The level of attainable spirituality within society changed dramatically with Christ the Redeemer, and then the overwhelming bestowal of the Holy Spirit was possible because of the hearts and minds willing to accept a higher Truth.
The disciples of Jesus the Christ were very aware of the benefits and necessity of Spirit Communion as it was meant to be used, and they received a wide variety of the gifts of the Spirit including "the discerning of spirits" (1 Cor. 12:10) which Christ had made possible by His earthly sojourn and Great Sacrifice.
"The discerning of spirits" is certainly not about Christians judging other people who are still in the flesh (a direct contradiction of Christ's command to "Judge not lest ye be judged (Matt. 7:1)") - as some people perhaps claim when they judge people to see whether they accept their notion of salvation or not; neither is it solely about assessing spiritually whether a person in the flesh is attempting to live the Christ-life that they preach, neither is it about judging people concerning strange-sounding vocalisations wholly incomprehensible to themselves and others when they brush with the Supernatural in their churches.
The "discerning of spirits" is very much about seeing and hearing spirits from the Spiritual World and testing them in the Name of Christ to discern "whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1) because many fallen (disincarnate) spirits are in the world seeking to trip up those in the flesh to drag them down into their own sad predicament. Sadly, this spiritual gift is lost on the Fundamentalist who has, perhaps sincerely, misunderstood the sacredness of Spirit Communion and therefore attempts to turn it into something else that is less helpful and more hindering to God's children.
The Fundamentalist does not realise why such statements concerning the discerning of spirits and the testing of spirits were made: After Jesus had left the disciples, they were very conversant with Christ's messengers in Spirit which was a spiritual function provided by the Holy Spirit, and the disciples received instruction, comfort and encouragement by various methods, including one or the other giving deep trance addresses for the benefit of their group. Is it any wonder that the writer of Hebrews asks the early Christians (who had a culture that had misunderstood Spirit Communication) a question about spiritually developed souls (angels): 'Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation' (Heb.1:14)?
If only the Fundamentalist could look at matters spiritually instead of with the physical mind, the Holy Spirit could transfigure this world. One has to be truly spiritually discerning. One should certainly never believe everything that comes from spirits. But the Fundamentalists' literalistic approach is just not good enough to discern whether a spirit is of God or not. They would say that a person must admit that Jesus lived on the Earth in the flesh and was the Christ of God. But so many, both people and spirits, can claim this and yet be under the power of one who is an enemy of Christ. This is where proper spiritual discernment is needed.
How does one "test the spirits" when we know so little about spiritual reality or the "Unseen" while we are still bound in the flesh? It is a vast unseen universe and in reality there are no divisions. The attitude built up by years of life on Earth does not pass with the change called death; what was believed is still there in the next state of being - the character of the spirit is unchanged when the physical body is finally dropped.
Christ said: "I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture (John 10:9)". So, to begin with, consider the humility of the Christ: If a person - or a spirit coming back through a person - claims to speak on behalf of the Christ and yet they come with words of flattery, saying that you have the right to have the material or earthly things that the selfish have instead of taking the Pilgrim's Way; tempting you to lay aside your desire to serve God with prayer, effort and sacrifice; telling you that you have done so well that you can now rest instead of redoubling your efforts; giving out teachings that are not worthy of highly evolved spiritual beings from the Christ Spheres - then you can know that the words come from one who has not entered into the Truth according to the Christ and who is an unevolved soul. They may or may not have bad intentions toward the medium but after a little persuasion they can control the medium who chooses another easier way instead of that laid down by the Christ. Everything passed on through religious people or spirits must be sifted for the Truth according to that laid down by Jesus the Christ.
Concerning the gift of "the discerning of spirits" (diakrisis pneuma, 1Cor. 12:10), let us think spiritually about the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36). Here, we see plainly how Jesus demonstrated the proper use of Spirit Communion, and He made sure that it was witnessed for the record by handpicking disciples to accompany Him. Jesus withdrew into peace and quiet away from the idle crowds who seek entertainment and not spiritual advancement, and He entered into a prayerful state before communicating with those who were once in a body of flesh (Moses and Elias).
Note: One wonders how the Literalist can honestly say that Samuel's appearance to Saul is "evil" or that it was "not really Samuel but a demon" (even though their Bible tells them it was Samuel himself and the Literalist is the first to tell us we cannot reinterpret the text of the Bible).
Jesus Himself clearly showed us that it is possible, no, desirable, to gain spiritual assurance through Spirit Communion (He discussed that "which He would accomplish with His decease") with so called "dead" prophets. And Jesus asked us to follow Him.
Naturally, the Literalist and believer in a "physical body resurrection", must explain this fact away by inventing his or her own reason for the brightly transfigured appearance of living beings who had quit their physical bodies centuries beforehand.
Let us make no mistake. Peter, a disciple of Jesus, a member of a nation whose culture was a way of life based on Mosaic law, saw 'Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus' (Mark 9:4) and Peter said 'Master, it is good (kalos) for us to be here' (Mark 9:5). Jesus, the Divine Pattern for humanity for obedience to God, communed (sullaleo) with departed beings who had once been humans in bodies of flesh, now appearing as beings along with Jesus whose garments became: 'shining (glittering), exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them' (Mark 9:3). Let us overcome mankind's traditional thought and fears and be obedient in faith to the reality that the revelations - in three of the four gospels of the New Testament - openly declare by the recorded Divine Example of Our Lord, Christ Jesus.
We now understand how absurd it is to hear people - who have not understood the significance of the New Testament teachings in relation to the Old Testament - telling us that: "Talking to spirits is hated by God". God, as Jesus Christ, talked to the those who had passed on Himself and made sure that the disciples witnessed it. And did He not command us to follow Him?
The spiritual meaning of "death" (and one clearly understood by contributors to Scripture) is a term used to signify those who are not alive to God: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If any one shall keep my word, he shall never see death" (John 8:51). "Wherefore he says, Wake up, [thou] that sleepest, and arise up from among the dead, and the Christ shall shine upon thee" (Eph. 5:14 ).
Society had changed; before Christ there was basic preparation for the rightful use of Spirit Communion (not just Spirit Communication); after Christ, due solely to His Incarnation and all it entailed, it was possible for the vastly greater introduction of Spirit Communion in the Name of Christ.
May discerning people have the courage and humility to truly put their faith and trust in God's loving kindness and open up Divine revelation through the sacred gift of Spirit Communion, instead of stifling not only the spirit within but also the Holy Spirit by living in fear behind a deceptively comfortable veil of a literalistic teaching which appears to be designed to not only limit but in some cases hinder and delay spiritual growth, understanding and revelation as to what is really going on in God's Greater World.
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