Understanding: May 2025

Pursuing Yeshua’s Influences in the Complete Bible

Preface

The art of divinity is to enthrall a child to higher power, by age 3 to 7, then maintain that bemusement or better for life: Persuade her or him to be satisfied with faith in mystery rather than trust and commitment to necessary goodness. While physics is constrained by its laws, divinity is competitive and unlimited, so an open-minded person may spend her or his lifetime seeking piety wherein they feel they are appreciated rather than discovery whereby they may choose necessary goodness. Pious individuals may and can change to another faith if unrequited. Civic citizens perceive and pursue necessary goodness, in order to avoid, change, or resist the bad.

Likewise, experiences and observations inform societies, cultures, and nations. While many people are too busy living to consider life, this actual-reality is plain to individuals and societies who experience and observe the consequences of human choices. So far, the world’s leaders accommodate the bad, even evil, in order to keep civic citizens searching for higher power that might appreciate, facilitate, and encourage necessary goodness to them, if not to the earth. Reform by the people is possible.

Most people perceive the need for reform yet can’t imagine collaboration to necessary goodness. I appreciate Yeshua, the Nazarene person who was a political and religious philosopher 2000 years ago. I hope to enjoy another 1/3 of my life so as to learn more about Yeshua’s influence from fellow citizens. Perhaps happiness will develop into joy. With perseverance so far, I discovered natural open-heartedness. I think infant Homo sapiens desire-to, tend-to choose necessary goodness, aware of Yeshua or not.

Consequently, in my church and other social conversation I discovered Yeshua’s civic, civil, and intentional influence. I think Homo sapiens could accelerate opportunity-to necessary goodness and am writing to propose education reform: change from training workers government-thinks-we-need to facilitating-to civic, civil, and intentional citizens the opportunity to choose necessary goodness. While the individual may independently learn to not repeat mistakes, I think Yeshua commends perfect goodness during each unique lifetime. Yeshua’s “be perfect” infers that Homo sapiens can pursue perfection.

Introduction

In my youth, my parents, their community, and my curiosity inculcated in me the belief that the complete Bible (Old Testament plus New Testament), contains the word of, in my vernacular, The God; that is, whatever constrains the consequences of human choices. I was a happy boy, and by adolescence believed that threats expressed in Bible passages reflected weakness – not in The God, but in the writer’s psychology. My life could not follow a god weak enough to threaten me; see Revelation 22:18-29. By midlife, I accepted both that humility is more precious than certainty and that the metaphysical Jesus is important to my way of living. Happily, I survived to discover Yeshua’s civic, civil, and intentional influence, thanks to Nomads Sunday School class at University Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, LA and my curiosity. Rather than metaphysical, Yeshua was, like each Homo sapiens, a unique god-facing-death (Psalms 82:6-7 and incompletely in John 10:34). I seek collaboration with gods-facing-death, in order to accept The God and pursue Yeshua’s impact on my life. I accept to them individual’s choices regarding these two opportunities unless the person causes harm. I resist and discourage harm.

Yeshua’s influences may be discerned by comprehending what he reportedly said 2000 years ago, in conversation or in speeches to crowds, paying less attention to opinion about Yeshua’s status in life. Just as a student cannot research Yeshua using the name “Jesus” or the titles “Christ” or “Messiah” or “God”, fellow citizens cannot discuss Yeshua’s influence by adopting someone else’s opinion, such as New-Testament-writers’ opinions. Socrates did not write, and we glimpse his influence through many thinkers, especially Plato. Likewise, we abstractly pursue many reports about Yeshua’s influences 2000 years ago, then attempt to practice necessary goodness in our time. Not every person discovers Yeshua yet many people practice necessary goodness.

Below, I review the little I know from literature, including the Bible, in order to establish my point, invite fellow citizens to take interest, and collaborate on Yeshua’s influences. I hope to learn how it may personally feel to approach perfect comprehension of The God’s messages.

I routinely read the Complete Jewish Bible (1998 Messianic Jewish bias) for New Testament scripture and the Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) for the Old Testament (Semitic[1] and Israeli biases), comparing with the New International Version (European bias). For pre-Bible events and other history, I search in books or on the Internet, sometimes with “Google Scholar”. I appreciate fellow citizens’ opinions and work hard to reach collaboration on Yeshua’s influences. It isn’t easy, and I don’t know the ineluctable truth. I don’t know other people’s thoughts, so write in my vernacular then listen to pursue mutual understanding. Also, I trust the reader’s skills to check my claims to their satisfactions and appreciate and acknowledge images I used from the Internet (see endnotes).

