Blog Assignment #9: The Martyrdom of Polycarp (prompt 1)

In the account of the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna, elements of Christ’s Passion are clearly evident throughout the story. In fact, the writer of this narrative emphasized from the beginning how important this martyrdom was because it was “in accord with the gospel” (1:2). To that end, the similarities between the Passion and Polycarp’s Passion are many, and one fairly significant one was that, like Jesus, he was aware of his impending doom. Polycarp was not born knowing this truth, but after much prayer (something Jesus also did a lot of before being crucified) this hard realization was discovered. In addition to a prior knowledge of his martyrdom, the Bishop also had a similar misfortune of being betrayed by one of his own, and this betrayal is what led to his arrest.

After his arrest, he was brought to the various Roman authorities and much like his Lord, he handled the situations very stoically. He looked at his death as something that was necessary and called for from above. He was urged to recant his beliefs many times and to accept Caesar, or otherwise be tortured and die a gruesome death, but in response he said “You threaten with a fire that burns only briefly and after just a little while is extinguished, for you are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment”(11:2). As fellow Christians at the time, to see this level of devotion from Polycarp and his recognition of the greater glory that lies ahead, surely must have had a profound impact on them. They would have viewed this story as a testament to the power of God, and definitely would have thought twice before renouncing their faith in a comparable situation. This sentiment amongst the Christians must have been reassured when the they observed the fire’s inability to touch the body of the holy man, which consequently required another form of execution by stabbing that then resulted in the extinguishing of the flames by his own blood. This miraculous occurrence was viewed as an intercession by God, who protects His beloved followers, and encourages them to not be afraid in the face of death. This type of martyrdom, and all martyrdoms in general, seem to be the ultimate, and one would hope usually unnecessary, way to imitate Christ’s life, and according to tradition assures eternal salvation.

Blog Assignment #8: The Didache and the Early Church (prompt 1)

In the earliest centuries of Christianity, the “Church”, if you think about it as the followers of Jesus Christ, was very present, but overall this institution was not yet completely structured and defined. To that end, the Didache showed Church leadership was ambiguous and needed to be formed. Without clear leaders, the various groups of Christians who had started forming communities were being exposed to certain charlatan preachers, who only evangelized for economic reasons. This problem, according to the Didache, was one that the communities should be clearly aware of, and should be handled very deliberately. The writers suggested that the communities take in any one who comes to them “as if he were the Lord” (11:4). This characteristically christian instruction was also followed up with a series of caveats, warning them how to tell if the itinerant preacher was false. Some of the signs of a phony were if he stayed for too long, asked for money, and if he was simply teaching things that contradicted what the original apostles had been teaching. If the community found him to be fake, then he should be totally disregarded.

Though the intentions of the early churches must have been good, it would have been inevitable that they would mistakingly accept the teaching of one such false prophet, and then the false teaching would  have been spread throughout the community. After years of the perpetuation of these false ideas, the communities surely would have began to lose touch with the true faith and fall into complete heresy. Thus, without an internal authority that had been properly handed the true faith, such instructions given, to listen to what everyone has to say and decide afterward if he is right, might be a faulty solution. Naturally, a change in Church structure must have been necessary to combat this issue, and consequently, perhaps, this is how hierarchs came into being. Hierarchs were meant to offer each community an authority that they can more or less depend on to guide them properly. This authority was needed as christian communities grew larger over the following centuries.

Blog Assignment #7: The Resurrection Discovered (prompt 3)

The disciples of Jesus had many doubts about the reports of His Resurrection after the Crucifixion. However in the Gospel of Luke, two disciples discovered the truth of the event when an incognito Jesus orated the Scriptures to them and led them to recognize the significance of His existence in general. After the disciples immediately discovered the identity of the man after the breaking of bread, He disappeared and they were left to contemplate what they had felt while He was in their presence. They described the encounter as one that made their “hearts burn within [them]” because “He opened the Scriptures to [them]” (24:32). So in essence, through the proper and accurate teaching of the Scriptures by Jesus and through the breaking off bread with Him, the disciples gained a true understanding that Jesus was the Messiah sent and accepted by God, and that His tribulation was only Earthly and was necessary but not insurmountable.

This Gospel passage must have further clarified the importance of the breaking of bread, or the Eucharist, to the Christian faith because only after this event could the disciples, Jesus’ followers, recognize the identity of Jesus. After this breaking of bread, “their eyes were opened and they knew Him” (24:31). Thus to know Christ, the disciples realized that one must partake in Him. To a similar end, the disciples saw how their faith in Jesus was solidified through the teaching of the Scriptures. This must have led them to incorporate Scriptural evidence and support while they evangelized other peoples. As Christian services evolved, one can tell that this idea of Scriptural teaching is still an integral part of the service.

