1 Thessalonians

Lorin Friesen, March 2024

I wrote a brief summary of 1 Thessalonians back in 2016. This essay looks at that epistle in much more detail based upon experiences that I have had since then. The basic premise of these essays is that the Bible makes the most sense when interpreted from a cognitive perspective. This cognitive meaning becomes especially apparent when looking at the original text in the original language, it becomes unclear when looking at a translation, and it becomes obscured when reading a paraphrase. Writing this essay was almost effortless because the interpretation resonated naturally with the cognitive principles that I have discovered developing the theory of mental symmetry. After having written essays on over 60% of the New Testament from a cognitive perspective, I can state with confidence that the ultimate Author of the New Testament has a deep understanding of how the mind functions. I can also conclude with confidence that translators and theologians do not share this deep understanding. On the one hand, I have continually found that the translations are slightly less clear than the original text. On the other hand, I have found universally that theologians are not interested in a cognitive analysis of the New Testament, even if such analysis is deeply consistent with the original text. Instead, theologians are primarily interested in quoting from other theologians, especially theologians from many centuries ago who had only a primitive understanding of how the mind functions. This juxtaposition of textual brilliance combined with academic blindness leads strongly to the conclusion that the Bible has a supernatural source.

This essay will use the 1995 version of the NASB, including all the literal meanings given in footnotes as well as many of the alternate meanings. Any words in italics are in italics in the NASB to indicate that they are not in the original Greek text. I have used the Berean Literal Bible for several essays and I think that it is a little more accurate than the NASB, but it is not well known. And I encountered more situations when writing this essay where the English translation did not match the Greek text than when I was using the BLB. However, I would probably be tearing my hair out in frustration if I were using the ‘nearly inspired version’ (NIV). I have found that the KJV is surprisingly accurate but the archaic language can be a problem which is partially fixed by the NKJV. As usual, all the definitions will be taken from biblehub.com and links to the definitions will be provided.

This essay will be talking about MMNs and TMNs. An MMN is a Mercy mental network while a TMN is a Teacher mental network. A mental network is a collection of emotional memories that functions as a unit and imposes its content upon the mind when triggered. For instance, ‘mother living in my head’ is an example of a mental network, because thinking about mother will trigger a collection of emotional memories about mother, which will then impose mother’s likes and dislikes upon my mind. An MMN is a mental network that is composed of emotional Mercy experiences and the mind uses MMNs to represent people, such as mother. A TMN is a theory that has turned into a mental network as a result of using this theory, and a TMN will impose its explanation upon the mind when it is triggered. A paradigm, as described by Thomas Kuhn, is an example of a TMN and Kuhn’s description of paradigms accurately describes the mental impact of a TMN. A paradigm is a Teacher theory that applies to some technical specialization. A meta-theory is a Teacher theory that applies in a transdisciplinary manner to many fields.

I will be illustrating the analysis by giving examples from my personal path of developing mental symmetry. The goal of these examples is not to elicit sympathy. At this point sympathy will not solve the problem. Some sort of ‘second coming’ really is required. Instead, the first purpose of these illustrations is—to provide illustrations for the abstract analysis. The second purpose is to show the personal cost that I have paid to be able to decipher prophecy. The primary reason that 1 Thessalonians—and other books of prophecy—make sense to me is because they resonate with my personal walk. The third purpose is to show what it means personally to make a transition from legislator (or apostle) to fellow citizen.

Paul was an apostle, though Paul does not refer to himself personally as an apostle in Thessalonians. An apostle can be defined as someone who pays the personal price to make some major breakthrough and apostleship is discussed in the essay on 1 Corinthians. An apostle can be compared to a legislator who comes up with some new system of legislation. A legislator is a source of law while a citizen is subject to the law. If a legislator wants to become a citizen then some group must apply the legislation of the legislator and the legislator must then choose to become a fellow citizen. This means making the transition from being great to being small, as expressed by the name Paul. 1 Thessalonians talks about this process of moving from legislator to fellow citizen and the name ‘Paul’ will be used in this essay to represent someone who is trying to make this transition. I have been walking a similar path because the theory of mental symmetry makes it possible to reformulate Christian theology and practice from the cognitive perspective of pursuing mental wholeness. And I deeply desire to make the transition from developing the theory of mental symmetry to living within a society that is guided by mental symmetry.

Table of Contents

1:1-4 A New Paradigm

1:5-7 Developing a New Paradigm

1:8-10 Proclaiming a New Paradigm

2:1-4 Confidence through Institutional Rejection

2:5-6 Research rather than Marketing

2:7-10 Protecting New Mental Networks

2:11-12 Guiding Growing Mental Networks

2:13-14 Basing Mental Networks upon Universal Principles

2:15-16 Emotional commonality with Historical Persecution

2:17-20 Thwarted Opportunities

3:1-5 Abandoned as an Academic Theory

3:6-10 News of an Independent Pursuit of Global Value

3:11-13 Desiring a Better Society

4:1-2 Building Exemplars

4:3-4 Local Value versus Global Value

4:5-7 Avoid Ecstatic Enthusiasms

4:8-12 A Holy Spirit of Personal Integrity

4:13-15 Losing Personal Meaning

4:16 Revealing Teacher Thought in Four Stages

4:17-18 A New Group of Consumers

5:1-2 Do not Focus upon Times and Dates

5:3-5 Postmodern Thought Attempts to Universalize

5:6-11 Avoiding Societal Implosions

5:12-14 Recognizing Those who Lay a Solid Foundation

5:15-20 Breaking the Cycle of Dueling Mental Networks

5:19-21 Avoiding the Trap of Technical Thought

5:22-26 Maintaining Growth and Excitement

5:27-28 Paul’s Oath

A New Paradigm 1:1-4

Verse 1 describes who this letter is written to. “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” Paul means ‘little’, which implies that one is not trying to seek status or importance. This will naturally happen if one is discovering a source of law that is independent of personal opinion. For instance, the law of gravity does not depend upon personal status. One will then attempt to remain small in order to ensure that MMNs of personal identity do not cloud or distort one’s understanding of how things work.

Silvanus means tree or forest and is only mentioned as an author of first and second Thessalonians. A tree is interpreted as an academic tree of knowledge. Silvanus implies that technical specializations of academic thought are being integrated by some form of meta-theory. Timothy combines ‘value’ and ‘God’. Putting this together, the goal is not to come up with a meta-theory that will satisfy society, church, or academia, but rather to come up with an integrated understanding that is regarded as valuable by a concept of God in Teacher thought. Church means ‘called out from the world and to God’. Many groups refer to themselves as churches, but do not necessarily meet the qualification of following God or being called out from the world. The idea is that this Teacher-driven meta-theory is leading to a new sense of culture in Mercy thought that is different than existing MMNs of society. Thessalonian means victory of Thessalos and what Thessalos represents is uncertain. However, some sort of victory has happened.

In means ‘in the realm of’. ‘God the Father’ indicates that a concept of God in Teacher thought is the source of personal identity in Mercy thought. This describes a mind that has gone through the process of personal transformation. ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ indicates being ruled by an integrated concept of incarnation. These two terms will be repeated in verse 3. Grace means ‘favorable towards’ and is one of several related words with the root ‘xar-’ that refer to interaction with God in Teacher thought. Peace means ‘to tie together into a whole’ which is an expression of Teacher order-within-complexity. Thus, the prayer is to become led towards wholeness by a concept of God in Teacher thought.

Verse 2 describes the attitude of Paul. “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;” Thanks combines good with grace, ‘acknowledging that God’s grace works well’. In other words, being guided by an integrated concept of God in Teacher thought is leading to greater personal well-being. This personal benefit is being acknowledged to God in Teacher thought. Always means ‘at all times’. Thus, this is not just a case of being occasionally reminded of God but rather of being able to fit all situations within a general Teacher understanding. For instance, even when the world goes insane around me, I still find that mental symmetry is capable of explaining this insanity, and I also keep finding that God arranges my interaction with this insanity in order to lead me to growing understanding and personal integration. I know that insanity is a strong word but I do not know what other word to use to describe current society. Saying this more carefully, every group that I have encountered so far has turned out to be locally rational while deliberately refusing to use rational thought when dealing with larger issues. A primary theme of 1 Thessalonians is becoming transformed in a society that is locally rational.

I am not saying that science is irrational. I have read thousands of academic papers and I have found that scientific research can be trusted when dealing with the facts. But science cannot necessarily be trusted when it comes to putting the facts together, especially when dealing with meta-theories that cross many specializations. That is why I use the term locally rational. Science is reasonably good at coming up with general theories when dealing with the realm of objective facts. For instance, I think that scientific theories about global warming and covid vaccinations should be trusted. But scientific general theories fail when dealing with topics that extend beyond physical reality—because most scientists start from the premise that only physical reality exists. The theory of mental symmetry makes it possible to extend beyond physical reality to topics such as the mind and the spirit in a rational manner that remains consistent with scientific thought. And when mental symmetry is used to analyze the Bible, then it becomes apparent that the Bible is a very accurate textbook of cognitive and spiritual development.

All means ‘each part of a totality’, which means that one is not dealing with an overgeneralization but rather with a general statement that applies to the details. The idea here is that the parts are working together to form an integrated whole. This is totally different than current society where the parts may be sane but they are being assembled in an insane manner. Mention means ‘a bringing to mind’. Thus, one is not speaking to other people but rather building internal connections. Make means ‘to make, do’ which refers to actions in Server thought. This suggests that the Perceiver connections of ‘bringing to mind’ are being combined with Server actions of application. In means ‘upon’. Prayer means an ‘exchange of wishes’. Thus, transformed personal identity is emotionally interacting with a concept of God in Teacher thought. Putting this together, MMNs of legitimate desire and need are interacting with the TMN of a concept of God, and this emotional interaction is being given personal stability by internal Perceiver connections and personal Server actions. A distinction needs to be made between seeking approval and pursuing legitimate well-being. When society has become universally insane, then these two will not be the same, because society will consistently give approval to thinking and behavior that does not promote actual well-being. Thus, one has to pray to God in Teacher thought for personal well-being.

Verse 3 describes an unusual combination of traits. “Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.” Constantly means ‘without any unnecessary interval’. And bearing in mind means ‘to recall by memory’. In other words, one is not just thinking about God on Sundays and forgetting about God during the rest of the week. Instead, one is maintaining a consistent mindset in all contexts. This requires active thought when each context and each group is attempting to impose its own mental networks. But it is also reasonably easy to do because focusing upon the mental network of some specific group will merely reveal the underlying insanity of that group, causing one’s mind to return to a rational understanding of an integrated concept of God.

Work ‘is a deed that carries out an inner desire’, which refers to self-initiated action. Faith means to ‘be persuaded’. Thus, rational thought is leading to intrinsic motivation which is guiding action. Stated another way, abstract technical thought is leading to internal goals which are being pursued using concrete technical thought. These two are also combined in James 2, which says that faith without works is dead.

Labor means ‘laborious toil, involving weariness and fatigue’. Love is ‘agape’, which refers to Teacher-motivated love. On the one hand, Mercy thought is worn out and has no emotional reason to continue. On the other hand, Teacher emotions are providing a reason to continue. I know from personal experience what this means. If I were to focus on Mercy emotions then I would despair, because I live in a world that is going insane. But Teacher feelings of how things fit together and how things work provide an emotional reason for me to continue pursuing mental symmetry.

Steadfastness means ‘remaining under’. Hope means ‘expectation of what is sure’. Hope is an expression of Exhorter thought. When one reaches a dead end as portrayed by ‘labor’, then the natural tendency is to strike out at something or someone in order to change the situation. ‘Remaining under’ indicates that one sticks with the situation and does not try to run away or lash out. Instead, one continues within the situation motivated internally by hope. Much of the insanity of current society is the result of various groups either refusing or being unable to stick with the situation and then running away in some escapist manner or lashing out in some irrational fashion.

The source of this hope is ‘our Lord Jesus Christ’. Jesus refers to the concrete side of incarnation and Christ to the abstract side of incarnation. Lord Jesus Christ indicates an integrated concept of incarnation that rules over personal identity. And ‘our’ indicates that this integrated concept of incarnation is providing a feeling of community. In other words, one is not claiming to follow Jesus while actually standing up for some cultural or religious group. In the presence means ‘in front of, before the face of’. Stated cognitively, one is not being motivated by MMNs of cultural or societal approval. Instead, one’s primary emotional goal is to seek the approval of the TMN of a concept of God. That is because personal identity in Mercy thought has become an expression of God the Father in Teacher thought.

Verse 4 describes a building sense of certainty. “Knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you.” Know means ‘seeing that becomes knowing’ which is interpreted as empirical knowledge because it moves from physical seeing to mental knowing. Brother means ‘from the same womb’ which suggests going through a similar process of personal rebirth. Beloved is related to ‘agape’ and means ‘actively doing what the Lord prefers’. ‘By’ is actually under, which means ‘under the authority of’ and God is ‘the God’ with the definite article, indicating an integrated concept of a monotheistic God. Choice means ‘a divine selection’ and combines ‘out from and to’ with ‘speaking to a conclusion’. This word is used three times in Romans 11 to talk about God’s divine selection of people. Predestination is discussed in other essays. The general principle is that God is not deciding who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. Instead, ‘beloved by God and chosen’ means that God is choosing certain individuals from this society and placing them within a special divine school of ‘higher learning’ in order to lay the foundations for a transformed society. Notice that this conclusion of divine selection is coming from empirical evidence and not from some internal feeling of divine specialness propagated by some religious organization. This is not a matter of some group declaring that its members are going to heaven and everyone else is going to hell, or some group pronouncing that it has a monopoly upon divine truth. Instead, individuals are looking at the growing insanity of society around them and are coming to the rational conclusion that they are being led by providence on a lonely path of personal transformation in order to prepare the way for something new.

Developing a New Paradigm 1:5-7

Verse 5 describes this lonely path. “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” Gospel means ‘good news’ and is the source of the English word ‘evangelical’. This is ironic, because evangelical Christianity has largely abandoned the very concept of good news in order to embrace slander, lies, destruction, and conspiracy theories. Instead, this good news is coming from individuals who are being guided by an integrated understanding to pursue wholeness and continue focusing upon the positive goal of a better society. This is a gospel ‘of us’ not because we have a monopoly on truth and everyone else is wrong but rather because we are individuals who have been divinely selected to follow a lonely path of laying the foundation for a better world. Come means ‘to come into being’ which suggests that this realization has grown gradually over the years. Word means ‘logos’ and is interpreted as the Teacher paradigm that lies behind some technical specialization. Thus, this was not just a paradigm shift. Only means ‘merely’, which means that this was a paradigm shift but it was more than that. My experience is that a paradigm shift is necessary but it is not sufficient.

The final phrase describes how this is more than a paradigm shift. Also is the word ‘and’ and in means ‘in the realm of’. Power is interpreted as active Perceiver thought that multiplies the effectiveness of Server actions, as illustrated by power tools. Thus, the paradigm shift in abstract thought is enabling concrete actions within Server thought. ‘Holy Spirit’ describes a concept of God the Spirit in Mercy thought. Cognitively speaking, a concept of the Holy Spirit emerges when a universal understanding of how things work in Teacher thought leads to a universal concept in Mercy thought of how things could be. This is related to Plato’s concept of the form of the Good. A spirit of the world, in contrast, is a universal concept in Mercy thought of how things are. Power can be used to either create or to destroy. Power in the realm of the Holy Spirit uses super-natural ability to create a better world. Conviction is used four times in the New Testament and means ‘full carry-through’. The translation ‘conviction’ gives the impression that one is believing that some other entity will perform the task. ‘Full carry-through’, in contrast, indicates that one is being given the power to carry out the task to completion. This is related to the idea of being divinely chosen, because one is being chosen by God to carry out some task and is being divinely enabled to accomplish this task. Full means ‘much in number’, suggesting that one is going through many episodes that require additional power to ‘fully carry-through’. I know from personal experience what this means.

Verse 5 finishes, “Just as you know what kind of men we became among you for your sake.” Just as means ‘according to the manner in which’, which indicates that one process is like another. Know again refers to empirical evidence. Became means ‘to come into being’. Among you is more literally ‘in the realm of you’ and ‘for your sake’ is an accurate translation. In other words, the leaders of this ‘divinely chosen school’ are also going through a process of personal transformation. This relates to the dilemma of being an apostle, which is discussed in the essay on 1 Corinthians. An apostle comes up with some major breakthrough, but in order to experience the personal benefits of this breakthrough, an apostle has to become a member of a group that submits to this breakthrough. Thus, the apostles are making breakthroughs not just for the sake of a paradigm shift, but also in the realm of some group in order to benefit with that group. I have learned from personal experience that this does not necessarily have to be a human or societal group. Instead, it appears that it is possible to make breakthroughs on behalf of some heavenly or spiritual group. This may sound like a strange interpretation but 4:15 says that the ‘second coming’ starts with the heavenly realm and then extends to the human earthly realm. What matters is developing a mindset of being part of some group—visible or invisible—that is submitting to this divinely guided, emerging vision of a better world. The key principle is that one is becoming transformed by making difficult choices in order to become part of this new group.

Speaking again from personal experience, even though I view myself as a member of an invisible group, I am still being guided by empirical evidence. That is because I keep finding that my personal events are being manipulated in some manner to ensure that I continue to follow a path of personal transformation; I keep finding that doors open a crack and then slam in my face. I have learned to interpret the open door as an opportunity to learn and the slamming in my face as an opportunity to become personally transformed by this learning. I do this not because I am some super-spiritual person, but rather because I have a very deep sense that the door will slam even harder if I do not respond in this manner. Going further, I do not know how much of this ‘slamming in my face’ is due to the insanity of people around me and how much is due to divine providence guiding me. Because of this uncertainty, I cannot turn to those who are slamming the doors in my face and call them idiots, because maybe, just maybe, divine providence is causing them to shut the door.

Verse 6 describes this process of transformation. “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word during great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” Imitator means ‘one who imitates, emulates’ and is the source of the English word ‘mimic’. Became means ‘to come into being’. ‘And of the Lord’ indicates the presence of righteousness. Righteousness means that Server actions are being guided emotionally by a Teacher understanding of ‘how things work’. This motivation was described by the term ‘labor of love’ in verse 3. Verse 4 said that a paradigm shift was not enough. That is because following Teacher understanding is being opposed by many societal and cultural MMNs. Therefore, the only way to keep gaining understanding is by ensuring that each new understanding in Teacher thought is backed up by some concrete application in Server thought. For instance, developing the theory of mental symmetry has required simultaneously working with a meta-theory in Teacher thought and following a path of personal transformation in Mercy thought. The result of this combination means that others can either follow the understanding in Teacher thought or copy the example in Server thought. It also means that when one is copying the example, one is simultaneously submitting to the Lord. Stated simply, the leaders can accurately say, ‘Do what I say and also do what I am doing’. This is not because the leaders are such wonderful, special people, but rather because the leaders have no choice but to apply their theories in action. If they do not apply their theories, then they will become self-deceived, stop making progress, and succumb to one of the insanities of surrounding society. In addition, the leaders are being guided by divine providence to ensure that they continue to apply their theories. The reference to the ‘joy of the Holy Spirit’ indicates that there is also a positive motivation to continue following this path of applying understanding.

Receive means ‘to receive in a welcoming way’. Word means ‘logos’. ‘Receiving the word’ would mean emotionally embracing the new paradigm. In means ‘in the realm of’ and tribulation is ‘used of a narrow place that hems someone in’. This word ‘tribulation’ is used in Matthew 24:21 and Revelation 7:14 to refer to the Great Tribulation. This is normally interpreted as a time of great suffering but the word actually means squeezing and not suffering. The word great used in verse 6 actually means ‘high in number’ and is not the same Greek word used for the Great Tribulation. (The BLB uses the more accurate term ‘much’.) This narrowness is coming from two sources. First, 1 Thessalonians refers prophetically to current society with its emphasis upon hyper-specialization and technical thought. Most of society is currently divided into specializations and one must pass various tests and become accredited in order to function within some specialization. This makes life very narrow for the technical specialist. Second, we have seen that those who are chosen by God are being guided along a narrow path. In the words of the Biblehub definition of tribulation, this ‘carries the challenge of coping with the internal pressure of a tribulation, especially when feeling there is no way of escape’.

With means ‘in company with’ when followed by the genitive. Joy means ‘joy because of grace’ and describes Teacher emotion. However, the joy in verse 6 comes from the Holy Spirit. That is because the challenge at this point is not to create a society that expresses the Holy Spirit but rather to use Teacher thought to form an integrated concept of the Holy Spirit by using Teacher understanding to integrate the various Platonic forms into a form of the Good. This can be done because current society is locally rational. All of the technical specializations have developed many fragments of goodness and perfection. The insanity comes from the inadequate way that these fragments are being put together. Mentally reassembling these fragments of societal goodness results in Teacher emotions of joy.

Verse 7 indicates the development of a meta-theory. “So that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Example means a ‘model forged by repetition’ and became means ‘to come into being’. For instance, one of the main characteristics of using mental symmetry as a meta-theory is that one continues to see the same patterns of behavior replicated in many different fields. The end of all this repetition is a ‘model forged by repetition’. Going further, the one thing that survives postmodern questioning is methodology—behaving in a certain manner. For instance, many of the social sciences have abandoned the very concept of truth, but a student of the social sciences still goes through the same process of performing research, passing peer review, and getting degrees. The end result is that one has to think in terms of methodology, approved methods, and ‘models forged by repetition’ in order to interact with the various specializations of academia and society. And when one does so, it becomes apparent that the methodology of combining a meta-theory with personal application is precisely the type of methodology that is required to integrate the various fragments of specialization. However, this will only be apparent to believers who are willing to ‘be persuaded’. My experience is that most of those who claim to follow rational logic are not willing to be persuaded when it comes to using rational thought to bridge various specializations. Macedonia means ‘tall, slim’ and is a region in Greece. Greece is interpreted as academic thought because Greece was historically the source of modern academic thought. Tall and slim would presumably represent the individuals who stand tall within Macedonia, possibly referring to those within academia who are able to think for themselves and do not just follow established methodology. Achaia refers to the Roman province that included most of Greece. This could be interpreted as the hard sciences in general, which still follow a concept of truth and natural law and have not decayed totally into postmodern skepticism. The general principle is that one will not find rational thinking within the social sciences or within religion. Instead, one will have to look within the rational thinking of secular science for individuals who are willing to be persuaded. Looking at this personally, I have not found many people within the hard sciences who are willing to be persuaded by a meta-theory but I have found many systems developed by people within the hard sciences that have helped me to understand how things work. In contrast, I have found very little worthwhile material within religious thought and theology. Similarly, I have found that those who claim to be Bible-believing Christians increasingly act and think in ways that have nothing to do with the Bible and are unwilling to be persuaded by rational biblical analysis. Instead, such rational persuasion will be rejected as an affront to the underlying assumption that God is incomprehensible to rational human thought—which means that the word ‘believe’ has to be redefined as ‘refusing to be persuaded’.

Proclaiming a New Paradigm 1:8-10

Verse 8 describes a spreading message. “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place the news of your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything.” Word means ‘logos’, and ‘word of Lord’ would indicate a paradigm to which one personally submits. Sound forth is used once in the New Testament and combines ‘from out of’ with ‘to make a loud noise’. The idea is that this new paradigm is making waves but is not being understood. This loud noise extends beyond the sciences of Macedonia and Achaia. Place means ‘place’ and would refer to some region defined by Perceiver thought. Gone out means ‘to go or come out of’. What is going out is ‘your faith toward God’. Toward means ‘motion towards’ and ‘God’ is with the definite article. Thus, the rational thinking of being persuaded is not being limited to some technical specialization but rather is heading in the direction of an integrated concept of God in Teacher thought. This idea of building a concept of God upon a rational meta-theory is creating a sound that is going out. Need means ‘need, necessity, business’. If there is no need to say anything, then this means that the very idea of a rational meta-theory in Teacher thought is sufficient information. What is being conveyed abroad is the idea that it is possible to take the various specializations and get them together in a rational manner that impacts personal identity. In my experience, this describes the fundamental breakthrough of mental symmetry and the ultimate stumbling block that I continue to bang my head against when attempting to spread mental symmetry. In most cases I cannot say anything but what is still being conveyed is the general idea that I am using rational thought to construct a meta-theory. For instance, I wrote a short paper suggesting that theories are emotional. More specifically, when one learns information and puts this information together, then the result is positive Teacher emotion. This short paper has ‘made a loud noise that is going out’ because it has currently been viewed almost 25,000 times.

