Paper 195 Overview: After Pentecost

Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost established decisive policies and plans that would direct the apostolic proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. Peter functioned as the true founder of the Christian church, while Paul extended the Christian message to the gentiles, and Greek believers disseminated it throughout the Roman Empire. The tradition-bound Jewish populace largely rejected both Jesus' original gospel of divine fatherhood and human brotherhood as well as the apostolic proclamation of Christ's resurrection. However, the remainder of the Roman Empire proved remarkably receptive to these evolving Christian teachings, as Western civilization was intellectually mature, weary of perpetual warfare, and profoundly skeptical of existing religious and philosophical systems.

Christianity's triumph can be attributed to several factors: Paul's organizational acumen, the thoroughgoing Hellenization of the gospel, which incorporated Greek philosophical concepts, the compelling narrative of Jesus' life and message, and strategic compromises with existing religious systems like Mithraism and paganism. Though early Christian leaders compromised many of Jesus' ideals to propagate his core ideas, they preserved essential truths that would eventually reassert themselves. Through these evolutionary compromises, Christianity nevertheless struck unprecedented notes in human moral development, expanded humanity's conception of God, established immortality as a foundational religious assurance, and most crucially, presented Jesus of Nazareth to humanity's spiritually yearning consciousness. Christianity's history demonstrates both its compromises and its remarkable resilience, having survived as it transformed through Hellenization, paganization, secularization, institutionalization, intellectual deterioration, spiritual decadence, moral hibernation, threatened extinction, rejuvenation, fragmentation, and relative rehabilitation.

The results of Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost proved determinative for the future policies and directional thrust of the apostolic proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. Peter effectively functioned as the authentic founder of the Christian church, while Paul carried the Christian message to non-Jewish populations, and Greek believers systematically disseminated it throughout the entirety of the Roman Empire. This distribution of evangelical roles would profoundly influence Christianity's developmental trajectory as it spread beyond its Jewish origins.

Although the tradition-bound and priest-dominated Hebrew population, as a collective entity, rejected both Jesus' original gospel of divine fatherhood and universal human brotherhood as well as the apostolic proclamation of Christ's resurrection and ascension, the remainder of the Roman Empire demonstrated remarkable receptivity to the evolving Christian teachings. Western civilization at this historical juncture was intellectually sophisticated, thoroughly exhausted by continual warfare, and deeply skeptical regarding all extant religious systems and philosophical frameworks. Despite their inheritance of impressive accomplishments in philosophy, aesthetic achievement, literature, and political organization, these Western peoples lacked a soul-satisfying religion that could fulfill their profound spiritual longings.

Into this cultural context, Jesus' teachings, now embedded within the Christian message, were suddenly introduced to the spiritually hungry consciousness of these Western populations, presenting a new paradigm for living. This revolutionary message inevitably precipitated conflict with established religious practices, necessarily resulting in either decisive victory for the new faith, defeat, or some degree of compromise. Historical developments reveal that the struggle concluded in significant compromise, as Christianity attempted to encompass more aspects of human experience than any population could assimilate within one or two generations. Christianity rapidly evolved beyond Jesus' purely spiritual appeal to adopt definitive positions on religious rituals, education, magical practices, medicine, aesthetic expression, literature, jurisprudence, governmental structure, moral codes, sexual regulation, and even limited perspectives on slavery.

The Hellenization of Christianity commenced in earnest when the Apostle Paul addressed the council of the Areopagus in Athens and expounded to the Athenians about "the Unknown God." Standing in the shadow of the Acropolis, this Roman citizen proclaimed his interpretation of the new religion that had originated in the Jewish territory of Galilee. A striking affinity existed between Greek philosophical thought and many of Jesus' teachings, as both sought to facilitate individual emergence: Greek philosophy directed toward socio-political liberation, while Jesus' teachings focused on moral and spiritual emancipation. Combined, these complementary ideals constituted a revolutionary charter for comprehensive human freedom that transcended previous religious and philosophical systems.

