"Lord, if thou wilt" - Papal Infallibility?

Around the Tsukiji Market, Tokyo

Papal Infallibility?

The Vatican doctrine cannot be always right and reasonable.  Once the Vatican blamed Judaism and Jewish people officially:

Pope St. Gregory (the Pope of the Catholic Church between 590 and 604 AD) stigmatized Judaism and the Jewish people in many of his writings. He described Jews as enemies of Christ: "The more the Holy Spirit fills the world, the more perverse hatred dominates the souls of the Jews." He labeled all heresy as "Jewish", claiming that Judaism would "pollute [Catholics and] deceive them with sacrilegious seduction."[32] The identification of Jews and heretics in particular occurred several times in Roman-Christian law.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresy#Catholicism

The Vatican's creeds might include some mistakes.  It is not sound and reasonable that it still sticks to the ideology established in the Roman Empire.  For example, its doctrine of the Trinity might be wrong as it is wrong to stigmatize Judaism and Judaists.

Especially if Jesus is God, why should the religion based on the belief that Jesus is God be called Christianity?  Christianity must be the religion based on the belief that Jesus is the Christ or the Messiah.  To believe that Jesus is God or not should belong to an individual belief.  Nobody should force people to accept this belief.

Papal infallibility cannot be accepted.

Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church that states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error "when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_infallibility

However, Christ Jesus never clearly declared that Peter and successive Popes were free from error, which Christ Jesus guaranteed.



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Luk 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Luk 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

"all manner of evil against you falsely" - God's Direct and Major Interference in History

Around Tokyo

God's Direct and Major Interference in History

When God interferes with the human world, there must be always an enough reason.

When God led Abraham and his clan out of Ur of Mesopotamia 4,000 year ago, the Sumerians were going to lose their independence and cultural traits.  Indeed, soon after Abraham and his clan left Ur, the Sumerian kingdom collapsed and the Sumerians were absorbed by the Semitic tribes.  Today, the Sumerians are regraded as a mysterious race.

When God led Moses and other Israelites from Egypt 3,300 years ago, traditions of Israelites were about to be destroyed as they had been slaves of Egyptians.  Indeed, soon after Moses and other Isrealites carried out the Exodus, Egyptians were engaged in battles with Hittites over Palestine.  If Moses and other Israelites had been involved in this war, they might have vanished.

When God sent Christ Jesus to Israelites in the early first century, Israelites had lost independence for centuries and some dubious royal family occupied the Jewish legal power.  The religion of Judaism was controlled by priests of the Jerusalem Temple and their clans in a manner God could not approve while other schools were selfishly competing over religious hegemony.  Indeed, decades after the Crucifixion of Christ Jesus, the Jewish-Roman War erupted and Israelites were dispersed from Jerusalem and Palestine.  However, God saved both Judaists and followers of Christ Jesus.

And then, when the Vatican and Christians fixed their religion on the creed that Christ Jesus was God through the fall of the Western Roman Empire, God gave Islam to the people in the Middle East around 600, thus allowing establishment of their creed that Christ Jesus was not God.

Since God endowed Islam to Arabs, etc. there has been no direct and major interference by God with the human world.

The point at issue in this history for us is that if we admit Islam is a product of interference with the human history by God, we have to think that the major reason for His interference is a defect in Christianity, and the most plausible defect concerned is its creed that Christ Jesus is God.

Anyway, no matter whether we may or cannot accept Islam and Muslims, the religion has survived for about 1,300 years or more.  It must be difficult without approval by God.


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Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

"for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" - Not Calling Christ Jesus God

In the National Diet (Parliament) Building, Tokyo

Not Calling Christ Jesus God

Some people claim that it is implied in the Bible that Christ Jesus suggested that He was God while they admit that Christ Jesus never said, "I am God." :

Question: "Is Jesus God? Did Jesus ever claim to be God?" 

