Good morning, readers. One thing I aspire to utilize my blog for is raising awareness of the affects from crossing cultures. Primarily, I research Indigenous studies but I also find it necessary to reference other cultures and their religions, as well as traditions. This allows growing minds to understand the many facets that make up a society.
During the era of settlement to the America's, Christianity shaped Indigenous cultures; not so much as a resurgence but it provided a different perspective on life and purpose for being on mother Earth. I grew up Roman Catholic and I currently practice no religion, as far as organized religion. However, I cannot help but try to break barriers when it comes to religions. Many are cousins of one another, after all. It is time we as human beings educate ourselves and respect the traditions of other societies, whether we believe in them or not. At the very least, the characteristics and requirements are interesting to learn. Enjoy this research paper I wrote on the Gospels.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the basic principles
of Christianity were introduced by Jesus at his Sermon on the Mount, which addressed
the eight “Beatitudes”, or supreme blessings. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven…Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted…Blessed are the
merciful, for they will be shown mercy...” The eight Beatitudes illustrate
the trials and tribulations humans will endure, and the rewards given from God
for pursuing their moral obligations. The main component of Matthew’s gospel is
practicing humility, where a person without material possessions is more open
to the word of God and appreciative of His blessings.
The Gospel of Mark is second of the four synoptic
gospels, which claims Jesus is the Messiah, son of God, who was appointed by
the Father to suffer for sinners and restore humankind. (Mark 1:17). This
inference is supported by nearly twenty encounters of Jesus performing miracles
on the sick and needy. The final chapters disclose the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ, further aiding his purpose of servant hood—a theme epitomized
throughout the Gospels. Even though the doctrine of Jesus challenged Roman
ideologies by refusing to worship Roman gods, Mark claimed that Jesus did not
seek political power. This did not prevent Romans from arresting Jesus under
the accusation of treason, where he was taken to Pontius Pilatus for
sentencing. Pilatus sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion, a standard
forfeiture for citizens guilty of insubordination. After his death, Jesus
appeared to those that rebuked their faith and said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel
to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned.” After he had spoken, he was taken up
into heaven and sat at the right hand of God (Mark 16:14 – 16:20).
The Gospel of Luke is the third synoptic
gospel that illustrates the teachings of Jesus chronologically, and accurately portrays
the accounts that took place. “…I too
decided to write an orderly account for you, Theophilus, so that you may know
the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:3) This
sequential order allows followers to comprehend the advancement of achievements
and works of Jesus Christ. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark are not
chronological and this technique displays the accounts of Jesus as a discussion
or story rather than a biography.
The Gospel of John is not a synoptic
gospel as it takes a theological approach to elucidate that Jesus was the
Messiah. “The work of God is this: to
believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29) “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and
whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) He depicts Jesus
as being a theological entity that we must obey, as well as the divine bridge
between Earth and the Kingdom of Heaven. In contrast, the synoptic Gospels
portray Jesus as the prophet of God who teaches moral requirements for
salvation. These literary works remain crucial elements within the Christian
world as they illustrate Christian life declared by Jesus Christ.
Moral requirements outlined in the
Gospels are related to the Ten Commandments received by Moses on Mount Sinai,
which are indicated in the Old Testament Book of Exodus. The
Ten Commandments spoke primarily of evils we need to avoid— “thou shall
not”—while the teachings of Jesus declare our duties as followers of God. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.” (Matthew 4:10) God is considered the ecclesiastical
entity that transcends above all of reality. Nonetheless, there is ‘Fulfillment
of the Law’, in which we follow earthly decree until Heaven and Earth disappear,
and the Kingdom of Heaven is the only institution left to judge mankind. Christian
laity are commanded to emulate God’s humility by ‘Loving thy Enemies’ and
‘Giving to the Needy,’ which are critical to obtaining salvation. We are all
children of the Father in Heaven, and so we must pray for the sinners. It is
essential to not boast righteous actions as God will see what was
done in secret and will reward through redemption.
