Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine.

Freemasonry

By NAMB Staff
During the annual session of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), June 15-17, 1993, the messengers overwhelmingly approved a report on Freemasonry. This action recognized the many charitable endeavors of Freemasonry. It also acknowledged that "many outstanding Christians and Southern Baptists now are, and in the past have been Masons."¹ For the first time in the history of the SBC, however, the Convention concluded, "many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine."² The report accepted by the Convention identified eight tenets and teachings of Freemasonry that it concluded were not compatible with Christianity.³
First Incompatibility: The prevalent use of offensive concepts, titles, and terms such as "Worshipful Master" for the leader of a lodge; references to their buildings as "mosques," "shrines," or "temples"; and the use of words such as "Abaddon" and "Jah- Bul-On,"⁴ the so-called secret name of God. To many, these terms are not only offensive but sacrilegious.
Biblical Response: The so-called secret name of God illustrates the offensive nature of the above terms for Christians. Albert Pike, one of the most influential Masonic writers, explained the first two syllables of the secret name in his discussion of the old French rituals of Freemasonry:
This is probably Jabulum, incorrectly copied; which, as I have shown, meant 'the product of, that which proceeded, issued or emanated from Om.'
If correctly written, it is compounded of … Yu or Yah-u,… Baal or Bal or Bel, and Om, thus combining the names of the Hebrew, Phoenician and Hindu Deities, to indicate that they are in reality the same. In some old rituals it is Jabulum.⁵
Many leaders of Freemasonry confuse pagan deities with the true God of the Bible. The Christian Scriptures never represent pagan deities as simply different representations of the one true God. The Bible rejects all pagan deities as false gods and goddesses. Exodus 20:4-5 states: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." The Bible also rejects the idea that idolaters worship the true God but know Him by a different name. Israel used the correct personal name for God, yet God rejected their worship because of their use of an idol.
He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'"
"I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation" (Ex. 32:4- 10).⁶
Non-Christian religions recognize many different gods and goddesses, but none of these are a representation of the true God of the Bible. All pagan deities are false gods and must be rejected by Christians. The gods and goddesses of the non-Christian religions are different in nature and character from the biblical God. The differences are far greater and more significant than the terminology or name used to refer to God. No Christian should have any part in a ritual that honors or glorifies a pagan deity.
The 31st degree of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction is especially troubling for Christians because of the honor and glory it attributes to Egyptian deities. The following quotes are from the official Masonic commentary on the Scottish Rite degrees:
The second section takes place in a re-creation of the Court of the Dead in Egyptian mythology, a place where judgment is rendered on the worthiness of a recently deceased man to enter into the kingdom of the gods. This section of the ritual relies heavily on The Book of the Dead.
The candidate is brought into the Court of the Dead to be judged for actions while living and to determine if he deserves to dwell among the gods. His escort is Horus. Isis, Horus' mother, speaks first, inquiring whose ka has come to be judged.
Through Horus, the candidate claims to have led the most virtuous of lives. The gods express their hope that he speaks the truth. They ask him to approach the balance and stand near the body that was his in life.
Isis now directs the candidate to the altar of the great god Khem, the source of life. Here she inquires about the honesty of the deceased through six questions. Thoth again records the answers.
The answers to all of the specific questions before the altars of various deities are now thrown upon the balance, making the pans nearly equal.
Osiris, having once been a man and subject to the passions and weaknesses of human existence, knows that the other gods cannot appreciate human fallibility. He renders the final judgment-this man is worthy of admittance into the realm of everlasting light and rest and peace.⁷
The above reference to the Egyptian god Osiris goes so far as to attribute to him the same qualities and preeminence that the Bible assigns to Christ Jesus.⁸ Any participation by Christians in such rituals (even by proxy) is inexcusable. Joshua 23:7 states: "Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them."
Second Incompatibility: The use of archaic, offensive rituals and so-called "bloody oaths" or "obligations," among these being that promised by the Entered Apprentice:
"All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, . . . binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the sands of the sea, at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-five hours, should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly violate or transgress this my Entered Apprentice obligation."
Or that of the Fellow Craft degree:
"All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, . . . binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my left breast torn open, my heart plucked from thence, and given to the beast of the field and the birds of the air as prey, should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly, violate or transgress this my Fellow Craft obligation."
Or that of the Master Mason:
"All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, . . . binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my body severed in two, my bowels torn from thence and burned to ashes, and these scattered before the four winds of heaven, that no more remembrance might be had among men or Masons of so vile a wretch as I should be, should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly violate or transgress this my Master Mason obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast."
Or that of other advanced degrees with required rituals considered by many to be pagan and incompatible with Christian faith and practice.
Even though these oaths, obligations, and rituals may or may not be taken seriously by the initiate, it is inappropriate for a Christian to "sincerely promise and swear," with a hand on the Holy Bible, any such promises or oaths, or to participate in any such pagan rituals.⁹
Biblical Response: Both Jesus and the apostle James taught that Christians should avoid the kind of extravagant oaths found in the rituals of Freemasonry. Christians should simply let their "yes"be "yes," and their "no" mean "no." In Matthew 5:34-37, Jesus taught the following:
But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Likewise, in his epistle, James wrote: "Above all, my brothers, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned" (Jas. 5:12).
The oaths required by Freemasonry are far worse than the examples the New Testament warns its readers against making. The Entered Apprentice swears under no fewer penalties than that of having his "throat cut from ear to ear," and his "tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the sands of the sea." In the Fellow Craft degree, he swears under no less penalty than that of having his "left breast torn open," his "heart plucked from thence" and "given to the beast of the field and the birds of the air as prey." The candidate for the Mason degree swears under no fewer penalties than that of having his "bowels torn from thence and burned to ashes, and these scattered before the four winds of heaven."
Some Masons claim that the candidates for the degrees do not take these oaths seriously and, therefore, the oaths are compatible with Christian teaching. However, the Bible warns that oaths should be taken seriously and not given rashly. Leviticus 5:4 says, "Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil-in any matter one might carelessly swear about-even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty."
Third Incompatibility: The recommended readings, in pursuance of advanced degrees, of religions and philosophies, which are undeniably pagan and/or occultic, such as much of the writings of Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, Manly Hall, Rex Hutchens, W. L .Wilmshurst, and other such authors; along with their works, such as Morals and Dogma, A Bridge to Light, An Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry, and The Meaning of Masonry.
Biblical Response: Several of these Masonic writers deny the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. For example, Rex Hutchens wrote:
The purpose of teaching the concept of a Messiah in Freemasonry is to point out its near universality in the well-developed religions of the ancient world. We see references to Dionysius of the Greeks, Sosiosch of the Persians, Krishna of the Hindus, Osiris of the Egyptians, Jesus of the Christians. The purpose of these varying cultures' messiahs was to find in human form a source of intercession with Deity; in particular one who, as a human, had been tempted and suffered the daily pangs of life and so could be expected to possess a particular sympathy and understanding; in a word, the messiahs expressed hope.¹⁰
In addition, some of these writers confuse false pagan beliefs with the teaching of Christianity. Albert Pike, in the following quote, confused the Christian Trinity with the Hindu Universal Soul: "Behold the True Masonic Trinity; the Universal Soul, the Thought in the Soul, the Word, or Thought expressed; the Three In One, of a Trinitarian Ecossais."¹¹
According to Hutchens, the following pagan deities are mentioned in the ritual of the 31st degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction. (31st degree) "The Egyptian deities present in the hall are: (1) Osiris: the Lord and Judge of the dead; (2) Atum: called the 'Father of Souls'; (3) Ma: goddess of Truth and Justice whose image weighs upon one side of the balance; (4) Thoth: Scribe of the gods; (5) Anubis: Conductor of Souls; son of Osiris by his sister Nephthys; (6) Horus: son of Osiris, who presents the deceased to his father; (7) Isis: wife and sister of Osiris, mother of Horus; (8) Nephthys: sister of Isis and Osiris, mother of Anubis by Osiris; (9) Four sons of Horus: Kebhsenuf,Tua-mutef, Hapi and Amset.¹²
Pike even compared the Bible with the occultic Kabalah, which he apparently considered superior to the Bible.
All truly dogmatic religions have issued from the Kabalah and return to it: everything scientific and grand in the religious dreams of all the illuminati, Jacob Boehme, Swedenborg, Saint-Martin, and others, is borrowed from the Kabalah; all the Masonic associations owe to it their Secrets and their Symbols.
The Kabalah alone consecrates the alliance of the Universal Reason and the Divine Word; it establishes, by the counterpoises of two forces apparently opposite, the eternal balance of being; it alone reconciles Reason with Faith, Power with Liberty, Science with Mystery; it has the keys of the Present, the Past, and the Future.
The Bible, with all the allegories it contains, expresses, in an incomplete and veiled manner only, the religious science of the Hebrews.¹³
The SBC Report on Freemasonry correctly identifies these "recommended readings" as "undeniably pagan and/or occultic."¹⁴
Fourth Incompatibility: The reference to the Bible placed on the altar of the lodge as the "furniture of the lodge," comparing it to the square and compass rather than giving it the supreme place in the lodge.
Biblical Response: Albert Pike identified the Bible as part of the furniture of the lodge in his book Morals And Dogma Of The Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite Of Freemasonry. He wrote:
The Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses, are not only styled the Great Lights in Masonry, but they are also technically called the Furniture of the Lodge; and, as you have seen, it is held that there is no Lodge without them. This has sometimes been made a pretext for excluding Jews from our Lodges, because they cannot regard the New Testament as a holy book. The Bible is an indispensable part of the furniture of a Christian Lodge, only because it is the sacred book of the Christian religion. The Hebrew Pentateuch in a Hebrew Lodge, and the Koran in a Mohammedan one, belong on the Altar; and one of these, and the Square and Compass, properly understood, are the Great Lights by which a Mason must walk and work.¹⁵
Freemasonry has no commitment to the Bible as the unique Word of God. It happily substitutes non-Christian scriptures when Christians are not the majority of a lodge.
Fifth Incompatibility: The prevalent use of the term "light," which some may understand as a reference to salvation rather than knowledge or truth.
Biblical Response: In commenting on the Christian interpretation of the Blue degrees in Freemasonry, Pike wrote:
Notwithstanding the death of the Redeemer, man can be saved only by faith, repentance, and reformation.
Having repented and reformed, and bound himself to the service of God by a firm promise and obligation, the light of Christian hope shines down into the darkness of the heart of the humble penitent, and blazes upon his pathway to Heaven. And this is symbolized by the candidate's being brought to light, after he is obligated, by the Worshipful Master, who in that is a symbol of the Redeemer, and so brings him the light, with the help of the brethren, as He taught the Word with the aid of the Apostles.¹⁶
In the above quote, the concepts of light and salvation are closely related. This quote also reveals that many Masonic writers include reformation (good works) as one of the requirements for salvation. However, the Bible clearly states that good works are not a requirement for salvation. ¹⁷
Sixth Incompatibility: The implication that salvation may be attained by one's good works, implicit in the statement found in some Masonic writings that "Masonry is continually reminded of that purity of life and conduct which is necessary to obtain admittance into the Celestial Lodge above where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides." Even though many Masons understand that the "purity of life and conduct" can only be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ, others may be led to believe they can earn salvation by living a pure life with good conduct.
Biblical Response: According to Pike, the 25th degree ". . . teaches the necessity of reformation as well as repentance, as a means of obtaining mercy and forgiveness, . . ."18 In his commentary on the 27th degree, Hutchens wrote: "Constans refuses the monk's arguments, trusting in a God of love who will recognize his honor and service to others as a noble path of salvation."19 Likewise, in concerning the 31st degree, Hutchens stated: "The candidate is brought into the Court of the Dead to be judged for actions while living and to determine if he deserves to dwell among the gods. His escort is Horus. Isis, Horus' mother, speaks first, inquiring whose ka has come to be judged."²⁰
The teaching that meritorious deeds can make one acceptable to God is common in many false religions. The Bible, however, warns that there is no deed that can make a sinner acceptable to God. Only the grace of God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ can save those under the judgment of sin. The addition of works to faith as a requirement of salvation is contrary to the teaching of the Bible. The following Scriptures illustrate this: Romans 3:28:"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." Romans 4:4-5:"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 11:6:"And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." Ephesians 2:8-9:"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." Titus 3:5:"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
Seventh Incompatibility: The heresy of universalism (the belief all people will eventually be saved), which permeates the writings of many Masonic authors, which is a doctrine inconsistent with New Testament teaching.
Biblical Response: Many Masonic writings can be interpreted as endorsing universalism. Pike wrote, "It is the fine dream of the greatest of the Poets, that Hell, become useless, is to be closed at length, by the aggrandizement of Heaven; that the problem of Evil is to receive its final solution, and Good alone, necessary and triumphant, is to reign in Eternity."²¹
Even more prominent in Freemasonry is the false teaching of inclusivism, the belief that followers of non-Christian religions will also be saved. Freemasonry holds out the promise of salvation to all worthy Masons regardless of the deity they worship. The Muslim or Hindu member of the lodge is on the same spiritual level as the believer in Jesus Christ. According to Hutchens, "Masonry is tolerant, even supportive, of the most diverse religious beliefs."²²
Pike likewise argued that no religion can claim to have exclusivity to the truth, nor can any religion claim to be superior to another.
Toleration, holding that every other man has the same right to his opinion and faith that we have to ours; liberality, holding that as no human being can with certainty say, in the clash and conflict of hostile faiths and creeds, what is truth, or that he is surely in possession of it, so every one should feel that it is quite possible that another equally honest and sincere with himself, and yet holding the contrary opinion, may himself be in possession of the truth, and that whatever one firmly and conscientiously believes, is truth, to him."²³
Inclusivism denies the teaching of the New Testament that only those who place their faith in Jesus Christ will be saved. The following passages teach this biblical truth: John 3:36:"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" Acts 4:12:"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." First Corinthians 3:11:"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." First Timothy 2:5:"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." First John 5:12:"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
Eighth Incompatibility: The refusal of most lodges (although not all) to admit for membership African-Americans.
Biblical Response: The Bible teaches that all men and women are created in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." According to Genesis 9-11, all the races of humanity scattered throughout the world are made in the image of God. For example, Genesis 9:6 states, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man." The context (Genesis 10- 11) reveals that this prohibition applies to all of the races of humanity scattered throughout the world.
The New Testament reveals that Jesus rejected the racism of His day. John 4:9 indicates that Jesus discarded the racial prejudices of the Jews towards the Samaritans. "The Samaritan woman said to him, 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?' (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)"The apostle Peter, who struggled with the sin of racism throughout his life, stated in Acts 10:28,"You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean." Racism should be rejected wherever it is found, whether it is discovered in the lodge or in the church.
Summary Statement on Freemasonry
There are eight major concerns that the Southern Baptist Convention has expressed about the teachings and practices of Freemasonry. These are:
(1) Freemasonry uses offensive, non-biblical, and blasphemous terms relating to God.
(2) Freemasonry insists on the use of "bloody oaths" or obligations, which are strictly forbidden by the Bible (cf. Matt. 5:34-37).
(3) Freemasonry urges that occultic and/or pagan readings be used, and that their teachings be appropriated in interpreting such concepts as the Trinity.
(4) Freemasonry includes the Bible as part of the "furniture of the lodge," but only as an equal with non-Christian symbols and writings.
(5) Freemasonry misuses the term "light" to refer to moral "reformation" as a means to salvation.
(6) Freemasonry teaches that salvation may be attained by "good works" and not through faith in Christ alone.
(7) Freemasonry advocates in many of its writings the non-biblical teachings of universalism.
(8) In some of its lodges, Freemasonry discriminates against nonwhites.
While it is clear that some Christians, moral persons, and outstanding government leaders have been and are members of the Freemasonic movement, several points of the lodge's teachings are non-biblical and non-Christian. And, while Freemasonry encourages and supports charitable activities, it contains both multireligious and inclusivistic teachings that are not Christian in its religious instruction.
Taking the above into consideration, and being consistent with our denomination's historic deep conviction regarding both the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local church, we recommend that each individual Baptist, as well as each congregation, carefully review the issues of the teachings and practices of Freemasonry. Since, in the final analysis, the Bible alone is the only guide for faith and practice, issues related to Freemasonry and any other fraternal organization, especially secret societies, must be evaluated only in light of the plumb line of Scripture. The divinity and lordship of Christ, the substitutionary atonement of Christ, and salvation by grace through faith are foundational and nonnegotiable doctrines and the teachings of any organization or society in contradiction to such biblical tenets must be evaluated accordingly. It is, therefore, the duty of every Christian to resist and avoid false teachings to speak the truth in love and to embrace only those doctrines which are revealed in the inerrant Scripture, the Bible (see Matt. 7:24-27; John 7-10; 1 Cor. 10:14; Jude 3).
All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.
Notes
¹ Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993 (Nashville: Executive Committee, Southern Baptist Convention, 1993), p. 224.
² Ibid., p. 225.
³ Ibid., pp. 225-227 lists the following eight tenets of incompatibility.
⁴ This word has several alternative spellings.
⁵ Albert Pike, The Book of the Words (Kila, Mont.: Kessinger Publishing Co., n. d.), p. 151.While some Masons may disagree with Pike's explanation of the secret name for God they cannot deny the tremendous influence of Pike upon Freemasonry in the United States. A reading of A Bridge To Light (an official publication of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction) reveals that many modern Masonic leaders also confuse the God of the Bible with pagan deities. See A Bridge To Light, pp. 31, 120, 139.
⁶ The use of the word LORD with all capital letters indicates that the personal name of the God of Israel is used in the Hebrew text..0
⁷ Rex R. Hutchens, A Bridge To Light (Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Council, 1988), p. 299-302.
⁸ See Hebrews 4:15.
⁹ Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993, p. 226.
¹⁰ Hutchens, A Bridge To Light, pp. 112-113.
¹¹ Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (Richmond, Va.: L.H. Jenkins, Inc., 1942), p. 575.
¹² Hutchens, A Bridge To Light, p. 300.
¹³ Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 744.
¹⁴ Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993, p. 226.
¹⁵ Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 11.
¹⁶ Ibid., p. 639, emphasis added.
¹⁷ See Romans 3:28; 4:4-5; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9;Titus 3:5.Also see the discussion in the biblical response concerning the sixth incompatibility.
¹⁸ Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 435.
¹⁹ Hutchens, A Bridge To Light, p. 243.
²⁰ Ibid., pp. 300-01.
²¹ Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 847.
²² Hutchens, A Bridge To Light, p. 67.
²³ Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 160.

