The small Judean community which had faced extinction before because of Canaanite paganism, now reacted with fear lest it should become engulfed by the idolatry of Greek religion. The adoption of Greek traditions transformed the old Persian Empire. When Egypt became 'Hellenized', the culture of Greece was represented strongly in cities such as ALEXANDRIA.

The chief threat to the Jewish community was not much military or political as religious. Greek religion was coarse and superstitious, and its sensuous nature encouraged a wide following. The philosophy of Stoicism attracted some adherents because of its fatalism and the view that God was in everything, while a less rigorous view of life was taught by Epicurus (341-270 B.C.) He streesed the values of friendship, advising his followers to avoid sensual excesses if they wished to enjoy true pleasure.

By contrast, emphasis upon the teachings of the Jewish law became the hallmark of the Scribes, who had replaced the wise men as guardians of Jewish religious tradition. About the second century B.C. they were aided by the rise of a separation or 'Pharisee' group which taught scrupulous observance of the Mosaic Law, advocated synagogue worship, and professed belief in angels, demons, and the 'resurrection of the dead.'

Another influential religious group during this period of Jewish history was the 'Sadducees' an aristocratic priestly minority that exercised close control over Temple ritual. The Sadducees accepted only the Law as Scripture. They would not allow any doctrine that could not be proved directly from the Law. This brought them into conflict with the Pharisees.

The political conflict in Palestine became critical under the Syrian ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.) who was determined to force Greek culture upon the Jewish community. Greek fashions were imposed upon Jerusalem. This provoked such unrest that Antiochus deliberately polluted the Temple in 168 B.C. and forbade traditional Jewish worship. A Jewish family near Jerusalem rebelled against Greek authority. Its leader Mattathias, began what is known as the Maccabean revolt. This continued under his son, Judas Maccabeus, who finally won concessions from the Syrian regent Lysias.

Even after the Maccabean war ended, Greek culture exerted a considerable influence in Judea. The province came under Roman rule after 64 B.C. with the rise of the Roman Empire but this did little to stop the threat presented by Greek religion. In spite of all adversity, the faithful remnant of God's people, Israel, struggled on in hope, looking for the long promised God's Messiah (Anointed One) who will deliver them from their enemies and bring God's kingdom upon earth.

However, more than 600 years after the true prophet Micah had foretold the birthplace of the Messiah, the birth of a baby was announced by an angel to astonished shepherds in Bethlehem. The child was Jesus, God's Messiah (Anointed One) who would ultimately die for the sin of the world.

But you (Bethlehem) Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for Me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
His origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old.

Yahweh is therefore going to abandon  them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnants of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.

He will stand and feed His flock
with the power of Yahweh,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself is peace. - Mic. 5:1-4 -

The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign,
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel. - Is. 7:14 -

For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
Wide is His dominion. - Is. 9:5-6 -

'At Bethlehem in Judaea' they told him 'for this is what the prophet wrote:
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
for out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd my people Israel.' - Matt. 2:5-6 -

Does not sacred scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem? - John 7:42 -

From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus who has been called to be an apostle, and specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through His prophets in the scriptures. This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took, was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead.

Through Him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of His name. You are one of these nations, and by His call belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. - Rom. 1:1-6 -

When the Lord Jesus Christ condemned Jewish legalism, the Sadducees and Pharisees rose up in anger. The local Roman ruler Herod Antipas was also becoming concerned about Christ Jesus activities. Matters came to a head when Christ Jesus was betrayed to the priests by one of His disciples. The Roman authorities took part in His trial and the Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Christ Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves.

There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, 'Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?' Jesus answered, 'It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:

This people honours Me only with lip-service,
while their hearts are far from Me,
The worship they offer Me is worthless,
the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.' And Jesus said to them, 'How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition! For Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death. But you say, "If a man says to his father or mother: Anything I have that I might have used to help you is Corban (that is, dedicated to God) then he is forbidden from that moment to do anything for his father or mother."

In this way you make God's word null and void for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many other things like this.'

Jesus called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.

When Jesus had gone back into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. Jesus said to them, 'Do you not understand either? Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer?' (Thus, Jesus pronounced all foods clean.)

And Jesus went on, 'It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.' - Mark 7:1-23 -

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central doctrine of Christianity that affirms.......

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -