"when Herod had sought for him" - Mysterious Egypt

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Mysterious Egypt

The yeast of bread was fist discovered in Egypt though barley and wheat were brought to Egypt from Mesopotamia.

It is also impressive that the Bible depicted the journey to Egypt for both the stories of Abraham and Christ Jesus.  Moses was also half-Egyptian.

Egypt is still mysterious.  Something crucial to Christianity might be waiting in Egypt for its discovery.

The Nag Hammadi Library, a collection of thirteen ancient books (called "codices") containing over fifty texts, was discovered in upper Egypt in 1945. This immensely important discovery includes a large number of primary "Gnostic Gospels" – texts once thought to have been entirely destroyed during the early Christian struggle to define "orthodoxy" – scriptures such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Truth. The discovery and translation of the Nag Hammadi library, initially completed in the 1970's, has provided impetus to a major re-evaluation of early Christian history and the nature of Gnosticism.
http://gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html

Nag Hammadi Texts - Index by Codex Location
Codex I (The Jung Codex)
The Prayer of the Apostle Paul
(Meyer translation)
(Mueller CGLP translation)
The Apocryphon (Secret Book) of James
(Meyer and Barnstone translation)
(Williams CGLP translation)
(Cameron translation)
The Gospel of Truth*
(Barnstone & Meyer translation)
(Grant translation)
(Attridge & MacRae CGLP translation)
The Treatise on the Resurrection
(Barnstone translation)
(Peel CGLP translation)
The Tripartite Tractate
(Attridge and Mueller CGPL translation)
Codex II
The Apocryphon (Secret Book) of John* – long version
(Meyer translation)
(Davies translation)
(Waldstein & Wisse - Short Version translation)
(Waldstein & Wisse - Long Version translation)
(Wisse CGLP translation)
See the Aprocryphon of John Collection for more information
The Gospel of Thomas
(Meyer translation)
(Davies translation)
(Lambdin CGLP translation)
(Patterson & Meyer translation)
(Patterson & Robinson translation)
See the Gospel of Thomas Collection for more information
The Gospel of Philip
(Meyer translation)
(Barnstone translation)
(Isenberg CGLP translation)
The Hypostasis of the Archons – The Reality of the Rulers
(Barnstone & Meyer translation)
(Layton CGLP translation)
On the Origin of the World*
(Barnstone & Meyer translation)
(Bethge & Layton CGLP translation)
The Exegesis on the Soul
(Barnstone & Meyer translation)
(Robinson CGLP translation)
The Book of Thomas the Contender
(Turner Annotated translation)
(Turner CGLP translation)