Blog Assignment #6: The Passion of Christ in Mark (prompt 1)

In the Gospel of Mark, the final hours of Jesus’ life are reflective of the general themes of the character of Jesus throughout the book: a messiah that must endure suffering, which is incomprehensible to His followers. Jesus makes it clear to the Disciples that He would not be with them much longer, and thus is quite open about His impending death. He reveals this accepted knowledge of an inescapable end to His Disciples after they ridicule the woman for anointing Him with precious oils by saying “Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always…she has come to anoint My body for burial” (14:6-9). Mark portrays Jesus’ cognizance of His divinely required suffering and death very directly to His Disciples throughout the book, and emphasizes this especially during the Passion.

To a similar end, the general notion of Jesus as Messiah is no longer kept secret, but rather fully self-promoted and accepted when He was asked before the high priest “Are you the Christ, Son of the Blessed?” and Jesus answers directly “I am.” (14:61-62). This shift in Christ’s desire to cover-up His significance can be seen as further evidence that He was aware the end was near, and that now He figured it best to reveal Himself completely to the world. It is ironic that this declaration, one He was trying to keep secret most of the book, is the self-condemning testimony that leads to His conviction amongst the Jewish leaders.

Blog Assignment #5: Matthew and Jewish Law (Prompt 2)

The Gospel of Matthew is one of two Gospels to feature Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In chapter 5-7 of Matthew, Jesus speaks authoritatively regarding how the multitude (His followers) should lead their lives. His lessons have solid roots in the Jewish Law, in fact He specifically says “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets” (5:17). However instead of solely repeating what has already been taught, the Gospel shows Jesus as having a nuanced attitude toward the Law, and consequently He sees the need to clarify and refine pre-existing commandments to His people. For instance, early on in the sermon, Jesus extends the commandment “You shall not commit adultery” to an even greater degree when He says that “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in is heart” (5:28). Thus, he clarifies and defines explicitly the different manifestations of the sin and assures that each variation will yield equally severe consequences. With similar redefining and amending intentions, Jesus takes the “eye for an eye” guideline and tells His followers to adhere to a completely opposite practice of “turning the other cheek” (5:38-39). So, Jesus takes what is established and expands on the lessons, often times adding a more strict and humbled outlook.

To that end, Jesus has these more stringent standards because He reveals that if His followers obey, they will be ensured a life after death. This notion of the desire for a good afterlife can serve to explain the somewhat less humble standards the people of Moses followed. Without a solid purpose, other than merely living a good life in God’s eyes, the rules during that time could be bent more easily, and people viewed the Law as a way to display their own righteousness. Jesus saw this, and thus taught what He did to an audience aware of the future benefits of such a lifestyle.

 

Blog Assignment #4: Jesus the Messiah (Prompt 1)

The Gospel of Mark jumps straight to Jesus’ miracle-working very early on in the Book. His birth and upbringing are not as emphasized as His ministry is. Thus, in the first chapter, Jesus is already depicted working His divine power, and, naturally, raising questions as to His true status. In chapter one, verse 27, the spectators of His first exorcism instantly contemplated “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him”. Everyone was amazed at what He was capable of, and despite Jesus’ efforts to keep His work quiet, His fame spread rapidly. Throughout the Book, His followers are exposed to miracles that required ever-increasing difficulty, which led, even more so, to the revelation that He was the Son of Man. He cured lepers, exorcized demons, fed the multitude, and raised the dead. Surely, He was the Messiah because of His unparalleled ability to work wonders.

Moreover, in addition to his miracles, Jesus challenges the many customs of His Jewish people, which leads many to believe there is something more to His existence. He was perceived as holy and just, yet he ate with the unclean (2:13-17), something that was looked down upon by the scribes and the Pharisees. He taught that the unclean were the very people who needed His presence, not the righteous. In a similar fashion, He broke the customs of the fast and the sabbath by explaining that the fast is unnecessary when the “bridegroom” (Himself) is with them, and that the sabbath is a tenet that should not preclude one from doing good works. No one would dare challenge these long-standing traditions without some sort of divine, messianic      guidance.

