The Phos of the Kosmos: The Light of the World

THE

PHOS

OF THE

KOSMOS

By Martin G. Tharp Ph.D.

Copyright 2013 Martin Tharp Ph.D.

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes; This ebook is licensed for your own personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, King James Version. Copyright 1984, 1991 by AMG International, INC and the Living Bible Copyright 1971, 1986 by Tyndale House Publishers INC

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

"Ye are the light of the world, A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the two men who are responsible for my transformation from a wayward, derelict young man who had no hope (and of all men most miserable), to one who has enjoyed the best of the kingdom of God for forty years.

Paul Howard: It was the persistence of Paul Howard who witnessed to me when I did not want to be witnessed to, and yet he refused to give up. His hardheaded dedication was more than I deserved. Only heaven will tell what it was that God saw in me that He imparted to Paul, causing him to witness faithfully to me in spite of my animosity toward him. I was born into the Kingdom of God on a lonely desert road in Southern California, at one o’clock in the morning, in the front seat of Paul’s 1946 Ford Sedan, traveling at sixty-five miles per hour.

Glen Wilson: It was at the small Pentecostal Church of God in Richmond, California, that I was first introduced to a Pastor like no other I have ever met. When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, Paul encouraged me to join him at his home church, where his Uncle Glen was the pastor. In retrospect, I haven’t a shadow of a doubt that God knew exactly what I needed, and He provided the perfect shepherd for a new, undisciplined lamb in the flock of God. Glen Wilson was the kind of man that spoke the name of Jesus in such a way that you knew there was an intimacy that he shared with the Savior, and he made you long to find that place for yourself!

In thirty-eight years of ministry, we have recorded nineteen albums as a family. I have written four books prior to this one, and we have ministered to millions of kids in school assemblies in America and in The British Isles. We have traveled full time as an Evangelistic team for over thirty years in revivals, in a different church each week. The multiplied thousands of souls that have come to know Jesus through our ministry would have never had the opportunity had it not been for the faithfulness of those two men. Thank you both!

Acknowledgements

I owe a debt of gratitude to my good friend, Dr. Charles Travis (Chuck), who serves as the President of Logos Christian College and Graduate Schools, and Global Network of Ministries, in Jacksonville, Florida. Chuck encouraged me to write when I was not sure there was any write in me. When I am behind the pulpit, I am never at a loss for words, but Chuck was always encouraging me to put it on paper! I took his advice, earning my Bachelor of Theology, Master of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry, Doctorate of Literature, Doctorate of Theology, and my Doctorate of Philosophy (actually I can’t afford wallpaper).

This particular subject was a series of sermons I preached at a church where he served Pastor several years ago. At the time it was the most unusual, thought provoking, series of messages I had ever preached and I was very surprised and pleased at the response I was receiving from congregations across the country, but especially Chuck. He arranged for his associate minister’s wife to transcribe the five segments off of my sermon tapes to give me a kick start on this book. When I began this project his two girls were just babies, now Sara and Erin are at the age when it’s time for dad to carry a big stick to ward off the prospective suitors.

Table Of Contents

Introduction

1. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

2. INDOCTRINATION OR SALVATION

3. PHOTIZO: Koinonia

4. PHOTIZO: Sophia

5. PNUEMA vs. PSUCHE

6. METAMELLOMAI, METANOIA, METASCHEMATIZO

7. METAMORPHOO

8. TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

9. APOLLUMI: The list of the destroyer

10. NOEMA: Perception

11. KATHARIZO OUR SARX

12. THE FIVE FOLD COVENANT

13. SETTING THE F-STOP

14. THE GOD OF THE AION

Study Questions

About the Author

Forward

I’ll never forget the summer of 1992 in Grenada, Mississippi. My wife, Deborah and I were pioneering a church in this small, southern town. My dear friend, Marty Tharp, had consented to preach a series of services for us to be held in the city auditorium. While the crowds were not overwhelming, the messages were. So profound, in fact, that I still learn from the tape series and reflections on their content.

My associate pastor, Jonathan Moore was so moved that he wrote a wonderful song for the series. I immediately began to encourage Dr. Tharp to enlarge on the subject of his message and put it in writing. After seven years of urging, you now have the result in your hand, and you will be as inspired by the written word as I was by the spoken word I heard seven years ago.

Therefore, read with eagerness this fascinating book and learn as I did the wonders of the Phos of the Kosmos.

Dr. Charles Travis

Introduction

The Phos of the Kosmos, is not designed to be a treatise or dissertation of theological proportions, nor is it meant to challenge the sagacity of the intellectual genius. It is a subject that gave me an immense amount of pleasure to preach on. Since I owe my Christian experience to the conscientious witnessing of one of God’s dedicated servants, who did more than read what Jesus said, he became for me, the quintessence of the Word, it would be dilatory of me to fail in my Christian duty to share my faith with others also.

The premise of this book is to encourage others to consider the words of Jesus;

"Ye are the light of the world (The Phos of the Kosmos). A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they will see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

When is the last time someone saw your good works and glorified God? If you are a Christian, you have been called and challenged to be what the Word says you are. If this insignificant attempt to inspire you to excellence in your Christian walk is only moderately successful I will be eternally grateful to the Lord for allowing me to have the opportunity to join with you in being The Phos of the Kosmos.

Chapter 1

THE LIGHT

OF THE

WORLD

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

In effect, what Jesus said was: I am the Phos of the kosmos. "The *light (*Phos: The Light Which never has to be kindled, and therefore is never quenched), (*Kosmos: of the world The sum total of persons living in the world). The primary thrust of this verse was to