Ohio Yearly Meeting's Podcast

Ohio Yearly Meeting takes another step in our journey through "The Eye of Faith," continuing William P. Taber Jr.'s history with Chapter 3, "Refining the Form: 1828-1845," which examines the theological tensions that nearly split our community.Orthodox Friends consolidated their community after the 1828 Hicksite separation by refining Quaker practices and strengthening biblical foundations. This period of reform would ultimately lead to new tensions between traditional and progressive elements in Ohio Yearly Meeting.• Two committees helped meetings navigate separation issues and coordinate with other Orthodox Yearly Meetings• Increased emphasis on Bible reading in families with committees ensuring every Quaker household owned a Bible• Friends established numerous schools under monthly meeting supervision to provide "guarded education" for youth• Mount Pleasant boarding school opened in 1837 after 23 years of planning• Growing tensions between those following Joseph John Gurney's evangelical approach and John Wilbur's traditional Quakerism• National Road brought economic opportunities and outside influences challenging Quaker insularity• Abolition movement created friction with traditional Quaker approaches to social reform• Leaders like Joseph Edgerton warned against "modified Quakerism" and "lifeless ministry"• Seeds were planted for the second Ohio separation that would occur in 1854A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

 John 7:19 - 7:39We explore the concept of righteous judgment from John 7:24 and examine what it means to judge with Christ's guidance rather than by appearances.• Judging righteously requires consulting Christ within rather than relying on our own understanding• The distinction between worldly judgment that condemns and righteous discernment guided by the Spirit• When human laws contradict divine justice, Christians may need to stand against popular opinion• The challenge of loving enemies while preventing ongoing harm• Understanding the metaphor of "rivers of living water" as the Holy Spirit flowing through believers• The hunger and thirst for righteousness that only God can truly satisfy• The limitations of attempting to establish holiness through external laws alone• How Nicodemus represents someone quietly following Jesus while remaining in established religious structuresA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

Ohio Yearly Meeting takes another step in our journey through "The Eye of Faith," continuing William P. Taber Jr.'s history with Chapter 3, "Refining the Form: 1828-1845," which examines the theological tensions that nearly split our community.• Elisha Bates, once a respected Quaker minister from Mount Pleasant, repudiates traditional Quaker views on spiritual inspiration and even receives water baptism• The Meeting for Sufferings responds with essays defending Quaker doctrines of "divine light, inwardly revealed" as the foundation of true religion• Joseph John Gurney's visits to Ohio in 1837 further polarizes Friends into two distinct theological camps• Differences emerge between "Gurneyite" Friends who emphasize the Bible as first rule of faith and "Wilburite" Friends who prioritize the inward Christ• The Gurneyites welcome intellectual study, activism, and cooperation with other Christians, while Wilburites fear any change that weakens Quaker distinctiveness• Joseph Edgerton's journal entries reveal deep concern about "a spirit which is weary of the plainness and simplicity of the truth"• Tensions escalate when Ohio ministers visiting New England are denied returning minutes after associating with John Wilbur• Ohio Yearly Meeting faces a decade of irreconcilable tensions over theological teachings and disciplinary procedures"Art thou in the darkness, mind it not, for if thou dost, it will feed thee more. But stand still and act not, and wait in patience till light arises out of darkness and leads thee." - James Naylor, 1659A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 6:40 - 7:18We explore Jesus' challenging teaching about being "the bread of life" and what it means to eat his flesh and drink his blood, examining the Quaker understanding of spiritual nourishment beyond ritual.• Distinction between the two meanings of "Jews" in John's Gospel—either ethnic Jews or specifically those opposed to Jesus• Jesus' shocking language about eating his flesh and drinking his blood as a spiritual metaphor• The Quaker understanding that inward spiritual feeding matters more than outward rituals• Difference between physical symbols and the spiritual reality they represent• The meaning of "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless"• How Jesus' teaching relates to communion/eucharist practices• The significance of Jesus' brothers not believing in him initially• The contrast between human language and spiritual realities• The divine drawing that brings people to spiritual understanding"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me." Revelation 3:20A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

 John 5:29 to 6:40We dive deep into John chapters 5-6 to explore Jesus' teachings about being the source of eternal life and spiritual nourishment.• Jesus models complete submission to God's will as an example for believers• The Greek word "dikaios" means righteous or just in God's eyes, not self-righteous• Jesus invites people to come to him for life, not just study scriptures about him• The story of feeding 5,000 demonstrates Jesus rejecting political kingship• Jesus declares "I am the bread of life" to shift focus from physical to spiritual nourishment• The Greek word for "see" in John 6:40 implies spiritual perception, not just physical sight• Spiritual communion involves perceiving Christ within and dining with him spiritually• Believers must "conquer" worldliness, cravings and addictions through repentance• Jesus repeatedly promises to "raise up" believers on the last day• Friends (Quakers) historically emphasized inward communion over outward ritualsA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

We examine the multi-layered interpretations of Jesus's parables and teachings, focusing on how true spiritual understanding goes beyond literal meaning to transform hearts and lives.• Three levels of biblical interpretation explored: literal, ethical, and spiritual-allegorical• The parable of the sower reveals how God implants divine seed in all humanity, but receptivity determines its growth• Royal official's healing story demonstrates faith as trust rather than mere belief• Healing at Bethsaida challenges religious conventions while revealing Jesus's compassion• Jesus's relationship with the Father shows divine unity working through him• Spiritual resurrection occurs when the spiritually dead hear Christ's voice within• Important distinction between the New Testament use of the word "Jews" as an ethnic group versus religious authorities opposing JesusA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 4:14-45Jesus teaches that our spiritual life requires inward baptism and transformation beyond outward forms of worship.Understanding scripture requires seeking the spiritual sense behind the physical languageJesus breaks social barriers by speaking with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's wellThe woman recognizes Jesus as a prophet when he reveals knowledge of her complicated pastTrue worship happens "in spirit and truth" rather than at specific physical locationsJesus plainly declares "I am he" when the woman mentions the coming MessiahThe Samaritan woman becomes an evangelist, bringing her village to meet JesusBelievers ultimately testify: "We have heard for ourselves and know this is truly the Savior"Jesus teaches that his spiritual food is doing God's willThe fields are already "ripe for harvesting" as people come to believeThe hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 3:31-4:14This episode emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and the relationship between trust and belief within the context of faith. By examining John Chapter 3, the hosts explore key themes of spiritual truth, the meaning of living water, and how these insights apply to our daily lives as believers.• Discussion on continual education and its role in faith • Reading and examining the Gospel of John, Chapter 3 • The contrast between accepting and believing in Jesus • Exploring the metaphor of living water and its significance • Insights into the cultural context of the Samaritan woman at the well • Examining the active nature of trust in one's faith • Connections between historical narratives and contemporary faith practices • Reflection on the implications of calling Jesus "Lord"A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

This episode examines the distinctions between spiritual and water baptism, emphasizing the significance of inward transformation and the active participation of individuals in worship. We delve into historical context, interpretations of baptism, and the roles of disciples and apostles within the Quaker faith.• Exploring the essence of vocal ministry in worship • The metaphor of Spirit as wind and its implications • Understanding the significance of spiritual baptism • Historical context of baptism in Judaism and early Christianity • The distinction between disciples and apostles • The transformational role of the Holy Spirit in faith journeysA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

