Universal Life Church
Questions For the Heart and Mind
1. What difference would it make in determining the origins of Christianity if the Gospel of Thomas truly pre-dates the Gospel of Mark and the letters of Paul?Jesus would be seen as quite the mystic...teaching mystery and mastery in the ways of God, and about heaven in ways we have yet to understand as mortals. Many of Jesus' saying in Thomas are almost "zen" in appeal. I may also add Jesus comes off as more unworld like than in the Bible. He just sounds like he IS from another plane of existence!
2. If the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke are not historical, how does this affect your feelings about celebrating Christmas?Some of it may be true, or some might be a story within a story. Zeus was apparently kept in hiding in a cave as a child away from his father, Chronos. He was cared for by others until a teen. Jesus had earthen parents, but obviously his true home was above. Some writings interpretations say Jesus was either in a cave or a manger...so depends what you read. I don't know if there's a connection, but perhaps some of the tale spun from that. But, we do need a time of peace in the world, and if celebrating Jesus' birth gives us this time, who can argue celebrating it?
3. Who do you believe Yeshua ben Joseph was at the beginning of his public ministry?
He was a teen who had to learn other religions in the world, and see where his ministry had to go. As his being taught were over, he began his own lessons.
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