Balanced Relationships and Healthy Boundaries
New Testament Borrowings
The doctrine of the later books grows increasingly more Greek andincreasingly less Jewish the further one moves from the time of Jesus.
1. FIRST WAVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
50 - 60 CE
- 1 Thessalonians (Paul)
- Philippians (Paul)
- Galatians (Paul)
- 1 Corinthians (Paul)
- 2 Corinthians (Paul)
- Romans (Paul)
- Philemon (Paul)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the authentic Paul with all his problems and the first writings on
Jesus. Paul doesn't write much about Jesus' life and doesn't mention any miracles.
2. SECOND WAVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
65 - 80 CE
- Mark's gospel
- Source may be Peter
- Messianic secret
- Based on Deuteronomy / liturgy
- All actions could be done in one week
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is THE MAJOR SOURCE of all the other gospels and very Jewish. There
are not four gospels telling differing eyewitness accounts but three gospels
retelling Mark's gospel with their own editing and additions. Jesus is
depicted as a Jewish rabbi who went about healing people and telling them to turn to the One God. To repent is to return from exile. There are no
spectacular miracles and no resurrection appearance. Jesus is not portrayed as being the One God.
Mark's gospel is a LITURGY that has used Deuteronomy as the way to organise the narrative.
Study Mark's gospel with Deuteronomy side by side.
Mark 1 onwards is about the Day of Atonement.
Mark 3 onwards is about the Festival of Tabernacles.
Mark 9 onwards is about Hanukkah.
Mark 13 is a mini-apocalypse
Mark 14 & 15 were written first and are about the late March /early April
Passover vigil:
14:1-16 ... 6.00pm Thursday
14:17-26 ... 9.00am
14:26-42 ... Midnight
14:43-52 ... 3.00am
14:53-72 ... 6.00am
15:1-25 ... 9.00am
15:26-32 ... midday
15:33-41 ... 3.00 pm
15:42-47 ... 6.00pm Friday
##########################
DESTRUCTION OF THE JEWISH TEMPLE IN 70 CE
##########################
This changes everything and is vitally important! There is no longer a
Jewish heart of Christianity at Jerusalem. The apostles are not up the road
and able to be talked with easily as one goes to the Temple. The church is
scattered throughout the Roman Empire thanks to Paul. Greek thinking from
the Roman Empire starts to infiltrate. Jesus must be portrayed as greater
than Caesar. Caesar has as his titles "lord and god". Romans worship lots
of "lesser gods". The writers take great care to show that Jesus is greater
than Caesar who has destroyed Jerusalem. As Jews have lost their Temple
they form more reliance on the synagogue. Christian Jews are eating with
Gentiles and not observing a separation. Increasingly Jews do not want
Christian Jews who associate and eat with Gentiles in their synagogues.
Christian Gentiles increasingly don't want the Roman Empire to blame them
for the problems the Jews caused which resulted in the sacking of Jerusalem. Christian Gentiles want to be friends with the Roman Empire in which they live. A divide is caused between Christians and Jews which wasn't there before the destruction of the Temple but us retrospectively written by the next gospel writers.
3. THIRD WAVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
80 -100 CE
- Matthew's gospel
- Addressed to Diaspora
- Written in Antioch
- Conservative
- 90% of the references to Hell
- Based on Moses' life / Exodus
- Portrays division between Jews and Christians
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matthew's gospel uses the Torah as the way to organise the narrative.
Read Matthew's gospel with the Torah side by side.
Matthew 1 ... Geneology referring to Abraham in lots of 14
Matthew 2 .... Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:1-2 .... "wise men & star" ONLY in Matthew.
Matthew 2:13-15 ... Genesis 46
Matthew 2:16 ... Exodus 21
Matthew 2:17-18 ... Genesis 35:18-20
Matthew 2:17 .... Isaiah 42:1
Matthew 4 ... Exodus 16:4
Matthew 5 ... 1. GENESIS ... mountain top "Greater than Moses" .. "you have
heard that it was said ...but I say ..."
