Richard Aberdeen
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- Joined
- Jun 4, 2026
- Messages
- 184
Paul in his letter to Titus, says the following: "One of them, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons' Titus 1:12. Upon close examination, it seems that Paul is upset about a member of the assembly of Jesus repeating this apparently common prejudice.
Nathaniel, upon hearing about Jesus, asks "can anything good come out of Nazareth" John 1:46? This appears to have been another common prejudice and there are several other human prejudices found within the four narratives of Jesus, adding to their authenticity.
Many later historians have concluded that the Scythians were a somewhat advanced nomadic group of people. But, it appears that in the Greco-Roman world of the early followers of Jesus, that "Scythian" may have become a generalized term referencing many different northern nomadic cultures.
This is similar to how the modern term "Indian" is often used to refer to often vastly different early American cultures. Apparently, such nomadic tribes were viewed in the Greco-Roman world as being uncivilized and savages, similar to how most unfortunately, many savage Europeans viewed the comparatively more peaceful and civilized Natives of Northern America.
Paul's own view is made clear here: Colossians 3:11. Those who believe ". . . have put on the new man/woman who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him/her, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Messiah is all and in all." This serves to wipe away every human prejudice, as does Revelation 7:9-10.
Such is more important than it may appear at first glance, because it is consistent with the rest of the story of Jesus and his early followers. Jesus is repeatedly portrayed as being a champion, not only of common average people, but in particular of the sick, the poor and the otherwise marginalized and oppressed people of human societies.
This is underscored in the story of the "good Samaritan", the Samaritan woman at the well, the short tax collector Zacchaeus, the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus the beggar and others. And again made clear in deed, by Jesus' consistent habit of attending to the lame, blind, deaf, mute, lepers, beggars and otherwise least among us.
Later, the early followers of Jesus were focused specifically on helping widows, orphans, the sick, the poor and least among them. As Paul, who carried the purse for the poor relates in Galatians 2:9-10: ". . .James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do."
James likewise teaches that we should show no partiality between the rich and the poor; ". . .but if you show partiality, you commit sin. . ." James Chapter 2. And, that true religion is to help widows and orphans and, to keep ourselves "unspotted" from the world system of evil James 1:27. If this sounds revolutionary compared to modern capitalist societies, it was even more so in the First Century Roman Empire.
We should all take heed how this agrees with both the Old Testament Ezekiel and the New Testament Jesus. "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit Ezekiel 16:49-50.
And with Jesus: ". . .for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me" Matthew 25:35-36.
The manner in which 21st Century politicians and their assenting conservative Christian sycophants treat immigrants, the sick and poor in modern day America is truly a wicked and evil abomination if there ever was one. Such obscene liars should be asking themselves, how would Jesus treat a so-called "illegal" immigrant, when in fact Samaritans in the First Century were treated as "foreigners" encroaching on Jewish territory?
To justify themselves for voting for wicked politicians, many conservative Christian leaders pretend to care about the unborn, while teaching it is wrong for governments to help the poor. This contradicts both Jesus himself and many Old Testament prophets, including Moses. For more of where the Bible admonishes nations to help the poor and needy, please Link Here.
And why, while never mentioning the unborn, does Jesus repeatedly daily in both word and deed, admonishes every human being on earth to go out of our way to help the already born immigrants, sick, poor and marginalized among us? How is voting for the worst kind of leaders imaginable, who delight in taking healthcare, food and shelter away from the sick and poor, while ripping immigrant children from their weeping parent's arms and locking them in filthy disease-infested cages, somehow honoring the life, words and deeds of Jesus?
In Search of the Real Jesus
Nathaniel, upon hearing about Jesus, asks "can anything good come out of Nazareth" John 1:46? This appears to have been another common prejudice and there are several other human prejudices found within the four narratives of Jesus, adding to their authenticity.
Many later historians have concluded that the Scythians were a somewhat advanced nomadic group of people. But, it appears that in the Greco-Roman world of the early followers of Jesus, that "Scythian" may have become a generalized term referencing many different northern nomadic cultures.
This is similar to how the modern term "Indian" is often used to refer to often vastly different early American cultures. Apparently, such nomadic tribes were viewed in the Greco-Roman world as being uncivilized and savages, similar to how most unfortunately, many savage Europeans viewed the comparatively more peaceful and civilized Natives of Northern America.
Paul's own view is made clear here: Colossians 3:11. Those who believe ". . . have put on the new man/woman who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him/her, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Messiah is all and in all." This serves to wipe away every human prejudice, as does Revelation 7:9-10.
Such is more important than it may appear at first glance, because it is consistent with the rest of the story of Jesus and his early followers. Jesus is repeatedly portrayed as being a champion, not only of common average people, but in particular of the sick, the poor and the otherwise marginalized and oppressed people of human societies.
This is underscored in the story of the "good Samaritan", the Samaritan woman at the well, the short tax collector Zacchaeus, the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus the beggar and others. And again made clear in deed, by Jesus' consistent habit of attending to the lame, blind, deaf, mute, lepers, beggars and otherwise least among us.
Later, the early followers of Jesus were focused specifically on helping widows, orphans, the sick, the poor and least among them. As Paul, who carried the purse for the poor relates in Galatians 2:9-10: ". . .James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do."
James likewise teaches that we should show no partiality between the rich and the poor; ". . .but if you show partiality, you commit sin. . ." James Chapter 2. And, that true religion is to help widows and orphans and, to keep ourselves "unspotted" from the world system of evil James 1:27. If this sounds revolutionary compared to modern capitalist societies, it was even more so in the First Century Roman Empire.
We should all take heed how this agrees with both the Old Testament Ezekiel and the New Testament Jesus. "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit Ezekiel 16:49-50.
And with Jesus: ". . .for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me" Matthew 25:35-36.
The manner in which 21st Century politicians and their assenting conservative Christian sycophants treat immigrants, the sick and poor in modern day America is truly a wicked and evil abomination if there ever was one. Such obscene liars should be asking themselves, how would Jesus treat a so-called "illegal" immigrant, when in fact Samaritans in the First Century were treated as "foreigners" encroaching on Jewish territory?
To justify themselves for voting for wicked politicians, many conservative Christian leaders pretend to care about the unborn, while teaching it is wrong for governments to help the poor. This contradicts both Jesus himself and many Old Testament prophets, including Moses. For more of where the Bible admonishes nations to help the poor and needy, please Link Here.
And why, while never mentioning the unborn, does Jesus repeatedly daily in both word and deed, admonishes every human being on earth to go out of our way to help the already born immigrants, sick, poor and marginalized among us? How is voting for the worst kind of leaders imaginable, who delight in taking healthcare, food and shelter away from the sick and poor, while ripping immigrant children from their weeping parent's arms and locking them in filthy disease-infested cages, somehow honoring the life, words and deeds of Jesus?
In Search of the Real Jesus
