Revealing the roots of hell

[marie glen]

"Hellbusters Hallow" - how to get the gospel out.."

If the true root and source of the hell myth could be revealed to the culture (and individuals) ..it would smash the myth and we could sweep away the debris of it, making room and clearing the path for the full gospel..

I found myself thinking about Ananias and Saphira, a story I like to ignore.. but now I am realizing how they conspired against God's Spirit. Then I started to wonder if they were the first Gnostics? And were not genuine believers in Jesus.

The Gnostics originally being a loose net connection of the world's pagan esoteric beliefs. Or so I read.

I also read that Simon the magician of Samaria, Acts 8, who was baptized and followed Philip where he went, amazed at the miracles, was a leader so to speak of the local esoteric beliefs. All speculation, of course,  Or as far as I know? No historical records to back it up? That the Gnostics were attracted to the new Christianity as it made such a stir and there was much power (magic) to it? And was the newest thing!

The link which was posted, I think on the "heaven yes, hell no" thread, "Thayer's book" looks like a great book linking the hell myth to pagan sources and also back to Egypt.

Sorry to babble.. it's like an old black and white murder mystery, this tracing the shadowy roots of hell, which has SO affected the gospel. It keeps nagging me!
:Peace2:

[Lazarus Short]

Marie, did you read "The Hell Chapter" of my book?

[eaglesway]

http://hell-is-a-myth.webs.com/hellisamyth.htm

[marie glen]

Marie, did you read "The Hell Chapter" of my book?

yes, and I thought it was excellent! I think the two things go hand in hand (inside my head anyway).. showing/understanding hell did not originate in God's Holy Word - veRy mportant for aLL to understand! and the clear path of where it did originate.. its true source, with historical references to back it up.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[marie glen]

http://hell-is-a-myth.webs.com/hellisamyth.htm

Thank you! I have read your link before, and I'm glad I read it again! as I am trying to fix these things in my mind and memory..

I especially like -
  "The idea that the use of words like "hades"(among ancient Greeks) or "inferno"(among early Roman Catholics) or "hell"(among early Europeans) should somehow reveal the thought in the mind of a Jewish prophet in 2000 B.C. or those of Jesus the Messiah, is not logical.

It is easy to see that the contemporary theological view of "hell" is the sum of periodic popular interpretations of those three mythological words. Theology by morphology. :laughing7: :thumbsup: The result is that words used by God to describe spiritual realities lose their original meaning. Our belief system changes as a result.

amen, amen..

and -
"In addition to this cultural, linguistic and theological devolution from original meanings, there were imperatives placed upon the translators of the King James bible to adhere to certain restrictions when doubtful disputes arose among the translators. These restrictions followed the orthodoxy of Anglican (not far removed from Roman Catholic) theology. Therefore, the bible that has been in the hands of the VAST MAJORITY of Christians since there has been a readable bible in the English world, strongly reflected the errors, assumptions and prejudices of King James court. The only true purpose of translation is this- To reveal what the speaker/writer was thinking in the time he was speaking/writing.

We only understand what we hear by what a word means to us when we hear it. If the meaning we hear is different than the meaning of the speaker at the time he/she spoke- we will not understand what they were saying."

amen! That is waay good! I'm not trying to flatter.. I just love and have a passion for truth! and the making of truth plain!

.."flawed logic, religious presumption and sloppy scholarship." :thumbsup: (okay i have to try to stop quoting now, not easy)

(quote) - "Therefore the word hell, to the English translators, carried all of the mythological baggage of the Greeks, Romans, and Norse- plus the theological baggage of the Roman Catholic church. That these myths have common threads even further back into antiquity (Babylon, Egypt, Sumeria) is well known but we will not pursue that here and now."

I'm looking for the info and to remember that also.. how it spread from the confusing of the languages at Babel Tower and even pre.. and how by New Testament times was embodied also in the loose connection "of esoteric pagan beliefs" of perhaps many nations which was gnosticism, before there was 'christian' gnostics. Why is that important to me? :dontknow: but usually such feelings? naggings? get settled and then i have a much clearer and more total picture..

I also like "why this site was created" and am going back to read further as it seems very informative and good for the memory banks!

With this (your?) blog/site to link to / leave links to, and Laz's book to recommend.. great resources to pass on! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


This link on the blog looks like an excellent read too! - http://richardwaynegarganta.com/first500years.htm