Blog #3: The Book of Amos in a Nutshell ( prompt 2)

Amos, a shepherd turned prophet, gives very grim details of what is to come for the neighboring nations in the area who have been nothing but sinful, and then for Israel itself. The refrain “For three sins of [insert nation name] and for four, I shall not turn away its punishment, for they [insert sins committed]” is used to introduce the various groups and the atrocities they engaged in. The chosen people of Israel are not free of God’s vengeance either. Throughout the book God points out what the nation has done wrong and even says “The virgin of Israel has fallen; she will rise no more” (Amos 5:2). Amos accounts a dismal future for Israel if they do not repent, and ,in short, the summary of this flowery prophecy is that God’s power and wrath is to be feared and never forgotten.

The use of imagery comparing God to animals is used throughout the book. In chapter three, God is compared to a roaring lion that should be feared. A lion is a majestic, revered animal, which has the ability to kill easily. This comparison fits with Amos’ overall message that God has immense power and should be followed. Similarly, in chapter eight, God implies His people are birds waiting to be captured and suppressed because of their sins against the poor, and their tyrannical ways. Amos draws heavily on animalistic analogies.

God’s relationship to the entire world is very clear: He is the cause of all goodness and has the ability to destroy, making Him an authoritarian character. The Exodus into the promise land facilitated by God is mentioned several times in the book, and the various other blessings he bestowed unto His people, too. However, God makes it known that he has the ability to “send a famine across the land” (Amos 8:11), and to cause all sorts of havoc to the nation of Israel. So, there is an apparent duality in the goodness God can bring, and the chaos as well.

 

Blog Assignment #2: Moses’ and Miriam’s Songs (prompt 3)

The success of the Hebrews’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt is met with intense gratitude and jubilation on the part of Moses and his followers. The Songs of Moses and Miriam ( Exodus 15:1-21) make it clear how grateful they are for His drowning of the Egyptians from the very beginning when the chapter starts “Let us sing to the Lord, for He is greatly glorified. Horse and rider He has thrown into the sea”(Ex. 15:1). There is no shortage of description about how God saved the Hebrews and destroyed the Egyptians in these verses.

All of these “Odes to God” portray Him as a peerless, powerful defender of His people. Moses sees no other deity quite like Him when he says, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?…glorified in holiness, marvelous in praises, doing wonders?” (Ex.15:11). Moses and Miriam see God as the ultimate shepherd of His flock. He fulfilled his promise and, through Moses, led the people to the promised land. After this liberation saga was over, God’s revelation to Moses as “the Existing One” (Ex. 3:14) was surely not doubted by the community. These passages celebrate the God of the Hebrews, who kept His promise and redeemed the people. Their God favored them over the other people for Moses says “The nations heard and were angry” (Ex. 15:14).

God gives a spirit of fear to the Egyptians, which contrasts to the hope and love He gives the Hebrews, His beloved people. This dichotomy in emotions given to the “believers” and to the “non-believers” offers up a clue to what will happen if one follows this benign and just God. For the Hebrews, “The Lord became [their] helper and the shield of [their] salvation” (Ex. 15:2), and it is implied that if one believes in Him, He will lead him to salvation as well.

Enuma Elish vs. Genesis (Prompt #1)

The Babylonian creation myth of Enuma Elish unequivocally played a significant role in the formation of the creation story found in Genesis. In the beginning, both accounts describe a universe filled with watery nothingness; however there exists a supreme authority, by which everything is made. Then, in both stories, comes the succession of creation. Despite the physical differences in the subsequent creations of the deities/warriors in Enuma Elish and the landscape/animals/everything else in Genesis, both sets of creations are apparently divine and bring nothing but goodness to the world with their existence (Creators seem to really love their work). In addition to the aforemetnioned similarities, the two accounts have a falling from grace. The warriors annoy Apsu, so he wants to kill them, and Adam and Eve eat forbidden fruit, so God exiles them. These events are significant in the stories as a whole because they set up the conflict that brings about more creation in Enuma Elish, and the Judeo-Christian need to seek Salvation in Genesis.

The initial purpose of mankind in the respective stories is an important difference to point out. In Enuma Elish humans are, from the beginning, meant to be subordinate, and to serve the divine assembly, as if there is no hope for the race. In Genesis, God initially creates man not to serve Him per se, but rather to bring more good and happiness into His Paradise. God wants humans to enjoy themselves, but, of course, they screwed it up. This difference illuminates further the Judeo-Christian tenet that God wants humans to redeem themselves and live in a more equal relationship with Him someday.

The fact that these two stories are so closely related is actually quite reassuring. The similarities tell me the writer(s) of Genesis did not just come up with a bunch of nonsense to explain how the world was created. They took from previous knowledge/ oral tradition that, to the community, seemed true at the time, and, perhaps with much discussion and guidance from above, revised and refined an account that truly is the Inspired Word given to humanity.