Before Abraham

To evaluate ancient civilizations is intellectually staggering[2], yet church belabors Judeo-Christianity. Not until Genesis 11 is Semitic-speaking Avram, patriarch to 3 major monotheisms and antagonist to other religions introduced with his father, Terah. They departed Mesopotamia, a region of diverse polytheisms and mythologies, I think to escape human killing to provide flesh and blood to burn to gods. Israel branched from Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, whose son with Leah was Judah.[3] David came in Judah’s 10th generation. Yeshua came in David’s 42nd generation through Miryam and 31^st through Yosef.[4] Christianity emerged 400 years after Yeshua’s execution.

I think Genesis 1’s universe[5] transitions from Sumerian polytheism under the pen of competitive-Semitic monotheism, which is introduced in Genesis 2. The top 3 gods in Sumer were An, god of the heavens; Enlil, king of the gods; and Enki, creator of man. These gods had been constructed starting at least 8000 years ago, predating Greek myths of 3800 ya, Roman myths of 2100 ya, and other myths we may read about, in order to comprehend Judeo-Christian opinion.

The OJB begins before the Israeli branch of Semitic people existed and cites many gods and Gods. Slighting the Sumerian Enki, it introduces Elohim and Rauch Elohim in Genesis 1:2, with Elohim heaven-and-earth-creator through Verse 23. At V 24, creation of animal life on earth, “G-d” takes over. In Genesis 1:26-28, G-d assigns to-humankind responsibility, so as to pursue, in Elohim’s psychological image, order on earth. In V 31 G-d declared their work “very good”. Expressing the Sumerian vision in Semitic terms, gods ruled the heavens, and humankind could choose to rule the earth – could accept female and male psychological power, authority, and responsibility in G-d like psychology. Beyond female and male likeness, humankind was no-further characterized. [Skipping to the New Testament, both John and Paul opine that Yeshua was the creator: John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16.]

Returning to Genesis, in 2:2, Elohim finished the earth-creation, then in V 4, Hashem Elohim activated earth, providing water to grow vegetation and a man to tend it. Elohim formed a woman from the man’s rib. I view Genesis 2 as transition from Mesopotamian polytheisms to a Semitic-people’s intentions to construct their monotheism, continuing the doctrine of blood sacrifice. No one knows if The God accepts any construct or doctrine. I doubt it.

By Genesis 6, Hashem is Lord and angels are sexually attracted to women. With such sexual depravity, Hashem decides to destroy all except Noah and a few others. After the flood, nations form under Noah’s sons. Shem’s descendants included Avram, son of Terah. In Genesis 12, Hashem told Avram to leave Mesopotamia. In Genesis 14, Melchizedek blessed Avram in the name El Elon, creator of heaven and earth. Then in Genesis 15, the voice of Hashem promised Avram many descendants.

Finally, in Genesis 17, Hashem told Avram to behave blamelessly and El Shaddai would make him the father of many nations. El Shaddai changed Avram’s name to Avraham (Abraham) and required him to circumcise every male descendent, in order to perpetually commemorate the promise. After Elohim’s promise to Noah not to destroy humankind again with water, the “covenant” with Abraham is the first of four bargains for Israel’s obedience (eventually defaulting to divine mercy, so far).

Three more covenants and a will

Abraham’s wife, Sara, begot Isaac, who, in monogamy with Rebekah, begot Esau’s younger brother Jacob. Jacob, mating with 2 wives and their 2 servants, begot 12 sons, leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel. Leah’s son Judah contentiously led Israel. Regardless, Jacob’s branch of Semitic people constitute Israel.

Jacob’s youngest, Rachel’s son, Joseph, became viceroy of Egypt and the entire nation of Israel moved there. But subsequent Pharaohs enslaved Israel. Israel fled Egypt and at the Sinai Desert, HaElohim, Hashem offered through Moses to Israel, “. . . If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5). Under Hashem’s direction, Moses, after sprinkling the altar with the blood of bulls, “sprinkled it on the people and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words’” (Exodus 24:8).

Eleven generations later, Israel had not been blameless, and David was both king and priest. Nathan told David (2 Samuel 7),

[Hashem Tzva’os said] when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.

This seems a promise more than a covenant; there’s mercy but no commitment by either David or his distant descendant.

