Thomas
NNC Member
In the past time, dating back to the BCE, some people of the Indian Subcontinent believed that there is God the creator of the universal. But some people never believe there is God. In the era of Gautama Buddha (623-483) BC, more than sixty philosophers existed in the sub-continent of India, which was mentioned by a Bishop of Buddhist Venera Dr. Rewata Dhamma, in his book “First Sermon of the Buddha” published in 1994. Such as, a philosopher Aghamasara said, the universal emerged by the explosion of hot (like Big-Bang). But a philosopher Narayana said, God created the universal. Also, philosopher Wiskamma said, God is the beginning and the end (Alpha and Omega), He has a powerful and awesome. God existed before the universal was. A philosopher Purana Kassapa emphasized that sins and virtuous work has no effect to the soul. Also, philosopher Ajitakesakambala said, there is no heaven and hell, and therefore, worshiping is not needed.
Due to these different opinions, the world has so many religions. Also, one of a Rev. Frs. said, we have different religions and Churches because, some of us fully accepted the Bible, but some of the Churches do not fully accept it, and some of the people do not completely accept the Bible. Such as the protestant Churches do not accept some Bible verses, for instance St. Matt. 16;18, St. John 21:15-17. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and atheist do not accept the Bible. Jewish, and Islamic, accept the Old Testament, but not New Testament.
Though Hinduism believes that God (Brahma) created the universe as mentioned above (philosophers Narayana and Wiskamma). And they said Jesus Christ as a spiritual teacher and an empowered representative of God. The Hindu Vanda says; “God will offer Himself as a sacrifice and atone for sins. A sacrificial animal (goat) should be without a blemish. A bush (balusu) be placed around its head. To be bound to a sacrificial (wooden) post/tree. Nails to be driven to its four limbs. The cloth covering the goat to be divided into four pieces. None of its bone shall be broken. The goat should be given a Soma Juice. After it has been slain to be restored to life again”. What the Vanda says, explicitly coincides with the Christian Bible.
Bu the Hinduists do not accept the Bible, and neither believe Jesus as God (Brahma), creator of the universal. Because they wrongly comprehended that Jesus was born only in AD 1. Hindu religion is 4000 years, older than Christian religion. But they lacked understanding that Jesus is the creator of mankind and the universe, eternal God, and yet He came into the world in human form more than two thousand years ago, was to save the sinners and for the reconciliation of mankind with God. Because our iniquities made separation with our God (Isiah 59:2). He rose from the dead, and after He was staying 40 days with His disciples, He went back to heaven. Jesus said, “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father” (St. John 16:28). After 40 days,He rose from the dead, while He was blessing His disciples, He was taken up into Heaven. (Luke 24:50)
To prove Jesus is the eternal God and Messiah. the fulfillment of prophetic words for the coming of the Messiah is very important. As mentioned above, in Hindu Vanda also recorded the prediction about the coming of the Messiah and His suffering to atone for the sins of the world. Moreover, Gautama Buddha also predicted the birth of Jesus Christ, saying, “After 500 years of my death, a Virgin girl will give birth to Arimettaya (Messiah). He will be God of gods, and even He dies, He will rise again”. All these predictions were fulfilled with His birth and death on the cross to atone for the sins of the worldare proved the fact that He was the Messiah (Sanskrit/Pali Arimattaya) to be born in the world.
Secondly, His resurrection from the dead proved that Jesus is an immortal and eternal God. He rose from the dead and took Him into Heaven is a vital point to believe Him as an immortal and eternal God by all mankind of the world. If He did not rise from the dead and take Him into heaven, the Bible and the Church would have no meaning for mankind, and teaching to believe in Jesus as God would be a vanity.
The Islamic accept the Old Testament but not the New Testament. They accept Jesus Christ as a Prophet but not as God or son of God. They accept God Allah as the only one God creator of the universe. And the Jewism as well do not accept Jesus Christ as a Son of God. They are monotheists, believing God is the only one, a creator of the universe. They do not accept the trinity, and neither accept the New Testament, though they accept the Old Testament.
