My ancestors were often Congregational ministers. I even have roots that go to the Mayflower. This background led me, in my early teens, to wonder how it was that Christianity spread so easily if what spread is the same as what one meets in churches today.
To get a handle on this question, I had to go way back to study the Early Christians. It is indeed difficult to do so because many of the early writings were destroyed or altered by the proto-orthodox zealots and heresy hunters. Serious theological changes came already in the 3rd century and in the next century with Constantine’s effort for unity and the Ecumenical Councils that followed.The leading “mysteries” (clues) to find the true Christianity that I see include:
- the whole point of Christianity is the three years from baptism to ascension with the event on Golgotha followed by the resurrection, “if He had not risen, then our faith is in vain.”
- something magnificent happened at the baptism
- something important also happened at 12 in the temple
- the birth of Jesus in Luke and the birth of Jesus in Matthew are different stories – different families, different hometowns, etc.
- the expectation of a Savior existed in many religions
- the concept of reincarnation (and karma) was common but fading
These led me to conclude:
- Jesus (in Matthew) at birth was a man – a very significant man who the Magi (Zoroastrian Initiates) could “see” was incarnating (they accepted reincarnation)
- Jesus (in Luke) is deeply connected to Adam – perhaps a pre-Fall purity (no karma)
- Matthew Jesus was born first, slaughter of the innocents happened, then Luke Jesus born
- These two are “combined” at 12 (when Luke Jesus was 12) in the Temple (see the lecture on Leonardo da Vinci in the website here)
- This perfect vehicle for the Logos is offered to Him at the Baptism
- Now this being is Jesus-Christ
- In this being the Logos FULLY becomes a human being on the cross, on Golgotha
- Of the beings of the Heavenly Hierarchies, this is the first and only to experience Death
- The Logos overcomes Death and resurrects with a body whose physical matter is fully spiritualized (called Atma in Vedic traditions) so that one incarnated in a physical body can sense it
- Paul calls the resurrected Jesus-Christ, the new Adam for this event opened the future for Humanity; the descent was over; the ascent could begin – and this was possible because the Logos, a God, became a Son of Man
- The Logos, whose blood flowed into the Earth, resides now and forever more with the Earth and is joined with its destiny; at first and till now in the periphery of the Earth working inwardly (one could claim that the Logos was the Sun God, Ahura Mazdao, that Zarathrustra and others including the Jewish Prophets foresaw as coming)
- To Moses, as the burning bush, He says “I am The I-am” (it is a mistranslation that says “I am that I am”); one should contemplate this, what is an I-am? What is THE I-am? In tribal times, did people realize their core being as people do today as something fully independent, as an I-am? Or was that just coming to one’s awake consciousness in the time of Moses?
- The Three Years fulfilled the Ancient Mysteries and the Law – this enabled the spread of Christianity through the apostles who brought this realization to the initiates of the dying mystery centers (e.g. Delphi, Eleusia) who grasped this and joined with their pupils (Paul establishes the Christian Mysteries at the Aeropagite’s School of Athens)
- The so-called Second Coming will happen “in the clouds” (I sense this is happening in our times) in a realm we, in our materialism, cannot normally perceive – a realm where Life’s formative forces exist – but a realm where one today can perceive if the organs of higher perception are developed
- Christian initiation has occurred throughout the past 2 millennium – we find this in the Perfects of the Cathars’ Elect, the Knights Templar, and the Rosicrucians – even the Mass itself has vestiges of initiation ceremony