Existência Histórica de Cristo

LEITOR QUESTIONA ARTIGO QUE NEGA A EXISTÊNCIA HISTÓRICA DE CRISTO

Por Carlos Martins Nabeto

- Envio-lhes um email que recebi e gostaria de receber ou ter acesso a posição católica sobre o assunto. Grato. Do Irmão em Cristo. Enner Jefferson.

Prezado Enner,

Pax Christi!

Antes de mais nada, gostaríamos de agradecer pelo encaminhamento desse artigo que "põe em dúvida" a historicidade de Jesus, a quem nós cristãos consideramos como "o Cristo" e "Filho de Deus".

Mais ainda, damos graças ao nosso Bom Senhor por tal artigo ter sido encaminhado por você, um cristão protestante que, certamente com toda a boa fé, "gostaria de receber ou ter acesso a posição católica sobre o assunto", confiando, assim, em nossa humilde resposta.

Que o Pai todo-poderoso, com a sua graça, possa nos ajudar a empreender essa tarefa, para que você também, assim como nós, possa render-Lhe um "cântico novo", por ter sido tão bom e amoroso para conosco, pobres pecadores.

Para facilitar a compreensão e não deixar NADA sem resposta, faremos uso do nosso costumeiro método de abordagem da matéria, considerando cada parágrafo ou idéia do artigo original.

*****

Iniciemos... O conteúdo original do artigo é indicado em azul. Nossas respostas seguem em preto:

"Antes de iniciar o aspecto da inexistência do homem chamado Jesus, é necessário dissociar o conceito Jesus do de Cristo".

É evidente que o CONCEITO entre Jesus (uma Pessoa) se diferencia do de Cristo (o Salvador Ungido). Porém, isto não significa que JESUS DE NAZARÉ - E APENAS ELE - SEJA O CRISTO! Há, pois, total compatibilidade entre Pessoa e Função.

Nada obstante, verifica-se claramente que o articulista pretende demonstrar a inexistência histórica do "homem chamado Jesus" (se esquecendo ainda que os cristãos não consideram Jesus apenas como mero homem, mas verdadeiramente como "homem E Deus"); logo, mais exato seria ele pretender provar a impossibilidade da Encarnação do Verbo (o que - reconheçamos - não conseguiria mesmo fazer, pois "para Deus, tudo é possível" [Mateus 19,26]). Então, como não pode provar a premissa maior, tenta a menor...

"Cristo vem do crestus essênio e significa peixe, literalmente, mas o sentido é de ungido, entre outras palavras, referindo-se ao estado transpessoal do ser humano".

Sabemos muito bem que os primeiros cristãos atribuíam, sim, a figura do peixe a Jesus Cristo, Senhor Nosso. As catacumbas de Roma possuem inúmeras pinturas do Peixe nas lápides que encerram ou encerraram corpos de cristãos falecidos e martirizados.

Porém, Cristo não significa "peixe", mas "Ungido"; e tal fato nada tem à ver com "o estado transpessoal do ser humano" - como quer fazer crer o articulista - se relacionando, ao contrário, ao fato de que o Pai consagrou o Filho para uma missão de salvação (esclarecendo, assim, o Novo Testamento, o motivo prefigurado pelo qual os reis e sacerdotes de Israel eram ungidos com um caráter sagrado: eram a "sombra" de Cristo Jesus, o Messias! O único que seria DE FATO simultaneamente rei e sacerdote!).

Por seu turno, o hábito de os cristãos apontarem Cristo pela imagem do Peixe também nada tem a ver com o tal "crestus essênio", pois o óleo da unção dos reis e sacerdotes encontra-se detalhamente descrito em Êxodo 30,22, o qual foi redigido centenas de anos antes da própria existência dessa seita judaica.

Na verdade, a figura do Peixe foi sabiamente escolhida pelos primeiros cristãos (que passaram a ser perseguidos logo no início de sua formação, quer por judeus, quer por pagãos) porque encontrava fundamento bíblico nas palavras de Jesus: "Eu vos farei pescadores de homens" (Marcos 1,17) e também porque a palavra "peixe" em grego (escrita em caracteres latinos "ichtus") representava abreviadamente a expressão "Jesus [I] Cristo [CH], de Deus [TH] Filho [U], Salvador [S]".

Cristo, como se vê, é representado pelos caracteres latinos CH que, por sua vez, correspondem aos caracteres gregos P (chi) e X (rô). Prova disto é que também são encontrados inúmeros símbolos "PX" nas catacumbas e túmulos cristãos, tendo se convertido no monograma clássico de Cristo (que, mais tarde, em latim, passaria a significar também "Christus Rex", ou seja, "Cristo Rei").

Qualquer cristão que visitasse as catacumbas mais antigas (onde eram enterrados não apenas cristãos mas também e principalmente pagãos) conseguia rapidamente identificar um túmulo cristão através desses símbolos ou outros, como a âncora, o pelicano, o pavão e o pastor.

Percebemos, assim, que o articulista, desconhecendo ou desprezando completamente a primitiva iconografia cristã, as Sagradas Escrituras e a Sagrada Tradição da Igreja, inventa estórias (sem "H" mesmo!) e faz uma tremenda salada, que se revela indigesta para os incautos.

"Autores de peso, como Sêneca, Marcial, Juvenal, Plínio o Velho, Apuleio, Fílon de Alexandria e muitos outros, viveram no transcorrer do século I e nunca o mencionaram, apesar de serem imensamente interessados nas questões religiosas da sociedade em que viviam. Os autores gregos, hindus, árabes e judeus também nunca ouviram falar na existência de Jesus".

Primeiramente, vamos ver quem era cada um desses homens: Sêneca (+65), Apuléio (+164) e Fílon (+50) eram FILÓSOFOS e não historiadores, possuindo crenças pagãs próprias; Marcial (+102) e Juvenal (+50?) eram POETAS e não historiadores; Plínio o Velho (+79) era NATURALISTA e não historiador.

Em suma: NENHUM deles tinha compromisso com a tarefa de apontar e narrar FATOS HISTÓRICOS, pois se dedicavam principalmente às matérias ESPECULATIVAS. Com efeito, não nos surpreende em absolutamente nada que TALVEZ nada tenham abordado sobre a figura histórica de Jesus.

E usamos aqui um "talvez" porque, sabendo do penoso processo de redação, publicação e transmissão dos textos na época antiga, é bem possível que diversas obras desses escritores nem mesmo tenham sido copiadas e transmitidas...

Ironia do "destino" é que as obras literárias desses homens, que conseguiram chegar até os nossos dias, só foram salvas GRAÇAS aos monges católicos medievais que as copiaram e as difundiram em manuscritos, ainda que não fizessem referências a Jesus Cristo ou à religião cristã, o que redunda em prol da própria Igreja Católica em dois pontos:

1º) Por salvar a literatura "clássica" e antiga;

2º) Por demonstrar que os monges copistas reproduziam, com boa fé e fidelidade, tais textos de origem pagã. E se tomavam tal cuidado com essas obras, quanto mais tomariam com as Sagradas Escrituras e outras obras de autores cristãos!!!

Seja como for, o articulista OMITE que outras personalidades antigas NÃO ESQUECERAM de falar de Cristo! Inclusive historiadores, compromissados com fatos históricos...

Tácito (+115), historiador e jurista romano, aponta: "Este nome (cristãos) lhes vem de Cristo, que no tempo de Tibério tinha sido entregue ao suplício pelo procurador Pôncio Pilatos" ("Anais" XV,44).

Ou o também historiador e sociólogo romano Suetônio (+141), que observava que durante o reinado do imperador Cláudio (41-54), "expulsou de Roma os judeus, que, sob o impulso de Chrestós, se haviam tornado causa frequente de tumultos" ("Vita Claudii" XXV). Observe-se que "Chréstos" é uma forma grega equivalente a Christós e a informação condiz perfeitamente com o relato de Atos 18,2: "Cláudio decretou que todos os judeus saíssem de Roma" .

Ou o historiador judeu Flávio Josefo (+98), que afirma: "Por esse tempo apareceu Jesus, um homem sábio, que praticou boas obras e cujas virtudes eram reconhecidas. Muitos judeus e pessoas de outras nações tornaram-se seus discípulos. Pilatos o condenou a ser crucificado e morto. Porém, aqueles que se tornaram seus discípulos pregaram sua doutrina. Eles afirmam que Jesus apareceu a eles três dias após a sua crucificação e que está vivo." (Josefo, "Antiguidades Judaicas" XVIII,3,2).

