Paper 167 Overview: The Visit to Philadelphia

During the Perean ministry phase, Jesus and ten apostles journeyed to Philadelphia, where Abner and his associates were effectively propagating the gospel. This period represented a significant transition in Jesus' teaching methodology, as the gospel was being successfully proclaimed without the accompaniment of numerous miracles, demonstrating that the spiritual message itself held sufficient transformative power to inspire belief. The Philadelphia congregation had achieved remarkable success in attracting both Jews and gentiles to the kingdom message, as this synagogue remained independent from Jerusalem's Sanhedrin control and thus had never been closed to Jesus' teachings.

Jesus' brief sojourn in Philadelphia included several significant interactions: a Sabbath breakfast with Pharisees where he taught about humility and inclusive hospitality; a healing of a woman with a spirit of infirmity that challenged Sabbath legalism; and the receipt of a message about Lazarus's illness that precipitated his momentous decision to return to Judea despite the dangers. Throughout these encounters, Jesus consistently elevated spiritual truth above religious formalism, advocated for the marginalized, and prepared the groundwork for his culminating mission in Jerusalem. The effectiveness of the Philadelphia ministry exemplified how the gospel could flourish through dedicated messengers even without Jesus' physical presence, foreshadowing the post-resurrection expansion of the kingdom movement.

Throughout the Perean ministry, whenever reference is made to Jesus and the apostles visiting locations where the seventy were engaged in ministry, it should be understood that typically only ten apostles accompanied him, as they customarily left at least two at Pella to instruct the multitudes gathered there. For this specific journey to Philadelphia, Simon Peter and Andrew returned to the Pella encampment while Jesus and the other ten departed. When Jesus left the Pella camp, it was not unusual for three to five hundred followers to accompany him on his travels, and by the time he reached Philadelphia, his entourage had grown to over six hundred devoted adherents.

This particular period of ministry was distinctive for its absence of miraculous demonstrations. No supernatural events had attended the recent preaching tour through the Decapolis, and except for cleansing the ten lepers, there had been no miracles performed during this Perean mission. This phase demonstrated the gospel's capacity to advance through the power of its spiritual message alone, often without the physical presence of either Jesus or his apostles to validate its authority. Jesus and the ten apostles arrived in Philadelphia on Wednesday, February 22, and spent Thursday and Friday recuperating from their journey. That Friday evening, James addressed the synagogue congregation, and a general council meeting was scheduled for the following evening. The believers rejoiced in the evident progress of the gospel in Philadelphia and surrounding villages, while messengers from David's network reported encouraging news about the kingdom's advancement throughout Palestine and in distant centers such as Alexandria and Damascus.

A wealthy and influential Pharisee residing in Philadelphia, who had embraced the teachings of Abner, extended an invitation to Jesus for Sabbath morning breakfast at his residence. News of Jesus' anticipated arrival in Philadelphia had spread, attracting numerous visitors, including many Pharisees from Jerusalem and elsewhere who had traveled specifically to observe him. Approximately forty prominent individuals, along with several legal scholars, received invitations to this gathering honoring the Master. As Jesus conversed with Abner near the entrance, a distinguished Pharisee from Jerusalem, a member of the Sanhedrin, entered and, following his customary practice, proceeded directly toward the position of honor at the host's left.

The host, however, directed him to a seat four places removed, having reserved the places of honor for Jesus and Abner, which greatly offended this dignitary who was accustomed to preferential treatment. During the meal, a man suffering from dropsy entered the house; this individual was a believer who had recently received baptism from Abner's associates and harbored hope that his condition might elicit Jesus' compassion. While making no explicit request for healing, the Master recognized his unspoken desire, smiled benevolently, and motioned for him to sit on the floor nearby.

As the meal concluded, Jesus addressed the gathering, asking whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, though none dared respond given their familiarity with his perspective on such matters. Jesus then healed the man and delivered a profound discourse on humility, advising his listeners against seeking positions of prominence at social gatherings. He taught that those who exalt themselves would be humbled, while those practicing genuine humility would ultimately receive honor. He further challenged conventional social practices by encouraging his hosts to invite not merely friends, relatives, and wealthy neighbors to their feasts—those who could reciprocate—but rather to occasionally welcome the poor, disabled, and disadvantaged, thus demonstrating true generosity motivated by spiritual values rather than social advantage.

As Jesus concluded his remarks at the Pharisee's breakfast table, one of the legal scholars present made a conventional pious observation: "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." Seizing this opportunity for instruction, Jesus proceeded to relate a parable about a ruler who prepared an elaborate feast and sent invitations to numerous guests. When the appointed time arrived, the invited guests began offering various excuses to avoid attendance. One claimed the necessity of inspecting recently purchased land, another needed to examine newly acquired oxen, and a third cited his recent marriage as preventing his attendance. These excuses represented material possessions, commercial interests, and social relationships taking precedence over spiritual opportunities.

