On Climbing Mountains at Age 81
23 August 2012: 3 Comments »
For the past twelve years, my wife Christine and I have vacationed in the mountains of Western North Carolina, an area that once was a vital part of my childhood. We rent a house for a week, sometimes two, in the community around the High Hampton Inn and Golf Club. Neither of us plays golf …
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Question & Answer
Question:
Can you tell me the precise moment when, according to you, the Church began to twist the original message and interpreted literally the tales of miracles, resurrections, etc?
Answer:
Dear Dr. Andrade,
No, and neither can anyone else! We see the changes beginning in the New Testament. There is a vast difference between Paul and the gospels; a vast difference between the first gospel, Mark, and the last gospel, John. I‘m not sure Paul would have been able to say the Nicene Creed with integrity. Christianity did not separate itself from Judaism until between 50-60 years after the crucifixion.
Miracles do not attach themselves to Jesus until the 8th decade. Paul knew of no miracles. The miraculous birth of Jesus did not enter the tradition until the 9th decade. The story of the ascension of Jesus was a 10th decade addition to the story.
It would take hours and even books to put your question into a context where we could begin to address it competently.
I hope we might have the opportunity to meet and discuss this more thoroughly at some point.
Thank you for writing.
~John Shelby Spong
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