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You Mean THAT's In the Bible?
by: Satyaraja Dasa 305 Schermerhorn St. Brooklyn, NY 11217
Dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, who set the perfect example in his own life, by
loving the Lord with all of his heart, soul, and mind. (see
Matt. 22:36-40)
Table of Contents
-------------------
1) Introduction
2) You Are not the Body
3) One Who Loves Christ Must Follow His Commandments
4) Meat Eating
5) Reincarnation
6) Celibacy
7) Renunciation
8) "There is much I have to tell you..."
9) Jesus And God May Be One--But They Are Also Different
10) Miscellaneous
11) After word
(Special thanks to His Grace Rajendranath Dasa; the fruits of
his research were indispensable to the production of this
pamphlet)
1) INTRODUCTION
Both read the Bible day and night.
But thou read'st black where I read white.
--William Blake--
Everyone has some conception of Christianity, whether one
is a believer or not. The Christian doctrine is amenable to
many different interpretations and, indeed, many have taken
advantage of this amenability. As early as sixty-five years
after the time of Jesus, for instance, Paul, who had never met
Jesus, debated with the original Apostles in regard to Jesus'
teaching: Paul thought that Jesus' advent freed the people
from following the Old Law, that faith alone was required.
Meanwhile, the Apostles taught that Jesus came to enforce the
Old Law, and that faith without work is dead.
The faith/works polemic has been going on for
centuries. And countless forms of "Christianity" have emerged
as variations on this theme. The subject became so confused by
the time of Martin Luther(1483-1546) both faith and works were
hard to find. The Popes of the Renaissance epitomize this
confusion. The deMedici Popes were considered the most
debauched men in the history of religion. The original Pope
John XXIII was deposed for "notorious incest, adultery,
defilement, and homicide." In 1415, while still a chamberlain,
he openly kept his brother's wife as a mistress. In an effort
to squash the scandal, his superiors promoted him to cardinal
and sent him to Bologna, where "two hundred maids, matrons, and
widows, including a few nuns, fell victim to his brutal lust."
In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII was elected. he was nicknamed "the
Honest" because he was the first Pope to acknowledge his
illegitimate children publicly. This whole farce reached an
unquestionable peak when, in 1724, the Roman Catholic Church
banned the confessional requirement that men name their
partners in fornication when it was discovered that priests
were actually making carnal use of the information. Seeing the
iniquities of the Papacy, Martin Luther proposed an egalitarian
solution: "Each man should have his own divine right to
interpret holy scripture." While this new version of
Christianity released many believers from the dictates of
insincere leaders, a new problem arose: Many would interpret
the scriptures with some ulterior motive (both consciously and
unconsciously). And this is the problem that exists today. Many
are using the scriptures to rationalize [his/her] habits,
activities that God would never ordain.
Readers of this pamphlet--Christian and non-Christian--are
advised to view the following with an open mind, possibly
achieving a fresh outlook. The distinct feature of this work is
that it is not beleaguered by vague or popular translations of
the Bible. All Bible verses are rendered with references to
Reuben Alcalay's Complete Hebrew/English Dictionary for the Old
Testament, and to Nestle's Greek/English Interlinear for the
New Testament. The importance of a word-by-word translation
should not be underestimated. Ambiguous and aesthetically
pleasing--but inaccurate--translations are at the heart of
Biblical interpretive problems.
We are, of course, working with the premise that the Bible
has not been drastically changed (this is obviously an
important assumption when delivering textual criticism).
Otherwise, all Biblical texts become meaningless. An opinion
that is not uncommon.
Still, America is basically a Christian country, and all
Christians base their conception of Christianity on the Bible.
For such persons, this pamphlet should prove useful; with
exception of a few editorial notes, we will allow the bible to
speak for itself.
The ultimate purpose of this work, however, is to show the
harmony that exists between the Bible and the more-ancient
Vedic texts of India. The essential message of the Bible and
the Vedas is one: to love the Lord with all of ones heart, soul
and mind. This message is revealed to different people
according to time, place, and circumstance; based on these
considerations, specifics may vary. Still the essence remains
the same--it is simply delivered according to the capacity of
the audience.
For instance, that which is taught in a primary math
course differs greatly from that which is taught on in a higher
level. In elementary mathematics, one is taught that numbers
can not be subtracted from smaller numbers. And this premise
should be accepted by all who study basic arithmetic. However,
in advanced mathematics, you learn that you can subtract larger
numbers from smaller ones: the results are negative numbers.
Similarly, prophets and sages reveal religious truths
selectively, for the benefit and gradual upliftment of their
audience. And, on minor points, you may find that one prophet
deprecates a certain activity, while another, from another
tradition endorses it.
In this way, persons of different cultures can advance
gradually, according to their means. Revelation itself comes
gradually. And the ultimate revelation is that religion is one-
-for God is one. If this short pamphlet can induce even one
person to reach this conclusion, the author will have
considered this work worthwhile.
2) YOU ARE NOT THE BODY
40) "There are also celestial (epourania: heavenly) bodies, and
bodies terrestrial (epiyeia: earthly): but the glory of the
celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another."
42) "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption (ie. born in matter); it is raised in incorruption
(ie. Spirit).)
44) "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and a spiritual body."
