Bible Topics

Christ and the Gospels clearly have a simple message. The first Christians understood it thoroughly and summed it up in the Apostle's Creed. There was to be a "gathering" or "nucleus" of the followers of Christ. This was to be "holy" and spread everywhere. The followers were to be noted solely for the way they cooperated with and helped each other and any who needed help.

That's what Christ had in mind. When they got together for the "cup of friendship" it was to recall Christ and his ideals rather than the Passover Lamb. The "elders" in each group would be in charge as was the custom.

Paul joined and immediately started to try to "boss the show." So Paul was sent on the "foreign missions." Luke tried his best to soften the harshness of Paul but succeeded only partially. Unfortunately when the persecutions stopped, the church structure followed the ideas of Paul.

We just talked of what Jesus expected of his followers. He laid down a few ground rules for his basic ideas and ideals. In St. John, he sums everything up in the service of each other. Then he shows by his example how this could be done. Luke and Matthew spell out the same idea of sharing, a bit more in detail.

The main point was to avoid static crushing structure. This had killed Judaism through the governance of the Sadducees, Pharisees and Scribes. They had all their sacred little practices and Jesus condemned these openly and totally.

In the OT, the people saw heaven as a place to be with Abraham, their founding father. In the New Testament, Jesus describes it as a place and a state of being. The price of admission is "service" to others in this life. If you spent your life in helping others, then you will be welcomed into the presence of the Father who is God. You would be in a family of all those identified by the "service" of others in this life. I think it could easily be the whole universe.

The other alternative for people who led lives of selfishness is the Valley of Hinnon, a place of nothing to do and no one to visit.

Where is heaven? We know from the gospels that the body of a person is the same so that it is recognized. Yet it has characteristics that are totally new. There will be no more pain or suffering.

I think the final stage of heaven will be a new earth from which all the ills, problems, and disasters will be removed. It will be the final "Garden of Paradise" as intended from the beginning. The life here on earth is the preparation for this happiness. That is the Bible picture and I like it.

As I watched a little of the TV evangelists, my mind reverted back to Rome and the 431 church buildings. Many of them are gorgeous works of art and sculpture. The only people in them are sight seers looking at the physical structure. The cardinals, bishops and pastors of these churches have "gimmicks" in each building to get tourist money.

I realize more and more how much we need an understanding of the real personality of Christ and the message he left the world.

I think your proposal for a book is excellent. Contents: Who did Jesus think he was? Jesus' Identity Crises! What is the role of women in the Biblical picture? What is meant by the "End of the World?" What is the teaching of the Bible on homosexuality?

I have already written on all the topics but now it will be great to draw all the topics together. There is no doubt these topics cover a lot of basic questions in the minds of people today. The young people are not receiving the proper grounding and have nothing to build on as they get older. The whole idea of the destruction of the universe is based on post-Tridentine (Council of Trent, 1545–1563) thought, fumblings and side tracks. I'll get working on the ideas today.

John Baptist worked more on reform while Jesus decided a new start was needed. He did not want a separate structure and a society of its own. He wanted the civil society to stand but to be reformed into real harmony by respect for everyone's rights and real sharing with everyone. This is stated by Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount; by John in the discussion at the Last Supper; and by Luke in his parables of the Widow's Mite, the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son.

The fertility cults were the "bête noire" for the role of women. Every abuse of sex was a part of the cult and the Israelites were forever falling into the cults. The cults were a total degradation of sex and love. The prophets were constantly trying to straighten the thinking and actions of the people.

I read the article on women being ordained deacons in the Catholic Church. Right now, as the article says, many parishes are completely cared for by women. But they cannot "say Mass" or hear confessions. I don't think we'll see any change until we get back to the fundamental message of Christ. He was interested in the spread of the "Holy Spirit" by those who already had it. This "Spirit" consisted in lending a hand to people in need as they touched your life. There was to be a constantly growing concern for all the people who came into your life. There was not to be any special organization plunked down in the middle of society.

Authority in the church was to be at the bottom, a foundation on which all could grow.

Today is the Jewish feast of Yom Kippur. This is the Day of Atonement on which all the people are to make special atonement for their sins. In the Temple, the people stood singly and in groups. They publicly acknowledged their failure and stated how they would atone for them. The "Wailing Wall" is crowded at this time and the people are standing in line to get a place.

This was one of the customs that Christ condemned in the lives of the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees. They made a big external show of their failures and then kept right on in the same line of conduct. Christ's answer was to go into a room and talk to God in private. He will listen and you can sincerely amend your life.

I don't know what they do by way of sacrifice today. In the time of Christ each person could bring his victim and have it offered for him or his family's atonement. The Valley of Hinnon got a workout on that day. The fires burned brightly and kept ahead of all the offal.

Jesus was an idealist. He thought of the pleasant society of people working together. At the same time, he was a pragmatist. He knew the basic problems that faced all people and he addressed them.

As Peter saw the message of Christ, everything boiled down to a strong personal conviction of the ideals of sharing. His stress, because of his own major failure, was true hope and then working for it. Peter's approach is recorded in the Gospel According to Mark.

Luke was more for the notion of "salvation" or "total health" at the disposal of everyone. He stressed especially the dignity and equality of women. Matthew saw the practicality of the world of kings. Everyone could share and establish the total kingship. John saw the whole picture as establishing the true brotherhood of mankind in order to portray the fatherhood of God.

As I read about the games, the crowds, the rivalry, I think about ancient Rome and the descriptions of their gladiatorial bouts. The Palace of the Caesars is still standing on top of the Capitoline Hill. At one end there are bleachers that would comfortably seat 3–5 thousand spectators. In that area they held the chariot races, bouts between gladiators. They fought back and forth until one side was clearly a winner. Then they looked to the stands to see if the losers were to be slaughtered or left to fight another day.

At the other end is the Coliseum for individual combats. I prefer our type of games and competitions.

This morning I thought about what I had read yesterday. The description is that of John with Jesus on the cross. John was about 15 years old. He was the only one of the 12 to be on Calvary. Jesus had just entrusted his mother, as the New Eve, to the care of John. Jesus cried out his "I thirst" then said "tetelestai" — "Now all the pieces are in place." "Now the work can really go on." Then he bowed his head and died.

Now these ideas and words were written down about a century later. The ideas and ideals of Christ were being lived by the first generations of followers. The plan was working so well that even the Roman rulers noticed. Their comment was simply, "See how they love one another." Two hundred years later, even the Emperor was converted to the ideals of Jesus.

The whole picture was and is so simple. There has to be a constant recognition of the dignity or worth of each person. There has to be the sharing of talents, abilities, material things on every level. There has to be a constant development of the treasures of the universe for the good of all.