Referenced Articles from the APSE Bible Study:
The Life of Jesus
The Cult of Mary 1
The Roman Empire Prior to Jesus’ Birth 5
The Allegorical Interpretation of the Apocryphal
Gospel of Thomas 7
Why decimation was the most unfair punishment
in the Roman Army. 10
The Kings Herod 12
Timeline of Leadership and Events in Judah/Israel
198 B.C. - 73 A.D. 14
The History That Gave Us Caesar Augustus and King
Herod in Luke 2 and the Birth of Jesus - A Timeline 20
The 10 Commandments -
What are the 10 Commandments 22
The 10 Commandments - A Cynic’s View 25
7 Ways to Test if Your Church Has Become Your Idol 27
Pharisees and Sadducees 29
We’re Having Another Girl. My Husband Just Asked Me
to Do the Unthinkable. 34
Poverty:
The Poor You Will Always Have with You -
What did Jesus Mean? 35
Should I give Money to Beggars? 37
Tallapoosa Peonage Case
(Were Negroes better off as slaves?) 41
Alabama Literacy Tests for Voting 44
Pilate Released Barabbas, Really? 45
1
THE CULT OF MARY
HOW MARY BECAME A SAINTE WORTHY OF VENERATION
5th Century – Is it proper to call Mary the Mother of God? It took a church council to determine that is was proper.
16th Century – Protestants criticized veneration of and prayer to Mary. Protestants and Catholics argue over this even til today.
In the Gospels there is an ambivalent or even mildly negative view of Mary. It is in the early apocrypha that Mary becomes a leader of the Saints and special attributes of virginity worthy of worship.
She can intercede with God. Mary’s death differ from an ordinary death. Apocryphal texts give a special role for Mary in human salvation.
1) The Gospel of James (or the Protoevangelium of James) is a 2nd-century infancy gospel telling of the miraculous conception of the Virgin Mary, her upbringing and marriage to Joseph, the journey of the couple to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, and events immediately following. It is the earliest surviving assertion of the perpetual virginity of Mary, meaning her virginity not just prior to the birth of Jesus, but during and afterwards, and, despite being condemned by Pope Innocent I in 405 and rejected by the Gelasian Decree around 500, became a widely influential source for Mariology.
The Gospel of James is assumed to have been in circulation soon after c.150 AD. The author claims to be James the half-brother of Jesus by an earlier marriage of Joseph, but in fact his identity is unknown.
Mary is presented as an extraordinary child destined for great things from the moment of her conception. Her parents, the wealthy Joachim and his wife Anna (or Anne), are distressed that they have no children, and Joachim goes into the wilderness to pray, leaving Anna to lament her childless state. God hears Anna's prayer, angels announce the coming child, and in the seventh month of Anna's pregnancy (underlining the exceptional nature of Mary's future life) she is born. Anna dedicates the child to God and vows that she shall be raised in the Temple. Joachim and Anna name the child Mary, and when she is three years old they send her to the Temple, where she is fed each day by an angel.
When Mary approaches her twelfth year the priests decide that she can no longer stay in the Temple lest her menstrual blood render it unclean, and God finds a widower, Joseph, to act as her guardian: Joseph is depicted as elderly and the father of grown sons; he has no desire for sexual relations with Mary. He leaves on business, and Mary is called to the Temple to help weave the temple curtain, where one day an angel appears and tells her that she has been chosen to conceive Jesus the Savior, but that she will not give birth as other women do. Joseph returns and finds Mary six months pregnant, and rebukes her, fearing that the priests will assume that he is the guilty party. They do, but the chastity of both is proven through the "test of bitter waters".
The Roman census forces the holy couple to travel to Bethlehem, but Mary's time comes before they can reach the village. Joseph settles Mary in a cave, where she is guarded by his sons, while he goes in search of a midwife, and for an apocalyptic moment as he searches all creation stands still. He returns with a midwife, and as they stand at the mouth of the cave a cloud overshadows it, an intense light fills it, and there is suddenly a baby at Mary's breast. Joseph and the midwife marvel at the miracle, but a second midwife named Salome (the first is not given a name) insists on examining Mary (she is still a virgin), upon which her hand withers as a sign of her lack of faith; Salome prays to God for forgiveness and an angel appears and tells her to touch the Christ Child, upon which her hand is healed.
The gospel concludes with the visit of the Three Magi, the massacre of the innocents in Bethlehem, the martyrdom of the High Priest Zechariah (father of John the Baptist), and the election of his successor Simeon, and an epilogue, telling the circumstances under which the work was supposedly composed.
The ordeal of the bitter water serves to defend Jesus against accusation of illegitimacy levied in the 2nd century by pagan and Jewish opponents of Christianity. Christian sensitivity to these charges made them eager to defend both the virgin birth of Jesus and the immaculate conception of Mary (i.e., her freedom from sin at the moment of her conception).
(Mary is mentioned in the Gospels of Thomas and Mary, maybe Mary the mother of Jesus, but probably Mary Magdalene. So these books are not included here.)
2) The questions of Bartholomew
The text draws heavily on Jewish mysticism such as the Book of Enoch, itself a non-canonical text.
The time is after Jesus’s resurrection. Peter and Mary dispute things. Who should pray? Mary (the vessel of Jesus) or Peter (the rock of Christ’s church)? Next they argue over who should ask Jesus a question. Mary? Peter? Bartholomew says skip it, I will.
Mary also does explain the vision of how she was to give birth to the Christ. She warned them fire will come from her mouth – and it did.
Initially, the text describes how Jesus descended into hell in his own words, and then jumps to discussing the virginal conception when Mary arrives amongst the apostles. Next, the apostles ask for a vision of hell, and angels roll up the earth to let them, and then return the earth when they have glimpsed it.
Mary’s Dormition – How Mary falls asleep and ascends into heaven. Taken from a large number of stories, hymns, and sermons describe her last days. Mary’s body did not decay in the ground. She was miraculously transformed and transported to heaven. These stories relate Mary’s knowledge of mysteries because of her special relationship with the Lord. Mary has the ability to intercede on behalf of others because of her relationship with her son. Two main texts are below:
3) The Book of Mary’s Repose (the 3rd century - the Palm of the Tree of Life Traditions)
An angel appears to Mary and tells her she will soon die. Mary receives a book (later editions a palm branch) from an angel. The angel is Jesus. He and Mary reminisce. Jesus reveals great mysteries to Mary including a secret prayer to enable her soul to bypass the rulers of the cosmos and enter directly to heaven. The chief demonic power is a beast with a lion body and a snake tail. Very heretical thinking – that the cosmos is ruled by evil powers represented by animals and you need secret passwords to get past them – GNOSTICISM.
The disciples are transported miraculously to the sight of Mary’s death. Mary’s soul is taken by Jesus and given to the angel Michael. The apostles take Mary’s body. The Jews try to intervene and burn Mary’s body. One touches Mary’s body and his hand shrivels. Mary is buried. Jesus returns and takes Mary’s body and reunites it with her soul. She is transported to a place beside the Tree of Life in Paradise. She is ASSUMED into paradise.
Mary and the apostles get to see the damned in hell. They cry our to her, Mary, we beseech you. Have mercy. Give us a little rest. The apostles have no mercy, but Mary does. Jesus will give the damned 3 hours of relief every Sunday. Mary can intervene and obtain relief from her son. Mary “the Queen.”
Mary has special esoteric knowledge of mysteries that Christ has shared with her.
Her body is pure and spotless. She does not die but lies down and sleeps and is transported to heaven.
She can intervene on people’s behalf with Christ.
4) The 6 Books Dormition Apocryphan (the 4th Century – The Bethlehem Traditions)
The piety of Mary perceived by Christians in the 4th Century.
The apostles gather around Mary in Bethlehem where she has moved from Jerusalem as she is about to die. Each apostle kisses her breast and her knee, where Jesus suckled and where Jesus was held. Acts of veneration – worship. These Christians have undoubtedly begun to worship Mary as well by this time. Mary starts performing miracles. Healing blind and deaf. Casting out demons by making the sign of the cross. Large crowds are attracted to Mary. They are to be arrested. Mary and the disciples “fly” to Jerusalem to escape where the miracles continue. Mary and apparitions are linked, a phenomenon that continues to today. A Jew tries to attack Mary. His hand shrivels. But Mary heals him. Christ and Michael take Mary to heaven. The text says to venerate Mary and have special days. Especially over agriculture and bread. The trend was to venerate the saints and especially Mary – a holy and pure woman. Mary became the one to petition to her son for mercy, healing, etc.
Debate swirled around Mary and her position as “mother of God.” Theologists debated but the people were adamant she was. In 431 a declaration was made that Mary was declared the mother of God.
In Roman Catholicism, the Assumption of Mary is an official dogma of the Vatican affirming that the mother of Jesus never actually experienced physical death, and instead entered into Heaven in bodily form accompanied by a host of angels. Roman Catholics believe that Mary was transported into Heaven with her body and soul united. The feast day recognizing Mary's passage into Heaven is celebrated as The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics. This doctrine was defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution, Munificentissimus Deus. In those denominations that observe it, the Assumption is commonly celebrated on August 15.
Although the assumption was only recently defined as dogma, and in spite of a statement by Epiphanius of Salamis (315-403 C.E.) in 377 C.E. that no one knew of the eventual fate of Mary, stories of the assumption of Mary into heaven have circulated since at least the fifth century, although the Catholic church itself interprets chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation as referring to it.
In 1950 Pope Pius made official Catholic Doctrine the assumption of Mary into heaven. The church was fully behind a position that was put forth in apocryphal texts.
5
The Roman Empire Prior to Jesus’ Birth
By James Spangler
Julius Caesar - a ruler who tried to spread the wealth - to redistribute land among the people.
He was romantically involved with Cleopatra of Egypt.
He had a triumvirate of leaders, Cassius, Brutus, and Pompey. Pompey was the military leader who conquered Jerusalem.
Caesar, because of his “ambitions,” was deemed unfit and on the Ides of March he was stabbed by his associates Cassius and Brutus.
A power struggle developed and “Roman Palestine” - which describes the area perfectly but also was never called that - was in the thick of it.
The sides were Cassius and Brutus vs. a team of Octavian and Marc Antony.
Marc Antony got the upper hand; Cassius and Brutus were in dire straits and needed troops. And money. Up stepped just the men to help them, Antipas and his sons - Phasaelus and a guy named Herod.
Herod taxed his agricultural area to death. And his subjects hated him for it. A theme that will be repeated over and over in Herod’s reign.