47) "The first man of the earth, earthy (ie. first birth is
material): the second man is the Lord (anthropos: man) from
heaven (ie. second birth is spiritual)."
48) "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and
as is heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."
49) "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall
also bear the image of the heavenly."
50) "Now this I (Paul) say, brethren, that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption."
I Corinthians 15;40, 42, 44, 47, 48, 50
This section clearly shows that man has both a material body
and a spiritual body, and that man first goes through a birth
of the material body and then takes birth in his spiritual
body.
________________________________________________
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
II Corinthians 4:18
This shows that the seen, material world is temporary, while
the unseen, spiritual world is eternal. Similarly, the body,
which is seen, is temporary, while the life-force (soul), which
is unseen is eternal
________________________________________________
1) "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens."
2) "For in this (house) we groan, earnestly desiring to be
clothed upon with our house which is from heaven."
6) "Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that, while we
are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord."
7) "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
8) "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent
from the body, and to be present with the lord."
II Corinthians 5:1, 2, 6, 7, 8
This is clear that while in this material body we are
suffering, and desiring to be in our spiritual body; and that
by spiritual knowledge we know that the material body is
separate from the Lord. Not the reference in verse 7 to sastra
caksus.
________________________________________________
"And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples
were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom do the people
say that I am? They answering him said, John the Baptist; but
some say Elias; and other say that one of the old prophets is
risen again."
Luke 9:18-19
Now why would the disciples answer like this if they did not
believe in reincarnation.
________________________________________________
CONFLICT BETWEEN HIGHER AND LOWER SELF
"For I know that nothing good lodges in me--in my
unspiritual nature, I mean--for though the will to do good is
there, the deed is not. The good which I want to do, I fail to
do; but what I do is the wrong which is against my will; and if
what I do is against my will, clearly it is no longer I who am
the agent, but sin that has its lodging in me.
I discover this principle, then; that when I want to do
right, only the wrong is within my reach. In my inmost self I
delight in the law of God, but I perceive that there is in my
bodily members a different law, fighting against the law that
my reason approves and makes me a prisoner under the law that
is in my members, the law of sin. Miserable creature that I am,
who is there to rescue me out of this body doomed to death."
Romans 7.18-24
________________________________________________
3) ONE WHO LOVES CHRIST MUST FOLLOW HIS COMMANDMENTS
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
John 14:15
Very clear instruction.
________________________________________________
"He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, hi is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father,
and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas
said unto him, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself
unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto
him, if a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father
will love him, and make our abode with him."
John 14:21-23
This clearly says that love of God means keeping the
commandments, and if one does not do so, he will not have God
manifested to him.
________________________________________________
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shalt abide in my love, even as
I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love."
John 15:10
This says also that love of God comes from following the rules
of God.
________________________________________________
"For this is love of God, that we keep His commandments; and
His commandments are not grievous."
I John 5:3
________________________________________________
"For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have know it, to turn from the
holy commandment delivered unto them. But it happened unto them
according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own
vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wollowing into
he mire."
II Peter 2:21-23
This shows that performing atonement for sin then doing the sin
again is like eating vomit.
________________________________________________
21) "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven."
22) "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils?
And in thy name done many wonderful works?"
23) "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you;
depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Matthew 7:21,22,23
This is a good verse to quote to people who say that it is by
God's grace that you are saved, and not by works. Here it is
clear that one attains grace by doing the will of God only.
________________________________________________
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect"
Matthew 5:48
This kills the argument that one cannot stop from sinning.
Therefore just accept Jesus and you are saved. Here Jesus is
commanding them to become perfect, that is to not commit any
sin.
________________________________________________
4) MEAT EATING
While the Bible--in many places--seems to endorse meat-eating,
these sections should not be taken out of context.
Instead of using Noah's emergency expedient (following the
flood in which all vegetation was wiped out) as outlined in
Genesis 9:3, a more important diet is the original one,
enunciated by the Lord in Genesis 1:29; "And God said, Behold,
I have given you every herb-bearing seed and every tree, in
which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be
for meat (food)." god further indicates--in the very next
verse--that this diet is "good," while the later diet referred
to--the one containing meat--was allowed "simply to satisfy
their lust."
This is outlined quite clearly but, again, it must all be
studied in context.
The example of the Quail God purportedly arranged for the
children of Israel, after they "tired" of His manna (Numbers
11:31), is a prime example of quoting out of context. Indeed,
verses 31 and 32 (of Numbers) describe the quail and the
feasting that followed, but verse 33 must be read to secure the
full impact of this passage: "and while the flesh was yet
between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord
was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote them with a
great plague." He was not happy with their meat-eating.
It also becomes clear when one studies the early history
of the church that the founding fathers espoused the vegetarian
ideal. You can study their lives: Tertullian, Pliny, Origen,
St. John Chrysostom, the list goes on and on. Parenthetically,
that these early Church fathers were avowed vegetarians makes a
large statement as to what we may have read in the Bible before
it was worked on at the various Ecumenical councils...
It was not until the time of Emperor Constantine (Fourth
Century) that vegetarian Christians had to practice
underground--this was because Constantine was a meat-eater. He
was also a maniac, and Church history books abound with the
stories of how he would pour molten lead down the throats of
Christian vegetarians for their chosen diet. Incidentally, he
also killed his wife by setting her in a vat of boiling water.
