December 31, 2015
Post #6, 2015
We are dedicated to co-equality and balance between men and women! Our premise is that God created us this way to be whole, complete, unified – as One, through one another, masculine and feminine. We are discussing how the Word of God as taught by Jesus of Nazareth was willfully or inadvertently misrepresented or misunderstood such that men came to believe they were somehow more equal.
This weblog, our pamphlets, study guides and other materials are inspired by Miguel’s book, The Word 2.0, a new biography of Jesus of Nazareth in his own words, based upon a single, unified timeline.
Find us at Amazon.com or our website: www.whatifjesuswasawoman.com
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You are reading one in a year-long series on the anti-Hellenist “Feminine-ist” teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.
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In the context of events which took place in Israel before Jesus was born, I found the Seleucid Greek invasion particularly important because the Greek belief system we call “Hellenism” was enforced at that time. It caused a division among the people of Israel not only along the lines of those who became “Hellenists” and those who were “Traditionalists”, but also, apparently, between men and women. It is in the nature of Hellenism that women be subordinate to men. I have briefly touched upon some basic principles of Jesus of Nazareth’s life and ministry, as they are revealed in my book “The Word 2.0”:
1. Jesus was a “Traditional” Hebrew-Jewish teacher and Rabbi – at the very least!
2. Jesus was not a “Hellenist” in any sense of our understanding the word.
3. Jesus espoused and promoted that our One True God – the God of Israel, is both masculine and feminine, as is reflected in all Creation.
4. Jesus said that we must love the Lord our God first and foremost, and then love one another as we love ourselves.
5. Jesus taught that love, beginning with God’s “Ruach HaKodesh” – the Breath of Life and Holy Spirit, as aspects of God’s Divine Feminine, is the only way that men can experience the Kingdom of God.
6. Jesus rejected the kind of egocentric, selfish, self-centered thinking and behavior of men that characterizes “Hellenism”.
We will discuss each of these points in much greater detail as we continue, and, look for my study guides they will soon also be available!
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References are to pages in the book.
We have been discussing the events that occurred during Jesus’ public ministry when he came into contact with Greek people, or some other experience directly related to the Greek culture. Whether or not we all agree, it seemed as though Jesus was not specifically opposed to all things Greek. On the one hand he was willing to help a Greek woman whose faith was great. (Page 168 – 169) But then again he refused to even hear Greek men who sought him. (Page 313.)
In contrast to those experiences we then discussed the record of Saul of Tarsus (Paul) where we find a specifically Hellenist-Jewish man comfortable with his two contrary belief systems: Judaism and Hellenism. In Chapter 16, before his “white-light” vision on the road to Damascus, we might say that he exhibited typically male urges, thoughts and motivations, said things men typically say, and surely did things all men do. After his experience though, he became conflicted and struggled with his beliefs. (Pages 398 – 413.)
Where we left off was comparing and contrasting Jesus, symbolizing what men could become, and Paul personifying what most every man more often than not really is: Unsure and afraid, he wrestles as it were, with his own ego and self-will vs. God’s will for him. At the end of Chapter 16, I included one of Paul’s more lucid and compelling thoughts on the “Ministry of Reconciliation” (Pages 412 – 413.). It represents a crucial step toward men co-creating equality and balance with women.
To this let’s now consider Chapter 17, “Revelation of the Spirit“, beginning on page 415. I imagine that John, who was a disciple of Jesus, was not a Hellenist, but a traditionalist as Jesus was. In his collected dreams and visions at Patmos he writes about the fledgling meeting rooms, synagogues or churches of Asia Minor where Paul and other Hellenists have preached their version of God’s word to Greek Hellenists, pagans and other gentiles. Recall that long since, at the Nazarene Council in Jerusalem, Paul lobbied and received approval for the elimination of requirements that followers need not convert to Judaism first – become well grounded in God, the Law and what we call the Love. That is, followers gain some context for or comprehension, if not understanding, of what Jesus said and what Jesus was talking about.
Likely due to his Hellenist worldview, Paul was not especially welcome in Israel. He elected to preach outside Israel, and not exclude the Greeks, Hellenists or other receptive Jewish and non-Jewish communities. The record shows however Paul had gone about these regions preaching his somewhat conflicted, contorted message blending Jesus’ word of God, Scripture, and his own version of Hellenism. As a result, these meeting rooms, synagogues and fledgling churches, and their members, were themselves conflicted and confused.
By the time of the Revelation to John at Patmos, as one might guess, these rooms were out of balance – the men and women with one another, as the male and female, and the groups with each other. Paul no doubt did the best he could, but following his guidance, it is obvious that whenever men decide they need to be in charge, take control, be in command, or whatever, without the balancing influence of women, things get strange.
Jesus dictated seven letters (Pages 417 – 424) to John, one to each of these regional groups. He focused on reaffirming the traditional values and qualities of God’s true word – love, balance and co-equality. Attempting to guide and direct these believers’ growth back toward the proper, traditional way of living and being children of God. Looking around the world on this very day, can you say men are really any different?
The beauty of the Revelation is that it not only forecasts the end of men’s rule over women (the actual ‘end times‘ if you will), the males’ domination of the female, and indeed the masculine disregard for the feminine, Jesus reminds us all of the spiritual tools God provided us. This in turn draws us back to Jesus’ core teachings – that we might all be healed, be reconciled and restored.
If men can but recognize their Hellenist tendencies we have taken a good next step!
Mazel Tov!
Miguel