Cassius and Brutus were defeated, one committed suicide, the other had his attendant kill him.
Antipater and his sons had backed the wrong side.
Herod - a Smooth Operator
Antipater, Herod’s father, is poisoned and dies.
Herod, a friend of Marc Antony, was able to convince him Antipater helped Brutus and Cassius only under military threat. Marc Antony falls for it and executed Antipater’s murderer.
But Roman Palestine hit another bump. The Parthians, urged by the Hasmonian Antigonus, attacked and conquered the area in 40 B.C. A shrewd Herod pulls off a slick deal, going to Rome and convincing the Senate he can retake the area.
In a brutal campaign - 3 years of massacre - Herod retakes Palestine for the Roman Empire.
Octavian and Marc Antony co-ruled the empire, Antony based in Egypt. Marc Antony is married to Octavian’s sister, but he also fell for Cleopatra and became co-ruler with her in Egypt. They tried one last push at establishing an Egyptian empire but Octavian declared war on Egypt, crushing them in a sea battle with the end result the suicide of Marc Antony and Cleopatra.
The area is now under Roman rule. And the new ruler is Octavian, soon to be known as Caesar Augustus. Augustus was a most progressive emperor who ruled for 40 years, building impressive buildings, cities, and infrastructure (water, sewage, roads) that literally changed the world by opening trade from China to Scotland.
And in “Roman Palestine” Augustus put the area under the rule of Herod whom he named “King of the Jews.” Hence his concern when the Magi visited and said a new “king of the Jews” had been born (the Massacre of the Innocents)?
Herod also hedged his bet by marrying Miriam, a member of the old Hasmonean dynasty. Miriam's brother was next in line to the Hasmonian throne.
Herod matched Augustus’ progressive building of cities and buildings and worshiping Hellenistic Gods.
Jewish subsistence farming is changed forever. Somebody had to feed Augustus’ cities. And the farmers are bled dry again WITH TAXES, stolen land (via TAX COLLECTORS), creating mega farms. Overseen by cruel landlords. Hence two very relatable topics for Jesus’ parables and lessons.
Note: Is it really a wonder why Jews were confused with Jesus-person preaching pacifism, not power, to oppose this life under Herod and Roman rule?
SEE ALSO History of the Herods
7
An Allegorical Interpretation of
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
By James Spangler
For a background on The Infancy Gospel of Thomas See The Life of Jesus - Part 1 Chapter 6. Stories of Jesus’ Childhood from the Apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
The entire translation of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas can be found at the following link: https://www.gospels.net/infancythomas
How can this possibly be taken as a serious collection of material about Jesus? Jesus was PERFECT. No Sin. Yet cursing? Murder? Of a child?
Is there anything more despicable than taking the life of a child? Could anything be more reprehensible? Should we toss this book in the trash bin?
(My opinion: I really like this book. Strange. But the message is there.)
Think for a minute. What was the state of Christianity when this book was written? (Although some say 60 A.D. it is more likely 150-200 A.D. 160 A.D. being a consensus.) The late 2nd century? Different than the late 1st century (90 A.D.)? What was written then? The apocalypse of John. Revelation. What genre did John write in? Some sort of code. Some sort of parable. Symbolic language. Metaphors. What stands for what? Why was this bizarre account written? Who was it written for? What does it mean? (Was there persecution of Christians when The Infancy Gospel of Thomas was written? Or was it a jarring tale meant to spread the ministry of Jesus?
Really? From non-canonical, from heretical, from GNOSTIC, condemned from every angle: TO A SYNOPSIS OF JESUS’ MESSAGE TO THE JEWS! WOW!
1. The book is about Jesus’ youth growing to the age 12. Significant? Perhaps. 12 is a recurring number in the Bible. 12 sons of Jacob. 12 tribes of Israel. 12 disciples. Growing to age 12… WHAT WOULD 12 MEAN HERE???
2. Let’s suppose Joseph represents God. The father of Jesus. Well, he sort of is. The father of Jesus. Sort of…
3. Jesus performed miracles in the Infancy Gospel. On the Sabbath. Yeah, he did that. In the Gospels.
7 times
Mark 1:29-31 Jesus heals Simon Peter’s Mother-in-law.
Mark 3:1-6 Jesus heals the man with the withered hand.
John 9:1-16 Jesus heals a man born blind.
Luke 13:10-17 Jesus heals a crippled woman.
Luke 14:1-6 Jesus heals a man with dropsy.
Mark 1:21-28 Jesus drives out an evil spirit.
John 5:1-18 Jesus heals a lame man by the pool of Bethesda.
This time he made 12 clay birds. That “12” again. And he BREATHED LIFE into the 12. WHAT DID JESUS BREATHE LIFE INTO? ANY IDEAS? Did he breathe life into Israel? Judah? Into the 12 tribes? Was he rejuvenating the faith? REDEFINING the faith? What other 12 do we have? 12 DISCIPLES? Did Jesus breathe the BREATH OF LIFE into the disciples???
4. Questioned by the son of Annas (the Annas of the trial of Jesus) about performing miracles on the Sabbath, Jesus curses him and he withers and dies. Well that would create some hate. And was there hate in Annas? Seems likely… Could Jesus kill ANYTHING more precious to Annas than HIS SON??? Or WAS IT HIS SON? Maybe it was Annas’ BABY. As in: that’s “my baby.” That’s my pet project. My baby. I worked on an AOA project - examining babies’ eyes for free. The life project of Admiral David Sullins. It was his “baby.” That’s what his whole life was about. And for Annas? The LAW. The TEMPLE. The PRIESTHOOD. The POWER. THAT is his “BABY.”
Jesus certainly was creating some problems for Annas, the chief priest, perhaps considered the “father” of Israel at the time. Was Jesus killing the “old ways'' and replacing them with a new covenant? Annas, a Sadducee, had it good. This guy, Jesus, is making waves. Did Annas pray to Joseph (as the father symbol of God) to shut Jesus up and tell Joseph to take his troublemaker (brat) to move away? HIT THE BRICKS!!! You (Jesus) and essentially God (Joseph): consider yourselves tossed out of the temple. Excommunicated. YOU can’t live here anymore. YOU are not welcome in the temple anymore. YOU are not JEWS. You are not even JEW-ISH (in the words of George Santos).
5. A “child of Israel” (a believer in the Jewish law) bumped into Jesus. Hey buddy, knock it off. We can do more than just bully you, ya know. We really could “kill you” if we wanted to. “Oh yeah?” says Jesus, I could call a legion of angels and wipe you ALL out.
The thing is, the Jewish leaders, the children of Israel DID plot to kill Jesus. And they could, because he was a blasphemer. Did Jesus call the angels to save himself? No. But the Gospel of Thomas showed that he could. But he didn’t. He had a job to do - save the world. And he did.
6. Let’s go back. Jesus KILLED CHILDREN? How could anything be more objectionable to anyone? Then again, to the Pharisees, how could anything be more objectionable to them than the changing of the old ways of Moses? What could be more blasphemous than a “NEW COVENANT?” Jesus is not only changing the religion, he is destroying their jobs (and the power, fame, and cash that goes with it).
7. Breaking the Sabbath, performing miracles like a sorcerer, interrupting the teachers, correcting the teachers, debating the leaders. Of course the leaders in the temple point this out to Joseph, Jesus’ “father.” Just as the Pharisees questioned God: What is this guy doing here? Who does he think he is upsetting the apple cart here, a NEW COVENANT?
CONCLUSION: This is a very deep book. This book is not about Jesus’ childhood at all. This book is not written for children. This book is written for adults. It refers to Israel, the 12 tribes. It is loaded with symbolism of Jewish leadership, it is loaded with Jesus’ relationship with Jewish leaders. It is BOLD. It cuts to the chase. It is effective. It is as audacious as “not PROCLAIMING, but BEING the son of God and FULFILLING THE LAW!!!”
10
BBC History Magazine
Why decimation was the most unfair
punishment in the Roman Army
By Danny Bird
Roman generals thought the best way to maintain discipline within the ranks was through a brutal and arbitrary act that left the survivors fearful
In order to keep the ruthless war machine that was the Roman army going, discipline was paramount. Penalising severe offences, such as desertion and mutiny, required a particularly brutal form of punishment – that was decimation.
What was the Roman punishment decimation?
Coming from the Latin for ‘removal of a tenth’, decimation involved the selection and execution of every tenth man in a group of soldiers.
What’s more, the man chosen would be put to death by his own comrades. This punished, deterred and restored order within the ranks in one vicious swoop.
Speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast, historian Adrian Goldsworthy addressed the common misconception that decimation indicated a near-apocalyptic event where most people would die. Indeed, that is how the word is generally used today.
Rather, says Goldsworthy, “decimation meant executing one in ten, not executing 90 per cent and leaving 10 per cent alive… it [was] not crippling as a rule.”
How did decimation work in practice?
The punishment of decimation began by rallying the troops, whereupon the military tribune would present the accused before a general. Following a public reprimand detailing the offences, the names of all the solders were placed into a receptacle, such as a helmet.
A certain number of names were drawn, often every tenth soldier, and the unlucky selectees would be executed. This grim lottery underscored the randomness of the punishment, and so instilled fear into the surviving soldiers.
“Punishment in the Roman world is seen as something that’s designed to be public, symbolic, to deter others,” says Goldsworthy.
“That’s why you throw people to the lions in the arenas – so they die slowly and unpleasantly and very visibly. The army worked under the same principle.”
The Roman army’s reputation as one of history’s most rigorously organised and trained military forces can be attributed, in part, to its disciplinary measures.
What offenses could lead to decimation?
Decimation was an extreme punishment for the most serious transgressions, such as cowardice, insubordination, desertion and mutiny.
The mere threat of decimation was designed to ensure that soldiers adhered to military discipline. They would come to understand that any misconduct could lead to severe consequences, regardless of rank or even role in the transgression, for themselves and for their comrades.
What is the earliest Roman account of decimation?
One of the earliest-known cases of decimation dates back to 471 BC. According to the Roman historian Livy, an army under the command of the consul Appius Claudius Sabinus Inregillensis retreated from the battlefield.
Outraged, he had the first deserters flogged and decapitated, then decimated every tenth man to serve as a stark warning.
What is the most famous use of decimation?
Perhaps the most famous instance occurred during the slave uprising led by gladiator-turned-slave Spartacus, known as the Third Servile War (73 to 71 BC).
After failing to crush the rebellion, the Roman general, Marcus Licinius Crassus, had his legions decimated.
Decades later, Mark Antony is also known to have given orders for his legions to be decimated.