Scriptural knowledge is simple for the simple--but it is
difficult for the twisted. The Bible clearly says "Thou shalt
not kill" (Exodus 20:13). It could not be stated more simply.
The exact Hebrew is "lo tirtzach", which accurately
translates: "thou shalt not kill."
One of the greatest scholars of Hebrew/English linguistics
(in the Twentieth Century)--Dr. Reuben Alcalay has written in
his mammoth book "The Complete Hebrew/English Dictionary" that
"tirtzach" refers to "any kind of killing whatsoever." The word
"lo" as you might suspect, means "thou shalt not." DON'T KILL!
Let's face it, the Bible is clear on this point.
The Vedic literature is also clear on this point. In fact,
the Vedas take this point past vegetarianism, because there is
still a sinful reaction in killing vegetables. Therefore, the
Vedas prescribe a lacto-vegetarian diet--the diet which is
least harmful to living beings--and a special process to free
one from the minimal sinful reaction that is there from killing
the plants. The process is given in rudimentary form in
Bhagavad-gita, and is elaborated upon in Srimad Bhagavatam.
After applying the process--which centers about the chanting of
the holy Name of the Lord with love and devotion--the
foodstuffs are known as prasadam, a Sanskrit word which means
"the Lords mercy."
* * *
Many Bible scholars persist with the theory that Christ
ate animal flesh, obviously swayed in their opinions by
personal habits. The desire to accede to prejudice and uphold
existing tradition has been a human characteristic for many
centuries, but truth appears now even more important as man
exerts his independence in so many aspects of life. Respected
Bible scholar Rev. V.A. Holmes-Gore has researched the frequent
use of the word "meat" in the New Testament Gospels. He traced
its meaning to the original Greek.
His findings were first published in World Forum of
Autumn, 1947. He reveals that the nineteen Gospel references
to "meat" should have been more accurately translated thus:
Greek Number of references Meaning
------------------------------------------------------------
Broma 4 "food"
Brosis 4 "the act of
eating food"
Phago 3 "to eat"
Brosimos 1 "That which
may be eaten"
Trophe 6 "nourishment"
Prosphagon 1 "anything to
eat"
Thus, the Authorized Version of John 21:5, "Have ye any
meat?" is incorrect; It should have been translated: "Have ye
anything to eat?"
"Fish" is another frequently mistranslated word in the
Bible. Its reference is often not to the form of swimming life,
but to the symbol by which early Christians could identify each
other. It was a secret sign, needed in times of persecution,
prior to official acceptance of Christianity as a state
religion.
The sign of the fish was a mystical symbol and a
conversational password, deriving from the Greek word for fish,
"Ichthus." As such, it represented an acrostic, composed of
leading letters of the Greek phrase, "Iesous Christos Theou
Uios Soter" -- "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour."
Frequent references to fish are intended as symbolic of
The Christ, having nothing to do with the act of eating a dead
fish. But the symbol of a fish did not meet with Roman
approval. They preferred the sign of the cross, choosing to
concentrate more on the death of Christ than on His brilliant
life. Perhaps this is one reason only ten percent of His life
record appears in the canonical scriptures. Most of His first
thirty years is omitted.
How many worshippers go home from church and sit down to a
feast cut from a once proud beast in defiance of the very
commandments they have just been advocating? The verses below
should clear up any misgivings the reader may have in this
connection.
DISCUSSION OF MEAT IN THE BIBLE (OLD TESTAMENT)
"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in
which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be
for meat."
Genesis 1:29
Shows that the true diet of man is vegetarian.
________________________________________________
"But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood
thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives
will require; at the hand of every beast will I require it.
Genesis 9:4-5
Shows that man is not allowed to eat meat, and if he does he
will pay with his own life. And he will be killed by the one he
kills. This is called Karma.
________________________________________________
"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto
me? Said the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams,
and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of
bullocks, or of lambs, or of goats. When ye spread forth your
hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many
prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are
full of blood."
Isaiah 1:11,15
Shows that God does not accept even the prayers of a meat-
eater.
________________________________________________
"He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man."
Isaiah 66:3
Shows that cow killing is equated with murder.
________________________________________________
"It shall be a perpetual statue for your generations
throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor
blood."
Leviticus 3:17
A trick commandment: You cannot eat meat and not eat blood.
This is the origin of the idea of Kosher food (meat with the
blood drained out of it.) It has been compared to passing stool
and not passing urine. Impossible!
________________________________________________
"And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of
strangers who sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of
blood; I will even set My face against that soul that eateth
blood."
Leviticus 17:10
Note the term "any manner of blood". All flesh comes from
blood.
________________________________________________
APPEARANCES OF THE WORD "MEAT" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
This section shows how certain words were translated
wrongly in the King James Version of the Bible. The correct
translation are taken from the Nestle Interlinear Greek-English
New Testament, which also references the King James Version.
"And the same John (the Baptist) had his raiment of camels
hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was
locust and wild honey."
Matthew 3:4
The word used here is trophe, nourishment. Also note that the
word "locusts" refers to locust beans, or carob, St. John's
bread.
________________________________________________
"And her spirit came again (referring to a woman Jesus
raised from the dead), and she arose straightaway: and he
(Jesus) commanded to hive her meat."
Luke 8:55
The word here is phago, to eat.
