Paper 132 Overview: The Sojourn at Rome

During Jesus' six-month stay in Rome, he established relationships with thirty-two religious leaders who later became pivotal in establishing Christianity in the city. His method was remarkable—rather than confronting their errors, Jesus identified and enhanced the truths already present in their beliefs, allowing these truths to naturally displace falsehoods. This approach contributed significantly to the rapid spread of Christianity throughout Europe, along with his selection of Peter as an apostle and his conversation with Stephen, which later influenced Paul's conversion.

Jesus spent much of his time in personal ministry, connecting with over five hundred individuals from diverse backgrounds. He regularly engaged in conversations with people in all stations of life—from senators to slaves, from wealthy merchants to beggars. These encounters were characterized by Jesus' remarkable ability to draw people out through thoughtful questions, sympathetic listening, and practical advice tailored to each person's unique circumstances. This period in Rome provided Jesus with valuable insights into the diverse thoughts and lives of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire.

When Jesus arrived in Rome with Gonod and Ganid, they met Emperor Tiberius, who was impressed with Jesus' kingly bearing and manner. While Gonod conducted business, Jesus and Ganid explored the city, with Jesus often visiting the forum, the Capitolium, and the Greek and Latin libraries. Rome, with its two million inhabitants representing citizens from throughout the Eastern Hemisphere, offered Jesus an unparalleled opportunity to study and interact with a diverse cross-section of humanity.

Jesus' most significant work during his Roman sojourn involved identifying and cultivating relationships with thirty-two religious leaders from various philosophical schools—including Stoics, Cynics, and mystery cults, particularly the Mithraic group. Through personal, one-on-one conversations, Jesus skillfully illuminated the truths already present in their beliefs, helping these truths grow naturally within their understanding. This preparation work proved invaluable when Christian missionaries later arrived in Rome, as these leaders became key supporters of the new religion, significantly accelerating its spread throughout the empire.

Jesus had an extensive nighttime discussion with Angamon, the leader of the Stoics, who later became an important supporter of Paul's Christian movement in Rome. Jesus taught him that true values must be sought in the spiritual world and on divine levels of eternal reality, beyond the material realm. He explained that while scientists must limit themselves to discovering relationships between material facts, they should recognize this limitation and not make philosophical claims beyond their field.

Jesus warned that the unlimited advancement of a purely materialistic culture could pose dangers to civilization without proportionate growth in moral insight and spiritual attainment. He stressed the need for both scientists and religious leaders to recognize they are accountable to society for human progress, and they must avoid conflict with each other. If either science or religion proves false, it must be purified or give way to truer expressions of knowledge or faith that better serve humanity's needs.

Jesus had numerous meaningful conversations with Mardus, the acknowledged leader of the Cynics in Rome. When Mardus asked Jesus about the nature of good and evil, Jesus explained that these concepts are words symbolizing relative levels of human comprehension of the observable universe. He taught that the soul surviving time and emerging into eternity must make personal choices between good and evil based on spiritual standards established by the divine spirit within the human heart.

Jesus explained that goodness grows through increasing liberty of moral self-realization and spiritual personality attainment. An experience is good when it enhances appreciation of beauty, strengthens moral will, improves discernment of truth, increases capacity for love and service, elevates spiritual ideals, and unifies human motives with the eternal plans of the indwelling spirit. Until reaching Paradise levels, goodness is more of a quest than a possession, more of a goal than an attainment, but even the partial attainment of goodness brings increasing satisfaction to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Nabon, a Greek Jew and leader of the Mithraic mystery cult in Rome, held multiple conferences with Jesus. During one particularly influential evening discussion about truth and faith, Jesus explained that truth cannot be defined with words, only by living it. He taught that truth is always more than knowledge—it transcends material levels, consorts with wisdom, and embraces spiritual and living realities, dealing with reality values rather than just facts.

Jesus explained that faith acts to release the superhuman activities of the divine spark within the human mind. While plants and animals survive through passing identical particles to future generations, human souls survive through identity association with the indwelling spark of divinity. He taught that this divine presence constitutes the revelation promise and faith pledge of eternal existence for every soul seeking identity with this immortal spirit fragment of the Universal Father. Faith fosters and sustains the soul amid life's uncertainties, while prayer unifies the creative imagination with faith urges as the soul tries to identify with divine spirit ideals.