Christianity emerged and ultimately triumphed over competing religious systems primarily because of two decisive factors: first, the Greek intellectual tradition demonstrated remarkable openness to incorporating worthy ideas regardless of their source, even from Jewish cultural contexts; second, Paul and his successors displayed shrewd theological pragmatism as they navigated the complex religious landscape of the ancient world. When Paul stood in Athens proclaiming "Christ and Him Crucified," the Greeks were experiencing profound spiritual hunger and intellectual curiosity regarding transcendent truth. This historical moment proved pivotal, as the Romans initially opposed Christianity, while the Greeks embraced it enthusiastically, ultimately compelling the Romans to accept this new religion after it had undergone significant Hellenistic modification. This pattern of cultural adaptation would become characteristic of Christianity's evolutionary development as it spread throughout diverse civilizations, demonstrating both remarkable resilience and significant theological malleability.

The Romans systematically incorporated Greek culture while implementing a critical political innovation: replacing government by random selection with representative governance structures. This transformation ultimately favored Christianity's expansion by introducing throughout the Western world unprecedented tolerance for linguistic diversity, cultural variation, and religious pluralism. While Roman political genius provided administrative stability, the empire's relatively permissive attitude toward religious expression created an environment in which Christianity could eventually flourish, despite initial periods of persecution.

The early persecution of Christians in Rome stemmed primarily from their unfortunate employment of the term "kingdom" in their proclamation, which triggered Roman suspicion of political subversion. While Romans demonstrated exceptional tolerance toward diverse religious expressions, they remained vigilantly opposed to anything suggesting political competition with imperial authority. Once these persecutions (largely predicated on misunderstanding) subsided, the environment for religious propagation became remarkably open. The typical Roman demonstrated primary interest in administrative functionality, minimal concern for aesthetic or religious matters, yet maintained unusual tolerance toward both domains. This combination of administrative efficiency and religious permissiveness ultimately provided an ideal matrix for Christianity's systematic expansion throughout imperial territories, allowing it to evolve from a marginalized sect into the dominant religious framework of Western civilization.

Following the consolidation of Roman political hegemony and Christianity's progressive dissemination, Christians possessed a coherent monotheistic concept but lacked political infrastructure, while Greco-Romans maintained a powerful empire without a suitable religious framework for imperial unification and spiritual cohesion. This complementary deficiency facilitated a mutually advantageous arrangement: Christians accepted the imperial structure, while the empire gradually adopted Christianity, establishing a symbiotic relationship that would fundamentally shape Western civilization's development for millennia. The Roman provided political unification, the Greek contributed cultural and intellectual coherence, and Christianity supplied religious integration and moral direction.

Christianity gained significant traction in Rome during a period of intense ideological competition between Stoic philosophical teachings and the salvation promises of various mystery religions. Christianity introduced refreshing comfort and liberating potential to a spiritually disoriented population whose language lacked even a conceptual term for "unselfishness." This novel spiritual vision addressed fundamental existential questions that other philosophical and religious systems had inadequately resolved, offering both intellectual coherence and emotional satisfaction to diverse populations throughout the empire.

Christianity's most compelling demonstration of power manifested in the transformed lives of its adherents, who demonstrated extraordinary service and faced martyrdom with remarkable courage during periods of systematic persecution. The Christian teaching about Christ's protective love for children led to a major social change. It helped end the common practice of infant exposure, where unwanted children, especially girls, were left to die from the elements or animals. These tangible manifestations of Christian values demonstrated the faith's transformative capacity in ways that philosophical argumentation alone could never achieve, establishing Christianity's moral authority despite its political marginalization and periodic persecution. This combination of intellectual coherence, emotional satisfaction, and ethical implementation provided Christianity with sustainable momentum that would ultimately transform the empire from within.

The church, functioning as a societal extension and political ally, inevitably shared in the intellectual and spiritual deterioration characteristic of the European "dark ages." During this period of cultural contraction, Christianity increasingly retreated into monasticism, emphasized ascetic practices, and became increasingly legalistic in its approach to spiritual life. In a profound sense, authentic Christianity entered a state of spiritual hibernation, temporarily surrendering much of its vitality and transformative potential as institutional structures and hierarchical authority displaced personal spiritual experience as the primary focus of religious life.

Throughout these centuries of intellectual darkness and spiritual stagnation, religion increasingly became a secondhand experience, with individual spiritual discovery subordinated to institutional dictates. Individual believers were effectively overshadowed by ecclesiastical authority, traditional formulations, and clerical pronouncements that discouraged direct spiritual experience. A particularly problematic development emerged with the proliferation of "saints" who were believed to possess special intercessory influence before God, thereby establishing an intermediary class between ordinary believers and divine presence. This further institutionalized the distance between individual spiritual experience and direct divine communion, contradicting Jesus' emphasis on immediate personal relationship with the Universal Father.

