Podcasts about Apollonius

If you'd like to get these episodes early AND ad-free, please go to https://www.patreon.com/unspoiled and become a patron, or just follow us as a free member for updates!Thank you very much to Tara for commissioning this episode! These are the chapters where Lyrian is questioned and assumed to be a terrorist, and it's really difficult to sit through because we should have more advanced techniques for questioning. Also, Darrow and Apollonius attack and take back the Wrath seat, and see the creepy bond the brothers have.Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode! Wanna talk spoilers? Join the Discord! https://discord.gg/rEF2KfZxfV 

If you'd like to get these episodes early AND ad-free, please go to https://www.patreon.com/unspoiled and become a patron, or just follow us as a free member for updates!These chapters are the ones where poor Lyria is on the run after getting caught up in something that isn't her fault and only worked because she was so alone. I hate this for her. Also, we check in with Darrow and the return of Apollonius to his home, which is going to be...something. Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!Wanna talk spoilers? Join the Discord! https://discord.gg/rEF2KfZxfV 

Send us a textHello! Our theme for the next two episodes is "mythology", and Janey is kicking us off with the Greek story of Jason and Medea. We're going to learn about the Argonaut-Boy Trip, how the gods screwed Medea over, and also discuss why we support women's wrongs. Hope you enjoy!Sources:The Voyage of Argo, Apollonius of Rhodes  Medea by Euripedes (Full play)  Ovid's Metamorphoses  Medea and Jason: The Backstory, from the Metropolitan Opera  The Golden Fleece, from World History Encyclopedia Support the showCheck out our books (and support local bookstores!) on our Bookshop.org affiliate account!Starting your own podcast with your very cool best friend? Try hosting on Buzzsprout (and get a $20 Amazon gift card!)Want more??Visit our website!Join our Patreon!Shop the merch at TeePublic!If you liked these stories, let us know on our various socials!InstagramTiktokGoodreadsAnd email us at sortofthestory@gmail.com

We're sorry.Sources for this episode:Apollonius of Rhodes (1972), The Voyage of Argo. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2018), Linus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2021), Lake Avernus summary (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann.Ovid (1968), Metamorphoses. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.Smith; W. (ed.) (1867), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In Three Volumes (Vol. 1-3.). Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Oeagrus (online) (Accessed 31/03/2025).

9）羅5:1-11 天主的愛，藉着所賜與我們的聖神，已傾注在我們心中了。 1我們既因信德成義，便是藉我們的主耶穌基督，與天主和好了。2 藉著耶穌我們得因信德進入了現今所站立的這恩寵中，並因希望分享天主的光榮而歡躍。3 不但如此，我們連在磨難中也歡躍，因為我們知道：磨難生忍耐，4 忍耐生老練，老練生望德，5望德不叫人蒙羞，因為天主的愛，藉著所賜與我們的聖神，已傾注在我們心中了。6當我們還在軟弱的時候，基督就在指定的時期為不虔敬的人死了。7 為義人死，是罕有的事：為善人或許有敢死的；8 但是，基督在我們還是罪人的時候，就為我們死了，這證明了天主怎樣愛我們。9現在，我們既因他的血而成義，我們更要藉著他脫免天主的義怒，10 因為，假如我們還在為仇敵的時候，因著他聖子的死得與天主和好了；那麼，在和好之後，我們一定更要因著他的生命得救了。11 不但如此，我們現今既藉著我們的主耶穌基督獲得了和好，也必藉著他而歡躍於天主。 ❖ 保祿在1-5節中講論人「成義」的效果，包括：1）能夠「與天主和好」（1）；2）作天主的子女，「分享天主的光榮」（2）；3）確知患難於人有益無害，「在磨難中也歡躍」（3）；4）獲得天主愛的保證 ，因為「天主的愛，藉著所賜與我們的聖神，已傾注在我們心中」（5）。 ❖「我們既因信德成義，便是藉我們的主耶穌基督，與天主和好了」（1）──因信「成義」（Justification）就等於「與天主和好」（Reconciliation）。人類因亞當犯罪墮落，喪失了「原始聖德和義德」（教理399），失去了「分享天主生命」的恩寵（教理375），脫離了與天主共融的關係，且與天主「作對」。「成義」就是重新得到這原始的義德，「與天主和好」，重新回復與天主的正確關係，成為天主的義子女，來日得以「分享天主的光榮」（2）。這也是洗禮是重要的理由：人按良心生活，避惡行善，不是已很足夠嗎？為什麼要領洗加入教會？這樣的人所欠的，就是與天主的義子女的關係，成為恩寵的承繼人，分享天主的生命，而且與天主和好也帶來其他方面的和好。 ❖「連在磨難中也歡躍⋯⋯因為磨難生忍耐，忍耐生老練，老練生望德，望德不叫人蒙羞」（3-5）──保祿指出我們「因希望分享天主的光榮而歡躍」，但他所強調的「希望」或「望德」，不只是對未來的「期待」，而是對未來的「信心」。為此，即使在現世的「磨難中也歡躍」，因為所希望的事必然實現，固此說「望德不叫人蒙羞」（5）。所以，他在本信中更勸勉信友，「論望德，要喜樂；在困苦中，要忍耐」（12:12），這正是基督徒的特徵。 ❖「當我們還在軟弱的時候，基督就在指定的時期，為不虔敬的人死了⋯⋯基督在我們還是罪人的時候，就為我們死了」（6-8）──保祿論到天主使人成義的事上，表現出如何偉大的愛。他用了「軟弱」、「不虔敬」和「罪人」三個名詞，指人原與天主的「敵對」狀態。「如我們（與天主）還在為仇敵的時候」，天主已命自己的愛子基督為救人而死了；那麼人「成義」之後，天主將更怎樣表現他的愛呢？ 保祿所用的三個名詞：「軟弱」（avsqenh,j - asthenēs: weak）是表示世人無力去遵守天主的命令（谷14:38）；「不虔敬」（avsebh,j - asebēs: ungodly）是指那些認識天主卻不願恭敬天主的人（1:20,25,28）；「罪人」（a`martwlo,j - hamartōlos: sinner）是指違犯天主任何命令的人。耶穌就為這些應該遭受天主義怒的人死去了，換言之，天主的全能和仁慈，令罪惡也不能阻止天主愛我們。若望宗徒也說：「愛就在於此：不是我們愛了天主，而是祂愛了我們，且打發自己的兒子，為我們做贖罪祭」（若一4:10）。 ❖ 「為義人死，是罕有的事：為善人或許有敢死的」（7）──保祿時代的希臘哲學所爭論的，是在什麼情況下可為別人而死？他們以為為國家，為公益死是應當的；為正義的人死是少有的，為朋友死是可歌頌的（Philostratus, Apollonius, 7,12；Arrianus, Epictetus, 2,1）。伊壁鳩魯（Epicurus，見所留之斷簡殘編）說：「智者為他的至親好友必甘心捨生致命。」主耶穌不是為「義人」（di,kaioj - dikaios: righteous）死了，也不是為「善人」（avgaqo,j - agathos: good）死了，而是按天主給他所指定的時期（迦4:4），為不義不善的罪人死了：「基督在我們還是罪人的時候，就為我們死了」（8）。天主為了我們的罪而把自己的兒子交出時，顯示了祂對我們的計劃是一項慈愛的計劃，先於我們的任何功績。 ❖「我們既因他的血而成義，我們更要藉著他，脫免天主的義怒」（9）──成義的人既然因耶穌的寶血已「與天主和好」，自然就脫免了天主給罪人在世上所降的「義怒」和懲罰（1:18）。然而在公審判的時候，我們這些從前「軟弱」、「不虔敬」而今「成義」的人，是否能脫免天主的忿怒呢？保祿給我們的答覆是肯定的。「成義」（dikaiou/n - dikaioun）在原文本是法律名詞，是指在法庭上宣佈一人為「義人」或「無罪」，但一個人在天主前成為義，決不是「宣稱」為義，不只是好像為義人，而實際上不是；絕對不是如此，反之，天主審斷人為義，是內在整個的人得到救恩。天主因亞當的緣故，確實使人成為罪犯（5:12），但因基督的緣故也實在使人成為義人。 ❖「在和好之後，我們一定更要因著他的生命得救了」（10）──既然人還當天主的仇敵時，因耶穌的聖死與天主和好了；那麼，「和好之後」，自然沾耶穌的生命獲得救恩，即是說成義的人同耶穌、為耶穌、在耶穌內生活（6:1-14）。這樣的人絕對不會遭受天主的懲罰，且要獲得天主無限的仁慈（瑪24:34；格後5:1-5）。 ❖「我們現在既藉著我們的主耶穌基督，獲得了和好，也必藉著他，而歡躍於天主」（11）──「歡躍（kaucw,menoi - kauchōmenoi）於天主」，也有譯作「因天主而誇耀」（RSV, NAB: ‟boast of God”）。本句的意思與5:2頗相類似，即「因希望分享天主的光榮而歡躍」。 ***** ***** ***** ❖ 讓我們反省一下保祿這裡所講的「望德」。他說：「望德不叫人蒙羞，因為天主的愛，藉著所賜與我們的聖神，已傾注在我們心中了」（羅5:5 ）。 《天主教教理》有這樣的一段論望德的話： 聖神教導我們在望德中祈禱，在等待基督再來中舉行禮儀慶典。反過來說，教會的祈禱和個人的祈禱滋養我們的望德，尤其聖詠，以具體而多變化的語言，教導我們將我們的希望放在天主身上：「我熱切誠懇地期待了上主，祂便垂顧了我，俯聽了我的哀訴」（詠40:2）。「願賜望德的天主，因著你們的信心，使你們充滿各種喜樂和平安，使你們因著聖神的德能，富於望德」（羅15:13）。 「望德不叫人蒙羞，因為天主的愛，藉著所賜予我們的聖神，已傾注在我們心中了」（羅5:5）。藉禮儀生活所形成的祈禱，從天主的愛內汲取一切。因著這愛，天主在基督內愛我們，並賜我們以愛還愛，就如祂愛了我們一樣。愛是祈禱的泉源，凡在愛內汲取活水者，達到祈禱的頂峰（教理2657-2658）。 ❖ 亦讓我們反省一下保祿這裡所講的「和好」。他說：「我們既因信德成義，便是藉我們的主耶穌基督，與天主和好了」（羅5:1） 《天主教教理》有這一段講論和好聖事的話，對我們明白與天主和好有大幫助，它告訴我們：我們藉洗禮與天主和好後，即使我們再次跌倒，陷於罪惡，仍可藉教會的和好聖事，與天主和好，而且不但如此： 教會的和好聖事的目的和效果，就是與天主和好。「與天主和好的聖事帶來真實的靈性復活……這聖事也使我們與教會和好：罪過所傷害或破壞的手足共融，由懺悔聖事予以彌補或恢復。從這意義上說，懺悔聖事不但治癒那些重新被接納與教會共融的人，也為教會生活帶來充滿生命力的效果，因為教會曾因她部分的肢體犯罪而受害。懺悔者重新被接納，或被鞏固於諸聖的相通之中……與天主和好也帶來其他方面的和好，使其他因罪惡所導致的分裂得以補救：蒙赦免的懺悔者在心靈深處跟自己和好，在那裏回復最深的真貌；跟弟兄們和好，儘管他曾虧負並傷害了他們；跟教會和好；跟整個受造界和好」（教理1468-1469）。 「和好」是天主和人雙方的動作，但主動和完成這「和好」的還得靠天主，人只有認罪，接受而相信天主的愛。為此，人在今生和來世，要歌頌天主的仁慈（羅9:14-29；參見詠23:6; 36:6; 86:12, 13; 89:2, 3；依63:7）

