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The Revealing Word, by Charles Fillmore, [1959], at sacred-texts.com
Baal worship--Putting nature before God in earth, air, and water; giving the substance of mind and body to the things of sense. It is a form of idolatry. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exod. 20:3).
babe--Metaphysically, a new state of consciousness; innocent and childlike.
babe in Christ--One whose face is turned toward the light, but who has not yet come into a deep understanding of Truth.
baptism--The spiritual cleansing of the mind. Typifies the cleansing power and work of Spirit that redeems men from sin. It is the first step in the realization of Truth. When the baptizing power of the word is poured on a center in consciousness, it dissolves all material thought, and through this cleansing, purifying process, the individual is prepared to see and to discern spiritually.
The two baptisms, those of John and Jesus, represent the two common steps in spiritual development, denial and affirmation, or the dropping of the old and laying hold of the new. In the first baptism, that of John, through the power of the word, the sense man is erased from consciousness, and the mind is purged and made ready for the second baptism, that of Jesus. In the second baptism, the creative law of divine affirmation, set into action by supreme Mind, lights its fires at the center of man's being, and when thus kindled raises soul and body to a high degree of purity. This process is known as regeneration.
baptism, Pentecostal--The great initial outpouring of
Spirit that took place more than nineteen centuries ago. The primal baptism of the Holy Spirit. (see Acts 2:1-4)
baptism, the Holy Spirit--A quickening of the spiritual nature that is reflected in mind and body. Spiritual baptism has power; it is affirmative; it is positive. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the second baptism. Christ represents this phase of baptism. It is the most precious gift of God and comes to those who steadfastly seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. "He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 3:11).
beatitudes, Jesus'--Jesus in exaltation is blessing spiritual man with the attributes of God and also blessing the natural man with the attributes of the spiritual man. (see Matt. 5:3-11)
beauty, spiritual--The loveliness of God beheld in His creations by the eye of man. Spiritual man beholds this divine loveliness everywhere. "He hath made everything beautiful in its time" (Eccles. 3:11).
beholding--We are transformed by beholding. Whatever we persistently behold we manifest. Our looking into the perfect pattern, the indwelling Christ, and beholding His perfection transforms us into His likeness.
Being--God; the Mind of the universe composed of archetype ideas: life, love, wisdom, substance, Truth, power, peace, and so forth. Being is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient; it is the fullness of God, the All-Good.
Being, personal and impersonal nature of--Being is not only impersonal Principle as far as its inherent and undeviating laws are concerned, but also personal as far as its relation to each of us is concerned. We as individuals do actually become a focus of universal Spirit.
Being, the law of growth and--Being exists under two phases: invisible and visible, abstract and concrete. The visible comes forth from the invisible, and this coming forth is always according to a universal method of growth from minute generative centers. From center to
circumference is the plan of procedure throughout the universe. To study form alone and to expect to learn from it and its evolutions the secret of existence does not enable one to catch sight of Spirit moving upon every generating center.
belief--An inner acceptance of an idea as true. Belief is closely related to faith. Belief functions both consciously and subconsciously. Many false individual and race beliefs are very active below the conscious level. To erase these hidden error beliefs, a comprehensive program of denial is necessary.
belief in separateness, results of--The belief in separateness from God Mind leads to ignorance and death. All intelligence and life are derived from the one Mind. When man thinks of himself as being alone, he cuts himself off in consciousness from the fount of inspiration. "For apart from me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).
believe on the Son--We must come to His terms of expression. We do not believe that there are other sons wiser than He and that from them we can get wisdom, guidance, and understanding. We believe that He is, as far as we are concerned, the only begotten Son of the Father.
Bethesda, Pool of--"House of mercy; house of healing." Represents the realization in consciousness that our life is being constantly purified, healed, and made new by the activity of mind. Physically, this is expressed in the purification and upbuilding of the blood by its coming in contact with the oxygen of the air in the lungs.
Bible--The sacred and inspired Scriptures of the Christian religion. It is a divine "book of life" rather than merely a history of people, and it bears "witness unto the word" of God (Acts 14:3).
Bible characters--The characters of the Bible represent ideas in one's own mind. When this symbolism is
understood one can follow the characters in their various movements and thus find the way to solve all one's life's problems.
Bible, place in Truth study--The Bible is a recital of what has taken place in the consciousness of man, of the results of his working, either intelligently with the law or unintelligently against it, in seeking his own salvation. It gives an explanation of spiritual law as applied to man and tells him how to find the kingdom of heaven within.