________________________________________________
14) "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold,
a young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call
his name Immanuel."
15) "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse
the evil, and choose the good."
Isaiah 7:14,15
Christians are fond of quoting the first part of this verse as
proof that Jesus is the saviour, but they rarely quote the very
next verse, which says he will be a vegetarian.
________________________________________________
"And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he
(Jesus) said unto them (his disciples), Have ye here any meat?
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and a honeycomb.
And took 'it', and did eat before them."
Luke 24:41-43
The word here is brosimos, eatable. Note the use of the word
"it" (my emphases), which is in the singular. Jesus was offered
fish and a honeycomb, but took only one. Judging from Isaiah
7:15, we know which he chose.
________________________________________________
"For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy
meat."
John 4:8
The word used here is trophe, nourishment.
________________________________________________
"And when he had received meat, he was strengthened."
Acts 9:19
The word used here is trophe, nourishment.
________________________________________________
"And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all
to take meat, saying, this is the fourteenth day ye have
tarried and continued fasting, having taking nothing.
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is your
health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any
of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave
thanks to God in the presence of them all: and when he had
broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer,
and they also took some meat."
Acts 27:33-36
The word used here is trophe, nourishment. Note that even
though they say meat, they show clearly that what he was
referring to was bread, which they all took.
________________________________________________
"And when he had brought them into his house, he sat meat
before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his
house."
Acts 16:34
The word used here is trapesa, table. It says he set a table
before them!
________________________________________________
"But if thy brother be grieved with that meat, now walkest
thou not charitably. Destroy him not with thy meat, for whom
Christ Died."
Romans 14:15
Both words here are broma, food. This is actually a reference
to spiritual food.
________________________________________________
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
Romans 14:17
The word used here is borsis, act of eating. This is a
reference to the fact that the kingdom of God is not material
________________________________________________
"But meat commendeth us not to God, for neither, if we
eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the
worse."
I Corinthians 8:8
The word used here is Broma, food. This verse does not say that
it doesn't matter if we eat meat or not, but that the activity
of eating has little to do with our relationship of God.
________________________________________________
"Wherefore, if meat makes my brother offend, I will eat no
flesh while the world standeth lest I make my brother to
offend."
I Corinthians 8:13
________________________________________________
"And (they) did all eat the same spiritual meat;"
I Corinthians 10:3
The word here is broma, food.
________________________________________________
"For meat destroy not the word of God. All things are
indeed pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with
offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine,
nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or
is made weak."
Romans 14:20-21
A very good verse. The word meat used here is Broma, food. It
shows that it is not food which is wrong, it is not eating
prasadam, food offered to God. The word flesh used here is
kreas, flesh. So it is clear that meat eating is not good.
________________________________________________
5) REINCARNATION
Under circumstances that to this very day remain shrouded
in mystery, the Byznatine emperor Justinian in 553 A.D. (at the
Second Council of Constantinople) banned the teachings of
reincarnation from the Christian scriptures. There remain,
however, certain allusions to reincarnation in the Bible. And
these few are very powerful.
* * *
In the ninth century B.C. the Hebrew prophet Elijah is
supposed to have live. Four centuries later, Malachi recorded
this prophecy in the closing lines of the Old Testament:
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming
of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."
The first book of the New Testament, Matthew, refers to
this prophecy on three occasions, and the remaining gospels
speak of it seven times. In the verses that follow, the Greek
form of the prophet's name is used. It will be noted from the
remarks of the disciples of Jesus that there was much
speculation and widespread acceptance among the Jews concerning
not only the return of Elijah, but of other ancient Hebrew
prophets.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he
asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I am? And they
replied, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias;
and others, Jeremias, or one of the other prophets.
Matthew 16:13-14
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged
them saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man be
risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying,
Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus
answered them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all
things. But I say unto you, that Elias has come already, and
they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they
listed. Likewise shall the Son of Man suffer from them. Then
the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the
Baptist [who had already been beheaded by Herod].
Matthew 17:9-13
Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning
John...this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before
thee...And if ye will receive it: this is Elias, which was for
to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 11:7,10-11,14-15
Another reference is to be found in Luke 9:7-9: "Now Herod
the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Jesus, and he was
perplexed, because it was said of some, that John was risen
from the dead; and of some, that Elias had appeared; and of
others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod
said, John have I beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such
things?" The same incident is related in Mark 6:14-16
The early church father Tertullian offers the view that
some orthodox people take concerning all these verses from the
New Testament [Although Tertullian was also an outspoken
advocate of reincarnation]. In brief, Tertullian's reasoning is
that Elias never died in the first place. God translated him
directly to heaven. Thus, his subsequent re-descent was not a
rebirth, but merely a return visit. It has been described that
Tertullian bases his reasoning on the statement in II Kings
2:11: "Behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of
fire...and Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven" and was
seen no more. However, if this church father's reasoning is to
be logically sustained, Elijah's return to earth as John the
Baptist should have been in the same miraculous way he left: He
should have been precipitated on earth as a mature man. Yet the
scriptures indicate that John was born in the ordinary way.
Thus all serious Christian theologians have concluded that
Tertullian's theory is not tenable.