Four centuries later, realizing that Israel had never learned obedience, Hashem said, through Jeremiah,

This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel . . . I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest . . . For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Since nothing is required of Israel, this seems a promise rather than a covenant. However, to prove Hashem performs, each Jew must pursue, if not practice, perfect behavior. “Circumcision” must apply psychologically; see https://en.shalomfromg-d.net/2021/03/25/circumcision-in-tanakh-when-why-what-for/ .

Thus, the Old Testament has the promise to Noah, followed by 4 more: to Avram’s Semitic descendants, through Moses to Israel, through Nathan to David, and through Jeremiah to Israel. Successively failing proposed obedience, the Israeli branch finally accepted mercy.

As a descendant of Judah, David, could represent a distinct branch of Israel: the Judeans. Indeed, scholars divide Israel from south to north as Judea, Samaria, and Israel, respectively; or southern kingdom and northern kingdom.

Pauline elect-relief from 4 promises

The New Testament upends Jewish intentions to blameless living, by changing the goal to favored afterdeath bequeathed to mysteriously elected souls. The writer of the Book of Hebrews, perhaps Saul, or Paul, the self-appointed apostle to the Gentiles, suggests relief from Israel’s “covenants”, using “will”, as in bequeath, to explain the blood of the Messiah. Quoting Hebrews 9:16-17, “In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.”

Further, the believer must accept that the Messiah represents Hashem. V 15: “For this reason Messiah is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance . . .” And Messiah-blood is a one-time, authentic replacement for the blood high priests annually took from animal or fowl lives under the covenants. According to Hebrews 9, the covenants become inheritance from a will to others, so do not seem authentic bargaining.[6]

If he is the Hebrews 9 author, Paul’s awkward interpretation of the Greek as “will” instead of “covenant” poses a mystery: perhaps Hashem is dead; or the Messiah is Hashem. A triune God including the Spirit (Genesis 1:2) is suggested. Paul’s theological conjecture has no impact on Yeshua’s life beyond obscuring it to Christ. Christ (Paul) and Messiah (Messianic Jews) distract antinomians from interest in Yeshua’s influences. Antinomians tolerate, even nourish erroneous living, thinking favored afterdeath is their only concern. However, if a person cannot affirm blamelessness or its intentions, catastrophic loss ruins life far beyond its consequences: The ineluctable truth comes in instant finality. For example, no one escapes ruin after causing a texting fatality.

The few Messianic Jews in 50 CE

Throughout the Old Testament, theological controversies are constructed by Biblical antagonists: Jew speaking Hebrew or Greek, Tanakh or Torah, Orthodox or Messianic, Pharisee or Sadducee priest.[7] However, Saul, a Jew at the Council of Jerusalem, in 50 CE, represented non-Jews. At stake was the Jewish requirement of male circumcision, which non-Jews rejected. Saul requested, for non-Jews, relief from the Torah, especially male circumcision.

James, Yeshua’s brother, believed Yeshua was the Jewish Messiah, to return and unite the 12 tribes; believers should perfect obedience to the Torah. Uniquely, James did not write that blood is required for redemption or forgiveness. Peter, a Yeshua-apostle, favored the Tanakh over the Torah and expressed but did not articulate The Trinity. John, also apostle, represented Orthodox-leaning Messianic-Jews, except personally perceiving that Yeshua was The God. Paul arrogantly claimed to be the apostle to non-Jews, negotiated a compromise on circumcision and Torah-law, then departed Jerusalem to create his own church.[8] No one represented the executed Yeshua or his church. I don’t know that Orthodox Jews in the council spoke their opinion. But counting Hashem, there were 7 Jewish opinions present, 8 opinions including The God, which does not exclude Jews and accommodates Hashem to humankind.

I cannot discern whether most 2025 Messianic Jews expect a future Israeli kingdom or civic integrity among humankind (Genesis 1:26-28). One problem is that, in order to attract more attention, some use “Jesus” as though the miracle worker, the God with Spirit, and the executed person are identical -- triune. However, I appreciate quasi-Israeli-Messianic-Jews who, along with other people, pursue Yeshua the reportedly Nazarene person.

Homo sapiens who fear the power, authority, and responsibility to pursue blameless living would benefit from discovering Yeshua the political and religious philosopher who lived 2000 years ago.