Matthew 5:17 ... "law & prophets" ONLY in Matthew
Matthew 8:25 ... "lord / boss" (Mark had "teacher / rabbi")
Matthew 10:5 ... 2. EXODUS
Matthew 12:40 ... 1 day and 2 nights: 3.00pm Friday to dawn Sunday.
Matthew 13 ... 3. LEVITICUS
Matthew 13:43 ... Daniel 2:3
Matthew 13:52 ... AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL (what Matthew is doing in his gospel)
Matthew 13 55 .... carpenter added as Jesus' father
Matthew 14:21 ... A. FEEDING JEWS
Matthew 15:38 ... B. FEEDING GENTILES
Matthew 17: 4 ... "lord / boss" (Mark had "master")
Matthew 17:1-8 ... Exodus 34:29-35
Matthew 7:27 ... "fish with coin" ONLY in Matthew
Matthew 18:1 ......4. NUMBERS
Matthew 24:1 ..... 5. DEUTERONOMY
Matthew 26:32 ... meet in Gallilee
Matthew 27 ... Psalm 22
Matthew 28:2 ... "earthquake & angel" ONLY in Matthew
Matthew 28:7, 9-10 ... "angel and Jesus" SAME message - meet in Gallilee ...
Matthew 28:11-15 ... "stolen rumour" ONLY in Matthew
Matthew 28:18 ... Daniel 7:14
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
80 CE - 130 CE
- Luke's gospel, Acts (both written in Caesarea)
- Roman recognition sought
- Gentile interested in universalism
- Focuses on spirit
- Based on Second Isaiah
- Jesus portrayed as greater than Elijah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke's gospel uses Second Isaiah ( the second writer in the book of Isaiah)and Torah as the way to organise the narrative. The term "spirit" is used more often than any other gospel.
Luke 1:1 .... 1. GENESIS
Luke 3:38 .... "son of Adam" Gentiles included
Luke 4:1 ..... 2. EXODUS
Luke 6:20 ... 3. LEVITICUS
Luke 8:19-20 .... mother and brothers but no father
Luke 8:26 .... 4. NUMBERS
Luke 9:20 .... "Christ of God"
Luke 9:51 .... 5. DEUTERONOMY
Luke 10:30-37 ... "good Samaritan" ONLY in Luke
Luke 15:3-7 ... "lost sheep" ONLY in Luke
Luke 15:11-32 ... "prodigal son" ONLY in Luke
Luke 16:19-31 ... LAZARUS ONLY in Luke *(This is the basis for the raising
of Lazarus from the dead in John's gospel)
Luke 18:2-8 ... "persistant widow" ONLY in Luke
Luke 18:10-14 ... "Pharisee at prayer" ONLY in Luke
Luke 19:12-27 .... Retelling Matthew 15:14-30
Luke 24:27, 44 ......... AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL (What Luke is doing in his gospel)
Luke 24:50-51 ...."Greater than Elijah" 2 Kings 2:1
4. FOURTH WAVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
90 -120 CE.
- John's Gospel
- Not the apostle
- Written in Ephesus
- Centred in Judea / Jerusalem not synoptic Gallilee
- Actions over 3-4 years instead of synoptics 1 year
- Symbolic narrative
- Focus on Wisdom and Word
- Focus on self rather than kingdom of God
- No Ascension or Pentecost
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This gospel has very little of what the historic time / space Jesus of
Nazareth ever said. It can only be understood in the light of the
philosophy of Philo.