During his stay in Rome, Jesus devoted considerable time to gaining intimate knowledge of all races and classes represented in this cosmopolitan city. In each human encounter, Jesus had two purposes: to learn about their reactions to life, and to say or do something to enrich their existence. His religious teachings during this period were consistent with those of his later public ministry, focusing on the heavenly Father's love and mercy, coupled with the good news that all are faith-children of this God of love.

Jesus' technique for social connection typically involved drawing people out by asking questions, letting them do most of the talking. Those who benefited most from his ministry were troubled individuals who found relief in unburdening their souls to this sympathetic listener. Jesus was particularly effective in comforting the distressed, offering practical advice for their difficulties, and sharing words of spiritual encouragement. Through these methods, he personally influenced over five hundred individuals during his six months in Rome, gaining invaluable knowledge of different races and cultures that he could never have acquired in Jerusalem or Alexandria.

A wealthy Roman citizen, who followed Stoic philosophy and had been introduced to Jesus by Angamon, developed great interest in Jesus' teachings. When he asked what he would do with wealth if he had it, Jesus responded that he would use material wealth to enhance material life, just as he would use knowledge to enrich intellectual life and spiritual service to advance spiritual life. He would administer wealth as a wise trustee of one generation's resources for the benefit of subsequent generations.

When pressed further about how this particular man should handle his riches, Jesus provided a detailed analysis of ten different sources of wealth: inherited, discovered, trade, unfair exploitation, interest, genius, accidental, stolen, trust funds, and earned wealth. For each category, Jesus offered specific moral guidance about proper stewardship. He counseled that inherited wealth carries obligations to previous and future generations; discovered wealth should benefit many people; trade wealth deserves fair profit; while wealth from exploitation should be restored to those harmed. After hearing this comprehensive counsel, the rich man decided to immediately begin administering his wealth according to Jesus' wisdom.

In a touching incident, Jesus spent several hours helping a lost child find his mother. Afterward, he explained to Ganid the deeper meaning of this experience, comparing it to the spiritual journey many people face. Jesus noted that just as the child was actually close to home while crying in fear, many people suffer spiritually when salvation is actually within their reach. He emphasized that finding and restoring a lost child brings supreme satisfaction in human service, similar to the joy experienced by those who guide others to God.

Another meaningful experience involved Jesus and Ganid helping a widow with five children after her husband's accidental death. Jesus shared with Ganid about losing his own father in an accident, and they visited the family repeatedly. Besides offering comfort, they secured employment for the oldest son to help support the family. When Gonod heard about these activities, he good-naturedly commented that he had intended to make his son a scholar or businessman, but Jesus was turning him into a philosopher or philanthropist. Jesus smiled and replied that perhaps Ganid could become all four, bringing him fourfold satisfaction in life.

Jesus, Gonod, and Ganid made five excursions from Rome to points of interest in the surrounding territory. During their visit to the northern Italian lakes, Ganid asked Jesus why he hadn't engaged a thoughtless pagan in conversation as was his usual practice. Jesus explained that spiritual teaching requires readiness in the listener—the man wasn't hungry for truth, dissatisfied with himself, or prepared to ask for help. Jesus taught that one cannot reveal God to those who don't seek him, and people must develop spiritual hunger through life experiences before they can be led to salvation.

During their visit to Switzerland, Gonod directly asked Jesus about Buddha. Jesus responded with insight and respect, saying "Your Buddha was much better than your Buddhism." He explained that Buddha was a great man who guided his ship of salvation right to the harbor entrance but ran aground before entering. Jesus noted that Buddha knew God in spirit but failed to discover him in mind, while the Jews discovered God in mind but largely failed to know him in spirit. Inspired by this discussion, Ganid suggested they create a new religion, but Jesus explained that religions aren't made but grow over long periods, while God's revelations flash upon earth through the lives of those who reveal God to others.