Incensed by these rejections, the host instructed his servants to gather instead the disadvantaged populations of the city—the poor, maimed, blind, and lame—and when space remained available, to extend their search to the highways and countryside, compelling others to attend until the banquet hall was filled. The parable concluded with the ruler's declaration that none of those originally invited would taste his supper, symbolizing the spiritual opportunities forfeited through materialistic preoccupation. Following this teaching, the attendees departed, with at least one previously skeptical Pharisee sufficiently moved to receive baptism that very day as a public profession of faith.

Abner subsequently expounded upon this parable at the evening council of believers. The next day, the apostles engaged in philosophical deliberations attempting to extract the parable's deeper significance, but Jesus deliberately refrained from providing a definitive interpretation, encouraging each individual to discover personal meaning in the story rather than imposing a singular authoritative explanation that might restrict its multifaceted applicability to diverse spiritual circumstances.

Abner had arranged for Jesus to teach in the Philadelphia synagogue on this Sabbath, marking a significant opportunity since this particular synagogue, unlike those in Jerusalem and many other locations, had never been subject to the Sanhedrin's prohibition against Jesus' teachings. At the conclusion of the service, Jesus observed an elderly woman in the congregation whose countenance reflected profound despondency and whose physical posture was severely stooped. This woman had endured eighteen years of debilitating fear and depression that had extinguished all joy from her existence. Jesus approached her, placed his hand upon her bent shoulder, and spoke words of liberation: "Woman, if you would only believe, you could be wholly loosed from your spirit of infirmity."

Responding with faith to his invitation, she immediately straightened her posture, both physically and spiritually, and began to glorify God for this unexpected restoration. The chief administrator of the synagogue, an unsympathetic Pharisee, witnessed this transformation with indignation rather than wonder, and publicly rebuked this Sabbath healing as an inappropriate activity for the sacred day. Addressing the congregation, he admonished that healing should be sought on the six working days rather than on the Sabbath.

Jesus responded to this legalistic criticism with penetrating insight, exposing the inconsistency in their religious practice: "Why play the part of hypocrites? Does not every one of you, on the Sabbath, loose his ox from the stall and lead him forth for watering?" He then drew the compelling parallel that this "daughter of Abraham," who had endured bondage for eighteen years, surely deserved liberation on the Sabbath day as much as their livestock. While the woman continued her expressions of gratitude, the critic found himself humiliated by the undeniable logic of Jesus' response, and the congregation shared in the woman's rejoicing at her restoration. The repercussions of this incident extended beyond the immediate healing, as the chief ruler's public criticism of Jesus resulted in his removal from office and replacement by one of Jesus' followers, demonstrating the growing influence of the kingdom message even within established religious institutions. Jesus frequently liberated similar victims from fear, depression, and emotional bondage, though the people generally misinterpreted these as physical ailments or demonic possessions rather than recognizing their psychological nature.

Late on Sunday evening, February 26, a messenger arrived in Philadelphia from Bethany with an urgent communication from Martha and Mary stating, "Lord, he whom you love is very sick." This referred to their brother Lazarus, for whom Jesus held genuine affection. Upon receiving this message at the conclusion of the evening conference, Jesus entered into a momentary state of communion with something beyond himself before responding to the messenger in the hearing of the apostles: "This sickness is really not to the death. Doubt not that it may be used to glorify God and exalt the Son." Jesus maintained a profoundly meaningful relationship with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, cherishing them with authentic human affection coupled with divine love.

Jesus' initial human impulse was to depart immediately for Bethany to comfort and assist his friends, but a more profound consideration emerged in his combined mind. He had largely relinquished hope that the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem would accept the kingdom message, yet his compassion for his people remained undiminished. This circumstance presented an opportunity for one final, supremely significant appeal to Jerusalem through a demonstration of divine power that aligned with Jewish expectations of a wonder-working deliverer. Though Jesus had consistently refused to perform spectacular feats merely to attract followers or satisfy curiosity, he now sought his Father's consent to manifest his previously unexercised authority over life and death.

Understanding Jewish burial customs, which mandated interment on the day of death due to the warm climate, and recognizing the prevalent belief that the spirit remained near the body for three days before departing permanently, Jesus deliberately delayed his journey to Bethany for two additional days. When he finally announced to his apostles his intention to return to Judea, they protested vehemently, reminding him of the recent threats against his life there. Jesus responded with the enigmatic statement that Lazarus had "fallen asleep" and he would go to awaken him, later clarifying that Lazarus had died and that this situation would provide an opportunity to strengthen their faith and witness a powerful manifestation of divine glory.

As Jesus journeyed toward Judea, a company of approximately fifty individuals, comprising both supporters and adversaries, accompanied him. During their midday repast on Wednesday, Jesus addressed this mixed audience concerning the "Terms of Salvation" and concluded his instruction with the illuminating parable of the Pharisee and the publican. The Master emphasized that divine salvation constitutes a freely bestowed gift to all who possess the faith necessary to receive sonship in the heavenly family, rather than an achievement earned through self-righteous works. He illustrated this principle through a parable describing two men who entered the temple to pray: a Pharisee who stood proudly recounting his religious observances and moral superiority, and a tax collector who, standing at a distance, humbly petitioned, "God be merciful to me a sinner."

