DEFINING TRUTH BY A PRACTISING
CLINICAL
PSYCHOLOGIST AS WELL
AS AN INDEPTH CRITIQUE OF
RELIGIOUS BUFFOONERY BY A
MODERN THEOSOPHIST;
Dr Jideofo Kenechukwu
Danmbaezue, D.Sc.
Every branch of knowledge comes under classical
philosophy, the king of all studies whether scientific or not. That is why Ph.
D. is regarded and is the summit of academic ascent. Other doctorate degrees
build on this base, like D.Litt. and D.Sc., which are post-doctoral degrees
obtained only by exceptional students who major in advanced researches in the
specialised fields. All knowledge comes under the scrutiny of Philosophy. To
appreciate my dissertation, therefore, we must established baselines for what
we can and should accept as truth for the citizens of this global village our
world has turned into!
The meaning of truth has been explained by some
philosophers as relating to objects or visible realities; namely Socrates,
Plato, Aristotle, Dewey and Descartes. These were the front liners in the
realism, pragmatism, existentialism, for they raised and gave us insight into
the question:
WHAT IS TRUTH?
They tried to answer; can truth be known with certainty
without subjective colorinations by individuals? How do we know that we
actually know anything, in other words; what is reality?
Because of these types of questions, great thinkers
try to decipher the nature of reality. Reality as we have earlier stated can be
subjective or objective. Here, we are concerned with the reality that cuts across
intellectual pursuits, academic excellence and international boundaries! Can
reality be practically and conceptually perceived?
IN I S M OR KENEZIANISM, WE DO NOT HOLD
BRIEFS FOR THOSE WHO SPEAK FROM BOTH SIDES OF THEIR MOUTH OR WITH THEIR TONGUES
IN THEIR CHEEKS! WE BLURT IT OUT AS IT IS. FOR US
Human knowledge is based upon the truth of things,
facts, visible realities and evidence that mortal men observe in the created
universe. To know the truth implies the knowledge, comprehension or
understanding of reality. Knowledge or truth that arise from such sources as
common sense, honest observation, right reasoning and practical experience are
referred to and respected as scientific! That is our concern in this
dissertation that will integrate all shades of opinion under normal temperature
and pressure. Other sources like authority, tradition,
intuition and revelation belong to another realm of knowledge where belief and
faith reign supreme. This brand of knowledge has eternally been the conundrum
the breeds disagreements, socio-centric nepotism, apartheid policies, racial
inequalities in creed, politics and religion.
Following the practical or observable aspects of
reality; Socrates, who incidentally was the first victim of holding on to the
truth, with his students; Plato, Aristotle and some others maintained that
truth was/is objective or that it is concerned with things in practical life.
The greatest philosopher that gave us the genesis of true knowledge and thereby
established the accurate definition of truth, was Rene Descartes who gave us
the axiom “COGITO, EGO SUM’ literally meaning; “I DOUBT, THEREFORE I AM”; or “I
know from my ability to doubt, that at least I exist” This is what is
known as truth correspondence between what is said and what one says about it!
Prior to Descartes ultimate work on Epistemology,
Aristotle had described truth in his Metaphysics thus: Truth consists in saying or
affirming of being: that it is, and non-being, that it is not. This was also the views held by
Parmenides and Protogoras. “All
things are true in as much as they are”, and, “That is true which is in reality
as it is seen by the one perceiving it” are other ways early philosophers
described reality. The
correspondence theory of Augustine of Hippo summarised the point by stating
that the nature of the truth
consists in the conformity of thing with the intellect. Thomas Aquinas later opined that,
truth is the correspondence of the intellect with the extra-mental object or
particular entity. This he called ontological or existential truth, which
pragmatic, verifiable and subjective in that it is experienced and verifiable.
Those of us who belong to pragmatic and existential
schools of thought agree, accept and affirm that truth being the formulation of
experience is certain of popularity since in the final analysis; truth is
always economical, convenient and successful in practice. It saves time and
money as it insists on the cash-value of an idea. The pragmatist examines the fruits,
consequences and facts of truth. It is expedient in the way of our thinking...
In the case of the rational enterprise we are here concerned with, its rational
coherence or consistency occurs when it agrees with the system of concept and
relations already accepted as true by philosophers, natural scientists and
computer-age students.
