| "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?" Luke 8:46 by Gott |
In the very early years of Christianity, between the first and
fourth centuries, there were two very divergent schools of belief
about how the new religion was to be taught. One school of
thought was centered at Antioch, and it considered Paul the
most important of the Apostles, even though Paul never met
Jesus except in his visions. This school taught a strict literal
interpretation of the gospels. In other words, the story that was
written was what the gospel writers intended to convey –
nothing more, nothing less. The story was to be read as the
"literal" truth, and scripture was "inerrant."
The opposing school of thought was at Alexandria, and "John
Mark" was one of the first and foremost of its proponents, along
with Philo the Jew. It was derived from older Mosaic,
Pythagorean, and Platonic traditions and taught the allegorical
interpretation of scripture. This school taught that the gospel
writers had encoded secret messages within the stories and that
only disciples of Jesus – those who were initiated and trained in
biblical interpretation – were able to know these hidden "truths."
But why trust either School when The Master, Himself, left clear
and concise instructions:
Luke 8.9-10: (9) "Then his disciples asked him what this parable
meant. (10) He said, 'To you . . ." (His disciples) ". . . it has been
given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I
speak in parables, so that 'looking they may not perceive, and
listening they may not understand.'"
The meaning of these verses seems quite clear, but Webster
helps connect Jesus to one of the "Schools of Thought":
Parable: "A simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson;
to compare: para, beside + ballein, to throw."
Allegory: "A literary dramatic or pictorial device in which each
literal character, object, and event represents a symbol
illustrating an idea of moral or religious principle. 2. A symbolic
representation. Allos, other + agoreuein, to speak."
Pulling out the key words from each definition, it becomes clear
that parable and allegory are synonymous and can be used
interchangeably:
Parable: A story illustrating . . . a religious lesson;
Allegory: A literary device (i.e., story) illustrating . . . a religious
principle (i.e., lesson.)
So, Jesus said: "I speak in parables (i.e., allegorically) so that
those who are NOT my disciples will not understand what I'm
teaching."
There is a message here, and it comes directly from Jesus.
"Interpret scripture allegorically if you are one of my disciples;
interpret scripture literally if you are NOT one of my disciples."
That statement is not pulled from thin air! It is pulled from Luke's
Gospel!
There are twenty-seven Books and/or Epistles in the New
Testament. Twenty-five percent of the words in these twenty-
seven documents come from just two of them: Luke and Acts.
Both were written by the same person – the man known as
"Luke."
If Jesus said He spoke "allegorically" to convey his message to
his disciples while keeping it hidden from others, it seems a sure
bet that "Luke" would have done the same thing. But if this
simple conclusion which seems beyond dispute has been
ignored for over two thousand years while "Christianity" was
built on the foundation of the Antiochan School's "literal
interpretation doctrine," how and why could it have happened?
How and why were Jesus' words ignored and the School at
Antioch given such credibility?
The answer is really a no-brainer: The story hidden within the
allegorical interpretation of Acts describes Paul as a "liar," an
"infiltrator," a "murderer," and a "false apostle." It tells the story
of the stoning of James, a brother of Jesus, by Saul, who later
changed his name to Paul. It tells the story of Jesus, Mary
Magdalene (his bride), his daughter, JoAnna Damaris and his
twin sons, John Mark and Judas bar Jesus.
All the doctrines carried over from the patriarchal leadership
within the Pharisee and Sadducee sects, and also favored by
Herod Agrippa and subsequent government leaders, were lies –
it was the false doctrine about which Jesus warned.
It was imperative that those in power retain their power, and they
devised a very clever way of doing so. About twenty years after
the crucifixion they infiltrated the Nazorean movement that was
spreading like wildfire. Paul claimed that he was the most
important of the Apostles, that any doctrine other than his was
"heresy" and its adherents "from Satan," that the gospels were
to be interpreted literally and that anyone who questioned the
literal interpretation – or suggested an allegorical interpretation –
was a heretic and subject to stoning or burning at the stake.
Ultimately, several million men, women, and children who
attempted to interpret scripture allegorically were murdered at
the hands of the "Church of Paul." Among the first to die was
James, Jesus' brother, at the hands of Saul/Paul himself. It is a
story told by Josephus, the first century historian, and it is a
story told by Luke when his gospel is interpreted allegorically.
But Jesus even left "allegorical" messages about how these
"false brothers and church leaders" could be identified, and how
the "true disciples" would be able to recognize one another:
Luke 8.20 "And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
'Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (21)
Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. (22)Blessed
are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and
revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son
of man! (23)Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your
reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the
prophets. (24)But woe to you that are rich, for you have received
your consolation. (25)Woe to you that are full now, for you shall
hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and
weep. (26)Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so
their fathers did to the false prophets.