If you'd like to get these episodes early AND ad-free, please go to https://www.patreon.com/unspoiled and become a patron, or just follow us as a free member for updates! Thank you so much to Tara for commissioning this episode!These chapters are the ones in which Darrow "rescues" Apollonius and I'm left wondering what the fuck he's thinking because this guy is clearly Not Okay and doesn't really seem fit for company. I don't like any of this. Thanks so much to you all for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode!Wanna talk spoilers? Join the Discord! https://discord.gg/rEF2KfZxfV

In this episode, while Tony is playing golf, I am joined by guest co-host QAV club member Geoff Fleming. We discuss Geoff's investing journey, then get into Anthony Scaramucci's book on Bitcoin "investing", recent updates from EHL and FND, ASIC's warnings about cybersecurity threats to share holdings, the latest market news including gold stocks like WestGold (WGX) and Resolute Mining (RSG), and a deep dive on Auswide Bank (ABA), including its recent acquisition, merger talks with MyState, and financial challenges. After hours chat includes Babylon, The Old Man, pumpkin pie, Pink Floyd / Roger Waters concerts, Jethro Tull lyrics, Bauhaus movement, Cobra Kai and The Life of Apollonius of Tyana by Philostratus.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 89Part IMisericordias Domini1Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing; *from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.2For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; *you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.3“I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *I have sworn an oath to David my servant:4‘I will establish your line for ever, *and preserve your throne for all generations.' ”5The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O Lord, *and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;6For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? *who is like the Lord among the gods?7God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, *great and terrible to all those round about him.8Who is like you, Lord God of hosts? *O mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.9You rule the raging of the sea *and still the surging of its waves.10You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; *you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.11Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; *you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.12You have made the north and the south; *Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.13You have a mighty arm; *strong is your hand and high is your right hand.14Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; *love and truth go before your face.15Happy are the people who know the festal shout! *they walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.16They rejoice daily in your Name; *they are jubilant in your righteousness.17For you are the glory of their strength, *and by your favor our might is exalted.18Truly, the Lord is our ruler; *the Holy One of Israel is our King. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Lessons1 Maccabees 3:1-24New Revised Standard Version Catholic EditionThen his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place. All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him; they gladly fought for Israel.He extended the glory of his people.    Like a giant he put on his breastplate;he bound on his armor of war and waged battles,    protecting the camp by his sword.He was like a lion in his deeds,    like a lion's cub roaring for prey.He searched out and pursued those who broke the law;    he burned those who troubled his people.Lawbreakers shrank back for fear of him;    all the evildoers were confounded;    and deliverance prospered by his hand.He embittered many kings,    but he made Jacob glad by his deeds,    and his memory is blessed forever.He went through the cities of Judah;    he destroyed the ungodly out of the land;    thus he turned away wrath from Israel.He was renowned to the ends of the earth;    he gathered in those who were perishing.Apollonius now gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled. Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle the rest of his life.When Seron, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful soldiers who stayed with him and went out to battle, he said, “I will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions, who scorn the king's command.” Once again a strong army of godless men went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the Israelites.When he approached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small company. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, “How can we, few as we are, fight against so great and so strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing today.” Judas replied, “It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven. They come against us in great insolence and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to despoil us; but we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them.”When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were crushed before him. They pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon to the plain; eight hundred of them fell, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.Revelation 20:7-15English Standard VersionAnd when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 28Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Join Charlie, a non-binary sci-fi fantasy writer, and their husband Brian as they delve into the importance of celebrating our works in life. Misconceptions about humility and the significance of commemorating achievements are discussed, alongside insights on spirituality, interconnectedness, and resisting negative forces. This thoughtful discussion revolves around themes of co-creation, gratitude, and finding joy in small victories, ultimately advocating for a balanced approach to life's endeavors.Support us on: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsettBecome a patron of the arts patreon.com/cedorsettFor Educational Resource: Wisdoms Cry https://wisdomscry.comFor all of the things we are doing at The Seraphic Grove go to Creation's Paths https://www.creationspaths.com/BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.comThreads https://www.threads.net/@creationspathsInstagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/Transcript:Charlie: [00:00:00] The apostle James reminds us that faith without works is dead. But works without celebration are a dull monotony that will bring us to our knees and cause us to stop doing whatever it is we were doing. So let's have a little chat about celebrating our works and what that actually means. Charlie: Hello everyone. My name is Charlie. I am a non-binary scifi fantasy writer, and I am joined by my wonderful husband Brian. And today we're going to be talking about celebrating our works. Because this is something we do not do. And it's I think rooted in a very understandable and common [00:01:00] misunderstanding of humility. Where we think humility is not talking, it's keeping your head down. We have confused the concept of humility. We have confused the concept of humility with obedience or subservience. That is not what this word means. That is something that the Imperial church and the patriarchal powers that be want humility to mean. That's not what it means. Humility means everything in its proper place. So something doesn't take up more space than it ought. Now that is also a fraught definition because we can add onto that all kinds of misogynistic homophobic and racist terms about how much space something ought to take up. What that really comes down to is not centering ourselves anywhere really, because we are not the main character of the [00:02:00] story. It's about taking up the space, deserved the space that is required for the thing to have. If you've done something and you want to celebrate it, celebrate. That is not an in humble act. If every time you have a conversation with somebody you were bragging about a thing. Then it is taking up an excess space. Brian: An easy exercise. Entertaining exercise to do. And everybody's daily life. Is when you're in a conversation with somebody or actually when there's a group of people. Having a conversation. And it's your time to. Not be involved with the conversation, just observe and watch. You will see. Someone inevitably. Start stepping over other people's moments to speak. Because humility is knowing, this is the moment where I'm supposed to occupy this space of the conversation. [00:03:00] And then knowing in other moments, I'm not supposed to occupy the conversation. And inevitably you'll have a conversation where say somebody is talking about something in their personal life. And it is on the focuses on them or on the subject of their conversation. And another person will step in and be like, and it's all about me. And me. And be, and completely forget. Like. That was not the topic at that point. It's very interesting. Way to see, oh, this is what is humble. And this is what is not humble. You know, How to occupy those spaces because it always fluctuates. It changes. Charlie: This is where I like to apply what I, in my own brain called the Muppets rule. Miss piggy is too boastful. And Kermit is too quiet. Brian: They're both not humble. Because Kermit at times needs to be more assertive [00:04:00] needs to fill the leadership role. That Kermit. Is cast in and at times, miss piggy. Needs to step back. And not be in the leadership role when she is not supposed to be in the leadership role. There are times when she is supposed to be . A facilitator or a leader. And. Times when she is supposed to be outspoken. Charlie: So learning to have this. Much more proper view. And embodiment of humility really is the heart of everything that we're talking about in all of our spiritual work. I was talking about this with a friend the other day who is just learning. Magic and just learning to walk the path. One of the things that I brought up is how people very often get up in their head and are like, oh, I am so special because I am interacting with the grand energies of the cosmos. I am interacting with the grand spirits of the cosmos that yeah, everyone does on a daily [00:05:00] basis. You're just more conscious of it and not special. That's called being a live. I think that's where. We get really lost and confused in a lot of this. The Imperial church especially has wanted to relegate mystical activity and any true connection with spirit. To something that only a chosen few have access to. That when we start having those experiences. We tend to puff ourselves up and go, I am one of the chosen, I am one of the blessing ones and that's no, you're like the rest of us. You're just allowing yourself to be conscious of the experience that most people ignore or allow to go unremarked upon. It's rabbi David Cooper points out in his wonderful book. God is a Verb. The point of all of this is to learn to be Goding. G O D I N G. Goding, [00:06:00] we are living God in every moment and in everything that we do and in so doing, we are interacting with angelic and demonic forces, angelic forces, being those that are bringing benefit and blessing and good into our lives. And demonic forces bringing in misfortune and illness and back bad things into our lives. Everyone is experiencing those every day. They may not be labeling them angelic and demonic but to many people when they start using those labels are suddenly like all I have the center of the great cosmic war for the universe. Because angels and demons are warring over me. And that is not the case. I think that when we start talking about inspiration, which is a big part of the work is learning to access that Imbas to access that Awen. Again, people feel special. Ah, the inspiration is upon me. Because again, the Imperial [00:07:00] church has locked this idea of the great men who wrote the Bible. Did so under the inspiration of God. The awen of God. The Shifa of God, the influx of power. Can you came upon them. And so again, only special people. No, no, it's not only special people. These are the people that have been remembered. Not everyone will be remembered but everyone has access to those energies to that inspiration to that influx of divine. Power that can come in and give us the strength that we need to accomplish great and amazing things. That is really what needs to be celebrated here. Look, I grew up in a Baptist church. I grew up in non-denominational churches and evangelical churches. And it's not uncommon. To hear people say, That you should just give God the glory for all the things that happened in your life. I'm not opposed to [00:08:00] that. But if you are doing that in such a way that you are. Not allowing yourself to have any apparent agency. This is a word we've used a lot here. This freewill, this agency. That as we're reminded by the apostles, the spirit of the prophet is subject to the will of the prophet. We are not blind puppets in any of this. So when we allow ourselves to remember that, And act from that place. We are participating. As Matthew Fox. And his book, original blessing reminds us. We are co-creators with God. We are cooperating with the divine to make this world what it is. That cooperation deserves celebration. Bye the way most people give glory to God. It is in a way that deprecates. Their own contribution. Brian: Once again, God wants your love. Not your sacrifice. Even if it's [00:09:00] sacrifice of your own. We'll or a sacrifice of your own. personhood, that's not humility. God wants you to occupy that space that they have given you. That they have put you here to occupy. And doing anything less than that is actually in a way sacrilegious. Yes. You're supposed to. That's your space. I enjoy it. and celebrate it. Charlie: And you need to take it as your own. We talk about Elijah in a lot of ways, I've often marveled at how he had a problem with this, right? He can stay in there on the mountain and called down the fire of God onto the literally has water poured upon it. Sacrifice on the hill, right? Demonstrating all this divine power and then slaughter. 