The Image Breaker: Shattering the Mind and Spirit of Tradition

By James L. Williams

The Image Breaker is a book of reconciling truths poised to challenge traditional thought, conventional wisdom, and core convictions with respect to many cherished beliefs. It is destined to provoke the reexamination of scientific theories like evolution while bridging cosmological theory with the events of the biblical creation story. It also provides an intriguing look into unlocking man’s genetic potential and promise of longevity. There will be an unveiling of the purpose for which the Kingdom of God on earth exists, and what it truly means to be Sons of God. Mysteries like the location of the Garden of Eden and the key to Enoch’s translation will all be revealed. You will gain insight into the truth behind religious denominationalism and its hindrances to spiritual unity. The reason for catastrophic events like earthquakes, tornadoes, and tsunamis will be uncovered with new insights into the cause of many of them being spiritual in nature. It is far time the Church heeds the call to embrace a deeper, more revealing truth of scripture, as well as whom Christ is and who we are in Him. The mandate is to uncover and expose anything that does not hold up to the standard of biblical truth. The Image Breaker is your guide to fresh revelation and expanded insight. It is an unveiling of truth and reality that has long been masked by the cloak of religious piety, social tradition, and false representations of scientific observation. It is a clarion call to awaken the twenty-first-century Church to the vices that are a manipulation of a culture lost to modernism, postmodernism, and social and religious tradition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887515045

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The Image Breaker

Shattering the Mind and Spirit of Tradition

James L. Williams

ISBN 979-8-88751-503-8 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88751-504-5 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by James L. Williams

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Scripture references are based upon the King James Version (KJV) and English Standard Version (ESV). Authorized King James Version; Translated out of the original tongues and the previous translation diligently compared and revised. Copyright © 2003 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

King James scripture references also taken from Biblestudytools.com 2018 Jupiterimages Corporation.

Cover Design and Chapter Graphics by Unessalyn Sweet

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword by Dr. Belinda Campbell, D. Min. (Theology)

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Tradition

Origin

Genesis

Eden

Regeneration

Entropy

Time

Oneness

Religion

Sons

Epilogue

Bibliography

About the Author

Foreword by Dr. Belinda Campbell, D. Min. (Theology)

by

Dr. Belinda Campbell, DMin (Theology)

Image Breaker is a timely revelation urgently speaking to the inevitable need to revolutionize our thinking in a quest for truth. Global society is in a desperate need for truth that yields freedom, transformation, and relationship with creator God. God desires relationship with His people, not more religion.

Image Breaker recognizes that effective change begins with transformation of the mind. Our way of thinking must change. Romans 12:2 makes an urgent plea, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

A renewed mind is a mind committed to the ideas and truth of the Kingdom of God. An unrenewed mind mirrors traditional mindsets shaped by the world's wisdom, norms, and values. According to scripture, Traditions (customs, patterns of thinking) of men make the things of God of no effect. The traditional mind must be transformed.

Today's world is experiencing unprecedented and relentless times. Chaos is evident on both spiritual and natural planes of existence—political upheavals, economic and moral declines, disease epidemics, destructive weather patterns, to name a few. There is a desperate need for change and change that realigns creation with its maker. In the Holy Scriptures, the Apostle Paul urges Timothy (his prodigy) to continue sharing the gospel, the truth, in spite of increasing times of evil.

Thus, 2 Timothy 3:1–7…

In the last days perilous times (harsh, difficult, dangerous, hard to deal with, a society void of virtue but abounding with vices) will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, blasphemers, disobedient to parent, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power, rather than lovers of God… Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (italics added)

This scriptural passage clearly describes a society of lives in denial of the reality of the Christian faith's foundation—Jesus Christ our redeemer, "the way, the truth, the life…that transforms lives from the inner man outward. Jesus Christ, the living Word of God indwelling hearts of men and liberating them from images of perversion to images of conversion in righteousness. Jesus Christ is the truth. Jesus Christ is the Image Breaker. These are times to intimately know the Image Breaker, the truth, and the truth will transform your life and make you free.

Image Breaker shares insightful discoveries of how images and perception of traditional thinking create barriers to truth. The exposition challenges traditional thought and conventional wisdom by examining three universal barriers to truth—religion, science, and philosophy—all are knowledge-based foundations that influences belief systems and lifestyles in every culture.