Answer: The Bible never records Jesus saying the precise words, “I am God.” That does not mean, however, that He did not proclaim that He is God. Take for example Jesus’ words in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” We need only to look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement to know He was claiming to be God. They tried to stone Him for this very reason: “You, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33). The Jews understood exactly what Jesus was claiming—deity. When Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one,” He was saying that He and the Father are of one nature and essence. John 8:58 is another example. Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth … before Abraham was born, I am!” Jews who heard this statement responded by taking up stones to kill Him for blasphemy, as the Mosaic Law commanded (Leviticus 24:16). 

John reiterates the concept of Jesus’ deity: “The Word [Jesus] was God” and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:1, 14). These verses clearly indicate that Jesus is God in the flesh. Acts 20:28 tells us, “Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Who bought the church with His own blood? Jesus Christ. And this same verse declares that God purchased His church with His own blood. Therefore, Jesus is God! 

Thomas the disciple declared concerning Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus does not correct him. Titus 2:13 encourages us to wait for the coming of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ (see also 2 Peter 1:1). In Hebrews 1:8, the Father declares of Jesus, “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” The Father refers to Jesus as “O God,” indicating that Jesus is indeed God.
https://www.gotquestions.org/is-Jesus-God.html

If Christ Jesus was God and He wanted people to know it and call Him God, He should have plainly said, "Don't get a false idea of me, because I am God."

Besides, the Gospels preceding John, namely the Gospels according to Mark, Luke, and Matthew, never suggest that Christ Jesus is God unlike the Gospel according to John.

So, objectively we may say that while Christ Jesus never said that He was God, the Gospel author John and some others claimed that Christ Jesus suggested that He was God and therefore He was God.  However, the interpretation of Jesus' words by John and others could be wrong, since Christ Jesus never said clearly that He was God.

For argument's sake, if Christ Jesus had been God, He did not want people to call Him God.  Why?  And for whatever reason, calling Christ Jesus God is apparently against His will.  The Vatican and all the other Christian churches have made big mistakes for centuries.

In other word, not calling Christ Jesus God is more pious than calling Him God.  Because Christ Jesus never said that He was God if He should be God, according to His words.



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Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"at the draught of the fishes" - Literacy Rates in Medieval Europe and the Roman Empire

Around Tokyo 

Literacy Rates in Medieval Europe and the Roman Empire

It is considered that Romans and other citizens of the Roman Empire could read the Gospels more often than Europeans in the Middle Ages:

What were literacy rates in Medieval Europe? How did they compare to literacy rates in the Roman Empire? 

W V Harris wrote what's considered the definitive book on Roman literacy levels (Ancient Literacy) and he estimates that about 15% of Italians were literate under the Principate; rather more in Greece, less elsewhere in the Empire. Other historians have challenged his figures, believing them to be rather low. 

Stephen Tempest's answer to How literate would the majority of knights have been in the High Middle Ages? 

To summarise, literacy levels were probably much lower than in Roman times during most of the Middle Ages - perhaps only 6% in England in 1300 - but after the Black Death rose steadily, until by the Renaissance they were probably higher than they had been under the Roman Empire.  

Mediaeval literacy was first and foremost the domain of the Church, but the urban bourgeoisie also found great use for it, followed much later by the gentry and nobility.
https://www.quora.com/What-were-literacy-rates-in-Medieval-Europe-How-did-they-compare-to-literacy-rates-in-the-Roman-Empire 

So, when the Roman Empire adopted Christianity for its state religion in 392, many Roman citizens should have read the Gospels written in Greek or Latin and made judgment on their contents by themselves, since there must have been no Christian church system such as ones we see today.

However, in the Middle Ages, as the literacy rateslower than that in the Roman Empire suggest, Europeans were a kind of forced to believe in the interpretation of the Gospels written in Greek or Latin by the church and accept creeds established by the church.

Since around 1500 when typography was introduced into European societies by Gutenberg and translation of the Greek and Latin Gospels into local languages was started by Martin Luther and so on, much more Europeans came to read and study the Gospels by themselves.  However, the authentic interpretation of the Gospels and other New Testament documents by the Vatican was not critically challenged by the general public.  This condition has continued even to today.

Nonetheless, there is no reason why we should not review and examine the contents of the New Testament and challenge old authentic interpretation of them.  For example, we may find that three of the four Gospels were not written on the assumption that Christ Jesus was God.