Was decimation a common punishment?
Despite its effectiveness in inspiring fear and maintaining discipline, the use of decimation was not common practice.
The psychological toll on soldiers, forced to kill their comrades, would have tested morale.
When did decimation fall out of favour?
The last time decimation was used by the Romans occurred under Diocletian, who ruled as emperor from AD 284 to 305.
Following the Roman empire’s conversion to Christianity, the seeds of which were sown with the edict of Milan in AD 313, the punishment gradually declined as more humane ideas came into vogue.
Has decimation been used since the Romans?
The principle of randomly selecting wayward soldiers for execution has a long history in Europe. It was notably used by the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48).
As recently as the 20th century, it was deployed by the French and Italian armies during the First World War. It has been said that the chief of staff of the Italian Army, General Luigi Cadorna, executed more than 750 men under his command for cowardice.
Another shocking example took place during the Finnish Civil War of 1918 when nationalist White Guards executed about 90 leftist Red Guard prisoners in Varkaus. This became commonly known as the ‘Lottery of Huruslahti’.
12
The Kings Herod
The kings Herod were JEWISH! By conversion. They were originally Edomites, a land in Southeast Palestine. They were enemies of the Jewish nation often involved in battles against it. They were from the lineage of Esau, prophesied to be divided against Jacob’s offspring and eventually disappear (Ezekiel). They converted to Judaism under coercion by John Hyracanus..
Herod the Great was grandson of Antipas, the original convert to Judaism. Antipas’ son, Antipater saw power swinging from the Hasmonean Dynasty (sort of an independent Israel following the Maccabean Revolt in 167-160 B.C. extending from 140 to 110 B.C., disintegrating from 110 B.C. on) to the Roman Empire. Antipater changed allegiances to Rome and became a “client state” under Roman rule. In 40 B.C. the Hasmonians had a resurgence under the Parthian Empire as a “client stare” and took back Jerusalem under Antigonus. Antipater had 2 sons. One, Phasaelus, was taken in the overthrow and committed suicide. Hyrcanus, the priest, had his ears lopped off by the Hasmonians so he could not continue as a priest. Phasaelus, fearing a similar fate committed suicide. The other, Herod the Great, survived. He looked for an ally. The Arab Nabateans rejected him. Cleopatra offered to ally with him but he turned her down. He went to Rome and appealed to Marc Antony and Octavian (later Caesar Augustus). For his loyalty Herod was named a refugee king. All three - Antony, Octavian, and Herod (a “Jew”) offered a sacrifice to the Roman god Jupiter. About 37 B.C. Herod retook Jerusalem FOR ROME and assumed his kingship despite being “Jewish,” and also married Miriam, a link to the Hasmonian dynasty. Thus Herod weaseled his way from procurator (a financial supervisor) into king. BTW, Herod had 3 other “official” wives and 5 other “unofficial” wives. Several kids. He murdered a few of them, along with all the male children ages 2 and under trying to kill Jesus (slaughter of the innocents).
He also became suspicious of Miriam I, falsely accused her of adultery, killed her and 3 of her sons, then wandered around the palace looking for her. I think it fair to say he was crazy. The actual plotting was done by Mariam’s mother. (see below)
Herod disposed of the Hasmonian (more “orthodox”) Sadducean priests and replaced them with diaspora priests (less orthodox). A reasonable move as the current Pharisees and Sadducees weren’t sold on Herod’s “Jewishness,” being just a convert after all, not a true blood. A position held in Jewish thought to this day, by the way. Since Herod had a lot of Hellenistic influence as well as Jewish influence on his upbringing, it is no wonder there was a complex relationship here in the Herod line, before and after king Herod. Who were Herod’s favorites? The house of high priest Ananias and his son-in-law, a fellow named Caiaphas.
Not to mention anyone who had supported Herod’s predecessor, Antigonus, was purged by Herod. By purged meaning killed. Including priests. A lot of them.
The granddaughter of Herod the Great who married her uncle Herod Philip, lived in Rome, then fell in love with Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Persia. She divorced Philip, married Antipas, and got dissed by John the Baptist. John the Baptist was beheaded as a favor to Herodias. And Jesus, by denying divorce FOR ANY REASON, just called her a CLASS A ADULTERESS!!! (Note: Marrying an uncle was all fine and dandy in OT Israel.)
From: Jesus and His Times:
Herod’s family troubles:
Herod loved Miriam I and the two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, he shared with her. He sent the sons to Rome for education. They evidently didn’t return the love as they plotted against their father, egged on by their grandmother. Antipater, Herod’s son by Doris, also used words of Alexander and Aristobulus to hasten their demise. Then Miriam I was charged with a trumped up charge of infidelity and was executed. Then the grandmother joined her fate. Antipater then tried to rush Herod’s death by poison, was caught and thrown in prison, later to be given a death sentence as one of Herod’s last acts. (Caesar Augustus stated: It is better to be one of Herod’s pigs than one of his sons.)
Herod’s legacy:
Herod was a uniquely textured individual. He could play a dozen roles a day, and did. Yet he was no hypocrite. He did what he did to maintain order. A Jew, an Idumean, a Roman, a Greek, a ruthless conquerer, a murderer, a benevolent tyrant, a faithful subject, and a canny competitor.
He could direct mass murder and executions, yet did not destroy the powerful institutions that pulled so strongly against one another. He balanced the stresses against each other and somehow maintained a coalition of sorts. Yet no one in his family could match his skill, and even in his last days Herod began losing control over his reign. Although it does seem his final legacy is that he went insane both from physical illness and plotting against him.
Herod’s sons take leadership:
Herod Philip rules the TransJordan Lands with competence.
Herod Antipas also rules competently but is implicated in history with the beheading of John the Baptist and perhaps the ridicule of Jesus during the final days. In the grand scheme of things he was a peaceful man.
Augustus refused to name Archelaus a king. He became an ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Initially he tried to placate the people but they abused his perceived generosity and revolted. He calls in the military resulting in the massacre of 3,000 people. Suffice it to say Archelaus ended up having all of Herod the Great’s brutality with none of his political skill. In 6 A.D. Archelaus is exiled by Augustus to Vienna. Judea and Jerusalem are an official province of Rome administered by a series of prefects. The first: Quirinius. The most famous: Pontius Pilate.
14
Timeline of Leadership and Events in Judah/Israel
198 B.C. - 73 A.D.
198 - 167 B.C. Judah is ruled by the Seleucids. The Seleucids try to invade Greece but are defeated by the Romans. The Seleucids are punished by Rome with taxation which falls on the Jewish people. Friction arises. The Seleucids attempt to suppress the Jewish faith giving rise to the Maccabee family of Jewish leaders. The final insult: A Syrian monarch raids the Temple treasury for gold.
167-160 B.C. The Maccabean Revolt under Judah (167-166 B.C.) against the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes. Judah is killed in battle in 160 B.C. In the next few years Judah’s brothers Jonathan and Simon achieve independence and the ability to worship freely.
164 B.C. The Jewish holiday Hanukkah (dedication) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship in the second temple. Judah Maccabee removes all statues of Greek gods and goddesses.
161-142 B.C. Jews move toward political independence under Jonathan (161-142 B.C.).
164-104 B.C. Life of Hasmonean high priest John Hyracanus who converted the Edomites (including the Herod line) to Judaism. His grandson was Hyracanus II who ruled Judea from 76 to 40 B.C.
142 B.C. A treaty is signed with Antioch recognizing the Seleucid control of Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Simon rules Jerusalem and the surrounding area. (142-134 B.C.)
110 - 63 B.C. The Hasmonean Dynasty (the dynasty descending from the Maccabees) is a fully independent kingdom. During this time The “Jewish state” tries to expand the dynasty, conquering surrounding areas, forcing Jewish conversions, and pillaging Hellenic Temples. Pharisaic priests try to maintain Jewish culture but there are periods of Hellenistic influences. The culmination: Alexander Janneus who openly flaunted Greek gods while also serving as high priest. The Pharisees led a revolt. 6,000 protestors died. Within 9 years another 6,000 died. 800 Pharisee leaders were arrested and crucified.
76 B.C. Janneus dies and rule passes to his wife, Salome Alexandra and her son Hyrcanus II as high priest, then king.
63 B.C. Pompey conquers Jerusalem for Rome taking advantage of the quarrel between Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II.
76 to 40 B.C. Judea is ruled by Hyrcanus II (as King 67-68 B.C., as High Priest 76-66 B.C and 63-40 B.C., and as Ethnarch 47-40 B.C.) and his brother Aristobulus II. They are the last of the Hasmonian (Maccabean rulers). Hyrcanus was a weak-willed ruler who sought counsel from a leader in a neighboring province that was conquered by his grandfather, John Hyrcanus I. This ruler, Aristobulus, smelled opportunity to take over Judah as well as his province. He ruled from 67-63 B.C. and was murdered in Rome 49 B.C.
Hyrcanus II was relieved of his office by a military commander, Aulus Gabinus, but Julius Caesar gave it back to him because Hyrcanus II supported Julius Caesar in his defeat of one time ally and military leader Pompey (Pompey was a part of the triumvirate of leaders under Julius Caesar - Cassius, Brutus, and Pompey).
49 B.C. Aristobulus II is killed.
44 B.C. Julius Caesar is assassinated.
44 B.C. A rivalry of rulers develops between Cassius and Brutus vs. Octavian (Julius Caesar’s 18 year old grand nephew and designated heir) and his erstwhile ally Marc Antony.
43 B.C. Octavian and Marc Antony defeat Cassius and Brutus, both dying by suicide or death by a servant. Antipater and his sons, Phasaelus and Herod, had backed the wrong team, Cassius and Brutus.
43 B.C. Antipater, Herod’s father, is poisoned and dies.
43 B.C. Herod, a friend of Marc Antony, was able to convince him Antipater helped Brutus and Cassius only under military threat. Marc Antony falls for it and executed Antipater’s murderer.
42 B.C. The Battle of Philippi, the government of Rome is split between Octavian and Marc Antony, Antony receiving the eastern provinces including Judea and the client kingdom of Egypt.
42 B.C. Marc Antony relieves Hyrcanus of his authority by appointing Antipater’s sons, Phasaelus and Herod (the Great) as tetrarchs.
40 B.C. the Parthians, at the urging of the Hasmonians, retake Judea and the surrounding area. Herod is exiled to Syria (Nabatea) but appeals to Rome that he can take back the area. Phasaelus is taken and commits suicide. SEE The Herods - A History.
40 B.C. The Octavian - Antony rivalry borders on civil war. War is averted when Antony marries Octavian’s sister, Octavia.