The primary discovery is that truth that breeds Godly transformation and growth is not found in either of these disciplines of knowledge, but found only in the word of God. In Colossians 2:2–10, the Apostle Paul warns the church of Colossae that their spiritual growth should not be inspired by philosophy but be rooted in Christ. For philosophy is according to flesh (man's carnal thinking or tradition), but be knitted in love and…

Attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

Beware lest anyone cheat you (plunder you or take you captive) through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him…

Let our minds be renewed and governed by the word of God and not mind science beliefs! We must avoid thinking as the world thinks; it only leads to disunity with God who is holy, carnal mindedness, and sensual living which is an enemy against God. Thus, Romans 8:5–8 says,

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded (of the world or flesh) is death (separation from God), but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God (which is righteousness) nor indeed can be. So then, those in the flesh cannot please God.

A second discovery is that the church, the Body of Christ of whom Christ is the head, has been reconciled to its creator—God, sovereign Lord, through Jesus Christ. However, this position of unity in our creator has been compromised by historical and societal heresy, resulting in a declining spiritual demonstration of position and authority in Christ through His Body. There must be a divine return to God. This return must reflect a divine alignment of perfect unity with the Spirit—one faith, one God, one baptism. A divine maturation, unity, and edification in love must be seen as the glorified light to the world. The Body of Christ is urged to walk in the unity of the Spirit of God to which we are called (Ephesians 4).

The church of the living God must arise! With the glory of the Lord and relinquish all religious images and identity and be restored to the image and identity of Christ. The church must arise! And fulfill God's authority in all the earth. The church must arise with intention to reveal the glory of God to the ends of the earth. The church must arise! And shine forth the light of the world, Christ Jesus, through whom darkness cannot overcome.

Romans 8:19 prophesies this truth, For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing (manifestation) of the sons of God…because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Sons of God, arise!

This is the spirit of The Image Breaker, as it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end, the created sons of God demonstrating dominion and multiplication in the earth. Reconciling with the truth that is the word of God personified in Christ our Lord will change hearts, change minds, and change the world to the glory of God.

Get ready to be inspired, instructed, and equipped as you engage The Image Breaker!

Dr. Belinda Campbell

President and Senior Pastor

World In Prayer International Apostolic Center

McDonough, Georgia

Acknowledgments

The privilege of being able to write such a detailed and meticulous work is never the mere product of the efforts of one individual. Even if we are the instrument of which the Lord uses, we are never the less the product of the wisdom, insight, and seeding of those that we follow in the faith.

Having made the aforementioned statement, I always want to give first acknowledgment to the one who makes it all possible. I am continually reminded of Him who is not unrighteous to forget our work and labor of love, which we have showed toward His name, in that we have ministered to the Saints, and do minister—our heavenly Father, our glorious savior Jesus and His promised Holy Spirit. I am eternally indebted to all that you have done, all that you are doing, and all that you shall do in your matchless love toward the saints.

I would also like to give a special thanks to World In Prayer International and our dear apostle, bishop, and prophet of God, Dr. Belinda Campbell. You have been an immeasurable blessing beyond the expression of words. Your faithfulness and tireless commitment to the call of God on your life and assignment to promote the Kingdom of God is seizing territory for our Lord and bearing relentless fruit that remains.

I want to give a very special mention to my dear friend Unessalyn Sweet for innumerable hours dedicated toward the proofreading of this God-ordained assignment and for being able to see the future fruit of what God was preparing in me. Your friendship has been invaluable, and your service and love toward the fulfillment of the vision is an example of how the unity of the saints brings a harvest of blessing.

Also, I would like to thank all of those who have contributed through conversations, prayers, encouragement, or in any way toward the fulfillment of this assignment. It would not have reached its conclusion without the strength that you've contributed in diverse ways. May the Lord bless you and keep you, may His light shine upon you in all that you do.

Finally, I would like to thank my daughter and family for your unconditional love and faithfulness, which is a constant reminder of why we make the sacrifices that we do. There's no means to measure the strength and value of the love and joy that you bring to my life. Thank you!

