“our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written…in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (II Peter 3:15-16)
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Philo of Alexandria (30 BCE – 45 CE) is a good example of a Jew who wrested the scriptures to suit his personal preference. He identified with Judaism through following ritual law while also identifying with high, i.e. Greek, society by melding Judaism’s God with the Greek concept of God, despite their inherent contradictions. The Greeks believed that God was inherently “unknowable.” Yahweh was the opposite – easily accessible and constantly occupied with the details of everyday life, reached easily just by calling out to him.
Philo postulated a two-part God: 1) an ousia of God, or a singular essence, which is the unknowable, and 2) an energeiai (energy) / Spirit which was the very thoughts of God. God’s energy could interact and touch the lives of mortals despite the remote ousia which was inaccessible to man through The Logos – a mediator for God; making it possible to realize the energy of God, and thus, by extension, the impossible ousia of God Himself.
Heraclitus of Ephesus used the word Logos around 500 BCE to describe his concept of the universe as a divine machine invisibly regulated by the Logos (literally the reason). The Greek cult of Hermes played on this construct, reporting that their prophet, in a trance state, met “the Mind of Authority” who shows the mystic a great light / reality and a great darkness / matter. From the Mind comes “a Holy Logos,” …the “shining Son of God.”
Philo’s Logos / Word was extremely popular among Jews and non-Jews alike because it allowed ecumenicalism in a multicultural empire, especially for those aspiring to be accepted by the ruling classes.
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“certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip…and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.” (John 12:21)
“Philip” is simply the English version of the Greek “Philo.” Bear in mind that being named “Philo / Philip” indicates that this Jewish disciple was Hellenized, most certainly by his parents. In land recently ravaged by the Greek warlord Antiochus Epiphanes, naming a boy after the Greek warlord father of the ultimate Greek warlord Alexander the Great is the equivalent in our culture of naming a boy Adolf Hitler. This was the ultimate aspiration to be accepted by the ruling class.
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In John we find the culmination of Greek philosophy that has created the Jesus that we are the most familiar with today. A fully-formed Hellenized Jesus has emerged to become an equal with God. The Gospel of John (ca. 120 CE) is complex and mystical. It’s purpose is to propagandize the message that Jesus is God Himself, creator of the universe…We see in John…Greek pagan concepts and philosophies as a tool for communicating Jesus as the Logos to a Christianized Gentile audience…”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
That’s certainly fitting the evidence to match your pre-conceived bias. Just because the term “logos” is used in John’s introductory sentence doesn’t mean John is adapting Jesus’ message to Hermes.
Philip is mentioned by name 11 times in the book of John, and was among the first to minister to non-Jews: Greek widows, the Samaritans, the Ethiopian eunuch, and outreach in the Gentile city of Caesarea.
This fact does not allow the conclusion that he, or John, adapted Jesus’ message to suit the pagans. Jesus’ disciple Philip is not the same man as the Greek philosopher Philo.
“This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.” (John 21:24)
This is the disciple which Jesus the risen Christ delegated as the first and last witness of his resurrection, and the consequences of refusing to accept his – that is, John’s – testimony as true.
“I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet…And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw…one like unto the Son of man…And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me…I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which 1) thou hast seen, and 2) the things which are, and 3) the things which shall be hereafter…I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 1:9-19; 22:18-19)
The same can be said of those who twist Paul’s teachings to suit their particular dogma and denomination.
Paul views the law of Moses as a body of commandments given to Israel for a limited time and for a particular purpose. With the coming of Christ and the inauguration of a new phase in salvation history, the era when the Torah governed God’s people has come to an end. Christians, therefore, while profitably studying and learning from the Mosaic law, are no longer “under” it — obliged to follow it as a rule for their lives. Rather, we are under the law of Christ.
As Christians, we are not obligated to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses. This is the central message of the entire book of Galatians and is one of the major themes of the book of Colossians. Colossians 2:14-15 tells us that on the cross, Jesus took away the requirement of law-keeping.
Umm, that’s not exactly what that passage says.
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;“
What the passage says is that Jesus took the punishment for all humans’ very real trespasses against laws established and required to be obeyed by all humanity, not just the nation of Israel.
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers…as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy…Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (I Peter 1:1, 2:24
Of course, there are laws in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy that Christians are bound to, but this is not because they are in the Mosaic Law, but because we, as Christians, are bound to obey the command and example of Jesus…unless an law in the Old Testament is either repeated in the New Testament, or is implied by something in the New Testament, we are not required to obey that law as Christians.
Seriously? What Paul himself said was:
“Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law, [cocking an eyebrow at the above ignorant analyses of the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?…ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ…raised from the dead…
now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6)
Paul was a strict Pharisaical Jew who kept the law.
