The two most prominent non-Gospel writings that are esoteric found in the New Testament are the works attributed to Paul and the Book of Hebrews attributed to an unknown author. That unknown author is probably Barnabas who was a part-time companion of Paul on his varied journeys.
These writings have several things in common besides sounding at times esoteric in nature. Both of these writings talk of the difficulty in teaching certain ‘esoteric’ principles to groups of ‘believers’ or initiates that were not ready for that knowledge. Both of these writings delve into things beyond the ‘normal’ journey of faith. That means, unfortunately, that these writings can be twisted as to their real meanings.
Certain sectors of the so-called initiates did indeed twist some of these things and tried to force their deformed ideas into a quasi-type religion opposed by those faithful to the Christ-way:
For I {Paul} know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Acts (20:29-30)
Also of {from} your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts (20:29-30)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (pbh) said: “Do not ask me unnecessarily about what I did not mention to you. Verily, what destroyed those who were before you was their asking too many questions and their disagreement with their Prophets. So, if I forbid you from something, then avoid it; and if I command you to do something, then do as much of it as you can.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Matthew (7:15)
And many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Matthew (24:11)
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Do not listen to the words of the {false} prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. Jerimiah (23:16)
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls {words of wisdom} before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Matthew (7:6)
Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. Proverbs (23:9)
And this is an example of prophecy coming true as to what happened and the corruption and confusion that was created when such pearls of wisdom become trampled under the feet by the unscrupulous for their own selfish purposes:
Little children {recent believers}, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest {obvious as to the truth versus the lies that they are spewing}, that none of them were of us. 1 John (2:18-19)
Paul’s writings or what we believe to be his writings, even though we know some of his statements were forged by Marcion, accord with the immediacy of the situation at hand. The writer of the Book of Hebrews (Barnabas) shows some familiarity with the future of Islam as it pertains to the Second Coming of the Christ, his kingdom and those who will inhabit this kingdom as to being instinctive of THE FAITH they will be born into and therefore blessed in their existence.
Both of these writers deal with the Christ-soul. While one deals with the rise and fall and rise again of this precious soul (Book of Hebrews), the other deals with the majesty of this soul as leader of the Believers (Paul).
As to Paul’s belief in some form of reincarnation several of his statements can be used but one of them kind of hits home as a general recap of the situation as to soul-development before the kingdom is put in place and even after that event:
But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come {forth with}?”
Thou fool, that which you sow is not quickened, except it {must} die {first}:
And what you sow is not the body that will be {in the future}, but just {likened to} a {new}seed, perhaps of wheat or something else {as THE LORD sees fit}.
But GOD gives it {the soul} a body as HE pleases {for HE is the ONE in Control}, and to each seed its own {variant} body {type as is needed}.
All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds {and therefore the human becomes yet another human within its own being-ness with its own rules laid down by HIM WHO CREATED}.
There are also {on another related topic} heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree {on various levels}, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another {showing skin color, sex and body types, for example, on various, noticeable levels}.
There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory {as each facet of a diamond is different from another facet in its own sphere or place}.
So will it be with the Resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable {for Judgment purposes – as you were promised}. 1 Corinthians (15:35-42)
Remember that this is the same Epistle (written approximately 53 CE) as that whereby Paul denies the crucifixion of Jesus (pbh) and in knowing that there are, in Jewish philosophy, only two kinds of people in this world: Jews and ‘others’ called Greeks or whatever their nationality or as a generic group called ‘Gentiles’!
But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks {Gentiles} foolishness, 1Corinthians (1:23)
Of these things we can only surmise and follow the Son of man in his quest as it is reported in the Old Testament concerning his learning:
Then HE {GOD} asked me {Ezekiel}, “Son of man, can these bones come {back} to life?” “O LORD GOD,” I replied, “ONLY YOU KNOW.” Ezekiel (37:3)
And so he asked and he was shown what he was shown! And does not one human, no matter how smart or inspired, have to learn? So he learned! And that is a human trait for GOD DOES NOT require teaching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And so according to the understanding given by Paul, this soul we call Jesus (pbh) built upon stages as if in a journey first for his own soul and then making sacrifices for others. In other words, he mended his own garment first, then he applied selflessness to others.
He was not brought down low as others (the worldly) saw but was raised HIGH in that he hadGOD’s Guarantee that he would not be harmed by the Children of Israel (Jews) and so he overcame the vagaries of this world BY ALLAH’s WILL AND EARNED HIMSELF A KINGDOM OF BLESSEDNESS ON EARTH.
No evil shall befall you {you shall be and remain sinless}, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For HE shall give HIS angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone {lest you should sin}.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot {you shall take command and be victorious over self}.
“Because he has set his love upon ME, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known MY NAME.
He shall call upon ME, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him, and show him MY Salvation.” Psalms (91:10-16)
O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount MY favor to you and to your mother. Behold! I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, so that you did speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! You made out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by MY leave, and you breathed into it and it became a bird by MY leave, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers, by MY leave. And behold! You brought forth the dead by MY leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) {including protecting you from crucifying} youwhen you did show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’ Quran (5:110)
No man takes it {or is capable of taking it – my life} from me, but I lay it down of {and by}myself. I have {been given the} power to lay it down, and I have {been given the} power to take it {up} again. This commandment/ {gift} have I received of my FATHER. John (10:18)
That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of ALLAH”; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Quran (4:157)
A great lesson is learned from this! The world and worldly thought that they saw him defeated(crucified) but because he did ALLAH’s WILL, in reality, he conquered all things such that they will be put under his feet and therefore he became (eventually) victorious.
And he did this but in one way and that was the way of following his CREATOR as to do HIS WILL and not selfishly following his own will!
For I {Jesus} have come down from heaven {and entered into the flesh as all humans must do}, {for the purpose of} NOT to do my own will, but the WILL OF HIM WHO sent me. John (6:38)
‘Abdallah ibn Mas’ud narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said:
“Each one of you is constituted in the womb of the mother for forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then ALLAH sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his deeds, his livelihood, the date of his death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched. Then the soul is breathed into him…” (Bukhari).
In other words, the Arabic saying of Hasbun Allahu wa ni’mal WAKEEL (ALLAH is sufficient for us and he is the Best Disposer of {our} affairs) – Quran 3:173, has a real deep meaning that one might dwell upon wherein AL-WAKEEL is one of ALLAH’s HOLY NAMES meaning: ‘THE TRUSTEE’. So in HIM we must put our trust!!!
And like Jesus (pbh) we must move towards doing ‘the Right Way’ as COMMANDED by GOD and that is to follow, as best as one can, the pathway laid down by the prophets (HIS MESSENGERS) by submitting ourselves as best as we can to HIS COMMANDS and the WORSHIP of HIMSELF as was shown by that one who is called Muhammad or the leader of the prophets:
Abu Sa’eed narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said: “I am the leader of the sons of Adam {including all of the prophets}, and it is no boast. I will be the first one for whom the earth will be split open on the Day of Resurrection, and it is no boast. I will be the first to intercede and the first whose intercession will be accepted, and it is no boast. The banner of Praise {for ALLAH} will be in my hand on the Day of Resurrection, and it is no boast.” Sunan Ibn Majah
Those who believe (in the Quran) and those who follow {in earnest and NOT for show but in TRUTH} the Jewish (scriptures) and the Christians and the Sabians {and} any who believe in ALLAH and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their LORD {and} on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Quran (2: 62)