37 B.C. Herod the Great (the Roman proclaimed refugee ruler) has brutally hacked his way back to Judea and has conquered the area for Rome - so-called Roman Palestine, wiping out towns and entire populations with his savage campaign. He tries to take Jerusalem without violence, but his Roman army slaughters the inhabitants. He has to pay off the army to get them to leave. Herod now serves at the whim of Rome and its shifting politics and his distrusting populace of Jews and Gentiles. Being but a (second class) converted Jew himself. He was a wary man with trust in few and justifiable paranoia.
37 B.C. Herod the Great hedges his claim on Judea by marrying the Hasmonean princess Miriam I. Her brother was next in line as Hasmonean king. Hyrcanus II had no son heir. Herod becomes king. He purges those who supported his predecessor, Antigonus. Many priests were killed. Herod brought in his own batch of sympathetic priests from the diaspora.
35 - 30 B.C. Marc Antony becomes Cleopatra’s lover and co-regent in Egypt plotting one last gasp for the glory of an Egyptian Empire.
31 B.C. Octavian declared war on Antony and initiates a sea battle. Rome had a great navy. Egypt did not. Egypt was beaten soundly.
30 B.C. Marc Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide.
30 B.C. Hyrcanus II is executed by Herod.
29 B.C. Herod kills Miriam I and two of her sons.
27 B.C. Octavian is declared sole ruler of the Roman Empire.
22 B.C. Herod, Jewish, despite being considered non-Jewish by the Jewish populace, and despite taxing the Jewish subsistence farmers as much as 40% and charging exorbitant interest on farms (as much as 25 to 50%) and foreclosing on them whenever possible, begins a massive expansion of the Temple. This work is not completed until 62 A.D. meaning the temple work was in progress at the time of Jesus’ ministry. Herod’s Jewish subjects were not impressed.
Although the temple was massive, it was built along with Greek and Roman building projects. Theaters, arenas, and a hippodrome for chariot races. Sporting events contested in the nude, a serious violation in the eyes of the Jews.
23-15 B.C. Herod constructs the Herodium, a massive mountain sculpted to a volcano shaped fortress with 45 acres of buildings and landscaping. Herod was a prolific builder creating a new aristocratic class, a few middle class supervisors, and using the massive lower class as slaves for construction. Herod also had a palace at Jericho and 2 palaces in Masada where he hid his family when plotting to regain power after the brief Parthian takeover.
20 B.C. Gadara, a Hellenistic city in the area now known as Jordan, appeals to Augustus to be removed from Herod’s reign. Gadara is representative of the “Hellenized cities'' under Herod would rather be a direct part of Roman Rule than under the rule of “a Jew.” Herod has to balance the Hellenic culture with the Jewish culture - like oil and water. Hard to see how he would be anything but hated.
20 B.C. Herod begins building the 3rd Temple while the second temple still stands. Its plans and structure are massive. It is not completed until 63 A.D., a mere 7 years before it is destroyed by Rome.
12 B.C. Halley’s Comet is calculated to appear in the sky. The star in the East?
7 B.C. A bright star created by the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces was calculated to have occurred. The star in the East?
6 B.C. A prospective year for the birth of Jesus taking the Magi story into account.
5 B.C. Chinese astronomers of the Han dynasty recorded a “supernova” in this year. The star in the East?
4 B.C. The accepted year for the birth of Jesus.
4 B.C. Rumors of Herod the Great’s death lead to an uprising of 2 rabbis - Rabbi Judas and Rabbi Mathias. The rabbis tear down a Roman Eagle on the entrance to the temple complex. Herod is incensed as he felt he tried his best to balance the demands of the Jewish tradition with the Roman demands and the Hellenized population of his realm. The instigators and their student cohorts are all executed. Another story is 10 Jewish assassins plotted to kill Herod but were ratted out. They were all killed, the informer was killed by a mob, and the perpetrators’ families were also punished. The crucifixion of 2000 Jews along the road of Sepphoris (hometown of the Virgin Mary’s parents and only 4-5 miles from Nazareth) results.
4 B.C. Herod dies.
4 B.C. Massacre of the Innocents
6 (or 4?) B.C. Roman Palestine divided among Herod Archelaus (Ethnarch of Judea), Herod Antipas (Tetrarch of the Northern Kingdom including Galilee), Herod Phillip (a Gentile area northeast of Galilee including the Golan), and Salome (a small coastal area around Ashdod).
6 A.D. A rebellion led by Judas of Galilee erupts in the region, suppressed easily for Roman authority by Varus, Roman governor of Syria. A 4th Philosophy is born: Pharisee, Sadducee, Essene, and ZEALOT - a military resistance to foreign authority over the Jewish people. And a nod to the Maccabees. The zealots under Judas act as an old world guerilla army not unlike Osama bin Laden. Zealots? Patriots? Guerillas? Thieves? Bandits?
6 A.D. Archelaus is deposed. Herod Antipas expects to assume Judea into the Northern area but is rebuffed. The area becomes a province of Rome, actually an appendage to the Roman Province of Syria. The ruler: Quirinius.
6 A.D. One of Quirinius’ first acts is to call for a CENSUS.
14 A.D. Emperor Tiberius becomes the Roman ruler of the Mediterranean world.
26 A.D. Pontius Pilate is named Prefect of Judea. Pilate had little sympathy for the Jews who learned to hate him, but he remained in good graces with Tiberius the Emperor.
28 A.D. Jesus is baptized. Jesus’ ministry is calculated at about 18 months from the 3 synoptic gospels. John presents many more events that span a greater time period. Calculation from the gospel of John puts Jesus’ ministry at about 3 years.
29 - 30 A.D. or 35 A.D. (?) John the Baptist is beheaded. Jesus entered Galilee in 29-30 so that has been an accepted time for the beheading of John the Baptist, but there is another theory. Herod Antipas married Herodius in 34 A.D. so the beheading of John the Baptist may have been in 35-36 A.D. in response to John’s popularity and fervor leading to a threat to Antipas’ territory. Josephus adds to this by giving the year of King Aretas’ invasion of Perea as 35-36 A.D. in response to the beheading of John the Baptist.
30 to 36 A.D. Jesus is crucified. John the Baptist’s beheading in before Jesus’ crucifixion in the gospels. Herod reportedly thought Jesus was John the Baptist reincarnated, so perhaps Jesus was crucified as late as 36 A.D. Or is it possible Jesus was crucified BEFORE John the Baptist was killed?
Other evidence Isaac Newton, using lunar data to identify Passovers, offered 2 dares for Jesus’ crucifixion: April 7, 30 A.D. and April 3, 33 A.D.
Peter mentioned the moon turned to blood (Acts 2:14-21) and there was a lunar eclipse on April 3, 33 A.D., although unsure if it would have been seen in Jerusalem.
35 - 36 A.D. King Aretas invades Perea, a territory included in Herod Antipas’ reign. Antipas’ army is destroyed, the people were pleased not because of Herod’s involvement in Jesus’ crucifixion, but because he beheaded John the Baptist. John was a very charismatic leader with a fervent following. John the Baptist was far more “dangerous” to the Roman Empire than Jesus and his disciples ever were.
39 A.D. End of the reign of Herod Antipas. Herod Agrippa is appointed king by his friend, Roman Emperor Caligula.
44 A.D. Apostle James is beheaded by Herod Agrippa for preaching the gospel.
44 A.D. Soon after being hailed as “divine” by the crowd Herod Agrippa, presiding over a festival of games in Caesarea, is stricken with a sharp pain and dies -smitten by the Lord for not giving God the glory.
46 A.D. Zealot Theudas leads his followers in rebellion over Cuspius Fadus, procurator appointed by Rome. Cuspius convinces he can part the Jordan like Moses parted the Red Sea. He couldn’t. They were slaughtered.
46 A.D. Paul’s missionary journey’s begin.
49 A.D. Jews expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius.
62 A.D. Paul is executed in Rome. Some postulate he was beheaded in 66 A.D. or even 67 A.D. by Nero.
64 A.D. Nero persecutes followers of Jesus.
67 A.D. Potential year of execution of Paul and Peter in Rome by Nero.
66 - 70 A.D. Jewish war against the Romans. Traditional accounts have Greeks performing a pagan ritual at the entrance to the synagogue, then the Temple treasury was looted. Violence erupted with initial success by the Jews. They take Jerusalem. In 67 A.D. Nero sends in troops that ravage Galilee and besiege Jerusalem. In 68 A.D. the Jewish military leader is defeated but spared. His name Joseph ben-Mattathias - Josephus.
70 A.D. Temple is destroyed as Roman commander Titus conquered Jerusalem for Rome. Vespasian is the reigning Emperor.
73 A.D. The final Jewish holdout - Masada - falls to the Romans. With the fall of the Jews to Rome and the death of Peter, Paul, and James, the separation of Jews and Christians is complete. They become 2 distinct religions.
20
The History That Gave Us Caesar Augustus and King Herod in Luke 2 and the Birth of Jesus
198 - 167 B.C. Seleucids (Macedonian Greeks) rule Judea
l
167-160 B.C. Maccabean Revolt
l
Jews move for political independence
l
Hasmonean priests (Pharisees) replace
Seleucid priests (Sadducees)
l
Hasmonean high priest John Hyracanus (164-104 B.C.) converted the Edomites (descendants of Esau of Jacob and Esau fame who lived in the TransJordan region) including the Herod line. Hyracanus converted Antipas, Herod the Great’s grandfather, to Judaism.
l
140 - 110 B.C. Hasmoneans rule Judea under the Seleucids.
l
110 - 63 B.C. The Hasmonean Dynasty (the dynasty descending from the Maccabees) is a fully independent kingdom. During this time The “Jewish state” tries to expand the dynasty, conquering surrounding areas, forcing Jewish conversions, and pillaging Hellenic Temples.
l
63 B.C. Pompey conquered Jerusalem for Rome taking advantage of the quarrel between Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II.
l
44 B.C. Julius Caesar is assassinated in a plot by Senators led by Brutus and Cassius - et tu Brute?. Marc Antony remains faithful to Caesar.
A rivalry of rulers develops between Cassius and Brutus vs. Octavian (Julius Caesar’s 18 year old grand nephew and designated heir) and his erstwhile ally Marc Antony.
43 B.C. Octavian and Marc Antony defeat Cassius and Brutus, both dying by suicide or death by a servant. Antipater and his sons, Phasaelus and Herod, had backed the wrong team, Cassius and Brutus.
l
42 B.C. Antipater, Herod’s father, is poisoned and dies.
Herod, a friend of Marc Antony, was able to convince him Antipater helped Brutus and Cassius only under military threat. Marc Antony falls for it and executes Antipater’s murderer.
