Concepts of God: An Introduction

An Introduction To Some Concepts Of God
As Used In The Urantia Book

David Kantor

1. Why study The Urantia Book?
2. "Universe Frames;" The relativity of concept frames -- The Urantia Book's disclaimer
3. Deity, Divinity and God
4. Introduction to God the Sevenfold

References: [brackets: designate Uversa Press reference] (parentheses: designate First Edition reference)

1. Why Study The Urantia Book?

This is an introduction to the *concept* of God, the intellectual understanding of his nature and the way its distribution and internal relationships constitute reality. This is different from our *experience* of God. Why study this?

In the contemporary world, knowledge is often viewed as a commodity, something to be acquired and "owned" like a material object. It is closely tied to economic success. From the perspective of The Urantia Book, knowledge is related to a grasp of meanings which is essential for a discovery of values. As we personalize the values we discover by integrating them into our interpersonal relationships, we then set the stage for a grasp of additional new meanings. The process continues and constitutes a mechanism of real growth.

So what is the purpose of studying The Urantia Book?

From the Introduction to Bill Sadler's A Study of the Master Universe:

"The Urantia Book is not written like a textbook; it is written more like a symphony. Wonderful themes of concept and movements of unfolding truth appear and reappear as the long story unfolds. Parts of this story are very melodious. The melody develops with such appealing simplicity that the reader is held enthralled. The story of Jesus is like this, a beautiful story of a man among men who grew up to become a living revelation of God among men. We all love this story.

"Some of the Papers in the book are not so easy to understand; the movements of the harmonies of truth are more complex; the melody is not so easy to grasp. But the beauty is still there, even though it is less obvious. It is necessary to study this material carefully in order to bring out the beauty of the complex melody movements in the Urantia Papers, Many of the Papers which seem to be complex, obscure, and "far away," are filled with exquisite movements of concept in the portraiture of living truth. And if the truth in the complex beauty of these passages can be grasped, then we might acquire a new horizon-line against which to evaluate the things of this life and this world - and then we could perceive these things with the greater insight of a new perspective, the most far-ranging perspective that our minds can grasp.

"We are all a part of God's plans for the future. And these plans are so alive, so adventuresome, so challenging, and so beautiful that it does seem important we learn to appreciate, however dimly, that these plans do affect us. It is the magnitude and the complexity of God's challenge to us that obscures our comprehension of this challenge. It is the vastness of the unfolding adventure that makes it hard to understand. It is the endlessness of the eternal future that staggers our imaginations, And all of this is contained in the symphony of the concept of the master universe in the Urantia Book.

God's plans are partially disclosed in the master universe. And if we can comprehend these plans just a little better, we may be intrigued, challenged, and even inspired by the grandeur of the magnificent adventure that is being offered to us. If, perchance, our study can bring God's plans just a little closer to our comprehension - closer to our feeling for the living truth of expanding growth, to the thrilling beauty of high adventure, and closer to the rewarding goodness of intelligent love - it will have been well worth the effort."