The Christianity is, those who accepted Jesus Christ as a savior/messiah, the Son of God, and the Trinity, ‘God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit’, as one God. They hold the Old Testament and the New Testament as the Bible. The Bible was written by various writers from around 1450 BC to 100 AD, inspired by the Holy Spirit within more than more than 1500 years. The Christians follow the doctrine of Jesus Christ and the Church He founded. “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it”. (Matt. 16:18).After He rose from the dead, He appointed one of His disciples St. Peter to be His Church leader. (John 21:15-17).
Before He ascend into heaven, Jesus instructed His disciples, that not to go out from the Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and believers(120) on Pentecost Day (Acts 2:2), the Holy Church of Jesus was fully established in Jerusalem. And the followers of Jesus were named, as Christians in Antioch in AD 1st century.(Acts 11:26). Again, the Holy Church was named as the Catholic (Universal) Church in AD 107 by St. lgnatius, a Bishop of Antioch.
However, Christians in the Roman Empire faced persecution from the mid-1st century AD until the early 4th century AD. The persecution by Roman Emperors would last for around 250 years. The Church leaders, therefore, had no time to collect the Bible and combine into a Bible.
When the Roman Emperor Constantine (312-337) became a Christian, he gave freedom to worship God Jesus Christ in the whole Roman Empire from AD 313. Then Pope Damascus I (305-384) appointed Rev, Fr. St. Jerome (382-405) to collect the Bible and Translate into Latin from Greek and Hebrew and combined it as a Bible. Rev. Fr. St, Jerome was thus named Father of the Bible.
The combined Bible of Rev. Fr. St, Jerome was the Old Bible 46 books included with Greek Septuagint 7 books (Apocrypha), written in 300-132 BC in Greek, and New Testament 27 books which were selected by the Church leaders as inspired by Holy Spirit out of more than three hundred books written by Apostles in between AD 51-100, and combined Old and New 73 books. Which was adopted by Church Council Conference held at Carthage City in Africa in AD 393. Since then, the Catholic Church holds the 73 books of Bible up to date.
In 395 AD, the Roman Empire divided into two as the West and East Roman Empire, then the Orthodox Church broke out from the Holy Catholic Church in AD 1054, known as Eastern Orthodox Church.
Again, in AD 1517, Martin Luther, who was a Catholic Fr. broke out from the Holy Church and established a Protestant Church. He omitted the Bible which did not match with his teaching, such as from New Testament James, Hebrew, Jude, and Revelations. But latter, his followers took them again and made 27 books in New Testament. Also, omitted Apocrypha.
After Martin Luther omitted some books from the Bible, the Catholic Church held Church Council Conference at Trin city in AD 1546 and reaffirmed the 73 books of the Bible again, so that no Church member have in doubting on the existing Bible 73 books which was adopted in AD 393 as mentioned above.
Indeed, the Greek Septuagint 7 books (Apocrypha) were rejected by the Jewish leaders (non-Christians) in AD 90 when they had a meeting at Jaminia city, because it was written in Greek. Secondly, it was not allowed by Roman leaders to be a Bible, because it might have inspired Jewish people to fight against the Roman Empire. And lastly, it was omitted from the Protestant Bible in AD 1882 when the Protestant Church Council Conference was held in London. Hence, the Protestant Churches have only 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament, in all 66 books.
Without knowing the history of the Bible, even some protestant Reverend said, the Catholic Church added 7 more books to the Bible. Moreover, some of them said, Catholic is not a Christian. So, I told them in Kohima, then should we erase the Bible verse Matt. 16:18 as it becomes untrue?
Indeed, only the three Christian Churches defected from the Catholic Church, namely the Eastern Orthodox Church in AD 1054, Protestant in AD 1517, and Anglican in AD 1534, founded by King Hennery VIII. (Then Anglican started to call Catholic as Roman Catholic). But now according to 2024 record, more than 74,000 Christian Churches are in the world. All these are happening due to Bible misinterpretation, and not accepting some Bible verses as mentioned above. Some protestant Churches do not accept Trinity. Those who do not accept Trinity are not Christians. Even some Christian Churches lacked knowledge of how the Christian Church came into existence in the world.
So, some Protestant professors and theologians like Dr Scott Hahn (American) started to study Church history from the time of the disciples, and in times of persecution in AD 200-300, and then have come to understand and accepted Matt. 16:18, which means accepting the Church founded by Jesus.
This is written reference to Church history, in the interest of Christians and non-Christians as well so that we might have more understanding among us and build up peaceful co-existence.