John 1:41 .... "means Christ" GREEK *("Christ" is used extensively)
John 5:18 .... "Father" equality with God
John 8:44 .... anti-Jew
John 10:33 ... "man as God" Jesus as God
John 11 ........retelling of Matthew's Lazarus story
John 17:3 ... Jesus speaks of himself in the third person
John 20:22 ... John's "Pentecost" moment
John 21:23-24 .... Not the apostle John
The ULTIMATE page on the Creation "Museum"
The ULTIMATE page on the Creation "Museum"- LOTS OF PICS & VIDEOShttp://www.demonbaby.com/blog/2008/06/exploring-creation-museum-americas-new.html
... Young Earth Creationists are a batshit-crazy sect of religious fanatics
at the deep end of Christian fundamentalism, who believe that The Bible is,
quote, "the history book of the Universe." They believe every word of The
Bible is not only the word of God, but is absolute literal truth, and the
only truth in the Universe against which all other truths must be compared.
So, of course, a manmade concept like science is a flawed, malleable thing
which must be twisted around in order to fit with the words of The Bible.
... What, then, does The Bible say about history? Well, among other things,
it says that the world is roughly 6,000 years old .... So not merely
evolution, but all of our concepts of the earth being millions of years old,
the lineage of dinosaurs, the ice age, early man, and the entire history of
human civilization - all of that is horribly incorrect, according to the
YECs. All of the evidence gathered over thousands of years to support the
history of the world has been misconstrued by secular scientists to further
the "evolutionist agenda." 99.9 percent of scientists and experts in
relevant fields are apparently drastically, drastically mistaken, but a tiny
group of blue collar yokels have it all figured out. Riiiiiiight.
YECs are a comically ignorant cult of horrendously misguided fruitcakes, but
the problem isn't their ludicrous beliefs. ... The problem with Young Earth
Creationists - and most all flavors of Creationists, for that matter - is
that they have a disproportionately loud voice, and believe they need to
fight back against the "lies" of science in the public sphere. They've
introduced the less-crazy-sounding term "intelligent design," and their
greatest achievement thus far has been creating the idea, in the media, in
the government, and in the minds of many Americans, that there is a "debate"
in regards to evolution. Scientists even fall prey to this, feeling the need
to counter Creationist pseudo-science to defend the legitimacy of real
science. Creationists are like internet trolls, shouting mindless garbage in
caps-lock, baiting people who should know better into engaging them in
debate. And like internet trolls, Creationists can never lose, because
they've thrown logic and reason out the window so they can fight with their
own set of nonsensical rules. But here's the thing: There is no debate. None
at all. Evolution vs. Young Earth Creationism is not a debate any more than
evolution vs. any of the world's thousands of other wildly varying creation
myths. There are plenty of places to inject God into the scientific history
of the Universe, if that's your thing, but six thousand years ago is not one
of them. The earth was not made in six days. The important thing for
rational people to grasp is not that they're on the right side of the
argument, but that there isn't an argument to begin with, and we need to
stop humoring these fundamentalist looney toons as if they have a place at
the table table of civilized discourse, and instead focus on exposing them
as the dangerous group of extremists they are. Picking and choosing which
aspects of hard-won science you agree with is perilous territory, especially
when the people who make our laws start to listen (you can dig a little
deeper into my thoughts on all that here if you're so inclined).
With all that in mind, I'd like to take you on a shamelessly intolerant
journey through the bizarro world of Young Earth Creationist pseudo-science,
as we explore... The Creation Museum. .....
http://www.demonbaby.com/blog/2008/06/exploring-creation-museum-americas-new.html
ONCE HERESY - NOW TRUTH
History tells us that the Christian church, by upholding certain 'beliefs',
have been the instrument of oppression of certain people and groups. Until
enlightenment came Christians did not see what they were doing as oppression
as they believed (based on the current worldview) that they were upholding
God's word. Unchangeable traits such as race, gender and currently sexual
orientation, have been the criteria for treating others like second-class
citizens. By not treating others as equals, a hierarchy is created that can
never liberate only oppress.
Initially, when the church was birthed, Jewish males were at the top of the
hierarchy, with Gentiles, women and others seen as being lesser in value.