#6 Gospel of John 2:12-3:19Henry begins this session by a discussion of the Greek word, “semeion” in the Gospel of John which in the King James Version of the Gospel of John is translated as “miracle”. However, the word, “semeion” means in Greek means a “sign, or an indication by which something is known”.  Our word, semiotics comes from this Greek word.  John 2:12-25  There are frequent usages in John's Gospel of personal details, such as John's mention that Jesus' mother, brothers and disciples travelled with Him to Capernahum. In John's Gospel, there is mention of the cleansing of the Temple at the beginning of His ministry, indicating that the Temple, (and our bodies) must be pure. Other gospels put this event at the end of His ministry. Henry believes that the placement of incidents in Jesus' ministry at different times in each of the Gospels occur because the writer of that Gospel wanted to make a particular point at that point of that event in Jesus' ministry. A discussion also ensues about destroying ”this temple”, and that He would raise it again in three days.   John 3:1-8It is notable that Nicodemus, as a leader of the Jews, came to Jesus by night, perhaps because as a member of the Sanhedrin he wanted not to be seen by anyone as going to Jesus. Nicodemus, by taking an outward, literal meaning to being “born again” misunderstands Jesus' inward, spiritual meaning. This misunderstanding frequently happens in Jesus' conversations with others that the inward (spiritual) is much more important than the outward (literal, physical). Quakers frequently use the word, “regeneration” for the experience of being born again. Henry emphasizes that being spiritually born again is essential for us.John 3:9-Belief (Greek: pisteo) in John 3:16 is not just a token acceptance of Jesus, but a deep, inward, trusting, transformative, spiritual understanding of who Jesus is and can be in one's life. The advice in our introduction is from page 32 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 1:35-42What if understanding ancient texts could transform your perspective on modern life? Join us in our enlightening exploration of John 1:35-42, as we unpack the layers behind the initial calling of Jesus' disciples. This episode promises to enrich your understanding of biblical narratives by highlighting the cultural and historical significance of phrases like "Here is the Lamb of God." We'll also dissect the meaning behind seemingly trivial details, such as the mention of "four o'clock in the afternoon," which reveals the Gospel's extraordinary attention to detail. Through this thoughtful examination, we contemplate how translations like "Rabbi" to "teacher" and "master" in the King James Version reflect the evolving linguistic and cultural landscapes over centuries.Journey with us through the fascinating evolution of language, as we draw parallels between biblical translations and Shakespearean English. By clarifying the nuances of terms like "Christos" and "Messiah," we debunk common misconceptions about titles and surnames, shedding light on their historical resonance. Delve into the geographical and titular identities of Jesus, where His designation as "Son of God" and "Son of Man" offers profound insights into His unique identity. Our conversation extends to reflect upon how early faith communities viewed Jesus, and how such interpretations were shaped by the times in which they lived. This episode will encourage you to reconsider how language and history influence our grasp of biblical texts and Jesus's unparalleled journey.The advice in our introduction is from page 32 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