Despite these significant distortions of Jesus' original message, Christianity had become sufficiently adapted to prevailing cultural patterns that, while unable to prevent the onset of the dark ages, it was strategically positioned to survive this extended period of intellectual stagnation and spiritual deterioration. The faith persisted throughout this challenging epoch and continued functioning as a moral influence, however attenuated, when the renaissance eventually emerged. Following the dark ages, Christianity underwent a substantial rehabilitation process that generated numerous denominational expressions tailored to different intellectual, emotional, and spiritual temperaments, many of which continue to function in contemporary religious landscapes. This remarkable adaptability demonstrates Christianity's resilience even when significantly diverging from Jesus' original teachings, containing sufficient spiritual truth to persist through periods of extreme cultural challenge.

The twentieth century has presented unprecedented challenges for Christianity and all religious systems to address effectively. As civilization advances technologically and becomes increasingly complex, the necessity grows proportionally to "seek first the realities of heaven" in all human efforts to stabilize society and facilitate solutions to material problems. Paradoxically, spiritual foundations become more, not less, essential as societies advance technologically, as material progress without corresponding spiritual development invariably leads to cultural instability and moral confusion. The contemporary dilemma facing religious institutions involves maintaining spiritual vitality while engaging constructively with rapidly evolving social and technological landscapes.

Truth becomes increasingly fragmented, confusing, and potentially misleading when subjected to excessive analytical dissection, compartmentalization, and isolated examination. Living truth effectively transforms the truth-seeker only when embraced holistically as an integrated spiritual reality, rather than reduced to discrete facts of material science or isolated aspects of artistic inspiration. Breaking truth into disconnected components diminishes its transformative power and capacity to guide individuals and societies toward spiritual maturity. This analytical tendency represents a significant impediment to genuine spiritual understanding in technologically advanced societies that increasingly prioritize specialization over integration.

Religion fundamentally reveals to humans their divine and eternal destiny, offering a purely personal and spiritual experience that must be distinguished from other valuable but distinct forms of human thought. These related but separate domains include logical approaches to material reality, aesthetic appreciation distinguishing beauty from ugliness, ethical recognition of social obligations and political responsibilities, and even the sense of human morality which, while valuable, does not itself constitute religion. Authentic religion specifically discovers those transcendent values that evoke faith, trust, and assurance, culminating in genuine worship. It reveals supreme values to the soul that exist on an entirely different plane than the relative values discovered through intellectual processes. A lasting social system without morality predicated on spiritual realities is as unsustainable as a solar system without gravitational forces to maintain its cohesion and functional integrity.

Scientists have unwittingly precipitated humanity into a materialistic panic by initiating what amounts to an unthinking run on the accumulated moral and spiritual resources of civilization. This metaphorical bank of human spiritual experience, however, possesses vast reserves that can adequately withstand current materialistic demands. Only those who fail to comprehend the depth and resilience of humanity's spiritual heritage become unnecessarily alarmed about the potential depletion of these transcendent resources. When this transitory materialistic panic eventually subsides, as all such limited perspectives inevitably do, the religion of Jesus will demonstrate its continued viability and transformative potential within human civilization.

Notwithstanding apparent conflicts between materialistic worldviews and Jesus' spiritual teachings, one can confidently anticipate the Master's teachings will ultimately prevail in human consciousness. Authentic religion cannot become fundamentally entangled in controversies with legitimate scientific inquiry because religion's primary domain transcends material concerns. Religion appropriately maintains a position of respectful indifference toward scientific methodology while focusing its concern on the scientist as a spiritual being engaged in material investigation. This crucial distinction allows both disciplines to flourish within their appropriate domains without unnecessary conflict or competition for cultural authority.

The pursuit of knowledge without corresponding development of wisdom and spiritual insight inevitably leads toward pessimism and existential despair. A fragmentary understanding of reality proves profoundly disconcerting when divorced from larger spiritual contexts that provide meaning and purpose. At the time of this revelation, the most extreme phase of the materialistic age has already concluded, with an emerging awareness of reality's deeper dimensions beginning to illuminate human consciousness. Although the most sophisticated scientific minds have largely transcended purely materialistic philosophy, many individuals continue accepting materialistic assumptions due to educational systems that have not yet integrated more comprehensive understandings of reality. This historical transitional period, while challenging, represents merely a temporary phase in humanity's ongoing spiritual evolution rather than a permanent condition.