The nineteenth-century [North] American philosopher
Francis Bowen of Harvard, after citing a number of the Gospel
passages already quoted, remarks in his article, "Christian
Metemphychosis": "That the commentators have not been willing
to receive, in their obvious and literal meaning, assertions so
direct and so frequently repeated as this, but have attempted
to explain them away in a non-natural and metaphorical sense,
is a fact that proves nothing but the existence of an
invincible prejudice against the doctrine of the transmigration
of souls."
One final point. The rebirth of saviors and prophets is
clear enough in Christian teaching, but what about ordinary
men? Do they return? That the disciples of Jesus seriously
considered this possibility is evident from their question
concerning the man who had been born blind. They asked: "Who
did sin, this man, or his parents, that he is born blind?" One
can not evade the conclusion that the disciples must have had
reincarnation in mind, for obviously if the man had been born
blind his sin could not have been committed in this life. Jesus
had a good opportunity to smash the reincarnation idea once and
for all--but he did not! He merely replied that the man was
afflicted because he was destined through Christ to have his
sight restored so that "the works of God should be made
manifest in him."
That it may be legitimate to look to a previous life for
the source of individual goodness or badness seems plain from
St. Paul's comments on Jacob and Esau. He says that the Lord
loved one and hated the other before they were born--Romans
9:10-13; Malachi 1:2-3. How could a nonexistent being be loved
or hated?
Another illustration is the one in which Christ warns that
those who live by the sword will die by the sword [Matthew
26:52]. This could only be universally true--as all of the
savior's statements should be--if there is more than one life
in which to experience the reaction for many professional
combat soldiers die quietly in their own beds. This view is
completely consistent with Newton's Third Law of Motion--for
every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction--and with
the Law of Karma promulgated in the Vedic literatures.
A similar reference is found in Mark 10:28-31, where
rewards are listed that could hardly be fulfilled in one life.
Peter said unto Jesus: "Lo, we have left all, and have followed
thee." And Jesus answered: "Verily I say unto you, There is no
man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, But he
shall receive an hundredfold now in this time [in this age]
houses, and brethren, and sisters and mothers, and children,
and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal
life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last
first." Certainly the enumerated rewards could not possibly be
fulfilled in one incarnation.
Saint John states in Revelation 3:12: "Him that overcometh
will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go
no more out." It seems he had gone out into incarnation before,
otherwise the words "no more" could have no place or meaning.
It may have been the old idea of the exile of the soul and the
need for it to be purified by long sojourn before it could be
admitted as a "pillar in the temple of my God." In Luke 20:35-
36, a similar idea again occurs. Jesus says: "They who are
accounted worthy to obtain that world...neither marry...neither
can they die any more."
It can be concluded from both these verses that the goal
to be achieved is of such a transcendent nature, one short life
would be insufficient to reach it. Thus, in Professor Bowen's
essay, "Christian Metemphychosis," previously cited, he wonders
whether in addition to the obvious spiritual meaning, there may
be "a literal meaning in the solemn words of the Saviour
'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.'"
"An eternity of either reward or punishment," says Bowen,
"would seem to be inadequately earned by one brief period of
probation on earth."
6) CELIBACY
There are many verses in the Bible stating that one should be
chaste and celibate. The entire chapter of I Corinthians,
chapter 7 deals with this subject comprehensively. Here are the
highlights of that chapter:
1) "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me (Paul):
it is good for a man not to touch a woman."
2) " Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his
own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."
3) "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence; and
likewise also the wife unto the husband."
5) "Defraud ye not one the other (i.e. have sex), except it be
with consent for a time, that ye may give yourself to fasting
and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not
for your incontinency."
6) "But I speak this by permission, and not by commandment."
7) "For I would that all men were even as I myself (celibate).
But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this
manner, and another after that."
8) "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for
them if they abide even as I."
9) "But if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is
better to marry than to burn."
10) "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord,
let not the wife depart from her husband:"
11) "But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be
reconciled to her husband; and let not the husband put away his
wife."
25) "Now, concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord:
yet I give my judgement, as one that hath obtained the mercy of
the Lord to be faithful."
26) "I suppose therefore that this is good for the present
distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be."
27) "Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art
thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife."
28) "But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned: and if a
virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have
trouble in the flesh: but I spare you."
32) "He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to
the Lord, how he may please the Lord:"
33) "But he that is married careth for things that are of the
world, how he may please his wife."
34) "There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin.
The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she
may be holy in body and in spirit: but she that is married
careth for the things of the world, how she may please her
husband."
37) "He that standeth steadfast in his heart, having no
necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so
decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well."
38) "So he that giveth her in marriage doeth well, but he that
giveth her not in marriage doeth better."
I Corinthians, Chapter 7
________________________________________________
"This I say then, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary he one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things
that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under
the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
these; adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkeness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before as I
have told you in time past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Galatians 5:16-21
Compare to BG [Bhagavad Gita] 3.37, where Krishna [God] says
that it is lust only that drives a person to perform sinful
acts.
________________________________________________
"But fornication, and all uncleanliness, or covetousness, let
it not be once named among you, as becometh saints."
Ephesians 5:3
Note how fornication is linked with uncleanliness, and is
considered an unsaintly quality
________________________________________________
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication; uncleanliness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence (bad desires), and covetousness, which is
idolatry;"
Colossians 3:5
Here also fornication, linked with uncleanliness, is condemned,
and also plain old inordinate affection.