#4 John 1:19-34The Greek word for “gospel”, is “euangelion” (“good news”). “Euangelia” is Greek for “a good message”, and “angelos” is the word for “messenger”, which is also the source for our word, “angel”. A verse-by-verse commentary of John 1:18-34, points out significant issues and Greek meanings. Verse 19 “Jews” had at least two meanings during the time of Jesus: 1. It could refer to one who was ethnically a Jew, and 2. “Jews” could also refer to the Jewish establishment who opposed Jesus.   By A.D. 80, those who followed Jesus were completely excluded from ordinary Jewish worship. Verse 20The Hebrew word, “meshiach” (“anointed one”) became transliterated into English as “messiah”. In Greek, “meshiach” is translated as “christos”, which was then transliterated into English as “Christ”. In the time of Jesus, the Jews expected messiah would be a king.In connection with the anointing of Jesus, the Greek word for “spirit” (“pneuma”), literally means “wind” or “breath”.  There are two other Greek synonyms for “spirit”: 1. “hudor” (“water”) and 2. “eleion” (“olive oil”). However, the most common of these three in the Holy Scriptures is “pneuma”. What is common to all three of these (“pneuma”, “hudor” and “eleion”) is that all three indicate flow and movement, whether it is physical flow/movement, or the spiritual flow/movement of God.   Verse 26In Greek, the word, “baptisma” (“baptize”) does not necessarily require physical water. It means “to immerse”, along with “to plunge”, or “to dip”. Thus, when translated, Matthew 28:19 should read, “. . . make students, immersing them/baptizing them in the Name. . . .” The Greek word, “onoma” does mean name, but it also means “the basic nature of something/the essence of something.” Thus, while Matthew 28:19 can mean to baptize in physical water, the greater, deeper meaning is “immersing them in the basic nature of God as Father, as Son, as Holy Spirit. . . being baptized in the death and resurrection of Jesus”; being immersed in the understanding and experience of dying and thriving with Christ. Baptizing in water was a common Jewish ritual, one variant of which was John's baptism: a baptism for repentance. There were Christians who continued this Jewish ritual . However, as early Friends pointed out, it should have died out as did the other Jewish rituals. John baptized with water, but Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit: being immersed into divine things, rather than just being immersed into water.  Verse 27Untying the straps of someone's sandals was a slave's work. John is implying he is far less than Jesus.  Verse 32  The Greek word “pensteron” often translated, “dove” also can be translated, “pigeon”. Verse 34 “Son of God”: Hebrews 1:1 clarifies that being God's Son is a far higher ranking than just being a prophet/oracle/mouthpiece for God. The advice in our introduction is from page 32 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 1:6-18Henry reads these verses providing commentary and translations from the Greek.   The discussion gets particularly interesting with the translation challenges of verse 18 with its similarities and differences with verse 14.   The analysis takes an unusual turn and ends up with a shooting panda. The advice in our introduction is from page 32 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 1:1-5Henry begins a verse-by-verse commentary on the Greek of the Gospel of John, pointing out significant Greek meanings as he moves from verse to verse.   Verse 1The Greek word “pros” (often translated “with”, as in John 1:1-2) and is often translated as “. . .  and the word was with God.” However, this Greek word “pros” means “to”, “by” (as in location), or “before” (as in the vicinity or presence of God”). As a result, it might be more correctly translated as, “In the beginning was this word, and the word was by (in the presence of) God, and God was the word.”Verse 2In the Greek of Jesus' time, the use of the male noun classes usually included both male and female, unless the context of the noun demanded it be interpreted as referring only to males. Henry warns that it is important not to apply our popularly-held 21st century predilection of insisting that the male noun class always excludes women. For the Greeks, they were usually inclusive and included both men and women. Verse 3In the phrase, “In him was life . . . .” the Greek word for life is “zoe”, and (especially in John's Gospel) is better understood as “eternal life”/”kingdom of God”/”kingdom of heaven”.  Verses 4-5The phrase “. . . the light of men” is a very good example that in the Greek mind, “anthropon” (“men”) was clearly understood as inclusively including both men and women.The Greek word “scotia” (translated “darkness”) in the phrase, “. . . the darkness has not understood it” would be more accurately translated as “ignorance”. In addition, the Greek word, “katalaben” often translated as “understood” would more correctly be translated as. ”overcome”/”fiercely grasped”/”taken it down” as a more accurate meaning. Thus giving a rendering of “ . . . ignorance has not overcome it [the light]/taken it [the light] down”.  The advice in our introduction is from page 32 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Henry launches this podcast series of the Gospel of John with a quick overview. What follows is a bulleted list of his introductory comments, then Henry's comments on verses 1-5 of Chapter 1.   The Gospel of John was written in Koine Greek, the lingua franca of the time. Koine is a language descendent of Attic Greek, spoken about 300-400 years before. Because Henry has extensive training as a speech pathologist and linguist, he often looks at the language of Holy Scripture from a linguistic point of view. There is some possible disconnect between the last verses of Chapter 20, and Chapter 21 of John's Gospel. The multiple, disjointed changes back and forth in pronoun from “I” to “we” in these two chapters seem to indicate either additions, or changes in the text. It is possible Chapter 21 was added some time later.  Henry goes on to discuss some of the issues concerning the authorship of the five works in the Holy Scriptures attributed to John: the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John and the Revelation of John. While these five are usually attributed to the same John, it should be noted that the Greek in the Book of Revelation is somewhat rougher in grammar and usage than the Greek of the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John.  The intended audience for the Gospel was largely Greek-speaking, and thus when Aramaic words are presented, there are translations for those to enable the Greek-speaking audience to understand what is being said. There are frequent contrasts presented in the text: light/darkness; truth/deceit; the day of Jahweh/the day of Jesus to name a few. There is a realized eschatology in the Gospel so that eternal life and the kingdom of God are not confined to the afterlife, but can be realized in the present, earthly life before physical death. The Koine Greek language was written in capital letters, with no punctuation nor spaces between the words. Verses 1-5John 1:1 intentionally parallels Genesis 1:1 verse. The Greek word “logos” is a rich, multi-meaning term with meanings such as these:Any kind of verbal utterance: a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, a whole speech or talk. In modern Greek, “logos” has the same meanings. Reason/wisdom coming from within.  The English word, “logic” has its root in “logos”.The noun form is “logos” and the verb and adjective form is “lego”.  The Bible is frequently called “the Word” by many Christians. However, the term, “word” is always and only used in the Holy Scriptures to refer to Christ. Early Friends were adamant about not referring to the words of the Holy Scriptures as “the Word”, but instead only referring to Christ as the Word.  The advice in our introduction is from page 33 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Show notes #14: 3rd Epistle of JohnVerses 1, 3, 4, 8In these verses the Greek word, “alethea”, (which appears frequently in all of John's writings) should instead be printed, “Truth” since it is not one truth out of many, but is instead synonymous with Christ Jesus. In addition, early Quakers also saw this word “alethea” as not just a truth, but as in John 14:6, a clear synonymous reference to Christ Jesus as the Truth. Verses 9-10It is somewhat difficult to ascertain from this epistle exactly what was happening in John's congregation regarding the challenge Diotrophes was presenting. Regardless, John says that he will deal with the issue when he is physically present with them. Henry goes on to discuss some of the issues concerning the authorship of the five works attributed to John: the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John and the Revelation of John. While these five are usually attributed to the same John, it should be noted that the Greek in the Book of Revelation is somewhat rougher in grammar and usage than the Greek of the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John. Regarding the Book of Revelation, it is known that there was a Roman penal colony on the Island of Patmos, the place from which John indicates he has written the revelation he has been given. (Rev. 1:9)Regarding the Gospel of John, Henry discusses some possible disconnect between the last verses of Chapter 20, and Chapter 21. It is possible Chapter 21 was added some time later. Henry plans to discuss these issues in his upcoming study of the Gospel of John. Verses 11-14 Verse 11: Righteousness should always be the role of the Christian. Verse 12: the use of the word, “Truth” (since it is synonymous to Christ Himself) should, once again, be capitalized.               Henry mentions that it is remarkable these short, pithy epistles have been saved and kept to illuminate us today. Following the discussion of the two short Epistles of John there is a short discussion of the epistles of George Fox, 410 of which have been printed. Some of Fox's epistles have not yet been published. Finishing the podcast, Henry briefly revisits 1 John 5:21, “Dear friends, keep yourselves from idols.” It is Henry's opinion that John was not so much telling them to avoid actual idols in the Roman panoply of pagan idols, as that John was encouraging the congregation to keep away from anything in their lives they might make an idol, and thus become more important than Christ. Henry wonders if, perhaps, those in 1 John who are reported having left the congregation may have created idols of their own imaginations instead of trying to really seek Truth/Christ.    The advice in our introduction is from page 30 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Our beliefs regarding true repentance and Christ as the Eternal Foundation, from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). True repentance involves a transformation of one's whole way of thinking and conducting oneself leading to holiness and humility. We strive to be faithful to the teachings of the gospel as believed and taught by George Fox and early Friends. We consider our principles and beliefs to be those of Primitive Christianity Revived, that is, those of the earliest Christians.Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) discuss pages 30-31 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdf A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Our basic beliefs concerning the meaning and nature of true salvation, from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). Our belief is that the Spirit of Christ is inwardly revealed as a light that first convicts us of our sinfulness and then leads us to an emancipation from sinning, if obeyed. A growth in obedience produces a growth in grace, righteousness and knowledge of Christ which leads to an ultimate state of spiritual maturity, traditionally called ‘perfection'.Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) discuss pages 29-30 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Our testimony regarding ‘plain speech' and ‘plain dress', from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). In this session we explain the meaning and use of what is called ‘plain speech'. Likewise the wearing of ‘plain dress'. Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting  (Conservative) discuss pages 27-29 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Our testimony regarding judicial oaths and our beliefs regarding the Bible, from 'A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). Friends object to the double standard set up by the taking of judicial oaths; if we speak, we must speak truthfully at all times. We accept the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures of Truth but do not accept labelling them as ‘The Word of God'. The Word of God is that living, eternal Spirit of Christ that inspired the writers of the Scriptures. The Spirit is the primary rule of faith and the Bible is secondary to but in agreement with it. Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting  (Conservative) discuss pages 24-27 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Our testimony against war and for peace, from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). As Quaker pacifists, our testimony is not only against war but also against the spirit of war. A follower of Christ is one whose profession and life conforms to the example of Christ. He commands us to love our enemies. Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting  (Conservative) discuss pages 23-24 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Our beliefs regarding observing the Lord's Supper, from 'A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). Christ did not command His disciples to institute any new outward rite or ritual. Rather, the real communion between Christ and His church is only maintained by a real participation in His divine nature through faith and obedience.Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting  (Conservative) discuss pages 22-23 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Our beliefs regarding true baptism as being spiritual, as an ‘immersion' into the Divine, not into physical water, from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting  (Conservative) discuss pages 19-22 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Our beliefs regarding ministry and ministers, from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). Ministry is a gift bestowed by God on whomever He chooses for a given time and place: it is not that the minister speaks but that God speaks through His minister, the intermediary. True Gospel ministry is not a profession nor is it subject to any intellectual standard.Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) discuss pages 15-19 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Henry begins this session by taking questions and comments regarding 1 John 5:1-12 commenting on several vital words/phrases included in those verses such as: “the way”, “the life”, “eternal life” and “truth”.  About seven minutes into the podcast, Henry goes on to begin his comments on 1 John 5:13-21, and then on to 2 John 1-13. Verse 5:17            The King James Version (KJV) translation of “thanatos” in verse 5:17 “. . . sin unto death . . . .” is sometimes translated “mortal sin”. However, the Greek word “thanatos” seems to be more correctly translated as “a sin that leads to death.”Verse 5:21            It was assumed that people in the Roman Empire would sacrifice to the idols, most especially to the Roman Emperor. In verse 21, the command to stay away from idols was a reminder that Christ is the only one worthy of our sacrifice. Second John 1-13 Verse 1            There are several ways to interpret the recipient(s) of the Second Epistle of John. One is to see the recipients as the elected ones. Another is that John was writing to a specific house church, the latter being the interpretation toward which Henry leans.Verse 2            The Greek word “alethea” (“truth”, “reality”) occurs frequently in this epistle (along with all the works of John in the Holy Scriptures). In its use here, it should be considered “Truth”, with a capital “T”. Verses 4 s& 6            Greek: “peripatountas”: “walk”, “walking”/ “behave”, “behaving”. The walk/walking is to be done in love: walk/conduct yourself/act in this way, and was a core concept for early Friends.  Verse 7              Greek: “sarx”: “flesh”; There were those who claimed that Christ had not come in the flesh, but only in the Spirit. This is a reminder that Jesus truly dwelt among us in the flesh as fully man and fully God. Verse 13             “The children of your elect sister . . . .” Henry sees this verse as more support that this letter was probably written from one house church to another. The advice in our introduction is from page 30 of the Ohio Yearly MeetingA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Our beliefs regarding true spiritual worship being a waiting upon the Lord, that is, a waiting for the Lord (for a manifestation of Him within us) and a waiting on the Lord (to learn His will), from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913).Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting  (Conservative) discuss pages 14-15 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.The notes from this podcast follow an abbreviated (verse by verse) summation of selected, important Greek words:   Henry begins the session by quickly reviewing and commenting on a phrase from 1 John 5:1: Verse 5:1When, in this First Epistle of John, the author uses the phrase, “born of God”, the Greek means a spiritual birth from God. The word, “of God” in the Greek, means “out of God”. Verses 5:6-12            The phrase in verse 6, “. . . water and blood” has various interpretations. Some see it as the water and blood that poured out of Jesus' side at His crucifixion; others look to the baptism of Jesus in water when He was immersed in the Spirit. The word, “blood” in Hebrew often refers to the life in something. Today, the English words, “life blood”, would have a similar meaning. As the discussion continues, Henry seems to land on the best interpretation being the human birth experience including both the breaking of the water in the mother immediately before birth begins, and the blood that accompanies a person's birth.   Verses 5:7-8            The group discusses at length the King James' Version (KJV) of verses 7 and 8:  7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. [Italics added for clarity] 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.  Henry indicates that the Textus Receptus Latin manuscript (from which the KJV was mostly translated), includes the above italicized words that comprise verse 7 in the KJV. But the words of verse seven appear in only eight manuscripts, most of which are far later than the hundreds and hundreds of the earliest known and most reliable manuscripts. The words of verse 7 are not found any of these earliest manuscripts: Syrian, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Arabic, Slavonic, Old Latin in its early form (as used by Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine), nor in the Vulgate (as used by Jerome). Thus, it seems the words of verse seven (italicized above) may have originated from a marginal note added by a copyist to a manuscript at a later time. Then, later copyists mistakenly considered those words to be part of the original manuscript, and began to include them as though they had been in the original manuscript.  Verse 5:9            “Marturian” (the Greek word translated “witness” in the KJV), became our English word for “martyr”, since many Christians who were witnesses for Christ, ended up as martyrs as a because of their faith.     The advice in our introduction is from page 30 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Our beliefs regarding the doctrine of the ‘Trinity' (we are non-trinitarian), resurrection (as being spiritual) and true worship (being in the Spirit), from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913). Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) discuss pages 12-14 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfTo learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.The notes from this podcast follow not so much a narrative as a more abbreviated (verse by verse) summation of selected, important Greek words from 1 John 4:16-5:5. The comments follow:  Verses 4:16-21   The word for “love” (used throughout 1 John) is the Koine Greek word, “agape”, an unconditional love which carries a strong sense of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. In this kind of love, one doesn't wait for the other person to love, but instead, one should initiate the loving, open response.  The Greek word “teleios” translated as “perfect” in the King James Version (KJV) was correct for the English of that time, but has a very different meaning today, where it tends to be understood as completely  without any error. However, as understood in the original Greek (and at the time of the writing of the KJV), it meant “full, spiritual development”/”mature”/“fully ripe” (thinking of fruit. Verse 5:1-5The Greek word “pisteuo” usually translated as “believe” has as its Greek meaning: “trust”/”put one's trust in”/”have confidence in”. The Greek word, “nikao” often translated “victory” means to “overcome”/”conquer”/”be victorious”.    The advice in our introduction is from page 30 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Our fundamental beliefs regarding God, Christ (as both fully divine and fully human) and our reconciliation with God through Christ, from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913).  Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) discuss pages 7-9 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfTo learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.The podcast begins with a question about a commentator's interpretation given in a particular commentary on the word, “schism”. The commentator seemed to believe that the individuals who left John's congregation may have been pushed out, rather than having left by their own decision. Henry responds that there is really nothing in 1 John that seems to indicate they were pushed out. Another question arises on the roots and perhaps deeper meanings of the Greek word for truth, “alithea”, prompting a brief word study of that word. Verse 7Henry begins the study of verse 7 with an examination of the frequent use in 1 John of the Greek word, “agape”, love.  While the noun, “beloved” in the Greek is in the masculine form, it is inclusive, meaning unconditional, love to both men and women. The word “gnosko” (knows) means to have a deep experience with something. To know God is to have personally experienced Him at a deep level. In the Greek, these words, “ek tou”, mean “from”. In the early modern English (at the time of the writing of the KJV), the word, “of”, also meant, “from”. Thus, “everyone that loveth is born of God” was understood then and should be understood today as “is born from God”. Verse 10 “ . . . and sent his Son to be the propitiation [Greek: hilasmos] for our sins. . . . ” The word propitiation in English is “atonement” and is perhaps easier understood as: “at oneness”. We can be made at one with God because of Christ's sacrifice. A few other English words with the same root as atonement are: one, only, and alone.  The New Testament makes it very clear that the atonement was not just for Christians (as some denominations wrongly believe), but for anyone in the world . . . “whosoever”. (John 3:15)Verse 12In the phrase, “No man hath seen God at any time”, the Greek word, “theaomai” (frequently translated only as “see”, or “seen”) has a much deeper meaning: it means “to perceive”, “to gaze upon intently”, or “to perceive something at a deeper level above and beyond that which is seen with the eye.” “He perceived much error within us” would be a synonymous meaning of the word, “theaomai.”The word, “perfected” (Greek: “teleioo”, in the phrase, “. . . his love is perfected in us” has a very different meaning than what the word, “perfect” means today: with no error. In the Greek, (and in the KJV), the word, perfect, means, “fully developed”, “mature”, “complete”, almost in the same sense as a fruit that has become totally juicy and ripe. Thus, spiritually, it means “be spiritually, fully developed”, The maturity varies with the individual and his unique giftedness. The growth to full development comes from Him, not through things we have striven to attain.  Verse 13To abide (Greek: meno) is “stay”, “continue”, “remain”.  We remain (abide) in Him, and He remains in us.   The advice in our introduction is from the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of DisciplineVisit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Our fundamental beliefs regarding God, Christ (as both fully divine and fully human) and our reconciliation with God through Christ, from ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends' (1913).  Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) discuss pages 7-9 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdfVisit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Show notes #09 1 John 4:2-6This wide-ranging podcast opens with a quick review of session eight concerning 1 John 4:2. The podcast then continues with a reexamination of 1 John 4:2-6, which is an additional exploration of biblical translation and interpretation.Interwoven through the rest of the podcast are points on the linguistic and grammatical structure of English in the King James Bible (KJV), contrasted with English today. For instance, the KJV use of a then grammatically correct expression “He is come”, would today be, “He has come.” Regarding 1 John 4:2, one of the basic understandings of early Friends (different from most other Christians) relates to the phrase Jesus Christ has come “in the flesh”. Most Christians see that verse referring to Jesus' being physically in the world, “in the flesh.” However, early Friends understood that phrase “in the flesh” to mean that Jesus had come in our flesh . . . in the believer's flesh. He was, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)This session moves freely, between verses, as questions arise regarding individual verses. The notes below are largely presented in the order in which they come in the podcast: Verse 4“Nikaō” is translated “overcome, conquer”. Early Friends emphasized the concept of Christ being in the follower of Jesus, underscored in: “Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.”   Verse 6“Alētheia”, (“truth”) is important in this verse, but should be “Truth” (with a capital “T”), a synonym for “messiah” / “Christ”. Verse 1“Pneuma” (Greek:  breath/wind, i.e., “a moving current”, “movement”) can include these: “the spirit of satan”, “the spirit of the devil”, “the lying spirit”, or “the spirit of the world” (in the negative sense of “world/worldliness”.   Verse 2“Spirit” is frequently capitalized in English when it is referring to God's Spirit. Ancient Greek had only uppercase letters. Lower case letters were introduced only several centuries later.  Verse 6 “Planē” frequently translated “falsehood” in Greek has a basic meaning of “error”, “deceit', “delusion”, “lie" and “deception”.“Martus” means witness, and subsequently also martyr. Our English word, “martyr” is borrowed from it. We cannot gloss over the total commitment of the early church (and also of early Quakers) to be witnesses for Christ, even to the point of a painful, physical death as a martyr.   The advice in our introduction is from page 30 of the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