KENEZIAN REVOLUTIONARY
PROLOGUES TO ALL
SANITATION DIATRIBES
KENEZIAN REVOLUTIONARY POSITION
“All that shines is not gold”, was and still is one of the earliest English proverbs I learnt in 1956 as a Standard One pupil in a religious school ran by the Roman Catholic Mission during the Colonial Era in Nigeria before we were granted the pseudo independence. We are still disillusioned post-colonial citizens suffering depersonalisation syndromes under the British manufactured weight of insincerity in lumping peoples of different genealogies, historical roots, languages, socio-political orientation and religious perspective to date. This author has come of age since the turn of the century and here is one of his queries on what he was forced to internalise or assimilate, by both classical and operant conditioning subliminal operations. The product half a decade later is a failed experiment as represented by this consultant clinical psychologist, existential family therapist and a revolutionary theosophist.
Dr Jideofo Kenechukwu Danmbaezue,
D. Sc. in Psychometrics.
ROMAN
CATHOLICISM
versus
CHRISTIANITY
WORLDWIDE
versus
JESUS
GOOD NEWS
There are
COLOSSAL DIFFERENCES between the VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS in what we falsely call
CHRISTENDOM!
You do
not need a doctorate degree to know that Catholicism is not same as
Christianity, nor do you need to be literate to notice that the two words are
spelt differently. A primary school pupil can easily teach a village man or
woman the variations in the alphabetical arrangement of the two differing
words.
Every
semi-illiterate can easily guess the syllogism that this title is bound to
generate, the arguments for and against each subtitle, compare, and contrast
what the conclusions are likely to be at the end of the debate.
However,
the problem is that the average member of the variety of the ancient and modern
denominations of present day Christendom, claiming to be bona-fide Christians
may never have known nor have imagined or seen that one is a corruption of the
other. Are you ready to remove your tinted binoculars now?
KENEZIAN JESUS CHRISTIANITY WORLDWIDE
I respect all my devoted followers,
so I guess many of my readers who have been dogmatised and indoctrinated since
birth will query my authority in declaring that only chapters 5, 6 & 7 as
documented by an apostle chosen by Jesus is the authentic and divine Good News
that will save a child of the Almighty Creator. I have decided ONLY to reprint
here the brief and scholarly depositions from WYCLIFFE COMMENTARY ON
“Matthew had described Christ's activity in proclaiming the arrival of
the Kingdom (Matt 4:17,23), it was proper for him to include for his readers a
full discussion by Jesus of this subject. Hence the Sermon on the Mount is not
primarily a statement of principles for the Christian church (which was yet
unrevealed), nor an evangelistic message for the unsaved, but a delineation of
the principles that would characterize the Messianic kingdom Christ was
announcing. Later, Israel's rejection of her King delayed the coming of his
kingdom, but even now Christians, having given their allegiance to the King and
having been made spiritually to anticipate some of the blessings of his kingdom
(Col 1:13), may see God's ideal in this sublime discourse and will assent to
its high standards! ” Dr
Kenez concurs.
DR KENEZ INSISTS THAT
JESUS ‘GOOD NEWS’ IS NOT THE TRADITIONS OF MEN PATENTED INROME NOR THE DOCTRINES AND
DOGMAS IN THE IDOLATROUS CHRISTENDOM OF TODAY
THE KENEZIAN POSITION IS THAT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS DELIVERED BY ITS AUTHOR;
THE KENEZIAN POSITION IS THAT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS DELIVERED BY ITS AUTHOR;
JESUS OF NAZARETH
THE CURRENT ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Jesus was deified by Roman Emperor Constantine to marry a Christian girl he fell in love with and Saul as the guardian of the damsel demanded that he must first convert to his brand of Christianity to achieve his desire. Thus Roman Paganism mixed with Mithraism the Greek religion they had before the arrival of Saul of Tarsus produced the adulterated Pauline version with all the personality attributes of Mithra god, all the liturgical celebrations and feasts of the ‘sun-god’ hoisted on Jesus of Nazareth, re-branded and patented in Rome as ‘god-the-son’ and later exported to the whole world as Roman Catholic mission!
Jesus was deified by Roman Emperor Constantine to marry a Christian girl he fell in love with and Saul as the guardian of the damsel demanded that he must first convert to his brand of Christianity to achieve his desire. Thus Roman Paganism mixed with Mithraism the Greek religion they had before the arrival of Saul of Tarsus produced the adulterated Pauline version with all the personality attributes of Mithra god, all the liturgical celebrations and feasts of the ‘sun-god’ hoisted on Jesus of Nazareth, re-branded and patented in Rome as ‘god-the-son’ and later exported to the whole world as Roman Catholic mission!