  

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Luk 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Luk 5:9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

"for they shall see God" - Love vs Seven Deadly Sins

Tokyo Bay

Love vs Seven Deadly Sins

There is an ethical teaching in Christianity called the seven vices.

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices of Christian origin.[1] Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give birth to other immoralities.[2] According to the standard list, they are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth,[2] which are also contrary to the seven virtues. These sins are often thought to be abuses or excessive versions of one's natural faculties or passions (for example, gluttony abuses one's desire to eat).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins

However, there are no nations or societies that have laws or regulations to forbid pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth, since they are matters inside the human mind.

No matter how much you have pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth, you are not arrested and judged by governmental authority in any countries.  Especially in Western, modern, or democratic countries, religion belongs to the domain of human freedom.  You are not punished if you don't believe in God in such countries.  By law, none can be punished if he or she believes in Satan and loves evil unless he or she commits crimes specified in laws or regulations.

However, Christ Jesus did not count these sins so openly.  But He ordered to love God as much as one can and love one's neighbors as one loves oneself.  And it is apparent that one will naturally lose one's pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth while he or she is following this order.  In other word, these seven deadly vices come to appear when one loses love to God and one's neighbors.

The environment around rich men is full of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.



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Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

"thou Son of the most high God" - Judaism, Christianity, and Rule by Money

Around Tokyo

Judaism, Christianity, and Rule by Money

How do Judaists regard Christianity?

Some of them think that Christianity was given a mission by God to prevail among non-Judaists the teaching and words of God that Judaists had already known before the emergence of Christianity.   And, Christianity needs Judaism to remember characteristics of God in the context of monotheism with ethical God.

But at the core of their view on Christianity, there is a cynical view on Christ Jesus: a failed Messiah or someone who failed to become a true Messiah.  Accordingly, they cannot totally accept the Christian creed that Christ Jesus is God.

But can Judaists blame Christians for their creed that Christ Jesus is God?  Can Judaists openly criticize Christians for their belief that Christ Jesus is God?  Can Judaists openly challenge the creed, thus ridiculing Christians, saying that they revere the failed Messiah, Jesus, as God?

If they did it, they would be regarded as great enemies of Christians and the Vatican.  They should face the danger of facing attacks by Christians and the Vatican.

And if they did not, they have still a potential to do so, so that they can be regarded as potential enemies of Christians and the Vatican.  

However, if Christians lose true faith and come not to think much about religion, Judaists might facially look safer.  But it is a situation where Judaists are surrounded by godless people who do neither respect Christianity nor Judaism.

In this context, even today when money has become a de facto global religion or rule by money takes a position of global religion, Judaists cannot be safer, since nobody minds and respects God of Judaists as much as Christians might do.




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Mar 5:7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
Mar 5:8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

"the seven Spirits of God" - Christ Jesus' Genealogies

Tokyo Bay to the Pacific Ocean

Christ Jesus' Genealogies

Mark, one of the Gospel authors, declared that Christ Jesus was the Son of God, and thus he did not present the genealogical tree of Christ Jesus.

However, Luke presented Christ Jesus' genealogy starting from Adam while Matthew started His genealogy from Abraham.  And then, John did not include His genealogy while implying that Christ Jesus was God.

It could be understood if Mark was based on the original document written in Aramaic or Hebrew by somebody who had been closer to Christ Jesus than the 12 Apostles, but Luke, Matthew, and John were written along with changes in the situation around early Christians in the late 1st century.

As Paul was facing a trial by the Roman authority, Mark was written to defend Paul, claiming that the religion Paul was trying to diffuse was a true religion rooted in Judaism although some Judaist priests rejected it.  Luke was also written to defend Paul and other early Christians in Rome and the Roman Empire, emphasizing that Christ Jesus was not only the savior of Judaists but also other people and thus starting Christ Jesus' genealogy from Adam.

However, Paul and Peter were eventually executed by the Roman authority while Judaists could still enjoy their special status in Rome and the Empire.  To prevent further damage on early Christians, Matthew emphasized that Christianity had the same root with Judaists, thus starting Christ Jesus' genealogy from Abraham.    

