Set
A: TRUE or FALSE (2 points per item)
1. Prophets and seers can
predict the probable future. TRUE. Our life on Earth can be compared to the
studies that a student undertakes in a classroom. The major events and lessons
are predetermined as in a lesson plan but countless minor details may be
subject to a lot of changes. This is because the future very much depends on
what we cause to happen in the present. Nevertheless, based on present
conditions, there are future probabilities. These probabilities can be accessed
by those who are sensitive to higher vibrations. However, no prophet, seer or
fortune teller is ever 100% accurate.
2. The knowledge of the world is foolishness to God. TRUE. The
total of all the knowledge available in the world is, for us, only a beginning.
Much, much more lie in wait. While we here on Earth are capable of
understanding a lot more now than ever was possible at any time in the past,
still, we will only be able to fully realize the rest of the Higher Knowledge
after we are freed from the bonds of Earth. Being as yet imperfect and limited
by our finite minds, we will be unable to comprehend in full that which is perfect
and infinite. More on this in Lesson 7.
3. Christ came to show sinners the way to God. TRUE. Sinners
are more in need of Christ’s guidance. See Par 2:10 (Lesson 2,
Paragraph 10) and Ver 2:16 (Lesson 2, Verse 16).
4. Even prophets and righteous men need to learn more about
God’s ways. TRUE. Without an exception, everyone here on Earth needs to learn
more about God. Prophets and righteous men may know more than we do but even
they don’t know everything yet. See Par 2:10 and Ver
2:17.18.
5. Jesus is the only son of God. FALSE. We are all children of
the One God except that Jesus Christ is much more highly evolved than us who
are still here on Earth.
6. There really are no miracles that cannot eventually be
explained. TRUE. See Par 2:14.
7. Only Jesus can ever do the things he did. FALSE. We are all
destined to attain to perfection. Eventually, we, too, will be able to do
everything, including those that Jesus did. He, himself, states this plainly in
John
14:12,
“All that I have done, you can do and you will be able to do even more.”
8. Christ is not of the world. TRUE. This is according to
Jesus’ own words. See Par 2:03 and Ver 2:04.
9. Evil is subject to goodness even upon the Earth. FALSE. See Par
2:17.
For purposes of our instruction on Earth, evil is allowed free rein. More on
this in Lessons 5 and 6.
10. The apostles understood Christ’s teachings perfectly well.
FALSE. The apostles may be more advanced than we are but even they do not know
everything yet. To some extent, therefore, their own teachings contain errors
and false interpretations. See Ver 2:17.18.
11. Christ has already told us everything he knows. FALSE.
Christ said in John 16:12, “There is so
much more I want to tell you.” And these other things are included in this
course.
12. Only those who have come from heaven really know about
heaven. TRUE. Those who have not experienced heaven can, at best, only
speculate about it but can never know for sure. Life in heaven is known only to
those who have earned the right to gain entry there. More in Lesson 7. Refer
also to ‘All who seek the Truth shall find it.’
13. The wise men of the world are necessarily highly evolved
spiritually, as well. FALSE. Possibly but not necessarily. To be precise, it is
the character of a man that determines his level of spirituality, not his
wisdom.
14. No source of information is ever 100% reliable and
accurate. TRUE. Nothing perfect can come from or through someone or something
which is imperfect. Since no one here on Earth is perfect, then no source is
ever 100% reliable and accurate. See also Sol 2:A.1 and Sol
2:C.7.
15. Jesus is the One God of all. FALSE. Because Jesus is so
very far advanced compared to us, for all intents and purposes, he is a god.
However, there is an even Greater Being than Jesus, Who is the One True God and
Father of us all.
16. Christ never had to study and develop himself; he has
always been the Christ from his creation. FALSE. If God were to make
exceptions, He would not be a fair and just God. Instead, every one of His
children is treated fairly, in the same way. And so, even Jesus had to evolve
from the seed that he was into the perfection that he has become. See also the
information detailed in ‘All who seek the truth shall find it’ regarding the
completion by spirits of all their requirements.
17. Christ existed even before Abraham was born and he lives
even now. TRUE. In John 8:58, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” And now,
according to the Scriptures, he sits in a place of honor, at the right hand of
the Father.
18. Christ is one with God. TRUE. Having gone far ahead of us
in his own development, Jesus Christ (or, for that matter, any spirit who has
attained to the level of a christ) is for us the most perfect example of how we
should live life in full accord with the divine will of God. He has already
attained to a more perfect knowledge of the whole Truth. Hence, he is able to
think more like God thinks and act more like God acts. He is one in mind and
purpose with God. He is in complete attunement (at-one-ment) with the Divine.
19. Christ is the greatest authority concerning God’s divine
teachings. TRUE. Because he is very highly advanced and the most qualified, he
is given the authority and responsibility of guiding forward all of us spirit
beings who are still in the lower stages of our development. See Par
2:12
and Ver
2:20.22.
20. Christ will come again. TRUE. According to the esoteric
(occult) teachings, periodically, or at least every 2,000 years, a World
Teacher or a Christ comes to upgrade the level of divine instruction to people
in the world. Another Christ (or the same Jesus again) is prophesied to appear
after the year 2000 which event coincides with the advent of the New Age or the
Age of Aquarius. Refer also to the ‘The Aquarian
Conspiracy.’