From what I can see, if God is trying to do anything in this world, He is
trying to get through our thick skulls that all people are of equal value
and worth and should be treated with dignity and respect. That kind of
theology will create a better world for us all.
History has a sober warning to us all when we feel so convinced we are
defending the 'truth'.
The statement 'the bible says homosexuality is a sin' is not unlike other
'truths' the Christian Church has upheld over the centuries.
1. Once Heresy now Truth -The world revolves around the sun
The churches previous position - The earth is the centre of the universe
Four centuries ago church leaders refused to believe scientists such as
Copernicus and Galileo, who said that the world revolved around the sun. The
current worldview, based on several verses, including Joshua 10:13 where
Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, implied that the earth was already
standing still and therefore the sun moved. Galileo was placed under house
arrest in 1633 as a heretic for stating a scientific fact that was in
opposition to what the church leaders taught. Eventually the scientific
evidence could no longer be denied but it wasn't till 1992 that Pope John
Paul II expressed regret for how the Galileo affair was handled-that's an
embarrassingly long time to wait for an apology.
The Catholic leaders were not the only ones to see the scientists as
heretics. Martin Luther said, 'This fool Copernicus wishes to reverse the
entire science of astronomy; but sacred Scripture in Joshua 10:13 tells us
that Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and not the earth.' John
Calvin quoted Psalm 93 in his attack on Copernicus. 'The earth also is
established. It cannot be moved.' Calvin added, 'Who will venture to place
the authority of Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?' To all
Protestants these men are the founders of their faith but today we must
acknowledge that their 'biblical' beliefs were in error. Or it would be
better to say their interpretations were in error. The worldview was based
on limited understanding which created wrong interpretation.
2. Once Heresy now Truth -White and black are equal
The churches previous position -White is superior, black is inferior
At the start of the 19th century, most religious groups believed that human
slavery was totally acceptable based on a biblical mindset. Black people
where considered to be morally and intellectually inferior to whites and it
was the Christian landowners' God-given service to humankind to keep them in
check. According to the biblical understanding of the day black people had
inherited the 'curse of Ham' (black skin to mark the cursed race) because
Ham saw his father Noah lying naked after he'd passed out from too much
wine. It seems quite bizarre that the drunken Noah should curse his son and
black skinned people from that time because he didn't know how to hold his
liquor.
There are passages in the Old and New Testaments that approve and regulate
the ownership of human slaves. It's interesting to note that for nineteen
centuries people focused on those verses and somehow missed the fundamental
biblical themes of love, mercy, justice, and equality. In a more enlightened
world today, when Christians read those passages on slavery, they consider
it an injustice that belonged to another time and culture. A remnant remains
like white supremacist organisations such as the Klu Klux Klan whose
existence is justified by an outdated interpretation of the scriptures.
In Australia, approximately 100,000 Indigenous children (the stolen
generation) were removed from their families by Australian government
agencies and church missions between around 1900 and 1969. Originally this
was carried out in the name of child welfare but resulted in extensive
family and cultural damage. A well-intentioned 'Christian' nation created
this policy believing indigenous Australians to be inferior and that they
should be bred out. Today we think of this as an horrific injustice and
violation of human rights. Indigenous and other Australians are still
waiting for our church-going, Christian Prime Minister, on behalf of our
nation to say one word that could begin healing-sorry. (A new Prime Minster
changed this)
3. Once Heresy now Truth - Two people who love each other should marry no
matter what colour their skin
The churches previous position - God separated the races therefore they
should never marry
The last states in the US to remove the law that banned interracial marriage
were in the 'bible belt' (the area in which conservative Christian
Evangelical Protestantism is a pervasive or dominant part of the culture).