Nonetheless, the Jewish-Roman War erupted and fought between AD 66 and 73.  The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed.  So, there was no need for early Christians in Rome and the Roman Empire to emphasize their connection to Judaism in order to protect themselves.  Rather, they must have thought that it was better to clearly declare that Christianity was independent from Judaism and Christ Jesus was God.  So, John wrote his version of the Gospel, omitting Christ Jesus' genealogy.

In this context, it can be understood that it is not based on absolute truth and reality for the Vatican and Christians after John to claim that Christ Jesus was God.  Their claim that Christ Jesus was God is a product of the situation.

Indeed, we cannot assert that Adam's father was God, and thus Christ Jesus was God, or we cannot assert that Abraham's father was God, and thus Christ Jesus was God.

In addition, Christianity based on Mark is different from Christianity based on John.  We have to correct some mistakes in terms of interpretation of the status of Christ Jesus made 1900 years ago.

Why are there different genealogies for Jesus in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? 

Matthew 1:16 - Luke 3:23
Both Matthew 1 and Luke 3 contain genealogies of Jesus. But there is one problem--they are different. Luke's genealogy starts at Adam and goes to David. Matthew's genealogy starts at Abraham and goes to David. When the genealogies arrive at David, they split with David's sons: Nathan (Mary's side?) and Solomon (Joseph's side). 

There are differences of opinion with two main options being offered. The first is that one genealogy is for Mary and the other is for Joseph. It was customary to mention the genealogy through the father even though it was clearly known that it was through Mary.

https://carm.org/why-are-there-different-genealogies-jesus-matthew-1-and-luke-3



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Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

"an infirmity thirty and eight years" - God's Direct Interference

Toward Prime Minister's Office, Tokyo

God's Direct Interference

Direst interference by God with the human world has not occurred so often.  There must be a big reason whenever God has interfered with the human world.

In the case of Abraham 4000 years ago, God separated Abraham and his clan from the Mesopotamia civilization and thus from Sumerians, Babylonians, and Hittites.

In the case of Moses 3300 years ago, God separated Moses and other Hebrews from Egyptians and made them settle in Palestine.

In the case of Christ Jesus 2000 years ago, God destroyed Sadducees and the second temple in Jerusalem and thus established a new religion, Christianity, out of Judaism.

In the case of Muhammad 1300 years ago, God separated Arabs and other tribes from Judaism and Christianity, while Judaists were sticking to denial of authority of Christ Jesus and Christians were claiming that Christ Jesus was God.  

And, since the seventh century when God allowed Muhammad to establish Islam, there has been no direct interference by God.  But God must be watching the world and the mankind.  And it is a mystery why God did not interfere with the human world in the 20th century where two world wars were fought with the great sacrifice of Judaists.

Christians and Judaists played major roles in the 20th century in a very tragic manner, which might not be enough for God to make another interference.  But in the 21st century, Muslims are gaining momentum as seen in acts of terror involving the so-called Islamic extremists.  So, we may expect another God's direct interference any time soon.  


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Joh 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
Joh 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
Joh 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
Joh 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

"Blessed are they that mourn" - Definition of God is Not Easy

National Diet (Parliament) Building, Tokyo

Definition of God is Not Easy

All the natural numbers consist of even integers and odd integers:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,... = (1, 3, 5,...) + (2, 4, 6,...)
However the set of even integers includes the natural numbers:
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12,... = 2 x (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,...)

With N = the set of integers or the whole natural numbers, E = the set of even integers, and O = the set of odd integers,
N = E + O
E = 2 x N

If N is God and E is Christ Jesus, God consists of Christ Jesus and other elements, while Christ Jesus includes God.  But this does not necessarily mean that Christ Jesus is God or E = N.

God = Christ Jesus + other elements    (1)
Christ Jesus = 2 x God   (2)
This does not necessarily mean that Christ Jesus is God.

Besides, God cannot be created by summing up Christ Jesus and all the other elements.  The above first formula (1) means that Christ Jesus and all the other elements are derived from God, but does not mean that God is created by assembling Christ Jesus and all the other elements.