Ou, ainda, com o antiquíssimo Talmud Babilônico, relatando a seu jeito, para favorecer os judeus: " Na véspera da Páscoa suspenderam a uma haste Jesus de Nazaré. Durante quarenta dias um arauto, à frente dele, clamava: 'Merece ser lapidado, porque exerceu a magia, seduziu Israel e o levou à rebelião. Quem tiver algo para o justificar venha proferí-lo!' Nada, porém se encontrou que o justificasse; então suspenderam-no à haste na véspera da Páscoa" (Tratado Sanhedrin 43a do Talmud da Babilônia). Note-se que este relato judaico não põe em dúvida a existência histórica de Jesus, muito pelo contrário...

Como se vê, todos eles falam da PESSOA de Cristo (não simplesmente da existência de cristãos). Logo, não há como se afirmar que "escritores antigos" nunca ouviram ou falaram acerca de Jesus Cristo. Afirmar o contrário é querer passar uma "borracha" injustificadamente sobre a História, deliberadamente para satisfazer seus próprios interesses e desejos pessoais.

"Nada consta no Sinédrio de Jerusalém, nem nos anais de Pôncio Pilatos, nem nos do Imperador Tibério, malgrado a ameaça de um novo rei, ainda que do 'outro mundo' merecesse toda a atenção do Império Romano. O silêncio é gritante!".

Jerusalém foi destruída pelos romanos, no ano 70 d.C., em razão dos constantes tumultos e levantes judaicos; no ano 135, após nova e violenta revolta, os romanos tornaram a invadir e, desta vez, a destruir por completo toda Jerusalém... Praticamente nada sobrou e o Templo foi arrasado. Quereria o articulista ainda esperar encontrar algum documento do Sinédrio e, mais especificamente, sobre Cristo? Quanta pretensão!

No que diz respeito aos registros públicos romanos, também não seria necessário lembrar que Roma foi invadida, pilhada e destruída algumas vezes pelos bárbaros, outras vezes pelos próprios governantes romanos em guerras que travavam entre si. Portanto, poderiam muito bem ter sido destruídos em algum desses eventos ou o articulista pode provar, com ALGUM registro histórico, o contrário?

Ademais, se Jesus de fato nunca tivesse existido, tal "mentira cristã" não teria durado muito, até porque contava com a total repressão dos judeus? Como poderia um "mito sem pé nem cabeça" conquistar todo o vasto e poderosíssimo Império romano, sofrendo duríssima perseguição, quer de judeus, quer de pagãos, em apenas três séculos?

Como quer que seja, pelo que apreciamos até aqui, a evidência histórica fala muito mais favoravelmente à existência de Jesus...

"Segundo La Sagesse, 'As bibliotecas e museus guardam escritos e documentos de autores que teriam sido contemporâneos de Jesus os quais não fazem qualquer referência ao mesmo. Por outro lado, a ciência histórica tem-se recusado a dar crédito aos documentos oferecidos pela Igreja, com intenção de provar-lhe a existência física. Ocorre que tais documentos, originariamente não mencionavam sequer o nome de Jesus, todavia foram falsificados, rasurados e adulterados visando suprir a ausência de documentação verdadeira. Por outro lado, muito do que foi escrito para provar a inexistência de Jesus Cristo foi destruído pela Igreja, defensivamente. Assim é que por falta de documentos verdadeiros e indiscutíveis, a existência de Jesus tem sido posta em dúvida desde os primeiros séculos desta era, apesar de ter a Igreja tentado destruir a tudo e a todos os que tiveram coragem e ousaram contestar os seus pontos de vista e os seus dogmas'".

Com a apreciação que fizemos anteriormente, percebemos como são vãs e ridículas as palavras de La Sagesse... Até porque vimos que foi graças aos monges copistas da Igreja Católica que nos chegaram até mesmo as obras de escritores pagãos...

Se fôssemos levar à sério as palavras de La Sagesse, deveríamos começar a duvidar também da existência de muitíssimos (não só de alguns!) personagens antigos e anteriores a Cristo, inclusive Sócrates e Platão, que só nos chegaram graças a esses monges...

Ou teríamos ainda que concluir - ABSURDAMENTE - que a Terra e todo o universo não existem verdadeiramente porque faltam registros históricos confiáveis e documentados que sigam a "ciência séria e pessoal" de cada um destes críticos do Cristianismo e da Igreja Católica.

Com efeito: se os documentos que fazem menção à existência histórica de Cristo que citamos acima foram corrompidos, que nos apresentem - segundo a mesma ciência EXATA que nos pedem - QUAIS são os manuscritos mais antigos, dos MESMOS escritores, que contradizem a existência histórica de Jesus e os relatos acima transcritos.

Que não façam, pois, acusações LEVIANAS E GRATUITAS, mas que demonstrem com dados cientificos CONFIÁVEIS E IRREFUTÁVEIS. O articulista, portanto, faz uma alegação pura e simples, mas não apresenta PROVA em contrário e nem se dá ao luxo de pelo menos fazer uma referência, segundo o critério científico, de onde tirou as suas "conclusões racionais".

"Paralelamente, Alberto Cousté diz que 'A única exceção estaria em um parágrafo das Antigüidades Judaicas, de Flávio Josefo (37-95), mas Hainchelin demonstra, pela crítica comparada que faz de outras passagens, que se trata de uma grosseira e tardia interpolação. Voltaire já o havia intuído no artigo 'Cristianismo' do Dicionário Filosófico: 'Como teria esse judeu obstinado afirmado que Jesus era o Cristo? Que absurdo colocar na boca de Josefo palavras de um cristão!'. É muito importante se indagar qual o porquê desta interpolação forjada por Eusébio. Qual motivo haveria senão encobrir a inexistência de Jesus?"

O autor cita a passagem interpolada de Flávio Josefo, mas esquece de dizer que existe uma outra, mais antiga, que não possui tal interpolação e que não nega a existência de Jesus (apenas não afirma que ele era o Cristo, como realmente seria de se esperar de um historiador que professa o Judaísmo!). Tal passagem é justamente aquela que apontamos mais acima e que novamente reproduzimos aqui, para relembrar:

"Por esse tempo apareceu Jesus, um homem sábio, que praticou boas obras e cujas virtudes eram reconhecidas. Muitos judeus e pessoas de outras nações tornaram-se seus discípulos. Pilatos o condenou a ser crucificado e morto. Porém, aqueles que se tornaram seus discípulos pregaram sua doutrina. Eles afirmam que Jesus apareceu a eles três dias após a sua crucificação e que está vivo. [Talvez ele fosse o Messias previsto pelos maravilhosos prognósticos dos profetas]" (Josefo, "Antiguidades Judaicas" XVIII,3,2)." (Josefo, "Antiguidades Judaicas" XVIII,3,2).

Mas ainda que se considerasse a interpolação (indicada acima entre colchetes), o fato é que ela também não diz respeito à historicidade de Jesus, mas parece apontar uma "dúvida" de Josefo de TALVEZ ser Jesus o Messias prometido ao Povo de Israel (e nada mais que isso!).

Cai por terra, assim, e de uma só vez, todos os argumentos de Cousté e de Voltaire... Novamente notamos que a História tende para a existência de Jesus de Nazaré!

Mais interessante, porém, é saber - ah, como a História nos faz bem!! - que Voltaire morreu buscando a sua reconciliação com a Igreja Católica, tendo sido assistido por sacerdotes católicos, que ali estavam a seu pedido (ou seja, será que não acreditava mesmo na existência histórica de Jesus Cristo?)!!!

"Os maçons do mais alto grau sabem (ou desconfiam) que as palavras postas na boca do mito de Jesus eram na realidade de João, o Essênio, também conhecido como o Batista. Marcelo Mota, em Carta a Um Maçon, denuncia esse fato, explicando que João teria nascido antes do século I e o seu pensamento teve grande impacto sobre a época em que viveu, afirmando que 'o homem era o templo do deus vivo'. Assim, os primeiros patriarcas não puderam deixar de incluí-lo, sob pena de levantar suspeita. O quarto Evangelho diz que 'Havia um homem enviado por Deus, cujo nome era João'. Iguala, pois, João a Jesus".

A fé e a doutrina da Igreja Católica é TOTALMENTE incompatível com as crenças e as afirmações maçônicas.

Ademais, nunca é tarde para lembrar que a Igreja Católica continua DECLARANDO não ser possível a ninguém querer ser católico e, ao mesmo tempo, maçon. Se alguém afirmar ser maçon, CERTAMENTE não poderá afirmar ser "cristão católico", dada a condenação existente.

Logo, o que os maçons acham ou deixam de achar sobre Jesus NÃO NOS QUER SIGNIFICAR ABSOLUTAMENTE NADA! Se eles acham que Jesus e João Batista eram iguais, PROBLEMA deles. Responderão por sua posição no Dia do Juízo.

Porém, para sermos um pouco mais práticos: onde e como o tal Marcelo Mota PROVOU que Jesus não existiu? Apenas por ter dado a entender que Ele usou ensinamentos de João Batista? Mas João Batista era judeu, assim como o próprio Jesus!!! Logo, os pensamentos de João Batista e de Jesus, EVIDENTEMENTE, não se opunham às verdades contidas no Antigo Testamento e poderiam ser realmente bem semelhantes!!! Ora, em que isto contradiz a existência fática de Jesus? Em nada!