Bible, spiritual interpretation of the--A spiritual interpretation of the Bible demands that the meaning of every figure, type, parable, and symbol must be in harmony with the fundamental principles of Being.
birth, new--The awakening of man to a consciousness of his unity with the one universal Spirit; the change from mortal to spiritual consciousness through the begetting and quickening power of the word of Truth. It is the change that comes here and now. Jesus made no mention of resurrection after death as having any part in the new birth. "Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
birth, new, change following--When man is begotten and born of the Word he is no longer "flesh . . . as grass" (I Pet. 1:24) but is eternal and abiding, not subject to death and corruption.
birth, new, effect of--Begetting and quickening take place in man's inner consciousness, but the process of being "born anew" (John 3:3) includes the whole man, spirit, soul, and body. To be born again is to be made "a new creature" (II Cor. 5:17) having "this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5) and a body like unto His glorious body.
black magic--Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven had been taken by violence and force. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force" (Matt. 11:12). It is possible to use the life, substance, and power that form the basis of the kingdom of heaven in selfish ways. This is black magic and is the work of the selfish personality that Jesus refers to in Matt. 10:28, "Fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
blasphemy--Impious or irreverent thoughts toward God, such as sickness, poverty, death. "But the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven" (Matt. 12:31).
bless--To invoke good upon; to call forth the action of God; to confer God's good on something or someone.
blessedness of God--The joy that comes from God to those whose thoughts are stayed on Him. "Everlasting joy shall be unto them" (Isa. 61:7).
blessing, power of--Blessing imparts the quickening spiritual power that produces growth and increase. It is the power of multiplication.
blood--Expresses a spiritual principle that has been introduced into the race mind through the purified Jesus. It is a spiritual principle in that it rests on pure ideals; yet it is manifested in mind and body in concrete form when rightly appropriated. That it can be appropriated and used to the purification of the mind and the healing of the body, thousands are proving in this day.
Through His experience on the Cross, where His precious blood was spilled, through His suffering there, Jesus lowered His consciousness to the consciousness of the race, thereby administering to the whole race a blood transfusion, imparting to man the properties of Being that will restore him to his divine estate. Such a transfusion not only revives us in temporal ills, but begins in the body a purifying and energizing process that will finally save us from death.
blood of Christ--The life contained in God's Word. Therefore, it is spiritual energy that purifies and redeems
man by pouring into his life currents a new and purer stream. This divine energy cleanses the consciousness of dead works to enable man to serve the living God.
blood of Jesus--That which represents the principle of eternal life. Jesus raised the life activity of His blood and revealed its spiritual potency. In this respect it became part of the spiritual life of the race and is thus accessible to all persons. It is after this manner that we drink His blood. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves" (John 6:53).
blood of the Lamb--The innocent, undefiled life, or the primal life of Being, which Jesus made accessible to all those who believe in Him as the revealer of the pure life of God the Father. "These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev. 7:14).
blood, spilling of--(see meat eating)
boat--Symbolizes a positive, sustaining state of consciousness that prevents one from sinking into a negative condition (water) and bears up the faculties of the mind.
body--The outer expression of consciousness; the precipitation of the thinking part of man. God created the idea of the body of man as a self-perpetuating, self-renewing organism, which man reconstructs into his personal body. God creates the body idea, or divine idea, and man, by his thinking, makes it manifest. As God created man in His image and likeness by the power of His word, so man, as God's image and likeness, projects his body by the same power.
All thoughts and ideas embody themselves according to their character. Material thoughts make a material body. Spiritual thoughts make a spiritual body.
body, disintegration of the, cause and remedy--The body disintegrates because generation after generation
men have tried to bring forth after the wisdom of Satan instead of the wisdom of God. Jesus made the unity between the superconsciousness in the top brain and the life center, and by following His methods and identifying ourselves with His spiritual consciousness we may get back into our former spiritual estate in the Garden of Eden. "As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (I Cor. 15:22).
body, effects of sin and righteousness on the--The body is destroyed, made sick unto death by sin and ignorance; the body is made alive in Christ through understanding and righteousness. "The wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 6:23).
body, given benefit of salvation--The body receives the benefit of salvation through prayer and spiritual meditation. In this way the substance of Spirit is carried by living words of Truth into every part of the body, and its quickening power makes alive the whole organism.
body, how to make perfect--Man may have a perfect body and a perfect world when he understands and uses the perfect word, the complete word, the word that contains all the attributes of God. When the words of man are charged with a full understanding of Divine Mind and its inhering ideas and he consciously applies this knowledge in all his feeling, thinking, speaking, and living, he will be able to show forth a perfect body and a perfect world.
body, how transformed--The body is transformed by the renewing of the mind. By affirmation the mind lays hold of living words of Truth and builds them into mind and body. When we enter into and abide in the Son of God consciousness we have eternal life, and the body is transformed into pure flesh manifesting the perfection of Spirit.
body, natural forces of the--The natural forces of the body are eager to co-operate with man in manifesting a
perfect body. Man must co-operate with them by obeying divine law.
body, redemption of the--The body is made and sustained by thought. Its character is like the thought that made it. Every thought has in it an idea of substance and life. When the mind of man is in conscious union with Divine Mind his body manifests perfection.