The above second formula (2) means that Christ Jesus is created by applying some operation (such as doubling) on God.  It does not mean that Christ Jesus is equal to God.

However, as there is a strong relationship between the set of natural numbers and the set of even integers, there is a strong relationship between God and Christ Jesus.  But if God is Christ Jesus, there is no need of applying any operation to God to obtain Jesus, since God Himself is Christ Jesus.

Definition of God is not easy.  God is the source of everything, including Christ Jesus and all the other elements in this universe and the spiritual world.  But it is clear that Christ Jesus is not the source of everything, including His own fate.    

Therefore, we should not support a creed that Christ Jesus is God, though He might be God beyond any human analysis.


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Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

" into one of the ships, which was Simon's" - No Bibles Publicly Available till the 16th Century

Tokyo

No Bibles Publicly Available till the 16th Century

It was in 1455 that Gutenberg printed a version of the Bible for the first time.  It was in 1500s that local-language versions of the Bible started to be first printed.

It means that almost for 1500 years after the emergence of Christ Jesus, no ordinary Europeans could read any versions of the Bible in their local language.  But in this period, the Vatican established a creed that Christ Jesus was God probably only relying on descriptions of Latin or Greek Bibles.

So, Christian belief that Christ Jesus was God can be challenged now that every body in the world can read the Bible unlike ordinary people who lived till the 16th century.

So, there had been no Bibles publicly available till the 16th century, although the Vatican had been presiding over the whole Christian Europe for 1500 years or so, establishing the creed that Christ Jesus was God without public review.


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Luk 5:3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Luk 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

"he opened his mouth, and taught them" - How Satan Interfered with God's Plan

Tokyo

How Satan Interfered with God's Plan

You cannot prove that Christ Jesus is God, although you may believe it.

But most importantly Christ Jesus never said to call Him God.

If Satan wanted to disrupt God's plan to send His Son to the human world and save the world, Satan might try to have people call Christ Jesus God, which was not intended by God.

There must have been a big difference in the human history and especially the European and the Middle East history between the case that people call Christ Jesus God and another case that people don't call Christ Jesus God.

The biggest mystery of the Vatican lies in why they insist on the creed that Christ Jesus is God.

However it should be noted that Christ Jesus might be truly God but God might truly not want people to call Christ Jesus God so as not to give any chance for Satan to interfere with His divine plan.



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Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"into the country of the Gadarenes" - Doubt about the Trinity

Tokyo

Doubt about the Trinity

It is truly strange that while Christ Jesus never declared that He was God, Christianity was established based  on a belief that He was God.

And while this teaching was firmly accepted and fully taken by the Vatican, say, around the sixth century, God gave a new religion, Islam, where the Christian belief that Christ Jesus was God was denied.

Maybe Christ Jesus was truly God, but it seems that God did not want Christians and the Vatican around the seventh century to adopt a creed that Christ Jesus was God.

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity  holds that God is three consubstantial persons[3] or hypostases[4]—the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit—as "one God in three Divine Persons". The three persons are distinct, yet are one "substance, essence or nature" (homoousios).[5] In this context, a "nature" is what one is, whereas a "person" is who one is.

Scripture contains neither the word Trinity, nor an expressly formulated doctrine of the Trinity. Rather, according to the Christian theology, it "bears witness to" the activity of a God who can only be understood in Trinitarian terms. The doctrine did not take its definitive shape until late in the fourth century. During the intervening period, various tentative solutions, some more and some less satisfactory, were proposed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity

This is not a matter that human beings are allowed to study, think about, and decide on.  It looks more pious if a man refuses to believe that Christ Jesus is God  unless Christ Jesus declares so by Himself.  Besides, how could Christ Jesus keep silence on this most important issue for Christianity?



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Mar 5:1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

Mar 5:2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Mar 5:3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

"passing through the midst of them" - Son of God as God Himself?

Tsukiji, Tokyo

Son of God as God Himself?

One of the most serious issues for the mankind is whether it is right or correct to believe that Christ Jesus is God.