The 4 gospels and more

It seem Paul is the author of Christianity. Importantly, key letters by Paul were written within 2 decades of Yeshua’s execution, or by the mid 50s CE. The 4 gospels, the book of James, and Peter’s books came up to 4 decades later. Thus, books Matthew, Mark, Luke-Acts, James, John, and 1 Peter seem to comment on Paul’s Church. Together Paul and the Gospels obscure Yeshua’s Church. I work to encourage Yeshua’s church.

Paul’s original-seeming letters, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, Philemon, Philippians, 1-2 Corinthians, and Romans were written by 58 CE. 1 Thessalonians urges believers to behave and expect the second coming. Galatians announces Yeshua’s message as good news, fulfilling the gaps left by the Torah; advocates faith in Yeshua over Peter’s focus on works; believers descend from Sarah; believers receive freedom in Yeshua; and advocates favor to believers. Philemon addresses a then common concern: a slave is a brother in Yeshua. Philippians asserts Yeshua’s eternity and believers’ rebirth. 1 Corinthians advocates the Church, Elohim’s Spirit, believer fidelity, shame, sexual immorality, doubting believers, uncircumcision, Torah laws, self-control, Israel’s history, the Lord’s Supper, appreciating gifts, worship, resurrection, and contributions. 2 Corinthians addresses forgiveness, inheritance, doubt, afterdeath promises, repentance and reconciliation, avoiding idolatry, and supporting the church. Romans covers Judeo-Christianity in history and intentions and asserts that Yeshua’s second coming is soon. In Chapter 3, Paul asserts, “redeeming us from our enslavement to sin that was accomplished by the Messiah Yeshua . . . through his faithfulness in respect to his bloody sacrificial death”. In other words, Paul’s letters disclose Christianity; other writers affirm Paul’s church at Yeshua’s expense.

Books of Mark, Matthew, Luke-Acts, James, and John came in 69 CE, 78 CE, 85 CE, 89 CE, and 90 CE, respectively. Also, 1 Peter came in 90 CE. Thus, Paul’s opinion about contemporary Yeshua-hearsay existed 11 years to 32 years before other thinkers commented. Paul led a movement away from Israel, who struggled to establish national obedience to Elohim. Paul persuaded believers to seek Elohim-election of believers to trust that Yeshua was the Messiah; who would empower favorable afterdeath to them. Other writers more or less supported Paul’s imagination. For example, James expressed that Yeshua Messiah would return and unite the 12 tribes of Israel, including non-Jews who joined and pursued perfection under Torah rather than under Yeshua.

New Testament writers seem to support a Judeo-Christian flow of Elohim, his Spirit, and Yeshua as creator God. Opposing the popular trend, Marcion of Sinope, d. 160 CE, was excommunicated by the Roman Church for the heresy that only Paul represented the Deity, Yeshua. Marcion replaced the Old Testament’s righteousness and wrath with Yeshua’s love and mercy. He created a Bible canon that purged all association with the Old Testament. Unfortunately, his church failed to recognize that celibacy committed to terminal-population regardless of spiritual faith: without woman and man there can be no progeny. A modern advocate for Yeshua’s influence may appreciate but need not revise Marcion and many more “heretic” early thinkers -- before Rome published its canon (405 CE).

I ponder New Testament books with the view that the thinkers and publishers were unaware that the then executed Yeshua would seem absent these additional 1600 years: the writers were in transition, with no new appearance of either Elohim or Yeshua. Mark, covering from baptism to execution seemed to represent Yeshua as politically and religiously authoritative, serving, yet unpopular, especially among Romans. Mark quotes Abraham, David, Isaiah, Moses, and more to project Yeshua’s image onto ancient Jewish literature, especially regarding a future, anointed king and priest. Mark replicates ancient miracle-reports onto to his Yeshua. Matthew argues that Yeshua facilitated Israel’s reform to obedient, Elohim-chosen people, emphasizing Yeshua’s civic, civil, and intentional influence to reform persons to necessary goodness. The writer defended tradition against the encroachment of pagan interest in Elohim and projected future doom, in order to motivate Israel. Luke-Acts, the Gospel written by a non-Jew for non-Jews, presents arguments as to how to apply Old Testament literature to Yeshua and appreciates/employs the controversies. The author emphasizes the Spirit (Genesis 1:2) and appreciates women more than other New Testament writers do. James, not a Gospel, facilitates non-Jews to join with Jews in seeking to perfect behavior in life, so as to prepare for the second coming of Yeshua Messiah. Peter, in 1 Peter, asserts that society is abusing believers, also disrespects women, and in 2 Peter claims personal authority. He prefers the Tanakh to the Torah. John, a theological book, asserts that Yeshua is The God, the eternal-constraint on human choice. John reports the resurrection of Lazarus, a corpse for 4 days, and other ideas not covered in earlier New Testament literature. The God intentionally came to earth, developed blood, delivered it to the cross, self-resurrected in the flesh, then returned to mystery. (See again the depiction of the Heaven of Heavens in the end notes.) Acceptance of The God despite humility is critical to the individual rather than to the Church.