Verse 9 describes those who respond to this message. “For they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from the idols to serve the living and true God.” They themselves is the reflexive pronoun. Report means ‘to declare from’. What kind of means ‘of what sort’. Reception means ‘a means or place of entering’. Had means ‘to have, hold’. The emphasis here is not upon the message or any content but rather the way that outsiders are responding to the approach taken by the followers of the new paradigm. This reminds me of the response that I have received to mental symmetry. I have written extensive material but this content is seldom discussed. Instead, the focus is invariably upon methodology—the method that I am using to develop mental symmetry and how this does not fall within accepted methods of existing technical specialization. The validity of the theory itself is of second importance. Going the other way, I find that analyzing this response is useful for developing mental symmetry; I learn more about the mind by analyzing how technical specialists respond to a theory of the mind.

Turned means ‘to turn, to return’. Idol means ‘an image’ and is from a word that means ‘that which is seen’ which is related to the word for empirical evidence. Similarly, I find that technical research has an emotional fixation upon empirical evidence. What really matters is not the evidence itself but rather the emotional mindset of starting from empirical evidence. This is an emotional rejection that will ignore the evidence if one commits the ‘sin’ of suggesting that one can start from a theory in Teacher thought. Researchers will reject a theory even if it explains the very evidence that has been gathered by those researchers. Using the language of verse 9, I am turning away from the idolatry of building upon ‘that which is seen’ to starting with a concept of God in Teacher thought.

Looking further at the phrase ‘serve the living and true God’, serve means ‘to serve as a slave’. This means that whenever there is an emotional struggle between the TMN of an integrated understanding and MMNs of personal identity or culture, then the theory takes precedence. Science claims to follow theory in a rational manner, but scientists are only locally rational. Living refers to both physical and spiritual life. The mind represents life as mental networks. Science suppresses MMNs by being objective and ignores TMNs by being specialized. Mental symmetry, in contrast, recognizes the central role that is played by MMNs. However, unlike postmodern social sciences, mental symmetry is not ruled emotionally by MMNs. This is reflected in the word true, which ‘refers to what is essentially true – connecting visible fact to its underlying reality’. This includes empirical evidence but also emphasizes the relationship between physical evidence and internal connections. On the one hand, mental symmetry respects empirical evidence while also recognizing how the mind interprets empirical evidence. On the other hand, mental symmetry accepts mental networks without allowing factual thought to be overruled by mental networks. The hard sciences attempt to serve a true God while rejecting the idea of a living God. The soft sciences claim to serve a living God, while rejecting the idea of a true God. Mental symmetry attempts to serve a God who is both living and true.

Verse 10 describes the mindset that emerges. “And to wait for His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come. Wait is used once in the New Testament and combines ‘completing a process’ with ‘wait, remain’. On the one hand, one is not attempting to market the message or trying to convince some audience. That is because it has become obvious that the content is being ignored for emotional reasons. On the other hand, even though interaction with others may be incomplete, exploring new facets of the research of others makes it possible to develop the new paradigm further. ‘His son’ implies a focus upon male thought. Thus, one is not becoming distracted by the mental networks of female thought but rather continuing to focus upon facts and sequences. From means ‘from out of’. ‘The heavens’ goes beyond a concept of God in Teacher thought to a realm within Teacher thought within which humans could live. In verse 6 the joy of the Holy Spirit described mentally constructing an integrated internal vision of a better society. The response in verse 9 makes it clear that existing human institutions and individuals are not interested in discussing even the parameters of a better society. Thus, one must go beyond using Teacher thought to construct the concept of a better society to looking to Teacher thought to enable this better society to come into being. The focus upon male thought means that one is analyzing the technical details of what this better society would be like and not just being emotionally comforted by the feeling of some mysterious and magical heaven.

Raised means ‘to waken, to raise up’ and is used for both waking up and physical resurrection. Dead means ‘lifeless’. And from is more literally ‘from out of’. In other words, the life from heaven has to be preceded by a death and comes out of that death. Stated cognitively, constructing the TMN of a possible world in which one could live is necessary but not sufficient. Personal identity will only start to live within this TMN if existing cultural and personal MMNs fall apart. This is different than a mindset of religious self-denial which says that one should deny oneself in order to follow God. Instead, one is first constructing the TMN of an integrated understanding within which one could personally live and then reaching a personal dead end, which then forces one to build personal identity upon this TMN of a ‘heavenly’ society.

Jesus means salvation of God. Salvation means taking a person from their existing state to a better state, and salvation is a characteristic of concrete technical thought. This requires placing personal identity within some mental map, recognizing that the current location within this map is inferior, and then following a path to a better location. My experience is that deep questions will emerge at this point about what it means to be saved. For instance, Christianity says that one should follow Jesus in order to be saved, but if one examines the various branches of Christianity, are they truly leading humans and human society along a path that leads to greater personal well-being? Similarly, science claims to save society through technology. But is technology creating better societal well-being? Postmodernism also claims to save the disadvantaged from societal oppression. But is it really helping people? What is salvation, and what does it mean to be saved?

The final phrase ‘who rescues us from the wrath to come’ indicates the pressing need to address this question. Rescue means ‘to snatch out for oneself’. From means ‘from out of’. Wrath describes ‘settled anger... which steadfastly opposes someone or something based on extended personal exposure’. To come means ‘to come, go’. Stated simply, the insanities of society are leading society towards many profound, lasting disasters. These are not small problems and they will not go away easily. Therefore, the primary goal is to become personally snatched out of this situation by some saving force. This may sound at first glance like the typical evangelical Christian waiting for the rapture, but there is a critical difference. The evangelical Christian sees the rapture as God rescuing humans in some magical manner out from secular technical thought to some mysterious heavenly destination. In contrast, verse 10 has been preceded by a detailed formulation of a heaven that is compatible with secular technical thought. Thus, the goal is not to destroy the world and embrace blind faith but rather to extend rational thought to include the subjective and the universal.

Confidence through Institutional Rejection 2:1-4

Chapter 2 begins by describing Paul’s approach. “For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain.” Brother means ‘from the same womb’, which would refer to those of either gender who have gone through a similar process of personal rebirth. Know refers to empirical knowledge. Coming means ‘a means or place of entering’. Vain means ‘empty, void’ and was means ‘to come into being’. Notice the combination of subjective and objective. On the one hand, the passage talks about ‘you’ and the ‘coming of us to you’, and all of these personal pronouns are explicitly included. But on the other hand, the knowing is based in empirical evidence. Following this new paradigm has meant embracing a new set of personal and cultural MMNs. If this movement reaches a dead end then the natural conclusion will be that all of this effort has become empty and void of results. However, one can still see from empirical evidence that following this message has caused one to become a different person. Even though this path towards wholeness may have reached a dead end, one can still see empirically that all other paths lead to destruction and insanity. I have applied this logic many times over the years. I could not tell if pursuing mental symmetry would lead to positive results, but I could see with my own eyes that those who were following other paths were not heading in the direction of greater well-being.

Verse 2 introduces a new location. “But after we had already suffered and been treated abusively in Philippi, as you know.” Already suffered is used once in the New Testament and combines ‘before’ with ‘to feel heavy emotion’. Treated abusively means ‘to injure, bring loss, especially to damage someone’s reputation; to rob a person of what rightly belongs to them’. Philippi means ‘horse-loving’ and horses are interpreted as government-approved organization. That is because maintaining horses required significant resources and organization and horses were used to impose government organization. Horse-loving would mean an emotional attraction to institutional power, which would refer to the various officially accredited institutions that lie behind the various specializations of society. Looking at this cognitively, each specialization may use rational technical thought within its specialization, but when a specialization is challenged by a new paradigm, then the institution will respond emotionally by ignoring the evidence and personally belittling the source of the new paradigm. For instance, I have had professors tell me that I am wasting my life, that I do not know how to think, or that I have to get a PhD in order to get my theories noticed. This sort of personal rejection from those who claim to be the epitome of rational thought will cause one to experience heavy emotion. And when specializations choose to embrace the illusion of a meta-theory while ignoring an actual meta-theory, then this can accurately be described as ‘robbing a person of what rightly belongs to them’. Just as means ‘according to the manner in which’ and know again refers to empirical evidence. In other words, this is not just an isolated incident, but rather a characteristic response that repeatedly occurs in a similar manner in many specializations.

Verse 2 continues. “We had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God during much struggle.” Boldness means ‘to speak freely or boldly’. ‘In our God’ is more literally ‘in the realm of the God of us’. Looking at this cognitively, when the response to an integrated Teacher understanding repeatedly follows patterns that are described by this integrated understanding, then one becomes increasingly confident in the predictions of this integrated understanding. For instance, this essay makes bold statements regarding the local rationality of academia and other technical specializations. These bold statements are not based in Mercy feelings of personal superiority, but rather in the confidence that the theory of mental symmetry really does explain how people think, including those who reject the theory of mental symmetry because it does not meet their technical standards of what they define as rational thought.

Gospel means good news and was previously mentioned in 1:5. This is now referred to as ‘the gospel of the God’ while 1:5 referred to ‘the gospel of us’. As before, the focus is upon the good news of a better society. However, this good news is now backed up by universal understanding in Teacher thought and not just by personal experience. For instance, my confidence in mental symmetry used to come from the fact that I knew that it was transforming my mind in a direction of greater mental wholeness. Using mental symmetry as a meta-theory has given me confidence that it also describes a general theory in Teacher thought that accurately applies to many technical disciplines. This has also resulted in a transformation in my concept of God. Instead of viewing mental symmetry as a tool that should be used by the God of Christianity, I now see Christianity as a method that the real God uses to lead people and society towards greater wholeness. This does not change the content of Christianity but places this content upon a different foundation.

Conflict means ‘an athletic contest; hence, a struggle’. Much means ‘much in number’ and in means ‘in the realm of’. Thus, one recognizes that the primary conflict is not with other individuals but rather with one’s own body as one struggles to contend with the limitations and assumptions of living within a physical body. That is because working with a general theory in Teacher thought will turn that theory into a TMN that will create an emotional drive to extend the domain of that theory. Stated simply, a meta-theory will want to rule over more of personal existence. This does not mean suppressing the physical body or ignoring the body in order to focus upon the mind. Instead, it means letting go of the various mental crutches and habits of physical existence in order to pursue the longer-term goal of mental and physical wholeness.

Verse 3 describes self-questioning. “For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or in deceit.” Exhortation means ‘a calling to one’s aid’ and is related to the word ‘helper’ that is used to describe the Holy Spirit in John 14-16. This specific word is only used once in 1 Thessalonians but it appears eight times as a verb in the epistle. From means ‘from out of’. Error means ‘a wandering’. When one sees so many people being led by their personal and cultural MMNs to wander off into literal insanity, then one gains a deep understanding of which messages emerge from ‘a wandering’ and which do not. Impurity adds ‘not’ to ‘clean because unmixed, pure’. The mind that is locally rational while being emotionally driven by irrational MMNs is fundamentally impure, because it is being simultaneously pulled in opposite directions. In contrast, I have found that mental symmetry lines up all my various desires and cognitive modules to point in the same direction. That, by definition, is purity. Purity does not mean thinking about God all the time in a naïve manner that ignores the physical body and the pressures of society. Instead, it means that all mental fragments are pointing in the same direction, which means that one is the same kind of person within all contexts.

An impure mind is too fragmented to recognize its own impurities. A mind that becomes increasingly pure also becomes increasingly aware of the various ways in which minds can be impure. Deceit means ‘using bait to hook people, especially those already festering in excessive, emotional pain brought on by themselves’. Learning the various ways that a mind can be impure makes it possible to manipulate people by appealing emotionally to their impure MMNs. For instance, mental symmetry could be used to manipulate people, but this would destroy mental symmetry. Such manipulation can be seen in the marketing techniques developed by Edward Bernays. His principles guide modern marketing but also led to the horror of Nazi Germany. Instead, the long-term focus should be to lead self and others towards greater Teacher wholeness and personal purity.

Verse 4 looks at the positive side of motivation. “But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak.” Just as means ‘according to the manner in which’, which means that a pattern is being followed. Approve means ‘to approve by testing’. Approving is related to temptation but the goal of approving is for something to pass whereas the goal of temptation is for something to fail. By means ‘under authority’. Thus, ‘by the God’ would mean functioning under the authority of an integrated concept of God in Teacher thought. One of the basic principles of mental symmetry is that Perceiver facts and Server skills have to be tested under stress to gain sufficient confidence to survive emotional pressure. If this testing process occurs under the authority of a general Teacher understanding, then failing some test will be followed by Teacher thought reaching down and putting personal identity back together in a stronger manner as described in 1:5. One will then gradually become the kind of person who is capable of handling stress without falling apart.

Entrusted is related to the word ‘faith’ and means to ‘be persuaded’. Gospel means ‘good news’ and is the source of the English word ‘evangelical’. Thus, the process of being tested will lead to a mindset that will continue to focus upon the good news of a better society rather than lunging out at others. The current implosion of evangelical Christianity demonstrates what it means to have a mind that is not approved by God because it is unwilling to be persuaded by the ‘evangelical’ of good news. So means ‘in this manner’ and speak refers to normal speech. In other words, mental transformation will be reflected in normal speech. Looking at the other side, one can also see from current evangelical Christianity that a lack of mental transformation will also be reflected in normal speech.

Verse 4 continues, “Not intending to please people, but to please God, who approves our hearts.” Man is the generic word for mankind. Please means ‘winning someone’s favor because meeting their expectation’. Intending is simply the word ‘as, like as’, thus the phrase is more literally ‘not as people pleasing’. Stated cognitively, the goal is not to manipulate societal and cultural MMNs by applying various tools of marketing. Approve is the same word that was used earlier in verse 4 which means ‘to approve by testing’. Heart refers to ‘the affective center of our being’ and is interpreted as personal identity in Mercy thought. Putting this together, the goal is not to use my Teacher understanding to manipulate the fragmented MMNs of other people but rather to allow an integrated Teacher concept of God to reshape and give stability to my own personal identity.

Research rather than Marketing 2:5-6

Verse 5 continues with this comparison. “For we never came in a word of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is our witness.” Word is ‘logos’ which refers to the paradigm behind some technical specialization. Flattery occurs once in the New Testament and means ‘flattery, with a view to advantage or gain’. The first phrase is more literally, ‘For not at any time in the realm of logos of flattery did we come into being’. A logos is the paradigm in Teacher thought that lies behind some technical specialization. What happens in the soft sciences is that this paradigm often becomes emotionally tainted by cultural and personal MMNs or else assumes that the purpose is to appeal to these cultural and personal MMNs. For instance, an underlying principle of economics and marketing is that ‘the customer is always right’. But the customer is often an idiot with an immature sense of value.

Most psychological research does not start out by trying to deceive the consumer. Instead, the research starts by attempting to meet intermediate level needs in a specialized manner and then encounters inadequate deeper mental networks that act as emotional roadblocks. It then becomes necessary to use mental tricks to pretend to satisfy these inadequate deeper mental networks in order to meet the intermediate level needs. Thus, the flattery comes into being. In contrast, the theory of mental symmetry faces these inadequate deeper mental networks head-on and points out why they are inadequate and how to fix them.

As is ‘according to the manner in which’ and know is empirical evidence. Thus, the audience can tell from the behavior of the researchers that they have never played marketing games. For instance, whenever spreading mental symmetry required playing some marketing game, I allowed mental symmetry to be rejected and chose to continue doing research. The repeated use of ‘as’ is a sign of mental purity because one is functioning in a similar manner in many different contexts. I should clarify that pointing out the benefits of some product or packaging that product in an attractive manner is not a marketing game. A marketing game goes beyond developing a good and attractive product to manipulating inadequate mental networks in order to increase demand for this product.

Pretext means ‘to cause to shine before’ which would mean being guided by the Teacher light of some theory. Greed means ‘the desire for more things’. For instance, it is possible to generate Teacher feelings of order-within-complexity by gaining more money, more prestige, more power, more followers, more seminars, more book sales, more citations, and so on. In each case, Teacher thought is being used to amplify MMNs rather than to build an integrated understanding. Witness means ‘an eye- or ear-witness’. Paul talks four times in his epistles about God being his witness. Cognitively speaking, this means that one has consistently behaved in a manner that has submitted cultural and personal MMNs to the rule of an integrated TMN. More generally, the very fact that one has a concept of God based in a legitimate meta-theory indicates that one is not merely creating the illusion of Teacher generality by amplifying inadequate Mercy feelings.

Verse 6 looks at personal status in Mercy thought. “Nor did we seek honor from people, either from you or from others, though being able to have asserted our authority as apostles of Christ.” Seek means ‘getting to the bottom of the matter’. Man is the generic word for mankind’, and from means ‘from out of’. Glory is consistently used in the New Testament to describe some visible expression of internal worth. This phrase goes beyond merely seeking societal approval to attempting to understand humanity in order to more effectively gain approval from people, as illustrated by marketing research. ‘Either from you or from others’ indicates that no distinction was made between marketing and education, such as educating followers accurately while using mental tricks to market the theory to outsiders. Instead, a consistent approach of focusing upon personal development was followed with both followers and outsiders—again a sign of mental purity and holiness. For instance, the theory of mental symmetry is inadequate and I am dumb when it comes to marketing because I have never developed the theory in that direction. Instead, I have always focused upon greater personal wholeness and a better society.

Authority means ‘power’ and the same word was used in 1:5 in noun form. Asserted is the word ‘weight; real substance’ as in a heavy topic. The phrase is more literally, ‘empowered in the realm of heaviness to be’. ‘In the realm of heaviness’ means dealing with weighty topics. Empowered means that concrete thought is being magnified by abstract principles. And ‘to be’ indicates that this goes beyond having some ability to being some person. For instance, mental symmetry looks for universal principles that apply to weighty topics, and I have attempted to embody these principles. This is consistent with the term ‘apostles of Christ’. Christ refers to the abstract side of incarnation that deals with universal principles and an apostle is ‘one sent on a mission’. Cognitively speaking, an apostle is some individual who pays the personal price to make a major breakthrough in in the realm of personal and/or societal transformation. An apostle is like a legislator. A legislator can use his power as a legislator to assert his authority. But doing so will automatically disqualify the legislator from being treated as a fellow citizen. The ultimate goal of the apostle is not to achieve a new breakthrough but rather to achieve a new breakthrough in order to experience the personal benefits of living within that new breakthrough. Similarly, the goal of a legislator should be to legislate a better country into existence in order to experience the benefits of living as a citizen within that country.

Protecting New Mental Networks 2:7-10

This attitude is described in verse 7. “But we became gentle in the midst of you. As a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” Became means ‘to come into being’. Gentle means ‘an infant, a simpleminded or immature person’. ‘In the midst of you’ indicates the desire to become a fellow citizen. Becoming an infant is precisely the opposite of learning tricks of marketing. That is because the ultimate goal of personal well-being is not to exert authority but rather to preserve a sense of childlike wonder and enjoyment. What is the point of having everything if I have lost the ability to enjoy something? This describes the path that I have tried to take with mental symmetry. I am deliberately dumb when it comes to marketing because I want to preserve my sense of childlike wonder.

Nursing is used once in the New Testament (mother is implied) and ‘is used in ancient Greek of a mother’s tender care’. Cherish means to ‘keep warm’. And child means ‘a child living in willing dependence’. Paul does not say that he is a mother but rather says that his behavior is as a mother. The general idea here is that the vision of a better society has given birth to a new set of mental networks that need to be treated gently and tenderly because they are immature and vulnerable.

Verse 8 expands upon this concept. “In the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own souls.” In the same way describes a similarity. Fond affection means ‘to desire earnestly’. In other words, the new mental networks that are developing are emotionally attractive; it would be enjoyable to live in a society that was guided by these mental networks. Delighted combines ‘good, well’ with ‘to have an opinion’. Share with means ‘to give a share of’. This sharing includes the ‘good news of God’ but goes beyond it. Thus, these new mental networks are an expression of an integrated Teacher understanding but go beyond this. Soul is the source of the English word ‘psyche’ and is interpreted as the integrated mind. And ‘our own’ is explicitly stated. For instance, one of the key principles of mental symmetry is the recognition that the mind is composed of seven cognitive modules and that I am only conscious in one of the seven cognitive modules. When I discovered this principle, I decided that all of my cognitive modules had a right to exist. Treating subconscious thought in this matter caused each cognitive module to be represented within my mind as a mental network. I then discovered that treating subconscious thought in this matter was mentally beneficial and pleasant and led in the direction of greater mental wholeness. Therefore, I try to treat my subconscious cognitive modules in a gentle manner that encourages them to grow and develop rather than impose the authority of conscious control upon them. The end result is a sharing of my soul, because mental wholeness goes beyond the ‘me’ of conscious thought to the ‘us’ of cognitive modules.

Verse 8 finishes by describing this internal state. “Because you had become beloved to us.” Beloved is related to the word ‘agape’. And become means ‘to come into being’. Agape love describes love driven by Teacher feelings of order and integration. Applying this to mental symmetry, I have now reached the stage where I view interaction with subconscious thought as an emotional expression of the Teacher theory of mental symmetry. And I sense a similar response in return. The end result is that I like living within my mind and I will go to great lengths to ensure that interaction with the rest of my mind remains pleasant.

Verse 9 looks back. “For you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship: it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” Recall means ‘to call to mind’. Brother means ‘from the same womb’ and ‘sisters’ is implied. Labor means ‘wearisome toil’ and was used back in 1:3 to talk about the labor of love. Hardship means ‘laborious toil... implying unusual exertion of energy and effort’. It may appear at first glance as if Paul is asking for sympathy, but there is a cognitive reason for his statement. When one is developing a new set of core mental networks, then it is important to re-evaluate the past in the light of these mental networks. This does not mean changing the facts or suppressing the facts but rather looking at the same facts from a new perspective. Instead of viewing the repeated dead ends as working hard for nothing, they should be viewed as giving birth to a new set of mental networks. Notice that nothing is being said about opposition or persecution. That is because the goal is to become emotionally free of these enemies in order to build upon the positive foundation of the new mental networks. A core mental network is a mental network that has emotional depth. Therefore, re-evaluating the past is an emotionally draining process that requires an ‘unusual exertion of energy and effort’. Wearisome emphasizes the depth of the emotions while laborious emphasizes the extent.

Night and day are interpreted as the absence and presence of the light of a general understanding. ‘Night and day’ indicate that society is going through a major paradigm shift. Work ‘is a deed that carries out an inner desire’, which refers to goal-oriented behavior. I have mentioned several times that current society is going insane. Much of this insanity is the result of gut-level responses by core mental networks to the ‘night’ of a postmodern society juxtaposed with the ‘day’ of a globally connected high-tech world. Paul, in contrast, is being internally motivated by a set of mental networks that are independent of either day or night. For instance, I find that mental symmetry gives me internal stability and motivation that can function independently of the waves of insanity that are engulfing society.

So as means ‘towards, with’. Burden means ‘bringing inevitable side effects that go with becoming a burden’ and is related to the word ‘weighty’ that was used in verse 6. This relates to the goal of building a new set of core mental networks. While these mental networks are developing, it is important to be internally motivated and not fixate emotionally upon the surrounding chaos, in order to prevent the new mental networks from being colored by the trauma of the past. Once these new mental networks have achieved sufficient stability and depth, it then becomes possible to re-evaluate the past in the light of these new mental networks. For instance, I have often been tempted to focus emotionally upon some injustice, apathy, apostasy, or blasphemy that I have encountered. However, I have attempted to focus upon the positive goal of a better society because I want to become emotionally free of the insanity that surrounds me. This positive focus can be seen in the final phrase. Proclaim means ‘to preach a message publicly and with conviction’. And ‘gospel of God’ means ‘the good news of the God’. This does not mean ignoring the facts. Instead, it means reassembling all of the fragments of locally rational thinking performed by the various technical specializations into a different package guided by a meta-theory in Teacher thought. Stated more clearly, a paradigm shift does not change the facts but rather takes the same facts and puts them into a different package.

Verse 10 turns from mindset to behavior. “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we became toward you who believe.” A witness is ‘an eye- or ear-witness’. Devoutly is used once as an adverb in the New Testament and means ‘what is sanctioned by a higher law’. This is not a matter of having a pious attitude but rather of submitting personal identity to a set of higher laws. For instance, the reason that I follow mental symmetry is not because I want to follow my theory rather than other people’s theories. Instead, I submit myself to the theory of mental symmetry because I have repeatedly discovered that it accurately describes how the mind really works. Righteously means ‘God’s judicial approval’. Righteousness is defined cognitively as Server actions that are guided emotionally by a Teacher theory of God. For instance, behaving in a manner that is consistent with my understanding of how the mind works generates positive Teacher emotions.