27)"'But I say to you that hear . . ." (that would be his disciples),
"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (28)bless
those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (29)To him
who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him
who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. (30)
Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes
away your goods do not ask them again. (31)And as you wish
that men would do to you, do so to them. (32)If you love those
who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love
those who love them. (33)And if you do good to those who do
good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the
same. (34)And if you lend to those from whom you hope to
receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners,
to receive as much again. (35)But love your enemies, and do
good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward
will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind
to the ungrateful and the selfish. (36)Be merciful, even as your
Father is merciful.
(37)"'Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and
you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; (38)
give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the
measure you give will be the measure you get back. (39)He also
told them a parable: Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they
not both fall into a pit? (40)A disciple is not above his teacher,
but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher. (41)
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do
not notice the log that is in your own eye? (42)Or how can you
say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in
your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your
own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your
brother's eye. (43)For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again
does a bad tree bear good fruit; (44)for each tree is known by its
own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes
picked from a bramble bush. (45)The good man out of the good
treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his
evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart
his mouth speaks.
(46)"'Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell
you?"
From the School centered in Antioch came the orders to destroy
any text that promoted an allegorical interpretation of scripture.
From the leaders in Antioch came the orders to kill anyone who
opposed their strict, literal interpretation of scripture. Even
though the Lord, himself, taught the use of parables – allegories
– to transmit "the words of God," Gnostics, Ebionites, Essenes,
Marcionites, Nazareans, Platonists, Pythagoreans, and other
groups of "allegorists" were systematically destroyed, vilified,
and labeled "pawns of Satan," all at the behest of the literalists at
Antioch – the followers of Saul/Paul. The Crusades and the
Inquisition were conducted to rid the world of anyone who
questioned a literal interpretation of the Bible. Little wonder that
so many literalists remain and are so vocal while so few
allegorists persist, and for the most part quite privately. It was
the literalists who ordered the killings to eliminate any attempt to
tell the "secrets" encoded within the stories. Jesus told us how
we would be able to identify them: " . . . the evil man out of his
evil treasure produces evil . . ."
It was the allegorists who did what the Lord instructed, and it
resulted in their near annihilation: "Love your enemies, do good
to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for
those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek,
offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do
not withhold even your shirt. The good man out of the good
treasure of his heart produces good." In other words, Jesus told
his disciples to be people of peace and good will and to never
strike back with the same evil force that is inflicted by "the evil
man."
And so for nearly two thousand years those who are willing to
murder "in the name of Jesus" and who promote a culture of
greed have seemed to triumph while the humble and
compassionate still wait for those who call themselves
"Christians" to discover Jesus' words, Jesus' instructions, and
the keys to inheriting heavenly treasures on earth.
Jesus said, "Follow me!" He also said, "Why do you call me
'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"
Why, indeed!
fourth centuries, there were two very divergent schools of belief
about how the new religion was to be taught. One school of
thought was centered at Antioch, and it considered Paul the
most important of the Apostles, even though Paul never met
Jesus except in his visions. This school taught a strict literal
interpretation of the gospels. In other words, the story that was
written was what the gospel writers intended to convey –
nothing more, nothing less. The story was to be read as the
"literal" truth, and scripture was "inerrant."
The opposing school of thought was at Alexandria, and "John
Mark" was one of the first and foremost of its proponents, along
with Philo the Jew. It was derived from older Mosaic,
Pythagorean, and Platonic traditions and taught the allegorical
interpretation of scripture. This school taught that the gospel
writers had encoded secret messages within the stories and that
only disciples of Jesus – those who were initiated and trained in
biblical interpretation – were able to know these hidden "truths."
But why trust either School when The Master, Himself, left clear
and concise instructions:
Luke 8.9-10: (9) "Then his disciples asked him what this parable
meant. (10) He said, 'To you . . ." (His disciples) ". . . it has been
given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I
speak in parables, so that 'looking they may not perceive, and
listening they may not understand.'"
The meaning of these verses seems quite clear, but Webster
helps connect Jesus to one of the "Schools of Thought":
Parable: "A simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson;
to compare: para, beside + ballein, to throw."
Allegory: "A literary dramatic or pictorial device in which each
literal character, object, and event represents a symbol
illustrating an idea of moral or religious principle. 2. A symbolic
representation. Allos, other + agoreuein, to speak."
Pulling out the key words from each definition, it becomes clear
that parable and allegory are synonymous and can be used
interchangeably:
Parable: A story illustrating . . . a religious lesson;
Allegory: A literary device (i.e., story) illustrating . . . a religious
principle (i.e., lesson.)
So, Jesus said: "I speak in parables (i.e., allegorically) so that
those who are NOT my disciples will not understand what I'm
teaching."
There is a message here, and it comes directly from Jesus.
"Interpret scripture allegorically if you are one of my disciples;
interpret scripture literally if you are NOT one of my disciples."
That statement is not pulled from thin air! It is pulled from Luke's
Gospel!
There are twenty-seven Books and/or Epistles in the New
Testament. Twenty-five percent of the words in these twenty-
seven documents come from just two of them: Luke and Acts.
Both were written by the same person – the man known as
"Luke."
