Yes, Paul was acquainted with knowledge that most Christians have no idea about but IS AVAILABLE to us when we seek God!
I agree.. few spiritual people seek God, and instead seek the god of religion. Feeling comfortable and safe in pre-packaged dogmas, rather than deep exploration. To seek God means something far deeper than praying a Sinner's Prayer or going to church every Sunday. To truly seek the Living God means to find the Divine Kingdom within yourself... "Know ye not you are the Temple of God?"
This knowledge, even power, is only available to us when we seek God for it. When we seek "esoteric" or "occultic" information based on something other than the Word of God, we have strayed away.
The Biblical books (and more) may be Inspired by God, but the scriptures are not the Living Word, this is a non-biblical teaching (irony) that most Protestant Christians have. They worship a Book, rather than seek the Spirit Behind the Letter, and it's part of the reason they remain in dead letter ignorance.
The Bible is a collection of books written over many centuries, which were compiled and canonized by the Roman church in the centuries proceeding Christ.
Did not the Word of God exist in whole before the Bible was written ? The Living Word of God is not ANY scripture, even though scriptures are INSPIRED by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit can speak thru any divine "channeled" texts, and that's why Paul says all Scriptures are given by Inspiration of God...note the Bible wasn't even complete when he wrote that....... the Bible itself is not the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the finger pointing at the moon, do not get distracted by the finger, look to the moon, and let the Spirit lead you into all Truth.
Fallen angels taught incomplete knowledge and ways of going around God's ways of doing things because God said so in Enoch 1. What has been passed down and dispersed in the form of the Kaballah, the occult, the ways and practices of Egyptian and Eastern philosophies is incomplete wisdom that leads to death.
Now who is teaching Jewish fables here...
As to Greco-Egyptian esoterism and Eastern philosophies, while Protestants and Catholics alike reject them because they are teachings outside the Bible, they (at their deeper core) actually compliment an understanding of the very essence of the Bible, which is returning to the Father's House of Many Mansions, thru the Mind of Christ.
Note it was Greek Mystics who made the statement.. "In Him we live and move and have our being", which Paul says IS an Inspired Realization!
God never mentions "reincarnation"...only "resurrection".
Resurrection has nothing do with atomic physical bodies rising from the dead. We are spiritual beings, and continue to exist when the physical vehicle dies. The true resurrection, is the ressurection of the Christ within, who is the Hope of Glory. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, every man in their own order, as Paul states. That's why Paul says he is seeking to obtain the resurrection of the dead. By the Protestant definition of resurrection his statement that he is seeking resurrection makes no sense.. Unfortunately many of the teachings which elaborate on this further were purposely hidden. Including additional inspired writings. Jesus says in the Gospel of Philip, if you don't find the resurrection in this life, when you die you will obtain nothing. This sums up Paul's statement perfectly.
The Bible does mention Reincarnation in a number of places. The Psalmist says, The Lord has been our refuge throughout all generations. And Solomon speaks of the spirit
returning to God.. In Revelation 3:12, Jesus speaks of reincarnation.
"To him that overcomes will I make a Pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go no more out......"
...to go more out means to escape the perpetual Wheel of rebirth. This is elaborated in the "meat" teachings, beyond the milk of the word. The 7 churches of Revelation are symbolic of the 7 major energy centers (chakras) in the subtle body, which are dealt with when the Serpent (of Moses) known as Kundalini in the east, is raised on the Pole (astral spinal energy channels where the divine energies ascend and descend).
This is Jacob's Ladder, and the Kingdom within, it is not an abstract concept, but something very real, an inner reality known to Initiates of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.. Solomon also speaks of this going out and returning in the first chapter of Ecc. And he also speaks of the subtle (astral) body, and the silver chord which is severed at physical death..people who have had out of body experiences have seen this silver chord... many Christians know nothing about the silver chord, or the makeup of the subtle body, or what happens after death. But these things are taught in the Bible if they will explore further. Or they can be experienced directly in meditation. One can debate soul sleep and all that in ignorance, but not with those who've experienced themselves as a spiritual being, outside the confines of the physical vehicle.. as Paul himself experienced, as Ezekiel experienced, and the Merkavah Mystics who were of the school of Ezekiel.
The original Hebrew Scriptures give us a lot of info on the makeup of the soul, speaking of 5 levels of what is translated "Soul"... from the divine spark within EVERY man, to the carnal animal nature of man, which perishes. Just study the various Old Testament words translated soul in English. Look up Nephesh and Neshamah, both words used in different topics throughout the Old Testament... there's a good topic for a Bible study. And will shed much further light on the "occult" (hidden) knowledge in our English Bibles.... study to shew thyself approved