Herod and his brother Phaeleus become tetrarchs of Judea.
l
40 B.C. The Parthians, urged by the Hasmoneans, retake Judea.
The Octavian - Antony rivalry borders on civil war. War is averted when Antony marries Octavian’s sister, Octavia.
l
37 B.C. Herod the Great (the Roman proclaimed refugee ruler) has brutally hacked his way back to Judea and has conquered the area for Rome - so-called Roman Palestine, wiping out towns and entire populations with his savage campaign.
Herod the Great hedges his claim on Judea by marrying the Hasmonean princess Miriam I.
l
35 - 30 B.C. Marc Antony becomes Cleopatra’s lover and co-regent in Egypt plotting one last gasp for the glory of an Egyptian Empire.
l
31 B.C. Octavian declares war on Antony and initiates a sea battle. Rome had a great navy. Egypt did not. Egypt was beaten soundly.
l
30 B.C. Marc Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide.
l
27 B.C. Octavian (Caesar Augustus) is declared sole ruler of the
Roman Empire. Firmly entrenched in Judea is his man, Herod the Great. Herod replaces the Hasmonean Pharisaic priests with more loyal Sadducean priests from the diaspora who exhibit Hellenistic tendencies.
Construction, taxation, and oppression of the Jewish people ensue.
The stage is set for a man named JESUS…
22
What are the Ten Commandments?
GotQuestions.org
(Comments added by James Spangler)
The Ten Commandments (also known as the Decalogue) are ten laws in the Bible that God gave to the nation of Israel shortly after the exodus from Egypt. The Ten Commandments are essentially a summary of the 613 commandments contained in the Old Testament Law. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The last six commandments deal with our relationships with one another. The Ten Commandments are recorded in the Bible in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and are as follows:
1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command is against worshiping any god other than the one true God. All other gods are false gods.
(No other Gods BEFORE me or EXCEPT me. A huge difference.)
2) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This command is against making an idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol to represent God is to worship a false god.
(Can we make a painting of Jesus?)
3) “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This is a command against taking the name of the Lord in vain. We are not to treat God’s name lightly. We are to show reverence to God by only mentioning Him in respectful and honoring ways.
(Misuse the name of God. Not using “dirty words,” cuss words, or swearing?)
4) “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” This is a command to set aside the Sabbath (Saturday, the last day of the week) as a day of rest dedicated to the Lord.
(Is this commandment still relevant today?)
5) “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This is a command to always treat one’s parents with honor and respect.
(What does “so that you may live long in the land of the Lord” mean? A reference to marry the choice of your parents? Keep the people “pure?” Perpetuate the worship of God? Maintain god’s “chosen people?”)
6) “You shall not murder.” This is a command against the premeditated murder of another human being.
(The difference between killing and murdering is the intention with which the action is done. Killing is ending the life of another living being or thing, whereas murder specifically applies to the unlawful killing of another human being. As the Merriam-Webster dictionary points out, murder has malice aforethought. So killing is OK? When is killing “lawful?”)
7) “You shall not commit adultery.” This is a command against having sexual relations with anyone other than one’s spouse.
(This applies to premarital sex as well? The partner certainly is not a “spouse,” the couple is not married. What is the punishment? Should an adulteress be killed? An adulterer as well or is this a sin of the woman only? What if a baby is conceived? Do we postpone the killing until the baby has been born, then kill mom and create an instant orphan? Is the executioner now a “killer?” Must he (or she) now be killed for murdering? Is taking multiple wives “adultery?” Were all of Israel’s greatest ancestors adulterers because they were polygamists? Jesus said one man-one woman from Adam and Eve. That was before Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Saul, David, etc. etc…. All broke God’s commandments?)
8) “You shall not steal.” This is a command against taking anything that is not one’s own, without the permission of the person to whom it belongs.
9) “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This is a command prohibiting testifying against another person falsely. It is essentially a command against lying.
10) “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” This is a command against desiring anything that is not one’s own. Coveting can lead to breaking one of the commandments listed above: murder, adultery, and theft. If it is wrong to do something, it is wrong to desire to do that same something.
(I assume this applies to women as well as men? Or are they allowed to covet? Maybe covet a better position in society?)
Many people mistakenly look at the Ten Commandments as a set of rules that, if followed, will guarantee entrance into heaven after death. In contrast, the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to force people to realize that they cannot perfectly obey the Law (Romans 7:7-11), and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace. Despite the claims of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16, no one can perfectly obey the Ten Commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The Ten Commandments demonstrate that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace, available only through faith in Jesus Christ.
25
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
(A Cynic’s View)
(Exodus 20:2-17)
1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.
What about me? I wasn’t brought out of Egypt. I’ve never even been there. In fact it says in Joshua 10 this God fought for Israel against other people - people who sit in this same classroom as you. God didn’t lead them, me, us out of Egypt. In fact he drowned a bunch of them. And Joshua slaughtered a bunch more WITH GOD’S BLESSING.
2. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
What is a graven image? An idol? A painting? ANYTHING that is or could be worshiped? MONEY? Wait. The parents of the third and fourth generation hated God? Were their kids supposed to honor their parents even if they were God haters? (See Commandment #5)
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Well, looks like everybody in West, by God, Virginia is going to hell.
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Hmmm. Something Jesus said about the Pharisees and placing ritual over human need…
5. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
And if that father is a drunk or drug abuser who beat you or abandoned you? A mother who uses drugs and/or alcohol during pregnancy? A mother or father who abuses you? By the way, where is the land God gave me? Does God love the people that had to leave (or die) so I could have it?
6. You shall not murder.
Unless it’s an uppity Negro. An illegal alien. You make the list. We’ll make sure you have the guns.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
Especially in the 3rd grade.
8. You shall not steal.
At least until you are an adult. Then the term “stealing” is up for interpretation.
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
See above. The uppity folks and the illegals again.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Unless it is a hostile takeover. Or your neighbor’s name is … well, let’s not name names.
27
7 Ways to Test if Your Church Has Become Your Idol (Source missing)
The church was my idol. I believed that because I had gone to church my whole life, He and I were okay and that I was living for Him—no wonder all my efforts felt so stiff and disconnected; I didn't really feel like I knew Him. It was more like I knew an idea and a set of principles by which to live. I was trying to live for Jesus without first surrendering to the Holy Spirit.
Outstanding: They give us great church worship experiences, preach God’s Word diligently, offer great family programs, and work hard to serve their communities and resist false teachings. They can become so well known that their church names become “brands”. The challenge for us is that we can become enamored with our church yet forget to love God first.
Controlling: They do not hold us accountable for studying God’s Word for ourselves and will dictate what we can or cannot do based on their interpretations of the Bible and historical traditions. They may lay out protocols of how their staff represent their church, rather than represent Jesus. The challenge for us is that we defer what we believe to what other human beings say, and fail to develop the maturity and wisdom to test the spirits behind what we are being told. | 1 John 4:1 ESV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Led by a charismatic leader: They have a high-profile pastor. The challenge for us is that we can find ourselves quoting the pastor more than we are able to quote Jesus Himself. We buy books written by this pastor and fail to read the Bible itself. We become fans and followers of someone who is outstanding in their knowledge but that is not the One who was crucified for us. | 1 Corinthians 1:11-13 ESV For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Ritualistic: They instruct us to follow rituals and traditions outside of what Jesus taught us, giving us a false impression that these qualify us for a relationship with God when all these could, in fact, be displeasing to God. | Mark 7:6-9 ESV And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
7 ways to test if your church has become your idol
Here are seven signs that a church has become our idol.
1. When we can say, “I love this church” but will hesitate to honestly say, “I love Jesus”.
2. When we only feel “connected” spiritually when we are doing something at church, but seldom when we are praying on our own to our Father in heaven.
3. When our church relationships become more important than our relationship with Jesus; we are more committed to staying in church community more than we are to worshipping God in spirit and in truth.
4. When we compare our church to other churches and wonder how to make it more attractive, instead of ensuring that people worship God in spirit and in truth as our priority.
5.When we become disillusioned and disappointed by what our church or other church-goers do or do not do for us, rather than look to God who will never forsake us or leave us.
6. When we invite people to church to learn more about Jesus, rather than introduce Him ourselves, because we aren’t confident that we really know Jesus.
7. When we say, “this is how we do things at my church,” rather than “this is how I follow Jesus.”
29
PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES
By James Spangler using various sources
Who were the Pharisees?
New Testament Basics – things we thought we knew Pharisees were a Jewish sect that tried to apply the principles of Old Testament law to a new age of Jewish people. They represented to a large extent the common Jewish person and were quite popular in Jesus’s time. Many were well meaning learned people whose job was to transcribe ancient Jewish texts, hence, very knowledgeable in Jewish law. How ironic that those who attempt to do the same with the New Testament scriptures today look down frequently on the Pharisees.
Paul was a Pharisee who adhered to the letter of the law. (believe in resurrection)
The Sadducees were less strict. (do not believe in resurrection)
The Essenes believe there were to be 2 messiahs (1 for morality, one as a king/ruler). Was Jesus the morality Messiah? Is the “king/ruler” coming?
In the Footsteps of Jesus Page 196-202 Were Pharisees actually the “bad guys?” Did they try to “trap” Jesus or were they impressed by Jesus and truly sought out and questioned him, valuing his opinion? Pharisees were not all strict interpreters of the law. They had great interest in debating the law - OT law and the Mishnah law - to find the proper interpretation to better the lives of the Jewish people. Many, not all Pharisees, saw the law as NOT cast in stone and was meant more as a guide. Did they respect Jesus and his opinion?
Some went overboard, and when they did Jesus called them on it: Mark 7:20-22 “they tithe mint, dill, and cumin but neglect the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faith.”
Example 1: Dining with a tax collector. Citizens were subsistence farmers. They used EVERYTHING they grew to survive, yet Herod and the Romans took 40% from them. That is 40% of everything: property, fishing, harvest, salt. If they couldn’t pay the tax, they had to borrow the money - from the tax collector! Who charged exorbitant rates. The higher the tax the better the business for the tax collector. They were UNCLEAN, and remained so in the Jewish Mishnah for 300 years.