[0:0.2](1) The revelators hope that this book will "expand cosmic consciousness and enhance spiritual perception... "
[115:2.2](1261) -- "To the experiential universes even divine values are increased as actualities by enlarged comprehension of reality meanings."
[196:3.1](2094 - § 1) "There are just three elements in universal reality.... We are in the habit of designating these realities as thing, meaning, and value."
[100:1.3](1094 - §5) "Real educational growth is indicated by enhancement of ideals, increased appreciation of values, new meanings of values, and augmented loyalty to supreme values."
[100:3.6] (1097 - §3) "The association of actuals and potentials equals growth, the experiential realization of values. But growth is not mere progress. Progress is always meaningful, but it is relatively valueless without growth. The supreme value of human life consists in growth of values, progress in meanings, and realization of the cosmic interrelatedness of both of these experiences. And such an experience is the equivalent of God-consciousness. Such a mortal, while not supernatural, is truly becoming superhuman; an immortal soul is evolving.
[101:1.3 ] (1105 - §0) "It is your thoughts, not your feelings, that lead you Godward. The divine nature may be perceived only with the eyes of the mind.... All such inner and spiritual communion is termed spiritual insight. Such religious experiences result from the impress made upon the mind of man by the combined operations of the Adjuster and the Spirit of Truth as they function amid and upon the ideas, ideals, insights, and spirit strivings of the evolving sons of God."
[156:5.2] (1738 - §1) "...the mind and morals of the individual are the soil from which these higher manifestations of human development and divine destiny must spring. The soil of the evolving soul is human and material, but the destiny of this combined creature of mind and spirit is spiritual and divine."
[196:3.3] (2094 - §2) "The progressive comprehension of reality is the equivalent of approaching God."
[196:3.10] (2094 - §9) "The human mind does not create real values; human experience does not yield universe insight. Concerning insight, the recognition of moral values and the discernment of spiritual meanings, all that the human mind can do is to discover, recognize, interpret, and choose.
[196:3.14] (2095 - §1) "...Human survival is in great measure dependent on consecrating the human will to the choosing of those values selected by this spirit-value sorter--the indwelling interpreter and unifier. Personal religious experience consists in two phases: discovery in the human mind and revelation by the indwelling divine spirit."
[13:4.4] (150 - § 3) "Physical authority, presence, and function are unvarying in all the universes, small or great. The differing factor in spiritual presence, or reaction, is the fluctuating differential in its recognition and reception by will creatures. Whereas the spiritual presence of absolute and existential Deity is in no manner whatever influenced by attitudes of loyalty or disloyalty on the part of created beings, at the same time it is true that the functioning presence of subabsolute and experiential Deity is definitely and directly influenced by the decisions, choices, and will-attitudes of such finite creature beings--by the loyalty and devotion of the individual being, planet, system, constellation, or universe. But this spiritual presence of divinity is not whimsical nor arbitrary; its experiential variance is inherent in the freewill endowment of personal creatures.
[13:4.5] (150 - §4) "The determiner of the differential of spiritual presence exists in your own hearts and minds and consists in the manner of your own choosing, in the decisions of your minds, and in the determination of your own wills. This differential is inherent in the freewill reactions of intelligent personal beings, beings whom the Universal Father has ordained shall exercise this liberty of choosing. And the Deities are ever true to the ebb and flow of their spirits in meeting and satisfying the conditions and demands of this differential of creature choice, now bestowing more of their presence in response to a sincere desire for the same and again withdrawing themselves from the scene as their creatures decide adversely in the exercise of their divinely bestowed freedom of choice. And thus does the spirit of divinity become humbly obedient to the choosing of the creatures of the realms."
[56:6.3](641 - §4) "On any level of existence [the functional presence of] God cannot exceed the conceptual capacity of the beings who live on such a level."

2. Universe Frames (The Urantia Book's big disclaimer):

All philosophical, theological and metaphysical systems face the challenge of dividing the fundamental unity of reality into categories which will make it possible to compare and evaluate, thus leading to understanding. The categories thus selected provide the intellectual architecture of the subsequent undertaking and condition the conclusions which may be derived from it. In addition, all information is interpreted within the context of the individual's set of previously acquired information. The Urantia Book alerts us to these problems in its discussion of "universe frames."

[115:1.1] (1260 - §2) "Partial, incomplete, and evolving intellects would be helpless in the master universe, would be unable to form the first rational thought pattern, were it not for the innate ability of all mind, high or low, to form a universe frame in which to think. If mind cannot fathom conclusions, if it cannot penetrate to true origins, then will such mind unfailingly postulate conclusions and invent origins that it may have a means of logical thought within the frame of these mind-created postulates. And while such universe frames for creature thought are indispensable to rational intellectual operations, they are, without exception, erroneous to a greater or lesser degree.

[115:1.2] (1260 - §3) "Conceptual frames of the universe are only relatively true; they are serviceable scaffolding which must eventually give way before the expansions of enlarging cosmic comprehension. The understandings of truth, beauty, and goodness, morality, ethics, duty, love, divinity, origin, existence, purpose, destiny, time, space, even Deity, are only relatively true. God is much, much more than a Father, but the Father is man's highest concept of God; nonetheless, the Father-Son portrayal of Creator-creature relationship will be augmented by those supermortal conceptions of Deity which will be attained in Orvonton, in Havona, and on Paradise. Man must think in a mortal universe frame, but that does not mean that he cannot envision other and higher frames within which thought can take place."

[118:6.7] (1300 - §3) "Volition, the act of choosing, must function within the universe frame which has actualized in response to higher and prior choosing."

3. Deity, Divinity and God: (Review of some important terms)

"Existential is a word especially used in the Papers. It means something eternal, without a beginning or an ending. There is no time at which it did not exist. An existential being has full knowledge before any experience. God is existential. Hence the word "existential" is used as the opposite of Experiential. This word designates beings and things that have origins. It also designates all beings that can grow by experience. Even some existential realities can have experiential growth to higher levels. Other realities are wholly (experiential; man is wholly experiential in his growth.)"
Deity and divinity:Pay close attention to these definitions from the foreword; memorize them and refer to them in your mind when you encounter them in your study of The Urantia Book -- your understanding will be significantly augmented by using this simple tool.
- [0:1.2]Deity is personalizable as God...
- Deityis characterized by the quality of unity...
- This unifying quality is best comprehended by creatures as divinity.