500 people in the riot that ensues afterwards. Right? But. He then flees into the mountains and hides because he's unworthy. I think this shows the imposter syndrome that we get ourselves into and why [00:10:00] it is important to. Learn how to celebrate our works. We're in this season of Lunasa. So we're in the season of harvest the first fruits and we're taking time to. Either collect or recognize the labors that we have done so far this year and celebrating. Those harvests. Brian: It is also so important to celebrate one's works because, To get into the forces of evil or darkness or energies that work against us. Through bringing us down. There are the direct optimizational ones, the ones that use violence that try to take. Ours are piece from us. But there is also the more insidious where it tricks us. It works within our free will, but it tricks us to give it up. In understanding humility in particular as moments to celebrate our words. It makes it much harder to get tricked into giving up our own peace. If you're giving up [00:11:00] our personhood. In giving up that space. That we are supposed to occupy. It helps to protect us from giving ground. To evil, I guess you could say to be very old-school biblical about it. Charlie: Also many of the works that we are called to. Are very long-term projects that may never be finished in our lifetime. When we're talking about Tikkun Olam the restoration of the world, right? The. Mystical work that we're doing. The. Just building a good family . For those who have children, you may not know. The end result of what, of, what you've done with your children. Because their lives will. God willing. Extend beyond yours, right? So many of the works that we do have such a long-term. outcome, right? Brian: This is where I like to remember. The phrase that you taught me. I strive daily to make perfect to that, which God has already made. Perfect. [00:12:00] That's Paul Paul. Strive daily. Every day, it's a struggle. Every day. It's not done. It's never done. It's never completed. Every day, I work with humility. For sure. These I don't pay. Backslide every day I should be celebrating creep, you know? The worms and celebrating. And recognizing them. Charlie: And when we don't take time for those little celebrations. Because the great work we'll not be finished in our lifetime. the grand vision of a utopian world where all perfection rains, and there is no sorrow or grief, and we have cured all disease. Whether or not, you think we will ever get there or not. It is a worthy goal to strive for. Right. We want the world to be a better place and succeeding only better in every generation. We won't get there. It's not, there's not going to be. It's so far off in the future. The idea that we will [00:13:00] have anything remotely like a panacea and we probably won't have a actual panacea. We will have a whole bunch of medicines. That help cure and treat various ailments. But we need to celebrate every little thing. You get a little sketch done celebrate it. You get a little story done, a little poem done. Celebrate it. You finished cooking dinner, celebrate it. In celebrating those little victories. We are reminded that good things are happening. This is the greatest tool of the enemy. When Paul says we wrestle not against flesh and blood. But against powers and principalities in high places. This is one of the things that he's talking about. That. It's not talking about just, oh, there are demons. It's these pervasive attitudes of, oh, it's not, you're not really doing enough. You will never be able to do enough. This [00:14:00] is an incremental change. It's not going to actually amount to anything. There's so much negativity and cynicism. That is perpetrated in the world because it empowers those who are already entrenched in power to get us to believe that what little we can do. Isn't actually worth doing, because it isn't achieving the grand sweeping goals that we want to achieve. Look, I am very open about my opinions, about a lot of things that we should have as far as healthcare and various political. Stances right. But I am opposed to the revolution. The reason for that is not because I don't think that it would be glorious if we could snap our fingers and suddenly make everything right with the world. I know history. History teaches us that. Revolutions tend to fail. Revolutions. I become solipsistic. They turn into themselves. They start seeking [00:15:00] the enemies of the revolution. And become their own downfall. They sowed the seeds of their own downfall. I think this is very well typified by the French revolution. The French revolution had lofty and beautiful plans. Beautiful goals. Beautiful aspirations. That led to the terror and led to a whole bunch of people having their heads chopped off, which led to a revolution that led to another revolution that led to Napoleon. So all of this democratic fervor gave us the first emperor of France. Oh, that backfired. And we can see this also in the American revolution. The American revolution led to the civil war. All of the compromises, all of the grand statements, all of the very abrupt change that was tried to have in the creation of the United States. It makes a direct line. to. The civil war, the civil war was inevitable. Through the three-fifths compromise [00:16:00] through. Just, we can go through the whole list. Abrupt revolution, sows, the seeds of its own destruction. Because if people aren't ready for the revolution, this is the problem that Christianity had in the first three centuries. Here comes Jesus. Broke into history. With this radical idea. And it really shouldn't be a radical idea, but it is. Said in Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy 2000 years after somebody was nailed to a tree for saying, wouldn't it be awfully nice. If we were kind to each other. Which is, Hey. Great summation. Of what happened, love God with all your heart, mind, and spirit and love your neighbor as yourself. Ooh, crucify him. But that radical idea. And it is a radical idea. Because he. Talked about being nice to people outside your tribe. Outside your kin group, outside your language group. , he very much just talking about taking care of people outside your social economic class. . You should treat the [00:17:00] poor, well, the people that who are in prison. The people who are hungry, who are thirsty. He tells the story about the good Samaritan. He's this, these are radical thoughts. And radical ideas. That. I don't think strike us as radical as they were at the time. And this is why they had to be co-opted by empire. They had to be co-opted by empire. They're too radical to survive. What we see throughout history. How did this movement then continue. The Roman empire was great at crushing things that didn't like. We don't talk about Apollonius or Mithraism. Or, or, or, or right. But Christianity survived. Partially because it was successfully co-opted. But also because there were too many people. Who felt this change who felt this kinship? Who felt this connection? We're celebrating it even in quiet. In the secret places in [00:18:00] overt places. They celebrated the work. And it was able to survive. Down to us today. That even with all of the problems caused by the very overtly Imperial church that we see in Rome. To the evangelical. Christian nationalism that is threatening to take over the country. There are still those who hear the still small voice. The simple message. Love one another. This is how they will know you, that you love one another. As I have loved you. This is the message we get from Christ. And it is so simple that it sounds trite. But it is the hardest. Thing. To do. And if we're not celebrating all of the little victories. Yes, we want peace on earth. But ending squabble in your family is part of bringing peace on earth. Yes, we want to make sure everyone is fed. But, you know what? Sometimes finding enough money to make sure that your kids have lunches. These little moments [00:19:00] of celebration. And they could be tiny. when I was a kid. I didn't understand why we said grace before meals. it's a weird thing to do. I'm hungry. I've had to smell this food being prepared all this time. And now we're going to stop. Most of the time in our family, we said silent grace. We'd no one actually prayed over the food. We all just stopped. About our heads for a minute. And then someone would say, amen. And that's when we knew we could eat it wasn't something that we actively. Took part in, right. You know what I'm saying? It wasn't a group effort. For the most part, it was only on holidays and special occasions that somebody would say grace for everyone. And it's weird. Why are we doing this? I've smelled this food being prepared. I'm hungry. It's right here. Why can't I eat? And it's because taking that little moment of celebration. Either to say, thank you for the person who cooked the meal, which is. Frighteningly lacking in most people saying grace. Somebody made that food [00:20:00] for you. Your mom, your dad. Your spouse, somebody made it. A friend of yours, whose house here at a chef at a restaurant that you're sitting there, somebody made that food. You may have made that food. But somebody made that food and you should be. Thankful and grateful and celebrate. That process and of itself, but also taking that moment. Because I grew up. I'm in a family of farmers with. A lot of farmers around us. To be thankful to the people who grew the food. To the animals. They gave their lives for that food. To the plants. They grew those vegetables in that those fruits. Taking that time to be grateful. To be thankful to celebrate. All of the work, all of the work that you didn't see, you weren't there when that seed was planted and that. Plant was tended in heart and harvested. All the people that it took to get it from that farm. To the store, to the table. To celebrate that. Gives meaning to [00:21:00] what you're having. And you realize that you are part of a community. Every time you sit down and have a meal. You were part of a community, even if you. And this is what drives me. Wild about people who are like, oh, I did this all myself. No you didn't. If you grew that carrot. Planted the seed. From a seed that you had harvested before. With season before. I grew that carrot. Harvested that carrot. Cooked that carrot. You still didn't do it alone. Rain. All of the soil, bacteria, all of the worms, all of the insects that help to fertilize and make things possible. There's a whole myriad. Of creatures that were responsible for bringing that carrot onto your plate. Beyond you, we never do anything. You can't even digest your food alone. The gut bacteria that live within you, the flora and fauna inside of you. Make available to you, the [00:22:00] nutrients in there, you can't even digest your food alone. Taking that moment of celebration. For all of that work. That you don't see, you don't see all of the little bugs that are helping you to get the most out of that food inside you, that we're working in the soil. to make sure that plant had the nutrients that it needed. You weren't seeing any of that. Taking that moment. Reminds you that even if you are alone, Even if you're as isolated as you could possibly be. And you grew that plant from seed and harvested and did all that work. You didn't do it alone. We are never alone. That's what celebration. Can bring us. It's not just this gratitude or this moment of peace on, in the great work where we realized. I accomplished something. It's infant testimony, small little piece. Which is great and wonderful, and we need to be celebrating this thing. But also reminding ourselves. The vast hoard of [00:23:00] creatures. Big and small. Necessary. For even the smallest thing. To get on your table. We're not alone. We are never alone. And those are the lessons we've learned from celebration. That's what we get. From taking those times that time. And those moments to celebrate. And that's true for everything. You didn't make that painting by yourself. Somebody probably made those paints. And if you made your own paints, somebody probably harvested the materials that were made for those paints. And even if you harvested those materials for yourself, they came from plants and minerals and stuff that had an entire cosmos. Conspiring for those pigments to come into being. That's what it means to give God the glory. When you give God the glory for what happens. God is living in all things. God is the one in whom we live moving. RB and not just us, everything, the cats, the dogs. The ants, the butterflies. The little bacteria. And [00:24:00] the great storms. They all have their being in the OneLife. That interconnectedness, that. Profoundly. Deep interconnectedness. Needs celebration. Because as I've said, It's way too many times people are probably tired of hearing me say it. We are forgetful. We are easily distracted. The little pains that we have in our lives. Can I quickly make us forget of all the friends that we've ever had. All of the good things that have ever happened to us. That's where gratitude and celebration come in. They're taking those moments to remember. To celebrate and to be glad in it. I think that's a pretty good thing. I think that's something we should be doing more of. In every aspect of our lives. Every time we finish an episode of the show. We have a little bit of celebration. Y cause we got another one recorded. Every time. Every step along the way from doing the thumbnails, that show up. To getting it [00:25:00] posted a little bit of celebration. ' cause it's work. It's labor. And it can become monotony. It can become drudgery. Every time I write a word, a sentence. A story. A little bit of celebration. In fact, this is one of the reasons why in my own personal life, I've started writing short stories again. Because every idea I've been working on are these grand epic tomes that take forever to do. Charlie: And I know I need these moments of celebration where I can celebrate the work. So I'm going to write some short stories. Harvest a little bit of that joy. That little bit of those little moments of, I finished a story. Yay. And really have that joy in my life. Because while I agree with tick, not Han. That basic joy is there. Because no matter how depressed I've been in my life and I have. Suffered from depression off and on my entire life. You breathe. You enter that mindful state, basic joy is sitting there waiting. It [00:26:00] is. We're easily distracted from it. And so celebrating is how to remind ourselves. Hey. Pay attention. There are good things. Don't ignore the good things. I hope this has meant something for you. I hope that this has helped you out. Celebrate something. In fact, if you go to https://www.creationspaths.com/. Find this episode. And in the comments there. Let us know. What are you celebrate? If you're listening to us on Spotify right there. Right. Where you're listening to us, you can comment right there. let us know. what are you celebrating? If you're watching us on YouTube or YouTube. Just under the dupli. Do.You can leave a comment, let us know what you're celebrating. Celebrate. Just take a moment and say, I am happy take a moment to celebrate. And while you're there, if you haven't liked subscribed or any of the things that you can do on all of the platforms that this podcast is out on, that really helps us out a lot. Also remember sharing what we're doing really helps us out a lot. If you're subscribed to our email list for [00:27:00] the email to somebody you think would really like this episode. share us on your social media, that helps out a lot. And of course, if you have a few pennies that you can throw our way, if you head over to https://www.creationspaths.com/, you can join the sub stack over there, which helps us out a lot. Also, we're going to be putting out some classes over there that you will get first access to. If you're supporting us over there. You want us to support us on https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett and patreon.com/cedorsett on both. And. That goes to support everything that I'm doing, the art, the music, the stories. And this. thank you so very, very much for listening. Blessing and light be upon you in all of your endeavors. Amen. Brian: Amen.[00:28:00] Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe

fWotD Episode 2645: Homeric Hymns Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Thursday, 1 August 2024 is Homeric Hymns.The Homeric Hymns (Ancient Greek: Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι, romanized: Homērikoì húmnoi) are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. The hymns praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, often involving a deity's birth, their acceptance among the gods on Mount Olympus, or the establishment of their cult. In antiquity, the hymns were generally, though not universally, attributed to the poet Homer: modern scholarship has established that most date to the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, though some are more recent and the latest, the Hymn to Ares, may have been composed as late as the fifth century CE.The Homeric Hymns share compositional similarities with the Iliad and the Odyssey, also traditionally attributed to Homer. They share the same artificial literary dialect of Greek, are composed in dactylic hexameter, and make use of short, repeated phrases known as formulae. It is unclear how far writing, as opposed to oral composition, was involved in their creation. They may initially have served as preludes to the recitation of longer poems, and have been performed, at least originally, by singers accompanying themselves on a lyre or other stringed instrument. Performances of the hymns may have taken place at sympotic banquets, religious festivals and royal courts.There are references to the Homeric Hymns in Greek poetry from around 600 BCE; they appear to have been used as educational texts by the early fifth century BCE, and to have been collected into a single corpus after the third century CE. Their influence on Greek literature and art was relatively small until the third century BCE, when they were used extensively by Alexandrian poets including Callimachus, Theocritus and Apollonius of Rhodes. They were also an influence on Roman poets, such as Lucretius, Catullus, Virgil, Horace and Ovid. In late antiquity (c. 200 – c. 600 CE), they influenced both pagan and Christian literature, and their collection as a corpus probably dates to this period. They were comparatively neglected during the succeeding Byzantine period (that is, until 1453), but continued to be copied in manuscripts of Homeric poetry; all the surviving manuscripts of the hymns date to the fifteenth century. They were also read and emulated widely in fifteenth-century Italy, and indirectly influenced Sandro Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus.The Homeric Hymns were first published in print by Demetrios Chalkokondyles in 1488–1489. George Chapman made the first English translation of them in 1624. Part of their text was incorporated, via a 1710 translation by William Congreve, into George Frideric Handel's 1744 musical drama Semele. The rediscovery of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in 1777 led to a resurgence of European interest in the hymns. In the arts, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used the Hymn to Demeter as an inspiration for his 1778 melodrama Proserpina. Their textual criticism progressed considerably over the nineteenth century, particularly in German scholarship, though the text continued to present substantial difficulties into the twentieth. The Homeric Hymns were also influential on the English Romantic poets of the early nineteenth century, particularly Leigh Hunt, Thomas Love Peacock and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Later poets to adapt the hymns included Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Constantine P. Cavafy. Their influence has also been traced in the works of James Joyce, the films of Alfred Hitchcock, and the novel Coraline by Neil Gaiman.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:47 UTC on Thursday, 1 August 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Homeric Hymns on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Arthur.

Verhalen over wonderbaarlijke verwekkingen en geboorten werden verteld over heersers en filosofen in historische tijden. Van de filosofen werd gezegd dat Pythagoras de nakomeling was van Apollo en de menselijke Pythais, de mooiste van de Samiërs; Plato zou de zoon zijn van Apollo en Amphictione; Apollonius van Tyana zou de zoon zijn van Proteus, een godheid van Egypte, of Zeus.Er waren twee belangrijke redenen waarom de Ouden spraken over wonderbaarlijke verwekkingen en goddelijke afstamming. Het was zeker een poging om de superioriteit van een individu ten opzichte van andere stervelingen te verklaren. Over het algemeen keken mediterrane volkeren naar iemands geboorte of afstamming om iemands karakter en gedrag te verklaren. In Plutarch's "Romulus" wordt Remus voor straf voor Numitor gebracht. Wanneer Numitor Remus ziet, is hij "verbaasd over de buitengewone grootheid van het lichaam en de kracht van de jongeling, en aan zijn gezicht te zien hoe onverzettelijk en vitaal zijn psyche was ondanks de huidige omstandigheden, en te horen dat zijn werken en daden overeenkwamen met zijn uiterlijk, ... vroeg hij wie hij was en wat de omstandigheden van zijn geboorte waren." Geboorte verklaart latere daden en karakter. In het Evangelie van Marcus, waarvan de meeste schriftgeleerden denken dat het eerder was dan dat van Matteüs en Lucas, ontbreekt een geboorteverhaal. Het begint met Johannes de Doper en met Jezus als volwassene. Sommige christenen geloofden dat hun relatie met God afhing van hun initiatief en acceptabele prestaties, zodat God goedkeurend zou reageren. De laat tweede-eeuwse kerkvader Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.26, spreekt over ene Cerinthus (laat eerste eeuw) die geloofdeJezus werd niet uit een maagd geboren, maar was de zoon van Jozef en Maria volgens de gebruikelijke wijze van verwekking. Omdat hij rechtvaardiger, verstandiger en wijzer was dan andere mensen, daalde de Christus na zijn doop op hem neer in de gedaante van een duif. Daarna predikte hij de onbekende Vader en verrichtte wonderen.Het evangelie van Marcus, zonder een wonderbaarlijk geboorteverhaal, was vatbaar voor een dergelijke interpretatie van een verdienstelijke Jezus die door God wordt beloond. Als Jezus het model voor christenen is, dan moeten zij ook verdienstelijk zijn. Sinds Paulus was dit in ieder geval niet wat de reguliere christenen geloofden. De relatie met God was gebaseerd op Gods genadige initiatief waarop mensen in vertrouwen en gehoorzaamheid (d.w.z. geloof) reageerden. Als men geloofde dat de mogelijkheid van wonderbaarlijke conceptie of geboorte in het algemeen waar was, dan kon een werkelijk superieur persoon alleen verklaard worden door een goddelijke oorsprong. Verschillende voorbeelden maken dit duidelijk. Dionysius van Halicarnassus, in zijn verslag van de verkrachting van de maagd Ilia in het aan Mars gewijde bos, laat de verkrachter na de gebeurtenis tegen de maagd zeggen dat ze niet moest treuren omdat ze "uit haar verkrachting twee zonen zou baren wiens daden alle andere zouden overtreffen. Een goddelijke verwekking leidt tot superieure daden!Toen Matteüs en Lucas geboorteverhalen met een wonderbaarlijke ontvangenis toevoegden als onderdeel van hun herschrijving van Marcus, zeiden ze dat dit soort leven alleen voortgebracht kan worden door Gods voorafgaande genadige, scheppende daad. Als dat zo is voor Jezus, dan geldt dat ook voor zijn volgelingen. De traditie van wonderbaarlijke verwekkingen en geboorten wordt zo opnieuw gedefinieerd in de christelijk-joodse context. De Grieks-Romeinse overtuiging dat de superioriteit van een mens alleen verklaard kan worden door een goddelijke scheppingsdaad, wordt gebruikt om de vooringenomenheid van goddelijke genade in de goddelijk-menselijke relatie vast te stellen. Dit is wat een auditor uit de oudheid te horen zou hebben gekregen.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/koinonia-bijbelstudie-live--595091/support.