Jesus declared that the humble tax collector received divine approval rather than the self-exalting Pharisee, reinforcing his consistent teaching that those who elevate themselves face humiliation, while those practicing genuine humility experience spiritual exaltation. That evening in Jericho, adversarial Pharisees attempted to entrap Jesus in controversy regarding marriage and divorce regulations, similar to earlier tactics employed in Galilee. Jesus adroitly avoided their polemical snare while nevertheless affirming elevated matrimonial ideals and explicitly disapproving of the lax divorce practices permitted under Pharisaic interpretations of Mosaic law.

Without directly challenging their legal authority, he implicitly condemned their permissive standards that allowed men to divorce wives for trivial reasons such as culinary inadequacies or simply developing attraction to another woman. Jesus consistently affirmed women's equality in all his teachings on marriage and never sanctioned divorce practices that advantaged men over women. Later that evening, when the apostles privately sought clarification on these matters, Jesus articulated a comprehensive view of marriage as "honorable and to be desired by all men," explaining that while his personal mission required celibacy according to the Father's will, the divine intention for humanity generally involved the complementary partnership of men and women in establishing homes for raising children, thereby becoming "copartners with the Makers of heaven and earth." Through these discussions, Jesus simultaneously elevated their conceptual understanding of marriage while dispelling numerous misconceptions that had troubled their thinking.

Jesus' profound teachings regarding marriage and the spiritual significance of children rapidly circulated throughout Jericho, producing an unexpected consequence by the following morning. Before Jesus and his companions had completed their breakfast preparations, numerous mothers converged at his lodging place, carrying infants and leading young children by hand, seeking his blessing upon these little ones. When the apostles encountered this assemblage of mothers and children, they attempted to disperse them, considering such matters inconsequential compared to Jesus' more significant work. Upon hearing the ensuing commotion, Jesus emerged and rebuked his disciples with evident indignation, declaring: "Suffer little children to come to me; forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

He elaborated that without approaching the kingdom with childlike receptivity, spiritual maturation within the kingdom would remain exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. Following this admonition, Jesus personally received each child, placing his hands upon them while offering words of encouragement and hope to their mothers. In his private teachings, Jesus frequently expounded to his apostles regarding the "celestial mansions" where God's advancing children develop spiritually just as children grow physically in the material world. This seemingly ordinary interaction between Jesus and the children carried profound cosmic significance, as the observing celestial intelligences of Nebadon witnessed these Jericho children innocently playing with the Creator of the universe. It was a sublime convergence of the sacred and commonplace that the participants themselves could not fully appreciate.

Jesus' teachings substantially elevated women's status throughout Palestine; had his followers remained faithful to his original teachings rather than later modifications, women's position would have improved globally rather than primarily within his immediate cultural sphere. During this same period, while discussing children's religious training, Jesus emphasized the aesthetic dimensions of worship, particularly for fostering spiritual receptivity in young minds. He personally preferred communing with the Father amidst natural settings and taught that when natural environments were unavailable, houses of worship should embody appealing simplicity and artistic beauty rather than cold, barren institutional spaces devoid of inspirational elements. Jesus maintained that beauty, truth, and holiness function as complementary facilitators of genuine worship, with the most spiritually effective beauty characterized by simplicity and resonance with natural forms.

As they ascended the hills from Jericho toward Bethany, Nathaniel walked alongside Jesus, and their conversation regarding children in relation to the kingdom indirectly transitioned to angelology. Nathaniel posed a pragmatic question about how they should address the subject of angels in their teaching, given that the high priest adhered to Sadducean doctrine which rejected the existence of angelic beings. Jesus seized this opportunity to provide comprehensive instruction about the nature and ministry of these celestial personalities. He explained that angels constitute a separate order of created beings, fundamentally distinct from the material realm of mortal creatures, functioning as a discrete category of universe intelligences.

Angels should not be confused with the "Sons of God" described in Scripture or with the glorified spirits of departed mortals progressing through higher realms; rather, they represent direct divine creations who do not reproduce themselves and maintain only spiritual kinship with humanity. Jesus further explained that angels possess immortality unless they become entangled in sin, as occurred with some during Lucifer's rebellion. He reminded Nathaniel of his previous teaching that spiritually perceptive individuals might see angels ascending and descending, facilitating communication between worlds within the universe.

While many angels serve in the administrative structure of the Father's government and the Sons' universes, countless others are specifically designated for service to humanity. Jesus emphasized that angels are not cosmic spies reporting human thoughts and deeds to God, as the Father's indwelling spirit already provides direct communion. Rather, these celestial ministers function as joyful participants in human spiritual awakening, experiencing delight when individuals abandon sin to pursue divine communion. Jesus also revealed the angels' crucial role in guiding the souls of the deceased during the transition between physical death and spiritual rebirth in the mansion worlds. He would have continued this illuminating discourse on angelology, but Martha's approach as they neared Bethany interrupted their conversation, transitioning their attention to the dramatic events about to unfold at the tomb of Lazarus.