The New Testament. I had to do it. We all should do it, right? There is no other written work of greater historical significance in the Western cannon. The Odyssey comes close. Gilgamesh was earlier. But really, regardless of one’s interpretation: Word of God, or word of man, the Old and the New Testament are, together, the underpinning logic and collective reference points of Western Civilization.
I didn’t realize Paul was such a predominant P.R. man. The initial four gospels work rather magically, because there it is, once, twice, thrice and again, the story of this exceptional historical figure, Jesus. I’m an atheist. But he’s a singularly remarkable character to trod along with towards his unfortunate end. His voice is rather unique I must say, in its combination of mildness and sternness. And, here I can’t be the first person to say this, it’s kind of deflating when Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are done and we don’t get more detail on the messiah’s words, deeds, miracles, parables. Rather, Paul comes, and lets’ face it, he just can’t command the same gravity. It all becomes a bit more bureaucratic.
Lesson number two for a dummy like me, the efforts extend beyond the Holy Land, through modern Syria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Egypt. Paul’s mission and all the time spent on questions like, can uncircumcised guys be of the faith, suggest the remarkable process of this radical faith’s first internationalism And, this notion, adopted and interpreted by Islam six hundred years later, that all souls are fair game, and that anyone can be “saved” is first propagated, first overtly tasked, by Christ’s intercession to Paul.
Another small observation, having also read the Old Testament earlier this year, once we get Christ, God himself goes silent. He lets his Son do all the talking. I may have missed something obvious but the Almighty, who shows up rather frequently in the Old Testament, usually grumpy, and annoyed, full of threats to the “chosen” people, is all rather (perhaps more majestically?) silent in the New Testament. Christ talks. Christ knocks Paul off the ass, on the way to Damascus. But the big Poppa does not weigh in, as he was earlier so want to do.
One imagines that the debatably apocryphal last book, Revelations by St. John is much of what made this book the world’s all-time best seller. If the Bible had just wrapped up with James final letters out it would have arguably lost considerable selling power. Revelations is the ultimate hook, to ensure one stays tuned for the sequel. The end is nigh. It’s gonna be rough on the non-believers. Here is what it may well look like. There will be no place to hide, and you’d better be prepared. Personally, I didn’t like John’s voice here. I also wasn’t so sure I could reconcile the meek, and sagacious Jesus of the first four books with the sword wielding soul-slaker, in the last. All gospels take liberty with Christ’s voice, but Revelations, which is yet to be revealed, is the most extreme and the least plausible of all such efforts.
Friday, 02/28/20
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