Dorotheos and Eusebia, a devout, aging Christian couple who lived in Anatolia, had no children. After many years, their fervent prayers for a child were answered, and they were blessed with a daughter, whom they named Kyriake ('Sunday' in Greek) because she was born on the Lord's day. The child grew up beautiful in body and soul and, though she had many suitors, chose to consecrate herself entirely to God and remain single. One of her suitors, angered at her refusal, denounced her and her parents to the Emperor Diocletian. Dorotheos and Eusebia were subjected to cruel tortures, then sent into exile, where they died under further torture. Kyriake was sent to Maximian, Diocletian's son-in-law, for trial. By his orders, she was subjected to a horrifying series of torments; but Christ Himself appeared to her in prison, healing and comforting her. Many pagans came to believe in Christ when they saw her miraculously saved from death by fire or from wild beasts; all of these were beheaded. Kyriake told Apollonius, the general who supervised her tortures: 'There is no way that you can turn me from my faith. Throw me into the fire — I have the example of the Three Children. Throw me to the wild beasts — I have the example of Daniel. Throw me into the sea — I have the example of Jonah the Prophet. Put me to the sword — I will remember the honored Forerunner. For me, to die is life in Christ.' Apollonius then ordered that she be beheaded. At the place of execution, she raised her hands in prayer and gave up her soul to God before the executioner could take her life.   Note: St Kyriake is also known as Dominica or Nedelja, Latin and Slavonic words for 'Sunday'.

Fascinating! Thank you for listening! Please leave a 5 star review, share and subscribe!

No real comparison is possible. Thank you for listening! Please leave a 5 star review, share and subscribe!

In this episode, Matt speaks with John "Apollonius" Opsopaus who is a magician, scholar, and computer scientist who has practiced magic, divination, and Neopaganism since the 1960s. He has more than 40 publications in various magical and Neopagan magazines and designed the Pythagorean Tarot and wrote the comprehensive Guide to the Pythagorean Tarot. He is the author of The Oracles of Apollo, and The Secret Texts of Hellenic Polytheism. John's Website: http://opsopaus.com/ Read the first chapter of Pythagorean Theology: http://opsopaus.com/OM/BA/ETP/I.html warmachinepodcast.com Music for this episode: Exhausted Divinity, Niky Nine French Inhale, bsd.u Flare, Frederic Robinson Nomad's Theme, Matt Baker

Today is Thursday, April 18th, 2024, the Feria, a Fourth class feast, with the liturgical color of white. In this episode: the life of St. Apollonius, the meditation “Again, Our Lord Wishes His Disciples Peace,” a preview of today's sermon: “The Gifts of God and How to Obtain Them,” And a quote from Archbishop LefebvreThe email version of this Devotional is a perfect companion! Subscribe to Daily DevotionalSubscribe to Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodes: https://sspx-podcast.captivate.fm/listenSupport the SSPX Podcast with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>Subscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel here >>SSPX News Website: https://fsspx.news/enVisit the US District website: https://sspx.org/en What is the SSPX Podcast?The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition. What is the SSPX?The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it.https://sspx.org

Questionable physics, enormous amounts of CSO, and shamelessly riffing on Greek mythology in a way that hasn't been done since Season 9? Yeah, it can only be Underworld – widely touted as the worst story of the Tom Baker era. But is it really as bad as its reputation suggests, or will the Watchers find plenty to forgive? We ARE in our controversial era, so ANYTHING is possible!   Join us as we discuss budget sofas, surprisingly good model work and costumes, more changes to Time Lord society, the spurious use of office supplies, invoking the spirit of Vicki, and, of course, lots of running up and down corridors and around CSO caves. Additionally, Anthony once again tries to fire Reilly… twice.   If you would like to watch along with us, you can find this story available for streaming on Britbox in the USA (http://www.britbox.com) and BBC iPlayer in the UK (https://bbc.in/48GSaCB). If you prefer physical media, you can find the story on DVD at both Amazon US (https://amzn.to/4anIugL) and Amazon UK (https://amzn.to/3PAAkK9), or you can find the entirety of the season on Blu Ray from both Amazon US (https://amzn.to/3UjxV9S) and Amazon UK (https://amzn.to/42jXklM).   Other media mentioned in this episode*: Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3ptuM83 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3BSULsQ) Looney Tunes – The Platinum Collection (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Aov8z7 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3nRkM7w) Blake's 7 – The Complete Collection (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Zh7045 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/39luyGI) Z Cars: Complete Collection One & Two (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3pdDtmF | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3lV2cKn) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3b6zlwm | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3njJrzW) Minions (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3IMyORg | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3VukAfe) Star Trek: The Original Series: The Complete Series (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3aifha7 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2YtSYvx) The Voyage of Argo, by Apollonius of Rhodes (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3IWFH2d | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3INXed0) Leeroy Jenkins (YouTube: https://youtu.be/usYvefDzOqQ)   Finally, you can also follow us and interact with us on various forms of social media - Facebook, Instagram, and X. You can also e-mail us at watchers4d@gmail.com. If you're enjoying this podcast, please subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating or review.   *Support Watchers in the Fourth Dimension! We are an Amazon affiliate and earn a small commission from purchases through Amazon links. This goes towards the running costs of the podcast.

In this episode we speak with Ars Notoria translator Matthias castle about this intriguing work of medieval angelic magic focused on obtaining knowledge and wisdom. Where did it come from? What does it do? Can you use it to learn Organic Chemistry? What is "angel water"? These and many more questions are answered. The 13th-century magical treatise Ars Notoria offers a secret account of the angel Pamphilius revealing the sacred magic to King Solomon by which he gained his famed wisdom and learning, thereby expanding upon the biblical narrative in which Solomon received a vision of God. Solomon's writings were transmitted to the first-century philosopher, Apollonius of Tyana, who provided a commentary entitled the Golden Flowers (Flores Aurei), which is contained within Ars Notoria.The magical text presents a complete system of angelic magic consisting of prayers addressed to angels, using figures called notae, for the purpose of acquiring scholastic and heavenly knowledge. Due to its rising popularity among university students, the magical ritual was reworked time and again, producing five treatises, dating from the 13th to 15th centuries; The Work of Works (Opus Operum), the Book of Flowers of Heavenly Teaching composed by the French Benedictine monk named John of Morigny, The Short Art (Ars Brevis), the abridged version attributed to Thomas of Toledo, and The Pauline Art (Ars Paulina), thereby establishing an entire notorial art tradition.In this new and complete translation of Ars Notoria, based on Julien Veronese's critical Latin edition, translator Matthias Castle presents the classic magical text, both short and long versions, including four of the later treatises. Castle explains how these theurgic ritual practices were performed, giving special attention to all the original pictorial figures (notae), and how the art of memory relates to angelic magic. Providing practical instruction, extensive commentary, and in-depth background research and annotations, Ars Notoria: The Notory Art of Solomon is an essential sourcebook on angelic magic for scholar and magician alike. #solomonicmagic #solomonicmagick #grimoire #magick #ceremonialmagic #ceremonialmagick #angels #angelicmagic #medievalmagic #astrologicalmagic #occult #occultism #esotericbooks #esoteric #esotericism --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/support

In this episode, Dr. Fredrick J. Long continues his discussion on “Apollonius' Canon”. Tune in! #grammar #syntax #nouns #language #podcast #subscribe #video --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/glossahouse/message

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 89Part IMisericordias Domini1Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing; *from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.2For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; *you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.3“I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *I have sworn an oath to David my servant:4‘I will establish your line for ever, *and preserve your throne for all generations.' ”5The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O Lord, *and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;6For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? *who is like the Lord among the gods?7God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, *great and terrible to all those round about him.8Who is like you, Lord God of hosts? *O mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.9You rule the raging of the sea *and still the surging of its waves.10You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; *you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.11Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; *you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.12You have made the north and the south; *Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.13You have a mighty arm; *strong is your hand and high is your right hand.14Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; *love and truth go before your face.15Happy are the people who know the festal shout! *they walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.16They rejoice daily in your Name; *they are jubilant in your righteousness.17For you are the glory of their strength, *and by your favor our might is exalted.18Truly, the Lord is our ruler; *the Holy One of Israel is our King. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Lessons1 Maccabees 3:1-24New Revised Standard Version Catholic EditionThen his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place. All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him; they gladly fought for Israel.He extended the glory of his people.    Like a giant he put on his breastplate;he bound on his armor of war and waged battles,    protecting the camp by his sword.He was like a lion in his deeds,    like a lion's cub roaring for prey.He searched out and pursued those who broke the law;    he burned those who troubled his people.Lawbreakers shrank back for fear of him;    all the evildoers were confounded;    and deliverance prospered by his hand.He embittered many kings,    but he made Jacob glad by his deeds,    and his memory is blessed forever.He went through the cities of Judah;    he destroyed the ungodly out of the land;    thus he turned away wrath from Israel.He was renowned to the ends of the earth;    he gathered in those who were perishing.Apollonius now gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled. Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle the rest of his life.When Seron, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful soldiers who stayed with him and went out to battle, he said, “I will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions, who scorn the king's command.” Once again a strong army of godless men went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the Israelites.When he approached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small company. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, “How can we, few as we are, fight against so great and so strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing today.” Judas replied, “It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven. They come against us in great insolence and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to despoil us; but we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them.”When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were crushed before him. They pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon to the plain; eight hundred of them fell, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.Revelation 20:7-15English Standard VersionAnd when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 28Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Let's face it the New Testament probably calls Jesus God (or god) a couple of times and so do early Christian authors in the second century. However, no one offers much of an explanation for what they mean by the title. Did early Christians think Jesus was God because he represented Yahweh? Did they think he was God because he shared the same eternal being as the Father? Did they think he was a god because that's just what they would call any immortalized human who lived in heaven? In this presentation I focus on the question from the perspective of Greco-Roman theology. Drawing on the work of David Litwa, Andrew Perriman, Barry Blackburn, and tons of ancient sources I seek to show how Mediterranean converts to Christianity would have perceived Jesus based on their cultural and religious assumptions. This presentation is from the 3rd Unitarian Christian Alliance Conference on October 20, 2023 in Springfield, OH. Here is the original pdf of this paper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Z3QbQ7dHc —— Links —— See more scholarly articles by Sean Finnegan Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Introduction When early Christian authors called Jesus “god” (or “God”) what did they mean?[1] Modern apologists routinely point to pre-Nicene quotations in order to prove that early Christians always believed in the deity of Christ, by which they mean that he is of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father. However, most historians agree that Christians before the fourth century simply didn't have the cognitive categories available yet to think of Christ in Nicene or Chalcedonian ways. If this consensus is correct, it behooves us to consider other options for defining what early Christian authors meant. The obvious place to go to get an answer to our initial question is the New Testament. However, as is well known, the handful of instances in which authors unambiguously applied god (θεός) to Christ are fraught with textual uncertainty, grammatical ambiguity, and hermeneutical elasticity.[2]  What's more, granting that these contested texts[3] all call Jesus “god” provides little insight into what they might mean by that phrase. Turning to the second century, the earliest handful of texts that say Jesus is god are likewise textually uncertain or terse.[4] We must wait until the second half of the second century and beyond to have more helpful material to examine. We know that in the meanwhile some Christians were saying Jesus was god. What did they mean? One promising approach is to analyze biblical texts that call others gods. We find helpful parallels with the word god (אֱלֹהִים) applied to Moses (Exod 7.1; 4.16), judges (Exod 21.6; 22.8-9), kings (Is 9.6; Ps 45.6), the divine council (Ps 82.1, 6), and angels (Ps 8.6). These are texts in which God imbues his agents with his authority to represent him in some way. This rare though significant way of calling a representative “god,” continues in the NT with Jesus' clever defense to his accusers in John 10.34-36. Lexicons[5] have long recognized this “Hebraistic” usage and recent study tools such as the New English Translation (NET)[6] and the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary[7] also note this phenomenon. But, even if this agency perspective is the most natural reading of texts like Heb 1.8, later Christians, apart from one or two exceptions appear to be ignorant of this usage.[8] This interpretation was likely a casualty of the so-called parting of the ways whereby Christianity transitioned from a second-temple-Jewish movement to a Gentile-majority religion. As such, to grasp what early postapostolic Christians believed, we must turn our attention elsewhere. Michael Bird is right when he says, “Christian discourses about deity belong incontrovertibly in the Greco-Roman context because it provided the cultural encyclopedia that, in diverse ways, shaped the early church's Christological conceptuality and vocabulary.”[9] Learning Greco-Roman theology is not only important because that was the context in which early Christians wrote, but also because from the late first century onward, most of our Christian authors converted from that worldview. Rather than talking about the Hellenization of Christianity, we should begin by asking how Hellenists experienced Christianization. In other words, Greco-Roman beliefs about the gods were the default lens through which converts first saw Christ. In order to explore how Greco-Roman theology shaped what people believed about Jesus as god, we do well to begin by asking how they defined a god. Andrew Perriman offers a helpful starting point. “The gods,” he writes, “are mostly understood as corporeal beings, blessed with immortality, larger, more beautiful, and more powerful than their mortal analogues.”[10] Furthermore, there were lots of them! The sublunar realm was, in the words of Paula Fredriksen, “a god-congested place.”[11] What's more, “[S]harp lines and clearly demarcated boundaries between divinity and humanity were lacking."[12] Gods could appear as people and people could ascend to become gods. Comprehending what Greco-Roman people believed about gods coming down and humans going up will occupy the first part of this paper. Only once we've adjusted our thinking to their culture, will we walk through key moments in the life of Jesus of Nazareth to hear the story with ancient Mediterranean ears. Lastly, we'll consider the evidence from sources that think of Jesus in Greco-Roman categories. Bringing this all together we'll enumerate the primary ways to interpret the phrase “Jesus is god” available to Christians in the pre-Nicene period. Gods Coming Down and Humans Going Up The idea that a god would visit someone is not as unusual as it first sounds. We find plenty of examples of Yahweh himself or non-human representatives visiting people in the Hebrew Bible.[13] One psalmist even referred to angels or “heavenly beings” (ESV) as אֱלֹהִים (gods).[14] The Greco-Roman world too told stories about divine entities coming down to interact with people. Euripides tells about the time Zeus forced the god Apollo to become a human servant in the house of Admetus, performing menial labor as punishment for killing the Cyclopes (Alcestis 1). Baucis and Philemon offered hospitality to Jupiter and Mercury when they appeared in human form (Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.26-34). In Homer's Odyssey onlookers warn Antinous for flinging a stool against a stranger since “the gods do take on the look of strangers dropping in from abroad”[15] (17.534-9). Because they believed the boundary between the divine realm and the Earth was so permeable, Mediterranean people were always on guard for an encounter with a god in disguise. In addition to gods coming down, in special circumstances, humans could ascend and become gods too. Diodorus of Sicily demarcated two types of gods: those who are “eternal and imperishable, such as the sun and the moon” and “the other gods…terrestrial beings who attained to immortal honour”[16] (The Historical Library of Diodorus the Sicilian 6.1). By some accounts, even the Olympian gods, including Kronos and Uranus were once mortal men.