"Resolving the Biblical Narrative"
How Things Work – Consideration #126 (Book II Science & Religion)
Be A Part of the Conversation!
Tuesday March 12, 2024
“I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it’s all going to turn out alright.”
– Billy Graham
PREFACE
Welcome Everybody!
Book II, The Power of Three, focuses on the Scientific Method which eventually leads to Relativity Theory and String Theory; as well as the Judeo-Christian Narrative as recorded in the Bible that eventually leads to this method. With the completion of Matthew, we have established the final “turning point” in the Biblical narrative. However, there are still a few loose ends to resolve in the “conclusion” before completing Book II and moving on to Book III, which focuses on how science and religion uniquely approach the “mystery” of reality.
“…there remains the resolution of the apostles and followers of Jesus in regard to creating and establishing a new church.”
First, there are the remaining three gospels which add interesting and critical insight into the overall Christian narrative and Christian Faith. Second, there remains the resolution of the apostles and followers of Jesus in regard to creating and establishing a new church. Third, there is the final resolution, or revelation, in which Jesus returns and evil is vanquished forever by universally re-establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
“…we will consider only the new and necessary insight not previously recorded or considered in Matthew.”
However, we will not cover the other gospels with the same rigor and detail as the gospel of Matthew; we will consider only the new and necessary insight not previously recorded or considered in Matthew. We will also briefly consider the lives of the apostles, the immediate expansion of Christianity, and the final unveiling of “truth” as revealed in the final book of the Bible commonly referred to as the “Book of the Apocalypse,” or the “Book of Revelation.”
The death and resurrection of Jesus marks the climax of the Biblical narrative; the remaining Gospels, the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, provide its final resolution.
CONSIDERATION #126 – Resolving the Biblical Narrative
Reflecting the power of three, the Bible fits perfectly into the simple three-act narrative that is the essential structure, or form, of a Western narrative. At its basic level it reflects the concept of a beginning, a middle, and an end, reflecting the basic concept of time, or temporality, itself. Western stories occur “in time” and follow an “arch of time” focusing on a specific person, occurrence, or idea through the course of its birth, life, and death; in literary terms defined as setup, confrontation, and resolution.
Consider the following brief synopsis:
Beginning/Setup: God creates a perfect world, but Mankind disobeys God and destroys His perfection. (The Garden of Eden: Fall of Mankind)
Middle/Confrontation: God develops and begins implementing a plan for Mankind’s redemption and the re-establishment of God’s original intention. (Establishing Righteousness in the World: Noah, Abraham, Moses, The Law, and the development of Israel)
End/Resolution: God successfully implements His plan and re-establishes His relationship with Mankind. (The Garden of Gethsemane: Jesus fulfills his commitment and the prophecy of the Messiah)
From a literary standpoint, the setup is expanded into Act I, the confrontation is expanded into Act II, and the resolution is expanded into Act III. Each act contains a turning point, or plot twist, that alters the expected or anticipated plot, such that it moves the plot in a new and unexpected direction.
“However, the nation of Israel, like humanity itself, eventually falls from a very high place.”
In the Bible, God’s perfect world is suddenly undermined when human beings disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit, thus requiring a new plan. (Act 1)
God begins to implement His new plan, which eventually introduces “The Law” as a key factor of the plan for reintroducing righteousness. However, the nation of Israel, who God had chosen to reintroduce righteousness back into the world, like humanity itself, had fallen from a previously high place. All that remained was “The Law,” which had ironically become corrupted by the current Jewish leaders of the time. (Act 2)
God, as Jesus, is perceived as confronting The Law, when in actuality he is finally fulfilling The Law by empirically manifesting it into empirical realty with his own life and sacrifice; thereby re-establishing the original unity between God and Mankind. (Act III)
“God’s plan for everything was going fine until the serpent creates an inciting incident by convincing Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit…”
Act one consists of exposition, an inciting incident, and the first plot point, or turning point. The Bible begins with exposition explaining God’s creation of the universe and mankind. God’s plan for everything was going fine until the serpent creates an inciting incident by convincing Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, which causes the fall of Mankind and alters God’s plan for the universe and human beings. The first plot point occurs when God makes a covenant with Abraham by establishing his bloodline as a chosen people who would begin to bring “righteousness” back into the world; eventually leading to a Messiah who would re-establish God’s original plan for all of Mankind.
