Larry Vondrell - Thee Unknown Apostle

THEE UNKNOWN
APOSTLE

LARRY VONDRELL

Copyright 2013 Larry Vondrell.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-0924-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0925-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0923-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013916955

WestBow Press rev. date: 09/25/2013

Contents

To my wife of 31 years Margot, and our three children, Alison, Paul and especially Bridget who spent most of her vacation editing this book.

Also to Tracie Brutsche who tirelessly typed and retyped this book.

It is nearly impossible to tell the story of Jesus, without appearing Anti-Semitic. I hope this book is not among them. It tells the story of what grew out of a Jewish sect, became one of the worlds largest religions.

After Roman conversion under Constantine the Great around 313 A. D.; he commissioned biblical scholars of the time to transcribe all known 50 or so bibles into one authentic Bible. Most of todays scholars agree this rewrite changed the role the Romans played in the crucifixion of Christ; it was minimized, as that of the Jewish leaders exaggerated. It helps to know that Pilate was a cruel governor of the Jewish nation under Rome. The fact that Jesus had a large following, who called him Messiah, meaning savior, sealed his fate. We as Christians seem to forget that to Jesus earliest followers he was their Messiah.

At that time all possible of creating an insurrection would be crucified. Concerns for how the Jewish nation felt would be totally irrelevant. The re-write has been a cause of much Christian persecution of the Jewish nation. The fact that many Jewish people become threatened at just the sight of Christ on the Cross is very understandable.

But in these more enlightened times; perhaps we can celebrate our Jewish heritage. Our very holidays mirror one another, and our founder was no doubt a religious and practicing Jew.

When reviewing all that is written about Jesus, we can confirm he was no doubt the most significant historical figure of all times.

How did Jesus, a 30 year old roaming Rabbi of Galilee, change how much of the world views their God? And at a time where the only people who had a single God searched for a Messiah one to bring them out of captivity, to unite the Jewish nation, where all will live in peace, The Kingdom to come.

He did not do this at least in the way they had prayed for.

But if he had, his story would be absorbed in obscure history. Known only to Jewish scholars, for after Roman occupation, several other cultures would occupy the nation. Not until more modern times did the Jewish nation become truly free.

However, he did become the Messiah for all people, for all times.

His GOOD NEWS was one of a loving God, a forgiving and understanding God, who calls us to love him. We of his own creation pretend to love him yet fear him at the same time. This is not humanly possible. But even today people cling to a God they fear just in the times of Christ.

If we truly believe what was recorded of his words, we too can discover a different kind of God than the jealous, vengeful God of the Old Testament. And in that context grow closer to a real relationship with Him.

I hope that this book makes for a more compelling story of Christs life and works enabling the reader to put into better perspective of His WORD, thus to better understand Him, so that we can better love Him.

Most of us have read, heard, and perhaps even watched numerous times, the Life of Christ. We may have never known of small details which when NOT left out, become a real story changer. Especially if we look at Jesus from a Jewish perspective, as I tried to do so in this book.

Many of us Christians were raised to subscribe to the prevailing thought Jesus was the son of GOD, or even GOD himself, who came to suffer and die for our sins.

Particularly the Original Sin committed by our first parents Adam and Eve that separated us from GOD. The Paschal Lamb or sacrifice we called Him, the lamb who would take away the sins of the world.

This is a Christian tradition, one that did not exist yet. To better understand Jesus and what happened to him, we must know more of Jewish and early Roman history.

The intent of this book is not to disprove any theology, but to call to attention how He was so much more than a Messiah or Paschal lamb. We water down His presence on earth when we limit Him to just that.

We must also focus on His GOOD NEWS.

That is far more challenging; in His time it was just as difficult to comprehend how GOD could love us all, just as it maybe for some now. But this was Jesus underlying message to all of us.

To better follow this book, please take the time to re-familiarize yourself, with this so familiar story. With facts you may have never been told.

Remember Jesus had taught all over the Jewish Nations and came to Jerusalem for the largest of all Jewish festivals, PASSOVER. Jews as Jesus and his disciples were would gather there in the largest of all Jewish temples. An anxious time for the Roman occupiers each year, other rebellions had happened during this gathering of the Jewish nation from so many lands that would be in Jerusalem.

Remember the Romans occupied all of Israel and many other nations. They did not enslave those nations, but imposed oppressive taxes where they conquered to support the Roman Empire.

The Jews were not slaves as they were in Egypt. Rome in respect to each nation was clever enough to even install a government system. Including one designed to give a voice to those they occupied. And here is the hierarchy of that authority.

HEROD ANTIPAS : King of the Jewish nation, appointed by Rome to rule this client state of the Roman Empire. A puppet of Rome and had his own small army. He arrested and later beheaded John the Baptist. Jesus would face Herod also. Herod could enforce his own judgments, but execution was generally only under Roman authority.

Known as a builder, he built the largest of all Jewish temples in Jerusalem among other projects. He was half Jewish by birth. He was not the same Herod the wise men saw, but of the same family.

Herod would answer only to Pontius Pilate, Roman appointed Governor of all areas Jesus ever taught including Jerusalem. He was the final authority, ruled with an iron fist. There would be no insurrection against the Roman Empire on his watch.

THE SADDUCES: They are a sizeable group of High Priest of the Jewish nation. They ran the Temple Herod built, which was the center of Jewish culture. They had their own temple guard or police. They would make sure no one could enter parts of the temple beyond their station in life. They sat in judgment of all Jewish law, seen perhaps as collaborators with Herod, and thus Rome as well.