Metaphysical Bible Study: Putting Away Childish Things

Christians and non-Christians alike can gain insights from a metaphysical bible study. The word meta is a greek word meaning beyond. To study the bible metaphysically is to study it beyond the literal, physical or historical meaning. I have come to the conclusion that the 'meat' of the bible is more in the metaphysical meaning than in an account of historical or literal events. The literal and historical meaning would appear to be the mother's milk that the child partakes of until he is able to grow spiritual teeth.

Today, I will be looking at a new testament bible verse and bringing to light a non-literal meaning. The verse comes from 1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

In the literal context of this verse, the Apostle Paul would appear to be talking about the natural evolution of a human from childhood to manhood. We understand how a human grows over time and puts away childish things. Things or ideas that no longer serve him as an adult. There are also things that a man grows out of because he gains a higher understanding or he just cannot physically ride his tri-cycle or play in his wagon anymore. As a man grows in the human intellect, he puts down one understanding and picks up a higher human understanding. All human understanding is childish, however. Our human thoughts are not like the thoughts of the divine.

Don't we all laugh at the way children 'so sweetly' mispronounce difficult words? I used to call spaghetti 'basketti' at a very young age. I spoke as a child speaks, until I learned how to pronounce the word correctly. As a mature adult, I know how to pronounce my words correctly. Except there is still that "you say tomato, I say to-mah-to" issue to dispute!

Paul is not speaking from his literal human mind in the context of the verse about putting away childish things. When Paul speaks of being a child, he speaks "metaphysically" of being a child as 'being of the flesh or carnal mind'. A child of the flesh speaks from the carnal mind of duality regardless of his earth age.

He frames things into black and white "linear" concepts. He is outwardly and literally focused. He can only see cold because of the opposite of hot. He can only see male because of the opposite of female. He is trapped within the mind of polarities and concepts and does not truly live, breathe and experience reality yet. The goal of the spirit is to bring us out of 'her' as our identity. I speak of her as the dual carnal mind. The goal of the spirit is to help us put away childish things--or the duality of our human thoughts.

The literal meaning of scripture is not to be discarded totally because it provides us with a field for reference. Without the 'seen', the unseen could not be seen. The mirror of the material world is always reflecting what is unseen for those who can see with the inner eye of their heart. There comes a time in our spiritual maturity where we learn to draw lines from the literal/physical understanding of things to the inward reality which has no opposite. To go from living in our dual head to living from our single heart.

To just frame concepts about spiritual things is merely religion. Outward religious rituals are for the children of this world who still drink from the milk of the carnal mind. Therefore make the eye single and full of light and go from thinking and analyzing life to experiencing and being one with it.

When Paul speaks of becoming a man and putting away childish things, he speaks of going from a carnal man who lives from his mind to a spiritual man who lives from his being.

If you enjoyed this article, please check out The Door to the Heart.