God:

[0:2.1] (3 - § 14) Evolving mortal creatures experience an irresistible urge to symbolize their finite concepts of God. Man's consciousness of moral duty and his spiritual idealism represent a value level--an experiential reality--which is difficult of symbolization.

[0:2.2] (3 - § 15) Cosmic consciousness implies the recognition of a First Cause, the one and only uncaused reality. God, the Universal Father, functions on three Deity-personality levels of subinfinite value and relative divinity expression:

1. Prepersonal--as in the ministry of the Father fragments, such as the Thought Adjusters.

2. Personal--as in the evolutionary experience of created and procreated beings.

3. Superpersonal--as in the eventuated existences of certain absonite and associated beings.

[0:2.3 ] (3 - § 19) GOD is a word symbol designating all personalizations of Deity (See definition of Deity above). The term requires a different definition on each personal level of Deity function and must be still further redefined within each of these levels, as this term may be used to designate the diverse co-ordinate and subordinate personalizations of Deity; for example: the Paradise Creator Sons--the local universe fathers.

The term God always denotes personality.

Deity (See definition of Deity above) may, or may not, refer to divine personalities (See definition of divinity above)

[0:2.8] (4 - §5) The word GOD is used, in these papers, with the following meanings:

1. God the Father

2. God the Son

3. God the Spirit

4. God the Supreme

5. God the Sevenfold

6. God the Ultimate

7. God the Absolute

But the bottom line is:

[56:9.10] (645 - §5) "And God the Father is the personal source of all manifestations of Deity See definition of Deity above) and reality to all intelligent creatures and spirit beings throughout all the universe of universes. As personalities, now or in the successive universe experiences of the eternal future, no matter if you achieve the attainment of God the Sevenfold, comprehend God the Supreme, find God the Ultimate, or attempt to grasp the concept of God the Absolute, you will discover to your eternal satisfaction that in the consummation of each adventure you have, on new experiential levels, rediscovered the eternal God--the Paradise Father of all universe personalities."

[118:2.2] (1296 - §4) "As mortal and morontia ascenders you progressively discern God through the ministry of God the Sevenfold. Through Havona you discover God the Supreme. On Paradise you find him as a person, and then as finaliters you will presently attempt to know him as Ultimate. Being finaliters, there would seem to be but one course to pursue after having attained the Ultimate, and that would be to begin the quest of the Absolute. No finaliter will be disturbed by the uncertainties of the attainment of the Deity Absolute since at the end of the supreme and ultimate ascensions he encountered God the Father. Such finaliters will no doubt believe that, even if they should be successful in finding God the Absolute, they would only be discovering the same God, the Paradise Father manifesting himself on more nearly infinite and universal levels. Undoubtedly the attainment of God in absolute would reveal the Primal Ancestor of universes as well as the Final Father of personalities."

4. Introduction to God the Sevenfold

God the Sevenfold consists of:
(1) The Universal Father

(2) The Eternal Son

(3) The Infinite Spirit

(4) The Supreme Being

(5) The Master Spirits

(6) The Ancients of Days The Corps of Supreme Creators

(7) The Creator Sons and Creative Spirits

In "A Study of the Master Universe", the chapter, "God the Sevenfold: Creative Deity," we find:

"The creative-association of God the Sevenfold began to function when the seven superuniverses were organized. God the Sevenfold is a creative associative expansion of the Paradise Deities into time and space; this is their method of making contact with all the creatures of the super and local universes. God the Sevenfold provides the living ladder of divine personalities that bridges the gap between man and the Paradise Father. This deity association functions on seven levels and its members are classified in three major groups:

The Paradise Deities:

(1) The Universal Father
(2) The Eternal Son
(3) The Infinite Spirit

Experiential Deity:

(4) The Supreme Being

The Corps of Supreme Creators:

(5) The Master Spirits
(6) The Ancients of Days The Corps of Supreme Creators
(7) The Creator Sons and Creative Spirits

"We are familiar with the Paradise Deities - Father, Son, and Spirit. The Corps of the Supreme Creators is something new. These are the creators who make their appearance after eternal Havona; they are the post-Havona creators. Theirs is the work of organizing and perfecting the seven superuniverses and the projected 700,000 local universes. Each of the Master Spirits pervades one of the superuniverses, thus determining its individual nature. By threes, the Ancients of Days function as the direct rulers of the seven supercreations. The Creator Sons and their associated Creative Spirits organize the local universes, and create (or evolve) the living beings who are native to these realms. The Supreme Being is an evolving, experiential Deity. He is slowly emerging, as a result of the successes of the Supreme Creators in the time-space realms, as a result of their successful collaboration with the Paradise Deities, and as a result of his own efforts to grow."