If thee is using a smart phone, tablet or other SMS supported device, click here to send us a text message. Unfortunately we cannot send a text reply, so if thee would like to converse include thy email address.Introduction to, and historical context of, ‘A Brief Synopsis of the Principles and Testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends', 1913. This first session of thirteen covers the minutes of adoption that constitute the approval of this work by the then seven conservative (Wilburite) yearly meetings in North America, as well as explaining the terminology that appears within those minutes.Recording of the Zoom session where Henry Jason and Conrad Lindes of Ohio YearlyMeeting (Conservative) discuss pages 1-6 from ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OYMBriefSynopsis-for-web.pdf .Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

In this podcast on 1 John 3:11-4:6 , Henry does a great deal of looking at the Greek of this epistle, exploring both the original and variant meanings of the especially significant words. Many, but not all of those words are below.   Chapter 3Verse 11 Henry has mentioned in previous sessions, the meaning of these related Greek words, “angelia”:           message“euangelion”:   gospel /good news“epangelion”:   promise“angelos”:          messenger Verse 12“Dikaios”: upright/righteous. Often in the gospels, when it is used, it has the meaning “upright in God's eyes.” Verse 13If we are doing what God says to do, frequently we will be hated by the world.  Verse 14There are two basic Greek words which are translated into English as “life”:bios: Can mean livelihood/the way one earns money. zoe: Life in the sense of being alive, especially spiritual and eternal life.  Verse 15 The Greek word, “adelphos” (brother) is inclusive and includes both men and women. When the Greek refers specifically to women, it uses the word, “adelphe”. It was very unusual in the Roman world to call someone a brother, when they were not related. As a result, it became notable in the Roman world that Christians were so connected to each other that they called each other, “brother.”   Verse 18As has been mentioned before, the term “dear children” is an endearing term. Verse 23The Greek word, “pisteuo”, (often frequently translated into English as “believe”) means “to trust/put one's trust in something”.               Chapter 4Verse 1The false prophets John mentions in this verse are likely those who “went out from us” (1 John 2:19) who, in all probability, were docetists (and likely the predecessors of the Gnostics). These people believed that Jesus was not both completely God and completely man, but instead, He was instead almost entirely God, but in a human covering that was a miniscule amount human.Verses 2-6One of the very different understandings of early Friends from most other believers relates to the phrase Jesus Christ has come “in the flesh” in 1 John 4;2. Most other believers see that verse referring to the historical Jesus as having come “in the flesh” into the world. However, early Friends understood that phrase (of 1 John 4:2) “in the flesh” to mean something very different: Jesus had come in our flesh . . . in the believer's flesh, as Colossians 1:27 also says it, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”Finally, there is a brief reading and discussion of 1 John 4:3-6 as Henry looks ahead to session #9.The Quote in our introduction is from Undaunted zeal: the letters of Margaret Fell.  Edited by Elsa F. Glines. Richmond IN, Friends United Pr, 2003.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

  In this podcast, Henry devotes most of his attention to 2:28-3:3, with the last several minutes devoted to some linguistic issues found in 1 John 3:4-10. 1 John 2Verse 28        The Greek word “ean” which is typically mis-translated as “when” in verse 28 is more correctly translated, “if ever”. The change to “if ever” enhances the other often mis-translated word (Greek: “parousia”), usually translated “coming”, should, instead be translated “presence”. Thus, the more correct interpretation of this verse would be: If ever He is being present to us [manifesting Himself in us], we should not shrink back at that presence, but live in it. There is a sweetness in His presence of which we need not be ashamed. 1 John 3Verse 2          The above word, “parousia” in this verse has a similar meaning as the word “coming” in verse 28. The Greek word, “phanerothe” (from phanerao) does not really mean “appeared.” Rather, a better translation of the word is “to make apparent/made obvious/manifested”. Thus, when paired with the Greek word, “ean”, the meaning becomes: if ever Christ makes Himself apparent in the follower of Jesus. The implication is not that we are waiting for a second physical coming of Christ, but rather, we are waiting for an inner realization that He is already within one, making Himself apparent. Verse 3Regarding the Greek word, “hagnos” instead of being translated “pure”, it has a more accurate meaning: of “holy” . . . being inwardly holy. Verse 4“Lawlessness”: For a Jew, the Law was everything. To talk about lawlessness was to disregard the Law of Moses. “Cardia”: “heart”. However, in the Greek, the word, “cardia” would today be understood as “conscience” in modern-day English. In the early 17th century, the words “consciousness” and “conscience” began to be separated, developing very different meanings. Verse 7 “Dikaios”: means “righteous”, or “upright”. Verse 9“Sperma”: means “seed” or “semen”. Our English word, “sperm” is derived directly from the Greek.  The quote in our introduction is from the Sixth Chapter of George Fox's Journal.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Before going on to this passage in 1 John:26-28, Henry goes back to the previous session, #5 (1 John 2:25) to further discuss the Greek word “epaggalia” which in English is “promise”. It is related to the Greek words “angelia”: message; “angelos”: messenger/angel; “evangelion”: good news/gospel.Next follows about a twenty-minute discussion from verse 25 of the concept of eternal life. Verses 27, 28 “chrisma”: anointing. This Greek word means to rub/put something into a person. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit because He had a special mission: messiah. “But you have been anointed by the Holy One . . . .” You too have Christ within you, so you too have His anointing within you. Early Quakers understood the truth that John was teaching: You have Christ within you and His anointing abides/remains/stays/continues within you. One doesn't need anyone to teach us, the Inward Light of Christ is within us to teach and transform us if we will let it.   “Christas”: messiah in English which is a similar word in Hebrew: meshiach. Verse 28Henry suggest what would be perhaps a more accurate translation of verse 28: “And now, dear children, remain in Him that if ever He is manifested/shows/appears Himself, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him and at His presence (Gk: Parousia). This word “parousia” is frequently mistranslated as “coming”, when it is much more accurately translated as “presence”. Thus, “presence” lends a much difference sense to the sentence, (understood by early Christians, and again by the earliest Quakers) that the “Parousia” of Christ is a spiritual presence in the present with the believer, not a coming at some time in the future. Live in His presence and light, and do not shrink from his presence in your life. There is a sweetness in His presence of which we need not be ashamed. At the first moments of His presence in our lives, He yes, will bring light to the things in our lives that need to be changed. However, as we abide in His continuing presence, the initial judgement (if we follow it and let Him work in our lives, and listen to and obey it, it will increasingly become more of a comfort to the follower of Jesus as he proceeds to the Father.  The quote in our introduction is from Chapter One of George Fox's Journal.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