Saul of Tarsus
It still is to date!!
It still is to date!!
THE FIRST COUNCIL OF THE CHURCH HELD INJERUSALEM WAS CHAIRED BY JAMES, From RSV ACTS 15
Verses 12 – 21
12 And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and
Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the
Gentiles.
13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen
to me.
14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of
them a people for his name.
15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,
16 'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David,
which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,
17 that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are
called by my name,
18 says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.'
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the
Gentiles who turn to God,
20 but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and
from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.
Ge 9:4; 35:2; Ex 20:3,23; Le 3:17; De 12:16,23; Eze 20:30; 1Co 6:9,18;
8:1; 10:20,28; Ga 5:19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5; 1Th 4:3; 1Pe 4:3; Re 2:14,20
21 For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who
preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues."
Note the historical sources of James summary of what was fundamentally
mandatory for all Children of God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ge 9:4; 35:2; Ex 20:3,23; Le 3:17; De 12:16,23; Eze 20:30;
1Co 6:9,18; 8:1; 10:20,28; Ga 5:19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5; 1Th 4:3; 1Pe 4:3; Re
2:14,20
What was done at the Council of Nicea was demonic and the handiwork of
Satan as usual. How could a council convened by a Pagan Emperor for all
political, religious and military leaders in the entire Roman Empire without the invitation of Peter, James
and John be legitimate when they were craftily sidelined?
WHO IS ASKING ME FOR
A PRECISE COMMENTARY
What is there to
comment?
Unless you are devoid
of independent thought and a slave of religious fanaticism drunk with man-made
doctrines & dogmas; THEN YOU CANNOT REALISE
1. That JESUS was not
A CHRISTIAN
2. His SERMON was not
SECTARIAN
3. He did not
ESTABLISH Roman Catholicism or current Christianity
4. JESUS was not a
ROMAN, nor was Apostle Peter, James or John.
5. The COUNCIL of
Jerusalem ACTS 15; verses 12 to 21 was the only LEGITIMATE one and spelt out
THE FOUR BASIC REQUIREMENTS that Gentiles must observe to be saved.
6. The Council of
Nicea was not only ILLEGITIMATE but also completely HERETICAL for deifying one
who never needed 'SON OF GOD' title.
7. Therefore, all the
DOCTRINES and DOGMAS conceived, developed, manufactured and patented in Rome
· DR JIDEOFO KENECHUKWU DANMBAEZUE WAS NOT
INDOCTRINATED AT ANY OF THE FALSE THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS MANUFACTURED FROM
TRADITIONS OF MEN.
· COUNT ME LUCKY AS I DID NOT INVENT ANYTHING I HAVE
SO FAR WRITTEN IN ANY OF MY DISSERTATIONS, THE HOLY SPIRIT DICTATES TO ME AND I
ONLY OBEDIENTLY SCRIBBLE.
· PLEASE REFER YOUR OBJECTIONS TO THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR
WHO GAVE AND STILL GIVES WISDOM AS HE DID to KING SOLOMON AT AGE THIRTEEN.
· I PRAYED IN 1963 FOR ONLY A TEASPOONFUL AND WAITED
FOR 40 YEARS BEFORE I GOT ANSWERS.
· PRAY ONLY IN YOUR BIRTH SUITS FOR GENUINE
CONSIDERATION AND AT MIDNIGHT OR EARLY MORNING PLEASE
My dearly Beloved in Christ,
ARE WE IN THE BOAT THAT PETER WAS BEFORE HE STEPPED ON TO
THE WATERS, THEN DOUBTED AND BEGAN SINKING BEFORE CALLING OUT FOR HELP AND
JESUS SAVED HIM......
OR ARE IN A SOPHISTICATED ENGINEERED ONE WE MAY NEVER FEAR
DROWNING BUT IS HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND JESUS IS NOT THE
CAPTAIN......
MAN IS BORN FREE BUT EVERY WHERE I SEE HIM IN CHAINS. BEING
A PRISONER OF THE WORST PRISON IN THIS WORLD IF ONE REALLY KNOWS HE IS IN A
PRISON.......
BUT THERE IS A PRISON FAR MORE WORSE...
WHEN YOU ARE BORN INTO A WELL DESIGNED AND DECORATED PRISON
LABELLED FREEDOM FROM EARTHLY
STRESS...YOU ARE PRINCES AND PRINCESSES..YOU ARE BORN TO BE PROSPEROUS..YOU ARE
CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM......
