Weekly/Sabbath Epistle: True Greatness

Dear Readers,

I have lapsed in my writings to you, and for this I apologize. I write to you today for both the weekly lessons and the Sabbath epistle. Today I wish to present to you Jesus' criteria for position in the Kingdom of God.

We as humans often think of how to get ahead in life. We think of how to overcome our rivals to gain a higher position or better pay, but we do not often think of our position in the Kingdom of God. When we do however, we often bring our humanly baggage along. We think of progressing our status in human terms of forging along to become the first, to be at the head of the line at the gates of Heaven, but is this the right thought?

To help you understand Jesus' criteria for our positions in the Kingdom of God, I point you to Mark, Chapter 9. In this chapter Jesus along with Peter, James, and John are taken up to a mountain where Jesus changes before them, he is transfigured. Peter speaks of building shrines to Jesus, Moses, and Elijah but mainly babbles due to his fear. The voice of God pronounces that Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus swears the disciples to secrecy until he has been resurrected.

As the chapter progresses, Jesus heals a boy plagued by an evil spirit and predicts his handing over to the Sanhedrin and Romans. Then comes the passage that I wish you to focus on:

"After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing out on the road?" But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, "Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else." Mark 9:33-34

It is often expressed this sentence, "Anyone who wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else." but, it doesn't really take hold. In God's Kingdom His way's are not that of human's political ways. In God's kingdom the poor are made first in line, and the neglected are given primacy over the rich. The first in the Kingdom are those who humble themselves and serves everyone, like their master, Jesus. Mark goes on:

"Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,"Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me." Mark 9:36-37

It is often portrayed that the child in the passage represents innocence and they must be like a child in order to enter the Kingdom. This may be true, but I believe that the child in this passage represents powerlessness. Jesus tells his disciples to welcome in powerlessness.

In the parallel of Matthew Jesus says: "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them." Instead of being the tyrant kings of this world who "lord" over the lower status of people, they must become the slaves of all. The child represents this powerlessness in that he has no power of his own at this age. If you welcome the powerlessness like this child is then you will be in the Kingdom of God. In a more literal sense, Jesus tells us to welcome in the powerless and take care of them, as a means of serving all.

What becomes a problem with this is: if one serves all to be first in the Kingdom of God, then you face the same problem as the apostles, you are still seeking power. The underlining message of this lesson to the apostles was: Do not seek greatness or power, humble yourself, serve all honestly and willingly without motives of greatness and in the end you will be the first in the Kingdom of God as your reward.

This message reaches our ears and we too must reply with an answer. Do we seek the Kingdom of God first or do we seek greatness and serve others as a means to get it? It is a humble heart that God asks of us. He asks us to betray our hungry hearts for power and greatness and humbly serve our fellows, for in the end that is true greatness.

So, my brothers and sisters, do as Jesus commands of you and seek first the Kingdom of God, and serve humbly all before you and welcome in the powerlessness of that of a child.

- Iason Theophorus

Sabbath Epistle: But Some Doubted

Dear Readers,

I have decided to write to you frequently, a special epistle on the days of the Sabbath. I begin this, God willing, long series with a letter specifically for the liturgical day of Trinity Sunday.

One of the main passages of scriptures read for this day is Matthew 28:16-20. The 28th chapter of Matthew details the Resurrection of Jesus and the calling of the eleven apostles to Galilee to meet the risen Jesus where he charges them with the Great Commission. The part I wish to focus on today is this:

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Matthew 28:17-18

There is a more thorough translation that says: "And when they saw him, they paid close attention to | held on to | gave themselves to him, but they doubted."But no matter the translation the part I find fascinating and wish to concentrate on is "but some doubted".

It is a small addition to the whole affair. Jesus who was executed, placed in a tomb and sealed up, that was the end of it, but the women followers of Jesus found that tomb empty and the angel told them that he awaits them in Galilee, that he has risen. But some of them doubted.

It is so human.

This story of doubt can be contrasted to John's story of the brother of Jesus, Thomas. But instead of placing the shadow of doubt on one person, Matthew gives us "some". We can relate to both. Matthew doesn't say what it was exactly that the apostles doubted, but possibly it is was doubting whether or not it was Jesus that they saw or if it was all a delusion. Hadn't Jesus been executed by the Romans?

What was Jesus' response to their doubt? Solemnly he spoke to them, allowing them to soak in that he was indeed risen and standing before them, giving them their final task: "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you."

After seeing Jesus and hearing his voice their doubts that it was Jesus must have disappeared, but now Jesus gives them the largest task they have ever had been given: make disciples of all the world. More doubts. Another humanly response. Jesus didn't speak works of comfort before to snuff their doubts that he was truly alive, but now seeing their doubts for this momentous task he gives them comfort:

"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." What a promise for comfort. Not only does he comfort them that they can do their mission, he will be there with them, as he was before to give them the strength to do this. And this promise is given to us as well.

It is human to doubt. I doubt, you doubt, Thomas doubted, the rest of the apostles doubted. But they also believed. Granted they need proof from Jesus, but they believed. We may not have the opportunity to have the proof we need from Jesus, but isn't that what faith is for? "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."

God knows that we doubt. He knows our doubts: Does He listen to our cries? Does He answer our prayers? Is He ever there? Does He exist? Countless doubts plague man, but like in the case of the disciples and of Thomas, Jesus gives us two answers to our doubts. "Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!" and "I am with you always."