Blamelessly means without blame. The idea is that one is not behaving in a way that threatens mental networks or takes advantage of mental networks. Believe means to ‘be persuaded’. As before, there is a cognitive reason for these statements. A new set of mental networks has emerged that are based in a rational Teacher understanding. Paul wants to become a ‘fellow citizen’ that lives in the midst of these new mental networks. But this can only be done if Paul has behaved in a manner that submitted to higher law, was guided emotionally by Teacher understanding, and did not take advantage of vulnerable mental networks. Saying this another way, a legislator can only become a fellow citizen if that legislator behaved in a law-abiding manner while functioning as a legislator. This adherence is not just a one-time event but rather describes going through a process where one ‘comes into being’.

Guiding Growing Mental Networks 2:11-12

Verse 11 looks at this more personally. “Just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children.” Just as means ‘exactly as’, know refers to empirical evidence, and how means ‘as, like as’. Each means ‘each unit viewed distinctly’ and one is explicitly mentioned. This describes a group composed of distinct individuals. For instance, the mind is composed of seven interacting cognitive modules. These modules function together as a group but each module is a distinct entity that functions in a unique manner. Father refers specifically to male thought, which emphasizes facts and sequences. And child means ‘a child living in willing dependence’. In verse 7, Paul was acting as a mother using female thought to care for vulnerable mental networks. In verse 11, Paul is using male thought to clarify the identity and role of each mental network. Empirical knowing indicates that the caring that is being done internally and privately is also being reflected in behavior that can be observed by others.

The phrase ‘exhorting and encouraging and imploring’ is in verse 12 and not verse 11 in the interlinear text. Exhorting means to ‘personally make a call’ and ‘refers to believers offering up evidence that stands up in God's court’. Thus, the emphasis is not upon emotional manipulation but rather upon using reasoning based upon universal laws in Teacher thought. This is like technology, which does not violate the laws of science but rather takes advantage of a knowledge of scientific law in order to generate desired practical results. Encourage means ‘cheering someone up by soothing speech with a personal touch’. This is emotional but it is important to place the soothing words into the proper context. It is not appropriate to use soothing words to support inadequate MMNs. However, when one is following a path of pursuing Teacher understanding at the cost of experiencing repeated personal rejection then it is easy to conclude that God is a sadist who hates me. However, the goal of this divinely orchestrated path is not to destroy identity but rather to build a new society. The core mental networks of a new society now exist and have acquired some stability. It is important to recognize emotionally that the same Teacher theories that lead unrighteous behavior to a dead end also lead righteous behavior to a living end. Imploring means ‘to summon as witness’. Thus, Paul is rethinking his previous behavior in which he did not follow the example of others from a positive perspective as an example that can be followed by others.

Verse 12 continues, “So that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.’ So that means ‘to or into’. Walk means to ‘walk around’ and indicates how ‘I conduct my life’. Thus, the goal of clarifying the new set of mental networks is to make it possible to live a new way of life guided by these new mental networks. For instance, the evangelical interpretation of the Rapture views the mental networks of a better society as something that will only be achieved by God in some magical manner after one is transported magically to heaven. Verse 12, in contrast, talks about adding practical details to these new mental networks in order to think rationally about what it would be like to live in a heavenly manner here on earth. (If one views miracles as exceptions to the laws of physics, then this describes magical thinking. In contrast, mental symmetry views the supernatural as an alternate expression of mental symmetry guided by its own set of ‘natural’ laws. In brief, what humans regard as concrete thought because it resonates with the physical environment, angels would regard as abstract thought. In contrast, angels would regard human abstract thought as concrete thought because it resonates with their ‘environment’ of interacting messages. Thus, these essays on the New Testament could be regarded as a reformulation of the angelic ‘landscape’.)

This goal is portrayed by the final phrase. Worthy means ‘having worth that matches actual value’. ‘Walking in a manner worthy of the God’ would mean translating an abstract understanding of heavenly perfection into matching behavior down here on earth. The current behavior of evangelical Christianity provides a negative example because many evangelical Christians think that the end justifies the means, leading to practical behavior down here on earth that violates any abstract understanding of heavenly perfection. In contrast, my development of mental symmetry has been motivated by a deep desire to work out what it means to actually live within the theory of mental symmetry.

Call means ‘call, summon, invite’. Into is the same word ‘to or into’ that was used earlier in the verse. A kingdom is ‘the realm in which a king sovereignly rules’. And glory describes external results that reflect internal character. This relates to the analogy given earlier of a legislator passing laws in order to lay the foundation for a new society in which he and others can live. This is different than the dominion theology proclaimed by many evangelical Christians in two major ways: First, dominion theology attempts to impose the rule of conservative Christian MMNs upon secular society rather than submitting to the TMN of a kingdom of God. Dominion theology imposes my rules upon society while verse 12 submits to the rule of God. Second, dominion theology uses external, political means to impose rules upon society while ignoring personal character. For instance, Donald Trump fundamentally violates Christian standards of personal character. But he is viewed by dominion theology as chosen by God because he will impose the rules of conservative Christian culture upon society. In contrast, mental symmetry recognizes that I can only change society to the extent that I myself submit to the rule of universal law in Teacher thought and allow that law to transform my internal character. Dominion theology leads to my own dictatorship of hypocrisy. Mental symmetry leads to ‘His own kingdom of glory’. The ultimate source of dominion theology is not God but rather preserving my cultural MMNs which are screaming because society has gone insane. The kingdom in verse 12, in contrast, belongs to God, because it comes out of the TMN of a universal understanding of how things work.

Basing Mental Networks upon Universal Principles 2:13-14

Verse 13 describes this focus upon God in Teacher thought. “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us.” ‘For this reason’ indicates that verse 13 follows from verse 12. Give thanks means ‘acknowledging that God’s grace works well’. This is the opposite of thinking of God as a sadistic monster who just wants to suppress me. For instance, developing mental symmetry has been a long, laborious, and lonely path. However, when I see evangelical Christianity succumbing to insanity and supporting dictators like Donald Trump, then I am very thankful that divine providence forced me to follow a path of developing a rational concept of God and practicing what I preach. This thankfulness is to ‘the God’. In other words, what really protects a person from going astray is not the words or instructions of some other person but rather the TMN of a mental concept of God. People’s words can play a role in helping to develop such a concept of God, but it is the internal mental network of a concept of God that exerts power. Constantly was used back in verse 13 and means ‘without any unnecessary interval’. In other words, one is not just thankful for the occasional reminder that one receives once a week when attending church or once a day when reading the Bible. Instead, one is being guided by the TMN of a meta-theory that applies generally to all aspects of human existence.

The formation of a TMN of God is indicated by the phrase ‘received the word of God which you heard from us’. Received means to ‘aggressively take’. Similarly, a theory turns into a TMN when one continues to work with this theory and think about this theory. Word is ‘logos’ which refers to the Teacher theory behind some technical specialization. On the one hand, this theory was ‘heard from us’. But on the other hand, this theory is ‘the word of God’.

Verse 13 finishes by comparing these two. “You accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.” Accepted means ‘to receive in a welcoming way’. Cognitively speaking, this means allowing the theory to turn into a mental network. For instance, most people do not receive the theory of mental symmetry in a welcoming way, but instead drop the subject when the theory starts to turn into a TMN. Men is the generic word for mankind and word is ‘logos’. The ‘logos’ of men describes a general theory that is based upon the opinions of some human experts, such as regarding mental symmetry as Lorin Friesen’s theory of personality.

As means ‘according to the manner in which’, which describes a similarity. Really means ‘true to fact... reality as the opposite of illusion’. The English translations convey the idea that the Bible is obviously the word of God, but I think that the Greek text is conveying something more subtle. Receiving a theory as the word of God rather than the word of some expert does not come automatically. Instead, it only happens according to the manner in which this theory is true to fact and reflects reality as opposed to mere opinion. For instance, I may say that mental symmetry is not based in my personal opinion, but people will only be able to believe this to the extent that they can make connections between mental symmetry and the facts of reality. People have to see for themselves that mental symmetry describes how the mind really works and this realization makes it possible for them to emotionally base this theory in the TMN of a universal understanding of how the mind works rather than in any MMNs of respect for me as a person. Using another example, the law of gravity is not true because it is written in some science textbook. Instead, it is true because it describes how the world functions. But a student of science will only believe that it describes a universal law to the extent that tl symmetry as Lorin Friesen’s theory of personality.

As means ‘according to the manner in which’, which describes a similarity. Really means ‘true to fact... reality as the opposite of illusion’. The English translations convey the idea that the Bible is obviously the word of God, but I think that the Greek text is conveying something more subtle. Receiving a theory as the word of God rather than the word of some expert does not come automatically. Instead, it only happens according to the manner in which this theory is true to fact and reflects reality as opposed to mere opinion. For instance, I may say that mental symmetry is not based in my personal opinion, but people will only be able to believe this to the extent that they can make connections between mental symmetry and the facts of reality. People have to see for themselves that mental symmetry describes how the mind really works and this realization makes it possible for them to emotionally base this theory in the TMN of a universal understanding of how the mind works rather than in any MMNs of respect for me as a person. Using another example, the law of gravity is not true because it is written in some science textbook. Instead, it is true because it describes how the world functions. But a student of science will only believe that it describes a universal law to the extent that that student has independently experienced the law of gravity.

Work adds the prefix ‘in the realm of’ to ‘a deed that carries out an inner desire’. This work is happening ‘in the realm of you’. It does not happen automatically but rather to those who believe, who are willing to ‘be persuaded’. In other words, the words have to be analyzed rationally, internalized, and result in self-initiated action. This is required for the student to become emotionally free of the teacher.

Verse 14 describes a further step. “For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.” Imitator means ‘one who imitates, emulates’ and was used earlier in 1:6. In 1:6 Paul and his colleagues were being imitated. In verse 14, the churches of God are being imitated. Church refers to ‘a people called out from the world and to God’. In 1:6, the theory was being imitated as a general theory of cognition. In verse 14, the theory is being imitated as an aspect of following God in Teacher thought. For instance, as I have used mental symmetry to analyze more of the Bible, I have increasingly come to the conclusion that following mental symmetry is actually a legitimate way of following God in a spiritually and theologically valid manner.

But notice that the connection is not with all churches but rather with ‘the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea’. ‘Of God’ means that a concept of God is being followed in Teacher thought. ‘In Christ Jesus’ means functioning within the realm of an integrated concept of incarnation. Judea is used once in 1 Thessalonians and is related to Judah and Judas and means ‘praised’. ‘Praised’ implies a mindset of absolute truth that gives emotional status to some source of truth. This would refer to traditional churches that believe in the Bible and religious authority. Thus, the followers of Paul are viewing themselves as a legitimate continuation of the historical church, to the extent that the church has followed God and incarnation.

Verse 14 continues by saying that this feeling of commonality with the historical church involves the lessons that were learned through hardship and opposition. “For you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews.” Suffering means ‘to feel heavy emotion’. This may involve physical persecution, but the emphasis is upon what is happening emotionally and internally. No word of comparison is used. Instead, one is regarded as the same as the other. Thus, believers in the historical Christian church went through the same emotional struggle that is now being experienced by the followers of Paul. Similarly, my path of developing mental symmetry has not included the physical persecution experienced by the historical church. But I find myself resonating emotionally with Christian believers in absolute truth who have had to pay a personal price for their beliefs.

Countrymen is used once in the New Testament and means ‘a fellow tribesman or countryman’. Own means ‘one’s own, distinct’. Opposition usually comes from outsiders who have different mental networks. In this case, the opposition is coming from colleagues, family members, and fellow citizens who share the same cultural and personal MMNs. That is because God has been choosing individuals from within these groups to follow a special school of divine leading that causes them to develop new mental networks that are different than those around them. For instance, I come from a Bible-believing, Mennonite culture which has historically emphasized following biblical principles to transform personal character. And yet, I find that almost no one in my background is interested in a theory of cognition that uses biblical principles to transform personal character. Similarly, I have read thousands of academic papers in the fields of neurology and cognition, and yet I find that almost no one in these areas is interested in a general theory of neurology and cognition. In both cases, I have been experiencing deep emotions as result of consistent rejection from members of my own cultural groups.

The final phrase begins with an ‘according to the manner in which’, which indicates that here a comparison is being made. The opposition for historical believers was from ‘the Jews’. Jew comes from the same root as Judea and means ‘praised’. Cognitively speaking, when a system of belief is based in respect for MMNs of authority, then there will always be individuals who choose to seek personal status and respect rather than submit to the system of belief. This is different than sharing an integrated concept of God with a society composed of people who are locally rational. For the historical church, the struggle was over truth versus personal authority. For a locally rational, technical society, the struggle involves an unwillingness to stop fixating upon individual trees and start looking at the whole forest. However, the emotional struggle is similar, as is the requirement for following a lonely path guided by an internal concept of God despite societal opposition. Thus, one path is being described as similar to the other path while the emotional response is being regarded as the same.

Emotional commonality with Historical Persecution 2:15-16

Verse 15 adds “who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out.” ‘Who’ would refer to ‘the Jews’ because the word ‘Jews’ directly precedes the word ‘who’ in both the English and the Greek. This should not be interpreted as an anti-Semitic attack upon the Jewish people, but rather as a reference to any system that is based in praise for authority. Killed means to ‘put to death’. The Greek says ‘the Lord having killed Jesus’, placing ‘having killed’ between Lord and Jesus. This implies that what is being put to death is the connection between Lord and Jesus. Lord implies some source of authority in Mercy thought, while Jesus means salvation of God. The cognitive principle is that a mindset of absolute truth can handle some personal salvation but will kill any concept of regarding personal salvation as Lord. That is because belief in absolute truth can only survive as long as one regards the source of absolute truth as far more important than personal identity. Saving me increases the emotional significance of me which will eventually cause my belief in absolute truth to fall into doubt. The message of Christianity leads to personal salvation. But if this message is taught as absolute truth, then experiencing too much personal salvation will cause me to doubt the message of Christianity. Thus, ‘the Jews’ have to kill any connection between Lord and Jesus in order to preserve the mindset of ‘praised’.

The same logic applies to postmodern thought. The basic premise of postmodernism is that all truth is based in the authority of some person or group, which is a version of ‘praised’. If all truth is based in power, then those who have power are oppressing those who do not. This may be the case, but it is also possible that a group is experiencing painful consequences and/or being left behind because it is clinging to its cultural MMNs without adopting the rational, goal-oriented approach of modern science and technology. The end result is to kill the connection between Lord and Jesus. Modern society treated Jesus as Lord in the realm of the objective by emphasizing progress and development. Postmodern society opposes progress and development that threatens the cultural MMNs of some disadvantaged or aboriginal group.

Prophet means ‘elevating one idea over another, especially through the spoken word’. The basic premise of absolute truth is that truth comes from sources of authority who have status in Mercy thought. Prophets have historically disrupted this system by pointing out the shortcomings and abuses of regarding people as sources of authority. And the traditional response to uncomfortable messages has been to kill the messenger. Similarly, postmodernism does not use rational thought but rather treats science and technology as expressions of some messenger which it then attempts to kill.

Driven out is used once in the New Testament and combines ‘from out of’ with ‘aggressively chase’. This is a different response than the killing mentioned earlier in the verse. For instance, I have not received active opposition from religious leaders. Instead, what I have experienced is aggressive silencing which ensures that the topic of mental symmetry is never raised within a religious context. This is motivated by the fundamental split between objective and subjective within modern society. One of the reasons that people remain locally rational is because they are afraid that extending scientific rational thought into the subjective and universal will eliminate all personal and cosmic meaning and significance. In other words, religion and following God are being viewed as emotional refuges from the impersonal rational thinking of science and technology. This emotional refuge must be kept free of the rational thinking used by mental symmetry. This includes refusing to discuss mental symmetry, because the very act of discussing the subject would allow rational thinking to invade the emotional refuge. This type of response can also be seen in postmodernism, which is well-known for protesting against, shouting down, or discrediting any attempt to use rational thought within the subjective realm of personal and cultural MMNs.

Verse 15 concludes, “And are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people.” Pleasing means ‘winning someone’s favor’ and was used in verse 14 to talk about ‘pleasing men’. Not pleasing God means that this attitude of treating religion as a refuge from secular existence does not help a concept of God in Teacher thought. Instead, it leads to what is called a god of the gaps, in which one sees God in exceptions to the general rule of scientific law. One cannot build a general theory in Teacher thought upon contradictions to general theories in Teacher thought. Men refers to mankind, and hostile means ‘opposed to, in principle and in practice’. This description has become apparent as a result of the covid pandemic. Scientific technical thought tends to be objective and specialized. However, the covid pandemic caused scientific technical thought to cross this boundary. On the one hand, the government imposed restrictions upon personal interaction in order to limit the transmission of the virus. This was viewed as invading the realm of the subjective. On the other hand, the government also implemented general plans that spread beyond specific specializations to apply to all of society in general. Many evangelical Christians (and others) responded to this invasion by adopting an attitude of hostility to humanity. The typical evangelical Christian today does not stand for anything or believe in anything, but rather is hostile to everything, opposes everyone, and is currently trying to re-elect a president who is also hostile to everything and opposes everyone. If I were not seeing this happen with my very own eyes I would never believe that evangelical Christianity would descend to this level of satanic thought and behavior, and this is an accurate description because the word Satan means adversary.

Similarly, government-directed education claims to be a source of truth for students. However, the government of my home province of British Columbia has now mandated that every subject in every grade be taught from a perspective that gives honor and recognition to native thought and culture. Thus, one is supposed to teach Punjabi or Mandarin Chinese in a manner that consults indigenous elders and gives respect to indigenous culture. Similarly, one is supposed to teach mathematics, including calculus and computer science, from an indigenous perspective. Again, if I were not experiencing this personally I never would have believed that so-called educators would descend to such a level of insanity. If one is supposed to honor one specific culture in every subject, then, by definition, one is dishonoring every other culture and one is also attacking the idea that one can pursue subjects such as science and math in a manner that is independent of culture. Going further, treating aboriginal culture as a meta-theory that applies to all subjects is not pleasing to God in Teacher thought because it forces Teacher thought to submit to a fake universal Teacher theory. One can legitimately state that aboriginal cultures have expertise in certain areas and learn from this expertise. One can also recognize that aboriginal groups have been mistreated in the past. But that is not what is being done. Instead, aboriginal culture is being treated as a universal meta-theory that applies to every subject whether this is appropriate or not.

Verse 16 goes further. “Hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved.” Hinder means ‘to hinder’. Gentile means ‘people joined by practicing similar customs are common culture’ which describes a group of people connected by a similar MMNs of culture. Speak means ‘to talk’ and refers to normal conversation. Save means ‘deliver out of danger and into safety’. Thus, not only are religious leaders refusing to discuss personal salvation, but they are also preventing personal salvation from being taught to various cultural groups. This hindering can also be seen in postmodernism. Postmodernism began as an attempt to eliminate injustice, but it has turned into an active rejection of applying rational goal-oriented thought to any cultural group. Instead of helping the culturally disadvantaged, one is supposed to avoid offending any cultural group or make them feel bad by suggesting that a better way is possible.

Verse 16 finishes, “With the result that they always complete the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the end.” With the result is a word that means ‘to or into’. Thus, this response is heading in a certain direction. Complete means to ‘fill up completely’. And always means ‘at all times’. The idea is that this response is spreading and becoming a general quality that characterizes all interaction. Sin means ‘missing the mark’. ‘Completing the limit of their sins’ would mean becoming characterized by a general response that consistently fall short of its proclaimed standards. The result is not just hypocrisy but rather universal hypocrisy, a universal discrepancy between what evangelical Christendom claims to follow and how evangelical Christendom is actually behaving, between what secular education claims to follow and how so-called secular education is actually behaving, between the idea of a univers-ity that teaches universal understanding and how academia actually behaves.

Has come means to ‘precede, arrive ahead of time’. Wrath means ‘settled anger’ and was previously seen in 1:10. To the end means ‘consummation, such as closure with all its results’. Cognitively speaking, it is becoming obvious to society that the mindset of absolute truth is fundamentally flawed. And this is happening ahead of time. Normally, absolute truth leads to dictators who lead society in a direction that eventually leads to war and/or destruction. In this case, absolute truth is overextending itself in order to become universally distasteful before it has a chance to lead society along the path to destruction. This makes it mentally possible to move beyond a mindset of absolute truth before society is destroyed by war and dictators. Similarly, it is becoming obvious to society that secular education (in Canada) has become blatantly religious, causing this approach to become repulsive before postmodernism has a chance to totally destroy the content of education. And it is becoming obvious to society that academia has become split into specializations, causing such fragmented thinking to be rejected before specializations themselves crumble into power groups that ignore evidence in favor of approved methodology.

Thwarted Opportunities 2:17-20

Verse 17 mentions an inability to connect. “But we, brothers and sisters, having been orphaned from you by absence for an occasion of an hour—in face, not in heart—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.” Orphaned is used once in the New Testament and combines ‘separate from’ with ‘leave as an orphan’. From means ‘from, away from’. Occasion refers to ‘opportune time’ as opposed to clock time. In other words, the various support structures that have given personal support to Paul during this time of research have died off, leaving him mentally an orphan, with nothing to support his mental networks of personal identity. If a day represents some cycle of society, then an hour would represent some period within this cycle. This period is not a specific length of time but rather one that can be measured in terms of lost opportunities. For instance, during this period of society going insane around me, I have also lost connections to groups and institutions that I used to look to for personal support. I used to be able to find some emotional support in family, academia, and evangelical Christianity. But these various entities have all become overwhelmed by the insanity of society to the extent that I know that I will never, ever receive meaningful support for mental symmetry from these entities. Emotionally speaking, I now feel like an orphan, because every possible door of opportunity has been closed.

In face means ‘the face’ and heart is interpreted as personal identity. More abundantly means ‘further than the upper limit, going past what is anticipated’. Eager means ‘to move speedily by showing full diligence’. Face was mentioned earlier in the verse. See means to ‘see with the mind’. Great means ‘much in number’, and desire means ‘passion built on strong feelings’. ‘In face’ would presumably refer to social interaction while heart would refer to mental networks. For example, my orphaning from existing social groups has led to a strong desire to expand my interaction with mental symmetry beyond the internal realm of personal mental networks to the external and social realm of MMNs. In other words, mental symmetry has gone beyond the vision of a better possible world to a theory that defines my identity within which I want to interact socially. This has become a strong motivation based in strong feelings. Therefore, I have been trying diligently to extend mental symmetry as a theory in which I could not just live internally but rather interact with other individuals as a society. One example would be writing this essay which explores what is required to go beyond personal identity to social interaction. This strong desire is the result of many incidents of feeling orphaned from existing social groups. For example, I recently spent over a month working hard to put together an academic paper on mental networks and the vmPFC in order to submit to an entry level journal that was calling for new and provocative theories of brain function. I thought that this would be a slam-dunk, but in order to make this 100% certain I wrote the best possible paper that I could. I received a rejection letter stating that my paper was not what they were looking for, which was obviously false. This rejection made it obvious that no journal will ever publish anything about mental symmetry as a meta-theory. Since then, I have been pushing as hard as I can towards breaking through to the spiritual realm in order to interact with this realm not just at the level of mental networks but at the level of actual social interaction.

Verse 18 summarizes this struggle. “For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and Satan hindered us.” Want means ‘to desire, wish’. Come means ‘to come, go’. To means ‘towards, with’. Thus, the goal is to get closer to the new society as an individual. Paul means ‘small’. This is the only mention of Paul in this epistle apart from 1:1 and ‘I’ is explicitly included. In other words, Paul does not just want to live within his new society in some generic manner. Instead, he as an individual wants to participate within this society. We saw earlier that a legislator has to submit to the rule of law in order to become a fellow citizen of his legislation. The name ‘Paul’ implies that the requirement of going beyond a source of law to being submitted to law has been met. And the personal emphasis indicates that Paul has now reached a level of mentally regarding himself as a fellow citizen and not as a source of law. For instance, the emphasis within my mind has now shifted from ‘How can I spread theory of mental symmetry?’ to ‘How can I interact as an individual within a society that is governed by mental symmetry?’

‘More than once’ is more literally ‘both once and twice’. Looking at this personally, the second time involved the rejection of my paper on the vmPFC. Before that, I took even longer to put together an integrated analysis of second-language acquisition, thinking that a field that was fragmented and calling out for a meta-theory would be receptive to a meta-theory. It wasn’t. Instead, a professor in this field eventually informed me that my paper would never get published, no matter how good the paper was, because professors don’t want a theory looking over their shoulder and they don’t want outsiders coming in to tell them how to think. Satan means ‘adversary’. Hinder means to cut into, like blocking off a road’. In both of my cases, the attempt to present an integrated meta-theory was ‘cut into’ by a mindset of specialization that instinctively cuts understanding into separate specializations. This leads to a satanic mindset in which each specialization views other specializations as adversaries, as well as taking an adversarial approach to any type of thinking that attempts to go beyond the confines or assumptions of some specialization. Similarly, interaction with many family members and evangelical Christendom in general has also been ‘cut into’ by an adversarial reaction against government intervention to the covid crisis.