Set B: (2 points per item)
1. “I
am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in
darkness but shall have the light of life” (JN 8).
2. For You have given him authority over every
man and woman in all the Earth. He grants eternal life
to all those You have given him (JN 17).
3. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for He has anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal
the broken-hearted, to deliver the captives and restore
sight to the blind, to set free the
downtrodden and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (LK
4).
4. “I have come into the world to give sight
to those who are spiritually blind and to show those who think they see that they
are really blind (JN 9).
5. Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have
the words of eternal life and we
believe and are certain that you are the Holy One
of God” (JN 6).
6. “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “All who take
up the sword shall perish by the sword” (MT
26).
7. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but the
sick do; I came not for the righteous, but to call on sinners to repent”
(MK
2).
8. “I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (JN
14).
9. And henceforth, so long as we follow after his divine ways
of goodness and holiness, he will be our able guide,
our elder brother and our beloved friend
(Par
2:11).
10. James and John, upon learning of this said, “Lord, would
you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?” But he
turned and rebuked them and said, “You don’t realize your true
divine nature and purpose!” (LK
9).
11. “Unless you see signs and wonders,
you will not believe” (JN 4).
12. There is nowhere else to turn if we desire the best
teacher. For he is the King of kings and
Lord of lords, the Supreme
Teacher (Par 2:12).
13. “I no longer call you servants, for a servant
does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,
because I have acquainted you with everything I heard from my Father” (JN
15).
14. “I am the resurrection and the life:
he who believes in me, even if he dies, shall go on living; and whoever lives,
believing in me, shall never die” (JN
11).
15. Life is not of the body but of the spirit
(Par
2:20).
Set C: (3 points per item)
1. God,
being perfect, created us already perfect and mature beings. DISAGREE. In the
beginning, God created the perfect seeds of all things which He intended to unfold
through the process of growth and development in order to attain to full
maturity and self-perfection through their own exertions. In the human context,
we could say that we were created as babies, initially innocent and ignorant,
but endowed with all the latent potentialities and capabilities and destined to
become, in the fullness of time, fully developed adult humans.
2. We should not listen to other teachers, but only to Christ.
DISAGREE. While Jesus is the highest authority, still, there are other aspects
of the divine teachings, especially in the preliminary and intermediate stages
of learning that may best be handled by others who are closer to that
particular phase of development and, as such, may be understood better by those
under instruction. The rule should be to always keep an open mind. However, the
lower level teachings will need to be upgraded as we continue in our studies.
And, regardless of the source, take only the good and reject the bad.
3. Having come from Jesus, the word of God should be accepted
without question. DISAGREE. In the first place, coming into this world late, we
have no way of knowing for sure whether or not Jesus actually said the things
that he is purported to have said. And we can only speculate on what he really
meant by the words attributed to him. Still, so long as such statements seem to
us to be reasonable, it may be alright to assume their validity and
authenticity. Nevertheless, unless one questions, one cannot really learn. No
matter who or what the source, every teaching and every statement must be
subjected to analysis and test. Only those that we find to be reasonable in the
light of our own personal experiences should be accepted as a veritable truth.
4. Christ’s teachings are no longer relevant in these modern
times. DISAGREE. Quite the opposite, Truth is eternal and the applications of
the Truth encompass the whole of time and beyond. However, we may gain the
benefits only after we have learned and understood the divine principles. Then
only can we live wisely and productively, in the most practical way.
5. Unless we are baptized, we cannot be saved. DISAGREE.
Baptism is only an initiation ceremony symbolic of spiritual purification. It
is not sufficient in itself. And, being only a symbol, it is not even necessary
in connection with our salvation. What is of far greater importance to us is
that we believe in righteousness and that we live accordingly. We will be able
to save ourselves only if we pursue such a life.
6. The Jews are God’s only chosen people. DISAGREE. With the
passage of the ages, different people and races will be called upon to do God’s
work. God has no favorites, but He loves everyone equally. Before the Jews, the
Hindus and the Greeks as well as others were equally favored. And in the
future, new and more advanced people and races will be chosen to show the rest
of the world the way to God.
7. It must
be true because the Bible tells us so. DISAGREE. In this world, no source,
whatever, is thoroughly accurate and complete in itself. Therefore, everything
must be analyzed and tested. And only those things that have been verified by
our own experiences should be accepted as really true. All others, provided
they are reasonable, may be accepted but only conditionally until they are subsequently
so proven to be true.
8. The message is what is important; the source of the message
is not so important. AGREE. Truth speaks for itself no matter who speaks it or
whatever the source. Everyone is a custodian of some truth. There is light in the
greatest and in the least. But even so, no one is always 100% correct or right.
9. There are those in the body of Christ and those who don’t
belong to it. DISAGREE. Outside of God, there is nothing. No one is outside of
God. And Christ is one with God. Therefore, all are in the body of Christ,
also, whether they know it or not, and even if they don’t like it.
10. Everyone
should be subservient to the Lord. DISAGREE. Everyone is given the right
to exercise his own free will and is destined to attain to perfection. No one
can be perfect who is dependent or subservient to someone else. But as we
approach perfection, we will come to judge of things more as God judges things
and act more as God acts.
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