BUT ONLY A FEW ARE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO SEE AND REALISE THE
DESPITE ALL THE DECORATIONS AND HYPERBOLES TO CONVINCE THE SEMI-EDUCATED, THAT
PRISON IS ADMINISTERED BY LUCIFER HIMSELF AND HE AS USUAL HAS DRESSED AS THE
ANGEL OF LIGHT... WHO GOES ABOUT SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR...
OPEN YOUR EYES.. IT IS NOT IN WHICH SHIP OR BOAT YOU ARE IN THAT MATTERS...IT IS WHO
IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE BOAT YOU ARE IN...
A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE....
Dr J. K. Danmbaezue reminds all.
EPILOGUE:
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE
AVERAGE MEMBER OF THE VARIETY OF THE ANCIENT AND MODERN DENOMINATIONS OF
PRESENT DAY CHRISTENDOM, CLAIMING TO BE BONA-FIDE CHRISTIANS MAY NEVER HAVE
KNOWN NOR HAVE IMAGINED OR SEEN THAT ONE IS A CORRUPTION OF THE OTHER.
Postscript:
Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez, an exemplary ex-seminarian since the 1970s, is a stoic of the first class genre, a moral crusader of no mean order; a war battered veteran of the Degema Strike Force in 12th Commando Brigade of
Monday, 4
August 2014
ROMAN CATHOLICISM
versus
CHRISTIANITY WORLDWIDE
versus
JESUS GOOD NEWS
versus
CHRISTIANITY WORLDWIDE
versus
JESUS GOOD NEWS
A KENEZIAN PREAMBLE
You
do not need a doctorate degree to know that Catholicism is not same as
Christianity, nor do you need to be literate to notice that the two words are
spelt differently. A primary school pupil can easily teach a village man or
woman the variations in the alphabetical arrangement of the two differing
words. Every semi-illiterate can easily guess the syllogism that this title is
bound to generate, the arguments for and against each subtitle, compare, and
contrast what the conclusions are likely to be at the end of the debate. However, the problem is that the average member of the
variety of the ancient and modern denominations of present day Christendom,
claiming to be bona-fide Christians may never have known nor have imagined or
seen that one is a corruption of the other. Are you ready to remove your tinted
binoculars now?
Demographic World Distribution
of Christianity was here, c. 2000. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
WHAT IS ROMAN CATHOLICISM
A Picture of a Roman
Catholic priest holding up bread and wine during a Mass was here. Roman Catholics eat
bread and drink wine during a ritual called Communion. .David McNew/Getty Images
ROMAN CATHOLICISM IS AN
IMPERIAL ADULTERATED VERSION OF CHRISTAINTY
Roman
Catholicism
The
Roman Catholics in the world outnumber all other Christians combined. They are
organized in an intricate system that spans the structure of the church from
the local parish to the papacy. Under the central authority of the papacy, the
church is divided into dioceses, whose bishops act in the name and by the
authority of the pope but retain administrative freedom within their individual
jurisdictions. Similarly, the parish priest stands as the executor of papal and
diocesan directives. Alongside the diocesan organization and interacting with
it is a chain oforders,
congregations, and societies; all of them are, of course, subject to the pope,
but they are not directly responsible to the bishop as are the local parishes.
It would, however, be a mistake to interpret the polity of the Roman Catholic
Church in so purely an organizational manner as this. For Roman Catholic polity
rests upon a mandate that is traced to the action of Jesus Christ himself, when
he invested Peter and, through Peter, his successors with the power of the keys
in the church. Christ is the invisible head of his church, and by his authority
the pope is the visible head.
This interpretation of the origin and authority of the church determines both the attitude of Roman Catholicism to the rest of Christendom and its relation to the social order. Believing itself to be the truechurch of Jesus Christ church of Christon
The understanding that Roman Catholicism has of itself, its interpretation of the proper relation between the church and the state, and its attitude toward other Christian traditions are all based upon Roman Catholic doctrine. In great measure this doctrine is identical with that confessed by orthodox Christians of every label and consists of the Bible, the dogmatic heritage of the ancient church as laid down in the historic creeds and in the decrees of the ecumenical councils, and the theological work of the great doctors of the faith in the East and West. If, therefore, the presentation of the other Christian traditions in this article compares them with Roman Catholicism, this comparison has a descriptive rather than a normative function; for, to a considerable degree, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy have often defined themselves in relation to Roman Catholicism. In addition, most Christians past and present do have a shared body of beliefs about God, Christ, and the way of salvation.