Paul describes his emotional response in verse 19. “For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride?” Hope means ‘expectation of what is sure’ and indicates Exhorter thought focusing upon some internal goal that is based upon rational thinking. For instance, rational thought tells me that it would be personally desirable to live within a society governed by mental symmetry. But I can only see this internally and be motivated to head in that direction. Joy means ‘grace recognized’ and describes Teacher emotion. For instance, a society that expresses mental symmetry would be characterized by extensive Teacher emotions of elegance, integration, and beauty. A crown is mentioned once in Thessalonians and is a ‘wreath awarded to a victor in the ancient athletic games’. Boasting is also mentioned once in Thessalonians and means ‘the act of boasting, exultation’. For instance, my goal is not to get mental symmetry accepted as a cognitive theory. That is no longer enough. What is the point of getting mental symmetry accepted when people are incapable of dealing with larger issues in a rational manner? Instead, I want to break through to a new realm that expresses mental symmetry and I want the expression of mental symmetry to speak for me by demonstrating sanity to a world that has gone insane.

Verse 19 finishes, “In the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you?” The final phrase comes first in the original Greek. Thus, Paul’s focus has shifted from a theory to a society to specific individuals who embody living within this society. Similarly, mental symmetry has shifted in my mind from a meta-theory in Teacher thought, to the internal vision of a better society in Mercy thought, to interacting socially with beings (visible or invisible) who embody the concepts of mental symmetry. I do not know if if these invisible beings exist because all I sense is their mental networks. But I keep finding that if I treat these mental networks as intelligent beings then they respond as intelligent beings. And my feeling of being orphaned means that the choice is between turning cynical and hoping that there is some reality behind my internal, invisible social interaction.

In the presence means ‘in front, before the face’, which would refer to social interaction. Lord Jesus indicates a focus upon the salvation of the concrete side of incarnation as a submission to this path of salvation. For instance, this treats mental symmetry as a path that is capable of saving me as an individual if I continue to submit to it. At is more literally ‘in the realm of’. And coming means ‘a presence, a coming’ and is used several times in Matthew 24 to refer to the ‘second coming’. Thus, this salvation is not based upon people or institutions that currently exist. Instead, something invisible is going to have to make an appearing for it to happen.

Verse 20 finishes. “For you are our glory and joy.” Are refers to the situation in the present. Glory describes some external expression of internal character. And joy describes Teacher emotion. Looking at this personally, apart from a handful of individuals, I cannot point to any external group or organization that has been transformed by mental symmetry. Instead, I view my invisible companions as an expression of my theory of mental symmetry that exists externally and independently of my mind and I find Teacher pleasure in the order-within- complexity of this structured relationship.

Abandoned as an Academic Theory 3:1-5

Chapter 3 refers to a visit by Timothy. “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens.” No longer means ‘no longer, not anymore’. Endure means to ‘place under roof, to cover over’. A roof or cover protects one from the outside elements. ‘No longer enduring’ means that it is no longer possible to ignore the external world or pretend that things will be okay. For instance, evangelical Christian support for Trump, the possible re-election of Trump, and Trump’s continued support for dictators such as Putin, means that I can no longer ignore what is happening. I just found out today that you can buy a Bible—King James Version of course—that is officially endorsed by Donald Trump from ‘God Bless the USA Bible’. Of course, one should not imply from this that Donald Trump would endorse—or even known—any of the contents of the Bible. Looking at the other side of the political spectrum, when academia refuses to evaluate a legitimate meta-theory while treating aboriginal religion and culture as a meta-theory and imposing it by law upon vulnerable students, then this also cannot be ignored.

Thought it best means ‘what seems good’ and was used back in 2:8 to describe sharing one’s soul with one’s followers. Left behind means ‘to leave, leave behind’. Athens is mentioned once in Thessalonians and Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom. If Greece represents academia, then being left behind in Athens would mean getting stuck at the level of an academic theory. Similarly, mental symmetry has now achieved the level of an academic theory with a number of academic papers. Most of these have not been officially published, but they are being read even if no one comments on them. This is a significant transition because mental symmetry started as a system of spiritual gifts and includes significant theological analysis. Therefore, being left behind in Athens as an academic theory is different than being left behind in Jerusalem as a religious system.

Paul sends Timothy in verse 2. “And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith.” Sent simply means ‘to send’. Timothy combines ‘value’ and ‘God’. Paul’s message in the previous verses have not been valued by people in Mercy thought. Timothy looks at value from the perspective of God in Teacher thought. Fellow worker is used once in Thessalonians and combines ‘together with’ and ‘goal oriented action’. This suggests that Timothy is an alternate formulation of Paul’s message that approaches value from an integrated Teacher perspective. For instance, mental symmetry began as a theory of cognitive development and gradually expanded to become a meta-theory of cognition. But it is also possible to view this meta-theory as a way of approaching economic value from an integrated perspective. Timothy is described as ‘our brother and God’s fellow worker’. Thus, this alternate formulation is related to Paul’s message but starts from a concept of God in Teacher thought. For instance, mental symmetry started with personal development and studying the mind but gradually turned into a general theory and vision of a better society. It is possible to flip this progression around and view mental symmetry as a way of improving existing economic and political activity in order to benefit people and bring order to existing society.

Gospel means ‘good news’ and previous verses have talked about our gospel or the gospel of God. But this is the first reference to the gospel of Christ, and it is also the last mention of ‘gospel’ in 1 Thessalonians. Christ refers to the abstract side of incarnation. Thus, a gospel of Christ would mean presenting good news from the viewpoint of abstract technical thought, consistent with the idea of reinterpreting mental symmetry from the abstract viewpoint of constructing a better economy.

Strengthen means ‘a support that fixes, plants down’, which implies building a more solid foundation for something that already exists. Encourage means to ‘personally make a call’ and was previously seen in 2:12. For the benefit of means ‘on behalf of’ and faith means to ‘be persuaded’. Thus, the goal is to encourage rational thinking. For instance, instead of attempting to use mental symmetry to rationally analyze the subjective, one is using mental symmetry to try to lay a more solid foundation for rational thought.

Verse 3 describes the result. “So that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions.” No one means ‘no one, nothing’. Moved is used once in the New Testament and means ‘to wag the tail’. An animal wags its tail to indicate emotional involvement. Thus, ‘wagging the tail’ would presumably represent some form of emotional fixation that destabilizes societal structure. Affliction is the word usually translated as tribulation which is ‘used of a narrow place that hems someone in’. Applying this to the idea of a better society, the basic premise of economics is that people can use technical thought to specialize and then exchange goods and services with one another. However, fixating upon technical specialization will lead to extreme ‘tribulation’ in which everyone is ‘hemmed in’ by technical regulations. This leaves the subjective and universal aspects of the economy open to being ‘wagged’ by various manipulative forces, such as marketing, propaganda, spirituality, and postmodern activism. Mental symmetry provides a rational understanding of these emotional forces which can prevent the economy from being ‘wagged’ by people and institutions.

Verse 3 continues, “For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.” Know refers to empirical evidence. For means ‘to or into’ and destined means ‘to be laid, lie’. A more literal translation would be, ‘You yourselves know that toward this we are laid’. The idea is that one is not actively heading towards some destination but rather automatically reaching some state through passivity. Similarly, society did not actively attempt to reach the current condition of hyper-specialization. Instead, this state was automatically reached as people embraced the modern economy in a passive manner.

Verse 4 emphasizes that Paul is talking about the narrowness and squeezing of ‘tribulation’. “For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; just as it happened and you know.” Telling you in advance means to ‘summarize in advance’. Thus, the present state was being predicted in a general manner and this general prediction is now be fleshed out by specific experiences. For instance, mental symmetry predicted where society would go if current trends continued. However, now that I am living within this predicted society, I am finding that the results go far beyond anything that I could have conceived as possible or reasonable. Mental symmetry has proved to be accurate, but I had no idea that it would be so painfully and totally accurate. Going to means ‘at the very point of acting’. And suffer affliction is the verb form of the noun that means ‘restricted to a narrow place’. Thus, studying the mind and society makes it obvious that the current focus upon technical specializations would cause everyone to feel squeezed by the modern economy and attempt to find some emotional release from the tyranny of technical thought. Just as means ‘corresponding to fully’ and has been seen several times in this epistle. Came to pass means ‘to come into being’. And know refers to empirical knowledge. Thus, the squeezing of technical specializations gradually emerged in the same way that was predicted. What began as a Teacher theory has now turned into Mercy experiences. This explains why the modern economy is in trouble and needs to be placed upon a more solid foundation. People are rebelling against government interference, suppressing scientific thought, embracing alternate ways of knowing, and seeking indigenous spirituality in order to find some form of emotional meaning and release from the impersonal squeezing of technical specializations.

Verse 5 says that this caused Paul to change his focus. “For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to find out about your faith.” I also means ‘I also, I too’ which suggests that this general problem involving the specialized economy is having a personal impact upon Paul at the level of cognitive development. For instance, developing the theory of mental symmetry has always been a combination of studying the mind and following a personal path of growth. Therefore, I have avoided pursuing mental symmetry in a purely abstract manner as a theory. However, in 3:1 Paul decided that he would remain at the academic level of Athens. This is possible because maintaining academic thought and the specialized economy now requires intervention at the personal level of cognitive transformation. In other words, postmodern questioning and spirituality has invaded academia and the economy to the extent where simply surviving as a theory requires including the personal element.

‘No longer enduring’ is the same two Greek words that was seen in verse 1, except this time the tense has shifted from plural to singular. Enduring means ‘to cover closely so as to keep water out’. In other words, Paul is now feeling personally affected by the waters of raw experience from outside society. Similarly, I have been trying to pursue mental symmetry while interacting with society at a distance in order to avoid being engulfed by the growing insanity of society. That is becoming increasingly difficult as this insanity has been touching me in more personal ways. Sent simply means ‘to send’. And find out means ‘to know, especially through personal experience’. This is the only time that this version of ‘know’ is used in Thessalonians. This emphasizes that Paul is being affected personally at an emotional level. For instance, I have known for some time at a theoretical and factual level that society is only locally rational. But the responses and rejections that I have received recently have made it emotionally clear to me at a gut level that people really are insane and that they will never respond in a rational manner to mental symmetry as long as I live, unless some new path is followed. Similarly, Paul wants to know ‘your faith’ and faith means to be persuaded. Stated bluntly, Paul is wondering at a gut level if there is any rational thought left in society.

Verse 5 finishes by describing Paul’s concern. “For fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.” Fear is a mistranslation; it is not in the original Greek and is not mentioned in the KJV. Instead, the two words not and how are used. Thus, the emphasis is upon attempting to understand the path rather than fearing some outcome. Tempt is used twice in this verse and means to ‘test, tempt’. The positive word test was used in 2:4. The goal of testing is for someone to pass. The goal of tempting is for someone to fail, but temptation can have a positive result if one does not fail. The negative word ‘tempting’ is used twice in this verse which indicates that the goal is failure. Similarly, the goal of current protests against impersonal, rational science by various groups such as indigenous ‘knowing’, wokeism, and evangelical Christendom is to not to reform the system but rather to destroy it. The NASB uses the word ‘tempter’ as a noun to imply some evil source. But the Greek word is actually a verb and a more accurate translation would be ‘lest somehow had tempted you the tempting’. In other words, the danger comes from the process of tempting being instigated by various escapist forces within society.

Vain means ‘empty, void’. Would be means ‘to come into being’. Labor means ‘laborious toil’ and was used in 1:3 to describe Paul’s labor of love. Paul is concerned that all his hard work has been for nothing. Similarly, when I realize at a gut level that no one, apart from a handful of individuals, will ever accept mental symmetry but rather continue to march like lemmings toward the self-destruction of insanity, then it is easy to conclude that my decades of struggling to discover a better society have been for nothing.

News of an Independent Pursuit of Global Value 3:6-10

Paul receives a positive response from Timothy in verse 6. “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love.” Now means ‘just now, at this moment’. Come means ‘to come, go’. Timothy means ‘value of God’. And ‘toward us away from you’ is explicitly mentioned. Brought good news is the verb form of ‘evangelical’ and is only used once in Thessalonians. Looking at this literally, Timothy has just returned from Thessalonica and is reporting good news. Interpreting this symbolically and applying it to mental symmetry, some general theory that discusses value from a Teacher perspective is coming from a different source and connecting with mental symmetry. Curiously, this is happening to me right now, because an old friend of my brother is finishing up a massive three volume set that discusses economics and leadership from a general perspective and wants to include a chapter on cognitive styles. I do not know what the rest of his ten-year project contains, but this friend has told me that the emphasis is upon seeking value. This is the first time in my research that something like this is happened. More curiously, I am currently analyzing 1 Thessalonians 3 and when I started examining this epistle a few days ago, I had only a general idea of what it says and did not know that this interpretation would emerge. I have no idea where this will lead, and so far the standard scenario has been for a door to open a crack and then slam my face. However, the synchronicity is rather striking. Faith means to ‘be persuaded’ and love refers to being guided by Teacher understanding. Similarly, my interaction with this individual so far indicates a willingness to use rational thought to construct a general Teacher understanding.

Have means ‘to have, hold’. Remembrance means ‘a bringing to mind’. Good means ‘intrinsically good’. Similarly, this individual, whom I personally met for the first time about two months ago, learned about cognitive styles many years ago from my older brother, has good memories about my brother’s research on cognitive styles and analysis of historical biographies, and he views cognitive styles as something that is intrinsically good. Long for means ‘to long for, especially as it is fitting’. And see means to ‘see with the mind’. This would indicate a desire to gain a greater mental understanding or internal picture. Just as indicates that two situations are being compared. Similarly, my original desire to go beyond an internal vision of a better society to social interaction within such a society is still present, but I have now encountered someone else who appears to be driven by a similar desire.

Paul says in verse 7 that he finds this encouraging. “For this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith.” ‘For this reason’ is more literally ‘because of this’. Comforted means to ‘personally make a call’ and is related to the word used to describe the Holy Spirit in John 14-16. Distress means ‘a compelling need requiring immediate action’. And affliction means narrowness. This goes beyond the mere squeezing of technical specializations to impending societal disasters that require immediate attention. Faith means to ‘be persuaded’. Thus, the encouragement comes from the discovery that others are trying to use rational thought to develop a general theory that will address the current situation.

Verse 8 concludes, “For now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” Now means ‘now, in the light of what is gone before’. Live refers to both natural and spiritual life and was previously used in 1:9 to talk about serving a living and true God. Paul is now talking about himself living. But if indicates that this life is conditional. Stand firm means ‘to stand’ and is interpreted as stability in Perceiver thought. ‘In the realm of the Lord’ would mean applying Perceiver principles in action and not just asserting them as abstract words. Looking at this from the viewpoint of a legislator, the legislator has become the sort of person who is capable of living within the law and the legislator also has a need to live within some society. The good news that someone else is attempting to understand the principles of a better economy could provide the starting point for living within a new society, resulting in life for Paul, but this will only happen if this new potential system has stability and can actually rule over society. This summarizes my current feeling about the potentially good news that I have encountered.

Verse 9 expands, “For what thanks can we give to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God.” Thanks means ‘thankful for God’s grace’ and was used in verb form in 1:2 and 2:13 to talk about thanking God. Can means to have power and is interpreted as active Perceiver thought. Give means ‘to give back as an equivalent, recompense’. For is more accurately ‘about, concerning’. For means ‘on the basis of’. Thus, Paul is asking what can be done in abstract thought to respond appropriately to this encounter. I am asking myself the same thing right now. Joy refers to Teacher emotion and rejoice is the same word in verb form. Because of is an accurate translation. Before means ‘before the face’. Notice that this response involves Teacher thought and Teacher emotion and not Mercy thought. What has been encountered is not a new society with people but rather a theory of a better society that may be compatible.

Verse 10 describes Paul’s response. “As we keep praying most earnestly night and day that we may see your faces, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?” ‘Night and day’ indicates the absence and presence of societal understanding. Praying means ‘having deep personal need, to be in want’. Earnestly means ‘over, beyond’. Thus, Paul’s lack goes beyond a deep personal need. Similarly, I really, really need to be able to live within a better society that is guided by mental symmetry, because if this does not happen then I will turn cynical or die inside. See means ‘to see with the mind’. And face would refer to social interaction. Supply is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘properly adjusted’. Lacking is also used once in Thessalonians and means ‘what is lacking’. Faith means to ‘be persuaded’. Similarly, when I encounter a general theory from someone else then my natural response is to try to adjust this theory in the light of mental symmetry and use mental symmetry to extend the rational thinking of this theory.

Desiring a Better Society 3:11-13

In verse 11, Paul says how he will act. “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.” The Greek begins with the word ‘himself’. ‘The God’ refers to an integrated concept of God in Teacher thought. And ‘Father of us’ indicates that this Teacher-based concept of God has given birth to a group of individuals. We have talked about the legislator wanting to live within his legislation. This can only happen if the legislator makes a mental shift from being the source of law in Teacher thought to living under a system of law in Teacher thought. Therefore, Paul is asking that the initiative will come from God in Teacher thought and not from him personally as the legislator. And Paul is now viewing himself as a fellow citizen because he regards the general understanding in Teacher thought as a source of personal life for him and his fellow citizens. Jesus mean ‘salvation’ and refers to the concrete side of incarnation. Thus, ‘our Lord Jesus’ would mean asking God in Teacher thought to behave in a manner that brings personal salvation to Paul as an individual. This is not always the case. When God acts in Teacher thought, this is like a regime change or a major paradigm shift in which the whole system changes. Paul is asking that the regime change will also benefit him as an individual. For instance, I want mental symmetry to be used as a theory of society. But I also want to experience personal benefits because I have devoted my life to developing an integrated understanding of a better society. However, notice that Paul is not using his understanding as an apostle to manipulate his audience with various marketing tricks. Instead, he is asking God himself to intervene and then submitting personally to the path of Jesus.

Direct is used three times in the New Testament and means to ‘go straight down by the most direct, efficient route’. Way means ‘way, road’ and indicates a path in Server thought. On the one hand, Paul recognizes that this will not happen automatically or magically but rather involves following some Server sequence within the real world. But on the other hand, Paul is asking that there be no delays, detours, or unnecessary steps. Saying this another way, concrete technical thought optimizes, and Paul is asking Jesus, an expression of concrete technical thought, to optimize the path. Paul’s goal is not just to remain within the academic theory of Athens and hear good news about abstract thought from Timothy. Instead, Paul wants to live within his vision of a better world. The news from Timothy has given him encouragement but it is not his final goal. Looking at this personally, even if positive results come from interacting with the friend who is writing about adding value to economic society, my ultimate goal is still to live in a transformed society and interact personally with my invisible friends.

Paul re-emphasizes his ultimate goal in verse 12. “And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you.” Cause you to increase means ‘abounding in number’. Overflow means to ‘exceed, go beyond the expected measure’. This indicates growth both in quantity and in quality. Love is ‘agape’ which refers to love driven by Teacher emotion. One another means that this love is supposed to be directed towards fellow members of the group rather than outsiders. Stated cognitively, Teacher emotion comes from order-within-complexity. This can come from using a simple theory to explain many ideas and it can also come from more people applying a theory more extensively in more ways. Paul is still being motivated by Teacher thought, but his goal now is to find Teacher order in the behavior of some group. For instance, I have spent years developing mental symmetry as a more comprehensive theory of the mind and society. I do not know how I can go much further from a theoretical perspective analyzing research and data gathered by others. Instead, I need to explore the implications of applying the theory of mental symmetry. A similar shift occurs when moving from science to technology. Both science and technology are guided by an integrated Teacher understanding of the laws of science, but technology expresses Teacher order within the real world of objects and people.

The phrase ‘all people’ does not mention people but rather uses a generic word that refers to ‘each part of a totality’. Thus, the application within the new group involves interpersonal interaction, while the application outside of the group includes both the personal and the impersonal in an integrated manner. For instance, my internal vision based in invisible beings involves a personal application of mental symmetry by individuals who embody these principles, as illustrated by concepts such as ‘Lady Justice’. Applying mental symmetry to a better economy involves the objective realm of goods and services. Both of these realms are required. On the one hand, it has become abundantly clear to me that the ultimate struggle involves invisible beings and spiritual powers. The insanity that I see around me is too stubborn and too pervasive to have purely a human cause. I cannot believe that educated humans are really that stupid. Instead, I have to believe that this universal stupidity is being spiritually and supernaturally reinforced. After all, 2 Corinthians 4:4 talks about being mentally blinded by the god of this world. But on the other hand, people are still locally rational and the modern technological economy is an amazing structure that needs to be preserved. Thus, a subjective focus upon spiritual powers needs to be combined with an objective focus upon a revitalized human economy. Tying these two together is also vital because most humans view subjective spirituality as a refuge from the impersonal modern economy, and therefore are embracing forms of spirituality that use alternate forms of ‘knowing’ that reject scientific thought.

Just as indicates that one system is functioning like another. The interaction of the members of the new group to each other will not be something new and different. Instead, it will be another way of expressing the same cognitive principles. For instance, one can view mental symmetry as a path of personal transformation, a guide for dealing with spiritual and supernatural powers, or a way of building a better economy and society. These areas of application are vastly different but the underlying theory remains the same. One functions just as the other.

Verse 13 indicates that these various paths will eventually become unified in a much larger expression. “So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His holy ones.” Establish means ‘a support that fixes, plants down’ and was used in 3:2. What is being established is ‘your hearts’, and heart refers to personal identity in Mercy thought. The focus upon personal identity indicates a shift from theory to personal application and establishing hearts means that personal identity has become transformed and the next challenge is to make this transformation more solid. For instance, developing mental symmetry has forced me to rethink many aspects of culture and identity in Mercy thought. However, I sense that this rethinking is largely over. I now need to become truly convinced that living personally within a society guided by mental symmetry would be a good thing characterized by personal, spiritual, and societal well-being.

Blameless combines ‘not’ with ‘to find blame’. In means ‘in the realm of’ and holiness ‘implies something set apart’. This relates to the two stages of applying a new Teacher theory which can be seen whenever there is a regime change or paradigm shift. The first step is to use the new theory to rule over thought or society. The second step is to eliminate any exceptions to this rule. Verse 13 refers to this second step. ‘Holy’ means following God in Teacher thought rather than surrounding society. And ‘blameless’ means following God without any exceptions. Notice that this is happening at an individual level in a manner that includes personal identity. In 5:3 there will be an attempt to apply this at the societal level without including personal identity.

Before means ‘before the face’ and is being interpreted as social interaction. Before our God and Father means treating a universal understanding in Teacher thought as a person before whom one seeks approval. Instead of trying to gain the approval of surrounding people, one is trying to gain the approval of God in Teacher thought. This becomes both possible and necessary in a society that is locally rational. On the one hand, the pieces of a better society exist and only need to be put together the right way. But on the other hand, these pieces need to be assembled in a manner that is guided by a concept of God in Teacher thought and not by various mental networks of societal approval. That is because when it comes to putting the pieces together, society has become insane. Therefore, putting the pieces together properly will require living a holy life that is different than society. And part of living a holy life will involve becoming convinced in Mercy thought exactly what it means to live a holy life, because what many groups regard as holiness is only partially related to a way of life that is actually guided by an integrated concept of God in Teacher thought. For instance, holiness does not mean becoming a monk or following God in some self-denying manner because that assumes a God of absolute truth based in some holy book rather than a God of universal understanding.

Coming means ‘a presence, a coming’ and is the standard word used to describe the ‘second coming’. Thus, one is living according to the rules of a society that has not yet appeared but will appear. This is the opposite of what evangelical Christendom is currently doing, which is ignoring personal character and refusing to live under any rules, thinking that this in some way accelerates the second coming. But what is coming is not a God of magic, but rather a Lord Jesus. ‘Lord’ implies submitting to some rule rather than trying to twist or violate the rules, and ‘Jesus’ means following a path of salvation rather than fixating upon destruction and annihilation. With means ‘in company with’ when followed by the genitive. Holy one is usually translated as ‘saint’ and means ‘different from the world because like the lord’. One could interpret this as being ‘in company with’ invisible beings who are also following God or one could interpret this as cooperating with other humans who are following this new path. These two meanings are not mutually exclusive. In contrast, evangelical Christendom is increasingly associating itself with unholy ones who are not acting different than the world but rather entering even more fully into the corruption and insanity of the world. Verse 13 does not say exactly what the second coming is, but it clearly describes how one prepares for the second coming and most evangelical Christians who claim to believe in the second coming are not following these principles. Becoming ‘established in your heart’ would include becoming convinced in personal identity that most of those who state that they are waiting for the second coming have nothing to do with the second coming. This is not a matter of condemning others as hypocrites but rather of becoming solid within one’s own personal identity, knowing with deep stability that one is personally following a path that will lead to salvation from God irrespective of what anyone outside is proclaiming or doing. For instance, if evangelical Christians think that supporting Putin and re-electing Trump brings the second coming closer, then I do not have to correct this deep misconception. Instead, I need to be convinced myself what will bring the second coming closer. And the hyper-hypocrisy of so-called evangelical Christians is implicitly helping those who are really trying to follow God to become truly convinced in their hearts what it really means to prepare for the second coming.