________________________________________________
"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye
should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should
know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor."
I Thessalonians 4:3-4
This is a good verse. It shows that the method of sanctifying
the body is to abstain from sex life; it also shows that the
body is just a vessel for the spirit.
________________________________________________
(Paul speaking to disciples) "For I am jealous over you with
godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I
may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
II Corinthians 11:2
Note the implications here that Paul arranged the marriages of
his disciples.
________________________________________________
"I (Jesus) say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to
lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his
heart."
Matthew 5:32
Shows even subtle sex life is to be considered as adultery.
________________________________________________
"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you,
and such fornication as is not so much named among the
Gentiles, that should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed
up, and have not rather mourned, that he hath done this deed
might be taken away from among you."
I Corinthians 5:1-2
This shows that Paul felt that if one of the followers
committed fornication, he should be kicked out of the
association of other disciples.
________________________________________________
"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man dieth is without the
body; but he that committeh fornication sinneth against his own
body."
I Corinthians 6:18
Very clear verse. Fornication is considered to be the main
cause of material life. Note that the word used here is
porneiana [meaning] fornication, not moicheian, or [meaning]
adultery. The purport is that any sex life, not just illicit
sex life, causes material consciousness.
________________________________________________
"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but the Lord
shall destroy both it and them. Now that the body is not for
fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."
I Corinthians 6:13
The words used here are both broma, food. Also note the
statement about the body not being for sex life. The word used
here is porneia, [meaning] fornication, not moicheia, [meaning]
adultery.
________________________________________________
THE ADVANTAGE OF CELIBACY
"It is my opinion, then, that in a time of stress like the
present this is the best way for a man to live--it is best for
a man to be as he is (celibate)...If, however, you do marry,
there is nothing wrong in it; and if a virgin marries, she has
done no wrong. But those who marry will have pain and grief in
this bodily life, and my aim is to spare you...I want you to be
free from anxious care. The unmarried man cares for the Lord's
business; His aim is to please the Lord. But the married man
cares for worldly things; his aim is to please his wife; and he
has a divided mind. The unmarried or celibate woman cares for
the Lord's business; her aim is to be dedicated to Him in body
as in spirit; but the married woman cares for worldly things;
her aim is to please her husband."
"In saying this I have no wish to keep you on a tight rein. I
am thinking simply of your own good, of what is seemly, and of
your freedom to wait upon the Lord without distraction."
I Corinthians 7:25-26,28,32,35
________________________________________________
CHASTITY
"...The disciples said to him, 'If that is the position with
husband and wife, it is better not to marry.' To this he
replied, 'That is something which not everyone can accept, but
only those for whom God has appointed it. For a while some are
incapable of marriage because they were born so, or were made
so by men, there are others who have themselves renounced
marriage for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let those
accept it who can.'"
Matthew 19:10-12
________________________________________________
LUSTY OR GREEDY PERSONS HAVE NO SHARE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
"Fornication and indecency of any kind, or ruthless greed, must
not be so much as mentioned among you, as befits the people of
God...no one given to fornication or indecency, or the greed
which makes an idol of gain, has any share in the kingdom of
Christ and of God."
Eph. 5:3,5
________________________________________________
ONE MUST LIVE A PURE LIFE, FREE FROM EARTHLY THINGS
"Agree together, my friend, to follow my example. You have us
for a model; watch those whose way of life conforms to it. For,
as I have often told you, and now tell you with tears in my
eyes, there are many whose way of life makes them enemies of
the cross of Christ. They are heading for destruction, appetite
is their god, and they glory in their shame. Their minds are
set on earthly things."
Phil. 3:17-19
________________________________________________
7) RENUNCIATION
ONE MUST BE DETACHED FROM THE MATERIAL WORLD
"Do not set your hearts on the godless world or anything in it.
Anyone who loves the world is a stranger to the Father's love
Everything in the world affords, all that panders to the
appetites or entices the eyes, all the glamor of it's life,
springs not from the Father but from the godless world. And
that would is passing away with all its allurements, but he who
does God's will stands forever."
John 2:15-17
________________________________________________
ONE "GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT" TRANSCENDS THE LOWER NATURE
"If you are guided by the Spirit you will not fulfill the
desires of your lower nature. That nature sets its desires
against the Spirit, while the Spirit fights against it. They
are in conflict with one another so that what you will do you
cannot do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under
law."
Gal. 5:16-18
________________________________________________
ONE WHO HAS THE SPIRIT TRANSCENDS BODILY DEMANDS
"Our lower nature has no claim upon us; we are not obligated to
live on that level. If you do so, you must die. But if by the
Spirit you put to death all the base pursuits of the body, then
you will live."
Romans 8:12-13
________________________________________________
RENUNCIATION OF POSSESSIONS
"...none of you can be a disciple of mine without parting with
all his possessions."
Luke 14:33
________________________________________________
"If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast and give to
the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. And come
follow Me."
Matt. 19:21
________________________________________________
SELF-SACRIFICE
"If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self
behind; day after day he must take up his cross, and come with
me."