The ministry of Jesus did not initially
flourish under the label of ‘Christianity.’ In fact, it developed from Jewish
partisan movements: Pharisee, Sadducee, and Essene. The Gospels detailed the
preaching and works of Jesus, but they were also dictating the emerging
consciousness of a progressing Christian society. This development reshaped the
original ideas of Judaism and how they follow the teachings of moral law
outlined in the Old Testament. One such obligation was animal sacrifice, which
acted as a means for forgiveness of sins. From a Christian perspective, the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
The Pharisee’s only believed in the Oral Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai, as
well as the Torah. Similar to Christianity, they believed in punishment from
God and rewards for the righteous, while the Sadducees opposed Oral Law and
practiced actual interpretation from the Torah, focusing primarily on the Ten
Commandments. The Essenes opposed both the Pharisee and Sadducee, parting ways
with Jerusalem and embracing a monastic life of celibacy and strict dietary
traditions. Christianity embraced the word of God, restoring godly standards
and rewarding followers, while the Jewish sects broke these commands to keep
tradition (Matthew: 15:3).
Following the death of Jesus,
Christianity endured severe scrutiny by the Roman government. During the reign
of Claudius in 49 A.D., antagonism between Jewish and non-Jewish communities
increased as the Jews continued seeking privileges, such as access to
Greek-only institutions, and Claudius responded by expelling Jews from Rome. In
64 A.D., Rome suffered a fire that lasted for six days, destroying over a third
of the city, and citizens blamed Emperor Nero for this carnage. In order to
avert these claims, Nero used the Christian community as a scapegoat, blaming
them for the destruction. He arrested members of the sect, declaring
retribution and much of the Christian laity was sentenced to death by extreme,
humiliating torture.
The theme of goodness, equality, and social justice
in the Gospels appeased Roman citizens that were suffering from a declining
political and economic institution, further provoking the Christian
persecution. Neo-Platonism, a developing philosophical order founded by Greek
philosopher Plotinus, expressed interest in Christianity as the doctrinal
values were similar to Plato’s ‘Form of Good’ and Neo-Platonism’s declaration
of a supreme source. In Neo-Platonism, the soul is a product of the divine and
to unify the soul with the divine source after death, mankind must obey
selfless acts similar to the obligations illustrated in the Gospels. Plato’s
‘Form of Good’ explains the universe illuminated by the Good, and this theory
is evident in Plato’s Allegory of the
Cave. Similar to Christianity, the light outside of the cave personifies
God, and therefore the light is good, so the liberator acts like an apostle,
converting mankind in the cave to live in the light, as this transition
presents humans with salvation of the soul. In the Gospels, Jesus proclaims
mankind must follow the ‘form of good’ by preaching his word to all of
creation. The belief of salvation in these different factions, aided the
expansion of Christianity throughout the Roman world.
The path of martyrdom followed Christian
history throughout time but reached a moment of civility in 261 A.D., when Emperor
Gallienus constituted a tolerance to Christianity, allowing the laity to
practice their religion without persecution. It is Gallienus’s admiration for
Greek art and philosophy that he established this edict, extending an olive
branch in hopes to strengthen the suffering Roman Empire. However, neighboring
invaders persecuted the Christian community and in 303 A.D., Emperor Diocletian
appointed the continuation of Christian expulsion. The purpose of the
Diocletian Persecution is to continue a pagan society by terminating
Christians, and Diocletian saw this plan through by burning scriptural books,
as well as dislodging churches to the ground while his son, Galerius, ordered the
imprisonment of all Christians. These Christian persecutions are known as the
Era of Martyrs, and by 312 A.D. Emperor Constantine established the Edict of
Milan, declaring religious tolerance for Christian and non-Christian citizens. The
edict ceaselessly transformed the entire Roman perspective of Christianity and
all of its factions today.
Christianity relies on the Gospels for
preaching the works of Jesus Christ and moral obligations mankind must pursue
in order to obtain salvation, such as caring for the needy, loving the enemy,
and worshiping only God. The doctrines were developed from the original ideas
of the Jewish community, reestablishing the standards God desires for man to
follow. The similarity of beliefs to the Jewish community caused the Roman
Empire to persecute followers of the new Christian faith, as they posed a
threat to their crippling society. Even though Christianity suffered
generations of martyrdom, it flourished throughout the Mediterranean, appealing
to Greek philosophical orders and shortly to Roman officials. The legalization
to practice Christianity, as well as the promotion of social equality and
salvation in the Gospels, further aided the expansion of this new religious
sect for years to come.
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