How profoundly unfortunate when materialistic perspectives deprive individuals of the transformative spiritual resources available through authentic religious experience. Facts themselves never fundamentally conflict with genuine spiritual faith, though theories and interpretations frequently generate apparent contradictions. Scientific inquiry would better serve humanity by focusing on eliminating superstition rather than attacking religious faith. True faith, grounded in spiritual realities and divine values, supports and uplifts human consciousness beyond the limits of material existence. The recognition that scientific inquiry operates within specific epistemological boundaries would significantly reduce unnecessary tensions between scientific methodology and religious experience.

Science ideally expands humanity's material horizons just as religion extends spiritual awareness and understanding. Genuine science has no inherent conflict with authentic religion when each recognizes its appropriate domain and methodological limitations. The scientific method functions effectively as an intellectual tool for investigating material phenomena and quantifying physical processes, but being entirely material and intellectual in its orientation, it cannot evaluate spiritual realities and religious experiences, which require different modes of knowing and experiential validation. When both science and religion recognize their complementary roles in human understanding, they can function harmoniously rather than antagonistically.

The fundamental inconsistency in mechanistic materialism lies in its failure to recognize that if existence were merely material and humans were simply biological machines, such entities would be categorically unable to recognize themselves as machines or conceptualize a material universe. The materialistic despair characterizing certain scientific perspectives overlooks the profound irony that the very capacity to formulate materialistic theories requires transcendent cognitive capabilities beyond what purely material processes could generate. The scientist's supermaterial insight, which formulates these self-contradictory concepts of a purely materialistic universe, demonstrates the inadequacy of materialism as a comprehensive philosophical framework. The very consciousness that conceives materialistic theories transcends the limitations such theories would impose on consciousness itself, revealing the inherent contradiction within strictly materialistic worldviews.

Even after materialistic and mechanistic philosophical frameworks are substantially refuted intellectually, the pervasive influence of twentieth-century secularism will continue impairing the spiritual experience of countless individuals who have absorbed these perspectives unconsciously. Contemporary secularism developed through two primary historical influences: its "paternal" origin in the reductionistic attitude of nineteenth and twentieth-century atheistic scientific perspectives, and its "maternal" inheritance from the totalitarian medieval ecclesiastical structures that once dominated Western civilization. Secularism initially emerged as a necessary protest against the comprehensive domination of Western culture by institutionalized Christianity that had frequently suppressed individual freedom and intellectual inquiry.

At the time of this revelation, the prevailing intellectual and philosophical climate throughout European and American societies had become decidedly secular and humanistic in orientation. For approximately three centuries, Western intellectual traditions have undergone progressive secularization, with religion increasingly relegated to nominal influence and ritualistic observance rather than functioning as a vital, transformative force in individual and collective life. The majority of professed Christians in Western civilization have unwittingly adopted secularist perspectives, having internalized cultural assumptions that marginalize spiritual reality despite their formal religious affiliations. This widespread secularization represents a significant challenge to authentic spiritual revival.

The liberation of Western intellectual and social life from ecclesiastical domination required tremendous historical forces operating through extended periods. Secularism successfully dismantled oppressive church control but now ironically threatens to establish new forms of ideological domination over human consciousness. The dictatorial political structures that emerged in the twentieth century represent direct intellectual descendants of scientific materialism and philosophical secularism. Having liberated humanity from ecclesiastical domination, secularism now risks delivering individuals into equally restrictive political and economic systems that similarly suppress spiritual freedom and individual autonomy. This historical pattern demonstrates how liberation movements can evolve into new forms of oppression when they lack transcendent spiritual foundations to guide their development.

Do not overlook the inestimable value of your spiritual heritage, that continuous stream of truth flowing through the centuries, persisting even through the spiritually barren periods of materialistic and secular dominance. While appropriately rejecting superstitious accretions from previous eras, ensure that you preserve the eternal truths embedded within religious traditions. Exercise patience during this transitional period; when the current rebellion against superstition concludes, Jesus' authentic gospel will emerge with renewed clarity to illuminate humanity's path forward. The spiritual truths Jesus proclaimed possess inherent vitality that allows them to survive periods of distortion and neglect, eventually reasserting their transformative potential within human experience.