Luke 9:23, Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34
________________________________________________
"As they were going along the road a man said to him, 'I will
follow you wherever you go.' Jesus answered, 'Foxes have their
holes, birds their roosts; but the Son of Man has nowhere to
lay his head.' To another he said, 'Follow me,' but the man
replied, 'Let me go and bury my father first.' Jesus said,
'leave the dead to bury their dead; you must go and announce
the kingdom of God.'
"Yet another said, 'I will follow you, sir; but let me first
say good-bye to my people at home.' To him Jesus said, 'No one
who sets his hand to the plough and then keeps looking back is
fit for the kingdom of God.'"
Luke 9:57-62
________________________________________________
THE DEVOTEE NEED NOT ENDEAVOR FOR MATERIAL NECESSITIES
"I bid you put away anxious thoughts about food and drink to
keep you alive, and cloths to cover your body. Surely life is
more than food, the body more than clothes. Look at the birds
of the air; they do not sow and reap and store in barns, yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. You are worth more than the
birds!...And why be anxious about clothes! Consider how the
lilies grow in the fields; they do not work, they do not spin;
and yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendor was not
attired like on of these. But if that is how God clothes the
grass in the fields, which is there today, and tomorrow is
thrown on the stove, will he not all the more clothe you? How
little faith you have! No, do not ask anxiously, 'What are we
to eat? What are we to drink? What shall we wear?' All these
are things for the heathen to run after, not for you, because
your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your
mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else,
and all the rest will come to you as well. So do not be anxious
about tomorrow; tomorrow will look after itself. Each day has
troubles enough of its own."
Matt. 6:25-34
________________________________________________
ONE SHOULD RENOUNCE THE MATERIAL WORLD
"The world is crucified to me, and I to the world."
Gal. 4:14
________________________________________________
AUSTERITY OF THE BODY
"It is time for you to wake out of sleep, for deliverance is
nearer to us now than it was when first we believed. It is far
on in the night; day is near. Let us therefore throw off the
deeds of darkness and put on our armour as soldiers of the
light...give no more thought to satisfying the bodily
appetites."
Rom. 13:11,12,14
________________________________________________
THE REAL CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIES THE FLESH
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the lower
nature with its passions and desires. If the Spirit is the
source of our life; let the Spirit also direct our course."
Gal. 5:24-25
________________________________________________
RENUNCIATION OF FAMILY
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters, even his own life, he
cannot be a disciple of mine. No one who does not carry his
cross and come with me can be a disciple of mine."
Luke 14:26-27
________________________________________________
"You must not think that I have come to bring peace to the
earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. I have come
to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a son's wife against her mother-in-law; and a man will find his
enemies under his own roof."
"No man is worthy of me who cares more for father and mother
than for me; no man is worthy of me who cares more for son or
daughter; no man is worthy of me who does not take up his cross
and walk in my footsteps. By gaining his life a many will loose
it; by losing his life for my sake, he will gain it."
Matt. 10:34-39
________________________________________________
"...anyone who has left brother or sister, father, mother, or
children, land or houses for the sake of my name will be repaid
many times over, and gain eternal life."
Matt. 19:29
________________________________________________
MATERIALISTIC PERSON CANNOT UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL THINGS
"The sensual man perceiveth not the things that are of the
Spirit of God, for it is foolishness to him, and he cannot
understand it."
"A man who is unspiritual refuses what belongs to the Spirit of
God; it is folly to him; he cannot grasp it, because it needs
to be judged in the light of the Spirit."
I Cor. 2:14
________________________________________________
AUSTERITY AND RENUNCIATION
"The young man saith unto him (Jesus), All these things have I
kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? And Jesus said unto
him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast, and
give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and
come and follow me."
Matthew 19:20-21
This clearly says to give away everything you own and take up
spiritual life, if you want to become perfect.
________________________________________________
"And it came to pass, that as they went in the way, a certain
man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee wheresoever thou
goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of
the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay
his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said,
Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto
him, Let the dead bury their dead; but thou go and preach the
kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow
thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home
in my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his
hand to the plough, and looking back, it fit for the kingdom of
God.
Luke 9:57-62
________________________________________________
"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple."
Luke 14:33
________________________________________________
"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live
after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die;
but if ye live through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, ye shall live."
Romans 6:12-13
________________________________________________
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. For all that is this world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."
I John 2:15-17
________________________________________________
STATEMENTS SHOWING THE NECESSITY OF RENOUNCING THE FAMILY TO
TAKE UP SPIRITUAL LIFE
"And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for may name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall
inherit everlasting life."
Matthew 19:29
________________________________________________
8) "THERE IS MUCH I HAVE TO TELL YOU..."
STATEMENTS SHOWING THAT THE BIBLE IS NOT THE ONLY OR FINAL WORD
OF GOD
"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear
them now."
John 16:12
Here it is clear that there is more knowledge to be had, but
the disciples were not purified enough to receive it or
understand it.
________________________________________________
"These things I have spoken unto you in proverbs; but the time
cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs; but I
shall show you of the father
John 16:25
Here also Jesus is saying that there is more to come, and that
the disciples have not yet learned anything of God Himself, but
that more teachings were to come that would describe God
Himself clearly.
________________________________________________
"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the
which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even
the world itself could not contain the books that could be
written."
John 21:25
Here it is shown that not all of Jesus' activities are known;
in fact, it is intimated that only a small fraction of them are
known.
