Episode:God the Father—The Universal Father (Part 1)
The Universal Father is the God of all creation, the First Source and Center of all things and beings. First think of God as a creator, then as a controller, and lastly as an infinite upholder. The myriads of planetary systems were all made to be eventually inhabited by many different types of intelligent creatures, beings who could know God, receive the divine affection, and love him in return.
Keywords: Urantia, God, Perfection Hunger, Consecration of Will, God-Consciousness
Note: Ann filled in for Brad, who was away.
Arc Introduction by Andrea
We will be reading the first 5 papers of The Urantia Book. If you are new to The Urantia Book, here is what we can tell you:
The Urantia Book was presented by celestial authors, through an anonymous human receiver, and was eventually published in 1955. It is a 2,097 volume divided into 4 parts and 196 papers. These papers describe:
- God,
- the Grand Universe and its many inhabitants,
- the origin and history of our planet,
- the life and teachings of Jesus; and
- the glorious destiny God has planned for every creature throughout his vast domain.
We hope you'll join us and dig deeply as we peel back the layers of this amazing revelation.
Summary by Kermit
Commentary after Review
Our opening discussion addressed the concept of faith and the difference between God-knowingness and God-believing. The word faith is popularly used referring to a set of beliefs held by groups of persons and exhibited in the outer life in ritual and ceremony. Faith should signify genuine God-knowingness and thus demands an eternal predicate. As we begin the study of first five papers of the 5th ER we are being asked challenge, question, and transcend our understanding of contemporary philosophic and religious concepts. This journey will take us beyond even the highest concepts of God that Jesus revealed in the 4th ER. Note that Jesus, in his second discourse on true religion, referred to God as the Most High, in compliance with his revelatory mandate. For technical reasons the Most High was the level of father in the hierarchy father’s established during the Edenic epochal revelation. Jesus struggled to reveal the Father as a spiritual fact, not a material notion. He tried to enable his followers to grasp the ideal of God’s nature as infinite and eternal. The 5th ER presents us with ideas of God and concepts of the universe beyond even those given to planetary civilizations in the stages of light and life. Thus as we engage the revelation from the beginning with an awareness that common place words will need to be redefined to grasp the advanced meanings which we are called to pursue. So now we muster our loyalty humility, sincerity, and patience as we begin this new adventure to seek more of the truth of God the Father. Note that the particular authors assigned to present papers on the numerous topics in the revelation were so chosen because they represent the best source for such a task. The author for these first five papers is a Divine Counselor from whom we will hear in first person voice a little later in our reading.
Paper 1: The Universal Father
Concerning the authors’ use of quotes, we immediately notice that when using quotes of Bible passages they take great liberty. Remember that quotes in the revelation are quotes of truth not of fact. Their liberal use of biblical passages is in keeping with the revelatory process to meet us where we are. The changes from the original passages have the potential to highlight the threads of truth in the original passages and liberate them from historical bondage. We also notice that the vocabulary at once suggests the multifaceted nature of this God individual, but also sows the seeds of greater precision for advanced apprehension. Also, we notice that in cases where a word can have two different meanings we must carefully examine context in order to determine which meaning the revelators intend, as with their use of the word myriads, which can mean tens of thousands, or an indefinitely great number of things. In this case we know they intend the latter meaning.
Some of our discussion was given to compensating for the fact that we did not read the Foreword prior to beginning our study of these first five papers.
It is further of interest to take notice of the initial introduction of key concepts as we step through the revelation from Paper #1. We see suggestion of the existence of subordinate creators of universes (“By the Sons of God were the universes made”). As we’ve already mentioned the myriads of inhabited planets is revealed. Likewise the evolutionary nature of the universe (animal-origin creatures), the mandate to become perfect, and the long, long Paradise journey as the final and certain destiny of man’s spiritual progress are presented in the preface to Paper #1.
Lest the supreme mandate to become perfect be seen as impossibly daunting to us finite creatures, liberal use of the term supreme from the Foreword, puts the task firmly in finite terms. The perfection command is further clarified as the attainment of perfection in all that pertains to self-realization and mind attainment, suggesting the dual consecration of creature will to the Father’s will, and mind consecration to the universal harmony of God the Mother. (more about Mother and Father Deity coming). Further reference here is made to God-consciousness, and must be differentiated from God-knowingness.