Building Exemplars 4:1-2

Chapter 4 begins by pointing out the need for personal preparation. “Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do), that you excel even more.” Finally means ‘something that remains’. Request means to ‘make an earnest request’. And urge means ‘personally make a call’ and has been seen several times as ‘comfort’. In means ‘in the realm of’ and ‘the Lord Jesus’ which means submitting to a plan of personal salvation. Becoming personally convinced in Mercy thought of a new way of living is essential, but one still has leave what is familiar and follow a plan that will turn this vision into reality.

As means ‘just as’ and indicates that one situation is similar to another. Receive means ‘to take by showing strong personal initiative’. ‘Instruction’ is not in the original Greek. Instead, the receiving was ‘from us’. In other words, Paul as a legislator or apostle shared some message which was personalized by some group of followers. This message involved personal behavior. How means ‘in what manner’. Ought means ‘it is necessary’. This goes beyond following some person to following universal principles of how things work. For instance, it is necessary to eat food to stay alive because that is how the physical body works. Similarly, mental symmetry describes what is necessary to reach mental wholeness, guided by an understanding of how the mind works. Walk means to ‘walk around’ and represents how I conduct my life. This goes beyond specific actions in Server thought to a general lifestyle. This word was previously used in 2:12 to talk about walking in a manner worthy of God and his kingdom. Please means ‘winning someone’s favor’ and God is being pleased in verse 1. Looking at this cognitively, Paul did not just deliver a system of Perceiver beliefs or abstract theory in Teacher thought. Instead, Paul delivered what Thomas Kuhn referred to as an exemplar. Kuhn said that science is not learned primarily by studying mathematical theories but rather by solving characteristic problems or exemplars. An exemplar is a Server sequence of actions that illustrates and expresses some general theory in Teacher thought. The steps that are taken to solve one problem in physics, for instance, can be applied to solve many similar situations. Similarly, applying mental symmetry in some specific area makes it possible to apply mental symmetry in many related situations. When one behaves in Server thought in a manner that is consistent with Teacher understanding, then that will lead to emotional pleasure and approval from Teacher thought, which will be expressed as righteousness.

‘Just as you actually do’ indicates that such a pattern of behavior has been established. Just as is the same comparison word used earlier in the verse and do is the same word ‘walk around’ that was used earlier. Excel means to ‘go beyond the expected measure’ and was previously used in 3:12 to talk about abounding in love. Using the analogy of learning science, the students of Paul have solved enough physics problems to gain an understanding of how the world works. They now need to go beyond what is expected by applying these same problem-solving techniques outside of the classroom. Similarly, there is a difference between applying mental symmetry as an individual and applying mental symmetry out in the real world. It is important to get the order right, because one has to become solidly convinced in Mercy thought as well as follow God in Teacher thought despite disapproval before it is safe to go out in the world. For instance, evangelical Christendom has attempted to transform secular society through the seven mountains of culture. But evangelical Christianity lacks an integrated understanding of God in Teacher thought and is not totally convinced by the ethical standards of Christianity in Mercy thought. The end result is that evangelical Christendom has not brought salvation to the secular realm but rather has become corrupted by secular society. Instead of saving society, evangelical Christianity has become un-saved by society.

Verse 2 then turns to instructions. “For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.” Know refers to empirical knowledge. Instruction is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘something announced from close beside and therefore fully authorized’. Gave means ‘to give’. Through means ‘through’ and ‘the Lord Jesus’ means submitting to a process of personal salvation. Thus, Paul told his followers what to do but they were not just following his personal wishes. Instead, Paul’s instructions were based on submitting to a path that leads from here to salvation. And his followers can see by looking around them the unpleasant physical results that are being experienced by those who are not following such a path. For instance, the implosion of evangelical Christianity makes it obvious that they are not following a valid path of preparing for the second coming, because their path is not leading to personal salvation but rather to personal insanity and hardship. That is like the Muslim terrorist believing that blowing up innocent women on earth will lead to the reward of 72 innocent women in heaven. One does not prepare for living with innocent women by murdering innocent women. As Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap”, and verse 8 explicitly says that what is being reaped is eternal life.

Local Value versus Global Value 4:3-4

Verse 3 mentions sexual purity. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality.” The word sexual immorality is the source of the English word pornography and means ‘to sell off’. The key flaw here is selling one’s soul in order to gain peripheral benefits. This does not mean that sex is evil or that the physical body is evil. Instead it is referring to something that happens automatically in a society that is locally rational. When it comes to professional behavior and technical expertise, then people know about value and avoid mistakes. Thus, one expects quality and value from gadgets and professional services. But when it comes to the deeper issues, then there is no concept of value. People do not know what it means to maintain personal integrity, seek purity, avoid hypocrisy, etc. The end result is that one will seek peripheral value while ignoring core values. Stated bluntly, one will sell one’s soul in order to get ahead in one’s specialization. That is spiritual and mental prostitution which can be described as ‘to sell off’. And a similar mindset can be seen in physical prostitution. Saying this another way, one is following a rational economy of ‘having’ without understanding, pursuing, or even acknowledging the deeper economy of ‘being’. This interpretation is consistent with the word abstain which means ‘to have by separating from’. Sexual immorality focuses upon having while ignoring being. Abstaining means to pull back personally when having. The impression is given that sexual immorality is the normal behavior and that not being sexually immoral is the exception. That was true literally during Roman times and is increasingly true today. But it is definitely true in a cognitive sense in today’s ‘s economy based in local rational thinking in which people are brilliant with ‘having’ while being idiots regarding ‘being’. Verse 3 does not say that one should stop being a consumer, but rather that one should avoid personal commitment when being a consumer.

The beginning of the verse describes the positive side of this. Sanctification means ‘the process of advancing in holiness’. Will means ‘to desire, wish’ and ‘is’ is explicitly added: ‘The sanctification of you is the will of the God’. On the negative side, one pulls back from personal involvement as a consumer or employee. On the positive side, one becomes emotionally involved with God in Teacher thought. Instead of selling one soul to a company, one submits one’s soul to a concept of God in Teacher thought. Saying this another way, one interacts with locally rational society at the level of having while interacting with God at the level of being.

Verse 4 continues, “That each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.” Know is actually the word for empirical knowledge, which is the primary form of knowledge that is accepted as valid within today’s scientific, objective, materialistic society. Each means ‘each individual unit viewed distinctly’ and was previously used in 2:11. Modern specialized society practices the immorality of giving one’s soul to some group or organization. In contrast, verse 4 talks about remaining individuals. Vessel is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘a vessel to contain liquid’. Liquids are interpreted as Mercy experiences. One of the characteristics of modern specialized society is that no one knows how to handle the ‘liquid’ of subjective Mercy experiences. Possess means ‘to acquire’ and is used once in Thessalonians. ‘Possessing his own vessel’ would mean acquiring personal ownership of one’s subjective experiences. This sounds simple. It is not simple in today’s society because most people are trying to find subjective meaning by spilling their subjective experiences into some cause or transcendent experience. This spilling may involve being a sports fan and going crazy over some sports team, or being a fan of some pop idol or movie star. It could also involve becoming caught up in some philanthropic cause or advocating on behalf of some needy group, and it includes entering into praise-and-worship or mystical identification with God. All of these are examples of not possessing one’s own vessel. This does not mean that one avoids sports events, concerts, and religious worship. Instead, it means that one views everything as a rational expression of God in Teacher thought. One enjoys but one does not embrace. And one continues to behave and think this way even when surrounded by screaming fans or immersive worship. Notice again that this is precisely the opposite of what is currently regarded as spiritual. Today’s spiritual person thinks that it is holy to become immersed in praise and worship or ecstatic union with God. But identifying unthinkingly with something that is regarded as holy also leaves one vulnerable to identifying unthinkingly with some dictator. Unfortunately, this is no longer a hypothetical statement but rather describes reality.

This should be done ‘in sanctification and honor’. In means ‘in the realm of’ and holiness means ‘set apart’ and was used earlier in the verse. And honor means ‘value, worth’. Praise-and-worship regards spilling one’s vessel in public adoration as holiness. Verse 4 says that holiness means not spilling one’s vessel in public adoration. Instead, one should think in terms of value. Value is an economic term. Value is emotional but it is also rational because one uses rational thinking to compare the emotional value of one item with another. We saw earlier that modern society knows how to calculate value with things but does not know how to calculate value with subjective emotional experiences. The reason that one holds back from identifying with various emotional extravaganzas is to gain the mental ability to determine subjective value. Acquiring the ability to determine value in the subjective solves the problem of immorality that was mentioned in the previous verse. But one will only be able to determine the value of subjective experiences if one stops identifying with emotional extravaganzas, such as worship, sports, and entertainment.

Avoid Ecstatic Enthusiasms 4:5-7

Verse 5 describes the alternative. “Not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” Passion means ‘raw, strong feelings’ while lust means ‘passion built on strong feelings’. This describes precisely what we have been referring to, which includes going emotionally overboard in sports, entertainment, or worship. As means ‘just as’ and Gentile means ‘people joined by practicing similar customs or common culture’. This describes people joined together by common MMNs. Know refers to empirical knowledge. And God is ‘the God’. The typical evangelical Christian thinks that this does not apply to him because he worships God unlike ‘Gentile’ non-Christians. But ‘Gentile’ describes any group joined by common cultural mental networks, which includes the evangelical Christian who regards himself as a member of some church culture or some conservative society. And knowing God does not mean belonging to a church but rather following an integrated concept of God in Teacher thought. Verse 5 is describing the average secular individual, but it also applies to most current Christians who think that they are following God. The problem is not who one is worshipping ecstatically but rather the fact that one is worshipping ecstatically. And this is a problem because it reflects a mindset that is locally rational which is capable of determining the value of things and having but lacks a sense of value when it comes to people and being. The average worshiper or fan thinks that pulling back from emotional immersion will eliminate meaning from personal existence. And this may happen in the short term. But in the long term one acquires the ability to enjoy many more facets of emotional experiences such as subtlety, elegance, sensitivity, innocence, symbolism, harmony, and purity. And one increasingly realizes that the emotional immersion of the past which seemed so deep is merely a one-dimensional caricature of true emotion.

Verse 6 continues, “And that no one violate the rights and take advantage of his brother or sister in the matter.” Violate is used once in the New Testament and means ‘to step over, transgress’. Take advantage combines ‘more’ with ‘having’. Matter means ‘every day business’ and is the source of the English word ‘pragmatic’. A more literal translation would be, ‘Do not step over and want to have more in the realm of everyday business’. In other words, respect personal boundaries, which means avoiding the ecstatic identification mentioned earlier. A superior alternative to wanting to ‘have more’ is to want to ‘be more’ which makes having a side-effect of being. And one should have this attitude in the normal, everyday business that is currently ruled by professional specializations, especially when interacting with ‘brothers’ who share the same source of life.

Verse 6 warns that there is a punishment for violating this principle. “Because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you previously and solemnly warned you.” Avenge means ‘executing a just judgment’. In is more accurately ‘about, concerning’. And all means ‘each part of a totality’. There is no ‘the’ before lord and Jesus is not mentioned, which means that authority is being referred to in a general manner.

Just as means according to the manner in which’. Told before means ‘to say beforehand, declaring in advance’. Thus, Paul verbally told the principle beforehand and this principle is now being experienced. Thoroughly warned means to ‘thoroughly bear witness’. Thus, Paul did not just say some principle verbally, but also modeled this principle extensively in his personal behavior. Similarly, for decades I have practiced the principle of following God with all my heart while interacting with people on a contract basis. I have done this in order to avoid selling my soul to the system in some manner. I have had to pay an extensive price in terms of lost career opportunities and lower income. However, it is now becoming increasingly clear that those who give their soul to the system are vulnerable to being manipulated by the system, they fall apart inside when the system crumbles, and they then turn to dictators who promise to restore the system. One obvious example is MAGA: Make America Great Again. Notice that this just judgment comes from a lord of cognitive consequences who rules all over all those who claim to be lords.

Verse 7 describes the real God. “For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification.” Called means ‘to call’. Impurity adds ‘not’ to ‘clean because unmixed, pure’. Pure implies an integrated mind in which all the fragments are heading in the same direction. A mind that searches for meaning in mental networks that are different than rational technical thought is fundamentally impure, because the goal of subjective thought is to escape emotionally from the narrowness of technical specializations. This describes the wokeist who questions scientific knowing and promotes alternate forms of knowing, the scientist who is locally rational within some technical specialization, and the evangelical Christian who is waiting for a second coming that will rescue him out of the world and rain destruction upon ‘godless secular society’. All of these mindsets are fundamentally impure. Verse 7 says that God does not call people to impurity. Sanctification is related to the word ‘holy’ and means ‘the process of making or becoming holy, set apart’. Holiness is typically interpreted as following God in an impure manner in which one turns one’s back upon the world in order to focus upon God. However, a concept of God comes from universal understanding in Teacher thought. Thus, holiness actually means following the TMN of an integrated concept of God and not being pulled here and there by the fragmented MMNs of society.

A Holy Spirit of Personal Integrity 4:8-12

Verse 8 concludes, “Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” Therefore is used twice in the New Testament and means ‘for that very reason therefore’. Thus, verse 8 is a logical conclusion of verse 7. Reject is literally ‘un-place’ and means ‘to reject what is already laid down’. The Greek phrase is simply ‘the rejecting’ with one, who, and this being implied. Cancel culture is an example of un-placing because one is removing any place for the offending person or view. The first phrase of verse 8 is focusing upon the mindset of canceling as opposed to who or what is being canceled.

Man is the generic word for ‘mankind’ and rejecting is the same word ‘un-place’ used earlier in the verse. Verse 8 says that cancel culture is not ultimately an attack on offending people or groups in Mercy thought but rather an attack upon God in Teacher thought. That is because blocking off areas of Mercy thought makes it impossible to construct an integrated understanding in Teacher thought. This can be seen by looking at the impact of cancel culture. Initially, it was motivated by the Teacher theory that everyone is equal and should be treated equally. Universal tolerance may be an overgeneralization, but it is still is based in Teacher thought. Universal tolerance has now been superseded by blatant advocacy for some special group in Mercy thought at the expense of all other groups. For instance, insisting that all academic subjects be taught in the light of native spirituality and native culture is an example of blatant advocacy for some special group in Mercy thought at the expense of all other groups. And this is also a direct attack on the idea that education is based upon universal principles in Teacher thought that transcend cultural differences. Similarly, the conservative religious individual who wants to censor offending voices is also canceling God in Teacher thought.

The final phrase in verse 8 describes another indirect result: ‘who gives His Holy Spirit to you’. Giving simply means ‘to give’. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Verse 8 is pointing out that the Holy Spirit is given through the Father. Looking at this cognitively, Platonic forms are idealized and simplified images in Mercy thought that emerge when Teacher thought comes up with simple theories to explain Perceiver categories. Think, for instance, of the mental image of the ideal circle or the ideal job. A concept of the Holy Spirit emerges when an integrated theory in Teacher thought integrates these various Platonic forms into a single universal concept of ideal perfection, as illustrated by Plato’s form of the Good. Notice the indirect cognitive route: one builds a universal Teacher understanding that includes all experiences in Mercy thought, whether they are pleasant or unpleasant, acceptable or unacceptable. This universal understanding leads in Mercy thought to the internal image of a more ideal society. This internal Mercy image then becomes a goal to pursue. One is not embracing all Mercy experiences as equally valid, and one is also not canceling certain Mercy experiences as bad. Instead one is being guided by a universal understanding of all Mercy experiences to pursue those Mercy experiences that are nicer, more beautiful, and more pleasant.

Verse 9 then focuses on the positive. “Now as to the love of the brothers and sisters, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.” ‘Love of the brothers and sisters’ is a poor translation driven by a desire for gender inclusivity. The Greek uses a single word philadelphia, which combines ‘philos’ and ‘adelphos’. This is the only use of either ‘philos’ or ‘philadelphia’ in Thessalonians. Philos refers to ‘a friend, someone dearly loved in a personal, intimate way’. This describes someone I like because their mental networks are compatible with mine. Cancel culture starts with phileo love by gathering around people who agree with me while canceling others. The call for ‘phileo’ love in verse 9 follows the giving of the Holy Spirit in verse 8. Thus, I am being attracted to others because we share similar Platonic forms of the Holy Spirit. This kind of attraction can be seen in third culture kids, a label used to describe those who grow up in a culture that is different than the culture of their passport. A TCK with Spanish parents who grew up in India, for instance, will resonate emotionally with an American citizen who grew up in Japan, because they share a similar ‘third culture’ of attempting to bridge two cultures.

Need means ‘need, business’. Write means ‘to write’ and implies some set of official, written regulations. Modern technical specializations thrive on official, written regulations. Paul is saying that this new culture does not need to be enforced by any set of official standards or regulations. Taught by God is a single word used once in the New Testament that combines ‘God’ with ‘to teach’. ‘Write’ is preceded by the verb ‘have’ while ‘taught by God’ is followed by the verb ‘be’. The implication is that written regulations can only function at the peripheral version of having while being guided by the TMN of a concept of God can function at the deeper level of being. The second word love is ‘agape’, which refers to Teacher-driven love. In other words, a concept of the Holy Spirit that is based in an integrated Teacher understanding will naturally motivate people to interact in a manner that reflects Teacher order, structure, elegance, and integration. This is a significant statement because modern society deals with major moral infractions by writing new regulations. The end result is an incomprehensible complexity of technical rules that is impossible for even a professional lawyer to fully grasp. Each individual rule may have been created to address some abuse in Mercy thought, but the end result of all the rules is a ‘tribulation’ or narrowness that squeezes everyone into officially regulated specializations. Paul is describing a new form of interaction that will naturally emerge in which people will naturally be guided to interact with each other in a law-abiding manner—without having to pass another set of restrictive legislations.

Verse 10 says that this this type of interaction already happens within the realm of Macedonia. “For indeed you practice it toward all the brothers and sisters who are in all Macedonia.” Practice is the word ‘made, do’ which refers to Server actions. The first all means ‘each part of a totality’ which indicates that this is not just a set of vague ideals in Teacher thought that do not translate into specific actions. The second all means ‘wholly, where all the parts are present and working as a whole’. This is the third and final reference to Macedonia in Thessalonians, which was previously mentioned in 1:7 and 1:8. Macedonia was interpreted there as academia. Verse 10 says that academia performs this kind of self-policing when dealing with the Server actions of methodology. Those who apply academic procedures are naturally embarrassed by research that does not use proper methodology. This happens within every specialization and also gives a unity to academia as a whole.

Verse 10 finishes by saying that the new community should do something similar that goes beyond a consensus upon academic methodology. “But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to excel even more.” Exhort means to ‘personally make a call’ and has been seen several times previously. Abound means to ‘go beyond the expected measure’. More ‘refers to better as compared to what is merely good’. This word is used one other time in Thessalonians in 4:1 which talked about walking more in a God-pleasing manner. This suggests that the academic focus upon methodology is incomplete. For instance, I have repeatedly experienced methodology being used as an excuse to avoid evaluating mental symmetry. No matter how much evidence I provide, it is all rejected because I have not generated this evidence by performing officially mandated experiments while working in an officially accredited specialization in an officially approved manner. However, within most of the soft sciences academic methodology remains the sole remaining force that maintains academic research and academic integrity. And I have attempted to present mental symmetry in the form of academic papers that meet the expected standards of academia. Thus, there is a place for academic standards and approved methodology, but this should not be used as an excuse to remain only locally rational, and it should express itself primarily as being embarrassed at not meeting the standards and not just as a set of written regulations.

Verse 11 refers to personal behavior. “And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we instructed you.” Make it your ambition is used once in Thessalonians and combines ‘philos’ with ‘honor’. This would refer to honor among colleagues. Academia achieves this by publishing papers, advancing the body of knowledge, teaching at reputable colleges, and becoming academically respected. Verse 11 is describing how one should seek honor among colleagues. Lead a quiet life simply means ‘to be still, be silent’. Stated simply, do not brag about your accomplishments, do not focus upon extensive publications, do not seek prominent teaching jobs. Work refers to self-initiated action and has been used previously. ‘Business’ is not mentioned. Hands are used to perform technical actions and are interpreted as the application of technical thought. Putting this together, shut up, become internally motivated by some goal, and do research. This summarizes the path that I have taken over the years. Whenever I get rejected, I am motivated by my internal goal of a better society to do more research on the theory of mental symmetry. The end result is a meta-theory that has been applied to many different fields. Just as means ‘according to the manner in which’ and instructed means to give a command that is fully authorized’ and was used in noun form in 4:2. Thus, Paul is not giving orders based upon his personal status as a legislator or apostle, but rather tying in with existing standards of academia. The best research is done by those who are internally motivated to quietly advance the body of knowledge. Unfortunately, this type of research is often incompatible with the demand to publish or perish.

Verse 12 concludes, “So that you will walk properly toward outsiders and have need of nothing.” Walk means to ‘walk around’ and describes one’s personal conduct. Properly is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘having good form’. Toward means ‘motion towards to interface with’. And outsider is simply the word ‘outside, without’. Saying this another way, the outside world may be insane but most people are still locally rational and they apply technical expertise in a professional manner in some specific area. One should interact with these individuals in a professional manner. On the one hand, one should not commit the ‘immorality’ of selling one’s soul to the system. But on the other hand, one should also respect existing standards of professionalism and deal with those who have sold their soul to the system in a professional manner. For instance, when academic experts refuse to evaluate the theory of mental symmetry, this does not give me license to run off at the mouth and attack them personally. Instead, I still need to write material in an academically respectable manner. Even in this essay, negative statements regarding various people and institutions are being made within the context of a careful analysis of Scripture.

Verse 12 says that this has a benefit. Need means ‘need, necessity, business’. If one behaves with outsiders in a professional manner one will receive professional help. This is difficult to do, because one must overcome subjective feelings of distaste and disgust for the system as well as feelings of injustice from the system. For instance, mental symmetry builds upon careful research that has been done by technical and academic specialists. They have come up with the ‘lego blocks’ and mental symmetry has assembled these ‘lego blocks’ into a structure. Locally rational specialists may be unwilling to look at this structure, but if one can get over feelings of anger and disgust at specialists who form ‘lego blocks’ and then refuse to put them together, one will continue to have a steady stream of new ‘lego blocks’ to assemble.

Losing Personal Meaning 4:13-15

We have finally arrived, after forty pages of analysis, to the passage on the second coming. However, we have now put a structure together within which these verses can be placed.

Verse 13 begins, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep.” Want means ‘to desire, wish’. Ignorant is used once in Thessalonians and adds the prefix ‘not’ to ‘experiential knowledge’. Paul has focused upon empirical knowledge, which acquires Perceiver facts from observing the physical environment. Verse 13 is saying that this should be accompanied by experiential knowledge, which acquires Perceiver facts from subjective Mercy experiences. This is important, because this passage will describe what happens to those who have inadequate experiential knowledge. Asleep means ‘sleep, fall asleep, die’. It can refer either to normal sleep or to death and is only used in Thessalonians in this verse and the next. The implication is that people are falling asleep in the realm of the subjective. Their mental networks are dying.

Verse 13 continues, “So that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope.” Grieve is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘to experience deep, emotional pain’. Mental networks generate strong negative feelings when they fall apart. This type of response can be seen today in many groups who feel that their way of life is falling apart and will never return. For instance, the conservative American feels that traditional American culture is being destroyed by liberalism and wokeism and will never return. The environmental activist feels that nature is being destroyed by technological progress and will never return. The liberal feels that rational thought and democracy are being destroyed by fundamentalism and will never return. These various forms of grieving are feeding upon one another, because the grieving of one group causes it to lash out in an irrational manner, leading to greater insanity and grieving for other groups, which respond by themselves lashing out. Notice that verse 13 follows directly from verse 12. Verse 12 said to interact with outsiders in a professional manner. Verse 13 describes those who are not interacting with outsiders in a professional manner. Falling asleep could also be interpreted as turning into a drone as a result of being forced to continue performing some limited specialized task. Imagine, for instance, cleaning peoples’ teeth for decades as a professional dental hygienist. One would become very good at one’s task but one would also die inside.