Codex III
The Apocryphon (Secret Book) of John* – short version
(Waldstein & Wisse - Short Version translation)
See the Aprocryphon of John Collection for more information
The Gospel of the Egyptians*
(Bohlig & Wisse CGLP translation)
Eugnostos the Blessed*
(Parrott CGLP translation)
The Sophia of Jesus Christ
(Parrott CGLP translation)
The Dialogue of the Savior
(Emmel CGLP translation)
Codex IV
The Apocryphon (Secret Book) of John* – long version
(Waldstein & Wisse - Long Version translation)
See the Aprocryphon of John Collection for more information
The Gospel of the Egyptians*
(Bohlig & Wisse CGLP translation)
Codex V
Eugnostos the Blessed*
(Parrott CGLP translation)
The Apocalypse (Revelation) of Paul
(MacRae & Murdock CGLP translation)
The (First) Apocalypse (Revelation) of James
(Schoedel CGLP translation)
The (Second) Apocalypse (Revelation) of James
(Hedrick CGLP translation)
The Apocalypse (Revelation) of Adam
(Barnstone translation)
(MacRae CGLP translation)
Codex VI
The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles
(Parrott & McL.Wilson CGLP translation)
The Thunder, Perfect Mind
(Barnstone translation)
(MacRae CGLP translation)
Authoritative Teaching
(MacRae CGLP translation)
The Concept of Our Great Power
(Wisse CGLP translation)
Plato, Republic 588A-589B
(Brashler CGLP translation)
The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth
(Meyer translation)
(Brashler, Dirkse & Parrott CGLP translation)
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
(Brashler, Dirkse & Parrott CGLP translation)
Asclepius 21-29
(Brashler, Dirkse & Parrott CGLP translation)
Codex VII
The Paraphrase of Shem
(Barnstone translation)
(Wisse CGLP translation)
The Second Treatise of the Great Seth
(Barnstone translation)
(Bullard & Gibbons CGLP translation)
The Apocalypse (Revelation) of Peter
(Brashler & Bullard CGLP translation)
The Teachings of Silvanus
(Peel & Zandee CGLP translation)
The Three Steles of Seth
(Meyer & Barnstone translation)
(Robinson CGLP translation)
Codex VIII
Zostrianos
(Turner Scholar's translation)
(Sieber CGLP translation)
The Letter of Peter to Philip
(Meyer translation)
(Wisse CGLP translation)
Codex IX
Melchizedek
(Giversen & Pearson CGLP translation)
The Thought of Norea
(Giversen & Pearson CGLP translation)
The Testimony of Truth
(Giversen & Pearson CGLP translation)
Codex X
Marsanes
(Turner Scholar's translation)
(Pearson CGLP translation)
Codex XI
The Interpretation of Knowledge
(Turner CGLP translation)
A Valentinian Exposition
2a. On the Anointing
2b. On the Baptism A
2c. On the Baptism B
2d. On the Eucharist A
2e. On the Eucharist B
Allogenes – The Foreigner
(Turner Annonated translation)
(Turner & Wintermute CGLP translation)
Hypsiphrone
(Turner CGLP translation)
Codex XII
The Sentences of Sextus
(Wisse CGLP translation)
The Gospel of Truth*
(Barnstone & Meyer translation)
(Grant translation)
(Attridge & MacRae CGLP translation)
Fragments (translation not provided here)
Codex XIII
Trimorphic Protennoia – Three Forms of First Thought
(Barnstone translation)
(Turner GCLP translation)
(Turner Annotated translation)
On the Origin of the World*
(Barnstone & Meyer translation)
(Bethge & Layton CGLP translation)
http://gnosis.org/naghamm/nhlcodex.html

It looks like a real Christian library.  Indeed it is mysterious why Egyptians and the Arabs needed Islam.


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Act 12:18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
Act 12:19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.

"I will put my spirit upon him" - A Basic Version of the Human History

Summer Rainy Protest against the Government in Tokyo

A Basic Version of the Human History

Suppose that God created the time and space and the universe, including all the atoms and the elementary particles in addition to light and gravity.

But for what?  The answer can be seen as stars were born in the universe and the earth was shaped around the sun.  On the planet earth there emerged living things.  But God is spirit not a material entity or simple living matter.  So, He gave spirit to human beings.  Then, God observed how they behaved.

Betraying the expectations of God, not all the tribes of human beings were afraid of God enough to satisfy Him.  So, God chose one tribe later called Hebrews, since He found a remarkable faithful man later called Abraham.

Then, God observed how Hebrews and descendants of Abraham behaved.

Betraying the expectations of God, not all the Hebrews were afraid of God enough to satisfy Him.  So, God chose Jesus of Nazareth, since He found him more pious than John the Baptist who was the true successor in spirit of Abraham.

Then, God put his spirit into Jesus of Nazareth who then became the Son of God (and further unified with God after his death or his resurrection.)

But still God observed how mankind would behave after they were taught by Christ Jesus.

Betraying the expectations of God, not all the members of mankind turned to God.  What was worse, mankind killed Christ Jesus.  So, He gave up an idea to use Judaists as a tool to make the teaching of Christ Jesus prevail in the world.  God had Christ Jesus choose Saul later called Paul for this purpose.  And, Christianity was established.

Then, God observed how Christianity would save mankind.

Betraying the expectations of God, Christianity could not be instilled to the Arabs, the Persians, and so on.  So, God chose an Arab as the founder of Islam.  But, the words of God given to the Arab man through an angel reflected His discomfort to mankind.  He requested Muslims to pray to Him in a rigorous manner to show their awe of God who was so displeased with mankind.

Even today, Muslims pray to God in a rigorous way.  But, their manner of practicing the religion should not be only unique to Muslims.  It must be also applied to Judaists and Christians, since it reflects displeasure of God with all the mankind.  Rather, we must think Muslims are performing such rigorous religious rituals on behalf of Judaists, Christians, and all the other members of mankind.

The most basic version of the human history must be written with focus on the relationship between the Creator God and humankind.  And the key to understanding the relationship is religion.

