Paper 161 Overview: Further Discussions with Rodan

In the continued dialogue with Rodan, Nathaniel and Thomas addressed the Greek philosopher’s remaining intellectual difficulties, beginning with his reluctance to accept the personality of God. Rodan argued that true personality requires equality of communication, which seemed incompatible with God’s solitary supremacy. Nathaniel responded with five structured arguments, including the reality of the Trinity, the personality of Jesus, and the divine source of all personality, gradually persuading Rodan that God could indeed be personal, though far surpassing human conceptions. This exchange marked a turning point in Rodan’s understanding, as he now accepted the philosophical possibility of a personal God aligned with Jesus’ teachings.

With this hurdle cleared, the apostles offered a detailed testimony of Jesus’ divine nature, citing specific traits and experiences that reflected his unique role as both Son of God and Son of Man. They described his flawless character, divine awareness, and perfect submission to the Father’s will as surpassing any human standard. Rodan was especially moved by the apostles' firsthand accounts of Jesus' compassion, wisdom, and communion with celestial beings, which deepened his conviction. This strengthened belief in Jesus’ divine status completed Rodan’s transformation from philosophical inquirer to devoted follower, setting the stage for his continued teaching ministry and eventual martyrdom.

On Sunday, September 25, while Jesus and ten apostles departed for Jerusalem to attend the feast of tabernacles, Nathaniel and Thomas remained at Magadan to continue their profound philosophical discussions with Rodan of Alexandria. These conversations represented an important intersection of Greek philosophical thought with the emerging gospel of the kingdom, as Rodan had already been introduced to Jesus' teachings by a former apostle of John the Baptist who had been his teacher in Alexandria.

The previous week had featured Rodan expounding his philosophy while Thomas and Nathaniel had taken turns presenting the gospel of the kingdom, establishing a foundation for the more focused theological discussions that would follow. This intellectual exchange would prove pivotal in Rodan's spiritual development, as the Greek philosopher grappled with fundamental concepts about divine nature and personality that would ultimately lead to his full acceptance of Jesus' teachings and his later dedicated service to the kingdom movement until his martyrdom in Greece during the persecutions.

The central philosophical disagreement between Rodan and the apostles concerned the personality of God, a concept the Greek philosopher found intellectually problematic. Rodan contended that personality necessitates the "coexistent fact of full and mutual communication between beings of equality," and since God stands alone as the infinite Creator with no equals, he cannot be classified as a person. Despite Thomas's argument that God's communication with humans demonstrates his personality, Rodan remained unconvinced by this reasoning, maintaining that divine transcendence places God beyond personality as humans conceptualize it.

Nathaniel eventually won Rodan to the belief in God's personality through five methodical arguments that gradually dismantled the philosopher's objections. First, Nathaniel introduced the Trinity concept, explaining that the Father in Paradise enjoys equality of communication with the Eternal Son and Infinite Spirit, thereby fulfilling Rodan's own requirement for personality. Second, he established that Jesus, as equal with the Father, had demonstrated personality to earthly beings, proving both the possibility and reality of divine personality. Third, he articulated how the Father-Son relationship presupposes equality of communication and sympathetic understanding, demonstrating that both possess personality attributes.

Fourth, he reasoned that since personality represents humanity's highest concept of reality and value, God, as the divine and infinite reality, must necessarily be a personality, though transcending human definition. Finally, he argued that God must be a personality since he is the Creator and the destiny of all personality. Convinced by these arguments, Rodan conceded that God could be understood as a person, provided the concept was qualified with expanded values such as "superhuman, transcendent, supreme, infinite, eternal, final, and universal."

Having reached agreement on God's personality, Nathaniel and Thomas presented a comprehensive case for Jesus' divine nature based on their firsthand experiences with the Master. Their presentation, which deeply influenced Rodan's understanding, articulated eleven distinct observations that collectively demonstrated Jesus' unique status as both Son of God and Son of Man. They emphasized Jesus' own acknowledgment of his divinity and the remarkable events associated with his ministry that defied purely human explanation, pointing to a divine presence working through him.

The apostles detailed Jesus' exemplary character in human relationships, noting his unparalleled unselfishness, his capacity for true friendship even with sinners, and his unwavering loyalty despite their failures to comprehend his mission. They cited his consistent sinlessness, extraordinary wisdom, and perfect alignment with the Father's will as evidence that no mere human could maintain such perfection. They described his remarkable emotional control, immediate response to human suffering, and superhuman consciousness of deity's presence.

The apostles further noted Jesus' apparent foreknowledge, his communion with celestial personalities, his authoritative teaching, and his matter-of-fact references to his intimate relationship with the Father as additional evidence of his divinity. After these discussions, which convinced Rodan of Jesus' unique status, he and the apostles hurried to Jerusalem to rejoin their fellow believers. Rodan subsequently returned to Alexandria where he taught his philosophy infused with Jesus' teachings until his martyrdom in Greece during the persecutions.

The consciousness of Jesus' divinity emerged gradually throughout his life, culminating at his baptism when he became fully self-conscious of his divine nature, prehuman existence, and universe prerogatives. From that pivotal moment until his crucifixion, Jesus possessed the extraordinary ability to selectively limit his human consciousness of his divinity according to the circumstances and requirements of his mission. This selective self-limitation meant that Jesus could choose whether to rely solely on his human intellect or to access the vastly greater knowledge available through his divine consciousness, creating a duality that added profound complexity to his earthly experience.

This remarkable capacity for conscious self-limitation allowed Jesus to withhold foreknowledge of events from his associates and to conceal his ability to discern their thoughts and plans when appropriate. The apostles observed that sometimes Jesus appeared to function with only human awareness, while at other times he clearly demonstrated divine wisdom and communion with celestial beings. This duality created an interpretive challenge for his followers, who often could not distinguish between instances when Jesus was deliberately limiting his divine consciousness and when he was simply concealing his divine knowledge from them.

It was evident to observers that Jesus used both his human and divine minds, though they could not always tell which was at work in a given moment. At times, he seemed purely human, while at others, he clearly communicated with celestial beings, revealing divine awareness. Often, there was a seamless blend of both, though the full nature of this mystery remains beyond our understanding.