“And Paul…having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow…entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he…bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem:” (Acts 18:18-22)
What he taught that was non-Jews didn’t have to keep ritual laws specific to God’s covenant with Israel.
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” (Acts 15)
Hello! In context this is “the law” given to Israel! Not every law in the Old Testament, certainly not the Ten Commandments, but the law of circumcision without which a male could not inherit land!
“the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him...
- I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
- And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
- Every man child among you shall be circumcised…he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger…it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
- And the uncircumcised man…that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17)
But this doesn’t eliminate “Christians” from all laws predating Jesus the Christ.
“it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood [hello! Rare steak anyone?], and from things strangled , and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” (Acts 15)
So are Christians following these basic laws? “Jewish law also prohibits the consumption of any blood so once the animal has been killed, the meat undergoes a special soaking and salting process to remove the blood” in contrast to non-kosher butchering by simply draining the blood.
And what about keeping from fornication?
Half of U.S. Christians say casual sex – defined in the survey as sex between consenting adults who are not in a committed romantic relationship – is sometimes or always acceptable. Among those who are religiously unaffiliated, meanwhile, the vast majority (84%) say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable, including roughly nine-in-ten atheists (94%) and agnostics (95%) who say this.
This much was definitely prohibited to New Testament Gentile Christians.
“I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators…if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat…do not ye judge them that are within?…put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” (I Corinthians 5:9-13)
The fact is that any size group of individuals need laws, from the smallest group of two with a safe word and process of conflict resolution, to the United Nations. Laws / rules safeguard and balance the rights and needs of individuals who depend on each other.
Four primary functions of law.
Laws serve to protect people from evil. Every society has individuals willing to harm others. Law creates a framework for reducing crime. First, it lays out the nature of proper and improper human conduct. It proscribes punishment for delinquency as a deterrent, and establishes the creation of enforcement mechanisms, such as police, that both prevent crime and enact punitive measures.
Law also promotes the common good. Humans tend to act out of self-interest. However, there are cases in which everyone benefits by pursuing a common interest and working together in cooperation. Anti-pollution laws, for instance, limit peoples’ freedom to dispose of waste as they please to promote the common good of a clean environment and resultant health benefits.
Laws provide for the peaceful resolution of disputes. Without legal processes for settling differences, people would act against one another in aggression. Laws create peaceful processes for conflict resolution through the court system.
Laws and rules help people develop good behavior. Often, people initially obey rules due to fear of punishment. However, consistent behavior causes them to internalize lawful conduct and eventually do it, even when they are not being watched.
In the beginning there was just one law. “Don’t eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” The concrete terms of this law provided unquestionable evidence that the Adams had violated this law.
But it wasn’t just about eating a fruit, it was the reason someone would eat the fruit that is the abstract essence of this law, stated in the law and in the serpent’s encouragement to break the law – “becoming wise, i.e. the authority to decide what is best for ME.” Not because God wants his children to be robotically under his control, but because immature children need supervision to prevent the strong hurting the weak.
I’m fairly certain that the home quarantine conditions under COVID 19 convinced a lot of parents that they need to establish and enforce household rules to prevent strong-willed children from damaging the structural integrity of the environment and harming the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of the entire household.
With this in mind, can we understand the following explanation of the purpose for creating laws? Without a law to break, there is no proof that someone who committed a certain act is guilty, and no legal basis to restrict that person from preventing further harm to society.
“by the law / establishment of what is unlawful is the knowledge of sin / wrong-doing.” (Romans 3:20)
It is obvious that lack of knowledge that something is a sin / wrongdoing causes harm even when people act out of ignorance. Before there was a law requiring parents to put small children in car seats, don’t you think that fatal consequences occurred from being unrestrained? But since parents weren’t held legally liable, there was no punishment for failure to safeguard their children, ergo no incentive to do so, and most importantly – no general awareness of the importance of doing so.
“I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet…Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good…For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin…For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do…
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
- For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
- But I see another law in my members,
- warring against the law of my mind,
- and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7)
I suspect that the television series Better Call Saul is so popular because it brings to our attention a deeply troubling reality every viewer senses in his or her own life experience. The characters’ choices of action in response to crises does much more than reveal their inner character. Their choices shape their character and their future condition. As they face crossroad after crossroad of decisions they proceed towards a destination, usually not of their liking, but unquestionably the result of their choosing.
It does this so effectively because the show doesn’t define its characters’ personalities and fatal flaws, which would allow us to treat the characters as fictional. Instead, it gently nudges us into a dawning awareness of essential human nature through the use of “precept upon precept” as we’re able to track their disasters back to the start when their bad choices set them up to fall. If we’re wise, we’ll take a lesson for our own lives.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk [proceed, follow a path of one decision leading to another] not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law [of Moses] could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be…
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8)
Kingdom Come 