Christianity is based on this belief while Judaists and Muslims reject this concept.   Judaism and Islam don't admit the idea that any man can be God.  However, early Christianity was not established in the light of this notion that Christ Jesus was God.

The notion to regard Christ Jesus as God started with the Gospel according to John, though there were no report that Christ Jesus ever claimed that He was God in any of the four Gospels.

This notion gradually filtrated into Christians in the second, third, and fourth century to finally occupy the main position of  ideas and beliefs about Christ Jesus and Christianity while the Roman Empire adopted Christianity for its state religion.  Even after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, this belief that Christ Jesus was God was never challenged.   Then, God started to speak to Muhammad, according to Muhammad, that Christ Jesus was not God.  Subsequently, Muhammad established a new religion or the last religion of the three religions rooted in the faith of Abraham.

The point at issue is that God never sent another saint or Son of God to the Christian world to make it clear that Christ Jesus was not God, but He spoke to Mohammad and allowed him to establish a new religion based on beliefs including denial of the idea that Christ Jesus was God.  Neither, God did not eradicate the religious people called Judaists.    

From the beginning, Christ Jesus never said that He was God.  It was John, an author of one Gospel, that first openly suggested that Christ Jesus might be God.  Nowhere in the Bible, there is a description that Christ Jesus called Himself God and executed His power as God on Roman troops and priests of the Jerusalem Temple.

The most important Vatican mystery is that they have never reviewed the idea that Christ Jesus was God.

There is even a possibility that the wise and artful Satan might have instilled the wrong idea or the blasphemous concept that Christ Jesus, who implied that He Himself was the Son of God, was God Himself for his purpose to destroy right and correct faith in God.  

For reference, we had better check where the expression of the Son of God was used in the earliest Gospel of Mark:

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 

Mark 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 

Mark 5:7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 

Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

How could ordinary poor men, such as local fishermen, without academic backgrounds to whom Christ Jesus preached 2000 year ago regard the Son of God as God Himself?

Nonetheless, everything is possible for God, so that He might have been Christ Jesus, although God wanted people not to jump to this idea.


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Luk 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
Luk 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
Luk 4:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

"The woman then left her waterpot" - The Absurd Story of the End of Jesus' Life

A Tokyo Subway Station

The Absurd Story of the End of Jesus' Life

If 2,000 years ago a man had been executed by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem but resurrected three days later, could he have established a religion that would last 2,000 years with a core of belief that he was actually God?

However, the New Testament describes that when Christ Jesus was arrested, nobody among His followers followed Him.  They all forsook Him.  They were so much afraid of Roman soldiers and priests of the Temple of Jerusalem.  They did not even physically fight to protect Christ Jesus like Muslims did centuries later to protect the founder of Islam.

But those followers of Christ Jesus had been with Him for one year or more traveling from around Galilee to Jerusalem.  They had been taught many, many things by Christ Jesus, including courage to fight against Satan and evil spirits.  But they all deserted Christ Jesus.   None accompanied Christ Jesus to be arrested together.

But when they found or believed that Christ Jesus came back to life three days after the Crucifixion, they suddenly changed their minds and claimed that Christ Jesus was God.

This is what the New Testament told.  This is very absurd.  Such a religion must have been neglected soon and forgotten any time soon.  But, on the contrary, based on the Bible reporting these absurd events, Christianity has prevailed so much.

So, behind this absurd story of the end of the life of Christ Jesus, something very important must be hidden.  Behind this easy change of attitudes of followers of Christ Jesus between the arrest of Christ Jesus and their strange shock and sublimation on their recognition of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus, something very important must be hidden.

And that something made it possible for Christianity to prevail in these 2000 years.  However, it seems that none has doubted whether nothing important is lacked or omitted in the Gospels or suspected that the Gospels hide something important.

It is truly mysterious that 2,000 years ago a man, who was sent by God according to himself, was executed by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem but resurrected three days later, and he established a religion that lasted for 2,000 years.  But why?


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Joh 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
Joh 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

"God is a Spirit" - Original Aramaic Document and Synoptic Gospels

A Mountainous Area Northwest of Tokyo

Original Aramaic Document and Synoptic Gospels

It is said that Gospels according to Luke and Matthew were written based on the Gospel according to Mark.  But all these three Gospels were included in the New Testament as synoptic Gospels.