As means ‘according to the manner in which’. Thus, there is a natural tendency to get caught up in these cycles of grieving. Rest means ‘the rest, the remaining’. Have means ‘to have, hold’ and hope means ‘expectation of what is sure’. Hope looks beyond the visible to be driven by a positive goal in the unseen. Paul says in Romans 8:24 that hope that is seen is not hope. The problem is that people are falling asleep mentally because normal mental networks of civilized society are falling apart. The only way out is to be motivated by some positive internal vision, which requires an internal vision that is stronger than the various societal cycles of grieving and falling asleep. The previous chapters have described the process of constructing such a positive internal vision. For instance, mental symmetry has given me an internal vision of a better society. This holds me together emotionally because it gives me an experiential knowing that people around me do not have. I can continue to focus upon this internal goal while people around me fall apart and grieve.

Verse 14 describes the basis for this experiential knowing. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.” Believe means to ‘be persuaded’. Jesus means ‘salvation’ and refers to the concrete side of incarnation. Die ‘focuses on the separation that goes with the dying off’. Thus, ‘Jesus dying’ goes beyond the death of personal salvation to the end of the entire context for salvation. It is this dying off that is leading to the grieving. The evangelical Christian is not just grieving the loss of Christian belief but rather the dying off of any form of traditional morality. The environmentalist is not just grieving the loss of physical resources but rather that irrevocable changes are starting to happen to the global ecosystem. The liberal is not just grieving the loss of intelligent dialogue but rather that fundamentalism is leading to the destruction of the very institutions of Western democracy. The aboriginal advocate is not just grieving the mistreatment and marginalization of aboriginal groups but rather that the spread of science and technology is wiping out the existence of aboriginal culture and religion.

Rose means ‘to raise up’ and is used for both getting up and being resurrected. It is used twice in Thessalonians, in this verse and two verses later. Believing that Jesus died and rose again means being rationally convinced that a radically new solution can only be discovered and implemented after existing mental networks fall apart. There can be no salvation as long as various groups are interpreting salvation as the restoration of existing inadequate mental networks. Using religious language, Jesus saves sinners, and a sinner is someone who is no longer able to save himself. This is different than the evangelical Christian interpretation of viewing these various disasters as signs that God will snatch people out of the world through a rapture, because that type of salvation leaves people unchanged with their inadequate mental networks intact. Instead, God in Teacher thought can reach down with rational understanding to save people only when their existing cultural and personal MMNs fall apart.

So means ‘in this manner’ which indicates a pattern to be followed. Also is ‘and’ which means that something else will happen as well. ‘The God’ means that this will come from God in Teacher thought. Having fallen asleep is the same word that was used in verse 13. But the phrase ‘through Jesus’ is added. Through means ‘by the instrumentality of’ when followed by the genitive and Jesus means salvation. Thus, verse 14 does not refer to all who have fallen asleep but rather to those who have fallen asleep as a result of focusing upon some positive path of salvation. For instance, I continue to work on mental symmetry despite having come to the gut-level conclusion that no one (apart from the occasional individual) in Western society will ever listen. I have not fallen asleep as a result of trying and failing to protect some culture, the environment, democracy, academia, or aboriginals. Instead, I have fallen asleep as a result of trying to pursue some positive path of salvation and failing.

Bring means ‘to lead, bring, carry’ and with means ‘with, together with’. Verse 14 says that God will bring these people with him. In other words, if one focuses upon a positive alternative, then one will be carried along by growing understanding in Teacher thought. In contrast, the grieving individual who has no hope will become sidetracked from Teacher understanding to an emotional fixation on some set of dying MMNs. For instance, even though I have fallen asleep I am still being carried along by my growing understanding of mental symmetry in Teacher thought because I have chosen to focus upon positive alternatives rather than fixate upon the insanity around me. In contrast, the evangelical Christian who focuses upon the godless world, the liberal who focuses upon growing irrationality, the environmentalist who focuses upon ecological destruction, and the spiritual escapist who focuses upon the extinction of aboriginal culture have all become sidetracked away from Teacher understanding to a Mercy fixation upon some cause or group. Instead of being carried along by God in Teacher thought they have become engulfed by some dying mental network in Mercy thought. Instead of gaining understanding, they are losing the ability to think rationally.

Verse 15 makes a definitive statement. “For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” Say simply means ‘to say’. By means ‘in the realm of’ and word is ‘logos’. Logos was previously used in 2:13 but ‘word of the Lord’ has only been used once previously in 1:8 which talked about the word of the Lord sounding forth. ‘Logos’ represents the Teacher theory or paradigm that governs some technical specialization. A ‘word of the Lord’ would refer to a paradigm that governs personal behavior. For instance, mental symmetry is a ‘word of the lord’ because it is a paradigm that governs personal behavior. This paradigm was being proclaimed in 1:8. In 4:15 it is being treated as a ruling statement. In other words, following Jesus has changed emotionally from heading toward some goal in Mercy thought to being guided by the paradigm of some Teacher theory. This happens cognitively as a result of Jesus dying off. No mental networks remain within Mercy thought that can assist a path of salvation. That is why everyone is grieving without hope. Instead, Teacher understanding is giving resurrection life to a path of salvation; the path of personal salvation is being viewed as an expression of a TMN of integrated Teacher understanding. But this resurrection can only happen to those who fall asleep in Jesus; Teacher understanding can only resurrect concrete behavior that is consistent with this Teacher understanding. Looking at this process another way, a TMN of understanding can only give life to MMNs of personal behavior if 1) the understanding is capable of being applied personally, 2) personal behavior is consistent with understanding, and 3) the MMNs that motivate this personal behavior fall apart.

Alive refers to both natural and spiritual life. Remain is used twice in the New Testament, in this verse and two verses later, and means ‘to be left remaining’. It adds the prefix peri, which means ‘concerning, all about’ to a form of the word remaining that was used in verse 13, which itself is only used twice in Thessalonians, in 4:13 and in 5:6. This suggests that ‘remain’ in verse 15 is referring to all the various groups that qualify as ‘the rest who have no hope’ in verse 13. In other words, some shift will happen within society away from impersonal, pervasive, technical specialization and ‘we who are alive and remain’ refers in general to those whose mental networks are not currently grieving because of falling apart. This would describe the typical moderate citizen who is managing to find some sort of emotional release or expression within current society.

Precede means to ‘precede, arrive ahead of time’ and was previously used in 2:16 to describe the wrath arriving ahead of time. In other words, those who managed to hold onto their existing mental networks without falling asleep will not have a head start when the transition happens. That is because they are being still motivated by inadequate mental networks which will get in the way when society shifts. Instead, those whose existing mental networks have fallen apart—for positive reasons—will have the advantage when society shifts. Something similar happened during the fall of communism because those who had learned to survive within the communist system found themselves at a disadvantage. But being persecuted by the communist system was itself not enough to get ahead in a market economy. Instead, those who experienced success in the new market economy were those who had been persecuted by the communist system because they were trying to apply principles of personal growth and prosperity.

Revealing Teacher Thought in Four Stages 4:16

Verse 16 describes what sort of transition will happen. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” For is the word ‘that, because’ which indicates that verse 16 provides the reason for verse 15. Lord indicates a source of authority and himself indicates that the focus will be upon authority. Jesus is not mentioned in the rest of the chapter indicating that this authority may not involve personal salvation. The next mention of Jesus is in 5:9, where it specifically talks about ‘obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ’. In the Greek, the phrase ‘descend from heaven’ occurs after ‘the trumpet of God’ but the classic translations change the phrase order. With means ‘in the realm of’. Shout is used once as a noun (and the verb is not used in Thessalonians) in the New Testament and means ‘a shout of command’. This explicitly states that the emphasis will be upon verbal authority.

This is followed by another ‘in the realm of’. Voice means ‘voice, sound’ and is used once in Thessalonians. Voice implies verbal communication but not necessarily comprehension. Thus, the focus will shift from verbal authority to the recognition that this verbal authority is conveying some message. Archangel combines ‘of the first order, chief’ and ‘angel’. The only other time it is used in the New Testament is in Jude 19, which refers to ‘Michael the archangel’. Verse 16 only refers to ‘an archangel’ as opposed to ‘the archangel’. This is also the only mention of the word ‘angel’ in 1 Thessalonians. Angel means ‘messenger’ and is used to refer both to human messengers and to heavenly beings who embody messages. Putting this together, ‘voice of an archangel’ means that some message of great authority will be revealed. Understanding or comprehending the message will be preceded by the sense that this message has great authority. For instance, developing mental symmetry as a meta-theory has gradually made it apparent to me that this verbal theory has great authority because I keep finding its predictions coming true within society to a greater extent than I would have imagined possible. Verse 16 describes people becoming suddenly aware of such authority without understanding the message.

This is followed by a third ‘in the realm of’. Trumpet means ‘a war trumpet’ and is used once in Thessalonians. This same word is used in Revelation 8 to talk about the seven trumpets. ‘God’ indicates a universal understanding in Teacher thought, but in this case ‘God’ is not preceded by ‘the’. A ‘war trumpet of God’ means that the TMN of some universal theory is imposing itself upon other mental networks. In other words, people will realize that the great authority does not come from some human person or group in Mercy thought but rather from a universal system in Teacher thought. Descend means ‘to go down’ and this fairly common word is used only once in Thessalonians. It is interpreted as moving from Teacher generality to Mercy specifics. The word heaven was used once previously in 1:10 which talked about ‘waiting for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead’. What 1:10 predicted is now happening. Heaven is interpreted as a realm within Teacher thought where intelligent beings live. In other words, a universal Teacher understanding will become applied to specific situations and people within Mercy thought. The previous chapters have talked about developing a general Teacher understanding within which one could live. This general understanding is now descending to humanity. For instance, communism was guided by the general theory of Marxism. A communist revolution transformed Marxism from an abstract theory to a system that was imposed upon people and society. Marxism claimed that it would bring heaven down to earth, but unfortunately the citizens of communist countries learned that the theory of Marxism is not compatible with human well-being.

The final phrase contains the fourth ‘in the realm of’. Dead means ‘what lacks life, dead’. The only other use of this word in Thessalonians was in 1:10 which talked about waiting ‘for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead’. This waiting is now over. Christ means ‘the anointed one’ and refers to the abstract side of incarnation. ‘Dead in Christ’ would mean those who have gone beyond a concrete concept of Jesus and salvation to constructing an abstract concept of the general principles of salvation and have reached a dead-end. For instance, when my paper on mental networks and the vmPFC was rejected a few months ago, I then came to the conclusion at a gut-level that there was no point in doing more research. The paper was so obviously good, it fit what was requested so closely, and it was being submitted to such a low-level journal, that I figured that acceptance would be a slam-dunk. When it was rejected as being not what they were looking for, my concept of Christ died. I had no remaining human hope of ever getting published in any meaningful manner anywhere because of the impenetrable institutional fixation on specialized technical thought. Rise indicates either standing up or resurrection and is only used one other time in Thessalonians in 4:14 which talked about ‘believing that Jesus died and rose’. First means ‘first’ and is used once in 1 Thessalonians. Putting this together, ‘the dead in Christ will rise first’ means that those who have constructed an abstract concept of incarnation that has died will be the first to benefit personally from this verbal authority.

Notice that this is the first ‘in the realm of’ in verse 16 that includes content. Summarizing these four, some voice of authority is descending from the realm of Teacher thought down to Mercy specifics. This will first be recognized as a voice of authority, it will be seen as a powerful voice of generality, this general voice will impose itself upon human mental networks, and it will become a general system within abstract technical thought. A similar progression occurred in a communist revolution. First there was a revolution, then this revolution turned into the imposition of Marxism, Marxism imposed its universal rule upon all cultural and religious groups, and the new elite of a Communist Party emerged with its Marxist theoreticians. I am not suggesting that this passage is referring to a communist revolution. Instead, I suggest that this passage could be fulfilled in several different ways and one of these ways would be like a communist revolution. The reason for this similarity is that verse 16 talks about a revolution that begins with a theory in Teacher thought and a communist revolution is—to some extent—based in the theory of Marxism.

Another possible scenario would be alien disclosure. This is a possible scenario because aliens and angels are based in the messages of Teacher thought. The first step would be a global recognition that aliens exist. The second step would be the recognition that aliens are driven by inhuman Teacher thought and not by human Mercy emotions. This would be followed by aliens using psychic power to impose their mindset upon human society, leading to the emergence of a human elite composed of abductees who have gone through the personal horrors of encountering aliens up close, who have attempted to share their experiences with fellow humans, and who have received mocking and ridicule in response. It is even possible that aliens might teleport some of the faithful to other locations, mimicking a rapture. And this would be definitely followed by a form of ‘Great Tribulation’ in which alien rule imposed great suffering upon humanity. One might think that God would never allow something that horrible to happen to his chosen people. But that is precisely what happened in the first coming of Jesus. Both history and Scripture strongly suggest that it was God’s plan for science to emerge in Alexandria through the interaction of Jewish and Greek thought, but it didn’t, largely because Jews became sidetracked by nationalism and temple holiness during the Maccabean revolt. This is discussed extensively in other essays. The end result was that the Jewish Temple and Jewish nation were destroyed in AD 70 by Roman armies and God started working through Christianity rather than Judaism. (Evidence suggests that God continues to work through Judaism at a corporate level.) If it happened once, it can happen again, especially since Christians seem to be repeating the error of the Jews. Instead of interacting with the ‘Greek’ thinking of secular science and psychology in order to reformulate Christianity, much of Christendom has become sidetracked by feelings of nationalism and church holiness.

Therefore, I have devoted my life to developing a better alternative to these scenarios and I am banging on the door of heaven as loudly as I can to ask that this passage not be fulfilled as some sort of communist revolution or alien disclosure. Thus, when I see evangelical Christians continue to support a dictatorial leader such as Trump who openly admires Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, then I become very, very concerned, because these evangelical Christians are praying to God for a communist-like revolution. Similarly, it sends shivers up and down my spine when Christian end-time prophecy sounds more like an alien disclosure than a kingdom of God. One possible better scenario would be something that resembled the computer revolution. The first stage was the public awareness of computers in the 1950s. This was followed by the realization that computers use a form of abstract technical reasoning that is different than normal human thought. Computers then started to invade normal existence through the development of the personal computer in the 1970s. This led to the emergence of a new class of computer geeks, individuals who had been rejected by society as social misfits but who now found themselves playing a leadership role in the new computer industry.

A New Group of Consumers 4:17-18

In verse 17 the average person is affected. “Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” Then is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘only then, emphasizing what precedes is a necessary precursor’. This tells us that verse 17 will only happen after the four stages of verse 16. The identical Greek phrase ‘We the living, the remaining’ is used in both verses 15 and 17, which means that both verses are referring to the same group of people, and the word ‘remaining’ only occurs in these two verses and is not used anywhere else in the New Testament. Living means either natural or spiritual life and would refer to those whose mental networks have continued to function during the time of great squeezing and subjective escapism. And ‘remain’ in verse 15 was interpreted as referring to all the various groups that qualify as ‘the rest who have no hope’ in verse 13. This means that verse 17 is not referring to some special group of Christians that will be raptured away to heaven. Instead, it describes how the average person is affected after the four stages of verse 16 happen.

Together is not the normal word for ‘together’ but rather means ‘at the same time’. With is the normal word for ‘together with’. Caught up means ‘to take by an open display of force’ and is used once in Thessalonians. In other words, the average person will be swept up in this Teacher-based revolution, similar to the way that the average communist citizen became swept up in the communist revolution or the average person has now become swept up in the computer revolution. ‘Caught up’ indicates that this will not happen invisibly and imperceptibly but rather through ‘an open display of force’. The word cloud is used 25 times in the New Testament and has supernatural overtones all of these times (with one possible exception in Luke 12:54). The word itself refers to a Greek cloud nymph created by Zeus. Looking at this cognitively, a cloud is something in the air that one can see which does not have real substance. This corresponds to a Platonic form, an image in the ‘air’ of Teacher thought that does not have real substance. For instance, communist society was driven by the ‘cloud’ of Marxist paradise, a Platonic form of workers’ paradise that remained vague and was never realized. Similarly, the computer revolution has been driven by the ‘cloud’ of the information-based society. Unlike communism, the computer revolution has delivered in terms of physical tools and physical infrastructure. Most of the knowledge of the world can be accessed instantly using a smartphone that one carries around in one’s pocket. But when it comes to social paradise, then the computer revolution has delivered primarily enhanced stupidity and tribalism rather than universal intelligence and cooperation. Verse 17 is saying that the average person will not theoretically understand what is happening and will be driven instead by Platonic forms of a better society in Mercy thought. Similarly, the average consumer today knows what buttons to press on a smartphone and loves to have the latest phone but has no deep understanding of how smartphones function.

‘The Lord’ does not mention Jesus or Christ, which suggests that future consumers (or comrades?) will submit to the lordship of this new society in a generic, unthinking manner. And this meeting is not happening in heaven but rather in the air, a word used once in Thessalonians which means ‘The lower air we breathe’. This word is used seven times and is never associated with the heaven of God. Ephesians 2:2 talks about ‘the prince of the power of the air’, referring to Satan. Revelation 9:2 says that ‘the sun and the air were darkened’ as a result of opening the bottomless pit. And in Revelation 16:17, ‘the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air’ indicating a judgment by angelic forces. The other three occurrences talk about ‘tossing dust into the air’, ‘not beating the air’, or ‘speaking into the air’. This strongly suggests that ‘meeting the Lord in the air’ is is not a worthy goal to seek because it is at best something passive that happens to a consumer.

The final phrase says ‘and so we will always be with the Lord’. Notice again that there is no mention of Jesus or Christ. So means ‘in this manner’. Always means ‘at all times’. With is the normal word for ‘together with’, and ‘be’ is explicitly mentioned. In other words, this describes how the consumer who thinks in terms of having something new-and-improved will interact with the kingdom of God at the level of being. Those who have become personally transformed will come up with breakthroughs guided by Teacher understanding which will lead to the promise of new developments in Mercy thought. The consumer will be drawn to these new consumer breakthroughs but will always find that reality falls short of the promise. This falling short will not be the fault of the breakthroughs or the gadgets but rather because the consumer is functioning at the lesser level of cultural MMNs. This gap will always exist for the consumer. However, the gap between promise and reality will be much smaller in a better scenario than in a worse scenario. For instance, the gap between promise and reality was quite large in communism.

Verse 18 concludes, “Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” Therefore is a word ‘connecting cause to necessary effect’. Comfort means ‘to personally make a call’. It has been used several times and is more accurately translated as exhort or implore. Verse 18 is typically interpreted as Christians finding emotional comfort in the belief that they will be rescued by a coming rapture. But the beginning of chapter 5 will emphasize the need to respond in an active manner and not fall into the sleep of passivity. Word is ‘logos’ which refers to the paradigms of technical thought and in means ‘in the realm of’. This does not refer to listening to comforting sermons, but rather to using careful thinking to expand the paradigms that have just been shared, as illustrated by the analysis in this essay. This means asking questions such as: What makes a communist revolution so bad? Why does the evangelical concept of a rapture sound so much like alien disclosure? Why has the computer revolution enabled such dysfunctional social media? That is the type of thinking that needs to be encouraged.

I have suggested that chapter 4 is not referring to an evangelical Christian rapture. This does not mean that there will be no supernatural intervention. At this point my only remaining hope is for some door to open to the supernatural world because I have tried every other option and it has failed. And even if the economic application alluded to by the visit of Timothy ends up happening, that is still not enough. I have suggested in other essays that there will be what I call a ‘theoretical return of Jesus’. Something powerful will be revealed in Teacher thought which will be followed by what I call ‘spiritual technology’ in which existing technical gadgets become spiritually enabled. In some way, the personal character of the consumer will rub off on the gadgets of the consumer. This is obviously describing something totally new that has never happened before, just as someone from hundred years ago could not conceive of everyone carrying around globally interconnected smartphones. I have also come to the conclusion that the extent of the breakthrough will depend upon the extent that I and others are willing to ‘die in Christ’. I also sense internally that the personal struggles that I go through are leading to breakthroughs in the spiritual realm. This may be only an internal sensation guided by my understanding of mental symmetry, but I have also found that mental symmetry keeps explaining how society and people will respond and I keep finding myself powerless to alter these predictions of mental symmetry.

Do not Focus upon Times and Dates 5:1-2

Chapter 5 begins by looking at timing. “Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you.” There are two Greek words for time. Time means chronological clock time, while period refers to time as opportunity. Both of these words are used in verse 1. Need means ‘need, business’. An almost identical phrase was used in 4:9 which said that ‘you have no need [for me] to write to you’ about brotherly love. 5:1 says ‘You have no need to be written to you’ about periods and times. In 4:9, Paul said that a concept of the Holy Spirit was enough to guide people to behave in a law-abiding manner and that he did not have to add myriads of written legislations. 5:1 says that when it comes to the second coming, people do not need anything written about the subject that talks about dates and critical events. In contrast, evangelical Christendom has been convinced for decades that an endless flow of books needs to be written that will predict when the second coming will come based upon chronological prophecies and prophesied events.

However, I have found that prophecy makes sense when one stops thinking about years and dates and focuses instead upon cognitive development. This is not just a throwaway statement, because I have written thousands of pages on prophecy examining entire biblical books as prophetic sequences.

I have also found that writing about prophecy makes no difference. Even though these essays provide at least twenty times as much historical evidence as Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth, I have found essentially zero interest from anyone, leading me to conclude that evangelical Christians believe in the Rapture because it resonates with them emotionally and not because of any factual or scriptural evidence. Looking at this further, there is a strong similarity between the way that John Darby, who popularized belief in the Rapture, treated religious insiders and outsiders, and the way that the Rapture says that God will treat religious insiders and outsiders. This similarity also demonstrates that writing about the Rapture is irrelevant.

Verse 2 looks at the positive side. “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.” Know refers to empirical evidence. Full well is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘accurate because researched down to the finest detail’. This describes a form of accurate analysis that is different than focusing upon times and seasons. A day represents society being illuminated by the ‘sun’ of some general theory. For instance, the day of Modernism has been followed by the night of Postmodernism. The term ‘day of the Lord’ is used in both the Old and New Testament and would represent some future era of society that will be illuminated by a general Teacher understanding of God. The four steps in 4:16 can be interpreted as the coming of the day of the Lord, because a general Teacher understanding is appearing and then imposing itself upon society.

Thief means ‘a thief who steals by stealth’. Night is the opposite of day. Come means ‘to come, go’. And two comparison words are used: as a thief and ‘in this way comes’. Thus, the second coming will not be a thief in the night but it will feel like one. This becomes apparent if one understands the nature of a spiritual breakthrough. The basic principle is that the mind will only use a higher strategy if a lower strategy fails. The earlier chapters of 1 Thessalonians described a group of individuals being divinely led along a path of loneliness and failure to break through to a more general understanding. Similarly, 4:15 said that the second coming will happen first to those who have fallen asleep while 4:16 said that the dead in Christ will rise first.

Saying this more carefully, anyone who is following a path of God has learned in exquisite detail that one can only move on to the next step if one experiences a dead end with the current step and responds in a positive manner. Saying this another way, what really matters is personal character development, and reading many books about prophecy will divert one’s attention away from growing internally to focusing upon external events. I am not saying that the external events are irrelevant but rather that focusing upon external events will distract one from the only thing that will cause a second coming to happen, which is a spiritual breakthrough. And the level of spiritual breakthrough that is achieved by individuals will determine the kind of second coming that happens.

I have written extensive essays about the second coming, such as this essay, but my primary motive is not to convince others (because I have found that is essentially impossible) but rather to gain an understanding so that I can take the next step and I find that my writing is generally accompanied by corresponding personal struggles. Putting this all together, the second coming will be like a thief because the real preparatory work is being done silently outside of public notice. And this will be in the night because a breakthrough will only be accepted if existing strategies fall apart.

Postmodern Thought Attempts to Universalize 5:3-5

Verse 3 adds details. “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction is coming upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” While means ‘whenever a specified condition is fulfilled’. Say is the normal word for ‘say’ but is in the subjunctive which means ‘they might say’ as a hypothetical. Peace means ‘to join, tie together into a whole’ and was previously used back in 1:1 where Paul said ‘Grace to you and peace’. Safety adds ‘not’ to ‘totter’ and is found once in Thessalonians. The cognitive principle is that mental networks scream when faced with annihilation, similar to the way that a trapped animal will lash out at its attacker. Saying this more carefully, a mental network will generate extreme negative emotions and start to fall apart when it is triggered and forced to continue experiencing content that is inconsistent with its structure. A cultural or religious mental network can handle being marginalized as long as it is given freedom to express itself in some manner. The problem arises when the dominant society attempts to achieve wholeness by eliminating any remaining expression of a marginalized mental network. The goal of the majority is simply to add stability to existing society by eliminating exceptions to the general rule, but taking this final step will face marginalized mental networks with annihilation. For instance, this lashing out in response to impending annihilation can be seen in the response of evangelical Christians to secular liberal society. Notice that the struggle in verse 3 involves words rather than behavior and that the focus is upon hypothetical words rather than actual words. Thus, evangelical Christianity is not being prevented from acting and behaving in a Christian manner but is being excluded from public dialogue as language is being increasingly policed for political correctness. And much of this struggle goes beyond what people are actually saying to what they might be saying. Christianity became marginalized from American society in the 1970s but still exerted considerable influence upon society. What is dying now is the concept of America as a Christian nation. This goes beyond any specific Christian content to the idea of America being Christian. Similarly, Justin Trudeau in Canada is transforming Canada into a post-Christian country in which any remaining vestige of Christian culture is being attacked by Trudeau as immoral.