Roman Catholic doctrine is more than this shared body of beliefs, as is the doctrine of each of the Christian groups. It is necessary here to mention only the three distinctive Roman Catholic doctrines that achieved definitive formulation during the 19th and 20th centuries: the infallibility of the pope, the immaculate conception, and bodily assumption of the Virgin Mary. On most other major issues of Christian doctrine, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are largely in agreement, while Protestantism differs from both Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism on several issues. For example, Roman Catholic theology defines and numbers the sacramentsdifferently from Orthodox theology; but, over against Protestantism, Roman Catholic doctrine insists, as does Eastern Orthodoxy, upon the centrality of the seven sacraments—baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, extreme unction, penance, matrimony, and holy orders—as channels of divine grace.
This interpretation of the origin and authority of the church determines both the attitude of Roman Catholicism to the rest of Christendom and its relation to the social order. Believing itself to be the true
The understanding that Roman Catholicism has of itself, its interpretation of the proper relation between the church and the state, and its attitude toward other Christian traditions are all based upon Roman Catholic doctrine. In great measure this doctrine is identical with that confessed by orthodox Christians of every label and consists of the Bible, the dogmatic heritage of the ancient church as laid down in the historic creeds and in the decrees of the ecumenical councils, and the theological work of the great doctors of the faith in the East and West. If, therefore, the presentation of the other Christian traditions in this article compares them with Roman Catholicism, this comparison has a descriptive rather than a normative function; for, to a considerable degree, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy have often defined themselves in relation to Roman Catholicism. In addition, most Christians past and present do have a shared body of beliefs about God, Christ, and the way of salvation.
Roman Catholic doctrine is more than this shared body of beliefs, as is the doctrine of each of the Christian groups. It is necessary here to mention only the three distinctive Roman Catholic doctrines that achieved definitive formulation during the 19th and 20th centuries: the infallibility of the pope, the immaculate conception, and bodily assumption of the Virgin Mary. On most other major issues of Christian doctrine, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are largely in agreement, while Protestantism differs from both Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism on several issues. For example, Roman Catholic theology defines and numbers the sacramentsdifferently from Orthodox theology; but, over against Protestantism, Roman Catholic doctrine insists, as does Eastern Orthodoxy, upon the centrality of the seven sacraments—baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, extreme unction, penance, matrimony, and holy orders—as channels of divine grace.
A painting shows
inquisitors questioning a man. Inquisitors punished people who went against the
teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images
Another Picture of Lithograph of an anti-Catholic riot in
CHRISTIANITY WORLDWIDE
From Encyclopædia
Britannica As An Article
Christ as Ruler, with the Apostles
and Evangelists (represented by the beasts). The female figures are believed to
be either Santa Pudenziana and Santa Práxedes or symbols of the Jewish and
Gentile churches. Mosaic in the apse of Santa Pudenziana basilica, Rome
CHRISTIANITY WORLDWIDE
Is a major religion, stemming from the
life, teachings, and death of Jesus of
Nazareth (the Christ,
or the Anointed One of God) in the 1st century AD. It has become the largest of
the world's religions. Geographically the most widely diffused of all faiths;
it has a constituency of more than 2 billion believers. Its largest groups are
the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and the Protestant
churches; in addition to these churches there are several independent churches
of Eastern Christianity as well as numerous sects throughout the world. See
alsoEastern Orthodoxy; Roman Catholicism; and Protestantism.
This
article first considers the nature and development of the Christian religion,
its ideas, and its institutions. This is followed by an examination of several
intellectual manifestations of Christianity. Finally, the position of
Christianity in the world, the relations among its divisions and denominations,
its missionary outreach to other peoples, and its relations with other world
religions are discussed. For supporting material on various topics, see; biblical
literature; doctrine and
dogma; Jesus Christ;sacred; worship; prayer; creed; sacrament; religious
dress;monasticism;
and priesthood.
THE ESSENCE AND IDENTITY OF CHRISTIANITY
At
the very least, Christianity is the faith tradition that focuses on the figure
of Jesus Christ. In this context, faith refers both to the believers' act of
trust and to the content of their faith. As a tradition,
Christianity is more than a system of religious belief. It also has generated a
culture, a set of ideas and ways of life, practices, and artefacts that have
been handed down from generation to generation since Jesus first became the
object of faith. Christianity is thus both a living tradition of faith and the
culture that the faith leaves behind. The agent of Christianity is the church,
the community of people who make up the body of believers.
