THE BIBLE

      The Bible as we know it today is not one book but a number of books stuck together. People commonly believe that these individual texts are inspired and I would have to agree. I do not believe that everyone who reads the Bible, interprets it or even translates it have the same degree of divine inspiration.

      Some say that only the Bible is inspired by God because the Bible tells us this.

      2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

      This is very interesting idea because the Bible as we know it today did not exist at the time this was written. The word scripture is from graphe meaning writings, thing written. It is not a term exclusive to the Bible.

      There were many writings that did exist such as the Old Testament, and other books mentioned in the Bible but not included in the text. The Q Gospels and the sayings of Jesus seem to predate Matthew, Mark and Luke and seem to be a source if not the guide for those texts. The Gospels of Thomas and Philip seem to compliment the accepted books in the Bible although they may come into conflict with dogmatic and religious interpretation of those texts.

     I believe that there are inspired writers who were excluded from the Bible.

     I do not wish to extract from the validity of those original texts but it might help people overcome the burden of misconception of the teachings of Christ and the prophets if they understood the history of the acceptance and rejection of the many Holy Scriptures of those early days of His Holy Church.

      Flavius Salerus Constantinus has been touted as the first Roman Emperor who was converted to Christianity. He claimed that Yeshua, a.k.a. Jesus, appeared to him "in 312 on the eve of the battle against Maxentius his rival in Italy." and told him to put XP (khi, hro) on his shield, which was the first two Greek letter in his name, Christ. One problem with this concept is that Christ was not and never has been Jesus' name. Christos1 is simply the Greek form of the word anointed. Jesus was also called Messiah but this was also not his name but was from the Hebrew word anointed mashiyach2 which also meant anointed. So, in fact the word christ and messiah were synonyms both meaning the same thing, anointed.

      Of course we know also that David was anointed and was King. He was the messiah of Israel but there was blood on his hands.

      And Nathan said to David, Thou [art] the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 2 Samuel 12:7

      David was the anointed mashiyach or Messiah of Judah, the Messianic prince.The kings were Messiahs because they were anointed. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.... 2 Samuel 2:4

      The Kings of Judea were all messiahs for they were all anointed but which of them were the Son of David the King anointed of God. There were many sons of David, that were anointed by men but not anointed by God.

      The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1

      Jesus was different than other kings for he came to serve and to bring life while other kings and anointed drained the people and put heavy burdens on them, holding dominion one over the other.

      1 Kings 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

      The government asked for by the people against the advise of Samual and God began placing heavy burdens on the people. Instead of freewill offerings and tithing according to their service the people were forced to pay tribute to the King and his servants. Those who took power took the people farther from God's system of governance.

      The Bible gives us the history of this decline and fall of Israel as God's Kingdom on earth with occasional moments of repentance. Few people take advantage of this History and are condemned to make the same mistakes of those who have gone before. History repeats itself in an age of ignorance. By the time of the Hasmonians and Herods the remnants of Israel, Judea, were in an awful state of corruption and degenerate customs. These false prophets, priests and princes detested Jesus.

      And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, Matthew 21:15

      Jesus was very clear on what type of king he was and how and in what manner his ministers were to serve. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Luke 22:25, 27

      Jesus was a king in the flesh on this planet.

Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

      Other kings and wise men knew he was king.

Matthew 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

     The people knew he was king.

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

     Pilate and therefore Rome knew he was king.

Matthew 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. [Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3]

      Pilate continued in his understanding that Jesus was king.

John 18:39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

     Pilate proclaimed that Jesus was king in official Roman documents which has been proclaimed throughout the land and the ages as the message on the cross sealed in blood.

Luke 23:38 And a superscriptionalso was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. [Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26]

      This superscription¹ was not a wooden plaque scratched in mocking ridicule but an official order of Rome written in three languages on a white slate with black lettering by the Procurator of Rome and Grandson in law of Tiberius.