Introduction

The Image Breaker: Shattering the Mind and Spirit of Tradition is a timely examination of the nature and influence of religious, social, and scientific traditions, and how they sometimes stand as barriers to truth, spiritual freedom, and the effective working of God's word in the life of the believer. Inspired by the reality that Jesus was the ultimate image breaker, your sense of tradition will be challenged, and conventional wisdom put on trial to bear its evidence against nonconventional thought. I like to say that Jesus was the ultimate image breaker or iconoclast because an iconoclast is one who breaks or shatters icons (images), ideas, traditional perceptions, and ultimately attacks cherished beliefs. For example, He did not come bearing the image of who they thought the Messiah would be or where or what His Kingdom was. This is significant because Jesus's initial discourse to the world consisted of two major opposing points of view from what they knew of their traditions. The first was that repentance was required. Matthew 4:17 tells us that "from that time Jesus began to preach, saying repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Why was repentance so significant? The Greek rendering of the word repent is the word met-an-o-eh'o, meaning to think differently or to reconsider. Jesus was essentially saying to them, Your thinking is wrong. Their thinking had always been that the messiah was to be a political and military leader that would liberate them from the oppressive hand of Roman rule. When He came from a modest background and of meager means and no political power or military might, they thought, This cannot be the promised messiah. Oh, how our perceptions of truth can be so distorted by the images of our own traditions. The second major opposing point of view for them was, how the Kingdom of God could be at hand. Their traditions had long taught them of a coming messiah and how his dominion would be of military and political might. The messiah, they thought, would have a kingdom of earthly rule and power.

So what was this kingdom that He spoke of for He possessed no military might to defend it and only a few followers who themselves had no particular influence? Jesus's statement in Matthew 4:17 that the Kingdom was at hand was a declaration of the true authority in which He came. When John was in prison and began to waver in faith and found himself on the side of uncertainty regarding whether Jesus was the Christ the promised Messiah, Jesus spoke this to the disciples of John in Matthew 11:1–6:

When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by His disciples and said to him, Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? And Jesus answered them, Go and tell John what you hear and see; the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.

The religious leaders struggle to reconcile Jesus as the Messiah was tainted by their long-standing traditions of who they believed the Messiah would be and how and when they believed He would come. Most of Jesus's conflicts were with the religious assembly who were settled on their own brand of religious truth often at the expense of the people's understanding and realization of Jesus as the Christ the coming Messiah who had indeed already come. Even today, so much of the contentiousness that exists between the truth of God's word and the modern Church is with the same traditional mindset and spirit. Clearly there is a need to reconcile the traditions of science, religion, and philosophy, as well as corrupted ideologies that contradict and stand in contrast to the truth of the Word of God. Each has the power to form the foundation of our beliefs, impact how we interpret truth, and shape how we come to understand reality.

The Image Breaker is a book of reconciling truths poised to challenge traditional thought, conventional wisdom, and core convictions with respect to many cherished beliefs. It is destined to provoke the reexamination of scientific theories like evolution while bridging cosmological theory with the events of the biblical creation story. It also provides an intriguing look into unlocking man's genetic potential and promise of longevity. There will be an unveiling of the purpose for which the Kingdom of God on earth exists, and what it truly means to be Sons of God. Mysteries like the location of the Garden of Eden and the key to Enoch's translation will all be revealed. You will gain insight into the truth behind religious denominationalism and its hindrances to spiritual unity. The reason for catastrophic events like earthquakes, tornadoes, and tsunamis will be uncovered with new insights into the cause of many of them being spiritual in nature. It is far time the Church heeds the call to embrace a deeper more revealing truth of scripture as well as who Christ is and who we are in Him. The mandate is to uncover and expose anything that does not hold up to the standard of biblical truth. The Image Breaker is your guide to fresh revelation and expanded insight. It is an unveiling of truth and reality that has long been masked by the cloak of religious piety, social tradition, and false representations of scientific observation. It is a clarion call to awaken the twenty-first-century Church to the vices that are a manipulation of a culture lost to modernism, postmodernism, and social and religious tradition.