To say that Christianity “focuses” on Jesus Christ is to say that somehow it brings together its beliefs and practices and other traditions in reference to a historic figure. Few Christians, however, would be content to keep this reference merely historical. Although their faith tradition is historical—i.e., they believe that transactions with the divine do not occur in the realm of timeless ideas but among ordinary humans through the ages—the vast majority of Christians focus their faith in Jesus Christ as someone who is also a present reality. They may include many other references in their tradition and thus may speak of “God” and “human nature” or of “church” and “world,” but they would not be called Christian if they did not bring their attentions first and last to Jesus Christ.
While there is something simple about this focus on Jesus as the central figure, there is also something very complicated. That complexity is revealed by the thousands of separate churches, sects, and denominations that make up the modern Christian tradition. To project these separate bodies against the background of their development in the nations of the world is to suggest the bewildering variety. To picture people expressing their adherence to that tradition in their prayer life and church-building, in their quiet worship or their strenuous efforts to change the world, is to suggest even more of the variety.
Given such complexity, it is natural that throughout Christian history both those in the tradition and those surrounding it have made attempts at simplification. Two ways to do this have been to concentrate on the “essence” of the faith, and thus on the ideas that are integral to it, or to be concerned with the “identity” of the tradition, and thus on the boundaries of its historical experience.
Modern scholars have located the focus of this faith tradition in the context of monotheistic religions. Christianity addresses the historical figure of Jesus Christ against the background of, and while seeking to remain faithful to, the experience of one God. It has consistently rejected polytheism and atheism.
A second element of the faith tradition of Christianity, with rare exceptions, is a plan of salvation or redemption. That is to say, the believers in the church picture themselves as in a plight from which they need rescue. For whatever reason, they have been distanced from God and need to be saved. Christianity is based on a particular experience or scheme directed to the act of saving—that is, of bringing or “buying back,” which is part of what redemption means, these creatures of God to their source in God. The agent of that redemption is Jesus Christ.
It is possible that through the centuries the vast majority of believers have not used the term essence to describe the central focus of their faith. The term is itself of Greek origin and thus represents only one part of the tradition, one element in the terms that have gone into making up Christianity. Essence refers to those qualities that give something its identity and are at the centre of what makes that thing different from everything else. To Greek philosophers it meant something intrinsic to and inherent in a thing or category of things, which gave it its character and thus separated it from everything of different character. Thus Jesus Christ belongs to the essential character of Christianity and gives it identity in the same way that Buddha does for Buddhism.
If most people are not concerned with defining the essence of Christianity, in practice they must come to terms with what the word essence implies. Whether they are engaged in being saved or redeemed on the one hand, or thinking and speaking about that redemption, its agent, and its meaning on the other, they are concentrating on the essence of their experience. Those who have concentrated from within the faith tradition have also helped to give it its identity. It is not possible to speak of the essence of a historical tradition without referring to how its ideal qualities have been discussed through the ages. Yet one can take up the separate subjects of essence and identity in sequence, being always aware of how they interrelate.
To say that Christianity “focuses” on Jesus Christ is to say that somehow it brings together its beliefs and practices and other traditions in reference to a historic figure. Few Christians, however, would be content to keep this reference merely historical. Although their faith tradition is historical—i.e., they believe that transactions with the divine do not occur in the realm of timeless ideas but among ordinary humans through the ages—the vast majority of Christians focus their faith in Jesus Christ as someone who is also a present reality. They may include many other references in their tradition and thus may speak of “God” and “human nature” or of “church” and “world,” but they would not be called Christian if they did not bring their attentions first and last to Jesus Christ.
While there is something simple about this focus on Jesus as the central figure, there is also something very complicated. That complexity is revealed by the thousands of separate churches, sects, and denominations that make up the modern Christian tradition. To project these separate bodies against the background of their development in the nations of the world is to suggest the bewildering variety. To picture people expressing their adherence to that tradition in their prayer life and church-building, in their quiet worship or their strenuous efforts to change the world, is to suggest even more of the variety.
Given such complexity, it is natural that throughout Christian history both those in the tradition and those surrounding it have made attempts at simplification. Two ways to do this have been to concentrate on the “essence” of the faith, and thus on the ideas that are integral to it, or to be concerned with the “identity” of the tradition, and thus on the boundaries of its historical experience.