Example 2: John the Baptist’s disciples fasted, Jesus’ disciples did not. Should the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is present? Matthew 9:14-15
Example 3: Plucking of grain by the disciples on the Sabbath. Can you do ANYTHING on the Sabbath out of necessity? If your house catches on fire must you watch it burn down? (Yes) Can a gentile put it out? (Yes) Can a Jew go ASK the Gentile to put it out? (NO!) The law says you can pluck grain - but only BY HAND! You can’t use a utensil. For what reason these laws???
Example 4: Can you heal on the Sabbath? Well maybe if a baby is born on the Sabbath you help it, but if you break an arm, tough luck. Wait til tomorrow. Note Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath not by his usual “touching,” but by asking the man to merely hold out his hand. Thereby NOT breaking the Sabbath. So what did Jesus mean the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath? (BTW, this same statement was later added to the Jewish Talmud. By Pharisees, I assume?)
Example 5: Your disciples eat without washing their hands first. Despite being unhygienic, is it UNHOLY???
The Pharisees chase Jesus all up and down Galilee. To pester him? To “catch him” with a gotcha question? Or to get his valued opinion?
Is the Gospel of Mark, written in 70 AD when conflict between Jews and Christian Jews was growing. Was Mark making the Pharisees the “bad guys?” Mark is the only book to link the Pharisees to the conspiracy to kill Jesus. Mark 3:6 .”...the Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”
Mark 12:13 the chief priests “sent to him some Pharisees and Herodians to trap him in what he said.” Which begs the question why the Pharisees? If Herod Antipas thought Jesus a threat he could have dragged him in anytime just like he did John the Baptist. He didn’t need any Pharisees.
Matthew and Luke paint a different picture. The Pharisees had disputes and debates amongst THEMSELVES. Sabbath observance, tithing, marriage, divorce, caring for the sick (hygiene included it seems) all were Mishnah discussion. All for the good of the people. Why not ask Jesus (rabbi) his opinion? He seems like a pretty smart guy. Nobody says we have to accept his answer. Heck, we don’t even have to like his answer!
Luke 13:31 the Pharisees warn Jesus Get out of here, Herod wants to kill you!
Luke 14:1 Jesus sits down for dinner with a leader of the Pharisees.
Acts 5:59 It is Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who stands up for Peter and the other apostles during their hearing in front of the Sanhedrin saying leave these guys alone. Either they are a bunch of nobodies and they will fade with the mist or they are the true word of God, in which case nothing you do or say can stop them.
Without a Pharisee the mission of Jesus could have been wiped out fast and early. But God wouldn’t have allowed that, would he?
In Solomon’s time the ENTIRE priesthood was held by the family of Zadok, with Zadok himself being the chief priest. From that time on the chief priest was ALWAYS a descendant of Zadok - a Zadokite. When the Seleucids took control in 198 B.C. they placed in control of the temple a non-Zadokite, creating a spark in the Maccabean movement. The Maccabees allied with a group of religious scholars and teachers called the HASIDIM. The descendants of Mattathias Maccabeus were called the Hasmoneans who eventually control the area of and around Judah. The priesthood becomes a political hot topic. 3 branches of priesthood develop with a 4th later added:
The Hasidim (who supported the Maccabees and Hasmoneans) split into 2 groups: Those that support a return to pure Zadokite priesthood in Jerusalem become the ESSENES. They were an ascetic people with a vow of poverty, and practiced daily immersion. They believed in a Prince of Light and an Angel of Darkness (sounds like the Zooastrians). They believed in 3 messiahs - A prophet, a kingly messiah, and a priestly messiah. The Essenes are responsible for burying the Dead Sea Scrolls as the Roman Army approached. From those Dead Sea scrolls: Essenes, along with the vow of poverty, also took a vow of celibacy. But, realizing they would soon die away, had a sect that did marry so they could provide offspring. Of question is would this make a good husband if all the woman was good for was procreating? Not different than a typical Jewish family? Or would a woman be happier if she had a family and was then left alone? Then again, were her sons destined to be ascetics for the faith? An ESSENE???
Other scrolls mention women and children, mention the age to marry for the man (20), and laws of purity (menstration, etc.) - but meaning “at that time” or in the future even just reference to the past?
The Hasidim who remain loyal to the Hasmoneans become the PHARISEES. This group was fanatical about studying the Torah, studying and debating for the proper interpretation and application of the Torah in daily lives of the Jewish people. (The religious scholars and priests of the Maccabees are the PHARISEES, not descendants of Zadok. Hey, the Maccabees fought and won the independence BECAUSE THEY WANTED RELIGIOUS INDEPENDENCE. One can see why they had their own priesthood.)
The aristocracy of priests arose against both groups: claiming the name Zadok they assumed their priestly tradition - the SADDUCEES. These Sadducees hung their claim to priesthood on lineage and aristocracy. After the fall of the Temple in 70 A.D. they essentially disappeared.
The fourth philosophy. One other group developed, those who wanted to overthrow any government that subjected the Jewish people. The ZEALOTS.
6 A.D. A rebellion led by Judas of Galilee erupts in the region, suppressed easily for Roman authority by Varus, Roman governor of Syria. A 4th Philosophy is born: Pharisee, Sadducee, Essene, and ZEALOT - a military resistance to foreign authority over the Jewish people. And a nod to the Maccabees. The zealots under Judas act as an old world guerilla army not unlike Osama bin Laden. Zealots? Patriots? Guerillas? Thieves? Bandits?
SIMON THE ZEALOT - Jesus actually had a zealot as one of his disciples, labeled “the most mysterious” of the disciples. Mentioned only 4 times in the Bible in lists of disciples, nothing else is known about him. But he was a zealot. A revolutionary. And set free by a group of 200-600 soldiers who arrested Jesus. Jesus = peace. Arrested. Simon the Zealot = revolutionary. Jesus arrested. Simon set free. Go figure…
46 A.D. Zealot Theudas leads his followers in rebellion over Cuspius Fadus, procurator appointed by Rome. Cuspius convinces he can part the Jordan like Moses parted the Red Sea. He couldn’t. They were slaughtered.
66 - 70 A.D. Jewish war against the Romans. Traditional accounts have Greeks performing a pagan ritual at the entrance to the synagogue, then the Temple treasury was looted. Violence erupted with initial success by the Jews. They take Jerusalem. In 67 A.D. Nero sends in troops that ravage Galilee and besiege Jerusalem. In 68 A.D. the Jewish military leader is defeated but spared. His name Joseph ben-Mattathias - Josephus.
The Pharisees were the future. Pharisees. The strict observers of the law. Pharisee = separatist. As in if you observe the law you are one of us. If you don’t you don’t belong with us. 110% Jew or you aren’t a Jew at all. Maybe Jesus was on to something after all…
Perhaps the separatist label should have been given to the ESSENES. Both being devout to a fault, at least the Pharisees remained a part of society. The Essenes often broke off to a desert monastery or commune to remain cut off from society.
The Pharisees related to the common Jew. They spread synagogues throughout the land to expose Jews to the Torah, prayer, the Jewish faith, and proper application in life.
But… At times the Pharisees overdid it. Like walking around town, stopping at a street corner and putting on a prayer display for all to see. Drawing criticism from Sadducee, Essene, and Jesus to boot (Matthew 5).
34
SLATE
We’re Having Another Girl. My Husband Just Asked Me to Do the Unthinkable.
I know he’s into leaving a “legacy.” But this?
OCTOBER 2 2024 9:55 AM
My husband and I have two girls, ages 5 and 3. I’m very happy with my kids, but my husband has a legacy name (think something like “John IV”) and he is adamant about having a son to continue the chain. When he found out our first was going to be a girl, he was fine, assuming our next would be a boy. Then when the ultrasound revealed our second was also a girl, he was cantankerous throughout the pregnancy, but warmed up once our second daughter was born.
For the last year my husband has pressured me to have a third child, in the hopes of having a son so there will be a John V. Two kids are enough for me, but I agreed to one more and made clear this was it. We get what we get; I’m not having a fourth kid—and he agreed. After two months of trying, I found out I was pregnant. My husband was walking on clouds.
Then came the ultrasound. We are having girl number three. My husband was crushed. During the drive home he barely said two words. I figured I would give him some space and left him tinkering with his classic car for a few hours after we got back. But later that evening he said something that has me rethinking my marriage …
He asked if I would be willing to have an abortion so we could try again for a son. When I found my voice, I screamed at him to get out. He left and spent the night at his sister’s place.
The next day he called, all apologies, but I can’t stop thinking about what he suggested. Should this be a deal-breaker, or should I write it off as him grieving for the son he will never have and give him another chance?
35
POVERTY
THE POOR YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WITH YOU — What Did Jesus Mean?
By Wendy McMahan
Matthew 26:11
Have you ever known someone who was really passionate about poverty? The kind of person who goes on short-term mission trips, donates to help the poor, and seems to truly believe that poverty can be overcome? You may have wondered if that person was really thinking straight. After all, Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11). But what did Jesus mean by that? What’s the true meaning of the verse “the poor you will always have with you”?
Sometimes this verse is interpreted as if to say, “You can’t overcome poverty. It’s a useless cause. Don’t waste your money on it. Even Jesus said so.”
Another Point of View
Was Jesus really saying that ending poverty is a useless cause? Let’s look at the passage and find out.
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” —Matthew 26:6-13
When Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you,” did He mean that His followers shouldn’t care about the poor? Was he saying that attempting to resolve extreme poverty is useless?
Looking at this passage carefully, in context, reveals a few insights.
1. First, “The poor you will always have with you” is only half of the sentence.
The remainder is this: “But you will not always have me.” Jesus was speaking directly to the disciples, and referring to their own lifetimes. Of course, we know that the disciples and all of Jesus’ followers will always have him! In fact, after His resurrection, Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
It’s clear that when Jesus said, “You will not always have me,” he was foreshadowing the fact that the very next day, He would be crucified. He was certainly not giving a life sentence of poverty to the poor. However, it is also testament to the fact that Jesus comes before all other people in our lives, or any of the “good works” we do, even in His name!
2. Next, it’s important to note that Jesus was quoting from Scripture.
His audience, the disciples, would have been very familiar with the verse from Deuteronomy, and therefore would have had in mind the rest of the verse that He was quoting.
“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” —Deuteronomy 15:11
The biblical response to poverty is openhandedness. To be sure, the persistence of poverty is not a reason to ignore the plight of the poor, but to draw near to them with generosity. This verse in Deuteronomy makes that clear: Jesus says because the poor will always be with us, that “therefore” we should be even more generous.
3. We know from John’s account of this scene that Judas Iscariot was the disciple who questioned why the perfume was not sold and the proceeds given to the poor.
