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THE PLACE OF THE BIBLE

 

 

 

In The Independent Church of Australia, the Bible is not an authority on which we lean or which we use to defend our beliefs and practices, for words are always limited and can never fully express truth. We do not use the scriptures blindly or unquestioningly.

 

At the same time, we recognise that the Bible is a record of how others before us have found the fullness of God in their personal experience. It tells of the preparation through the ages for the coming of Christ, of his life, death and resurrection, and of the experience of those in whom his spirit lived. The scriptures are a treasury of spiritual knowledge and insight which can provide light for our path.

 

When reading any passage of scripture, we recognise that the text is not only speaking about the past, but is speaking also about us and our experience now. It is a mirror in which we can learn to see ourselves clearly.

 

We interpret scripture on any one or more of four levels - the literal level, the metaphysical level, the esoteric level and the mystical level. The ancient rabbis likened these four levels to the four parts of a nut:

 

The literal level, the level of history and theology, is like the hard shell of a nut, which must be penetrated if we are to get to the kernel, the inner meaning. So for example, in the story of the journey of the Hebrews from Egypt to the land of Palestine, we find information about the history of the Jews, about the events and beliefs that have shaped their character as a nation, and we can attempt to place the story in the context of recorded history. This is the "shell" of the story. To find its true meaning we must look further.

 

The metaphysical or allegorical level is the pith of the nut. On this level, everything within the Bible - people, places, events - has a symbolic interpretation which relates to us. On this level, the journey of the Hebrews becomes the story of our own journey to freedom, and their experiences the reflection of ours. Egypt, for example, represents the bondage of our souls, and the pillar of cloud that went before the people by day is a symbol of the inner voice that guides us onward to liberty of spirit.

 

The esoteric level is the flesh of the nut, which provides spiritual nourishment. When we interpret the Bible from an esoteric point of view, it becomes a means to understanding the spiritual worlds and their influence upon our development. For example, occultly the exodus is the story of the creation of a race of people through whom, eventually, the Christ could incarnate.

 

The mystical level is the seed of the nut, and is the culmination of all the other levels. Mysticism is seeing the vision of the Christ and becoming one with him. The consciousness of the mystic is therefore in the spiritual worlds. The person who reads the Bible from the mystical point of view will find the Beloved in its pages. So, for example, the Christ is clearly to be seen in the events and experiences of the Hebrews as they journeyed. The water provided to satisfy their thirst and the bread, or manna, which they gathered daily speak of Christ who is the bread of life and the water of life.

 

For The Independent Church of Australia the Bible contains spiritual truth which can be revealed to us if we take the time to study it and to enter into the various levels of meaning.

 

The Gospel of St John, the great mystical gospel, has a special place in The Centre. The prologue, chapter 1, verses 1-14, is read at each Cosmic Mass, and members are encouraged to read from this gospel daily.

 

The teachings of The Centre can never be treated simply as intellectual exercises. While it is our responsibility to develop our thinking powers as fully as we can, we must also understand that truth is known through spiritual discernment. In approaching Centre teachings you are asked to be willing to be open to new thoughts and perceptions, to listen to the teachings, to think about them and above all to practise them. Only in this way will you come to recognise within self what is true.

 

A deeper understanding of The Centre's use of the Bible can be gained from the following books by Rev Mario Schoenmaker, available from ICA Bookshop:

Or home-study courses from The Institute of Metaphysics:

 

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