Then means ‘then, at that time’. Suddenly is used twice in the New Testament and adds the prefix ‘not’ to ‘bring to light’. In other words, one cannot see it coming. Destruction means ‘ruination with its full, destructive results’. Like means ‘just exactly like’. Labor pain is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘a birth pang’. When a birth pang happens, then attention instantly shifts away from current activity to the birth of new life. For instance, the secular liberal majority did not see the backlash from fundamentalism coming. It appeared to strike out of the blue, and this backlash threatens to destroy the very fabric of democratic society. That is because evangelical Christians and other conservatives are lashing out in desperation like a cornered animal. (The situation in Canada is a little different because Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history in order to end the Truckers Convey Protest. Thus, conservative Canadians lashed out in desperation but the government responded in a manner that threatens democratic institutions.) That is causing the attention of society to shift away from the liberal agenda to attempting to understand what this backlash will birth. ‘Upon a pregnant woman’ is more literally ‘to her having in the realm of a womb’. And womb refers to ‘the womb, stomach’. Thus, the emphasis is upon the process of birth rather than the mother or the baby. Escape is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘to flee away’.

There is a cognitive reason why this problem will not go away. That is because evangelical Christians are teaching many of the right principles for inadequate reasons while postmodern liberalism and wokeism violates many cognitive principles in major ways. Thus, the evangelical Christian knows at a gut level that there is truth to his complaints. But the evangelical Christian formulates these moral principles as commands from a holy book rather than universal principles based in cognitive cause-and-effect. On the one hand, social and religious conservatives cannot let go of these moral issues, but on the other hand they cannot formulate their concerns in rational language that is comprehensible to the liberal. All they can do is scream, attack the edifice of liberal thought and hope that some friendly dictator will reimpose absolute truth upon the evil liberal establishment. But attempting to re-establish absolute truth merely leads to dictatorship and not to absolute truth. Similarly, science and technology suffer from the critical flaw of pursuing knowledge in an objective and specialized manner. This is a real problem to which academic thought is willfully blind. However, those who sense the resulting lack of meaning invariably express their concerns as an incoherent emotional backlash rather than using rational thought to analyze emotional topics.

Verse 4 says that those who are building and following a new understanding are not in this predicament. “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief.” Darkness means ‘darkness, obscurity’. In means ‘in the realm of’ and the verb ‘be’ is explicitly used. This describes the positive results of submitting one’s person to a general theory. I have mentioned several times that people are locally rational. They have technical skills and knowledge but lack substance when it comes to the subjective and the universal. This juxtaposition can survive as long as existing inadequate mental networks have a way of expressing themselves. But when these core mental networks become threatened or suppressed then there is nothing left except darkness and obscurity. This explains the implosion of evangelical Christendom and related conservative groups, as well as the incoherence of wokeism. In contrast, my mind has not fallen apart because mental symmetry continues to explain what is happening, and I can continue to use mental symmetry to interpret Scripture. Following mental symmetry may cause me to be excluded from society, but it also holds my mind together. When the MMNs of those who are in darkness fall apart, they fall apart. When my MMNs fall apart, my TMN of understanding puts my mind back together. This transforms me in the realm of ‘being’, which goes beyond the ‘having’ of technical specialization.

Day is interpreted as some general understanding illuminating society. And ‘like a thief’ is the same two Greek words that were used in verse 2. Overtake is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘to lay hold of so as to make one’s own’. What is happening is that society is shifting from one crisis to another and each crisis is threatening various core mental networks. It is becoming apparent that a new kind of society is coming into being but no one knows what this society will be like. Those who are in darkness are getting caught unaware by these shifts and are responding in an irrational manner as their core mental networks are threatened. In other words, some crisis is laying hold of their minds and taking ownership of the mind. However, those who have understanding can place these events into existing mental networks of understanding. For instance, the same societal forces that are causing various societal groups to go crazy are expanding my understanding of the theory of mental symmetry. The same forces that are ripping others apart are putting me together. This putting together is not always a pleasant or easy process. The insanities that I see around me also cause me to respond emotionally with incoherent rage. The difference is that the protester remains within incoherent rage, while my emotional response is followed by positive emotion from Teacher understanding that places this insanity within a larger plan of redemption. A distinction also needs to be made between existence and happiness. Existence means that core mental networks are not being threatened. Happiness means that these core mental networks are generating pleasant experiences. Existence is more basic than happiness. Mental symmetry may be bringing me only limited happiness but it is holding my mind together and giving me a solid existence.

Verse 5 goes further. “For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness.” All means ‘each part of a totality’. Son means a ‘male offspring.’ All Biblical references to men are interpreted as referring to male thought which emphasizes technical thinking, as opposed to female thought which emphasizes mental networks. Light is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘light’. Light is interpreted as the light of Teacher understanding, as opposed to the darkness of a lack of understanding. The reference to sons is cognitively significant because it distinguishes between the feeling of a meta-theory and an actual meta-theory. One of the reasons I wrote a paper on language acquisition is because those who teach second languages are painfully aware of the fragmented nature of their field and see the need for a meta-theory that will bring integration to the various theories of their specialization. Thus, I presented mental symmetry as a meta-theory to tie together many aspects of language acquisition, assuming that this would be appreciated. However, it was universally rejected because what is really wanted is not a meta-theory that actually integrates the field but rather the feeling of a meta-theory that provides vague emotional inspiration in Teacher thought. In other words, people want light but they do not want to be sons of light; they do not want to add any technical details to their vague mental networks of understanding. As this essay illustrates, mental symmetry adds technical details and does not remain at the level of vague prophetic statements. Mental symmetry is not a typical technical theory, but it does look for connections and patterns in a sufficiently rigorous manner to be compatible with technical thought.

The phrase ‘sons of light’ is followed by the phrase ‘sons of day’. The repetition of ‘sons’ means that male thought is still being used to add details to the general light of female thought. But the light of a general theory is growing in extent to become the light of a new society. Instead of remaining at the level of vague generalities, male thought is being used to add details in order to clarify what it would be like to live within this theory.

Night is the opposite of day and darkness was used in verse 4 and means ‘darkness, obscurity’. The words ‘not’ and ‘are’ indicate that a distinction is starting to emerge at the deeper level of being. It is becoming clear that those who lack the light of understanding are being driven by a different set of core mental networks. For instance, I used to feel an emotional kinship with the typical conservative, Bible-believing Christian. However the irrational response of these individuals to the covid pandemic and to Donald Trump has made it clear that there is no longer an emotional kinship. We do not share core mental networks.

Avoiding Societal Implosions 5:6-11

In verse 6 this new identity leads to new behavior. “So then, let’s not sleep as the rest, but let’s be alert and sober.” So means ‘it follows that’. And then means ‘therefore, then’. Sleep ‘to fall asleep’ and is used four times in Thessalonians in verses 5:7-10. This is a different word than the word ‘fallen asleep’ used three times in chapter 4 and is used primarily to refer to falling asleep rather than dying. The rest means ‘the remaining’ and was previously used in 4:13 to describe the rest who are grieving. Grieving describes the emotional response that happens when core mental networks are threatened. Asleep indicates the mental passivity that results when these threatened mental networks take hold of conscious thought. This combination is apparent in those who are protesting against the current world because most of these protests combine screaming, stupidity, and vulnerability to being hijacked by unscrupulous leaders.

Watch means to ‘stay awake’ which is the opposite of falling asleep. Stated simply, do not go passive but think; do not just react at a gut emotional level but use rational thought to try to analyze core mental networks. Sober means ‘to be sober, not drunk’ and is used in this verse and two verses later in Thessalonians. Getting drunk is a way of forgetting unpleasant facts. The facts of society are unpleasant and it is tempting to try to avoid these facts through some form of escapism. Remaining sober means avoiding escapism. That is because a universal Teacher understanding is based upon all the facts and not just pleasant facts. Staying awake and avoiding escapism is only possible to the extent that one has the light of a Teacher understanding. That is because the positive Teacher emotions of understanding can balance the negative Mercy emotions of acknowledging the unpleasant situations. This does not mean that one has to live personally within these unpleasant Mercy experiences. But it does mean acknowledging what is happening in a factual matter in order to gain an understanding.

Verse 7 points out this principle. “For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night.” Sleep and night are the same words that were used in verses 5 and 6. Literally speaking, one obviously sleeps during the nighttime. Mentally speaking, one copes with a lack of understanding by going passive. It is not possible to use critical thinking properly if one lacks the light of an understanding that can guide this critical thinking. This describes a fundamental flaw of postmodernism which tries to use critical thinking while denying the existence of any light of understanding. The end result is to destroy rational thought.

The first drunk means ‘to make drunk’ while the second drunk means ‘to be drunken’. The cognitive principle is that a mindset that tries to escape from the facts will naturally be able to escape from the facts within a society that lacks the light of a general understanding. In other words, if one is already using escapism as a coping tool, then this will become the dominant response during the night, because night by its very nature obscures the facts. Saying this another way, if one is running away from the facts when one has a Teacher understanding, then one will definitely run away from the facts when one lacks a Teacher understanding.

The new form of thinking gains stability in verse 8. “But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” Notice that these are defensive weapons. One is not trying to attack others but rather gaining the ability to fend off attacks from others. ‘Being of day’ indicates that one has the light of a Teacher understanding that can shine upon personal identity. That is the result of applying sufficient critical thinking. For instance, as I use mental symmetry to observe and understand people and groups self-destructing around me, I gain increasing confidence in mental symmetry as a theory. It becomes increasingly apparent that others do not have rational arguments and are not using rational thought but rather are lashing out in an incoherent manner prompted by threatened mental networks. It also becomes apparent that those who demand respect from society as public guardians of rational thought are in fact only locally rational and are no different than the average person when dealing with emotional topics. Sober means ‘to be sober, not drunk’ and was used two verses earlier. But this clear thinking is now being protected by armor. Put on means ‘to clothe or be clothed with, in the sense of sinking into a garment’ and is used once in Thessalonians. Clothing represents the fabric of social interaction. ‘Sinking into a garment’ implies adopting a form of social interaction that is a natural expression of personal identity, as opposed to putting on some fake public persona.

Breastplate is the source of the English word ‘thorax’ and ‘protected the chest and extended down to the hips’. The same word is used in the well-known passage on the armor of God in Ephesians 6, but Ephesians refers to the breastplate of righteousness, while verse 8 refers to a breastplate of faith and love. Faith means to ‘be persuaded’ while love is ‘agape’. The Biblehub definition suggests that the breastplate protects the heart and the heart represents personal identity. Looking at this further, people are lashing out in self-defense because core mental networks, including mental networks of personal identity, are being threatened. Verse 8 describes how one can interact socially with others in a way that protects core mental networks. Faith means that one interacts rationally as opposed to lashing out emotionally. The natural tendency is to respond to an emotional attack at an emotional level. However, if one is truly ruled by a rational Teacher understanding, then it becomes possible to respond to emotional spewing by remaining rational. My personal experience is that this does not happen instantly rather is an ability that gradually grows and spreads from one context to another. It is critical to recognize that one is not responding in a rational manner in order to try to convince the other person, because one has learned that this is probably impossible. Instead, one is interacting in a rational manner in order to preserve one’s own core mental networks. The purpose is not apologetics or winning arguments but rather self-preservation. Stated another way, one is wearing defensive armor and not wielding offensive weapons.

Helmet combines ‘around’ with ‘head’ and this word is only used in this verse and in Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6 talks about the helmet of salvation, whereas verse 8 refers to the hope of salvation. The head is the source of rational thought. The breastplate protects one from emotional onslaught, while the helmet protects one from rational arguments. Salvation means ‘to deliver out of danger and into safety’ and is only used in 1 Thessalonians in this verse and the next. The name Jesus means salvation, but the focus here is upon actually being saved as opposed to following some general path of salvation. Hope means ‘to anticipate, welcome’ and indicates that Exhorter thought is being motivated by some internal image in Mercy thought. A helmet of the hope of salvation describes the perspective that one takes when evaluating factual information. One does not attempt to deny or ignore the facts. Instead, one places these facts within an emotional framework of looking forward to personal salvation. Instead of seeing the dismal facts as the demise of existing society, one interprets the same facts as laying the groundwork for a new society within which one will experience personal salvation. Saying this another way, one refuses to enter into conspiracy theories but rather puts a positive spin on situations guided by an understanding of what God is doing. One does this publicly when interacting with other people about facts. Again, the goal is not necessarily to rescue others out of their negative thinking but rather to preserve one’s own ability to think rationally.

Verse 9 emphasizes this positive mindset. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is the first mention of Jesus since 4:14 which suggests that it will be difficult to think in terms of salvation during the intervening verses. Similarly, the word God was previously used in 4:16 which referred to ‘the trumpet of God’. The Greek begins with the phrase ‘for not has destined us’. Destined means ‘to place, lay, set’ and indicates a source of stability for Perceiver thought. This verb is only used once in Thessalonians. What is being described is a way of moving beyond the mindset that ‘God hates me and wants to destroy me’. It is easy to adopt this mindset when one experiences decades of doors of personal opportunity continually being slammed shut in a manner that strongly suggests divine providence. When this happens enough times, then Perceiver thought will eventually come to the conclusion that this is a solid fact of personal existence. This is conveyed by the term wrath which means ‘settled anger’. However, when one becomes surrounded by various groups collapsing into insanity and one finds that one’s mind is not falling apart but rather becoming more solid, then it gradually becomes apparent that one is not destined for wrath.

For means ‘for or into’ which indicates a direction. One direction is for wrath while the other is for obtaining salvation. Obtain combines ‘all around’ with ‘to make, do’. Salvation was used in verse 8 to describe the helmet of the hope of salvation. Obtaining salvation is like being taught how to fish rather than being given a fish. Righteousness describes performing Server actions that are emotionally guided by a Teacher understanding of God. Verse 9 goes beyond individual acts of righteousness to being emotionally guided by an integrated concept of God in Teacher thought to behave in a manner that leads to long-term personal well-being in Mercy thought. This is brought out by the phrase ‘our Lord Jesus Christ’ which indicates being personally ruled by an integrated concept of incarnation.

Verse 10 describes the process of forming such an integrated concept of incarnation. “Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” Die ‘emphasizes the separation of goes with the dying off’ and is used one other time in Thessalonians in 4:14 which talked about believing that ‘Jesus died and rose again’. In verse 10 dying off is described as in the past. For means ‘about, concerning’. Thus, Jesus did not die for me personally in Mercy thought, as is commonly stated, but instead Jesus died for the entire context of personal identity, because this is where the local rational thinking of modern society is fundamentally deficient. Awake is the same word that was used in verse 6 but is in the subjunctive. Asleep is the same word that was used in verse 7 and is also in the subjunctive. Whether means that the following statement applies to both those who are awake and those who are asleep, to those who are following actively and those who are being carried along passively. Together means ‘at the same time’ and with means ‘together with’. And live refers to both natural and spiritual life. In other words, there is now an inevitability of salvation. A new, more integrated society will come into being. This is both a promise and a threat. It is a promise for those who have been mentally awake preparing actively for this new society. But it is a threat for those who have been mentally passive, because their passivity means they will be unable to ignore the new society when it emerges. As verse 17 indicates, they will be ‘caught up into the clouds’ to be consumers of the new society, whether they like this or not.

Verse 11 concludes by encouraging active thought, “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.” Encourage is the same word that is often translated as comfort. However, it does not have just the sense of making another person feel better, but rather of encouraging them to walk in a certain direction. For instance, 4:18 also said ‘encourage one another’ but then focused upon the ‘logoses’ of various paradigms indicating the need to develop a broader, more universal understanding. Verse 11 adds build up which means ‘to build a house’ and this verb is used once in Thessalonians. Building a house means constructing a home for personal identity. This expands on the concept in verse 9 of obtaining salvation rather than being saved. An integrated concept of the Lord Jesus Christ now exists that makes it possible to be saved. In other words, one has been taught how to fish. But one still has to get a fishing boat and start fishing; one still has to apply these principles in order to construct a home for personal identity. ‘Encourage’ is followed by one another, which indicates that people are encouraging each other. ‘Building a house’ is followed by ‘one the one’, indicating that each person has to do this as an individual. One may be able to build physical houses for other people, but one cannot build someone else’s mental or spiritual house. Just as means ‘according to the manner in which’ and doing refers to Server actions. In other words, the Server actions are already present, being guided by an integrated Teacher understanding of God and incarnation. These actions should not change, but the primary motivation should change from following God in Teacher thought to constructing a home for myself in Mercy thought. On the one hand, both the waking and the sleeping are being carried through to salvation. But on the other hand, only the waking are developing the personal skills that are required to translate a system of salvation into a personal home. It is important that verse 11 follow verse 10. If one starts to build a house before being guided by an integrated concept of incarnation, then following Mercy thought will cause one to abandon Teacher thought. However, if verse 11 follows verse 10, then the home that is constructed in Mercy thought will be an expression of general understanding in Teacher thought.

Recognizing Those who Lay a Solid Foundation 5:12-14

Verse 12 describes a new system of leadership emerging. “But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you instruction.” Ask means ‘to ask on special footing, intimacy’ and was used once previously in 4:1 where Paul asked his followers to apply existing principles in more areas. Recognize is the normal word for empirical evidence. Thus, people are supposed to observe what is happening, as opposed to focusing upon those who have social status. Diligently labor means ‘exhausting labor’ and has been used several times in noun form. Looking at this cognitively, doing work that involves transforming core mental networks is not necessarily physically difficult or physically tiring. But it is mentally and emotionally draining. The Exhorter person may get energized by emotional crises, but even the Exhorter person finds it far easier to encourage others to change than to undergo personal transformation.

Leadership is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘to stand before’. Standing is interpreted as Perceiver stability. One could compare this to constructing a building in a marshy region. Moving around in such a region is difficult because nothing is solid, and before a building can be constructed, a solid foundation has to be laid. Thus, leadership involves ‘standing before’: finding solid Perceiver facts within the emotional realm of mental networks. ‘In the realm of Lord’ indicates that these leaders are not finding Perceiver stability through strength of personal character but rather by submitting to the lordship of some higher rule. Instruction combines ‘mind’ with ‘to place’ and is only used in 1 Thessalonians in this verse and two verses later. This describes finding solid facts for rational thinking. This does not mean suppressing mental networks but rather gaining sufficient Perceiver confidence to notice repeated connections within and between mental networks, making it possible to deal rationally with emotional topics. This type of thinking is absolutely critical when the structure of society is being attacked by those whose core mental networks are threatened. Notice that Paul is not asking followers to evaluate leaders doctrinally or scientifically. Instead, Paul is focusing upon empirical results: Recognize those people who are tackling emotionally difficult issues and managing to achieve solid results. That is because there will be a natural tendency for people to reject any positive results that are being generated by the ‘wrong group’.

Verse 13 continues, “And that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.” Regard means ‘what goes before, in front [and] refers to coming first in priority’. Very highly means ‘over, beyond’. In other words, regard them as individuals who are going ahead to take the first step of laying a solid foundation in marshy land and recognize that this work is literally foundational. Love is ‘agape’. Doing this ‘in the realm of agape’ would mean taking these solid Perceiver facts and placing them within a general Teacher understanding. For instance, this describes the approach that I have taken with mental symmetry. I have acquired many Perceiver facts from sources that I would not normally consider, because I look for researchers who describe solid facts about emotional topics. This does not mean that I necessarily subscribe to the philosophies or worldviews of these researchers. Instead, I continually try to place the solid Perceiver facts gathered by others into the framework of the Teacher theory of mental symmetry.

Peace means ‘wholeness, integrity of being’ and this is the only time that this word is used as a verb in Thessalonians. ‘Peace’ was previously used as a noun in verse 3 where people were ‘saying peace and safety’. That attempt to bring wholeness to society triggered an emotional backlash from suppressed groups. Verse 13 describes a deeper attempt to achieve wholeness by building upon solid Perceiver facts about emotional issues. In verse 3 people were talking about wholeness whereas verse 13 describes wholeness as a verb that is being carried out ‘in the realm of yourselves’. Verse 13 does not say that there will be peace in society. Instead, the peace is limited to the group of followers. That is because the followers are attempting to live in an integrated manner guided by solid principles that are being discovered from observing all of the chaotic behavior that is happening within general society.

Verse 14 indicates that this may be a struggle. “We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Urge is the familiar word that means to ‘personally make a call’. Admonish was used two verses earlier and means ‘to place the mind’. Unruly is used once in the New Testament and adds the prefix ‘not’ to ‘draw up in order, arrange’. In verse 12 the followers’ minds were being placed within the context of Teacher love. In verse 14, the followers are placing the minds of others whose minds lack Teacher order.

Looking at this more carefully, a distinction needs to be made between what people are being emotionally driven by their threatened mental networks to demand and what is really needed for human well-being. Using an extreme example, female circumcision does not lead to physical or mental well-being. But “Where FGM is a social convention (social norm), the social pressure to conform to what others do and have been doing, as well as the need to be accepted socially and the fear of being rejected by the community, are strong motivations to perpetuate the practice.” Approximately 200 million women alive today have had female circumcision. Dealing with this issue effectively means acquiring solid Perceiver facts in an area of thought that is governed by strong cultural and religious mental networks and then using these facts to reorder people’s thinking.

Encourage is used one other time in Thessalonians in 2:12 and means ‘cheering someone up by soothing speech’. Fainthearted is used once in the New Testament and combines ‘little in quantity’ with ‘soul’. The soul is interpreted as the integrated mind. Thus, this would refer to a person whose mind is not integrated. For such a person, soothing words are required. Notice that this advice is being given within the context of a new society that is guided by integrated understanding and solid facts in the realm of the subjective. This is quite different than a safe space which uses soothing words within a context that rejects integrated understanding and has no concept of solid facts in the realm of the subjective.

Help is used once in Thessalonians, it combines ‘corresponding to’ with ‘have’ and means to ‘holds on to in a way that matches the object grasped’. A distinction has been made between ‘having’ and ‘being’ and immorality was defined earlier as inappropriate having in which one disregards ‘being’ in order to achieve more ‘having’. Help refers to appropriate having. Weak means ‘without strength, weak’. This would apply to those who lack the strength to resist pressures of marketing and propaganda. Nothing could be done to help these individuals earlier because the system was inherently idolatrous. A new system guided by Teacher thought would make it possible to assist these individuals. This would relate to ‘those who are alive and remain meeting the Lord in the air’ because passive consumers are now being taught how to practice their consumerism in a manner that is consistent with mental wholeness.

Patient is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘extending a long time’. The general principle is that one cannot acquire the Perceiver confidence that is required to handle strong emotions by using emotional pressure to overwhelm Perceiver thought. Using an analogy, one cannot construct a home using explosives. Explosives can remove the obstacles that stand in the way of building a home, but when it comes to actually building the home, then one has to go beyond such destructive methods. All means ‘each part of a totality’ which means that this is a general principle. This is difficult to do. For instance, I was tutoring yesterday and the student asked for help with an English assignment. He was supposed to write an essay on the benefits of viewing life from another person’s perspective, which is a good principle. But the essay that this student wrote talked only about the suffering that natives have undergone in residential schools, based upon two stories that they had read in class. I responded in an emotional manner because of the hypocrisy of the assigment. That is because the assignment did not follow the general principle of viewing life from another person’s perspective. Instead, all students in my province are now being forced by government decree to view everything from a Native perspective. If it was wrong to attempt to ‘drive the native out of the native’ in order to force Aboriginal students to take a white man’s perspective, then it is also wrong to attempt to ‘drive the white man out of the white man’ in order to force Canadian students, regardless of their culture, to take an aboriginal perspective. It is difficult to be long-suffering when faced with such blatant hypocrisy.

Breaking the Cycle of Dueling Mental Networks 5:15-20

Verse 15 tries to break the cycle of dueling cultural mental networks. “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people.” See means ‘to see with the mind’. Thus, this instruction involves the inner world of thinking and mindsets. Evil means ‘inwardly foul, rotten’ which describes foul MMNs. For is the word ‘anti’, which means ‘opposite, corresponding to’. And repay means ‘to return, especially as a payment’. In other words, one should not respond to evil by descending to the same level of evil.