I trust-in and commit-to Yeshua’s civic, civil, and intentional influences. I think “intentional” avoids the mystery of “spiritual”, expresses the motivation and inspiration that drives choices, and is humble to Yeshua’s integrity above writers’ opinions. I happily seek, with willing fellow citizens, either Yeshua the Nazarene of 2000 years ago or the actual-reality. I listen for possible improvements but would not impose on anyone who does not harm others.

Theological controversies touched in the complete Bible

1. Sumer, in Mesopotamia, from 5500 years ago (ya) to 3800 ya suggested that humankind may and can rule on earth, under heaven’s system of gods; polytheism.

a. Other polytheistic civilizations competed.

b. The Babylonians conquered Sumer, proving that Sumerian gods were insufficient for military protection.

i. Some scholars attribute Genesis 1 to Babylon, I think in error.

ii. The Code of Ur-Nammu is perhaps 400-years older than that of Hammurabi.

2. Semitic-speaking people living among the Sumerian-speaking people developed competitive monotheism: a nation could develop a beneficial god, despite The God. In their Bible,

a. “Elohim” created the earth then G-d created female and male humankind.

b. “Hashem Elohim” created a man then formed a woman from his rib and dirt.

c. Elohim selected Noah and sons Ham, Japheth, and Shem to survive the flood.

3. Eight generations later, Terah descended from Shem

a. Terah left UR (I think to resist human sacrifice to gods – body and blood for smoke from the fire) taking son Abraham and other family.

b. Abraham believed his descendants would be countless and used male circumcision and animal sacrifice for blood by which to express intentions to good conduct.

c. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob’s 4 wives had 12 sons, and Jacob’s branch of Semites became Israel.

d. Joseph became viceroy to Egypt.

i. The nation, Israel, moved there, becoming enslaved.

ii. I doubt all of all 12 tribes moved there.

e. Moses, a Levite, led Israel out of Egypt.

i. HaElohim, Hashem, through Moses, issued the Torah and sprinkled animal blood maintaining Israel’s Abrahamic traditions

1. including male circumcision.

4. Ten generations after Jacob’s son, Judah, Hashem Tzva’os said King David’s ancestor would be king eternal yet disciplined by humankind.

a. Four centuries later, Hashem, through Jeremiah, said Israel would have Hashem’s mind and heart and no longer need punishment.

b. After six centuries, Yeshua, the Nazarene was born to Josef and Miryam, both descendants of David.

i. Yeshua’s pursuit of goodness was so clear that some of his improvements to the Tanahk, expressed to either individuals or to crowds, were accepted.

ii. Few Israelis believed Yeshua was the eternal king and priest to Israel.

iii. Because of his civic impact, church persuaded state to execute Yeshua.

iv. Yeshua’s apostle, John, would believe Yeshua is The God yet expressed doubt in John 14:16, adding “Spirit of Truth” to Father and Counselor.

5. Seventeen years after church and state executed Yeshua, Paul, promoter to non-Jews, called on the few Messianic Jews to compromise male circumcision and most of the Torah, in order to facilitate Gentile-commitment-to Paul’s Church, repressing other religions, including Yeshua’s.

a. Paul published Galatians, decrying the Torah, and praising Yeshua as Abraham’s seed. Five years later, he published 1 Corinthians, introducing resurrection of the soul. Many letters to Pauline churches came later. Yeshua is the sacrificial blood.

b. James, Jesus’ brother, expressed Messianic Judaism: Yeshua was anointed to unite the 12 tribes of Israel and fulfill the Torah.

i. Yeshua’s second coming as king and priest is imminent.

ii. Meanwhile, believers ought to pursue perfect behavior.

c. Peter, a Yeshua-apostle, perhaps the author of 1 Peter, urged fearless trust in behavior under the Tanakh and “the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah”, planned from the beginning.

d. John, a Yeshua-apostle, writes 50 years later that Yeshua is The God.

e. Other New Testament writers seem to comment on the 50 CE debate in Jerusalem Paul used to claim official approval of his Church, repressing Yeshua’s Church for 2000 years.

i. Luke-Acts chastises other writers for not reporting Yeshua’s sayings. The writer seems to:

1. Project Yeshua-life onto Old Testament prophecy (defining The God).

2. Share hearsay, including Paul’s boasts.

ii. Contrary to Luke’s complaint, Matthew reports many sayings by Yeshua, to commoners, crowds, and royalty (priests and magistrates).