Immediately after this scene, Judas would leave to betray Jesus. Judas was trying to find cause for criticism of Jesus, and to distract from a lavish act of love to the Savior. Jesus was correcting the idea that any act of love for Jesus is ever wasted. He even called it “a beautiful thing!”
When we follow the many commands of Scripture to care for those in poverty, develop relationships with them, and lavish our time on serving others, might He also call these acts “a beautiful thing”?
Good News About the Poor
The very good news about poverty is that extreme poverty is ending. At Food for the Hungry, we see it every day as communities move toward graduation out of poverty, into abundance. We believe this work is a sign of God’s Kingdom. It’s part of His plan for the people whom He created and dearly loves.
It’s true that poverty can be passed down from generation to generation with terrible persistence. However, it is NOT true that people living in poverty can’t escape it, or that God wants them to stay in poverty. Scripture is rich with promises that the poor can have abundant life today, including emerging from their poverty.
What’s Your Alabaster Jar?
The woman who anointed Jesus is still teaching us today, just as Jesus predicted. Her example challenges us to give our very best to God, without regard to the way others might see us. How might God be calling you to give Him your best today?
37
POVERTY
Should I give Money to Beggars?
Deciding whether to give money to a beggar or homeless person can be confusing. Here are three steps that help guide our response to the homeless in Australia and around the world.
31 JAN, 2020 by Shona Yang
Walking back from a coffee run, a former colleague and I spotted a man on the corner of a bustling street. He was on his knees and his head remained bowed as he held up a cardboard sign asking for spare change. Before the pedestrian light changed, I rummaged through the leftover coins from my morning coffee but halted when my colleague said, “I’d give the poor guy some change but he’ll just spend it on drugs, so it’s not really helping.”
It’s a common sentiment that we've heard or thought in similar encounters. But, before we make a judgement on whether our few coins are in good hands or not, it’s important to get a clearer picture of homelessness in Australia. Based on a combination of data from the Australian government and various charities, here are three steps to guide our response when faced with the question: ‘Should I give money to this homeless person?'
Identify the (real) causes of homelessness
Reducing homelessness to a drug and alcohol problem is easy when we don’t see the underlying causes and contexts of homelessness. In a relatively wealthy country like Australia where welfare and support systems are accessible, it’s easy to switch into a judgmental mode when we see a homeless person. But contrary to popular belief, homelessness is a complex issue that stems from more than just someone’s lifestyle.
A survey run by a news outlet, Pro Bono, found that 62 per cent of respondents believed that drug addiction was the leading cause of homelessness in Australia but in reality, drug abuse accounts for only six per cent of homeless cases. Homelessness is multifaceted and widespread, affecting more people than we think. According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, roughly one in 200 Australians can’t find a safe, secure or affordable place to sleep. The Human Rights Commission says homelessness is caused by a variety of factors:
It’s tempting to simplify homelessness as a drug and alcohol problem, but the statistics paint a very different picture. In reality, the beggars we see on the street corner or at the train station present a small picture of the widespread problem. People sleeping on the streets without a roof over their heads make up just seven per cent of all homeless people in the country—that means many are couch surfing or living in overcrowded temporary shelters. Before we pass judgement on whether a beggar will spend our coins wisely or not, let’s remember that the beggar in front of us will have a complex history of hurt, pain and hopelessness, and we don’t understand their story or their context as well as we think we do.
Recognise the true impact of homelessness
Homelessness impacts a person’s socio-emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. For an individual, the physical effects of homelessness are devastating, but the lack of shelter affects more than a person’s health. Without a permanent address, it becomes difficult to secure employment, continue schooling or maintain relationships. Australians experiencing homelessness—whether it’s couch surfing, living in an emergency shelter or on the streets—face extreme stress, anxiety and isolation from the community.
When we begin to recognise the multiple impacts of homelessness, our response shifts from indifference to care and concern. At Compassion, we believe that investing in one child can transform an entire community. In Australia, we can apply the same lens when it comes to homelessness. One third of homeless people in Australia are under 18 years old, and almost two-thirds of children and young people were fleeing domestic violence. At a young and impressionable age, children are disproportionately affected by homelessness. Young adults can also experience a lack of confidence and self-worth as they battle homelessness.
Homelessness also impacts vulnerable groups at alarming rates. Single women over the age of 45 years who live in rental properties are at a higher risk of becoming homeless. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are also exposed to a higher risk of homelessness—despite making up two per cent of the nation’s population, a quarter of all homeless people are from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
Taking a moment to consider the devastating impact homelessness can have on children, young people, older women and minority groups helps us take on the posture of humility and empathy as we approach homeless people. One way we can do this is to extend the same respect and dignity to a beggar or homeless person as we would our relative or friend.
Donna Stolzenberg, founder of Melbourne Homeless Collective says, “Homeless people deserve the same respect, but because some of us believe they have no control over their wellbeing, we may also feel it’s our responsibility to take care of them so we treat them like infants.”
This burden of responsibility pressures us to play the role of a supervisor, making decisions on behalf of a homeless person and forgetting that they were created in the image of God with unique preferences, desires and dreams.
Although there is a time and season for exercising wisdom and discretion in giving monetary donations, dictating how the recipient should use the money can rob someone of their dignity and self-worth. It creates a humiliating situation that reinforces the helplessness of an already vulnerable person.
Instead, try this:
Know the difference between short and long-term help
The Bible clearly illustrates how Christians are to respond to the poor and hopeless. Jesus says, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you,” in Matthew 5:42, and in James it says, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them ‘Go in peace, keep warm and well fed’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16).
There is an obvious call to be practical in the way we extend our help to the poor, needy and homeless but knowing the difference between short-, long-term and ineffective help can ensure our dollar is well-invested.
Giving small amounts of cash or purchasing a meal for a homeless person in a dignified and respectful manner can provide short-term relief, encouragement and help. But, it’s important to remember that small contributions of our spare change is a short-term solution that is most effective when combined with a long-term approach.
How to provide long-term help:
- Donating to an organisation means your money goes further in supporting the most vulnerable people in society by equipping them with accommodation, medicine, school equipment or clothing. You can find a list of local organisations here. - Volunteering your time with a local organisation can help with relief efforts and provide much-needed human resources. - Raising awareness and partnering with efforts to spread the word about homelessness and various initiatives go a long way in providing people with care. - Recycling your pre-loved clothes and dropping them off in a clothing bin helps minimise waste and provide resources for people in need.
But, it’s also important to note that overseas, there are plenty of instances when giving money is unhelpful. In many developing countries around the world, giving money can be more harmful than good. Begging syndicates are forms of modern-day slavery, where men, women and children can be deliberately maimed and forced into the life of organised begging to extort money from tourists and visitors.
In these situations, giving cash can be the least helpful option, as it perpetuates a cycle of crime and slavery. While our intentions are good, we can actually end up doing harm. If you’re joining a Compassion trip or visiting an area where donating cash could do more harm than good, it’s important to do your research beforehand—ask your trip leader and prepare your response so you’re not taken by surprise. Most importantly, remember that a beggar is not an inconvenience, but a person who is loved by God.
The issue of whether we should give to beggars can be a complicated one. Too often our response is to walk faster and to let our eyes slide away. But the response God asks of us is different. As we turn to the Bible for wisdom and discretion, let’s meditate on this piece of encouragement: Don’t close off your heart when you’re in the situation of being asked to give to beggars. “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Keep your heart soft, and open to the Holy Spirit. Allow yourself to be challenged and moved, and, most of all, talk about it with others and seek out your own revelation.
41
Tallapoosa Peonage Case 1903
Statements by lead prosecutor Warren Reese U.S District Attorney:
There have been flagrant abuses and violations on the part of wealthy and influential men. These violations have not been confined to one or two periodical and independent instances but it has developed into a miserable business and custom to catch up ignorant and helpless Negro men and women upon the flimsiest and most baseless of charges and carry them before a Justice of the Peace. The Justice of the Peace is usually a paid hireling of these wealthy dealers. The victim is found guilty and a fine is assessed which in the beginning cannot be paid by the victim at which point one of these slave dealers steps up, pretends to be the friend of the Negro telling him he will pay his fine if he will sign a contract to work for him on his farm. The Negro readily agrees rather than go to the mines as he is informed he will have to do. This fine is paid, the contract is signed, and the Negro is taken to the farm or the mine or the mill or the quarry of the employer, placed into a condition of involuntary servitude, he is locked up at night in a cell, worked under guards during the day from 3 o’clock in the morning til 7 or 8 o’clock at night. Whipped in a most cruel manner, he is insufficiently fed or poorly clad. In fact, evidence in nearly all the cases investigated reveals that the Negro men are worked nearly naked while the women are worked in a nearly equal disgraceful manner.
Brutal things have transpired and sometimes death has resulted from the infliction of corporal punishment. If they run away dogs are placed upon their track and they are invariably retaken and subjected to more cruel punishment and treatment. When the time of the good working Negro is nearing an end he is rearrested upon some trumped up charge and again carried before some bribed Justice and resentenced to an additional time.
In this way Negroes have been known to have worked in these places and in this situation for years and years and years. They can get no word to friends nor is word allowed to reach them from the outside world. They are held in abject slavery without any knowledge of what goes on in the outside world.
Indictments found so far are based upon some 25 Negro men and women who have been the subjects of these violations. These are some of the most severe instances, but it has been discovered that there are hundreds of other cases.
Comments:
A few hundred cases? That’s not many. But… in the years after the Civil War over 800,000 people were caught up in this “slavery” scheme. Of the 4 million black slaves freed not by the emancipation proclamation, but by the 13th Amendment, fully 20% (800,000) were reenslaved under the convict and “debt peon” system. There WAS legislation against debt peonage because it was practiced in the territory (New Mexico) that was “acquired” from Mexico. But SLAVERY WAS NOT ILLEGAL. The 13th amendment says “ Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, EXCEPT AS A PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” In other words, trump up a crime, convict by an all-white jury, place a fine that the black man cannot pay, buy him as a debt peon. Illegal? Yes. But the owner called him a SLAVE and slavery wasn’t illegal! It says so right in the 13th amendment. And they won.
But the blacks were criminals, right? Yes. Of Black codes. Sunday laws. Meaning these laws were for black people only.
The crimes? Walking along a railroad track - in a day when there were few roads. Riding without a ticket was a crime, but so was walking along the track. Trespassing.
Unemployment. If a Negro left a job and the employer did not give him “walking papers,” the Negro was unemployed and convicted as a vagrant. So one dare not leave his or her job, no matter how bad the job or treatment was, if the employer would not sign walking papers. Obviously there was no incentive for the employer to sign, so many did not.