Otherwise, any textbooks without following this principle must be like a series of renditions, say, of a movie like Star Wars.
  




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Mat 12:16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
Mat 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

"to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" - The US to Become Religiously Neutral

Tokyo

The US to Become Religiously Neutral

Whenever I see the world map, I cannot help but wonder how great God is to set Palestine or Jerusalem at the connecting point of Africa, Europe, and Asia.

North and northwest over the Mediterranean and the Black Sea is Europe: immediately surrounding Palestine is the Islamic world; south beyond the Sahara is the domain of pure Africans; and east beyond the Himalayas is the domain of pure Asians.  Indeed, Palestine or Jerusalem situated at the center of the world.

That is why Abraham had to move to Palestine from southern Iraq and Christ Jesus had to carry out His mission around Jerusalem: the center of the world.

Today, Judaists live in Palestine and around Jerusalem.  And, in regions immediately surrounding Palestine and Jerusalem live Muslims.  And in the west regions surrounding the Islamic world Christians live.  Further, in the east regions surrounding the Islamic world Hindus and Buddhists live.  It is a partly concentric configuration.

However there is one big abundant element in the world: the American Continent.  The American Continent breaks the said configuration of regions around Palestine or Jerusalem.  How should we situate the American Continent in the holy geographical configuration?

The said holy geographical configuration had been effective till the US came to play a major role in the world in the late 20th century.  In other word, the world configuration or the world history had decisively changed when the US became the superpower in the world in the late 20th century.  And this paradigm shift was completed in 2000.  But as soon as the world entered the new era in 2001, the 9/11 Terror occurred.  It symbolized holy demand for the US to face Islam in earnest.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-religion-map.htm

The American Continent was first developed by Christians.  Then came Judaists in the large number.  Now, God seems to want Muslims move to the American Continent.  The challenges of AlQaeda and IS against the US must symbolize it.  The 21st century must be a century when Muslims should expand to the American Continent.  Afterward, Hindus and Buddhists must expand to the Continent.  Then eventually, the US will become religiously neutral.

So, we will probably see a Juadaist President of the US, a Muslim President of the US, and then a Hindu or Buddhist President of the US.  It is because the holly geographic configuration should be realized in the world with the US becoming religiously neutral..




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Mar 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

" he spake a parable unto them" - Our Fates in the Hand of God

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Our Fates in the Hand of God

Knowledge is power and one of the great sources of success and wealth.  But it does not apply to salvation of human souls.  This is one of underlying doctrines of Christ Jesus.

No matter how much you have learnt about culture, science and religion, your soul cannot be saved.  You have to be first righteous.  You have to love God and your neighbors.  And then your soul can be saved.

Also, how much you are materially abundant does not mean you are blessed by God.  Advanced products, goods, and riches are what people want.  But the more you have riches, the less you have faith in God.

But the material civilization today is supported by a great amount of advanced knowledge in culture, science and technology, making people's living comfort and convenient.  But the more the material civilization becomes advanced, the less people become righteous and pious.  For example, the modern medical science saves millions of lives but the modern weapons kill also millions of people.

Therefore, along with development of civilization, people come to think about God less and less.  People become indifferent about the teaching of Christ Jesus.  And furthermore, people turn to be anti-Christ.

Knowledgeable and rich people surrounded by affluent riches and advanced products while living in a high-tech environment would find no need to pray to God for anything.  They get everything by use of money they want.  At least they think so.  And those assets have been obtained without their relying on God.  They have no reasons for praying to God.

But, no matter how rich a man is today, he cannot control his fate.  It is God that decides his fate.  No matter how rich one becomes, he cannot set his own fate about how and when he dies.

And, the whole mankind looks like a rich man depicted in the Bible.  One night when he is reflecting how rich and lucky he is without minding any poor and unhappy people, God has decided to take his life soon.  When mankind is reflecting how advanced his civilization is, God might decide to put an end to the history of mankind.

While the world is facing problems such as global warming and global terror, mankind do not become so arrogant.  But when these problems are solved, mankind should become so self-contended, reflecting how great they are to solve those fatal problems by use of their intellect without relying on God.  Mankind might come to think that they don't need faith in God.  It can be a critical moment that God decides put an end to the history of mankind.