1. The book seems to report Israeli sects struggling as to decide whether Yeshua is a reformer rather than destroyer.

2. Alas, Matthew couldn’t save Yeshua’s church from Paul’s work in Rome.

iii. Mark skips Yeshua’s birth and immediately projects both John the Baptizer and Yeshua onto Old Testament prophecy, often contrived.

1. Yeshua seems a natural man, healer, and teacher.

2. Disciples speak of Son of God yet do not understand Yeshua.

a. It seems Yeshua spoke plainly, but no one reported his message

3. Some scholars think Mark ends with the women’s discovery of an empty tomb where Yeshua’s body had been placed; reporting a mystery.

iv. John, like Mark, writes about Yeshua’s adulthood.

1. Right away, John opines that Yeshua is The God.

2. He reports seven miracles, including raising Lazarus’ corps after 4 days – a topper to Elijah and Elisha riving people on their possible death beds.

3. His “last supper” expresses Yeshua’s body and blood sacrifice, but to a stake rather than to the fire.

4. He closes with assurance that he shared heartfelt opinion.

f. In 70 CE, Rome destroyed the second temple, in Jerusalem, ending institutional Israeli worship and blood sacrifices. Jews began to promote intentional goodness, continually improving the Tanakh.

i. The Pauline debates, started in 50 CE, continued as formation of Paul’s Church.

ii. Former Mesopotamian competitive-monotheism gave way to Abrahamic dominance

1. Christianity in Europe, especially Rome

2. Islam in Arabic countries.

3. Repression in the Indus Valley, yet survival of Zoroastrianism.

iii. Orthodox Jewish prayer today expects return to tradition with blood sacrifice.

Development of Christianity

After the Book of John was published, Europe developed Christianity through creeds, synods, and councils.

1. The earliest, messianic, creeds were in Paul’s letters:

a. Romans 1:2-6, “God promised this Good News in advance through his prophets in the Tanakh.It concerns his Son — he is descended from David physically; he was powerfully demonstrated to be Son of God spiritually, set apart by his having been resurrected from the dead; he is Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord. Through him we received grace and were given the work of being an emissary on his behalf promoting trust-grounded obedience among all the Gentiles, including you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah.”

b. Romans 10:9, “If you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be delivered. “

c. 1 Corinthians 12:3, “No one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, “Yeshua is cursed!” and no one can say, “Yeshua is Lord,” except by the Ruach HaKodesh.”

d. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, “The Messiah died for our sins, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; and he was buried; and he was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; and he was seen by Kefa, then by the Twelve; and afterwards he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time.”

e. 2 Corinthians 13:13, “All God’s people send greetings to you.”

f. Philippians 2:6-11, “Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force.On the contrary, he emptied himself, in that he took the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are. And when he appeared as a human being,he humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death — death on a stake as a criminal! Therefore God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name; that in honor of the name given Yeshua, every knee will bow — in heaven, on earth and under the earth —and every tongue will acknowledge that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai — to the glory of God the Father.”

2. The Church has held 22 ecumenical councils (after Item a, from https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-21-ecumenical-councils):

a. Rome, 144, Marcion presented his case that Yeshua was Divine. The Church excommunicated him. His church could have reformed general celibacy.

b. Nicaea I, 325, Pope Sylvester I, Emperor Constantine: Condemned Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ; defined the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son; fixed the date for Easter; began formulation of Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.

c. Constantinople I, 381, Pope Damasus I, Emperor Theodosius: Re-condemned Arianism; condemned Macedonianism, which denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit; completed the formulation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.

d. Ephesus, 431, Pope Celestine I, Emperor Theodosius II: Condemned Nestorianism, which denied the unity of the divine and human in Christ; defined that Mary is the Mother of God (Theotokos), a doctrine denied by the Nestorians and by most of today’s Protestants; condemned Pelagianism, which held that man could earn his own salvation through his natural powers.

