2023/09/11

108. Successors of the Apostles, Part 3

In the last issue, I mentioned that through Jesus' resurrection, the "charge I have received from my Father" (John 10:18) was fulfilled, and "Death and Hades" (Revelation 1:18) were resolved. This time, we will discuss this topic further. 

The "serpent," man's accidental information (cf. blog № 4), first appeared in Genesis, when man became plural, created as male and female. Here, God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Genesis 2:16-17), whereas what the "woman" remembered was as follows: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die'" (Genesis 3:2-3). This contrast shows that in the memory of the two, the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was replaced by the "tree in the midst of the garden," and the words "neither shall you touch it" were added. 

The confusion in their memory eventually developed into the specific act of "taking" and "eating" of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, with God's words "you shall die" replaced by the words of the "serpent" "You will not die" (Genesis 3:4). Later, they had their first experience of man's "dying" when Cain killed Abel. But at this time, the words "You will not die" were affixed to their memory as human knowledge. For this reason, people must have developed an image of the afterlife, even as they have performed burial rites and acknowledged people's death. 

Jesus reiterated the words "You will not die" as the Word by saying, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26). He overwrote the words of the "serpent" in Genesis with the Word of God. He also attested to this fact by resurrecting after his Passion and Death. 

Jesus, at the last supper, took bread, blessed it, broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is my body" (Matthew 26:26) and gave it to his disciples. The words "this is my body" suggest Jesus' words testifying about himself (cf. John 6:51). Believers, by remembering what it was that Jesus commanded to "take and eat" and by "taking" and "eating" the Eucharist with their own hands following his command, will atone for the two in Genesis who "took" and "ate" against God's command. For believers are the successors to the Word of Jesus. The words of Jesus' testimony are as follows:

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51). 

To be continued.

Maria K. M.