1

Tradition

Tradition is the handing down and imparting or handing over of beliefs, customs, or ideas from one generation to the next. Now, of course, we are all familiar with various traditions, be it family gatherings, birthday celebrations, or religious practices, or rituals. Generationally, traditional practices have, in large part, played transforming roles in our cultures and have impacted us all in some form or another. Tradition is a funny thing because the very idea of continually handing down for hundreds of years what may be an antiquated practice always strikes a chord with me. This doesn't mean there aren't meaningful traditions that have been put in place to keep us grounded and focused. In fact, traditional practices can be effective toward the preservation of morals and values regarding our societies, cultures, and beliefs that are worth holding onto in order to provide a standard by which we measure ourselves as we move forward. So you can see that tradition does have its place. My concern is with those practices, which have instead become hindrances to progress, impediments to the truth, and obstacles to God's word and purpose. I would certainly say that much of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of tradition depends greatly upon what's being handed down.

Funny, all of this talk of tradition reminds me of a very humorous story I once heard many years ago. There was a young girl who watched her mother in the kitchen as she prepared a roast, which was their traditional Christmas holiday meal. It was indeed one of the family's favorites. She always stood wide-eyed and full of wonder as she watched her mother prepare the roast by cutting off each end just before placing it in her very large roaster pan. Bursting with curiosity and fascination, the little girl asked, Mom, why do you cut off each end of the roast before placing it in the pan?

Her mother paused for a moment, looked down at her young impressionable daughter with eyes wide staring intently at her, You know… I don't know! That's how my mother always did it, so that's how I do it. Go ask your grandmother, she'll know why. The little girl ran to ask her grandmother with the inquiring mind that only a child could possess. Grandmother, I asked Mother why she cut off the ends of the roast before putting it in the roast pan but she said she didn't know. She said she does it that way because you always did it that way. The grandmother, showing amusement as her granddaughter stood puzzled, paused momentarily, thinking, I really don't know! I've always done it this way because my mother always did it that way. Go ask your great-grandmother. Once again, the little girl runs off in search of an answer to what at this point had become a most intriguing dilemma to a simple holiday meal. Now even more determined and unrelenting, the little girl runs up to her great-grandmother with youthful exuberance and once again exclaims, Great-grandmother! I was in the kitchen with Mom while she was preparing the Christmas meal, and I watched as she cut off the ends of the roast before putting it in the roast pan. I asked her why she did this and she said she didn't know, but that her mother always did it that way so she did it the same way. She said, ‘Go ask your grandmother.' I ran to Grandmother and said, ‘Grandmother, I was in the kitchen watching Mom cook Christmas dinner and she cut the ends off the roast before she put it in the roast pan. I asked her why she did it that way and she said, ‘I don't know, I've always done it that way. I guess because my mother always has. Now go ask your great-grandmother.'

The little girl's great-grandmother paused for a moment with the most peculiar look on her face. She looked down at her great-granddaughter who stood there with wide eyes and heightened expectation for any answer at this point and said, Baby, when I was young, we were very poor and the pots that we owned were very small. When we would prepare a roast for the traditional Christmas meal, it was too big to fit into the pot, so I had to cut off the ends of the roast just to get it to fit. They both paused and looked at each other with mischievous smiles and burst into laughter.

What a revelation about tradition! You see, sometimes tradition isn't effective at all. Sometimes it's just a ritualistic practice that has been handed down from one generation to the next without any understanding of why it exists in the first place—a practice that has become more significant than what it was designed to accomplish or honor. Oh, I'm sure most traditions start out well-meaning with a degree of significance to them, but over time, they often lose any meaning or relevance at all. The same thing can be true of our religiosity. Many times, we hold to and cling to religious ritualism that hasn't been relevant for generations, and has actually outlived its purpose and usefulness. Sure, at one time it may have held some form of importance, but over time has become impotent because it has already met its fulfillment. And other times, as ideas are handed down, we augment and add so much to their meaning that we create our own practices; therefore, losing the original intent in the first place.

Quote: "Just because something has been done over and over again in the same way, and in the same manner does not make it truth, it just makes it tradition."