"Em relação aos supostos milagres do mito do nazareno, a cópia descarada foi, agora, de Apolônio de Tiana, que teria revivido os mistérios de Dionísio. Vejamos alguns desses milagres, de acordo com Alberto Cousté: a) Apolônio teria nascido também de mãe virgem; b) Diversos reis enviaram presentes e cartas à parturiente; c) Ainda criança, ele discutiu com os doutores do templo de Esculápio e os derrotou; d) Os cisnes cantaram no seu nascimento e um raio caiu do céu (adoração dos pastores e a estrela de Belém); e) Os anjos transportavam-no pelo ar (segunda tentação de Jesus); f) Ressuscitava mortos, curava cegos e aparecia na frente de amigos distantes; g) Entendia a linguagem dos pássaros; h) Convocava o demônio, que lhe aparecia sob a forma de um olmo; i) Tinha poder sobre os demônios inferiores que atormentavam os possuídos, expulsando-os ao capricho dos seus desejos. Basta dar uma consultada em A Vida de Apolônio, escrita por Filóstrato. Não é só. Os ritos solares baseados na fórmula do deus sacrificado, copiaram-se uns aos outros. Seria cansativo repeti-los todos aqui, mas, veja-se, por exemplo, em relação ao mito de Horus, há milhares de anos antes do conto de Jesus e, depois, leitor, julgue você mesmo a espantosa semelhança: a) Horus nasceu de uma virgem em 25 de dezembro; b) Horus teve 12 discípulos, que representavam os doze signos zodiacais; c) Horus foi enterrado em um túmulo e ressuscitado; d) Horus era também a Verdade, a Luz, o Messias, o Pastor Bom etc.; e) Horus também realizava milagres; f) Horus ressuscitou um homem chamado El-Azar-Us, que, é óbvio, traduziram como Lázaro, o leproso. O copista nem se deu ao trabalho de mudar o nome, já que a grande massa era ignara e não sabia latim; g) O epíteto de Horus era "Iusa" (Jesus), "o Filho sempre tornando-se" de "Ptah", o "Pai"; h) Horus também era chamado o "KRST" (Cristo) ou "Ungido". Se perscrutar outros ritos, como o de Mitra, Adônis, Krishna, Osíris etc., fica patente novas e inúmeras cópias, vários plágios de textos religiosos, com pouca alteração. Indico aqui ao leitor que quiser se aprofundar no assunto a obra Ísis Sem Véu, de Madame Blavatsky."

Como o articulista - NA VERDADE - não possui NENHUM ARGUMENTO SÓLIDO (principalmente histórico) para fundamentar a sua pretensão de negar a existência de Jesus, parte para um plano B, que seria dizer que o Cristianismo (em especial o Catolicismo) é resultado de um Paganismo misturado com crenças judaicas. Em outras palavras, os cristãos teriam criado o "mito" Jesus fazendo uso de uma série de crenças pagãs.

TAL ARGUMENTO É PRA LÁ DE VELHO... E ANTI-HISTÓRICO!! O argumento, aliás, costuma a ser explorado pelos protestantes (Hislop, White etc.), sem convencer dada a precariedade das "provas" suscitadas.

A propósito, há alguns anos, um Pastor protestante, pr. Ralph Woodrow, publicou um livro, baseado sobretudo nas teses de Hislop, rotulando as crenças católicas como "pagãs"; passados alguns anos, humildemente reconheceu que fôra injusto e se retratou publicamente, tirando o seu livro de circulação e publicando um outro em que restabelecia a verdade que descubrira em suas pesquisas mais honestas (veja aqui, nas suas próprias palavras: http://www.ralphwoodrow.org/books/pages/babylon-mystery.html). Obviamente que, além de desagradar os ateístas de plantão, acabou por desagradar muitos protestantes que enxergavam no seu livro anterior uma arma hábil contra os católicos... ;)

Ora, nós, cristãos em geral (católicos, ortodoxos e protestantes) oramos a Deus. Os pagãos faziam (e fazem o mesmo). Então porque oramos, somos pagãos? Nós cremos em Deus, os pagãos também; então somos pagãos? Nós cremos que Deus tem o poder de fazer milagres, os pagãos também pensam o mesmo de seus inúmeros deuses; então nosso Deus teve origem pagã? Uma mentalidade bem simplista... e curta...

E as ORIGENS de certos detalhes seriam exatamente as mesmas e expressariam também os MESMOS SIGNIFICADOS? O Natal dos cristãos expressaria a recordação da Encarnação do Verbo ou A adoração de um deus pagão chamado Mitra?

É ÓBVIO que a origem do Natal encontra-se na Encarnação de Jesus, Deus feito homem, e sua celebração NADA TEM a ver com o Mitraísmo... A idéia é ridícula e sem sentido algum; TOTALMENTE FORA DA REALIDADE, demonstrando apenas a FANTASIA de certas pessoas que, para negarem alguma coisa que não lhe agrada, misturam alhos com bugalhos e só podem confundir mesmo aqueles que NÃO EDIFICARAM A SUA FÉ SOBRE A PEDRA (Mateus 16,18), mas sobre a areia.

Pois muito bem, se tais coisas REALMENTE são pagãs, então que nos PROVE não apenas alegando gratuitamente, mas apresentando fontes confiáveis e, acima de tudo, PRECISAS! Na verdade, o autor do artigo incorpora aqui o famoso "espírito de papagaio", repetindo coisas afirmadas por outros, que por sua vez ouviram de outros e assim vai, sem se atentar para uma análise mais cuidadosa e... histórica!

Os 12 Apóstolos correspondem aos 12 signos do zodíaco? Em que fonte ESCRITA foi relatado isso ORIGINALMENTE? Em que livro, em que capítulo e em que ano foi escrito PRECISAMENTE? ... E que o articulista faça o mesmo para cada "plágio cristão" que encontrar, vez que o ônus de provar é sempre de quem afirma...

Estaremos aqui, SENTADOS, esperando as PROVAS...

"Além disso, os textos pagãos, essênios e gnósticos foram descaradamente copiados para compor o atual Novo Testamento, junto com o expurgo dos apócrifos, no Concílio de Nicéia, em 325, onde provavelmente foi criado o mito de Jesus para dar cumprimento à profecia judaica sobre o advento de um messias. O anônimo autor de Supernatural Religion demonstra o caráter espúrio dos quatro Evangelhos, perpetrada por Irineu e seus lacaios".

Desta vez o autor "viajou na maionese"...

Primeiro: se os textos gnósticos foram COPIADOS para compor o Novo Testamento então porque Santo Ireneu (+202) escreveu justamente sua obra "Contra as Heresias" especificamente contra os gnósticos e citando inúmeras vezes trechos do Novo Testamento?

E isto basta também para demonstrar que o tal "anônimo autor de Supernatural Religion" caiu também em total contradição ao afirmar que os Evangelhos foram "perpetrados por Irineu e seus lacaios"... Ora, se Ireneu é antignóstico, como poderia usar os textos gnósticos para compor o NT?

Segundo, a ciência já PROVOU DEFINITIVAMENTE que o Novo Testamento é muito anterior ao Concílio de Nicéia. Diversos fragmentos de papiros do NT são datados - segundo as modernas técnicas e metodologias das ciência - como ANTERIORES ao séc. IV (vários deles, inclusive, do mesmo séc. I d.C.!).

Ademais, existem muitos autores cristãos anteriores ao referido Concílio e a Ireneu (Clemente de Roma, Inácio de Antioquia, Policarpo de Esmirna, Hermas de Roma, Pápias de Hierápolis, Aristides de Atenas, Taciano da Síria, Atenágoras de Atenas, Teófilo de Antioquia, entre vários outros) que citam LITERALMENTE passagens e seções inteiras do Novo Testamento tal como sempre conhecemos em nossas leituras...

Percebe-se que o articulista, no seu afã de pregar contra a existência de Cristo, CAI EM TOTAL CONTRADIÇÃO, pois ao querer fazer uso favorável dos apócrifos gnósticos para retirar a autoridade do Novo Testamento canônico, SE ESQUECEU QUE OS ESCRITOS GNÓSTICOS APÓIAM E CONCORDAM QUE JESUS REALMENTE EXISTIU!!!!

E assim, o próprio o Autor deste artigo contra Jesus perde TOTALMENTE a sua autoridade (se é que ainda lhe restava alguma...).

"É óbvio que esta fraude em nada influenciou os judeus, que sabiam da história toda, razão por que eles têm sido perseguidos nestes dois milênios pelo Vaticano".

E eis que novamente o articulista cai em contradição... Afirma ele agora que a "fraude do NT não influenciou os judeus" e que eles "sabiam da história toda" (isto é, de que Jesus não teria existido!)...

Ora! Se isto fosse verdade, ou seja, se soubessem MESMO que Jesus nunca teria existido, não teriam preferido afirmar isso CLARA E ABERTAMENTE ao invés de se reunirem em Jâmnia, por volta do ano 90 DEPOIS DE CRISTO, para estabelecerem o cânon da Bíblia judaica - "retirando" (como se pudessem fazê-lo após a vinda do Cristo Salvador!) a autoridade das escrituras aceitas naturalmente pelos judeus alexandrinos (que adotavam a Septuaginta, com os livros que chamamos hoje de "deuterocanônicos") e que agora vinha sendo usado pelos cristãos para suportar todo o ensino cristão (inclusive da própria existência de Cristo)?