                Before going on to this passage in 1 John:18-27, Henry goes back to the previous session to further discuss the Greek word “kosmos”. In addition to the many meanings discussed in session #4, another one of the primary meanings of this word is one with a negative connotation: worldliness; a worldly way of acting, and that we should not be conformed to the world. Other meanings of kosmos : water, to adorn or beautify, orderliness, the sum total of everything in the world or universe, the sum total of all the creatures of the world, the earth/world, humanity in general, the system of human existence and its many aspects, the sum total collected aspect of an entity.  Verse 18: “antichristos”: antichrist. The word has two meanings:  Opposed to/opposite of Christ (the messiah, the anointed one); the antichrist is one who is opposed to the true Christ. In place of/instead of Christ. It can also be understood as someone or something that is looked upon as the true Christ, but instead is a false Christ.  Verse 19: There had been a split in the churches with which John was associated. Those who left didn't really belong among those who stayed. Perhaps those who left were docetists who heretically  said that Jesus just seemed to be human, but He was not: The said that He was God with a human covering that only made him look like a human. But there are other places in Holy Scripture that show Jesus was both completely human, and completely God. Likely the docetists were the forerunners of the later gnostics. Verse 20: “chrisma”: anointing. This Greek word means to rub/put something into a person. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit because He had a special mission: messiah. “But you have been anointed by the Holy One . . . .” You too have Christ within you, so you too have His anointing within you. Early Quakers understood the truth that Paul was teaching: You have Christ within you and His anointing within you. Verse 21 : “alethea”: truth. This is not just truth, but Truth with a capital T: the Spirit of Truth/the way to God/eternal Life/Christ in you. In the writings of early Friends Quakerism itself was quite often simply  referred to as: Truth. At the beginning of the Quaker movement, to be called a Quaker by someone was a slur. Verse 24: “Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” The earlies Christians focused on “God is one.” There was no dividing of God into separate beings (as trinitarianism would later do.) The word, “trinity” would not be found in Christian authors until decades after John's writing. It would finally be introduced and codified more than two centuries later in the early 4th Century in the Nicene Creed. Thus, because the word “trinity” is not found in Holy Scriptures, as Henry says, “Early Quakers were really pre-trinitarian”, rejecting the danger of leaning toward the of making three gods, instead seeing Father, Son and Spirit simply as “God is one.”ReferencesThe quote in our introduction is from Margret Fell's Epistle to Friends in Ireland.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

The notes from this podcast follow not so much a narrative as a more abbreviated (verse by verse) summation of selected, important comments from the podcast. The comments follow:  Verse 12: “little children” in Greek is the plural form of the word “teknion". When addressing adults or a congregation, it is an endearing term of affection, and does not literally mean children who are young in age but rather the “spiritual  children” of the writer.  Verse 13:“. . . fathers . . . .” Greek: “pateres”  (< patēr) is the grammatically masculine form translated “fathers”, but is inclusive, including fathers and mothers. An additional element of this word is that he is writing to those whose faith has become mature in Christ.  “. . . have known . . . “ Greek: “egnōkate” (< ginōskō). The meaning of “know” is extremely significant because it means they (the men and women in the congregation) are not just acquainted with Jesus, but He is deeply known and experienced at the deepest spiritual level within them. Thus, they are mature in Christ.  “. . . young men . . . .” Greek: “neaniskoi” (< neaniskos). Again, this grammatically masculine term in Greek is inclusive and speaks to both male and female young persons. An additional element in this word is that he is writing to those who even though they are young in their faith, they have remained true to God and have overcome the evil one, satan.  Verse 14: “I write to you . . . .” is mistranslated twice in verse 14 because in the Greek it is clearly past tense: “I have written to you . . . .”“. . . and the word of God lives in you . . . .” The usage of “word” is not referring to the Holy Scriptures living in them, but to “. . . the real Word of God, Christ Jesus, who is in you . . . .” Verses 15-17“ . . . world . . . .” in Greek is “kosmos” which has various meanings. The neutral meaning is the one (from which we get our English word, “cosmos”) which means the world/universe and everything in it. In some verses in John it has the sense of worldliness, a materialistic focus on the material and social world and ways of acting, rather than on God and his Christ.Verse 16“. . . [desire of the] flesh . . . .” Greek: “sarkos” (

#03 1 John 2:1-11                 When in 1 John 2:1, John refers to the recipients as “dear children”, the Greek word he uses for them is teknion, which here means one's “spiritual child.” In the context in which he is writing (to adults, not to literal children) there is no direct corollary in English. Thus, perhaps a close meaning in this context might be “dear students”, “dear followers.”            In 2:1, John mentions that if one does sin, one has an advocate with the Father. The Greek word for advocate is “paraklētos” and literally means anyone who comes to one's aid or help, a helper. Thus, it means someone who is called to be alongside  one to plead with the Father on our behalf. The “paraklētos” is defined in 2:1 as Jesus, the righteous one who is the complete, final atoning sacrifice for our sins and is called to help us and plead our case before the Father.              To walk as Christ walked (2:6) is to conduct oneself, or to behave in the same way as Christ walked/behaved/conducted Himself.         It is again mentioned that it is important to remember the Holy Scriptures themselves, are never referred to as "the Word" within the Holy Scriptures. Only Christ Jesus is referred to as the Word in the Holy Scriptures. Early Friends referred to the Bible as  the “Writings”, as the Scriptures, Holy Scriptures, or Scriptures of Truth.  The practice of calling the Holy Scriptures “the Word of God” began in the Middle Ages, and greatly increased during the Reformation.      Verse 2:7 uses the Greek word entolē, “commandment” which also means an order; something one is told to do.      In both Greek and older English, the term “brother” (Gk: adelphos) is inclusive, meaning both male and female. Whereas, the feminine form for sister in Greek (adelphē) is exclusive and always (and only) refers to a female.The quote in our introduction is from George Fox's work titled SOME PRINCIPLES OF  THE Elect People of God Who in Scorn are called QUAKERS, For all People throughout all Christendome to Read over, and thereby their own States to Consider.  The reference is from Chapter X, Concerning Scriptures. Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

#02 1 John 1:5-10In First John 1:5-10, Henry mentions much foundational vocabulary. Those words are also foundational concepts to Quaker understanding.  While the nuances of them are explored in the podcast, but there are too many of them to mention here. However, here are just a few of the words/concepts that are discussed: “Message” (v. 5) “angelion” in Greek.  “Light” (v. 5) is “phos” in Greek which is related to the word photo, as in photograph. God is Light, spiritual illumination. “Fellowship” (v. 6) in Greek is “koinonia” sharing something together.“Walk” (v. 6) to how you behave or conduct yourself“Son” (v. 7): in Greek is “Huios”“Truth” (v. 8): in Greek is “reality”. The quote in our introduction is from George Fox's sermon on Firbank fell in 1652 as reported in Chapter six of his Journal.  Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

The epistles in the Holy Scriptures are often letters from an author to someone else. However, In the case of the epistle 1 John, it is more like an essay, a treatise,  sermon or message that was sent out to early Christian believers. The name, “John” was common in the years of the early church, and it is possible that these three epistles (1 John, 2 John and 3 John) were not necessarily written by the Apostle John, but by another man in the early church John the elder, whose name was also John. However, it is clear that all three epistles (First, Second, and Third John are all related in terms of how they perceive Christ and the language that is used in them, which is very similar to the language in which the Gospel According to John was written.  The epistles appear to have been written in the 90s A.D., at about the same time as the Gospel of John. For the first 1,400 years or so, the Holy Scriptures were not broken down into chapters and verses. When one examines 1 John, it is possible, however, to see several ways to identify the main themes as they appear in order in the epistle. One of those divisions is:  Walking in the LightLiving as God's childrenThe Source of love and faithConclusionSupplements to the epistle (kind of like a post script)A prayer for sinnersSummary of the letter.After his introduction to the epistle, Henry then goes on, with a focus on the original Greek, to examine the first four verses of Chapter 1 of First John. In those verses, John emphasizes the complete God-ness of Jesus as the Word, (who in all ways was God), John also proclaims the complete humanity of Jesus (who in all ways was completely human). This was in an effort by John to help combat the heretical attacks trying to make Jesus mostly God, with a tiny portion of humanity instead of recognizing on the complete God-ness/complete humanity of Jesus.  Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