Contemporary Christianity, having undergone significant paganization and socialization throughout its history, requires renewed contact with Jesus' uncompromised teachings; it suffers from the absence of a fresh vision of the Master's earthly life and original message. A revitalized revelation of Jesus' authentic religion will ultimately overcome materialistic secularism and displace mechanistic naturalism from cultural dominance. Urantia currently approaches a potentially transformative epoch of social reorganization, moral revitalization, and spiritual enlightenment that could fundamentally reorient civilization toward more transcendent values and purposes. This period of transition, while challenging, contains the potential for substantial spiritual progress if individuals respond to the perennial truths Jesus embodied and proclaimed.

Jesus' teachings, despite significant modification through theological development, survived the mystery cults of their historical origin, persisted through medieval ignorance and superstition, and continue gradually overcoming twentieth-century materialism, mechanism, and secularism through their inherent spiritual power. Historical periods of severe testing and apparent defeat paradoxically often precede significant spiritual revelation and advancement. The challenging conditions of contemporary society may actually prepare the ground for unprecedented spiritual growth if individuals remain receptive to truth and committed to authentic transformation.

Contemporary religion urgently requires new leadership from spiritual individuals who will depend exclusively on Jesus and his uncompromised teachings rather than institutional structures or theological systems. If institutional Christianity continues neglecting its fundamental spiritual mission while focusing primarily on social and material concerns, genuine spiritual renaissance must await the emergence of these new teachers of Jesus' religion who will dedicate themselves entirely to spiritual regeneration rather than institutional maintenance or social reform. When these spirit-born individuals emerge, they will naturally provide the leadership and inspiration necessary for comprehensive social, moral, economic, and political reorganization grounded in authentic spiritual principles. True spiritual revival necessarily precedes and grounds effective social transformation rather than following from it.

Christianity has unquestionably rendered invaluable service to human civilization, but contemporary society most urgently needs direct connection with Jesus himself rather than increasingly elaborate theological systems about him. The world requires living demonstrations of Jesus through the transformed lives of spirit-born individuals who effectively reveal the Master to their contemporaries through authentic spiritual living. Attempting to revive primitive Christianity represents a misguided approach; spiritual progress necessitates moving forward from present conditions rather than attempting to recreate the past. Contemporary culture requires spiritual baptism through a fresh revelation of Jesus' life and illumination through renewed understanding of his eternal salvation message. When Jesus becomes properly elevated in human consciousness, he naturally draws all people toward himself and the spiritual values he perfectly embodied.

Jesus' genuine disciples must transcend mere survival to become abundant sources of inspiration and enhanced living for everyone they encounter. Religion remains merely exalted humanism until transformed by the experiential discovery of God's presence within personal consciousness. The striking beauty and profundity, the seamless integration of humanity and divinity, the transcendent simplicity and uniqueness of Jesus' earthly life presents such a compelling demonstration of human potential and divine revelation that theologians and philosophers throughout history should recognize the inappropriateness of constructing rigid creeds and theological systems that constrain the liberated spirituality Jesus exemplified. Jesus' life itself, rather than doctrines about him, constitutes the most powerful spiritual message available to humanity.

In Jesus, the universe produced a mortal being in whom love's transcendent spirit overcame material limitations and transcended physical origins, demonstrating the potential for spiritual values to transform human experience. Remember always that God and humanity exist in mutual necessity for the complete attainment of eternal personality experience within the divine destiny of universal finality. Jesus' declaration that "the kingdom of God is within you" ranks among his most profound pronouncements, second only to his revelation that the Universal Father exists as a living, loving spirit rather than an abstract concept or impersonal force. These twin insights, divine indwelling and divine personality, constitute the essential core of Jesus' transformative message.

The genuine transformation of individuals and civilization requires moving beyond the initial phase of religious obligation, institutional conformity, and conventional observance to embrace the second phase of freely chosen service and liberty-inspired devotion characteristic of Jesus' authentic followers. This higher expression of religious commitment involves actively reaching toward others in love and guiding them toward more transcendent goals under genuine spiritual direction. While Christianity commonly achieves the preliminary step of basic moral obligation, humanity continues struggling in relative spiritual darkness because so few professed followers of Jesus actually embody the quality of life, love, and service he taught and demonstrated. The gap between professed belief and transformative living represents Christianity's greatest challenge and opportunity. When significant numbers of believers authentically manifest Jesus' spiritual values in daily life, civilization will undergo unprecedented transformation toward divine patterns.