John 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put [it] on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

      Jesus did not give Rome jurisdiction over himself for he would not appeal to Rome. Did Rome have lawful authority to turn Jesus over to the Edomite Jews who had seized power in the Kingdom by the murder of Zacharia?

John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power [at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

      Rome owes a debt in blood to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. If Rome denies again the king or his appointees the debt can be collected by God the Father. But that is not the mission of His Holy Church.

Luke 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

      Over and over Jesus tells of the kingdom, explains how it works and how to run it. Before he leaves he appoints his disciples as its servant ministers to the Kingdom. Much like the Levites before them they were those who answered the call to come out and stand with the LORD.

Luke 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

     For almost three hundred years his kingdom spread around the world preaching the good news and teaching the system of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Its message was one of a government that did not rule or exercising authority of one man over the other. It was a government under the perfect law of liberty.

     White ministers of God's Kingdom on earth, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." (Ro 13:1) They themselves would not go under the authority of any. "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (1 Cor. 6:12)

     The ministers of the Kingdom of God on Earth knew the governments of the Gentiles and the government that Judea was becoming made servants of men and they sought to show them the ways of liberty and freedom. Jesus had opened the gates of the New World Order of Rome and now it was the Ministers of His ekklesia, His Holy Church to stand in the gates so that they people might be free.

1 Corinthians 7:21 Art thou called [being] a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use [it] rather.

      With Rome's systems of corvee and Herod's Corban they were regularly extracting the benefit of a man's sweat before he could enjoy its fruits and made the law of God to no effect. Jesus redeemed them from that Cananite system by setting the captives free.

      Jesus turned over the banking system of the temple and made his people the porters of the offerings. The old money Changers continued and the people could tithe to those they chose according to their service as it was in the beginning. The apostles who were now the ambassadors of the Kingdom appointed men like Stephen and worked daily in the temple dividing the offerings in the daily ministration.

Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

      Paul would let men be subject to the superior authority but would not go under any authority but the highest power of God through Jesus Christ and his Kingdom on earth.

     Responsible Men and Women with faith in the Kingdom system Jesus had established, came out of these voluntary systems of social security and began to serve God in the perfect law of liberty exercising not power and authority but Faith, Hope, Charity and Love. There was a decline of revenue in the systems of Corban and participation in the corvee systems of statutory labor. Jealousy and envy brought persecutions and deportation and hastened the decline of the Roman Empire.

Acts 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

      In Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, he praised "the union and discipline of the Christian republic." He also pointed out that "it gradually formed an independent and increasing state in the heart of the Roman Empire." The early Christian ekklesia was a republic that was recognized by Rome through the proclamation nailed to the cross by order of the Proconsul of Rome, Pontius Pilate. When Jesus rose from the dead to stand again upon the earth, so did his Kingdom. His kingdom now lives in the hearts of those who follow His way.

What did Constantine do?

     Constantine had also claimed a 'vision in 310 while in a grove of Apollo in Gaul of the sun god.' Constantine and Licinius were co-emperors when they "joined together in issuing the Edict of Milan(313), which granted toleration to Christians in the Roman Empire. As guardian of Constantines favored religion, the church was given legal rights and large financial donations."3

      But, "A struggle for power soon began between" the two commanders from which Constantine emerged victorious. "Constantine intervened in ecclesiastical affairs to achieve unity; he presided over the first ecumenical council of the church at Nicaea in 325."
      Barely 300 bishops, of over 1800 known bishops of the time, came to this council called by a man who had been responsible for the death and oppression of thousands of people by military force. Of those who came, the historical record showed that, they were financially rewarded. Those who did not beckon to the call of this military general often found themselves on the short end of Constantine's intervening stick. Ultimately he was a man of force, opportunistic influence and power.
      The same could be said of other Emperors who called subsequent councils of bishops. The first council of Constantinople in 381 was convened by Theodosius I. Only 150 bishops attended condemning various religious groups that did not heed the call of the emperor. Theodosius was as much a tyrant and more a murder of thousands.
      The legalizing of the christian church was more a legalizing certain sects of churches who claimed to be christian and were willing to turn a blind eye to the autocratic oppression of these manipulating chiefs of state.
      These sects operated more as a religion and their descendants have been able to control the writing of history throughout the ages. They relied heavily on the strong arm of what became known as the Holy Roman Empire.