The sour wine given to Jesus on the cross (15:36) may have been meant as a sedative to ease pain. As in our not too distant past, people could be given liquor to ease their pain.            In 15:38, the curtain to the Holy of Holies in the temple being torn in two could  symbolize there now was full access to God through the sacrifice of Jesus of himself.15:39 is mistranslated. Both since there is no definite article (“the”) in the original Greek, and also since the centurion was almost certainly a Roman pagan who believed in many gods, the Greek should instead be translated, “Truly, this man is a son of a god.” Regarding Mark 15:40-41, women in patriarchal Judaism held a very low position, and it was very unusual that Jesus, as a rabbi, would have included women as a significant part of his group of apostles and disciples.The color white worn by the young man (16:5) was a symbol of victory.There has been much discussion over the centuries concerning the ending of Mark 16:9-20. Those 11 verses are not found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, making it appear that perhaps the last page of Mark's Gospel was lost before it could be copied by others. The reason to think the last page may have been lost is because the last Greek word in 16:8 is the conjunction “for” (γάρ/”gar”). The problem is that in Greek, γάρ is a conjunction and appears never to be found as the last word in a sentence. Some more reliable manuscripts just end at verse 8. So, some copyists felt a need to complete this Gospel's missing ending.In addition, in the first century it was increasingly becoming the practice among Greeks to no longer write in scrolls, but to write on individual pages bound into “codices” as we write in books today. Thus, the grammatical abruptness of this ending in the Greek manuscripts seems to indicate that perhaps the last page of Mark's Gospel was lost before it had a chance to be copied by other people. There are several other variations of endings to Mark, and they are discussed in the podcast. Greek WordsKanōn - a straight reed, used as a standard of measurement (English: the canon, canonical)15:39 centurion: “Truly this man was a son of a god.”Leukos – white (symbolizing “victory”). Here, victory over death.Scroll – a roll of paper or parchment with writing on it.Codex (plural: codices) – the earliest form of books, first used in the first century, A.D.In 16:7 Peter is mentioned separately from the other disciples. (He had renounced Jesus).In 16:8 Ephobounto gar. – “For they were afraid.”Phobeō (v.)– be afraid; have awesome respectGar (conjunction) – for (only occurs after the first word of a clause/sentence in Greek)In English the conjunction “for” is always the first word in a clause/sentence. [This is different from the usage of the English preposition “for” in a prepositional phrase which can occur anywhere in a sentence]. The Quote in the introduction is from George Fox's book SOME PRINCIPLESOF THE Elect People of God Who in Scorn are called QUAKERS,  VII. Concerning Faith.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

At the time of Jesus, Palestine was a province of Rome, which held complete control over the area. Rome reserved the authority to put someone to death, so for a local government to put someone to death required Roman approval.The meeting of the Sanhedrin at night to try Jesus (14:53 and following) was highly irregular, and not a typical time for gathering.The term “Son of Man” (14:62) is drawn from Daniel and is literally, “Son of Adam”.To tear one's clothing (14:63) was the proper Jewish response when someone spoke blasphemy.The main reason the Jewish leaders were able to get Jesus crucified was because His claim to be king of the Jews (in challenge to the Roman Emperor) made Him an insurrectionist and rebel, and thus worthy of crucifixion under Roman law.   For Roman crucifixion, since the vertical piece of the cross was usually already installed at the place of crucifixion, the one to be crucified only carried the horizontal cross piece of the cross to the place of crucifixion and not both the horizontal and vertical pieces.In crucifixion, the nails were not driven through the palm (where there is almost no structure to hold the body to the cross), but the nails were driven through the bones of the wrist. The Greek word for hand (cheri) included any part of the arm, from the hand to the upper arm. Thus, one had to know the context of the usage in order to understand what specific part of the upper limb a Greek writer meant.Because the Romans wanted to completely shame and humiliate those who were being crucified, the crucified were stripped of all clothing and left to hang completely naked from the cross.The Greek word “leistais” often (mis-)translated “robber” in the Holy Scriptures could also mean insurrectionist or rebel. It is much more likely that Jesus was crucified between two insurrectionists, and Himself crucified for insurrection. Greek WordsCristos: anointed (The Hebrew word (meshiach) also meant anointed.)Cheri: any part of the arm from the upper arm including the handLestais: bandit or insurrectionistTo listen to any or all of our Mark Bible study, use this link:  https://ohioyearlymeeting.org/filterable-podcasts-list/ and click on Conservative Friends Bible Study of Mark.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

This episode is a reading of Chapter 2, The First Separation, 1821 – 1828.  It covers the Ohio experience of the tragic Orthodox – Hicksite split in American Quakerism.  It reports on some awkward moments of Quaker history.  Learning about this era for the first time can be startling.  Many of the actors did not behave in a way that one expects of either Quakers or Christians.   The scenes described were not unique to Ohio Friends, as the great Orthodox-Hicksite split ravaged the entire Society of Friends in America.  We can take this as a lesson of how easy it is to stray from the Light of Christ and that we should always keep our eye single unto Him.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

This episode is a reading of Chapter 1, The early History, 1775 to 1821.  It covers the first Quaker immigrants into the Ohio territory and how they were able to establish a community of Friends there.  It explains how indulged, preparative, monthly, quarterly Meetings were formed under the care of Baltimore Yearly Meeting and how eventually Ohio Yearly Meeting was established.  It also describes how The Discipline was an integral part of this culture.    Finally, it discusses the role of Ohio traveling ministers who played an important role in the Spiritual life of this yearly meeting as well as with Friends in the wider world.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