As late as 1959, a couple from Virginia, the bride black, her husband white,
were sentenced to one year's gaol for getting married. In a land settled by
the pilgrims that boldly proclaimed 'liberty and justice for all', the law
stated: 'Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red,
and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with
His arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages.' In 1967 the US
Supreme Court, against opposition from Virginia and North Carolina (both
'bible belt' states), unanimously ruled the inter-racial marriage
restrictions unconstitutional. The freedom to marry, the court said, was a
basic human right. It's hard to imagine today legislation like that even
existed in a civilised society but similar laws were in existence in
Australia till 1967. Finally when two people of different races fell in love
they were allowed to marry. The oppressed were set free.
4. Once Heresy now Truth -Men and women are of equal value and worth
The churches previous position - men are superior, women are inferior
Up until the middle of the 19th century, most Christians had a pretty clear
understanding of the role of women. It was all there in the bible. To be a
good Christian woman you had to dress and behave in a certain way, your
chief roles being that of keeping house, raising children, and submitting to
the will of your husband. Being given such basic privileges as the right to
vote, hold office, preach or pastor a church - God forbid, that was men's
work and too much responsibility for the less intelligent, weaker female
sex. Again, there were specific passages in the Bible that justified this
kind of inequality and oppression. Whilst some denominations still treat
women as second-class citizens, most have realised 'hey what's the issue?'
and embrace their contribution on every level.
5. Once Heresy now Truth - same sex orientation, for a percentage of the
population, is a normal expression of sexuality and occurs in all of
creation
The churches previous but changing position- the Bible says homosexuality is
a sin
The statement 'the Bible says homosexuality is a sin' is actually a false
statement. It's impossible for homosexuality to be a sin. We know from
science today that homosexuality is a sexual orientation like
heterosexuality and therefore it's amoral. As I find myself saying
repeatedly to people who have been taught to believe the equation that
homosexuality = promiscuity-'my morality is a choice, my sexual orientation,
however, isn't'.
Many are surprised to find there is no chapter or verse for that quote we
hear so often 'the Bible says homosexuality is a sin' in either the Old or
New Testaments; it is a belief or assumption based on an interpretation of
several verses-six passages out of 31,240 verses.
from http://thegreatheresy.wordpress.com/
THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS BOOK by Alan Watts (1915-1973)
For many centuries the Roman Catholic Church was opposed to translating theHoly Scriptures into the "vulgar tongue." To this day, you can still get rid
of a Bible salesman by saying, "But we are Catholics and, of course, don't
read the Bible." The Catholic hierarchy included subtle theologians and
scholars who knew very well that such a difficult and diverse collection of
ancient writings, taken as the literal Word of God, would be wildly and
dangerously interpreted if put into the hands of ignorant and uneducated
peasants. Likewise, when a missionary boasted to George Bernard Shaw of the
numerous converts he had made, Shaw asked, " Can these people use rifles?"
"Oh, indeed, yes," said the missionary. "Some of them are very good shots."
Whereupon Shaw scolded him for putting us all in peril in the day when those
converts waged holy war against us for not following the Bible in the
literal sense they gave to it. For the Bible says, "What a good thing it is
when the Lord putteth into the hands of the righteous invincible might." But
today, especially in the United States, there is a taboo against admitting
that there are enormous numbers of stupid and ignorant people, in the
bookish and literal sense of these words. They may be highly intelligent in
the arts of farming, manufacture, engineering and finance, and even in
physics, chemistry or medicine. But this intelligence does not automatically
flow over to the fields of history, archaeology, linguistics, theology,
philosophy and mythology which are what one needs to know in order to make
any sense out such archaic literature as the books of the Bible.
This may sound snobbish, for there is an assumption that, in the Bible, God
gave His message in plain words for plain people. Once, when I had given a
radio broadcast in Canada, the announcer took me aside and said, "Don't you
think that if there is a truly loving God, He would given us a plain and
specific guide as to how to live our lives?"
"On the contrary," I replied, "a truly loving God would not stultify our
minds. He would encourage us to think for ourselves." I tried, then, to show
him that his belief in the divine authority of the Bible rested on nothing
more than his own personal opinion, to which, of course, he was entitled.