Modern scholars have located the focus of this faith tradition in the context of monotheistic religions. Christianity addresses the historical figure of Jesus Christ against the background of, and while seeking to remain faithful to, the experience of one God. It has consistently rejected polytheism and atheism.
A second element of the faith tradition of Christianity, with rare exceptions, is a plan of salvation or redemption. That is to say, the believers in the church picture themselves as in a plight from which they need rescue. For whatever reason, they have been distanced from God and need to be saved. Christianity is based on a particular experience or scheme directed to the act of saving—that is, of bringing or “buying back,” which is part of what redemption means, these creatures of God to their source in God. The agent of that redemption is Jesus Christ.
It is possible that through the centuries the vast majority of believers have not used the term essence to describe the central focus of their faith. The term is itself of Greek origin and thus represents only one part of the tradition, one element in the terms that have gone into making up Christianity. Essence refers to those qualities that give something its identity and are at the centre of what makes that thing different from everything else. To Greek philosophers it meant something intrinsic to and inherent in a thing or category of things, which gave it its character and thus separated it from everything of different character. Thus Jesus Christ belongs to the essential character of Christianity and gives it identity in the same way that Buddha does for Buddhism.
If most people are not concerned with defining the essence of Christianity, in practice they must come to terms with what the word essence implies. Whether they are engaged in being saved or redeemed on the one hand, or thinking and speaking about that redemption, its agent, and its meaning on the other, they are concentrating on the essence of their experience. Those who have concentrated from within the faith tradition have also helped to give it its identity. It is not possible to speak of the essence of a historical tradition without referring to how its ideal qualities have been discussed through the ages. Yet one can take up the separate subjects of essence and identity in sequence, being always aware of how they interrelate.
“All that shines is not
gold”, was and still is one of the earliest English proverbs I learnt in 1956
as a Standard One pupil in a religious school ran by the Roman Catholic Mission
during the Colonial Era in Nigeria before we were granted the pseudo
independence. We are still disillusioned post-colonial citizens suffering
depersonalisation syndromes under the British manufactured weight of
insincerity in lumping peoples of different genealogies, historical roots,
languages, socio-political orientation and religious perspective to date. This
author has come of age since the turn of the century and here is one of his queries
on what he was forced to internalise or assimilate, by both classical and
operant conditioning subliminal operations. The product half a decade later is
a failed experiment as represented by this consultant clinical psychologist,
existential family therapist and a revolutionary theosophist.
Dr Jideofo Kenechukwu Danmbaezue, D.Sc. in
Psychometrics, (March 11th 14 2014)
JESUS
GOOD NEWS
THE KENEZIAN POSTION IS THAT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS DELIVERED BY ITS AUTHOR JESUS OFNAZARETH
THE KENEZIAN POSTION IS THAT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS DELIVERED BY ITS AUTHOR JESUS OF
Matthew 5
5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.
18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'
28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'
32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'
34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne;
35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 6
6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 "When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 "No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 7
7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.
18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'
28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'
32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'
34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne;
35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 6
6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 "When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 "No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 7
7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
KENEZIAN JESUS CHRISTIANITY WORLDWIDE
I respect all my devoted followers, so I
guess many of my readers who have been dogmatised and indoctrinated since birth
will query my authority in declaring that only chapters 5, 6 & 7 as
documented by an apostle chosen by Jesus is the authentic and divine Good News
that will save a child of the Almighty Creator. I have decided to only
reprint here the brief and scholarly depositions from WYCLIFFE COMMENTARY ON THE
BIBLE
Matthew
had described Christ's activity in proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom (Matt 4:17,23), it was proper for him to
include for his readers a full discussion by Jesus of this subject. Hence the
Sermon on the Mount is not primarily a statement of principles for the
Christian church (which was yet unrevealed), nor an evangelistic message for
the unsaved, but a delineation of the principles that would characterize the
Messianic kingdom Christ was announcing. Later, Israel's rejection of her King
delayed the coming of his kingdom, but even now Christians, having given their
allegiance to the King and having been made spiritually to anticipate some of
the blessings of his kingdom (Col 1:13), may see God's ideal in this sublime discourse
and will assent to its high standard
Verse
1-2. Multitudes. A reference to the crowds of the previous verse, and an
indication that this discourse was not given till the Galilean ministry was in
full swing. Further proof is the advanced level of instruction herein
contained. The mountain. The unnamed elevation, apparently nearCapernaum, on
which Jesus found a level place to speak (Luke 6:17). His disciples. Luke shows that
the Twelve had just been chosen (Luke 6:12-16),
and the sermon was directed primarily to them (cf. Luke 6:20). However, some of it was heard
by the multitudes (Matt 7:28;
Luke 6:17).
a)
Characteristics of Kingdom Citizens. 5:3-12
Matthew
5:3-5
Blessed
are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed.