E (relembrando mais uma vez a afirmação do autor feita no parágrafo anterior), porque esses judeus, que "sabiam de tudo" não agregaram à sua Bíblia oficial, de Jâmnia, os livros gnósticos se estes tinham verdadeiramente alguma autoridade? Mais: por que não teriam feito o mesmo no seu Talmud, ao invés de - ao contrário - confirmarem a existência histórica de Cristo? Ora, leiamos novamente o que o Talmud afirma CATEGORICAMENTE:

"NA VÉSPERA DA PÁSCOA suspenderam a uma haste JESUS DE NAZARÉ. Durante quarenta dias um arauto, à frente dele, clamava: 'Merece ser lapidado, porque exerceu a magia, seduziu Israel e o levou à rebelião. Quem tiver algo para o justificar venha proferí-lo!' Nada, porém se encontrou que o justificasse; ENTÃO suspenderam-no à haste na véspera da Páscoa." (Tratado Sanhedrin 43a do Talmud da Babilônia).

Com efeito, se o autor assume que os judeus "sabiam de tudo", DEVERÁ RECONHECER QUE JESUS CRISTO REALMENTE EXISTIU NO TEMPO E NO ESPAÇO TERRESTRE, pois os judeus reconheceram isso!!!!!

CHEQUE-MATE!!!

Quanto à acusação de que o Vaticano persegue os judeus, eles mesmos já reconheceram HISTORICAMENTE que foi graças ao Vaticano que muitos deles se salvaram durante a II Guerra Mundial. E, além disto, o papa João Paulo II emitiu um pedido de perdão aos judeus pelos crimes praticados pelos FILHOS DA IGREJA. Portanto, o articulista está tratando, no mínimo, de coisas que desconhece; ou pretende - inutilmente! - ressuscitar uma culpa que já foi sepultada pela própria História.

"Havia quase setenta seitas, no século IV, de acordo com uma enumeração de Epifânio, que compartilhavam sobre a maldade intrínseca da criação e viam em Jeová um demiurgo imperfeito e rancoroso, que se deixava enganar por sua própria criação. Uma dessas seitas, de opinião diversa, sofrera enormemente a influência do culto mitral, trazida pelos soldados de Pompeu, pouco antes do início da era cristã, deslumbrados pelo dualismo persa. Estando o Império Romano fragilizado, esta seita aliou-se a Constantino. O benefício seria mútuo. Por um lado, ajudaria a fortalecer o império, por outro destruiria as outras seitas, firmando-se por absoluto. Esta seita se transformou no que conhecemos hoje como a Igreja Católica".

Esse argumento já foi inúmeras vezes refutado aqui, no site do Veritatis Splendor.

Por essa razão, além de observar que o articulista faz novamente uma afirmação gratuita, sem apontar fontes em que possa fundamentar seu o "raciocínio", preferiremos indicar os artigos em que as teses mais absurdas sobre um "possível" relacionamento entre Catolicismo e Paganismo foram abordadas:

- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/575
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/3001
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/468
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/3958
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/4044

Esses são apenas alguns textos; mas é possível encontrar MUITOS outros usando a ferramenta de busca existente do site Veritatis Splendor, digitando-se no campo de pesquisa (no topo superior direito) palavras-chave como "Paganismo", "Babilônia", "Pagã" etc. Para aí remetemos o leitor interessado em mais detalhes.

"Portanto, o Cristianismo só poderia se assentar através da pena (fé cega) e pela espada (perseguição religiosa). E, invocando a própria Igreja Católica, está na frase histórica, proferida pelo papa Leão X: Quantum nobis prodeste haec fabula Christi! - 'Quanto nos ajuda esta fábula de Cristo!'".

O desfecho CERTAMENTE não poderia ser o pior e mais desastrado possível...

Inconformado pelo "cheque-mate" dado anteriormente, parte o autor para jogar no ar uma "lenda urbana", citada por muitos protestantes anticatólicos (na base do já mencionado "espírito de papagaio"), mas NUNCA PROVADA...

Pois muito bem, CHEQUE-MATE 2: Aponte-nos em qual documento da Igreja o Santo Padre o Papa Leão X (1513-1521) escreveu tal coisa!!!

EIS AÍ O NOSSO DESAFIO, já que a Verdade é única!!!

Se achar, aliás, mande-nos uma cópia para que possamos disponibilizá-la na Área de Documentos da Igreja, que mantemos aqui no Veritatis Splendor. E não se importe se não encontrar tal documento em português, mas só em qualquer outra língua, pois teremos IMENSO PRAZER em traduzí-lo.

Aliás, achamos que isso seria o mínimo que o articulista deveria fazer... Pelo menos assim, talvéz pudéssemos rever este nosso segundo "cheque-mate" e então ficaríamos empatados, já que ele NUNCA conseguirá derrubar o nosso primeiro "cheque-mate"... ;)

Em outras palavras... O ARTICULISTA NUNCA PROVARÁ QUE JESUS DE NAZARÉ NÃO EXISTIU!!! E NÓS TEMOS A CERTEZA DE QUE TAMBÉM NUNCA CONSEGUIRÁ DEMONSTRAR QUE O PAPA PIO X TENHA PRONUNCIADO TAL DESATINO!

Bom. Se antes esperávamos sentados, cremos agora FIRMEMENTE que poderemos deitar e dormir pra lá de despreocupados ;)

CONCLUSÃO: A HISTÓRIA E A RAZÃO DEMONSTRAM QUE JESUS CRISTO EXISTIU. A ESTÓRIA [DA CAROCHINHA] E A FALTA DE RAZÃO DEMONSTRAM O INVERSO!

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Em complemento a esta resposta que oferecemos, sugerimos ainda a leitura dos seguintes artigos do Veritatis Splendor:

A Igreja e o Paganismo
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/3958/
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/4073/
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/3001/
etc.

Historicidade de Cristo
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/569/
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/570/
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/4041/
etc.

Vaticano e Judaísmo
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/3339/
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/3729/
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/3123/
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/57
- http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/1832
etc.

(Use a ferramenta de busca existente do site Veritatis Splendor, para obter outros resultados e artigos interessantes!).

---

Para citar este artigo:

NABETO, Carlos Martins. Apostolado Veritatis Splendor: LEITOR QUESTIONA ARTIGO QUE NEGA A EXISTÊNCIA HISTÓRICA DE CRISTO. Disponível em http://www.veritatis.com.br/article/4697. Desde 5/16/2008.

Tony Snow - Cancer's Unexpected Blessings

CT Classic

Cancer's Unexpected Blessings

When you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change.

Tony Snow | posted 7/20/2007 02:30PM

Commentator and broadcaster Tony Snow announced that he had colon cancer in 2005. Following surgery and chemo-therapy, Snow joined the Bush administration in April 2006 as press secretary. Unfortunately, on March 23 Snow, 51, a husband and father of three, announced that the cancer had recurred, with tumors found in his abdomen—leading to surgery in April, followed by more chemotherapy. Snow went back to work in the White House Briefing Room on May 30, but resigned August 31. CT asked Snow what spiritual lessons he has been learning through the ordeal.

Blessings arrive in unexpected packages—in my case, cancer.

Those of us with potentially fatal diseases—and there are millions in America today—find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence What It All Means, Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the why questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is—a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But despite this—because of it—God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.

Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life—and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many nonbelieving hearts—an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live—fully, richly, exuberantly—no matter how their days may be numbered.

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease—smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see—but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension—and yet don't. By his love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.

'You Have Been Called'

Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet; a loved one holds your hand at the side. "It's cancer," the healer announces.

The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa. "Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler." But another voice whispers: "You have been called." Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter—and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our "normal time."

There's another kind of response, although usually short-lived—an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tinny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing though the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.

There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue—for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.

Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city. From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.

We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us—that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us partway there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two people's worries and fears.

Learning How to Live

Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God's arms not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love.

I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. "I'm going to try to beat [this cancer]," he told me several months before he died. "But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side."

His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity—filled with life and love we cannot comprehend—and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.

Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?

When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it.

It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up—to speak of us!

This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.

What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place—in the hollow of God's hand.

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible - Part 1 The Old Testament – Overview
4/6/2008 3:29:24 PM
Born in the East and clothed in Oriental form and imagery, the Bible walks the ways of all the world with familiar feet and enters land after land to find its own everywhere. It has learned to speak in hundreds of languages to the heart of man. Children listen to its stories with wonder and delight, and wise men ponder them as parables of life. The wicked and the proud tremble at its warnings, but to the wounded and penitent it has a mother’s voice. It has woven itself into our dearest dreams; so that Love, Friendship, Sympathy, Devotion, Memory, Hope, put on the beautiful garments of its treasured speech. No man is poor or desolate who has this treasure for his own. When the landscape darkens, and the trembling pilgrim comes to the Valley of the Shadow, he is not afraid to enter; he takes the rod and staff of Scripture in his hand; he says to friend and comrade, 'Goodbye; We Shall Meet Again;' and, comforted by that support, he goes toward the lonely pass as one who walks through darkness into light. – Henry Van Dyke

Before we begin today’s study, please bow your hearts before the Lord…

“Father, we come before you with Thanksgiving in our hearts for all your many blessings. We ask that you would give us understanding of your Word and help us to hide your Word within our hearts. We ask this in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.”

