul; when the Soul perfectly 'Unites' with the Spirit she will take on a 'New Name' or Nature. Much more Power and Authority than we have ever witnessed will be 'Birthed' out of this relationship all the way around; I believe that this is what is called 'The Manchild.' The Manchild will possess much more Spiritual Power (Authority and Wisdom) than the Female Church that produced him ever had, even in his beginnings!
The Manchild will still have a Soul, but it will be strictly a 'Spiritual Soul,' not a Carnal one - a change in 'Nature' is in view. This 'New Nature' is the Fully Developed and Incorruptible 'Mind (or, Soul) of Christ.'
Robert
