Welcome to The Way Missions,
The Way is a teaching and a path intended to further awaken the individual unto the Spirit of God, the Kingdom within. The practice of the Way is to sow good seed, speak from the Spirit (Word), and through prayer. For this work our primary references are the four gospels, particularly Jesus’ direct teaching, although other references are also used.
The essential elements of the Way are:
Belief-Faith, a spiritual quality that initiates all constructive endeavors;
Love-Forgiveness, attributes that touch all aspects of the soul nature;
Knowledge-Wisdom, provides depth, substance, and consistency to all aspects of the Way.
The Way should not be confused with cultish behavior. The Spirit always assists the Child of God and considers each individual’s circumstance, pathway, and life mission. Nor should the Way be considered a prosperity theology. Having goals is okay, but goals are not the same as having a spiritual or God-centered pathway. Also dedicated to knowledge and wisdom, the articles on this site aim to illustrate the principles of the Way, which have their roots in biblical history, culminating in the complete declarations of Jesus.
If you have given up, felt lost, or have no path at all, practicing the Way can offer a spirit-led approach to living life that yields significant progress. Reading but not practicing (see e-book) will never deliver the fullness of the Way.
I hope you enjoy the benefits of walking in the Way as I have.
C. Ray Evans
Hello, C. Ray Evans,
You made this statement in your article on the Nazarenes:
”I have yet to hear a sermon or a lecture on why Paul first went to Arabia and began his priestly training there.” Neither have I, but through my research, I am pleased to reveal my thoughts.
Throughout the Epistle of Galatians, Paul tells how he arrived at his gospel. Paul wrote that when “God revealed his Son in me,” (Gal. 1:16) he did not go to James and the disciples to learn about Jesus, but immediately went to Arabia. What was the urgency about? I think this revelation, this insight, shook him to the core! Why? I believe that Paul equated Abraham’s son with God’s son: Christ. He had connected Jesus with being the Son of God, which reminded him of Abraham and his only son, Isaac. He must have reasoned as follows: if Elohim realized that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son (Genesis 22:2), God must have also realized that He should be willing to sacrifice his ’only begotten son’ — Christ.
Thus, I believe Paul immediately went to Mt. Sinai (in southern Arabia) where the LORD had revealed to Moses the Torah — the Ten Commandments. I think Paul sought guidance from God about the ’promise to Abraham’ in relation to the ’Law of Moses.’ (Gal. 1:15-17).
Paul writes in Gal. 4:21-25:
”Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she [meaning James and the twelve) is in slavery with her children.”
Paul interprets the scriptures: “For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” (Gal. 2:16) Here is what Paul says in Galatians 3:24-27 (TLB):
”Let me put it another way. The Jewish laws were our teacher and guide until Christ came to give us right standing with God through our faith. But now that Christ has come, we don’t need those laws any longer to guard us and lead us to him. For now we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we who have been baptized into union with Christ are enveloped by him.”
I would describe Paul’s gospel as a Jewish model of the god-man who died and resurrected in the Greco-Roman Mysteries. The constant theme in his letters is about the death and resurrection. Paul states in Romans 6:4:
”Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”
Blessings, Virgil
If interested, you can email me at [email protected]
Thank you, Virgil,
This is a fine analysis. I would differ only in your mentioning of Paul’s visit to southern Arabia, although it is posible. The Hauran was known to everyone in that region. I refer to it a number of times in Early History of The Way, and many scholars believe Jesus was born in that region in a town named Nazara. It is more likely this is the Arabia Paul is mentioning, but he may have visited southern Arabia as well. Feel free to comment again, that is what part of this site is about.
C. Ray
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