Let me ask you a question. If I asked you to name something that you thought could make the Word of God of no effect, what would your answer be? You would probably say, Nothing. You would probably begin to lecture me on the fact that the Word of God is all-powerful, has no limitations, and is sovereign. I'm sure that most would agree with that assessment and would immediately put to rest any implication of my question that its power could be negated. Would you agree? I want to share a very interesting scripture in the book of Mark, chapter 7 and verse 13 that says, "Therefore you making void the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."

Does this statement by Jesus come as a little bit of a shock? I'm sure it didn't go over well with the religious people of His day either. You see, so many traditions had been handed down over such a long period of time that they actually became of more significance than the Word of God. Let me show you another verse in Mark chapter 7. Verse 9 says, "And He said to them, you have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! It's almost as if he's stating that in their minds the Word of God was getting in the way of their traditional beliefs and practices. From this statement, you have to wonder how far we've deviated from the truth. Look at what he says at the end of verse 13. And many such things you do."

You have to wonder how much of what we believe to be the Word of God would simply turn out to be religious piety and tradition under fine scrutiny. Let me share with you some historical context to these two verses of scripture. This is from the book He Walked Among Us—Evidence for the Historical Jesus by Josh McDowell.

From about the time of Ezra following the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, various priest-scribes and rabbis began to comment on the meaning of scriptural passages. Nehemiah 8:7, 8 names various individuals who along with the Levites and under Ezra's direction explained the law to the people and read from the book, from the Law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading. Generation after generation this teaching was memorized and passed on word for word in an unbroken oral tradition. And with each succeeding generation the interpretations of their own rabbis were added to the ever-growing tradition. By Jesus' day the quantity of detailed prescriptions had become unbelievably vast, especially when you consider that it was still being conveyed not by writing, but by memory! This was the tradition of the elders to which the New Testament refers. These interpretations of the Law were considered just as authoritative as the Law itself and would prompt Jesus to say, you nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

Wow! Can you imagine how innocently these traditions began? They started with good intentions, as they only wanted to make the Word of God plain to the people. However, over time, so much commentary was given that it began to overtake the significance of the Word of God. Their tradition of explaining the Word of God began to overshadow it and, in the process, became even more authoritative to them than the word it was meant to expound upon. I think it's important to further our understanding of the historical context of how this came to be, because as stated earlier, most traditions start out innocently enough. Over time, traditions become so integrated into our understanding that it's almost impossible to separate them from truth.

Continuing in the book He Walked Among Us…

When Jerusalem and the Temple fell in A.D. 70, Pharisees (religious leaders) from the school of Hillel feared that Israel might lose her traditions and unity. With Roman permission, they established their headquarters in Jamnia almost directly west of Jerusalem, close to the Mediterranean coast. There they reformed the Sanhedrin, and Yohanan Ben Zakkai became its new president. Their primary task was to put their oral tradition in written form. Rabbi Akiba succeeded in arranging it by subject matter but was tortured to death after the rebellion of his Messiah Ben-Kosebah, was crushed by the Romans in A.D. 135. Akiba's pupil, Rabbi Meir, revised and continued his work. Finally, around A.D. 200 Rabbi Judah the Patriarch finished the compilation of what we know today as the Mishnah.

Now I don't want you to get over burdened with historical information, but I want you to see the innocent nature and purpose for which these traditions were recorded, and how tradition can begin to take on a life of its own. So out of 130 years of oral tradition came the Mishnah, which means teaching or repetition. That's exactly what tradition is: it's something that is repeated from generation to generation. Now there were other traditions as well like the Midrash, which was a parallel tradition to the Mishnah. The Midrash was commentary with a slightly different approach. It was more of a running commentary on scripture where the Mishnah may teach certain interpretations independent of their scriptural basis.

Now the act of redaction or compiling of these oral traditions was done through two different time periods. The first time period was from AD 70 when the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed. They called this time period the Tannaitic period. The name comes from the Tanna'im or repeaters of the material codified (made law) in the Mishnah.

Another body of material comprised of commentary from the Tannaitic period not selected for the Mishnah is called Tosefta meaning addition or supplement. These teachings expand or give parallel versions of sayings presented in the Mishnah. Also, during the Tannaitic period more traditions were produced which were outside of or external to the Mishnah. These traditions were known as Baraithoth (singular, Baraitha) and were preserved in the Gemara, which was commentary on the Mishnah.

So you can see that