But what does it mean: "based on the Gospel according to Mark?"

I think rather it is more plausible that all these three Gospels were written by translation of one original document written in Aramaic, the language widely used in Palestine in the era of the mission by Christ Jesus.  Therefore, the differences among these three Gospels are ascribed to difference in interpretation.

For example, the scene that the tomb of Christ Jesus was found to have been opened and some angels were met with by some women is described as follows in each synoptic Gospel:

Mark 16:1-8They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified...  

Luke 24:1-10
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen...  

Matthew 28:1-8And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women...     

The original document must include ambiguous expressions about the situation when the women got to the tomb and saw mysterious angles and what the angels said to them.  So, each Gospel writer used his imagination to set up his unique version.

Accordingly, the early-Christian church authority could not decide what was more authentic among the three, since the original Aramaic document must have been lost after these Gospels were written.

As long as all the synoptic Gospels were based on interpretation of the same original document and they were written by those who were close to Paul and Peter, the later early-Christian authority could not choose one of them but had to accept them all together.

The fact that there were only three synoptic Gospels must mean that only limited people had been allowed to read the original Aramaic document.  It must have been a big secret for Paul or Peter.

But the bigger mystery remains about who had written the original Aramaic document.


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Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

"Physician, heal thyself" - Memory of 2000 Years

Tokyo Subway Station

Memory of 2000 Years

In 500 years since A.D. 1, the key player was the Roman Empire where Christianity became its state region.  In the last 500 years up to today, who or what was the key player?

Almost 500 years ago, Columbus reached America; the Vatican started to build St. Peter's Basilica;  Protestant Christianity started to prevail; and the Empire of the East (the Byzantine Empire) was destroyed by the Ottoman Empire.   Therefore, these 500 years have been characterized by the rise of America, the competence between Protestant Church and the Vatican, and the influence of Islam, although the general direction and the general trend can be described as globalization.

First Christianity took 500 years to have fully prevailed in the Roman Empire that covered a half of Europe.  Then it took 1,000 years, called the Middle Ages, to have fully influenced the whole Europe.  And finally it has taken 500 years toward globalization.

So, what will happen in the next 500 years or 1,000 years?  Maybe another Middle Ages?  But it seems that what is only needed is the Second Coming of Christ.

Then we may understand that this 2000-year history is for preparation of the Second Coming of Christ and the beginning of the Kingdom of God.

On the other hand, Christianity started with expectation of imminent coming of the end of the world or the judgment day 2000 years ago.  So, this 2000-year history might be for preparation of the prolonged end of the world even if there is Second Coming of Christ Jesus.

Anyway, only human beings on this planet have memory of 2000 years and more.   We have to think about the history to better understand why we are living in this world or in these specific circumstances.  And it can be sincerely done only if we try to find any intention or will of God in our history.

However, it is a little surprise to know that the time span when Christianity started to prevail; it became the state religion of the Roman Empire; and the Western Roman Empire collapsed is equal to the time span when Columbus reached America; the Vatican started to build St. Peter's Basilica;  Protestant Christianity started to prevail; the Empire of the East (the Byzantine Empire) was destroyed by the Ottoman Empire; and other various incidents occurred, leading to today's world.  



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Luk 4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
Luk 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

"And he closed the book" - No Gods for the Modern Science

Tokyo

No Gods for the Modern Science

There are no gods of the sun, the moon, the sea, the water, the death, the love, etc. in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

It is not because ancient Hebrews were scientific more than ancient Greeks and other tribes.  But ancient Hebrews did not enjoy making and telling myths involving various gods.  They did not even give deity to heroes of their tribes, although they imagined angels.

Today, most of people in the world think that God is one and only if He should exist.  But most of their ancestors centuries ago believed existence of  gods of the sun, the moon, the sea, the water, the death, the love, etc.   Unless Christianity and Islam have prevailed in the world, most of people in the world today must believe existence of  gods of the sun, the moon, the sea, the water, the death, the love, etc. like ancient Greeks, ancient Egyptians, ancient Europeans, etc.