[17] Among humans who could become divine, we find several distinguishable categories, including heroes, miracle workers, and rulers. We'll look at each briefly before considering how the story of Jesus would resonate with those holding a Greco-Roman worldview. Deified Heroes Cornutus the Stoic said, “[T]he ancients called heroes those who were so strong in body and soul that they seemed to be part of a divine race.” (Greek Theology 31)[18] At first this statement appears to be a mere simile, but he goes on to say of Heracles (Hercules), the Greek hero par excellence, “his services had earned him apotheosis” (ibid.). Apotheosis (or deification) is the process by which a human ascends into the divine realm. Beyond Heracles and his feats of strength, other exceptional individuals became deified for various reasons. Amphiarus was a seer who died in the battle at Thebes. After opening a chasm in the earth to swallow him in battle, “Zeus made him immortal”[19] (Apollodorus, Library of Greek Mythology 3.6). Pausanias says the custom of the inhabitants of Oropos was to drop coins into Amphiarus' spring “because this is where they say Amphiarus rose up as a god”[20] (Guide to Greece 1.34). Likewise, Strabo speaks about a shrine for Calchas, a deceased diviner from the Trojan war (Homer, Illiad 1.79-84), “where those consulting the oracle sacrifice a black ram to the dead and sleep in its hide”[21] (Strabo, Geography 6.3.9). Though the great majority of the dead were locked away in the lower world of Hades, leading a shadowy pitiful existence, the exceptional few could visit or speak from beyond the grave. Lastly, there was Zoroaster the Persian prophet who, according to Dio Chrysostom, was enveloped by fire while he meditated upon a mountain. He was unharmed and gave advice on how to properly make offerings to the gods (Dio Chrysostom, Discourses 36.40). The Psuedo-Clementine Homilies include a story about a lightning bolt striking and killing Zoroaster. After his devotees buried his body, they built a temple on the site, thinking that “his soul had been sent for by lightning” and they “worshipped him as a god”[22] (Homily 9.5.2). Thus, a hero could have extraordinary strength, foresight, or closeness to the gods resulting in apotheosis and ongoing worship and communication. Deified Miracle Workers Beyond heroes, Greco-Roman people loved to tell stories about deified miracle workers. Twice Orpheus rescued a ship from a storm by praying to the gods (Diodorus of Sicily 4.43.1f; 48.5f). After his death, surviving inscriptions indicate that he both received worship and was regarded as a god in several cities.[23] Epimenides “fell asleep in a cave for fifty-seven years”[24] (Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 1.109). He also predicted a ten-year period of reprieve from Persian attack in Athens (Plato Laws 1.642D-E). Plato called him a divine man (θεῖος ἀνήρ) (ibid.) and Diogenes talked of Cretans sacrificing to him as a god (Diogenes, Lives 1.114). Iamblichus said Pythagoras was the son of Apollo and a mortal woman (Life of Pythagoras 2). Nonetheless, the soul of Pythagoras enjoyed multiple lives, having originally been “sent to mankind from the empire of Apollo”[25] (Life 2). Diogenes and Lucian enumerate the lives the pre-existent Pythagoras led, including Aethalides, Euphorbus, Hermotimus, and Pyrrhus (Diogenes, Life of Pythagoras 4; Lucian, The Cock 16-20). Hermes had granted Pythagoras the gift of “perpetual transmigration of his soul”[26] so he could remember his lives while living or dead (Diogenes, Life 4). Ancient sources are replete with Pythagorean miracle stories.[27] Porphyry mentions several, including taming a bear, persuading an ox to stop eating beans, and accurately predicting a catch of fish (Life of Pythagoras 23-25). Porphyry said Pythagoras accurately predicted earthquakes and “chased away a pestilence, suppressed violent winds and hail, [and] calmed storms on rivers and on seas” (Life 29).[28] Such miracles, argued the Pythagoreans made Pythagoras “a being superior to man, and not to a mere man” (Iamblichus, Life 28).[29] Iamblichus lays out the views of Pythagoras' followers, including that he was a god, a philanthropic daemon, the Pythian, the Hyperborean Apollo, a Paeon, a daemon inhabiting the moon, or an Olympian god (Life 6). Another pre-Socratic philosopher was Empedocles who studied under Pythagoras. To him sources attribute several miracles, including stopping a damaging wind, restoring the wind, bringing dry weather, causing it to rain, and even bringing someone back from Hades (Diogenes, Lives 8.59).[30] Diogenes records an incident in which Empedocles put a woman into a trance for thirty days before sending her away alive (8.61). He also includes a poem in which Empedocles says, “I am a deathless god, no longer mortal, I go among you honored by all, as is right”[31] (8.62). Asclepius was a son of the god Apollo and a human woman (Cornutus, Greek Theology 33). He was known for healing people from diseases and injuries (Pindar, Pythian 3.47-50). “[H]e invented any medicine he wished for the sick, and raised up the dead”[32] (Pausanias, Guide to Greece 2.26.4). However, as Diodorus relates, Hades complained to Zeus on account of Asclepius' diminishing his realm, which resulted in Zeus zapping Asclepius with a thunderbolt, killing him (4.71.2-3). Nevertheless, Asclepius later ascended into heaven to become a god (Hyginus, Fables 224; Cicero, Nature of the Gods 2.62).[33] Apollonius of Tyana was a famous first century miracle worker. According to Philostratus' account, the locals of Tyana regard Apollonius to be the son of Zeus (Life 1.6). Apollonius predicted many events, interpreted dreams, and knew private facts about people. He rebuked and ridiculed a demon, causing it to flee, shrieking as it went (Life 2.4).[34] He even once stopped a funeral procession and raised the deceased to life (Life 4.45). What's more he knew every human language (Life 1.19) and could understand what sparrows chirped to each other (Life 4.3). Once he instantaneously transported himself from Smyrna to Ephesus (Life 4.10). He claimed knowledge of his previous incarnation as the captain of an Egyptian ship (Life 3.23) and, in the end, Apollonius entered the temple of Athena and vanished, ascending from earth into heaven to the sound of a choir singing (Life 8.30). We have plenty of literary evidence that contemporaries and those who lived later regarded him as a divine man (Letters 48.3)[35] or godlike (ἰσόθεος) (Letters 44.1) or even just a god (θεός) (Life 5.24). Deified Rulers Our last category of deified humans to consider before seeing how this all relates to Jesus is rulers. Egyptians, as indicated from the hieroglyphs left in the pyramids, believed their deceased kings to enjoy afterlives as gods. They could become star gods or even hunt and consume other gods to absorb their powers.[36] The famous Macedonian conqueror, Alexander the Great, carried himself as a god towards the Persians though Plutarch opines, “[he] was not at all vain or deluded but rather used belief in his divinity to enslave others”[37] (Life of Alexander 28). This worship continued after his death, especially in Alexandria where Ptolemy built a tomb and established a priesthood to conduct religious honors to the deified ruler. Even the emperor Trajan offered a sacrifice to the spirit of Alexander (Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.30). Another interesting example is Antiochus I of Comagene who called himself “Antiochus the just [and] manifest god, friend of the Romans [and] friend of the Greeks.”[38] His tomb boasted four colossal figures seated on thrones: Zeus, Heracles, Apollo, and himself. The message was clear: Antiochus I wanted his subjects to recognize his place among the gods after death. Of course, the most relevant rulers for the Christian era were the Roman emperors. The first official Roman emperor Augustus deified his predecessor, Julius Caesar, celebrating his apotheosis with games (Suetonius, Life of Julius Caesar 88). Only five years after Augustus died, eastern inhabitants of the Roman Empire at Priene happily declared “the birthday of the god Augustus” (ἡ γενέθλιος ἡμέρα τοῦ θεοῦ)[39] to be the start of their provincial year. By the time of Tacitus, a century after Augustus died, the wealthy in Rome had statues of the first emperor in their gardens for worship (Annals 1.73). The Roman historian Appian explained that the Romans regularly deify emperors at death “provided he has not been a despot or a disgrace”[40] (The Civil Wars 2.148).  In other words, deification was the default setting for deceased emperors. Pliny the Younger lays it on pretty thick when he describes the process. He says Nero deified Claudius to expose him; Titus deified Vespasian and Domitian so he could be the son and brother of gods. However, Trajan deified Nerva because he genuinely believed him to be more than a human (Panegyric 11). In our little survey, we've seen three main categories of deified humans: heroes, miracle workers, and good rulers. These “conceptions of deity,” writes David Litwa, “were part of the “preunderstanding” of Hellenistic culture.”[41] He continues: If actual cases of deification were rare, traditions of deification were not. They were the stuff of heroic epic, lyric song, ancient mythology, cultic hymns, Hellenistic novels, and popular plays all over the first-century Mediterranean world. Such discourses were part of mainstream, urban culture to which most early Christians belonged. If Christians were socialized in predominantly Greco-Roman environments, it is no surprise that they employed and adapted common traits of deities and deified men to exalt their lord to divine status.[42] Now that we've attuned our thinking to Mediterranean sensibilities about gods coming down in the shape of humans and humans experiencing apotheosis to permanently dwell as gods in the divine realm, our ears are attuned to hear the story of Jesus with Greco-Roman ears. Hearing the Story of Jesus with Greco-Roman Ears How would second or third century inhabitants of the Roman empire have categorized Jesus? Taking my cue from Litwa's treatment in Iesus Deus, I'll briefly work through Jesus' conception, transfiguration, miracles, resurrection, and ascension. Miraculous Conception Although set within the context of Jewish messianism, Christ's miraculous birth would have resonated differently with Greco-Roman people. Stories of gods coming down and having intercourse with women are common in classical literature. That these stories made sense of why certain individuals were so exceptional is obvious. For example, Origen related a story about Apollo impregnating Amphictione who then gave birth to Plato (Against Celsus 1.37). Though Mary's conception did not come about through intercourse with a divine visitor, the fact that Jesus had no human father would call to mind divine sonship like Pythagoras or Asclepius. Celsus pointed out that the ancients “attributed a divine origin to Perseus, and Amphion, and Aeacus, and Minos” (Origen, Against Celsus 1.67). Philostratus records a story of the Egyptian god Proteus saying to Apollonius' mother that she would give birth to himself (Life of Apollonius of Tyana 1.4). Since people were primed to connect miraculous origins with divinity, typical hearers of the birth narratives of Matthew or Luke would likely think that this baby might be either be a descended god or a man destined to ascend to become a god. Miracles and Healing As we've seen, Jesus' miracles would not have sounded unbelievable or even unprecedent to Mediterranean people. Like Jesus, Orpheus and Empedocles calmed storms, rescuing ships. Though Jesus provided miraculous guidance on how to catch fish, Pythagoras foretold the number of fish in a great catch. After the fishermen painstakingly counted them all, they were astounded that when they threw them back in, they were still alive (Porphyry, Life 23-25). Jesus' ability to foretell the future, know people's thoughts, and cast out demons all find parallels in Apollonius of Tyana. As for resurrecting the dead, we have the stories of Empedocles, Asclepius, and Apollonius. The last of which even stopped a funeral procession to raise the dead, calling to mind Jesus' deeds in Luke 7.11-17. When Lycaonians witnessed Paul's healing of a man crippled from birth, they cried out, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men” (Acts 14.11). Another time when no harm befell Paul after a poisonous snake bit him on Malta, Gentile onlookers concluded “he was a god” (Acts 28.6). Barry Blackburn makes the following observation: [I]n view of the tendency, most clearly seen in the Epimenidean, Pythagorean, and Apollonian traditions, to correlate impressive miracle-working with divine status, one may justifiably conclude that the evangelical miracle traditions would have helped numerous gentile Christians to arrive at and maintain belief in Jesus' divine status.