Category: Christianity

Chapter 17. Philo’s Account of the Ascetics of Egypt.

1. It is also said that Philo in the reign of Claudius became acquainted at Rome with Peter, who was then preaching there. Nor is this indeed improbable, for the work of which we have spoken, and which was composed by him some years later, clearly contains those rules of the Church which are even to this day observed among us.

2. And since he describes as accurately as possible the life of our ascetics, it is clear that he not only knew, but that he also approved, while he venerated and extolled, the apostolic men of his time, who were as it seems of the Hebrew race, and hence observed, after the manner of the Jews, the most of the customs of the ancients.

3. In the work to which he gave the title, On a Contemplative Life or on Suppliants, after affirming in the first place that he will add to those things which he is about to relate nothing contrary to truth or of his own invention, he says that these men were called Therapeutae and the women that were with them Therapeutrides. He then adds the reasons for such a name, explaining it from the fact that they applied remedies and healed the souls of those who came to them, by relieving them like physicians, of evil passions, or from the fact that they served and worshiped the Deity in purity and sincerity.

4. Whether Philo himself gave them this name, employing an epithet well suited to their mode of life, or whether the first of them really called themselves so in the beginning, since the name of Christians was not yet everywhere known, we need not discuss here.

5. He bears witness, however, that first of all they renounce their property. When they begin the philosophical mode of life, he says, they give up their goods to their relatives, and then, renouncing all the cares of life, they go forth beyond the walls and dwell in lonely fields and gardens, knowing well that interaction with people of a different character is unprofitable and harmful. They did this at that time, as seems probable, under the influence of a spirited and ardent faith, practicing in emulation the prophets’ mode of life.

6. For in the Acts of the Apostles, a work universally acknowledged as authentic, it is recorded that all the companions of the apostles sold their possessions and their property and distributed to all according to the necessity of each one, so that no one among them was in want. “For as many as were possessors of lands or houses,” as the account says, “sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet, so that distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”

7. Philo bears witness to facts very much like those here described and then adds the following account: “Everywhere in the world is this race found. For it was fitting that both Greek and Barbarian should share in what is perfectly good. But the race particularly abounds in Egypt, in each of its so-called nomes, and especially about Alexandria.

8. The best men from every quarter emigrate, as if to a colony of the Therapeuae’s fatherland, to a certain very suitable spot which lies above the lake Maria upon a low hill excellently situated on account of its security and the mildness of the atmosphere.”

9. And then a little further on, after describing the kind of houses which they had, he speaks as follows concerning their churches, which were scattered about here and there: “In each house there is a sacred apartment which is called a sanctuary and monastery, where, quite alone, they perform the mysteries of the religious life. They bring nothing into it, neither drink nor food, nor any of the other things which contribute to the necessities of the body, but only the laws, and the inspired oracles of the prophets, and hymns and such other things as augment and make perfect their knowledge and piety.”

10. And after some other matters he says: “The whole interval, from morning to evening, is for them a time of exercise. For they read the holy Scriptures, and explain the philosophy of their fathers in an allegorical manner, regarding the written words as symbols of hidden truth which is communicated in obscure figures.

11. They have also writings of ancient men, who were the founders of their sect, and who left many monuments of the allegorical method. These they use as models, and imitate their principles.”

12. These things seem to have been stated by a man who had heard them expounding their sacred writings. But it is highly probable that the works of the ancients, which he says they had, were the Gospels and the writings of the apostles, and probably some expositions of the ancient prophets, such as are contained in the Epistle to the Hebrews, and in many others of Paul’s Epistles.

13. Then again he writes as follows concerning the new psalms which they composed: “So that they not only spend their time in meditation, but they also compose songs and hymns to God in every variety of metre and melody, though they divide them, of course, into measures of more than common solemnity.”

14. The same book contains an account of many other things, but it seemed necessary to select those facts which exhibit the characteristics of the ecclesiastical mode of life.

15. But if any one thinks that what has been said is not peculiar to the Gospel polity, but that it can be applied to others besides those mentioned, let him be convinced by the subsequent words of the same author, in which, if he is unprejudiced, he will find undisputed testimony on this subject. Philo’s words are as follows:

16. “Having laid down temperance as a sort of foundation in the soul, they build upon it the other virtues. None of them may take food or drink before sunset, since they regard philosophizing as a work worthy of the light, but attention to the wants of the body as proper only in the darkness, and therefore assign the day to the former, but to the latter a small portion of the night.

17. But some, in whom a great desire for knowledge dwells, forget to take food for three days; and some are so delighted and feast so luxuriously upon wisdom, which furnishes doctrines richly and without stint, that they abstain even twice as long as this, and are accustomed, after six days, scarcely to take necessary food.” These statements of Philo we regard as referring clearly and indisputably to those of our communion.

18. But if after these things any one still obstinately persists in denying the reference, let him renounce his incredulity and be convinced by yet more striking examples, which are to be found nowhere else than in the evangelical religion of the Christians.