We should be glad that God will accommodate us in our doubts so that we may not be left or drive to disbelief. So now, contemplate on your doubts my brothers and sisters and look to God. When we go out into the world to carry out the Great Commission, we will certainly have doubts, as we do with inner questions, but be comforted in knowing that even the chosen apostles of Jesus had doubts and that Jesus is with us always to help us with these doubts.

- Ιάσων

Commentary on Salvation

Dear Readers,

I write to you today with commentary on the letters that I previous sent about salvation. Since sending them, I have received a many comments and questions in private on these matters. I wish to address these in this letter.

The chief of these questions has been whether or not I believe that salvation is attained through works alone, as it is apparent in my previous letters. I tell you this now, I have not reached a final conclusion on the nature of salvation. The letters that I sent to you on the matter were based on the question "What does it say of salvation in the synoptic gospels? What did Jesus say on the matter in them?". This question is but a fraction of the larger question on what is the nature of salvation.

I have withheld my belief totally in that salvation is attained through works. This is due to the fact that I am but starting my journey on the nature of salvation and but have reached a waypoint.

The purpose of my previous letters were to invoke thought on the meaning of salvation, as many take to their tradition without seeking the answers for themselves. This is not to say that tradition doesn't plays an important part in our faith, but if not taken care of carefully it can become a hindrance. Many take sola fide on faith, as it were, without consideration of other means. To point out these other means as I discovered them to those who have read my letters was to help inspire people to as in the words of Paul "work out your own salvation through fear and trembling."

Another question I have received is whether or not I villainize Paul. The answer to this question, is a resounding no. I regard him an example to all brothers in Messiah as Peter. He did great sins against Jesus and his followers, as Peter denied Jesus as he was lead to execution, but in the end turned, repented, and became great leaders to the gatherings of Jesus. His authentic epistles, also point to the earliest church gatherings and beliefs held by various gatherings, including his own.

He is the patron saint of myself for if it was not for him, then I my not have been a follower in the Messiah Jesus, for I like many, are Gentile. I hold him in high regard, but I wish to find the beliefs during the time that the apostles preached till the time Paul came to become a brother in the Messiah. For this means I may have appeared to villanized him as "corrupting" the message of Jesus. In that regard, he has not corrupted but has developed a higher christology than the synoptic gospels did.

I hope that these have clarified the beforehand epistles, and brought you into the insight that I have had when writing them.

As always, may the peace of the Lord Messiah Jesus be upon you.

- Ιάσων

Salvation

Dear Readers,

A topic of great interest and importance has taken me by force and refuses to let me go. Salvation is a central theme to Christianity and I am diving headfirst into the different concepts of salvation.

The thing that got me thinking, researching, and searching for the meaning of salvation was an accidental stumbling upon the concept of universal salvation. It was a new concept for me personally, as I had grown up being taught an exclusive viewpoint on salvation. So, I read all I could about it. Wading waste deep in the Church Father's treatise on the subject was a major feat, and I've yet to complete reading them all. Half-way through reading Origen's works I came to realize that I didn't truly know the subject of salvation and not knowing that I couldn't fully understand how it could be universal.

I've come a long way since then. Reading the New Testament again, with a special emphasis on salvation, I've come to realize too, that in this second part of the Bible, there is no consensus on how one becomes "saved". From my readings I've found out there is no less than 4 ways that the writers of the New Testament believed people could be saved:

1. Salvation by faith alone (sola fide)
2. Salvation by works and faith
3. Salvation by works alone
4. Salvation by faith only by love

Then there are the extra-biblical criteria for salvation found in the creeds and doctrines of different philosophies such as Catholicism (salvation by baptism) and Calvinism (predestination).

With all these possibilities, it concerns me, as would anyone who is fully aware of the non-consensus and leads me to the ultimate question: what if you choose the wrong one?

The New Testament's teachings can be divided into 4 parts:
The Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke)
The Maverick Gospel (John)
The Epistles
Miscellaneous Passages

In the synoptic gospels, Jesus is seen as giving two paths to salvation: One through good works and two by doing as the apostles did and living a simple life and following Jesus' example.

However the gospel of John, so unlike the other and earlier gospels, gives a more complex and mystical way to obtain salvation. There is no mention of works in John, just the belief that one must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Logos to be saved.

Paul on the other hand, developed a unique Christology and salvation-belief. As reflected in the Gospel of John, Paul describes Jesus as the Logos and the Son of God. From his epistles we get the modern belief of salvation, that is believing in the atonement of man via the execution of Jesus. Paul takes one step further than the Gospel of John and says not only do we must believe that Jesus is the Son of God/Logos, but we must have faith in his resurrection in order to be saved.

The other miscellaneous passages of the New Testament require that one must be baptised in order to receive salvation.

All however, agree on this: sin gets in the way of man being reunited with God. All methods of salvation tell us to repent of our sins ("Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!" As John the Baptist exclaims to us from the pages)

It becomes more complicated when you choose one method over the other. One would logically follow the sayings Jesus as expressed in the Synoptic Gospels as they were written earlier than John's, but yet the authentic epistles of Paul were written even earlier. The only hindrance to taking Paul's formula and word for it, is that he never lived with, saw, or heard Jesus. We have the account of his conversion, but it is possibly a later added story, as it is not mentioned by Paul himself. It is all quite complicated.

I will continue our discussion of this topic in a following letter, but until then my brothers, meditate on things brought up in this one.

- Ιάσων