The body can be redeemed only by man's taking it beyond the three dimensions of the earthly realm and raising it to the fourth dimension. The earthly body is substance in its gross form and as such is still subject to the physical laws that operate in gross substance. But when perfect ideas of life and substance are attained in consciousness, the three dimensions of mind, idea, and expression will be embraced in the fourth dimension of realization or Divine Mind. Then the same spiritual conditions will be found in manifestation as are in Spirit or God-Mind.
body, spiritual--The perfect manifestation of a divine idea. It is composed of spiritual substance so pure that no disintegrating force can be found in it. This body of pure Spirit is the very temple of the living God; a radiant, beautiful body illumined with the eternal light of Spirit. "That they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me" (John 17:24).
body of Christ--The body that is the result of spiritual thought. It maintains its unity with Spirit, even in manifestation. This is first individual, and then universal, including all men.
body of Christ, members of the--All those who forsake everything pertaining to the personal, limited self and measure up to the Christ standard in thoughts and acts, thus bringing forth the unlimited fruits of Spirit, are members of the one body: the body of Christ.
body of light--Jesus, dwelling continually in the consciousness of Being, the very substance and life of God,
had conscious realization of His actual oneness with Spirit. His body became a "body . . . of light" (Luke 11:34) spiritual substance, the very essence of Being. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).
bondage--Undue attachment to thoughts in personal consciousness, such as race, class, sex, age, or personality. "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19).
bosom, Abraham's--The peace and contentment that come to those who trust God.
bounty, the Lord's--The generosity of God.
bread--Representative of universal substance. The substance of the omnipresent Christ body. Our daily bread is the sustenance for spirit, mind, and body. Some of this daily bread is appropriated in the form of food. There is substance in words of Truth, and this substance is appropriated by prayer and meditation on Truth.
bread, breaking of--Stirring into action, in consciousness, of the inner substance of Spirit (bread) and the concentrating of mind on it as the real possession. "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42).
bread from heaven--Descent into man's consciousness of ideas that are manifested as manna, which feeds and refreshes. "I have meat to eat that ye know not" (John 4:32).
bread of life--The word of Truth that imparts new vitality to mind and body. "Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually" (II Sam. 9:7).
breastplate--The breastplate of the high priest of Israel had on it twelve precious stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. This means that the twelve faculties of the mind must be massed at the great brain center called the solar plexus.
breath--The inner life flow that pulsates through the whole being. The breathing of the manifest man corresponds to the inspiration of the spiritual man. When any man is inspired with high ideas he breathes "into his nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. 2:7).
breath of the Almighty--The inspiration of Spirit; the silent movement of God within our being.
The breath of God, which became the soul of the man manifestation, includes all emotions and energies that move in and through the organism, and it is always designated as feminine. Psyche is the name of that subtle essence that flows in and out of the great heart center called in physiology the cardiac plexus. The name Psyche, which figures in Greek mythology, means breath, life. Psyche is represented as one of the three daughters of a king. These three "daughters" are spirit, soul, and body. Psyche is the soul in its many earthly experiences, in its failures and its successes.
breathing--The symbol of inspiration. Jesus breathed on His apostles and said to them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22).
brotherhood--An established thought in high spiritual consciousness. This thought springs from the understanding that God is the one Father and that all men are brothers.
burdens--Beliefs in ill-health, lack, personal responsibility, prejudice, fear, condemnation, and all other negative things. Truth will make us free from each one of these burdens.
burning bush--When we arrive at a four-sided or balanced state of mind, the light of intuition or flame of fire burns in our heart, yet it is not consumed; there is no
loss of substance. In thinking there is a vibratory process in the brain that uses up nerve tissue, but in the wisdom that comes from the heart the "bush" or tissue is not consumed. This thinking in wisdom is "holy ground," or substance in its spiritual wholeness; that is, the idea of substance in Divine Mind.
by night--In the darkness of intellectual consciousness. Nicodemus visited with Jesus "by night" (John 3:2).