1:1. The Father’s Name
The Father has never revealed himself by name. Neither does the Father coerce or compel the submission of the spiritual free wills of his creatures. The affectional dedication of the human will to the doing of the Father’s will is actually man’s choicest gift to God, in fact it is his only possible gift of true value to the Paradise Father.
The exploration of the many names given to the Father by his creatures again provide basis for advanced concepts. The bestowal of Paradise Sons on inhabited worlds is introduced here in connection with such bestowal worlds where the Father is referred to in terms suggestive of personal relationship, tender affection, and fatherly devotion, as on our world “our Father.”
Notes by Brad
- Don't water down the word "faith," as in "Christian faith." Faith is a high word.
- Faith, we take, to be something that cannot be observed in the outer life.
- Call the the "Christian tradition," perhaps.
- Perhaps you observe someone who exhibits certain outer-life features that subtly hint at an inner life predicated on eternity? These will be religionists in the true sense.
- Fruits of the spirit are what you'd see. Truly. Not someone parroting, emulating them, or puffing themselves up saying "Look at my fruits!"
- Do your best. Stay humble. Be humble with your words. Aim higher, don't think you've ever reached the pinnacle. Always be a seeker. Stay dynamic.
- Papers 1-5 are a far venture from anything humans or even Jesus have said about God before.
- Let's avoid quoting the prophets of old.
- Let's not define God by all this ignorant tradition circulating about.
- Let's avoid past revelations of God, the hierarchy of fathers as (effectively)
- The System Sovereign (1st dispensational revelation)
- The Constellation Fathers, the Most Highs (2nd dispensational revelation)
- (the 3rd dispensational revelation was skipped on our world)
- Michael was the 4th dispensational in a way, but he kept God as limited scope, because of the odd history of this world.
- But now, Papers 1-5 are spiritual ideas we've never had presented before.
- Are Papers 1-5 a validation of the God that Jesus presented?
- In truth, sure. But no, not in fact. They are far beyond what Jesus presented in fact.
- What a curious mandate the 5th ER has!
- They reveals ideas to us that even normal worlds settled in light and life don't have revealed.
- We need a big picture these days. This is a big picture for sure!
- If you want a better concept of God, be prepared to need better concepts of everything.
- Are you really ready to be ruled by an absolute, infinite, changeless ruler? Can you even stand to be ruled by your City Council?
- You can be grown. The key is being sincere, humble, and open to improving. Loyal to The Urantia Book, which might not be so easy. Favorable conditions.
- Papers 1 though 5 is a leap beyond any concept of God humans have held before.
- They'll place you in an infinite space. Be prepared to inhabit that space, with little certainty, for a long time!
- The first paragraph is already a big challenge and "filter" for many would-be readers.
- These quotes do not appear word-for-word in the Bible.
- They are quotes of truth, not fact.
- This author like to say the revelators have their own translation of the Bible.
- Saying "the name of God is Jehovah" or such is far too simplistic. This section explains that God's name can connote the many roles He plays.
- Recall that the Foreward defines God as "personalized deity." So deity is transcendent of God.
- There are many facets of deity that go into making this being "God." Hence, many names.
- Don't gloss over the fact that right up front the second paragraph mentions the importance of the habitation of the universe.
- And in the 3rd paragraph we are introduced to the "long, long Paradise journey." A key concept.
- God can only say "Be you perfect," because he is outside of time. He cannot say, "Be you perfecting," even though that's how it will play out for us.
- God-consciousness versus God-knowingness is introduced here. We discuss this often on SoS.
- Perhaps after the 3rd mansion world you can begin to consider moving from God-knowingness to God-consciousness.
- Although God-consciousness is already present, superconsciously, within you even now. This is about bringing it into consciousness.
- Time is an appearance, which is why they write "time and space." But that a discussion for another time (ha!)
- Faith is an individual fact, not a group fact. You must do it of yourself.
- And you cannot see faith in another using sight. Only recognized through insight.
- If you can see it in them, it isn't faith. It's probably feelings.
- If you examine a person's outer life with discrimination, you can use insight to know their inner life is predicated on faith.