Happy. A description of a believer's inner condition. When describing a person
in God's will, it is virtually equivalent to "saved." Ps 1 gives an
OT picture of the blessed man, who evidences his nature by the things he does.
The
Beatitudes, also, are not primarily promises to the individual but a
description of him. They do not show a man how to be saved, but describe
the characteristics manifested by one who is born again.
Poor
in spirit. Opposite of proud in spirit. Those who have recognized their poverty
in spiritual things and have allowed Christ to meet their need have become
heirs of the kingdom of heaven. 4,5. Mourn (cf. Isa 61:3).
A
sense of anguish for sin characterizes the blessed man. But genuine repentance
will bring comfort to the believer.Since Christ bore the sins of every
man, the comfort of full forgiveness is readily available (1 John 1:9).
Meek.
Mentioned only by Matthew. An obvious allusion to Ps 37:11. The source of this meekness is
Christ (Matt11:28-29), who bestows it when men submit their wills to his.
Inherit the earth. The earthly Messianic kingdom
Matthew
5:6-9
Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled.
Hunger
and thirst after righteousness. A
deep passion for personal righteousness. Such desire is evidence of
dissatisfaction with present spiritual attainment (contrast Pharisee, Luke 18:9 ff.).
Merciful (cf. Ps 18:25). Those
who put pity into action can expect similar mercy both from men and God. Pure in heart. Those whose moral
being is free from contamination with sin, without divided interests or
loyalties. To them, as
possessors of God's pure nature, belongs the unclouded vision of God, which
will reach consummation when Christ returns (1 Cor 13:12; 1 John 3:2). Peacemakers. As
God is "the God of peace" (Heb 13:20) and Christ is "Prince of
Peace" (Isa 9:6), so peacemakers in the Kingdom will be recognized as
partaking of God's nature, and will be properly honored
Matthew
5:10-16
Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Persecuted for righteousness' sake. At the establishment of
the Messianic kingdom, such wrongs will be set right. And even within that kingdom
the presence of men with sinful natures will make evil a possibility, although
it will be judged at once. The prophets. The OT seers who foretold the kingdom
and proclaimed its righteous character met the same opposition (Jeremiah, Jer
20:2; Zechariah, 2 Chron 24:21).
(from The Wycliffe Bible
Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)
I LEAVE YOU TO DO THE COMPARING AND CONTRASTING OF
THE THREE DEPOSITIONS I HAVE ACADEMICALLY ASSEMBLED HERE AND DECIDE TO FOLLOW
JESUS OR THE POPE
THE CURRENT ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Jesus was deified by Roman Emperor Constantine to marry a Christian girl he fell in love with and Saul as the guardian of the damsel demanded that he must first convert to his brand of Christianity to achieve his desire. Thus Roman Paganism mixed with Mithraism the Greek religion they had before the arrival of Saul of Tarsus produced the adulterated Pauline version with all the personality attributes of Mithra god, all the liturgical celebrations and feasts of the ‘sun-god’ hoisted on Jesus of Nazareth, re-branded and patented in Rome as ‘god-the-son’ and later exported to the whole world as Roman Catholic mission!
Saul of Tarsus
Postscript:
THE PROBLEM IS THAT
THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF THE VARIETY OF THE ANCIENT AND MODERN DENOMINATIONS OF
PRESENT DAY CHRISTENDOM, CLAIMING TO BE BONA-FIDE CHRISTIANS MAY NEVER HAVE
KNOWN NOR HAVE IMAGINED OR SEEN THAT ONE IS A CORRUPTION OF THE OTHER.
Rev. Prof. J. J.
Kenez, an exemplary ex-seminarian since the 1970s, is a stoic of the first
class genre, a moral crusader of no mean order; a war battered veteran of the
Degema Strike Force in 12th Commando Brigade of Biafra
(1968 -1970) as well as a retired Nigerian Air Force Officer (1975 -1979)!
Therefore, he speaks his mind and so, he owes no one any apologies for his
strong views in this crusade to sanitise the Catholic Church in particular, and
other churches in general!
Dr Jideofo
Kenechukwu Danmbaezue, D. Sc.
Consultant Clinical
Psychologist &
Existential Family
Therapist.
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