This is basic. The authority of the Bible, the church, the state, or of any
spiritual or political leader, is derived from the individual followers and
believers, since it is the believers' judgment that such leaders and
institutions speak with a greater wisdom than there own. This is, obviously,
a paradox, for only the wise can recognize wisdom. Thus, Catholics criticize
Protestants for following their own opinions in understanding the Bible, as
distinct from the interpretations of the Church, which originally issued and
authorized the Bible. But Catholics seldom realize that the authority of the
Church rests, likewise, on the opinion of its individual members that the
Papacy and the councils of the Church are authoritative. The same is true of
the state, for, as a French statesman said, people get the government they
deserve.
Why does one come to the opinion that the Bible, literally understood, is
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Usually because one's
"elders and betters," or an impressively large group of ones peers, have
this opinion. But this is to go along with the Bandar-log, or monkey tribe,
in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books , who periodically get together and shout,
"We all say so, so it must be true!" Having been a grandfather for a number
of years, I am not particularly impressed with patriarchal authority. I am
of an age with my own formerly impressive grandfathers (one of whom was a
fervent fundamentalist, or literal believer in the Bible) and I realize that
my opinions are as fallible as theirs.
But many people never grow up. They stay all their lives with a passionate
need for eternal authority and guidance, pretending not to trust their own
judgment. Nevertheless, it is their own judgment, willy-nilly, that there
exists some authority greater than their own. The fervent fundamentalist
whether Protestant or Catholic, Jew or Moslem is closed to reason and even
communication for fear of losing the security of childish dependence. He
would suffer extreme emotional heebie jeebies if he didn't have the feeling
that there was some external and infallible guide in which he could trust
absolutely and without which his very identity would dissolve.
This attitude is not faith. It is pure idolatry. The more deceptive idols
are not images of wood and stone but are constructed of words and ideas and
mental images of God. Faith is an openness and trusting attitude to truth
and reality, whatever it may turn out to be. This is a risky and adventurous
state of mind. Belief, in the religious sense, is the opposite of faith
because it is a fervent wishing or hope, a compulsive clinging to the idea
that the universe is arranged and governed in such and such a way. Belief is
holding to a rock; faith is learning how to swim and this whole universe
swims in boundless space.
...
The Bible is a dangerous book, though by no means an evil one. It depends,
largely, on how you read it with what prejudices and with what intellectual
background. Regarded as sacred and authoritative, such a complex collection
of histories, legends, allegories and images becomes a monstrous Rorschach
blot in which you can picture almost anything you want to discover just as
one can see cities and mountains in the clouds or faces in the fire.
Fundamentalists "prove" the truth of the Bible by trying to show how the
words of the prophets have foretold events that have come to pass in
relatively recent times. But any statistician knows that you can find
correlations, if you want to, between almost any two sets of patterns or
rhythms between the occurrence of sunspots and fluctuations of the stock
market, between the lines and bumps on your hand and the course of your life
or between the architecture of the Great Pyramid and the history of Europe.
This is because of eidetic vision, or the brain's ability to project visions
and forms of its own into any material whatsoever. But scholars of ancient
history find the remarks of the prophets entirely relevant to events of
their own time, in the ancient Near East. The Biblical prophets were not so
much predictors as social commentators.
...
Thus, we reach the seeming paradox that you cannot at once idolize the Bible
and embody the spirit of Jesus. He twitted the Pharisees as today he would
twit the fundamentalists: "You search the Scriptures daily, for in them you
think you have life." The religion of Jesus was to trust life, both as he
felt it in himself and as he saw it around him. Most of us would feel that
this was a ridiculous gamble to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks
foolishness but, come to think of it, is there any real alternative?
Basiaclly, no human community can exist that is not founded on mutual trust
as distinct from law and its enforcement. The alternative to mutual trust,
which is indeed a risky gamble, is the security of the police state.
from http://www.katinkahesselink.net/other/alan-watts-bible.html
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