19. For they say that there were women also with those of whom we are speaking, and that the most of them were aged virgins who had preserved their chastity, not out of necessity, as some of the priestesses among the Greeks, but rather by their own choice, through zeal and a desire for wisdom. And that in their earnest desire to live with it as their companion they paid no attention to the pleasures of the body, seeking not mortal but immortal progeny, which only the pious soul is able to bear of itself.

20. Then after a little he adds still more emphatically: “They expound the Sacred Scriptures figuratively by means of allegories. For the whole law seems to these men to resemble a living organism, of which the spoken words constitute the body, while the hidden sense stored up within the words constitutes the soul. This hidden meaning has first been particularly studied by this sect, which sees, revealed as in a mirror of names, the surpassing beauties of the thoughts.”

21. Why is it necessary to add to these things their meetings and the respective occupations of the men and of the women during those meetings, and the practices which are even to the present day habitually observed by us, especially such as we are accustomed to observe at the feast of the Saviour’s passion, with fasting and night watching and study of the divine Word.

22. These things the above-mentioned author has related in his own work, indicating a mode of life which has been preserved to the present time by us alone, recording especially the vigils kept in connection with the great festival, and the exercises performed during those vigils, and the hymns customarily recited by us, and describing how, while one sings regularly in time, the others listen in silence, and join in chanting only the close of the hymns; and how, on the days referred to they sleep on the ground on beds of straw, and to use his own words, “taste no wine at all, nor any flesh, but water is their only drink, and the reish with their bread is salt and hyssop.”

23. In addition to this Philo describes the order of dignities which exists among those who carry on the services of the church, mentioning the diaconate, and the office of bishop, which takes the precedence over all the others. But whosoever desires a more accurate knowledge of these matters may get it from the history already cited.

24. But that Philo, when he wrote these things, had in view the first heralds of the Gospel and the customs handed down from the beginning by the apostles, is clear to every one.

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Source. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890). The only change is replacing “intercourse” with “interaction” in section 5. Bold has been added by me.

I believe in God the Father almighty.

And in Christ Jesus, His only Son, our Lord,
who was born of the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary,
who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried,
on the third day rose from the dead,
ascended into the heavens,
he sits at the right hand of the Father,
from which He will come to judge the living and the dead.

And in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Ecclesia,
the remission of sins,
the resurrection of the body
(the life everlasting).

____________

This is an early version of what later became the Apostles’ Creed, called the “Old Roman Creed.” It was in use as early as the second century (Kelly, Creeds, 101). It was the only doctrinal requirement in the early church. It was confessed before baptism.

Translated from the Latin by Jay N. Forrest

“We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us.” – Pogo (Walt Kelly)

As an Evangelical Christian, I was warned about liberal theology. It was of the devil. I am told that the enemy is the Liberal. I have met the enemy and it is me.

When you actually look up the word liberal, you find out it is not a bad word at all. The Oxford English Dictionary defines liberal as “relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.” What’s so bad about that? Maybe because it interferes with big money, political power, and corporate greed.

John F. Kennedy once said, “But if by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people—their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties—someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a ‘Liberal,’ then I’m proud to say I’m a ‘Liberal.'”

But there is a danger with unguarded liberalism. You can give up too much, lose one’s foundation. I content that Christians should be both liberal and orthodox. Liberal in the nonessentials and orthodox in the essentials. The either-or mentality is dividing the church and ostracizing many young people.

If I must carry a label, progressive Christian will do. I accept the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds, and in that sense I am orthodox. But I also believe in science, reason, and mysticism, and so I am also liberal. More importantly, I have dedicated my life to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I have a personal and experiential relationship with him.

The most common translation of 2 Timothy 3:16 is similar to the King James Version, which reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV). But is this really correct?

The English Revised Version of 1885 corrected this to read: “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” The American Standard Version of 1901 did the same: “Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.”

Because of the fundamentalist backlash, the Revised Standard Version of 1952 decided to return to “All scripture is inspired by God.” They moved the correct translation to the notes, where it reads: “Every scripture inspired by God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” The New Revised Standard Version did the same thing, placing it in the footnotes. The Good News Translation and the New American Bible Revised Edition also put that reading in the footnotes.

John Wycliffe, one of the first to translate the Bible into English, as early as 1382. His translation of 2 Timothy 3:16, from the Latin Vulgate, is “For all scripture inspired of God is profitable to teach, to reprove, to chastise, [for] to learn in rightwiseness.” So it is not a liberal bias. It is in the text itself that has this reading.

A few translations kept this more accurate translation. The New English Bible reads, “Every inspired scripture has its use for teaching.” A. S. Worrell translates it more literally, “Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The Bible in Basic English gives an easy to understand, but fairly accurate version, “Every holy Writing which comes from God is of profit for teaching, for training, for guiding, for education in righteousness.”