This episode marks the start of a reading of Eye of Faith, A History of Ohio Yearly Meeting Conservative.  by William P. Taber Jr.  Bill Taber grew up in Ohio Yearly Meeting, attended Earlham School of Religion, and authored several books.    Thus,  he was in a good position to write a book on the yearly meeting's  history.   In a review of one of Taber's books, Michael Birkel wrote …“Bill Taber was a much loved teacher, nurturer, and guide in the inward life. His ministries took various outward expressions, as a teacher in Friends schools, as a released minister among Conservative Friends in Ohio Yearly Meeting, and as a member of the faculty at the Quaker study center Pendle Hill.  When Bill retired from Pendle Hill, he returned to Barnesville, where he established a center for retreats and carried on his ministries among Friends. Bill Taber opened the treasures of Quaker spirituality to a multitude of seekers through his speaking, his leadership of retreats and workshops, and his writing. “The episode covers the Author's forward and introduction.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Chapter 20, Session #32 (Part 4 of 4 parts)On advice, counsel and exhortation to those who have newly turned from darkness within, to the Light of Christ within themselves. Part 4 of Chapter 20 begins with a review and further discussion of where we left off in Part 3. In your holy “form” of meeting together, have your mind in that love, life, virtue and power of the Lord, in order to enjoy more and more of his presence. Though you have received an anointing from the Holy One, this will not lead you to abandon assembling with the Lord's people to where they lie down in the green pasture of life where there is no spirit of dead “formality”.  Your form of godliness will be accompanied with power, you who have received the ingrafted Word. The spirit of dead formality can assume a form of sound words and plainness, etc., and, under this disguise, effect much evil and deceive many. This evil spirit of deceit, hypocrisy and formality has done more mischief against the Truth than all open opposition and persecution could ever do. This is the way and work of the spirit of deceit. If he cannot prevail by direct opposition and persecution, he will use the words and profession of truth, and appear and work under that form. Thus, he causes many to conclude that Friends are just like others, and their way is just like other ways. We see evil among them even under the very form of godliness. This has caused many to take up a latitudinarian and relativistic spirit and say that all men are liars, and that all religion is a cheat. Those who once knew the way of the Lord and then gave way to the spirit of deceit, hypocrisy and formality are more abominable in the sight of the Lord than pagans or profane unbelievers. False brethren are most dangerous, and hypocrites are most odious in the sight of God and all good men. So, my dear Friends, this one thing I would have you establish as a foundation in your mind and fully understand that the spirit of satan working under the form of godliness is that which has been, is, and will in the form of godliness, be the greatest destroyer and opposer of the power of God. With dead formality and under the form of godliness, the destroying form of apostasy entered into early Christianity, and soon obscured the light of the glorious gospel. And the old adversary effected the apostasy by turning into a professor of Christianity which he could not bring to pass with bloody persecutions and open opposition. So, watch against him in his appearance not only in others but in yourself.  References:The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared.  The quote in our introduction was from Proposition XI of Robert Barclay's Apology.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Chapter 20, Session #31 (Part 3 of 4 parts) pertaining to advice, counsel and exhortation to those who have newly turned from darkness within, to the Light of Christ within themselves. Part 3 of Chapter 20 begins with a review and further discussion of the previous paragraphs discussed in Part 2, and it goes on to discuss the next several paragraphs. Watch against the dead spirit of “formality”. See that your “form” of godliness is accompanied with Light, power, and virtue, since there can be a form without power. The spirit of forms captivated some in past ages and led them to reject the power. For if a spirit of forms/formality prevails even though a form of godliness is retained such as in a form of sound words, plainness and decency in clothing, excess in food and drink laid aside; respecting men's social status; Truth and Light within professed in words, etc., yet, if your heart has gone astray; if you do not feel Life leading you, if you do not take up the daily inward cross to your own will, thoughts, emotions, and cravings, and mortify them, then you may be a mere “formalist” and your observing forms may become abominable in the sight of the Lord now, as it was among his once special people, the Jews, when He sent His prophet Isaiah to cry out against them, though they kept and observed a multitude of observances which were the very form of worship that He once commanded. But the spirit of dead formality corrupted them. The reason was not because these things were necessarily evil in themselves, but because the call of the Lord was not answered. When He spoke, they did not hear, but did evil. Yet at the same time they were performing the outward part of worship, and sat as His people and loved to hear the words of the Lord through the mouth of His prophet, but not to do them.  Do not let this evil come near you in your holy form of godliness. Keep in the form of sound words, in the fear of God, in the inward cross to self (to ego), the sound words which you were moved to speak against the arrogant spirit of this world. Honor all men in the Lord. Be courteous and kindly affectionate to all, this being the spirit of the Lord and being the true nature of Christianity. Keep the holy form of plainness in apparel. Avoid excess in food and drink. Do not let the holy Spirit that led you there, depart from you. So, feel that power working in you to remove the root and ground from which wickedness arose, and to mortify that spirit that delighted in these things.    References:The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared.  The quote in our introduction was from Chapter II of George Fox's Journal.Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Chapter 20, Session #30 (Part 2 of 4 parts) pertaining to advice, counsel and exhortation to those who have newly turned from darkness within, to the Light of Christ within themselves. Part 2 of Chapter 20 begins with a review and further discussion of the last paragraphs discussed in Part 1, going on to discuss several more paragraphs.             The evil spirit's way of deceiving is more secretive when deceiving under the form of Truth, and more likely to influence the simple minded in this way. Therefore, a diligent watch must be kept even more so than when he appears as himself. (Shewen states that he has not only known him to get into the temple of God and sit there, but to be worshipped as God). Now, he was never worshipped there as devil, Satan, or the like, except when, under disguise, clothing himself as an angel of light, a message of illumination, one who desired the good of mankind. In this way, he comes to be obeyed and worshipped, not as he actually is, but rather as he appears to be. This temple mentioned is the heart and mind of unregenerated man. The Light and Spirit of God is that which can and does reveal him. However, this is a work done by degrees, so wait with patience for the appearance of the Lord to reveal him. Be made willing to yield up all your heart, mind, and strength to Him and to serve, love, fear, and obey Him. So, wait on Him until Truth and righteousness sit on the throne in your heart, mind, will and consciousness in place of unrighteousness.             So, in attaining this, hold fast to that which you have. Continue in the walk to where the crown of Life is. Take heed of your own thoughts, imaginings, and that will that does not do the righteousness of God. Your own mental house of thoughts will prove your greatest enemy, if you do not take up the inward cross of Christ that crucifies them and is able to bring every thought and imagining into obedience to Christ. To bring this to pass, abide in patience, bearing the inward cross of Christ which is the power of God. Keep your eye fixed on that. And so, you will overcome and sit down with Christ on His throne and know your enemies made your footstool.  References:The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared.  The quote in our introduction was paraphrased from the 32nd Chapter of George Fox's work titled SOME PRINCIPLES OF THE Elect People of God Who in Scorn are called QUAKERS Visit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.

Chapter 20, Session #29 (Part 1 of 4) pertaining to advice, counsel and exhortation to those who have newly turned from darkness within, to the Light of Christ within themselves. To hear and obey the Word in your mouth and in your heart, you must understand and focus on the goal of that precious appearance of the Light of Christ within, that you should focus your mind on it until the Daystar arises within, the star of the Messiah that will lead you to where the Babe of glory lies. When the Light within leads you this far, do not think that you have attained the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus, i.e., that you now possess and enjoy it. But wait and walk in this same Light within, which will reveal to you that Spirit of Christ that seeks its life to be within you beyond its birth. Whatever makes something manifest is light. You must trust and continue walking in this Light that you may become a child of it, that you may know its work within yourself from the first day to the seventh day, the sabbath of rest. Have patience. The goal of one's faith is not immediately attained but wait and see it to be nearer and nearer every day. To travel on in safety you must walk in the Light and daily learn from the grace of God within, to overcome various temptations within. Know this: you will meet with many trials and temptations on the way, to turn away from the way, or to sit down short of the goal, and to take up a rest on the way in your earlier experience and revelations and power over devils. If an evil spirit cannot prevail in one way, it may try in another way to deceive you as it did Eve. The Light within will show you the true nature of these subtle “baits” of satan, whether he appears as a subtle serpent or as an angel of light in the form of godliness, and even confess Christ and talk of the Light within. In vain are his varied appearances, if you are full of Light. You are safe as you walk in the way, i.e., the Light within, the spirit and grace of God within, which teaches you to reject worldly cravings. Which also teaches you to live righteously and godly in this world. But take great heed and watch against the enemy of your happiness, in all his appearances, especially when he appears under the form of Truth itself with the actual words of Truth in his mouth. For I have seen him there, and he has deceived many in this way in this age, even since we Friends became a people. He has done this by drawing the mind away from being focused on God, and to go after and desire something else which he has made appear lovely to behold. Through this deception he has persuaded many that they would better their condition and increase their glory. So, many have again been subjected to vanity as mankind was in the beginning, by believing the lies of the serpent who told them they would enjoy something better. References:The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared.  The quote in our introduction was paraphrased from the second chapter of George Foxes JournalVisit us on our website at ohioyearlymeeting.org. Any who might be interested in joining any of the Ohio Yearly Meeting Zoom online studies should check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. All are welcome!We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website, or email us at OYMConservative@gmail.com.