e. Chalcedon, 451, Pope Leo the Great, Emperor Marcian: Condemned Monophysitism (also called Eutychianism), which denied Christ’s human nature.

f. Constantinople II, 553, Pope Vigilius, Emperor Justinian I: Condemned the Three Chapters, writings tainted by Nestorianism and composed by Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyr, and Ibas of Edessa.

g. Constantinople III, 680, Pope Agatho, Emperor Constantine IV: Condemned Monothelitism, which held Christ had but one will, the divine (this heresy arose as a reaction to the monophysite heresy); censured Pope Honorius I for a letter in which he made an ambiguous but not infallible statement about the unity of operations in Christ (an episode commonly used by anti-Catholic writers as an argument against papal infallibility, but for the real meaning, see Catholicism and Fundamentalism, pages 227-229).

h. Nicaea II, 787, Pope Hadrian I, Emperor Constantine VI: Condemned iconoclasm (which was mainly confined to the East), a heresy that held that the use of images constituted idolatry; condemned Adoptionism, which held that Christ was not the Son of God by nature but only by adoption, thereby denying the hypostatic union.

i. Constantinople IV, 869, Pope Hadrian II, Emperor Basil: Recondemned Adoptionism; deposed Photius as patriarch of Constantinople, thereby ending the Photian Schism, but this did not completely remove disaffections between the West and the East (in 1054 came the final break, when the Eastern Orthodox Churches broke away from unity with Rome).

j. Lateran I, 1123, Pope Callistus II, Emperor Henry V: Confirmed the Concordat of Worms (1122), in which the Pope and Emperor sought to end the dispute over investiture (the attempt by the secular powers to assume authority in appointing bishops; this was a main source of Church/state friction during the Middle Ages).

k. Lateran II, 1139, Pope Innocent II, Emperor Conrad III: Ended a papal schism by antipope Anacletus II; reaffirmed baptism of infants; reaffirmed the sacramental nature of the priesthood, marriage, and the Eucharist against Medieval heretics; decreed that holy orders is an impediment to marriage, making the attempted marriage of a priest invalid.

l. Lateran III, 1179, Pope Alexander III, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa: Regulated papal elections by requiring a two-thirds vote of the cardinals (see in this issue the article by Canon Francis J. Ripley, page 27); condemned Waldensianism and Albigensianism, a form of Manichaeanism (an ancient heresy that held that matter is evil; Albigensians opposed the authority of the state and of the Church, opposed the sacrament of matrimony, and practiced ritual suicide; despite these tenets, many anti-Catholics believe Albigensianism was the continuation of “real Christianity” during the Middle Ages and was a forerunner of Protestantism).

m. Lateran IV, 1215, Pope Innocent III, Emperor Otto IV: Ordered annual reception of penance and the Eucharist; used the term “transubstantiation” to explain the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist; adopted further canons against the Albigensians.

n. Lyons I, 1245, Pope Innocent IV, Emperor Frederick II: Excommunicated and deposed Frederick II for heresy and crimes against the Church.

o. Lyons II, 1274, Pope Gregory X, Emperor Rudolf I: Effected only temporary union of the Eastern Churches with the Roman Church; promulgated regulations for conclaves.

p. Vienne, 1311, Pope Clement V, Emperor Henry VII: Suppressed the Knights Templars; issued decrees on the reform of morals.

q. Constance, 1414, Popes Gregory XII, Emperor Sigismund: Ended the Great Schism, which involved three rival claimants to the papacy (see in this issue the article by Canon Francis J. Ripley, page 27); opposed the teachings of John Wycliffe, who taught sola scriptura, denied the authority of the pope and bishops, denied the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and wrote against penance and indulgences; condemned as a heretic John Huss, who denied papal authority and taught wrongly about the nature of the Church and who was burned at the stake in 1415 (in 1457 his followers established what became known commonly as the Moravian Church, which was the first independent Protestant church).

r. Florence, 1438-1447, Pope Eugene IV, Emperors: Albert II, 1438-1439 and Frederick III, 1440-1493: Reaffirmed papal primacy against claims of conciliarists that an ecumenical council is superior to a pope; approved reunion with several Eastern Churches, but the reunion was only temporary.

