Matthew 27:52-53 & the Collapse of Christian Theology

[4Q529]

One passage from the Gospel of Matthew would, if understood clearly, result in the complete and irreversible collapse of Christian theology:

"...the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people." (Matthew 27:52-53)

Now, clearly, this event did not occur within the space-time reality--people did not come out of graveyards--or there would have been some historical record of such an event; which there was not.

Rather, these statements are to be understood as a cryptic and metaphorical description that at least some of the followers of Jesus received the revelation of the memories of previous lives at the time of the crucifixion. (The symbolism is more complicated than that; but that is the gist of what is being described.)

What must then be understood, of course, is that this receiving of the revelation of the memories of previous lives is specifically contradicted by the Pharisee, Paul--who believed in a physical raising of a dead body from the grave--in 2 Timothy 2:18; where he writes with contempt about those who teach that the "resurrection has already taken place".

These passages, in a nutshell, describe the differences between the Doctrine taught by Jesus and his closest followers, as opposed to the doctrines taught by the Pharisee, Paul.

[RedeZra]

resurrection

means no more

rebirths




the resuscitation of Lazarus


Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

John 11:23-27

[4Q529]

Originally Posted by RedeZra

resurrection

means no more

rebirths

Many years ago I was talking to a Baptist minister about the certainty of his belief in the doctrines of Christian theology; so I began to ask him a question: "How many lives would you...?"

He interrupted me, laughing.

"Let me make myself clear: I would be willing to risk [translation: sacrifice] the life of everyone on earth on my belief that Jesus will return riding a white horse out of the sky."

This is not the mentality of a follower of Jesus.

This is the mentality of a war criminal.

So, I will ask you the same question:

How many hundreds of millions of lives are you willing to sacrifice for the assertion you made above?

[RedeZra]

resurrection

means no more

rebirths

Originally Posted by 4Q529

How many hundreds of millions of lives are you willing to sacrifice for the assertion you made above?

why not one

Im just saying

we have been here before


but there is an escape

from this wheel of births and deaths


this is resurrection