Introduction

The Bible has been the best selling book by far since the invention of the printing press. In the past 200 years it has been estimated that between 3.5-4 billion copies have been printed. The most popular in the English speaking countries have been the King James Version, the New International Version, The Living Bible and The New King James. Millions of Bibles are sold every year as well as portions of the Bible, such as the New Testament and the Psalms, are given away free by various ministries.

It has been said that the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed and that the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. This is a good analogy as we can see many prophesies found in the Old Testament are fulfilled within the record of the New Testament.

These 66 Books written by some 40 authors are all One Book. Or as Chuck Missler likes to say, “An integrated message system designed outside of our time domain.”

Holy Bible: A General Overview

The word Bible is derived from the Greek word, biblia, meaning "books," and refers to the sacred writings of Judaism and Christianity.

The Holy Bible is an account of history, prophecy, and words of wisdom comprised of 66 books, written over a period of some 1500 years, by 40 different authors. The Old Testament (Old Covenant) is comprised of 39 books written from approximately 1400 to 400 BC. The New Testament (New Covenant) contains 27 books written from approximately 50 to 95 AD.

The Jewish Bible (Tenach) is the same as the Christian Old Testament, other then its book arrangement and numbering. The original language of the Old Testament was Hebrew as well as some Aramaic. The original language of the New Testament was Koine (common) Greek.

The Name of God - YHWH

The Name of God, YHWH (“I AM” or “I AM WHO I AM”), is from the Hebrew text appearing in Exodus 3:14. YHWH, known as the Tetragrammaton, from the Greek, tetra meaning four and gramma-letter, also known as the “Four-Letters.”

The Tetragrammaton is considered so sacred that it was never pronounced in Hebrew (except once a year in the Temple while in the Holy of Holies by the high priest) and traditionally is read in the text as HaShem (The NAME) or in prayer as Adonai (My Lord) or El Shaddai (The Almighty). In most English Bibles it is traditionally translated as “THE LORD,” using small capital letters. Some scholars believe that the Name is pronounced YAH-WEH.

The Tetragrammation is found eight times in Genesis in different forms. 15:1 “I am your shield,” Gen 15:7 “I am the LORD,” 17:1 & 35:11 “I am the Almighty God,” 26:24 “I am the God of Abraham,” 28:13 “I am the God of Bethel,” 31:13 "I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father,” and 46:3 “I am God, the God of your father.” Exodus continues with 21 places God uses the term “I am” to describe Himself and is an interesting study in itself.

The First and the Last

The term Nomina Sacra is Latin and means “Sacred names.” It was common practice when copping ancient manuscripts to abbreviate certain words or phrases, a type of shorthand if you will. These abbreviations are evident in ancient manuscripts and help researchers to differentiate between Christian and Jewish codexes of the Old Testament.

The use of Nomina Sacra is apparent in the first verse of the Bible with the Aleph and the Tau, or the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Hebrew text: http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/tools/printer-friendly.pl?translation=heb&book=Gen&chapter=1#top

Hebrew is read from right to left and if you notice the forth ‘word’ or set of letters, they are not translated. These letters are the Aleph and the Tau, or the First and the Last.

If we were to translate these ‘letters’ into English we would read: “In the Beginning God (Aleph Tau or the First and the Last) created the heaven and the earth.”

We also find these letters in Zechariah in the Hebrew text, again not translated, when the Prophet speaks of the Messiah ...and they shall look upon me (Aleph Tau) whom they have pierced... Zechariah 12:10.

What is extremely interesting is that in the New Testament we see the use of the words Alpha and Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet ), explained within the text as the First and the Last - the Beginning and the End, to refer to Jesus Christ, or God in human form.

Jehovah

The name Jehovah is derived from the combination of the consonants YHWH and the vowels of Adonai. The name Jehovah was never part of the Hebrew Scriptures but entered the common English language through its use in the King James Bible.

The Old Testament

The name “Old Testament” comes from the Latin term vetus testamentum used by Tetullian in the second century AD.
The Old Testament begins with the Book of Genesis. The Hebrew word for Genesis (Bereshith) means “birth,” “origin,” or “beginnings,” and is defined as “the way in which something comes to be.” In Genesis we find the origin of the Universe and all life. We also learn of the beginning of sin and death and the birth of a nation, Israel.

God called Abram (whose name was later changed by God to Abraham-Gen17:5) to, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Gen12:1-2.

Isaac, the son of Abraham, also receives the calling of God and the promises of becoming a Great Nation - Gen 26:2-5

Jacob, Isaac’s son, whose name means “supplanter” or more literally, “grabber,” which is a fitting metaphor for his life, also receives the call of God. While in the womb he struggled with his twin brother, Esau and at birth he was clutching the elder’s heel. Later he supplants his older brother’s birthright which Esau sold him for a bowl of stew – Gen 25:31. Later in life God also changes his name, “…Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Gen 32:28. Israel means struggling or striving with God. It was the twelve sons on Jacob (Israel) that are the 12 patriarchs of the nation of Israel.

The Old Testament records the history of this nation, both the good and the bad. This record was written by kings, shepherds, prophets and scribes on leather scrolls and stone tablets over hundreds of years as inspired by God.

Moses is the author of the first five books of the Old Testament, or Torah, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (other then the last few verses of Deuteronomy, which records his death and was penned by Joshua).

The Torah, which is translated as “doctrine” or “teaching,” and known in English as the Pentateuch, from the Greek Pentateukhos, which refers to scroll cases, is also commonly called the Law as the Laws of God, most notably the 10 Commandments, are revealed within its pages. The Torah is the first part of the Tenakh, the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.

The word Tenakh originated from the initials T.N.K., the first letters of the three parts of the Old Testament. In Hebrew; these parts are the TORAH – the Law, NEVI’IM – the Prophets, and K’TUVIM – the writings (Psalms, history, poetry, etc.)

Following the Torah we begin with the “First Prophets,” Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, which include the history of the nation Israel. Interspersed throughout this history of Israel we find stories of conquest and defeat, love and hate, betrayal, deceit, murder, and of course prophecy (prophecy is found dispersed throughout the Scriptures). The stories found within these books have stirred the hearts of men and women for centuries and are beloved by both Jews and Christians. (The books of I & II Samuel and I & II Kings in the Tenakh are counted as one book each respectively).

Within the books of the First Prophets we find the book of Ruth - a very prophetic book of the goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer; I & II Chronicles – written for the exiles who had returned to Israel following the Babylonian captivity; Ezra and Nehemiah - the story of the return from exile to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the Temple; Esther – the story of Purim and God’s care of his chosen people while in exile; and Job - a book of several sermons in itself. From the sovereignty of God, suffering, obedience, blessings, and even the workings of Satan, the book of Job has long been a favorite and comfort to millions through the centuries.

Considered the ‘writings’ are the book of Pslams - songs of praise to God; Proverbs and Ecclesiastes - books of knowledge and wisdom; and the Song of Solomon - a beautiful human love story.

The last section of the Old Testament is the Prophets. Isaiah – from God’s judgment, His salvation, and a prophetic vision of the suffering Christ, Isaiah is one of the most startling and majestic of the prophetic books; Jeremiah – God’s Omnipresence, His judgment, and individual accountability permeate the writings of this Prophet in the setting before Judah’s eventual capture and captivity to Babylon; Lamentations– written by Jeremiah tells the story of the fall of Judah and the destruction of the Temple and true repentance; Ezekiel – More judgment of Judah as well as the surrounding nations, God’s total sovereignty over all creation; Daniel – a look at Israel’s captivity, the sovereignty of God, and prophecies of the coming world rulers. The ’70 weeks of Daniel’ is a prerequisite to understanding the book Revelation.

The final twelve prophetic books are known as the Minor Prophets which include Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. There is nothing ‘minor’ about them as their prophecies are of major importance. The term minor only refers to the length of the books, not their importance. We’ll cover these books of the Prophets in depth in later studies, Lord willing.

For those who have been fascinated with Eschatology, a branch of theology concerned with the “end-times,” these books of prophecy have become some of the most thoroughly studied in the past 60 years, since the re-birth of the nation Israel.

We’ll continue our study at a later time with an overview of the New Testament, history of Biblical translations, archaeology, the canon, the Apocrypha and how to study the Bible.

Common sayings from the Bible

Here’s a quick study for you of sayings from the Old Testament that have become part of the English lexicon. This is a fun, quick and educational study. Grab your Bible (or you can use the Blue Letter Bible link listed under "favorite links" at upper left of this page – use the KJV or NKJV listing on BLB) to look up these references and see how they were used in God’s Word.