For instance, on October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out a heinous terrorist attack on Israel in which over 1200 Israelis were killed and 253 hostages were seized. This definitely qualifies as ‘inwardly foul, rotten’. Unfortunately, Israel is responding in a manner that has now descended to a similar level of evil. As of the end of February 2024, over 30,000 have died in Gaza as a result of the Israel military response. One key transition was when the Israeli defense minister declared that the militants are human animals and lifted all restrictions on Israeli soldiers invading Gaza. This is an example of responding to evil with evil. Israel feels that it is justified in paying back evil with evil, and Israel is treating Hamas the way Hamas has treated Israel. But the goal of verse 15 is to break this endless cycle of violence in which one cultural and religious group attacks another, which then feels justified in attacking back in a similar manner. Notice that this advice is being given at the end of the epistle in the context of a new of emerging society of rational thought within the subjective. For instance, it would not make sense for Ukraine to stop fighting Russia as the Pope has recently suggested because that would merely lead to evil winning over good. Instead, the best that Ukraine can do at this point is to resist Russia in a moral manner that does not descend to the level of evil being perpetrated by Russia, and so far Ukraine has been following this path, while Israel is not.

Always means ‘at all times’. Good means ‘intrinsically good’ and is referred to as ‘the good’. This relates to the concept mentioned earlier of replacing the preserving of cultural MMNs with a search for intrinsic goodness—what is truly needed for human well-being. Pursue means to ‘aggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a catch’. This suggests that seeking intrinsic goodness will be a difficult goal but will also be motivated by strong feelings. I know from personal experience what it means to pursue intrinsic goodness even when this goal seems far away and the path is difficult. I think that such a struggle is necessary because people will not value intrinsic goodness if it is handed to them on a platter without any struggle. I grew up in the late 20^th century when North America was experiencing significant intrinsic goodness and this goodness was lost because it was not valued. ‘Toward one another’ means pursuing this goal with everyone and not just with insiders. For instance, one pursues intrinsic goodness even when fighting Hamas or Russia. A major aspect of pursuing intrinsic goodness is behaving in a good manner simply because it is good regardless of how another person behaves. All means ‘Each part of a totality’ which refers to both people and things. Thus, a search for intrinsic goodness should extend to the objective realm of the consumer society. But notice that ‘to everyone’ proceeds ‘to everything’. One begins by pursuing intrinsic goodness with people and then extends this to the realm of things.

Verse 16 contains only two words. “Rejoice always.” Always means ‘at all times’. Rejoice means ‘glad for grace’ and refers to positive Teacher emotion. In other words, view everything from the emotional perspective of Teacher integration, which means finding pleasure in beauty, symmetry, structure, order, elegance, simplicity, integration, and wholeness. In other words, even if Russia is genocidal, even if the Israeli response to Hamas atrocities is barbaric, even if the residential schools were evil, do not focus upon this. Instead, place everything within a general Teacher understanding of what God is doing. The alternative is insanity, as illustrated by all the various groups that are going insane. For instance, a former evangelical friend of mine liked reading about conspiracy theories. He is now convinced that Putin’s Russia is the most Christian nation on earth and he vigorously defended this opinion when challenged. That is insanity. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are many others like him. But one can view this from a positive Teacher perspective by recognizing that God is using this type of response to take the Bible away from so-called Bible-believing Christians in order to give the Bible to those who will use rational thought to analyze it from the perspective of character development.

Verse 17 is also very short. “Pray without ceasing.” Without ceasing means ‘without any unnecessary interval’. Pray means ‘to exchange wishes’ and this is the first use of this common word in Thessalonians. A concept of God is based in Teacher emotions of an integrated understanding. Personal desire is based in Mercy feelings of need and want. Prayer allows these two emotions to interact. A Teacher theory is based in general principles while personal identity focuses upon specifics. General principles can be applied in many different ways. Praying to God means asking that general principles be applied in ways that are more pleasurable for personal identity. Stated the other way, God does not want personal identity to be suppressed in Mercy thought, as religious self-denial insists. Instead, God wants people to satisfy personal needs in ways that expresses general Teacher principles. ‘Praying without ceasing’ means that this emotional interaction should happen all the time without splitting into a subjective realm that is driven by Mercy emotions and a technical realm this is driven by Teacher paradigms. Modern science and technology could be described as praying with much ceasing, because the engineers and the consumers spend most of their time trying to ignore each other. Obviously, such an exchange of wishes will only happen if personal identity is seeking intrinsic goodness that is based upon universal principles of well-being, which explains why this verse is at the end of the epistle.

Going further, this epistle began by describing a group of individuals who were being divinely guided to follow a path of repeated personal frustration in order to reach a higher level of functioning. When one is on such a path there is no point in exchanging wishes with God because the answer will be ‘later’. Based on personal experience, I think that the God will answer the prayer, ‘Please do not teach me the hard way because I am willing to be a cooperative student’, but will not answer the prayer, ‘I would like to have a normal life like the people around me.’ The fact that the normal word for prayer is finally being used suggests that the goal of the divinely-led school has been reached and that the restrictions upon students are finally being lifted. This does not mean that God will answer the prayer, ‘I would like to have a normal life like the people around me’ because at this point there are no more normal people around and no normal lives. Instead, I think that God will answer the prayer, ‘This is the type of personal life that I would like to have in this new kingdom that is emerging based upon the character that I have acquired going through the divine school.’ Saying this another way, I think that one will be allowed to graduate from the divine school but not drop out.

Verse 18 is often quoted out of context. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” This is sometimes interpreted as being thankful to God for everything that happens to me, such as my car accident that left me paralyzed. However, it does not say to give thanks for everything but rather in everything, and in means ‘in the realm of’. Thanks means ‘acknowledging that God’s grace works well’. The previous two phrases regarded everything from the perspective of Teacher thought and then exchanged wishes with God in Teacher thought. Verse 18 naturally follows by acknowledging that good results are coming from God in Teacher thought. The consumer society provides an example of violating this principle. The reason that we have a continual flow of new-and-improved gadgets is because technology is guided by an integrated Teacher understanding of the laws of nature. But the typical consumer does not respond with thankfulness, but instead demands that gadgets be presented in a way that emphasizes Mercy experiences while minimizing any connection with—or need for—rational Teacher understanding.

This also relates to being released from the restrictions of a divine school. A mindset of absolute truth will naturally concludewill that ‘I am a worm a compared to God’ and will feel that following God implies denying self. This conclusion will become reinforced if one continually finds personal circumstances being divinely orchestrated in a way that denies personal success. Going further, holding on to the vision of a better society while continuing to see society go insane can lead to a deep bitterness against God. If one finally begins to experience some personal success, then it might be tempting to turn one’s back upon God in disgust, similarly to the way that Western society turned its back upon the God of religious self-denial as a result of the consumer society. Thus, it is vital at this point to maintain an attitude of gratefulness to God.

Will means ‘desire, wish’. ‘In Christ Jesus’ would mean functioning in the realm of an integrated concept of incarnation, as partially illustrated by modern science and technology. ‘The will of God’ would mean that God is pleased in Teacher thought when humans ask for their personal needs to be satisfied in a manner that reflects Teacher order and then respond by acknowledging that Teacher thought is the source of the resulting answers.

Stating this in the most general way possible, God the Father lives in Teacher thought. God creates creatures and environments that reflect Teacher order. God wants creatures to live within this environment in a manner that generates new forms of Teacher order. For instance, God created a physical universe governed by universal laws of nature. God is pleased when humans apply these laws of nature in a manner that builds a society that is characterized by Teacher order. As far as I can tell, this is one of the deepest principles of existence.

Avoiding the Trap of Technical Thought 5:19-21

Verse 19 is also short. “Do not quench the Spirit.” Quench is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘extinguish, quench’. ‘The spirit’ is mentioned but there is no reference to the Holy Spirit. This refers to Platonic forms which emerge as Teacher thought derives the simplified essence of Perceiver facts and Perceiver categories. The previous verses may give the impression that it is fundamentally flawed to be driven by MMNs. But a distinction needs to be made between cultural mental networks that are based in the specific experiences of some cultural group and Platonic forms that are based in universal principles that apply to all cultural groups. These Platonic forms of the spirit will emerge within Mercy thought as society pursues well-being guided by integrated Teacher understanding. These MMNs should not be suppressed or quenched. Saying this another way, coming from God in Teacher thought and then returning back to God with another kind of Teacher order requires an intermediate stage based in Mercy thought. The fundamental problem of mysticism is that it tries to return back to God in unaltered form by destroying any intermediate stage based in Mercy thought. God creates and then creation glorifies God by exhibiting Teacher order. Mysticism short-circuits this by denying creation in order to become united with God.

Verse 20 continues, “Do not utterly reject prophecies.” Utterly reject is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘to count as nothing, to treat with utter contempt’. Prophecy means to ‘assert by elevating one statement over another’. Academia uses technical thought, which is the best form of thinking for analyzing the objective realm of the laws of nature. But every technical system has only some limited realm of applicability. Saying this another way, technical thought cannot see around the corner. Prophecy attempts to look beyond the next corner. Looking beyond the next corner requires using some form of non-technical thought, such as using normal thought to look for patterns or identifying mental networks and attempting to predict how they will interact. Academia has become willing to acknowledge emotional, alternative forms of ‘knowing’ that violate scientific principles and threaten scientific thought, but academia ‘utterly rejects’ the type of semi-rigorous thinking that is used by prophecy.

Going further, this same Greek word is used to describe the spiritual gift of Perceiver in Romans 12:6. I have learned through decades of experience that secular society, postmodern thought, religious groups, and academia all ‘utterly reject’ Perceiver thought. The Perceiver person can find appreciation for Perceiver thought in fields such as engineering and computer science, but heaven help (literally) any Perceiver person who attempts to escape the ghetto of gadgets to apply Perceiver thought to either technical thinking or mental networks.

Looking at this more carefully, those who use technical thought in some specialized manner will invariably switch gears mentally when encountering mental networks, flipping from rigorous technical logic to irrational, mindless, identification and worship. Unfortunately, this is not an overstatement but rather a summary of decades of interaction with trained academics with PhDs. There may be a neurological basis for this. Serotonin (5-HT) appears to be related to the functioning of Contributor thought and technical thought emerges when Contributor thought takes control of the mind. There are many subvarieties of serotonin: 5-HT1A appears to be related to the normal thinking of Contributor thought. 5-HT2A, in contrast, leads to less rigorous thinking, and drugs such as psilocybin and LSD can create mystical states that strongly resemble the mystical states described by religion. This means that serotonin can have two quite different mental effects. 5-HT1A supports technical thought while 5-HT2A supports non-technical creativity. This provides a neurological explanation for why the academic will jump directly from rigorous logic to irrational mysticism without pausing in between to consider the patterns and analogies of normal thought.

Saying this as simply as possible, I have found that the male Contributor person is not willing to acknowledge that his mind contains any other cognitive modules that have the right to live. He is willing to let go of logic and embrace irrational thought if he does the letting go, but he is not willing to give control to any other cognitive module. For instance, my father was a Contributor person. He refused to believe in cognitive styles even though surrounded by years of conversation on the topic by other members of the family. When I directly faced him with this refusal, he ignored my comments and told me repeatedly that the Bible says that children should submit to their parents. (I should add that my father also had many good attributes and since my father passed away I have encountered several individuals who spontaneously described my father using terms that went beyond positive to glowing.) In other words, my father as a Contributor person refused to acknowledge the existence of other modes of thought. Essentially every male Contributor person that I have encountered has behaved in a similar manner. (Female Contributor persons tend to be more open to the concept of cognitive styles.) Saying this another way, the male Contributor person—and academia in general— will naturally mock and belittle the idea of treating subconscious modules as living beings that have the right to exist. Unfortunately, most male Contributor persons treat other cognitive styles with the same feeling of inherent superiority. This is also an example of the immorality described earlier, because the male Contributor person will only go beyond ‘having’ to ‘being’ by recognizing and developing subconscious modes of thought.

Prophecy, in contrast, uses normal thought to look for patterns and connections. This type of thinking can be used with both technical thought and mental networks, because one can compare different technical specializations and mental networks for repeated patterns in order to gain a larger picture, making it possible to see around the corner. But this type of interdisciplinary thinking can only be used if male Contributor persons stop ‘utterly rejecting’ this form of thought.

I think that the comment about utterly despising prophecy is being made at the very end because society at this point has just started to recover from a huge paradigm shift. The natural tendency will be for male technical thought to reassert control over society and declare again that their technical thinking is the only valid form of human thought. The solution is not to despise the male Contributor person or to suppress technical thought because that leads to the kind of belligerent insanity that is illustrated by women’s studies. Instead, the solution is to demonstrate that using all seven cognitive modules in a cooperative manner leads to personal and societal well-being that utterly transcends anything that has been achieved by current science and technology. Saying this another way, one does not fight the global insanity of local rational thought with another form of global insanity. Instead, one extends local rational thought to achieve global rational thought. Instead of selling one’s soul to have more, one extends the economic thinking of the global economy to include the cognitive and the spiritual so that one can become more.

Verse 21 says how one should respond. “But examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good.” Test means to ‘put to the test to reveal what is good’. The only other use of this word in Thessalonians was in 2:4 which talked about being tested by God who tests the hearts. Everything means ‘each part of a totality’. This may sound at first glance to correspond with the current practice of requiring statistical validation and peer review, but I have discovered from extended personal experience that there is a major difference between testing information and requiring information to come from officially approved experts performing official experiments in official institutions.

Hold firmly means ‘to hold fast’. Good means ‘attractively good’ and this is the only use of this common word in Thessalonians. Attractive goodness focuses upon external appearance as opposed to intrinsic goodness. This may sound initially like marketing that focuses upon bling rather than substance, but notice that this instruction comes at the very end of the epistle. Attractive goodness can be trusted if people think sanely—if the current economy of having has been extended to an economy of being. The ultimate goal of the consumer society is to appeal to the consumer. The problem with the current consumer society is that the consumer tends to be stupid and emotionally driven by inadequate MMNs. The previous verses solved this problem. The general principle is that those who develop new products usually have a limited concept of how these products could be used. In addition, appearance does matter—as a secondary characteristic. Internal substance must come first, as was discussed in the previous verses. But whole minds that are driven by concepts of beauty, elegance, and symmetry should also express themselves in a world that is characterized by beauty, elegance, symmetry, and oher attributes of attractive goodness. If male technical thought has achieved such amazing results by ignoring other modes of thought, imagine what could be achieved if all modes of thought cooperated to build a better society.

Maintaining Growth and Excitement 5:22-26

Verse 22 concludes, “Abstain from every form of evil.” Abstain means ‘to have by separating from’. Abstain combines ‘away from’ with ‘have’ while hold firmly combines ‘according to’ with ‘have’. This suggests that these final instructions are dealing with the secondary realm of having. Being is more important than having, but being also expresses itself through having. Evil is used once in 1 Thessalonians and means ‘pain-ridden, emphasizing the inevitable agonies that always go with evil’. Form is used once in Thessalonians and means ‘visible form, shape’. The emphasis again is upon external form and emotional consequences rather than internal character. One interpretation of this is that consumer objects should have quality and not break down. However, the festival of Halloween suggests another application. Halloween deals with entities that lead to agony, such as witches, goblins, skeletons, and other nasty creatures. But Halloween does this in a cute manner that is marketed as a version of the consumer society. If anyone points out that Halloween emphasizes pain and suffering, the response is typically that ‘we are just pretending’. The general principle is that those who live in paradise should not pretend to live in hell, because this indicates that Exhorter thought is finding excitement in painful mental networks. In other words, expressing wholesome minds in a wholesome environment is not just a reward, it is also a requirement. The reason to break through to a society that transcends current science and technology is not just to have new and improved gadgets. Instead, the results have to have sufficient rigor to prevent Contributor thought from reasserting academic and economic control and the results have to have sufficient novelty and excitement to stop Exhorter thought from finding excitement elsewhere. Saying this as simply as possible, heaven on earth needs to be better than earth and hell needs to be boring. Consistent with this, I have read elsewhere that demons are bored. Similarly, aliens on UFOs are described as behaving in a repetitive, machine-like manner that would be utterly boring.

Verse 23 contains a final prayer. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace means ‘wholeness’ and was previously used in verse 13 to talk about living in peace. Verse 23 refers to a God of peace, which indicates that wholeness is now backed up by the TMN of an integrated concept of God. And ‘himself’ indicates that this concept of God is exhibiting power as a mental network. This power is indicated by the verb sanctify which means ‘to make holy’. Holiness means reflecting a concept of God in Teacher thought rather than MMNs of culture. Entirely is used once in the New Testament and combines ‘whole with end-purpose’. ‘Whole’ means that all the parts are working together, while ‘end-purpose’ indicates that this integrated functioning is the final goal of a process of cognitive and social development. This relates to an integrated economy based upon all seven cognitive modules functioning in an integrated manner.

Wholeness was verbally declared in verse 3, leading to a backlash from suppressed minorities. A new Teacher theory is applied in two stages. The first stage makes this theory more general than other theories while the second stage eliminates all exceptions to this new theory. The backlash in verse 3 happened when the inadequate theory of postmodern political correctness attempted to extend itself to all segments of society. In verse 23, an integrated concept of God is extending itself to all segments of society. The difference is that this concept of God is based upon the goal of reaching mental wholeness. For instance, the basic premise of mental symmetry is that maximum well-being occurs when all seven cognitive modules function in harmony. Christian theology and Christian salvation can also be interpreted cognitively as the path of reaching this state of mental wholeness. Again, it needs to be emphasized that this is not referring to some sort of idyllic 1950s world as portrayed by the Andy Griffith show or Leave it to Beaver. Instead, it describes a society in which all legitimate human needs and desires are met in a way that preserves Teacher order and Mercy sensitivity and does not leave behind any emotional baggage.

This total wholeness is described by the next phrase ‘and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete’. Complete is used twice in the New Testament and combines ‘whole’ with ‘a lot’. A lot means a random choice and inheritance was distributed by lot in the Old Testament. This indicates the nature of a general Teacher theory that can be expressed in many different specific ways. On the one hand there is wholeness, but on the other hand this wholeness can be expressed in many different random ways. The result is order-within-complexity, which leads to positive Teacher emotions.

Notice that a lot is different than a lottery. With a lottery the chance involves whether one receives something or nothing. When inheritance is by lot one knows that one will receive something, one knows approximately what one will receive, but one does not know precisely what it will be. Jewish inheritance was by lot in order to give God an opportunity to determine who would receive what, guided by the assumption that God can intervene to direct random choices. The concept of a divinely ordained school mentioned in this essay means that God and/or angels can and do influence random choices. But the fact that this is a special school in which only a few individuals are enrolled also suggests that most random events are genuinely random. That describes how the physical world works because the laws of nature can describe with mathematical precision how a group of atoms will behave but cannot predict what an individual atom will do. Spirit refers to the invisible aspect of a human that is based in mental networks but extends beyond mental networks. Soul refers to the integrated mind and body refers to the physical body. This is the only mention of the physical body in Thessalonians. All three of these are significant but the order is important. Mental wholeness starts with the spirit and then goes through the soul to express itself in the body. Thus, the physical body is only mentioned at the very end of 1 Thessalonians.

The next phrase says “Without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This implies that chapter 4 was not talking about ‘the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’ but rather about a lesser previous transition. Based upon other passages, I think that verse 23 is referring to a more complete return as described in Revelation 19, while the ‘second coming’ of Thessalonians corresponds to the end of Revelation 11. Without blame adds ‘not’ to ‘rejected because condemned’. The verbal pronouncement of wholeness and peace in verse 3 was ‘rejected because condemned’. In contrast, verse 23 talks about a genuine solution that really is acceptable because it is based in human well-being. Kept means ‘to watch over, to guard’ which describes holding onto something in Perceiver thought as opposed to doing it in Server thought. In the English this word is near the beginning of the verse while in the Greek it is the last word of the verse. This suggests that the goal of the second coming in Revelation 19 will be to give stability to progress that has been made between Revelation 11 and Revelation 19.

Verse 24 refers to doing. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.” Faithful is derived from the word that means ‘persuaded’, which indicates a person who is willing to be convinced by rational thought. Call means ‘to call’. And do refers specifically to Server actions. The problem in verse 3 was that the words of peace were not based in rational thought or backed up by actions. Similarly, the reactions against these words of peace were also not based in rational thought and there was also significant hypocrisy between the words being said and the actions being done. Verse 24 says that a real integration will use rational thought and will ensure consistency between words and actions, between calling and doing.

Paul refers to himself in verse 25. “Brothers and sisters, pray for us.” Pray means ‘to exchange wishes’ And for is more accurately ‘concerning’. This request follows logically from the previous verses. That is because Paul as an apostle is not just asking for the existing general rules to be applied in a specific manner but rather is asking for God to set up a new set of general rules. One cannot ask God to apply a special set of rules for oneself as an individual because that is actually asking for a specific exception to the general rule, but a group of individuals can ask God to establish a new set of general rules for themselves as a group. This is consistent with Romans 8:26 where the Holy Spirit is praying to God on behalf of many individuals for the establishment of a new set of general rules for creation.

Verse 26 concludes, “Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.” Greet means ‘to welcome, greet’. The joke is told that the difference between a holy kiss and an unholy kiss is about one second. But a cognitive meaning emerges if one looks at the original Greek. Kiss comes from the word ‘phileo’ which refers to ‘people sharing a deep common bond’. This was defined earlier as people with common mental networks who like being around each other. A kiss is done with the mouth, which implies the realm of Teacher words. Thus, a kiss would mean verbally recognizing that one shares common mental networks with another individual. Holiness means following the TMN of a concept of God rather than MMNs of culture and personal status. A holy kiss indicates a colleague, someone with whom one shares similar TMNs of understanding, professional behavior, and personal character. Thus, verse 26 describes the formation of a new academic community, guided by a similar integrated concept of God in Teacher thought. Notice that verse 26 follows from verse 25. In verse 25 a group of people are asking God in Teacher thought for new set of general rules. In verse 26 a group of people are gathering as colleagues in order to explore this new set of general rules.

Paul’s Oath 5:27-28

Verse 27 is a rather strange conclusion. “I put you under oath by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.” Under oath is used two other times in the New Testament. In Mark 5:7 a demon implores Jesus not to cast him out, while in Acts 19:13 Jewish exorcists adjure evil spirits by the name of Jesus. There are two Greek words for swear. Omnuo means to swear by some higher power. The idea is that some powerful entity will impose its mental network upon the situation. Verse 27 uses the other Greek word for ‘swear’, which comes from a word that means ‘fence, enclosure’. In other words, Perceiver thought is placing boundaries around behavior. The word read actually means to know again through personal experience and this is the only use of this word in Thessalonians. Paul has said twice that there is no need for to write anything, indicating that written regulations of technical thought are not required. In contrast, verse 27 says that this letter does need to be read, presumably indicating the establishment of written regulations of technical thought. If 1 Thessalonians is merely one of many equivalent epistles, it does not make sense why this particular epistle would be emphasized in such a manner. And Paul is not just saying that some group should read this letter but rather that all the brethren are under oath by the Lord to read this letter.

Paul’s strong statement makes sense if one recognizes that 1 Thessalonians is describing the process by which Paul’s message as an apostle becomes transformed into the ‘constitution’ or set of general laws of a kingdom of God. In simple terms, Paul is calling upon the Lord to put place boundaries around the events of history until this breakthrough is achieved. This means that God will ignore any requests that inhibit this path and will actively oppose any person or group that attempts to follow a different path. This suggests that it is futile to pray or wait for a rapture that is different than the second coming being described in this epistle.

Verse 28 is the final verse. “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ refers to an integrated concept of incarnation. Grace is one of several similar words that refer to Teacher thought and describes assistance from God in Teacher thought. The epistle opened with this word in 1:1 and concludes with it in 5:28. Incarnation brings personal salvation to people guided by a universal understanding of God in Teacher thought, as illustrated by the way that science and technology translate the universal laws of nature into specific gadgets that help people. Verse 27 asked the Lord to place restrictions on history to ensure that Paul can make the transition from legislator to fellow citizen. Verse 28 recognizes that this means following a plan of incarnation guided by Teacher understanding. In other words, technology did not emerge magically and instantly. Instead, society has followed a historical process of scientific breakthroughs and technological developments. Similarly, the second coming is not something magical that God will impose. Instead, society has to go through a historical process of cognitive development in order to reach the point where God can impose a new set of general rules upon society. Looking at this from another perspective, Paul’s oath is consistent with God’s general plan of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.