________________________________________________
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
II Timothy 3:16-17
Here it is clearly shown that any bonafide scripture must be
accepted, at least on the basis of instruction, even if it does
not describe Jesus. Therefore, the Christians should all accept
Bhagavad-gita [the Koran, and any other bonafide scriptures].
________________________________________________
"If you do not believe when I tell you of material things, how
will you believe if I tell you of spiritual things?"
John 3:12
________________________________________________
9) JESUS AND GOD MAY BE ONE--BUT THEY ARE ALSO DIFFERENT
"I do nothing of myself."
John 14:2
________________________________________________
"My Father is greater than I."
John 14:2
________________________________________________
"The Lord our God is one Lord."
Mark 12:29
________________________________________________
My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
Matt. 27:46
________________________________________________
"Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit."
Luke 23:46
________________________________________________
"As You and I are one, let them also be one in Us."
c.f. John 17:21
Thus, Jesus implies that his "oneness" with God is something
that can be achieved by others.
________________________________________________
"But of that day and that hour knowth no man, no, not the
angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."
Mark 13:32
________________________________________________
It is also written of Jesus: "Behold my servant, whom I have
chosen,"
Matt. 12:18
________________________________________________
"God...glorified His servant, Jesus."
Acts 3:13
________________________________________________
10) MISCELLANEOUS
GOD IS NOT AN OLD MAN WITH A FLOWING WHITE BEARD
10) My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten
thousand.
11) His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and
black as a raven.
12) His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters,
washed with milk, and fitly set.
13) His cheeks are as a bet of spices, as sweet flowers; his
lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
14) His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl; his belly
is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
15) His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon socks of fine
gold; his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16) His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This
is my beloved, and this is my friend.
Song of Solomon 5
Compare to Vedic description in Brahma Samhita.
________________________________________________
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS: TO LOVE GOD AND ONE'S NEIGHBOR
(It is thus also indicated that to love God and to love one's
neighbor are two separate things)
"'Master, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' He
answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, with all your mind." That is the greatest
commandment. It comes first. The second is like it: "Love your
neighbor as yourself." Everything in the Law and the prophets
hangs on these two commandments'"
Matt. 22:36-40
________________________________________________
SELF-SURRENDER
"Father...Thy will be done."
Matt 26:42
________________________________________________
CONTINUAL PRAYER
"Pray without ceasing."
Thess. 5:17
________________________________________________
THE SINFUL PERSON HATES GOD, TRUTH. HONEST PERSON OTHERWISE
"Here lies the test: the light has come into the world,
but men preferred darkness to light because their deeds were
evil. Bad men all hate the light and avoid it, for fear their
practices should be shown up. The honest man comes to the light
so that it may be clearly seen that God is in all he does."
John 3:19-21
________________________________________________
ON THE UNPOPULARITY OF POTENT PREACHERS
"If the world hate you, know that it hated me (Jesus) before it
hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its
own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
John 15:18-19
________________________________________________
ON LISTENING TO GOD FROM WITHIN THE HEART (INSTEAD OF FROM
AUTHORITY)
"Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but His
that sent me. If any man will do His (God's) will, he shall
know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak
of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory;
but he that seeketh His (God's) glory that sent him, the same
is true and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give
you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?"
John 7:16-19
This clearly says that we must not follow our own ideas, but
just obey the law and try to understand what the authorities
say. This defeats the people who day "Jesus speaks to me in my
heart."
________________________________________________
11) AFTERWORD
The merits of this pamphlet can easily be obscured by the
Christian exclusivity. Dogmatic denial of non-Christian
religions seems to be a tenet of popular Christianity. Such
prejudice is largely based on the following verse from the New
Testament:
ego eimi ha hodos kai ha alatheia kai ha zoa; oudeis
erketia pros ton patera ei ma di emou
"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to
the Father except through me." )Matt. 14:6)
However, this is a rather slender peg on which to hang
one's religious intolerance. Especially since the original
Greek renders the verse a bit differently than cited above--
although the above translation is the one you would probably
find in your Bible.
The Greek work erketai is extremely present tense. So,
rather than "comes" as the word is rendered above, it would
more accurately be "can presently come." This, of course,
changes the whole meaning. Jesus is actually saying, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life; no one can presently come to the
father except through me." Thus, Christian exclusivity becomes
absurd. Unlike the interpretations pushed upon us by the Bible-
thumpers--who say that surrender to Jesus is the only way, for
all time--Jesus simply said that eh was the way presently, at
that time, in Palestine-- 2,000 years ago. Says Dr. Boyd
Daniels of The American Bible Society, "Oh, yes. The word
erketai is definitely the present tense form of the verb. Jesus
was speaking to his contemporaries." (From a personal
conversation with the author.)
________________________________________________
The Codex Sinaiticus, our earliest existing Greek
manuscript of the New Testament, can presently be found in the
British Museum. Interestingly, this manuscript was written in
the year 331 A.D. - Just six years after the Council of Nicaea.
We have no New Testament manuscripts from before this council.
Why is this interesting? Because history reveals that
everything was rearranged at the council--and at the many
councils that followed. No one knows what Christianity may
have been like before this first ecumenical synod. And no one
is ever likely to find out--for the Christian tradition has not
been preserved. Rather, it has been subject to change and
decay
This pamphlet was keyed by Skosch Penrose.
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