(Sorry for the delay in answering, I received unexpected company yesterday! Praise God!!!)
Firstly, I choose to assume you just made a typo and mean Jesus with a capital "J", name above all names, and not Jesus Barabbas the thief using a small j to denote the difference. A detail, yes,....but my God IS a God of details....just saying. :)
Yes, verses 10 - 18 come after verse 8 and I have no problem with them, in fact I very much enjoyed the exegesis of John 3 that Epi did, unfortunately that thread mysteriously disappeared. The verse that proceeds verse 8 however, that I would like to bring attention to is verse 6.
John 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
And this verse brings this other verse to my mind.....
Gal 5:17
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Now the reason I bring this up is because I, like you, used to think Epi took things too far, he couldn't be right, what he said would make me so angry, etc., etc., until.....one time he had said something that hit my heart and I couldn't ignore it. (I should quickly explain that I grew up in a Christian home, and followed and loved the Lord at a very young age...I did have 2ish years of rebellion in my teen years but when I hit my bottom I came back to the Lord realizing that He alone is The Way, The Truth and The Life. My motto in life was and is, (except for those 2ish years) is: all that you do, do as unto the Lord. Anyways, what Epi had said made me crazy angry and I took what he said to the Lord. The Lord showed me that what He said was true and what I thought of Epi was from my flesh, my thoughts, my indoctrinated Christian way. It brought me to a crossroads and I had to make a decision. I repented in tears with all my heart and felt empty (it was night) and then I went to bed. In the morning I was like I never was before. I was in light. Everything shimmered in light. Now previously, I had the joy of the Lord, but this was completely on a different level. I felt so, so, so close to the Lord and I was submersed
in love, in God, (God is love), abiding IN Him. Now, He has been in me for a long, long time, but now, I was IN Him. John 15:4 says, "
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
This is not a theory thing. You make it sound like a math formula.
One
knows when they are abiding in Him. You can't not know! It's literally the best kept secret in the world! Epi's message is take what you have and take it to the Lord. Let the Lord show you more. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up. NOT just once...everyday, every moment!!! Take what you have and go deeper. Go all the way down the road you are travelling on so you know what's at the end of it.
I, like you, believed a certain thing or way for whatever reasons, thinking it was the way of God (a Christian wouldn't take on a way unless they thought it was from God)-- and perhaps it was or is for that "season" in your life but the Lord wants to move you deeper. Remember the Israelites needed to pack everything up in order to follow the pillar of fire or pillar of smoke (Ex. 13:21). Whatever your reasons and excuses are, check with the Lord. Do not lean on your own understanding. Remember Joshua who saw the tattered clothes of the travelers and didn't check with the Lord.
Faith is a moment by moment walk....and I know you know that....but you, like I, because of our flesh (which wars against the Spirit and is not in it's rightful spot on the cross), buck, and buck, and think all sorts of bad things about "Epi" and "his followers". And don't think I don't hear and know all your arguments...I had them too, probably more than you! And, I also see how you, Behold, and others twist Epi's words to mean something he didn't say or mean (yup, I could point out all the word twisting(s), but that won't help you if you don't want to be honest. BTW, Epi never said Jesus
is a whipping boy, he said Behold uses Jesus
AS a whipping boy. "As", "is" one letter different but it can change the whole meaning of things!!!...and can be easily twisted by the flesh!!;)

)….I did that too, twisted words!! I see all your mistakes, I made them too, probably more so! It doesn't matter that I see you, who am I anyways? But God see you. If you are an honest man, if you are a humble man, you can take the words of Epi to the Lord...I did...wow!!!! I am not who I used to be. And, unlike what you think, I know that Epi is just a man who was used of God to break a stronghold in me. Does that mean I am an Epi follower? I am a humble God follower, who recognizes other humble God followers...and yes, we humble followers like to stick together. And I can eat the crumbs that fall from the Master's table too. Epi is a Joshua or Caleb, (one of the 2 spies out of 10 that believed God), Epi is the one leper out of the 10 who went back to God AFTER he was healed to give glory to God, Epi is the good Samaritan, Epi is nobody to you, well maybe a pain in your _____ , but Epi is on God's radar and that's something! That's everything!!! God could use anything (rocks cry out, donkey talking) or anyone (Stephen), might you stand by and stone him or hold the cloak of others who do so?
With that being said, God is so, so, so much infinity bigger than we allow Him to be. You'll have heard of Epi talking about scale or balances. Proverbs 11:1 says, "
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight." It's about how we weigh or balance things. We would be wise to make sure we are working with or in the right scale. All Epi has ever said and says is: take it to God, go to the Lord....and we get so angry...thinking...we've already done that, who do you think you are, you have no idea who I am, etc._____________________(fill in the blanks)--who really cares, it's all excuses, accusations and fleshly actions and reactions. I, I, I needs to go to the cross and stay there!!!
Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief.
--a humble seeker