So, the greatest contribution of ancient Hebrews to the human history is their belief in the one and only God, though they thought the God is God for their tribe.

Even if we believed there are various gods who sometimes behave like human beings, we would be able to build pyramids and create a kind of Greek philosophy or Indian philosophy but we should not be able to create the modern science.

However, we cannot prove that God is the one and only in a scientific manner or any other manners.  But, probably, there are no scientists who believe in polytheistic religion.

It is also mysterious that the one and only God allows three different religions that all have faith in Him.


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Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

"Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee" - More Effective Miracles by Christ Jesus?

Tokyo

More Effective Miracles by Christ Jesus?

Christ Jesus performed various miracles.  He could even raise the dead to life.  But as everybody knows, He was crucified, killed and dead, though He reportedly resurrected.

Christ Jesus could perform various miracles, but He did not cure all the sick in Palestine or raise all the dead at the time to life.  He did not even drive Roman soldiers out of Jerusalem and Palestine to make Israel get independent from the Roman Empire.

Christ Jesus could even suppress demons and defeat Satan, though only in individual cases and not in a total manner.  What is worse, He could not prevent Satan from having an influence on Judas.

What Christ Jesus did was preaching words of  God, ordering to have righteous lives, teaching truth of life, and performing miracles.   But how could people believe that Christ Jesus is a holy man, the son of God, or even God Himself when they just saw Christ Jesus performing these things?

Was it rather just an impression of Christ Jesus that made people believe that Christ Jesus was directly from God?   Then, what impression of a man would make people believe that he is from God?

In a Japanese animation, an old man changed the daytime instantly to night and then the night instantly back to the daytime to prove that he is god when some children had doubt.

It is still a mystery that Christ Jesus did not perform more effective miracles than changing the daytime instantly night and the night instantly back to the daytime.





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Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

"And he came to Nazareth" - Not Wealth or Honor in this World

Tokyo

Not Wealth or Honor in this World

It is often said that if you get the world but you lose your freedom, it is nothing.

The underlying teaching must come from Jesus' words.  So, it means that if you get abundant wealth and worldly honor but you lose faith in God, it is nothing.

It is related to judgment on value.  But more profoundly, it is related to how much we fear God who wants human beings to respect love and justice more than abundant rich and worldly honor.

So, we had better think that one of the aims of Jesus' preaching is to teach us that we are obliged to have the fear of God.

Nonetheless we cannot easily see God while we can clearly see abundant rich and worldly honor.  It is easier to believe in what we can see more than what we cannot see.  That is why we have to make efforts to follow the teaching of God to get the ability to see what cannot be simply, easily, and naturally seen.

And eventually, we might find that freedom and faith in God are more valuable than wealth or honor in this world.



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Luk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

"he taught in their synagogues" - The Truth in Jesus' Words for Oneself

Tokyo Bay

The Truth in Jesus' Words for Oneself

If somebody said that God appeared in a remote country as a man who preached some teachings and performed miracles but was hated by mainstream priests and foreign authority occupying the country to be killed but come back to life three days later, would you believe this word?

Almost 1900 years ago, many Romans believed this story and started to revere the God.  And, in 300 years, the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as its state religion.

Did Romans respect those who were trying to diffuse Christianity in Rome and other cities in the Empire?  Did any notable persons, famous scholars, or influential politicians try to disseminate Christianity in the Empire?

If not, what was the key to the great success of Christianity in conquering the Empire?  The key was the Gospels and other documents in the New Testament.  There were no other means for Christianity to rely on in its deployment in the Empire.  But what features or parts of the Gospels appealed to Romans?  Most probably direct expressions of the words of Christ Jesus depicted in the Gospels.

We can only know what Christ Jesus told by reading the Bible.  So, the core of Christianity is the words of Christ Jesus, rather than His story depicted in the Bible, including His birth and crucifixion.

However, no mater how much and many ways scholars, priests, even the Pope, etc. interpreted the words of Christ Jesus reported in the Gospels,  it is each individual who finds truth in His words, the truth for himself or herself.




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Luk 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.