s. Lateran V, 1512-1517, Popes Julius II, 1503-1513
Leo X, 1513-1521, Emperor Maximilian I: Opposed erroneous teachings about the soul; reaffirmed the doctrine of indulgences; restated the relationship between popes and ecumenical councils; on the eve of the Protestant Reformation, failed to inaugurate an authentic and thoroughgoing reform of the Church, inadvertently helping Protestantism.

t. Trent, 1545-1549, 1551-1552, 1562-1563, Popes Paul III, 1534-1549 Julius III, 1550-1555 Pius IV, 1559-1565 Emperors Charles V, 1519-1558 Ferdinand I, 1558-1564: Affirmed Catholic doctrines against the errors of the Protestant Reformers; reaffirmed teachings on the role of the Bible and Tradition, grace, sin, justification by faith (but not by “faith alone”), the Mass as a real sacrifice, purgatory, indulgences, jurisdiction of the pope; initiated the Counter-Reformation; reformed the clergy and morals; promoted religious instruction; ordered the establishment of seminaries for the future training of priests.

u. Vatican I, 1869-1870 Pope Pius IX, 1846-1878: Defined papal infallibility and primacy; condemned errors regarding the relationship between faith and reason (the council was cut short by war, its work to be taken up again by Vatican II).

v. Vatican II, 1962-1965 Popes John XXIII, 1958-1963 Paul VI, 1963-1978: Issued pastoral documents on the renewal and reform of the Church, intending the make the Church more effective in dealing with the contemporary world.

3. Judeo-Christian literature suppresses the religious and political philosopher Yeshua with miraculous healer and “anointed one” – through transliteration and translation, Jesus and Christ

a. Name Publication Language Year

b. Iesous, for Joshua Septuagint Greek 3^rd Century BC

c. Yeshua the person (his family) Aramaic 3 BCE

d. Yeshua Messiah Acts 15 council Aramaic 50 CE

e. iEsou christou New Testament Greek 367

f. Iesu Christi Vulgate Bible Latin 414

g. Jhesu Crist Wycliffe Bible English 1382

h. Iesus Christ Coverdale Bible English 1535

i. Jesus Christ Geneva Bible English 1557

What Homo sapiens may and can know today

The aware Homo sapiens need not, ought not doubt their power, authority, and responsibility to pursue necessary goodness. Further, they may accept that both physics and psychology made it clear to people who inspired Genesis 1:26-28 that on earth, female and male Homo sapiens may and can pursue order in their way of living. Asking The God to usurp Homo sapiens responsibility is arrogant.

Observations, such as the literature reviewed above, express the consequence of insufficient humility to existence: what has not been discovered as well as what is known.

1. Research addresses laws of both physics and psychology in order to pursue necessary goodness; known & unknown reality; discovery & reason; facts & opinion.

2. With polytheism to explain unknowns, discovery eliminates a god, whereas, with monotheism, the doctrine can be modified to accommodate belief anyway.

a. For example, discovery that suns are natural reactors eliminates Sun Gods and could eliminate the God concept altogether.

3. It seems something constrains the consequences of human choice.

a. The God is a mystery, which may not tolerate that label, let alone rational characterization or constraint. Even “The God” may be arrogant; I seek better expression.

b. Perhaps physics or the laws of physics is sufficient.

c. Perhaps the necessary goodness Homo sapiens or their mutation will defines humility.

d. Trust in necessary goodness and humility is neither atheism nor insincerity.

e. It seems advantageous to accept discovery, evaluate possible uses, and choose the application that may and can result in necessary goodness.

4. Technology advances such that persons may and can choose to attempt changing physics’ impact on necessary goodness, invoking unexpected consequences.

a. There are 4,000 religions, each with sects, and Christianity has 45,000 sects.[9]

b. If necessary goodness is not evident, Yeshua’s civic influence may help.

i. Consider Yeshua’s process for resolving human conflict, in Matthew 18:15-17, commonly mistaken as a recipe for forgiveness.

5. Much of European and American literature debates Biblical concepts

a. Protestantism arose from both Luther and Calvin.

b. John Locke opposed Sir Robert Filmer’s Biblical “divine right of kings”

6. The United States Constitution seems to accommodate pursuit of necessary goodness.

a. Christianity is incidental to the United States peoples’ intentions to

i. Necessary goodness

ii. Accepting the power, authority, and responsibility to constrain chaos in personal behavior (Genesis 1:26-28), aware that the civic citizen is performing.

iii. Together, civic citizens encourage dissidents to reform, constrain criminals, and annihilate evils, fulfilling the demand for order on earth.