By Kathy L McFarland
(TY200 – Lesson 4)
What are the Scripture verses that illuminate deep meaning of “walking?”
Mark 8:22–26 (KJV 1900)
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Kathy L McFarland Teachings:
The next typology we will study in Scripture is the verb “walking.” When the blind man was partially healed, he saw men as trees, WALKING. It is a crucial word in that vision, and typological examination is necessary to fully understand the deep message that the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to know.
To Walk – 4344 περιπατέω (peripateō): vb.; ≡ DBLHebr 2143; Str 4043; TDNT 5.940—1. LN 15.227 walk (around), (Mt 4:18 (and so in the Gospels and Acts); 1Pe 5:8; Rev 3:4; 9:20; 16:15; Mk 16:12 v.r.); 2. LN 41.11 behave, live, conduct one’s life (Ro 6:4 (and so throughout Pauline Epistles); Ro 8:1 v.r.); 3. LN 41.47 περιπατέω τοῖς ἴχνεσιν (peripateō tois ichnesin), imitate (2Co 12:18+)
The Greek word definition “to walk” is like our English word. Of course, it means to propel oneself and move with legs. But there is another meaning that represents to live and conduct one’s life, and the New Testament uses both these meanings throughout (See Strong’s definition).
Romans 6:1–6 (KJV 1900)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
1. Baptized followers of Christ are dead to sin and do NOT live in sin from the moment of their Baptism forward.
2. Baptized followers of Christ die through their baptism because they go to the Baptismal grave of Christ’s death.
3. Baptized followers of Christ are raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father LORD God when they ascend from the Baptismal waters.
4. Baptized followers of Christ arise in the likeness of Christ’s resurrection, and from that point on, WALK in the NEWNESS OF LIFE.
5. Baptized followers of Christ are dead to sin, resurrected to NEW LIFE, and WALK! They cannot walk until they are free of sin and should NOT serve sin again!
Kathy L McFarland Teachings:
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ and Baptized in Christ’s Baptism, then you WALK in a new life. Until you have had the control of original sin removed from your life through your death in Baptism, you can NOT walk! It is only after Baptism that the hold of sin is released, that you can stand upon your legs and walk with Christ.
Our study of deeply interpreting the vision of the blind man with his eyesight restored partially, “I see men as trees, walking,” has already revealed to us the depth of meaning of “blindness” and the spiritual definition of “men” in Scripture.
Now our Scripture study of the deep spiritual meaning of “walk” is formed from the literal and typological study of Romans 6:1-6. It is quite clear, right?
Walking is accomplished by Baptized followers of Jesus Christ, created in God’s Image, and free from sin!
While there are many recorded events of “walking” followers of the LORD God in the Old Testament, our concerns for “walking” should rest solidly in the revealed New Testament Gospels of Christ at the beginning of this study. It is our primary concern as receivers of the LORD God’s Grace of Salvation through Christ.
This study will proceed to examine both Old Testament and New Testament revelations concerning the act of walking to fully equip with us with deep understanding. However, I encourage you to record the primary, identifying typology of walking in your typology notes as #1 in your record-keeping. We will add to the knowledge as we progress.
How is walking related to the elimination of sin through forgiveness by Christ?
Kathy L McFarland’s Teachings:
It is all centered around the healing of “palsy” by Christ that is recorded in Scripture. That is the mysterious revelation of this particular type of condition that is critical for our full understanding of “walking.”
The Greek word for “palsy” means paralysis or lameness that prevents WALKING! :
Palsy – 4166 παραλυτικός (paralytikos), ή (ē), όν (on): adj. [see παραλυτικός (paralytikos), οῦ (ou), ὁ (ho), just below]; ≡ Str 3885—LN 23.171 paralyzed (Mt 4:24; 8:6+ note: others see these verses as the next lexical entry)
παραλυτικός (paralytikos), οῦ (ou), ὁ (ho): n.masc. [served by 4166]; ≡ Str 3885—a paralytic, a lame person (Mt 9:2, 6; Mk 2:3–5, 9, 10+; Lk 5:24 v.r. NA26; Jn 5:3 v.r. NA26); not in LN
The healed of “palsy” could NOT walk until Lord Jesus Christ healed them. Those crippled with “palsy” in the miracle healings of Christ recorded in the Gospels, were done for a very specific reason. Every time. Search for the EXACT reason that Christ healed the “palsy” in these three accounts:
Matthew 9:2–8 (KJV 1900)
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Mark 2:3–12 (KJV 1900)
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
Luke 5:18–24 (KJV 1900)
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? 23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins”
Kathy L McFarland Teachings:
We recognize this is a significant miracle with a significant and specific meaning. Because it is recorded in Scripture multiple times, with the exact same reason given each time, you can believe with certainty that:
a. “Palsy” is a condition of sin.
b. People that are in the condition of original sin can NOT walk.
c. The Lord Jesus Christ has been given power upon earth to forgive sins by the LORD God.
d. When the Lord Jesus Christ forgives the sins of those that can NOT walk, the miracle of healing takes place, and the “palsy” CAN walk with Christ.
e. The partial restored eyesight of the blind man recorded in Mark 8:22-26, “I see men as trees, walking” designates that the vision was about men whose sins had been forgiven them by the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were WALKING!
So now we know three very important typologies that will reveal the deeper meaning of “I see men as trees, walking!”
1. We know the condition of “spiritual blindness” cannot be restored or given eyesight without the touch and will of the LORD God.
2. We know the “Men” spoken about in the Gospels designate “Men and Women that are created purposely (after the pattern of evolution) by the LORD God with His breath breathed into them to make them living beings from His essence”
3. We know that “Men” cannot WALK when they are sinners. We know the Lord Jesus Christ was given “the power on earth to forgive sins” by the LORD God. And we know that when Christ heals someone of their sinfulness through His forgiveness of their sins, that they are healed of “palsy” and Baptized through Christ, are able to WALK.
Galatians 2:14 (KJV 1900)
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
6. To walk uprightly in Christ, it must be according to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
7. Uprightly – 41.36 ὀρθοποδέω: to live a life of moral correctness—‘to live right, to live as one ought to.’ ὅτε εἶδον ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθοποδοῦσιν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ‘when I saw that they were not living right, in conformity with the truth’ Ga 2:14. ὀρθοποδέω may be translated in a number of languages as ‘to live as one should.’
Teachings of Kathy L McFarland:
Walking UPRIGHT is the key to Christian walking that is deeply reflected within Scripture. Spiritually speaking, The “life of moral correctness” is connected completely with the deep meaning of “trees” within Scripture.
Though the obedient Jews walk in their laws and are created by the breath of the LORD God, they do NOT walk UPRIGHT, because they are NOT able to walk according to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because of their partial blindness.
Also understand that those that are IN SIN, whether Christian or with the breath of God inside them, do NOT walk with the Lord Jesus Christ and run the risk of being overcome with the condition of palsy.
The next lesson about trees will introduce the concept that the tree is typologically and figurative with “spiritual living.” As our study advances, we will learn of the different trees mentioned in Scripture which connect to a myriad of spiritual lives that are given to us by God to navigate our living, always guided by Christ’s teachings and the movement and of the Holy Spirit.
We have one more general typology to discover, before we move on to the most exciting parts of our study. It is the revelations of the Spiritual Trees that will open our understanding of ourselves and our Christian fellowship in the Kingdom of God, and forever change our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Let’s get started by studying the general idea of trees first, and then move on to the depth of the roots those trees to see what is hidden from casual readers of Scripture.