Rolling dice. Making moonshine. Selling a chicken on a Sunday. (Sunday laws. Another term for “laws for blacks only.) All were crimes demanding a payment the Negro didn’t have.
Hence, bought into slavery by the payer of the fine. And the new owner could charge for food and clothing at a high enough rate that the Negro could NEVER go free. They could NEVER earn more than their keep.
And the keep didn’t even have to sustain life! A Negro slave BEFORE the Civil War and the 13th amendment cost a slaveowner about $900. Under this new system of “Neoslavery” a slave could be bought for $12. If the slave died, you just ponied up $12 and bought another one.
The system was so rigged in the beginning of the 1900’s the most common crime used to convict a black person was “UNNAMED.” The crime supposedly committed by the Negro was not even entered in the court. The Negro knew he or she was going to be convicted and the longer the trial went on the higher the court costs and the less chance of earning one’s freedom - which was already a longshot. So the Negro pled guilty to an “UNNAMED OFFENSE.”
Why would a Negro sign a document of slave-like servitude agreeing to be locked up at night, agreeing to pay the costs of capture if escaped, living in filth with little food and/or clothing? Simple. They couldn’t read. And what the white Justice or new white owner read them sure wasn’t what was on the paper. Counsel was not mandated for a “criminal” until 1964.
When was the last CHATTEL SLAVE freed in the United States? 1942. Alfred Irving, 42, a negro farmhand of A.L. Skrobarcek and his daughter Susie, was freed when charges were brought against them on October 2, 1942 for harboring a slave. Why? Because the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
How could President Roosevelt speak of the atrocities of the Japanese against the Chinese and Koreans in Asia when we treated our black population the same or worse?
What should we do now? The same as was done in 1883? After the Civil War white on black crime was essentially unpunished. To address this the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was passed to give blacks the same protection under the law as whites. It was challenged in Civil Rights Cases in 1883 that made its way to the Supreme Court.
Here is the majority opinion of in that case: “When a man has emerged from slavery, and by the aid of beneficient legislation has shaken off the inseparable concomitants of that state, there must be some stage in the progress of his elevation when when he takes the rank of a mere citizen, and ceases to be the special favorite of the laws, and when his rights as a citizen, or a man, are to be protected in the ordinary modes by which other men’s rights are protected.”
(In other words: It’s been almost 20 years since the Civil War ended. So what if blacks were bred like animals, if a traditional family structure had never been experienced, if education was outlawed. Shouldn’t 20 years be long enough to allow blacks to assimilate into the society that we DON'T WANT THEM IN?)
(Is there a comparison to the ending in 2013 of a portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the case of Shelby vs. Holder? Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion. The formula that was used in determining if racial targeting was used in the voting process in a state was outdated and, hence, unconstitutional. Federal oversight of an election in a state no longer existed.
Justice Roberts essentially said: “Hey, it’s been 50 years. We’re over it. The decades of targeted practices of depressing the vote due to discrimination is done - we’ve solved discrimination.”
Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, in dissent, stated: “Throwing away preclearance to ensure the right to vote when it has worked for 50 years is like throwing away an umbrella in a rainstorm because you aren’t getting wet.”
Do we have any evidence of voter suppression today?)
44
Article 20: Louisiana and Alabama Literacy Tests for voting
Alabama:
Jim Crow Literacy Test – Can You Pass?
These questions are from an actual literacy test Alabama used in 1965 to keep Black Americans from registering to vote. The white elections officer administering and reviewing the test might have chosen any or all questions for you to answer.
1. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?
Please select response Public Education Voting Employment Trial by Jury
2. The federal census of population is taken each five years.
Please select response True False
3. If a person is indicted for a crime, name two rights which he has.
4. A person appointed to the U.S. Supreme court is appointed for a term of
5. To serve as President of the United States, a person must have attained:
Please select response 25 35 40 45 years
6. A U.S. senator is elected for a term of _________ years.
7. If no candidate for President receives a majority of the electoral vote, who decides who will become President?
8. If election of the President becomes the duty of the U.S. House of Representatives and it fails to act, who becomes President and when?
9. If an effort to impeach the President of the U.S. is made, who presides at the trial?
10. If the two houses of Congress cannot agree on adjournment, who sets the time?
11. After the presidential electors have voted, to whom do they send the count of their votes?
12. If it were proposed to join Alabama and Mississippi to form one state, what groups would have to vote approval in order for this to be done?
13. How many votes must a person receive in order to become President if the election is decided by the U.S. House of Representatives?
14. The only laws which can be passed to apply to an area in a federal arsenal are those passed by ______ provided consent for the purchase of the land is given by the ________ .
45
Pilate Released Barabbas, Really?
By Dr. Bart Ehrman
(April 30, 2022)
I recently received the following question which deals with an issue I had long puzzled over. It involves the episode in the Gospels where Pilate offers to release a prisoner to the crowds at Passover, hoping they will choose Jesus. But instead, they choose a Jewish insurrectionist and murderer, Barabbas. Could that have happened?
Here’s the Question and my Response: Did Pilate Release Barabbas?
QUESTION:
Pilate condemns Jesus to execution for treason against Rome. Pilate gives the Jewish crowds the option of releasing Jesus or a Jewish insurgent, Barabbas (15:6–15). I did a quick search to see if this was an attested practice in the Roman Empire and couldn't find any relevant information. So, I have two questions: Do you think this detail is accurate? Is there any evidence that Roman officials actually freed condemned prisoners at certain local festival times?
RESPONSE:
This was an issue I worked on while writing my book Jesus Before the Gospels. After doing my research I came to a definite conclusion, that I state rather strongly (!). Here is what I say about the matter there:
My Thoughts About Pilate and Barabbas
Mark’s Gospel indicates that it was Pilate’s custom to release a prisoner guilty of a capital crime to the Jewish crowd in honor of the Passover festival. He asks if they would like him to release Jesus, but they urge him to release Barabbas instead, a man in prison for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate appears to feel that his hand is forced, and so he sets Barabbas free but orders Jesus to be crucified (Mark 15:6-15).
This Barabbas episode was firmly set in the early Christian memory of Jesus’ trial – it is found, with variations, in all four of the Gospels (Matthew 27:15-23; Luke 23:17-23; John 18:39-40). I do not see how it can be historically right, however; it appears to be a distorted memory.
Let’s Explore the Evidence – Who Did Pontius Pilate Release Instead of Jesus
For starters, what evidence is there that Pilate ever released a prisoner to the Jewish crowd because they wanted him to do so, or because he wanted to behave kindly toward them during their festival?
Apart from the Gospels, there is none at all.
In part that is because we do not have a huge number of sources for the governorship of Pilate over Judea, just some highly negative remarks in the writings of a Jewish intellectual of his day, Philo of Alexandria, and a couple of stories in the writings of the Jewish historian, Josephus.
These are enough, though, to show us the basic character of Pilate, his attitude to the Jews that he ruled, and his basic approach to Jewish sensitivities. The short story is that he was a brutal, ruthless ruler with no concerns at all for what the people he governed thought about him or his policies. He was violent, mean-spirited, and hard-headed. He used his soldiers as thugs to beat the people into submission, and he ruled Judea with an iron fist.
Pilate Wasn’t a Good Guy
Is Pilate the sort of person who would kindly accede to the requests of his Jewish subjects in light of their religious sensitivities? In fact, he was just the opposite kind of person. Not only do we have no record of him releasing prisoners to them once a year, or ever. Knowing what we know about him, it seems completely implausible. I should point out that we don’t have any evidence of any Roman governor, anywhere, in any of the provinces, having any such policy.
And thinking about the alleged facts of the case for a second, how could there be such a policy? Barabbas in this account is not just a murderer, he is an insurrectionist. If he was involved with an insurrection, that means he engaged in an armed attempt to overthrow Roman rule.
If he murdered during the insurrection, he almost certainly would have murdered a Roman soldier or someone who collaborated with the Romans. Are we supposed to believe that the ruthless, iron-fisted Pilate would release a dangerous enemy of the state because the Jewish crowd would have liked him to do so? What did Romans do with insurrectionists? Did they set them free so they could engage in more armed guerilla warfare? Would any ruling authority do this? Of course not. Would the Romans? Actually, we know what they did with insurrectionists. They crucified them.
Did Pilate Release Barabbas? It’s a Distorted Memory
I don’t think the Barabbas episode can be a historical recollection of what really happened. It’s a distorted memory. But where did such an incredible story come from?
We need to remember what I stressed earlier, that these accounts of Jesus’ trial repeatedly emphasize that Pilate was the innocent party. It was those awful Jews who were responsible for Jesus’ death. For the Christian storytellers, in killing Jesus, the Jews killed their own messiah. That’s how wicked and foolish they were. They preferred to kill rather than revere the one God had sent to them. That is one key to understanding the Barabbas episode. The Jews preferred a violent, murdering, insurrectionist to the Son of God.
Did Barabbas Even Exist?
There is even more to it than that. We have no evidence outside these Gospel accounts that any such person as Barabbas existed. It is interesting to think about the name of this apparently non-existent person.
In Aramaic, the language of Palestine, the name Bar-abbas literally means “son of the father.” And so, in a very poignant way, the story of the release of Barabbas is a story about which kind of “son of the father” the Jewish people preferred. Do they prefer the one who is a political insurgent, who believed that the solution to Israel’s problems was a violent overthrow of the ruling authorities? Or do they prefer the loving “Son of the Father” who was willing to give his life for others? In these Christian recollections, the Jewish people preferred the murdering insurrectionist to the self-sacrificing savior.
Please Note
It is interesting to note that in some manuscripts of Matthew’s account of the Barabbas episode there is an important addition. In these manuscripts – which may well represent what the Gospel writer originally wrote – Barabbas is actually named “Jesus Barabbas.” Now the contrast is even more explicit: which kind of Jesus do the Jews want? Which Jesus, the son of the Father, is to be preferred?
In this account, of course, the Jews are remembered as preferring the wrong one. But for the Gospel writers, that’s because the Jews are always doing the wrong thing and always opposing the true ways of God.
More on Pilate:
According to the Biblical Archeology Society, “early Christians saw Pilate in a very different way. Augustine hailed Pilate as a convert. Eventually, certain churches, including the Greek Orthodox and Coptic faiths, named Pilate and his wife saints. And when Pilate first shows up in Christian art in the mid-fourth century, he is juxtaposed with Abraham, Daniel and other great believers.”
The ancient historian Eusebius supports this claim by saying Pilate converted after seeing the many wonders that occurred after Jesus’ death, even reporting it to Tiberius.
294
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.