      Even more important they arranged the compilation of books we know today as the Bible. "The 27 books of the New Testament are only a fraction of the literary production of the Christian communities in the first three centuries."4

"Constantine intervened in ecclesiastical affairs to achieve unity; he presided over the first ecumenical council of the church at Nicaea in 325." [Encarta 97]

He claimed the office and title of Pontifex Maximus or High Priest, till he died. As the ruling High Priest, he had demanded that the bishops of the Church come to his council. There were over 1800 known bishops at that time and barely 300 showed up. He sat on a golden throne claiming the title of "Bishop of Bishops", not as the servant of servants but as a dictator.

Of those who came, the historical record showed that, they were financially rewarded with the spoils of his imperial rule. Extravagant gifts of gold, silver, property and privilege were bestowed on these collaborating bishops who accepted his rule from the top down. Those bishops who sanctioned his benevolence and title of "bishop of bishops" are difficult to justify. His gifts had been taken from fields of corpses and an overtaxed populations. If ever there was a sin of the Nicolaitan branded on the head of men it was here at this council of hypocrisy. How could men justify this fundamental departure from the teachings of Christ?

Emperor Constantine paid Eusebius with tax dollars to personally produce fifty copies of what was to be considered the sacred scriptures. These imperial Bibles would be the basis of his official legalized Church.

      There is no clear record of how some writings were excluded and others were chosen to be placed in what the Roman Catholic church eventually referred to as the Canon. There is one thing clear from the historical record and the large numbers of Christian sects who fled the judgment of the legalized church and those instruments of force, fear and violence, imperial government. This union of church and state was not one sanctioned by God nor did it bear any resemblance to the Christianity preached and taught by Jesus.
      This fornicating relationship was self serving, proud, violent and oppressive. Like Augustus and other emperors before him Constantine still held the title of Apo Theos, originator of gods. Of course this phrase simply meant that he appointed the gods, e.g. appointed judges throughout the empire. The Greek word theos translated throughout the New Testament as God simply means judge.
      I have little doubt that the men who exclude so much from the compilation of the New Testament did so with, if not evil intent, at least with less than noble purposes. This is not to say that those writing are not now authentic or valid and though their limitation of Bible content was meant unto evil the God would turn it unto good.

     Even the king James Bible commonly used by this author was translated into English by fifty government paid scholars. Is there anything wrong with that? Christ told his apostles to not be like the governments of the other nations who exercise authority. Those governments did and do not rely on free will offerings like early Israel and the first century Church. To compile or translate the book to be the official book of Christ's gospel by exercising authority in the collection of the funds to do so seems hypicrital at best.

     Modern Churches no longer provide the services to the congregation of the people that was common among that same early Israel and the first century Church and many apply to those national governments to not only maintain their own ministers but the very ministries themselves.

      Today, just as Simon divined the truth of Jesus' anointing as Messiah by YHWH the God and Father of the Kingdom, we also must by that same rock of divine inspiration determine the true nature of Christendom.

Search the scriptures;5 for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39

      We should search the scriptures, the writings. Not reading just those few books handed down by men who beckoned to the call of emperors and murderers, but all the writings. The Anointed King Jesus, Yeshua, told us that he would build His Church, His ekklesia, upon that blessed rock of faith and knowing granted by his Father in heaven.

Gregory

See also a letter on the Word of God verses the Bible.

And check out The Covenants of the gods

THE BIBLE , A Word about the Bible, Call no man Father, School to fool, Human Being, Mark of the Beast, Rome vs US, Their are gods many, The Apotheos of Washington, UCC and Redemption, The cure and the cancer, Sabbath