Brother’s keeper – Gen 4:9

Fire and brimstone – Gen 19:24

Scapegoat – Lev 16:8

Eye for an eye – Lev 24:19-20

Sabbatical – Lev 25

Apple of the eye – Deu 32:10

Skin of my teeth – Job 19:20

Spare the rod spoil the child –Pro 13:24

Fly in the ointment – Ecc 10:1

Drop in the bucket – Isa 40:15

Leopard change his spots – Jer13:23

The writing on the wall – Dan 5

Until next week be like the Bereans and study the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).

Glory to our Lord Yeshua ha Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah)!

References
The Holy Bible
Halley’s BibleHandbook, Henry H. Halley
Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, Ephraim Stern
Old Testament Survey, W.S. Lasor, David Hubbard & Frederic Bush
Cosmic Codes – Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity, Chuck Missler
Archaeology and the Old Testament World, John Gray
The Bible as History, Werner Keller
The Bible, Max Anders
Every Prophecy of the Bible, John F. Walvoord
Strong's Concordance, Dr. James Strong
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger & William White, Jr.
Fascinating Bible Facts, David M. Howard, Jr., Ph.D.
Bible Almanac, Anna Trimiew
www.blueletterbible.org
www.allaboutgod.com
www.allabouttruth.org
www.williamtyndale.com
www.conservapedia.com
www.khouse.org
BELIEVE Religious Information Source: http://mb-soft.com/believe/index.html
The Unbound Bible: http://unbound.biola.edu/index.cfm?method=multilex.showSearchForm

The Holy Bible - Part 2 The New Testament – Overview
4/13/2008 2:51:47 PM
The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known to the world. – Charles Dickens

Before we begin today’s study, please bow your heart before the Lord…

Father, your love and care continues to amaze us. We are so blessed and ask that you would give us understanding of your Word and help us to hide your Word within our hearts. We ask this in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Introduction

The New Testament is about a Man, and God’s plan of salvation for all of mankind.

In 4 BC, some 400 years after the book of Malachi had been written, a child was born of a virgin. Some 30 years later this Man began to perform miraculous miracles in the site of all those around Him. Obviously this was no ordinary Man. This Man is known to the English speaking peoples of the world as Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ

The name Jesus is the Latin form of the Greek Iesous, which is in turn a transliteration of His Hebrew Name Yeshua, Yahshuah or YAHU'SHUAH, and means YHWH (God) is Salvation.

The term Christ, or Christos, is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term Messiah or transliterated Hebrew, Meshiach, and means “Anointed.” Or in Hebrew: Yeshua ha Mashiach – God Saves the Anointed!

Who are the Anointed?

Before we continue with our current study the above statement begs the question, “Just who is the Anointed that will be saved by God?” If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, believe He has paid the price for your sins and have a personal relationship with Him, YOU are that Anointed. Salvation is a free gift. It cannot be earned no matter how good you think you are or how many works of good you have done. This is the Gospel Message, the Good News!

If you would like this free gift God is waiting to hear from you. Tell Him right now that you need Him and the salvation that Jesus provided for you on the Cross. It’s really that simple. Continue to speak with Him throughout each and every day and read His word, even the difficult parts. Get connected with a Bible believing and teaching church. As time goes on you will grow in your faith as well as God’s plan for your life and you will experience true joy in no matter what situation you might find yourself. Don’t wait until you think you are good enough to approach Him as that day will never come – COME JUST AS YOU ARE! His grace will change everything.

The Gospels

Just as the Old Testament has three sections, The NewTestament also has three distinct parts; The Gospels, the Epistles, and Prophecy (Revelation).

The New Testament begins with the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which provide us with the history of Jesus’ birth, ministry, Deity, and His death.

The term Gospel comes from the Greek word “euangelion,” which means Good News. It must be noted that the information within the Gospels was taught and spread by the Apostles, as well as many of the eye witnesses of the events of Pentecost, for some 20 years by oral tradition before they were written down for all of posterity.

The first three Gospels are known as the Synoptic Gospels (from the Greek syn-together, and opsis-seeing or “seeing together” or “seeing with the same eyes”). These three Gospels share many of the same events of the life of Jesus as seen from different perspectives. There are many similarities of these three records and yet also differences. This is exactly what one would expect of three different witnesses of an event who are asked to relate what they saw and heard.

Matthew, one of the two Apostle writers of the Gospels, and as a Jew was writing mainly to other Jews. From the words and terms he uses it is quite obvious who he believed was his main audience. Matthew attempts to show his fellow Jews how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the promised Messiah as well His human lineage connecting Him to David.

John Mark, a young man during Jesus’ ministry, is believed to be the first of the Gospel writers to put down his recollections of the events of Jesus’ life and death in written form. No doubt that Mark was an eye witness to many of the public events of Jesus’ life but it would seem much of his written account came from the oral teachings of the Apostles in Jerusalem.

Luke, the only gentile to have written any of the books of the Bible, (he also penned the book Acts or Acts of the Apostles), was a doctor and also a friend of Paul’s and accompanied him on several of his ministry journeys.

John, the “Apostle that Jesus loved,” wrote not only of the historical events surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus, but also of His Divinity and ties the Old and New Testaments together. This Gospel has become a favorite of many Christians today. As the Apostle John tells us, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” Jhn 21:25

Following the Gospels we come to the book of Acts. Acts is an historical record of the workings of the early Church, Saul of Tarsus’ (Paul’s) conversion and journeys, the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the Apostles at Pentecost, and the spread of the Gospel message throughout much of the Roman Empire.

Epistles

The word Epistle comes from the Greek word, epistole and means “letter.”

The Epistles are comprised of 21 letters. These letters are addressed to churches and individuals, and in reality, to all of us. 14 of the 21 books were written by Paul with the remaining attributed to James, Peter, John and Jude. James and Jude were Jesus’ younger brothers (half-brothers) by birth.

These Epistles arose to address special situations within the early Churches of the first century. These letters address behavior, misunderstandings, or doctrinal error that needed correcting and expound upon in the way a Christian should live.

The Epistles are: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews (written by Paul), James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude.

Revelation

Many writers and producers of Bibles have named this book incorrectly such as the “Revelation of St. John” or “The Apocalypse.” This book is, as stated in its first words, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” as it reveals to us the very nature of our Risen Lord. The Apostle John, while imprisoned on the island of Patmos, was visited by the Lord Himself in Power and in Glory, and was instructed by an angel, or heavenly messenger, to write down what was about to be revealed.

Revelation is the only book of the Bible that offers a special blessing to everyone that reads and heeds the things that are written within yet many Christians have yet read through the book. We believe this is due to the symbolism used by John who was shown events that would take place in the distant future that he would have no knowledge or reference. Much of the symbolism used in Revelation is explained within the text itself or can be found throughout the Old Testament. A good concordance should be utilized when studying this book.

Revelation begins with seven letters to seven early Churches in Asia Minor, tells of the rise of the Anti-Christ, a world wide government, the return of Jesus, the end of Satan and the end of the world as well as a New Heaven, New Earth and a New Jerusalem. The descriptions of this New World defy imagination.

This has only been a general over-view of the Holy Bible and we plan on going much more in depth on each book as we proceed with our future studies, Lord willing.

We’ll continue our study at a later time with the history of Biblical translations, archaeology, the canon, the Apocrypha and how to study the Bible.

Common sayings from the Bible

Here’s a quick study for you of sayings from the New Testament that have become part of the English lexicon. This is a fun, quick and educational study. Grab your Bible (or you can use the Blue Letter Bible link to your upper left) to look up these references and see where they are found in God’s Word.

Salt of the earth – Matt 5:13

Seek and you will find – Matt 7:7

Wolf in sheep’s clothing – Matt 7:15

The blind leading the blind – Matt 15:14

With God all things are possible – Matt 19:25-26

What God has joined together – Mark 10:9

Eat, drink and be merry – Luke 12:13-21

Sweating blood – Luke 22:44

A thorn in one’s side – 2 Cor 12:7-9

You reap what you sow – Gal 6:7

The root of all evil (the LOVE of money) – 1 Timothy 6:10

Keep the faith – 2 Tim 4:7

Until next week be like the Bereans and study the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).

Glory to our Lord Yeshua ha Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah)!

References
The Holy Bible
Halley’s Bible Handbook, Henry H. Halley
Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, Ephraim Stern
Old Testament Survey, W.S. Lasor, David Hubbard & Frederic Bush
Cosmic Codes – Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity, Chuck Missler
Archaeology and the Old Testament World, John Gray
The Bible as History, Werner Keller
The Bible, Max Anders
Every Prophecy of the Bible, John F. Walvoord
Strong's Concordance, Dr. James Strong
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger & William White, Jr.
Fascinating Bible Facts, David M. Howard, Jr., Ph.D.
Bible Almanac, Anna Trimiew
www.blueletterbible.org
www.allaboutgod.com
www.allabouttruth.org
www.williamtyndale.com
www.conservapedia.com
www.khouse.org
BELIEVE Religious Information Source: http://mb-soft.com/believe/index.html
The Unbound Bible: http://unbound.biola.edu/index.cfm?method=multilex.showSearchForm
www.skypoint.com/~waltzmn/NominaSacra.html