This is just a short blog that is an example of understanding the Bible. For instance, most of the New Testament is epistolary, which are grouping of letters. If one does not understand the communities involved in the letter transmission, how would one understand the content of the letter?
As a result then, many individuals miss the point, as they read the Bible prima facially. For example;I hope that you are begriming to understand some of the concepts of Hebraic thought, which is quite different than the way we think in the west. For instance, in one of my discussions with a student I brought out the point of Hebrew dualism.
It seems as if the Old Testament is about war and violence and the New Testament is about Peace. This would be a misunderstanding or a false dichotomy. For instance, we think of Jesus being totally peaceful. However, I do not think that Jesus prohibits violence. Luke 22:36 demonstrates a saying where Jesus instructed his disciples to buy a sword. Further, in the apocalypse Jesus returns as a great warrior. This is the Hebraic dualism of the Messiah, a man of peace and a great warrior. In the Western viewpoint however, we tend to see only a myopic view.
Also, if were not for soldiers, we may not have Christianity today. Archeological evidence has found that many of the Roman soldiers secretly worshipped Jesus in Underground caves near their legionary bases. These soldiers made up most of the Eastern part of the Empire, and were eventually lead by Constantine, who became the first Christian Emperor and legalized Christianity. He also established the council of Nicea, which helped to bring Christianity together from is Diaspora across the empire. He also helped to standardize theology and collect the New Testament Cannon into a collection of writings.
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