Act two begins with Abraham and his confrontations with God that lead to war with his mortal enemies, this rising action results in the establishment of what would eventually become the nation of Israel. However, at this point the anticipated plotline essentially stops; until the midpoint where it restarts with Moses.
“God’s deliverance of ‘The Law’ to Moses and the new nation of Israel becomes the second turning point in the narrative…”
Moses continues the manifestation of God’s covenant with Abraham by fulfilling the promise to establish a new and powerful nation: Israel. Moses frees the “chosen people of Israel” from captivity and leads them to the land God had originally promised to Abraham.
God’s deliverance of “The Law” to Moses and the new nation of Israel becomes the second turning point in the narrative by establishing and codifying righteousness in the Jewish society. These righteous people would be the vehicle for the deliverance of a Messiah yielding great power and influence in the world. God Himself would be manifested and His truth revealed through this Messiah.
“The climax occurs when Jesus overcomes the consequence of original sin…”
Act three (resolution) begins with the birth of Jesus, or the Messiah. In the pre-climax Jesus enters Jerusalem to exuberant crowds cheering his name during Passover and openly confronts the corrupt leaders of Israel, for reasons later explained at the Last Supper. The Law that was originally implemented as a mechanism for increasing righteousness in the world had become a “stumbling block” for Israel, who were now using it to manifest guilt, power, and corruption.
The climax occurs when Jesus overcomes the consequence of original sin, death, in his crucifixion and resurrection. By overcoming the temptations of life and the consequence of death Jesus re-establishes the return of God’s Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
The Bible concludes with the influence of the apostles in establishing a new church and the final prophecy related to the “second coming” of Jesus; when the battle between good and evil takes place and evil is vanquished, good is rewarded, and the Kingdom of Heaven is completely re-established on earth forever.
POSTSCRIPT
The Gospel following Matthew is Mark, which is generally considered to be the first, or oldest, recorded gospel and one of two foundational sources for Matthew and Luke; ironically Mark was not an apostle. It is thought that Mark was a teenager during the ministry of Jesus who either heard of, or perhaps even personally witnessed, the teachings of Jesus, and later became a disciple of Peter and then traveled with Paul spreading Christianity. It is generally agreed that the Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark sometime between 60-70 CE during his time in Rome or Syria.
If Mark is the foundation for Matthew and Luke, its authenticity and accuracy become an important factor to consider. According to TheologyNetwork.com:
“We have just reviewed a few of a number of converging lines of argument supporting the view that it is reasonable to take Mark’s Gospel as historical. The evidence is actually stronger than for many of the works upon which Greek or Roman history is founded. If it were not for the extraordinary subject matter of Mark’s Gospel, it is conceivable that there would not even be debate among historians as to whether or not it is reliable.”
The Historical Reliability of Mark’s Gospel – TheologyNetwork.uk
The Gospel of Mark, much like Greek and Roman history, is woven through the tapestry of its time. It is a blend of historical events, individual experience, and personal interpretation. However, it represents a substantial account of the life and teachings of an individual who changed Western civilization.
“Mark’s first visit to Alexandria was so successful that when he returned the pagan leaders executed him immediately…”
It has been reported that Mark was known to be an unequivocal follower of Jesus who aggressively worked to bring others into the fold; his tragic death supports this characterization. Mark’s first visit to Alexandria was so successful that when he returned the pagan leaders executed him immediately in 68 CE; wrapping a rope around his neck and dragging him through the streets until he died.
Next week we begin a brief consideration of Mark’s gospel reflecting the Greek perspective of Christianity…
P.P.S.
THE CELEBRATION OF RAMADAN (Generally Monday, March 11 – Sundown Tuesday, April 9)
"When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened, and the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are chained."
– The Prophet Muhammad
The celebration of Ramadan will be observed by almost 2 billion Muslims this year and is considered the most sacred month of the year for Islam and its followers. Here is a quick synopsis of Islamic belief according to History.com:
Muslims believe that around A.D. 610 a man named Muhammad (c. 570-632) from the Arabian city of Mecca started receiving revelations from God, or Allah, via the angel Gabriel. The revelations were collected into a 114-chapter holy book known as the Quran (or Koran), which Muslims believe contains the exact words of God.