[0:8.1] (11 - §5) To atone for finity of status and to compensate for creature limitations of concept, the Universal Father has established the evolutionary creature's sevenfold approach to Deity:

[0:8.2] (11 - §13) "This sevenfold Deity personalization in time and space and to the seven superuniverses enables mortal man to attain the presence of God, who is spirit. This sevenfold Deity, to finite time-space creatures sometime power-personalizing in the Supreme Being, is the functional Deity of the mortal evolutionary creatures of the Paradise-ascension career. Such an experiential discovery-career of the realization of God begins with the recognition of the divinity of the Creator Son of the local universe and ascends through the superuniverse Ancients of Days and by way of the person of one of the Seven Master Spirits to the attainment of the discovery and recognition of the divine personality of the Universal Father on Paradise."

[0:8.4] (12 - §2) "The Creator Sons in the Deity association of God the Sevenfold provide the mechanism whereby the mortal becomes immortal and the finite attains the embrace of the infinite.... The Creator Sons and their associated Divine Ministers are participants in this supreme mobilization, but the Ancients of Days and the Seven Master Spirits are probably eternally fixed as permanent administrators in the grand universe."

[105:6.5] (1159 - # 4) "The divinity response to the imperfection inherent in the time lag of evolution is disclosed in the compensating presence of God the Sevenfold, by whose activities that which is perfecting is integrated with both the perfect and the perfected. This time lag is inseparable from evolution, which is creativity in time. Because of it, as well as for other reasons, the almighty power of the Supreme is predicated on the divinity successes of God the Sevenfold. This time lag makes possible creature participation in divine creation by permitting creature personalities to become partners with Deity in the attainment of maximum development. Even the material mind of the mortal creature thus becomes partner with the divine Adjuster in the dualization of the immortal soul. God the Sevenfold also provides techniques of compensation for the experiential limitations of inherent perfection as well as compensating the preascension limitations of imperfection."

[106:1.3] (1164 - §2) "God the Sevenfold signifies the recognition by Paradise Deity of the barriers of time in the evolutionary universes of space. No matter how remote from Paradise, how deep in space, a material survival personality may take origin, God the Sevenfold will be found there present and engaged in the loving and merciful ministry of truth, beauty, and goodness to such an incomplete, struggling, and evolutionary creature. The divinity ministry of the Sevenfold reaches inward through the Eternal Son to the Paradise Father and outward through the Ancients of Days to the universe Fathers--the Creator Sons."

Sevenfold ministry to mortals:

[34:6.2] (380 - §3) "Although Divinity may be plural in manifestation, in human experience Deity is singular, always one. Neither is spiritual ministry plural in human experience. Regardless of plurality of origin, all spirit influences are one in function. Indeed they are one, being the spirit ministry of God the Sevenfold in and to the creatures of the grand universe; and as creatures grow in appreciation of, and receptivity for, this unifying ministry of the spirit, it becomes in their experience the ministry of God the Supreme."

[56:7.2] (642 - §2) "As the components of a local universe are progressively settled in light and life, God the Sevenfold is increasingly made manifest. Time-space evolution begins on a planet with the first expression of God the Sevenfold--the Creator Son-Creative Spirit association--in control. With the settling of a system in light, this Son-Spirit liaison attains the fullness of function; and when an entire constellation is thus settled, the second phase of God the Sevenfold becomes more active throughout such a realm. The completed administrative evolution of a local universe is attended by new and more direct ministrations of the superuniverse Master Spirits; and at this point there also begins that ever-expanding revelation and realization of God the Supreme which culminates in the ascender's comprehension of the Supreme Being while passing through the worlds of the sixth Havona circuit."

Additional Note:

Complementing the creative aspect of Deity manifest as God the Sevenfold are the controlling or stabilizing aspects classified as the sevenfold controllers [116:5.1](1273):

The Source of Paradise -- the Universal Father
The Isle of Paradise
The God of Action -- the Infinite Spirit
The Almighty Supreme
The Supreme Power Directors
The Supreme Power Centers
The Master Physical Controllers

To do: Memorize the structure of God the Sevenfold and the complementary sevenfold controllers.

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