I believe that the common translation incorrect, which is, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” I want to focus on the first three words, “All scripture is.”

First, “all” is incorrect. As J W. Roberts explains, “The rule of Greek as expressed by Souter’s lexicon is that pas as an adjective in the singular without the article means every or every kind of; in the singular with the article preceding or following it means the whole, all the; in the plural without the article it means all. Thus ‘every scripture’ is the expected translation…. Paul certainly means ‘every passage of Scripture.’”

Translations that translate it as “every” instead of “all” include the American Standard Version, Amplified Bible, Contemporary English Version, Common English Bible, Darby Translation, God’s Word Translation, New English Translation, World English Bible, and the Names of God Bible.

Next, it is important to note that the “is” is not in the Greek. It does not say “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” More literally, it says “every scripture inspired by God.” It is not declaring that all scripture is inspired by God, but rather that every scripture inspired by God “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

One of the problems in seeing this is the translation of the Greek word graphē as “scripture.” Our understanding of scripture was a later development in church history. As Thayer’s Lexicon defines it, graphē primarily means “a writing, thing written” in the Bible. W. E. Vine explains, that graphē is “akin to grapho, to write” (Eng., ‘graph,’ ‘graphic,’ etc.), primarily denotes ‘a drawing, painting;’ then ;a writing,’” So even more literally, we could translate it, “Every writing inspired by God.”

Please note that several translations translate this as writing instead of scripture, such as Young’s Literal Translation, New Life Version, Bible in Basic English, Daniel Mace New Testament, Benjamin Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott, Julia E. Smith Parker Translation, Jonathan Mitchell New Testament, Worldwide English New Testament.

So, probably the most accurate translation would be the Hebrew Names Version, “Every writing inspired by God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness.” In other words, there are many writings, but only those inspired by God are “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness.”

So the passage was an exhortation for Timothy to “discriminate” the writing inspired by God from “other religious writings,” explains W. E. Vine. He elaborates further, “Such discrimination would be directed by the fact that ‘every Scripture,’ characterized by inspiration of God, would be profitable for the purposes mentioned.” In other words, there are many writings, but Timothy must discern those that are truly inspired by God. How? They will be “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness.”

Another problem with the translation “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” is that Paul is not speaking of the Bible. By conservative estimates, 2 Timothy was written between A.D. 64 and 65. Only the Gospel of Mark was possibly written. There was no Gospel of Matthew, or Luke, or John yet. They came decades later. So Paul could not have been referring to the New Testament, which did not exist for hundreds of years. The exact 27 books of our current New Testament were not even listed until Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, listed them in his Thirty-Ninth Festal Epistle, in A.D. 367. The first complete Bible was done by St. Jerome in A.D. 382.

So what was Paul referring to when he wrote that “Every writing inspired by God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness”? J W. Roberts writes, “It is quite plain that it is the Jewish Scriptures which are meant.” This is clear from the context, “And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). It is these very writings that testify about Christ (John 5:39).

But even here we have to be careful. As the Encyclopedia Britannica makes clear, the Hebrew Canon was not closed until 100 CE when a “synod at Jabneh seems to have ruled on the matter, but it took a generation or two before their decisions came to be unanimously accepted.” This is why the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (285–247 BCE), has several additional books, such as Tobit, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, and four books of Maccabees. These were not included in the final Hebrew Canon.

So let’s be clear on what 2 Timothy 3:16 does not teach. It does not teach that the entire Bible is inspired by God. It only teaches that “Every writing inspired by God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness.” This means that not all that is called scripture is inspired by God.

It is important to remember that Paul had no clue that his writings would one day become part of the New Testament. Paul was just writing to instruct his congregations and fellow workers. He had no concept of a Bible, let alone that his writing would become a part of it. After all, neither Jesus nor any of his apostles ever authorized the making of a Christian Bible. It was the heretic Marcion who first came up with the idea.

Now the church has discerned, over centuries, that the books in the Bible are “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness.” Therefore, those are the writings that they included in the canon. The canon is the list of books that the church has decided bear the mark of inspiration. Therefore, we can say that the scriptures “were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit” (The Episcopal Church).

Reference:
J W. Roberts, Every Scripture Inspired of God. Restoration Quarterly Vol 5, No. 1, Article 1. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=restorationquarterly

By calling ourselves Progressive Christians, we mean we are Christians who:

1. Believe that following the way and teachings of Jesus can lead to experiencing sacredness, wholeness, and unity of all life, even as we recognize that the Spirit moves in beneficial ways in many faith traditions.

2. Seek community that is inclusive of all people, honoring differences in theological perspective, age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, class, or ability.

3. Strive for peace and justice among all people, knowing that behaving with compassion and selfless love towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe.

4. Embrace the insights of contemporary science and strive to protect the Earth and ensure its integrity and sustainability.

5. Commit to a path of life-long learning, believing there is more value in questioning than in absolutes.

Source:
https://progressivechristianity.org/