If Jesus said He spoke "allegorically" to convey his message to
his disciples while keeping it hidden from others, it seems a sure
bet that "Luke" would have done the same thing. But if this
simple conclusion which seems beyond dispute has been
ignored for over two thousand years while "Christianity" was
built on the foundation of the Antiochan School's "literal
interpretation doctrine," how and why could it have happened?
How and why were Jesus' words ignored and the School at
Antioch given such credibility?
The answer is really a no-brainer: The story hidden within the
allegorical interpretation of Acts describes Paul as a "liar," an
"infiltrator," a "murderer," and a "false apostle." It tells the story
of the stoning of James, a brother of Jesus, by Saul, who later
changed his name to Paul. It tells the story of Jesus, Mary
Magdalene (his bride), his daughter, JoAnna Damaris and his
twin sons, John Mark and Judas bar Jesus.
All the doctrines carried over from the patriarchal leadership
within the Pharisee and Sadducee sects, and also favored by
Herod Agrippa and subsequent government leaders, were lies –
it was the false doctrine about which Jesus warned.
It was imperative that those in power retain their power, and they
devised a very clever way of doing so. About twenty years after
the crucifixion they infiltrated the Nazorean movement that was
spreading like wildfire. Paul claimed that he was the most
important of the Apostles, that any doctrine other than his was
"heresy" and its adherents "from Satan," that the gospels were
to be interpreted literally and that anyone who questioned the
literal interpretation – or suggested an allegorical interpretation –
was a heretic and subject to stoning or burning at the stake.
Ultimately, several million men, women, and children who
attempted to interpret scripture allegorically were murdered at
the hands of the "Church of Paul." Among the first to die was
James, Jesus' brother, at the hands of Saul/Paul himself. It is a
story told by Josephus, the first century historian, and it is a
story told by Luke when his gospel is interpreted allegorically.
But Jesus even left "allegorical" messages about how these
"false brothers and church leaders" could be identified, and how
the "true disciples" would be able to recognize one another:
Luke 8.20 "And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
'Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (21)
Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. (22)Blessed
are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and
revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son
of man! (23)Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your
reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the
prophets. (24)But woe to you that are rich, for you have received
your consolation. (25)Woe to you that are full now, for you shall
hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and
weep. (26)Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so
their fathers did to the false prophets.
27)"'But I say to you that hear . . ." (that would be his disciples),
"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (28)bless
those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (29)To him
who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him
who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. (30)
Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes
away your goods do not ask them again. (31)And as you wish
that men would do to you, do so to them. (32)If you love those
who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love
those who love them. (33)And if you do good to those who do
good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the
same. (34)And if you lend to those from whom you hope to
receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners,
to receive as much again. (35)But love your enemies, and do
good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward
will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind
to the ungrateful and the selfish. (36)Be merciful, even as your
Father is merciful.
(37)"'Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and
you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; (38)
give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the
measure you give will be the measure you get back. (39)He also
told them a parable: Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they
not both fall into a pit? (40)A disciple is not above his teacher,
but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher. (41)
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do
not notice the log that is in your own eye? (42)Or how can you
say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in
your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your
own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your
brother's eye. (43)For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again
does a bad tree bear good fruit; (44)for each tree is known by its
own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes
picked from a bramble bush. (45)The good man out of the good
treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his
evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart
his mouth speaks.
(46)"'Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell
you?"
From the School centered in Antioch came the orders to destroy
any text that promoted an allegorical interpretation of scripture.
From the leaders in Antioch came the orders to kill anyone who
opposed their strict, literal interpretation of scripture. Even
though the Lord, himself, taught the use of parables – allegories
– to transmit "the words of God," Gnostics, Ebionites, Essenes,
Marcionites, Nazareans, Platonists, Pythagoreans, and other
groups of "allegorists" were systematically destroyed, vilified,
and labeled "pawns of Satan," all at the behest of the literalists at
Antioch – the followers of Saul/Paul. The Crusades and the
Inquisition were conducted to rid the world of anyone who
questioned a literal interpretation of the Bible. Little wonder that
so many literalists remain and are so vocal while so few
allegorists persist, and for the most part quite privately. It was
the literalists who ordered the killings to eliminate any attempt to
tell the "secrets" encoded within the stories. Jesus told us how
we would be able to identify them: " . . . the evil man out of his
evil treasure produces evil . . ."
It was the allegorists who did what the Lord instructed, and it
resulted in their near annihilation: "Love your enemies, do good
to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for
those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek,
offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do
not withhold even your shirt. The good man out of the good
treasure of his heart produces good." In other words, Jesus told
his disciples to be people of peace and good will and to never
strike back with the same evil force that is inflicted by "the evil
man."
And so for nearly two thousand years those who are willing to
murder "in the name of Jesus" and who promote a culture of
greed have seemed to triumph while the humble and
compassionate still wait for those who call themselves
"Christians" to discover Jesus' words, Jesus' instructions, and
the keys to inheriting heavenly treasures on earth.
Jesus said, "Follow me!" He also said, "Why do you call me
'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"
Why, indeed!
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