Muhammad is, according to Muslims, the final prophet in a line of prophets (including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus) who were chosen by God to act as messengers and teach mankind. Muslims believe there is one all-knowing God, and people can achieve salvation by following his commandments. In Arabic, Islam means “submission” or “surrender” (to God).
History.com – Ramadan
Ramadan is a month-long celebration of the initial revelations of the Quran to Muhammad, which is demonstrated through fasting and an intensified focus on spiritual devotion. Muslims fast from pre-dawn to sunset, approximately 11-16 hours a day, which includes not even drinking water. Exceptions to fasting are made for pregnant or nursing women, the sick, the elderly, and young children. In addition, if a day of fasting is unintentionally, or even intentionally, violated it can be made up by fasting an extra day.
“Both Sunni and Shia Muslims celebrate Ramadan.”
Ramadan ends with “Eid ul-Fitr,” or the “Festival of the Breaking of the Fast,” featuring three days of prayers, food, games, and the exchange of gifts among friends, relatives, and children. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims celebrate Ramadan.
Because Ramadan is based on the Islamic lunar calendar, which is eleven days shorter than a solar year, it takes thirty-three years for the lunar months to complete a full cycle and return to the same season. This is why Ramadan does not fall on the same day, or even during the same season, every year.
Ramadan Mubarak! (Blessed Ramadan)
Expand the Conversation by Upgrading to “Reality by a Thread!”
Excerpt From This Week’s “Untangling the Knots of Reality” Podcast:
• UNTANGLING THE KNOTS OF REALITY: Podcast #86 – “A Brief History of the Microscope: Part Two”
(“How do we actually see things?” “What is light and how does it work?” “Why can an electron microscope magnify smaller objects than an optic microscope?” “How has technology replaced the process of human perception?” “How has the microscope completed the circle of empiricism and rationalism?” These are some of the knots we will attempt to untangle in this week’s podcast. That’s a lot of microscopic perception for one podcast! So, let’s get started…)
• REALITY BY A THREAD: “The AI Bias Paradox” (Excerpt) – “In the end, Artificial Intelligence will either be taught bias and prejudice, or develop it on its own; it is a consequence of choice. And we are creating AI to make choices, or decisions. Gemini simply makes the challenges related to this goal more apparent. Despite technical talk, Artificial Intelligence will have to deal with questions of morality and fairness just like we do. However, AI will have significantly more power and potential than we do.
To understand the possibility and potential of Artificial Intelligence, we must first come to realize and understand the roots of our current reality as well as the possibility and potential within ourselves. If we fail to do this, we will be unable to coexist with Artificial Intelligence, or each other. That is what this book series is really about.”
•FREE PDF DOWNLOADS of Book IV: “The Cosmic Symphony – Overtones of String Theory” plus other Free Books, Discounts and Benefits. Also Gain Complete Access to all Previous Podcasts and Threads!
UPGRADE NOW!
The next link in the causal chain leading to Artificial Intelligence transcends Duality with Rationality and the Power of Three…
“Western civilization revolves around three fundamental abstractions: Reason, Mathematics, and Logic.”
– Book II (The Power of Three: Understanding Reality Through Science & Religion)
“The once common assumption that human experience was a balance of physical and spiritual components was more and more becoming a choice: Do you believe in the ‘spiritual world’ or the ‘real world?’
Like the essential constituents of geometry and atoms, the underlying foundation for the experience of Christianity, the religion of the West, would also be based on a set of three abstractions: The Holy Trinity. Science became the religion of the ‘real’ world, and theology became the ‘science’ of the spiritual world.”
– Book II (The Power of Three: Understanding Reality Through Science & Religion)
The once connected links of Science and Religion break; resulting in two incongruent versions of the Mystery called Reality…
“Human beings have often been described as ‘meaning making machines’ by psychologists and others who study human behavior... This obsession with gaining more knowledge, more understanding, and more meaning in our lives has led to the creation of science and technology far beyond the imagination of our ancestors…”
(Book III – The Enigmatic Mystery: Transcending the Duality of Science & Religion)
“We are now beginning to understand that opposites, like waves and particles, are essentially two ways of looking at the same thing. That ‘thing’ is the mystery. It is now becoming more and more apparent that the mystery science is seeking to understand is ultimately the same mystery religion is seeking to understand. This is the paradox we as human beings are currently facing…”
(Book III – The Enigmatic Mystery: Transcending the Duality of Science & Religion)