Therefore, we have to solve such problems as global warming and global terror without relying on our intellect but by relying on our faith in God.

Problems that have resulted from advancement of material civilization cannot be solved by intelligence that has promoted the material civilization.  Only faith in God can, since the fate of every civilized person is in the hand of God.




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Luk 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luk 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

"It is his angel" - Reading of Millions of Religious Books

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Reading of Millions of Religious Books

His disciples left Christ Jesus and ran away when Roman soldiers and temple priests came to arrest Him.

It means that even Peter ran away leaving Christ Jesus alone in the hand of enemies.  That must be why Christ Jesus chose Paul, but not Peter, as His successor in the holy missions to gentiles.  Nonetheless, St. Peter is still regarded as the first Pope of the Vatican.

But why were those disciples afraid so much?  They had been with the Son of God for months or a few years, but they were afraid of Roman soldiers and temple priests coming to arrest them at night.  Were they, including St. Peter, just cowards?  Did they just pretend to be followers of Christ Jesus?  Could not Christ Jesus imbue His disciples with true faith?  What was that farcical incident for?

Or had it been planned by Christ Jesus?  Beforehand, He had seen how little their faith had been, so that Christ Jesus had not instructed them to stay with Him when His enemies came to arrest him.  But why only such little faith could His disciples have after having spent time for months or a few years with Him, receiving direct teachings.

Those disciples must have thought that their Master was the Son of God or the Messiah, so that even Roman soldiers and temple priests could not came to attack Him.  They must have been pleased with the idea so much.  Therefore the appearance of the armed enemies at night must have been  a kind of thunderbolt out of the blue.  The disciples must not have been prepared for it at all.  That is why they just ran away.  But could this scenario be so possible?

However, after the Crucifixion, when Christ Jesus disappeared from the tomb and appeared to His disciples, they came to have strong faith in Christ Jesus.  And then, Christianity started to emerge.

In other word, no matter what teachings the disciples heard directly from Christ Jesus, it was no use for them.  For them to have unshaken faith in Christ Jesus, He had to be crucified and later resurrected.

It applies to people of today.  No matter how deep teachings and words they might learn through books or in schools or churches, their faith cannot be said to be so reliable and determined.  They have to also run away from Christ Jesus, who is the Son of God and the Messiah, and then see crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus to have true faith in Him.  But, there is no Christ Jesus living as a man around them.  How can it be realized?

One possible answer must be the Pope.  As the successor of St. Peter or the surrogate of Christ Jesus, each Pope must die on the cross and resurrect like Christ Jesus to make people have true faith.  This must be the true mission and duty of every Pope in the past.  But what Pope did it?
 
In other word, the fact that every Pope did not die on the cross and later resurrected in these 2000 years means that people have not had true faith yet.

People do not have true faith till they see the great miracle of Pope's death on the cross and later resurrection like Christ Jesus Himself.  Indeed, if armed enemies of a Pope had appeared to arrest him, every Christian must have run away in the past and even today.

Anyway it is a great miracle that makes one a true Christian but not reading of millions of religious books.





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Act 12:13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
Act 12:14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
Act 12:15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

"two wings of a great eagle" - St. James and St. Paul

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St. James and St. Paul

Christ Jesus had a brother called James.

But Christ Jesus called Saul to succeed Him in the mission to gentiles.  Nonetheless, James inherited the spirit of Christ Jesus, loving the poor and condemning the rich.

Jam 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Jam 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jam 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

So, James understood that God chose the poor but not the rich.  And those who do not understand this truth despise the poor while the rich blaspheme against Christ Jesus.

According to James, the rich are enemies of God.

But Saul or Paul did not take this precipitous stance.

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Those who fall into the category of sinful people Paul condemns are of course mostly rich people.  But if any rich men should think that they are not so bad as condemned by Paul, they have to accept the teaching of Paul.  But for them to accept the word of Paul, they have to abandon their riches even gradually or step by step.  And, eventually they will be poor.

So, Christ Jesus intended to directly accuse the rich, as seen in the word of James, but also give a chance to the rich for repenting and becoming poor to be forgiven by God, as seen in the word of Paul.

In deed, while the world is controlled by rich men and sinful men, there is no bright future for mankind.  Without rich men in the West controlling the global economy and sinful men in the Islamic world supporting terror, the future of the world will be bright without dangerous global warming and terrorism.




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Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.