[43] Transfiguration Ancient Mediterranean inhabitants believed that the gods occasionally came down disguised as people. Only when gods revealed their inner brilliant natures could people know that they weren't mere humans. After his ship grounded on the sands of Krisa, Apollo leaped from the ship emitting flashes of fire “like a star in the middle of day…his radiance shot to heaven”[44] (Homeric Hymns, Hymn to Apollo 440). Likewise, Aphrodite appeared in shining garments, brighter than a fire and shimmering like the moon (Hymn to Aphrodite 85-89). When Demeter appeared to Metaneira, she initially looked like an old woman, but she transformed herself before her. “Casting old age away…a delightful perfume spread…a radiance shone out far from the goddess' immortal flesh…and the solid-made house was filled with a light like the lightning-flash”[45] (Hymn to Demeter 275-280). Homer wrote about Odysseus' transformation at the golden wand of Athena in which his clothes became clean, he became taller, and his skin looked younger. His son, Telemachus cried out, “Surely you are some god who rules the vaulting skies”[46] (Odyssey 16.206). Each time the observers conclude the transfigured person is a god. Resurrection & Ascension In defending the resurrection of Jesus, Theophilus of Antioch said, “[Y]ou believe that Hercules, who burned himself, lives; and that Aesculapius [Asclepius], who was struck with lightning, was raised”[47] (Autolycus 1.13). Although Hercules' physical body burnt, his transformed pneumatic body continued on as the poet Callimachus said, “under a Phrygian oak his limbs had been deified”[48] (Callimachus, Hymn to Artemis 159). Others thought Hercules ascended to heaven in his burnt body, which Asclepius subsequently healed (Lucian, Dialogue of the Gods 13). After his ascent, Diodorus relates how the people first sacrificed to him “as to a hero” then in Athens they began to honor him “with sacrifices like as to a god”[49] (The Historical Library 4.39). As for Asclepius, his ascension resulted in his deification as Cyprian said, “Aesculapius is struck by lightning, that he may rise into a god”[50] (On the Vanity of Idols 2). Romulus too “was torn to pieces by the hands of a hundred senators”[51] and after death ascended into heaven and received worship (Arnobius, Against the Heathen 1.41). Livy tells of how Romulus was “carried up on high by a whirlwind” and that immediately afterward “every man present hailed him as a god and son of a god”[52] (The Early History of Rome 1.16). As we can see from these three cases—Hercules, Asclepius, and Romulus—ascent into heaven was a common way of talking about deification. For Cicero, this was an obvious fact. People “who conferred outstanding benefits were translated to heaven through their fame and our gratitude”[53] (Nature 2.62). Consequently, Jesus' own resurrection and ascension would have triggered Gentiles to intuit his divinity. Commenting on the appearance of the immortalized Christ to the eleven in Galilee, Wendy Cotter said, “It is fair to say that the scene found in [Mat] 28:16-20 would be understood by a Greco-Roman audience, Jew or Gentile, as an apotheosis of Jesus.”[54] Although I beg to differ with Cotter's whole cloth inclusion of Jews here, it's hard to see how else non-Jews would have regarded the risen Christ. Litwa adds Rev 1.13-16 “[W]here he [Jesus] appears with all the accoutrements of the divine: a shining face, an overwhelming voice, luminescent clothing, and so on.”[55] In this brief survey we've seen that several key events in the story of Jesus told in the Gospels would have caused Greco-Roman hearers to intuit deity, including his divine conception, miracles, healing ministry, transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension. In their original context of second temple Judaism, these very same incidents would have resonated quite differently. His divine conception authenticated Jesus as the second Adam (Luke 3.38; Rom 5.14; 1 Cor 15.45) and God's Davidic son (2 Sam 7.14; Ps 2.7; Lk 1.32, 35). If Matthew or Luke wanted readers to understand that Jesus was divine based on his conception and birth, they failed to make such intentions explicit in the text. Rather, the birth narratives appear to have a much more modest aim—to persuade readers that Jesus had a credible claim to be Israel's messiah. His miracles show that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power…for God was with him” (Acts 10.38; cf. Jn 3.2; 10.32, 38). Rather than concluding Jesus to be a god, Jewish witnesses to his healing of a paralyzed man “glorified God, who had given such authority to men” (Mat 9.8). Over and over, especially in the Gospel of John, Jesus directs people's attention to his Father who was doing the works in and through him (Jn 5.19, 30; 8.28; 12.49; 14.10). Seeing Jesus raise someone from the dead suggested to his original Jewish audience that “a great prophet has arisen among us” (Lk 7.16). The transfiguration, in its original setting, is an eschatological vision not a divine epiphany. Placement in the synoptic Gospels just after Jesus' promise that some there would not die before seeing the kingdom come sets the hermeneutical frame. “The transfiguration,” says William Lane, “was a momentary, but real (and witnessed) manifestation of Jesus' sovereign power which pointed beyond itself to the Parousia, when he will come ‘with power and glory.'”[56] If eschatology is the foreground, the background for the transfiguration was Moses' ascent of Sinai when he also encountered God and became radiant.[57] Viewed from the lenses of Moses' ascent and the eschaton, the transfiguration of Jesus is about his identity as God's definitive chosen ruler, not about any kind of innate divinity. Lastly, the resurrection and ascension validated Jesus' messianic claims to be the ruler of the age to come (Acts 17.31; Rom 1.4). Rather than concluding Jesus was deity, early Jewish Christians concluded these events showed that “God has made him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2.36). The interpretative backgrounds for Jesus' ascension were not stories about Heracles, Asclepius, or Romulus. No, the key oracle that framed the Israelite understanding was the messianic psalm in which Yahweh told David's Lord to “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (Psalm 110.1). The idea is of a temporary sojourn in heaven until exercising the authority of his scepter to rule over earth from Zion. Once again, the biblical texts remain completely silent about deification. But even if the original meanings of Jesus' birth, ministry, transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension have messianic overtones when interpreted within the Jewish milieu, these same stories began to communicate various ideas of deity to Gentile converts in the generations that followed. We find little snippets from historical sources beginning in the second century and growing with time. Evidence of Belief in Jesus' as a Greco-Roman Deity To begin with, we have two non-Christian instances where Romans regarded Jesus as a deity within typical Greco-Roman categories. The first comes to us from Tertullian and Eusebius who mention an intriguing story about Tiberius' request to the Roman senate to deify Christ. Convinced by “intelligence from Palestine of events which had clearly shown the truth of Christ's divinity”[58] Tiberius proposed the matter to the senate (Apology 5). Eusebius adds that Tiberius learned that “many believed him to be a god in rising from the dead”[59] (Church History 2.2). As expected, the senate rejected the proposal. I mention this story, not because I can establish its historicity, but because it portrays how Tiberius would have thought about Jesus if he had heard about his miracles and resurrection. Another important incident is from one of the governor Pliny the Younger's letters to the emperor Trajan. Having investigated some people accused of Christianity, he found “they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately amongst themselves in honour of Christ as if to a god”[60] (Letter 96). To an outside imperial observer like Pliny, the Christians believed in a man who had performed miracles, defeated death, and now lived in heaven. Calling him a god was just the natural way of talking about such a person. Pliny would not have thought Jesus was superior to the deified Roman emperors much less Zeus or the Olympic gods. If he believed in Jesus at all, he would have regarded him as another Mediterranean prophet who escaped Hades to enjoy apotheosis. Another interesting text to consider is the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. This apocryphal text tells the story of Jesus' childhood between the ages of five and twelve. Jesus is impetuous, powerful, and brilliant. Unsure to conclude that Jesus was “either god or angel,”[61] his teacher remands him to Joseph's custody (7). Later, a crowd of onlookers ponders whether the child is a god or a heavenly messenger after he raises an infant from the dead (17). A year later Jesus raised a construction man who had fallen to his death back to life (18). Once again, the crowd asked if the child was from heaven. Although some historians are quick to assume the lofty conceptions of Justin and his successors about the logos were commonplace in the early Christianity, Litwa points out, “The spell of the Logos could only bewitch a very small circle of Christian elites… In IGT, we find a Jesus who is divine according to different canons, the canons of popular Mediterranean theology.”[62] Another important though often overlooked scholarly group of Christians in the second century was led by a certain Theodotus of Byzantium.[63] Typically referred to by their heresiological label “Theodotians,” these dynamic monarchians lived in Rome and claimed that they held to the original Christology before it had been corrupted under Bishop Zephyrinus (Eusebius, Church History 5.28). Theodotus believed in the virgin birth, but not in his pre-existence or that he was god/God (Pseudo-Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies 7.35.1-2; 10.23.1-2). He thought that Jesus was not able to perform any miracles until his baptism when he received the Christ/Spirit. Pseudo-Hippolytus goes on to say, “But they do not want him to have become a god when the Spirit descended. Others say that he became a god after he rose from the dead.”[64] This last tantalizing remark implies that the Theodotians could affirm Jesus as a god after his resurrection though they denied his pre-existence. Although strict unitarians, they could regard Jesus as a god in that he was an ascended immortalized being who lived in heaven—not equal to the Father, but far superior to all humans on earth. Justin Martyr presents another interesting case to consider. Thoroughly acquainted with Greco-Roman literature and especially the philosophy of Plato, Justin sees Christ as a god whom the Father begot before all other creatures. He calls him “son, or wisdom, or angel, or god, or lord, or word”[65] (Dialogue with Trypho 61).  For Justin Christ is “at the same time angel and god and lord and man”[66] (59). Jesus was “of old the Word, appearing at one time in the form of fire, at another under the guise of incorporeal beings, but now, at the will of God, after becoming man for mankind”[67] (First Apology 63). In fact, Justin is quite comfortable to compare Christ to deified heroes and emperors. He says, “[W]e propose nothing new or different from that which you say about the so-called sons of Jupiter [Zeus] by your respected writers… And what about the emperors who die among you, whom you think worthy to be deified?”[68] (21). He readily accepts the parallels with Mercury, Perseus, Asclepius, Bacchus, and Hercules, but argues that Jesus is superior to them (22).[69] Nevertheless, he considered Jesus to be in “a place second to the unchanging and eternal God”[70] (13). The Father is “the Most True God” whereas the Son is he “who came forth from Him”[71] (6). Even as lates as Origen, Greco-Roman concepts of deity persist. In responding to Celsus' claim that no god or son of God has ever come down, Origen responds by stating such a statement would overthrow the stories of Pythian Apollo, Asclepius, and the other gods who descended (Against Celsus 5.2). My point here is not to say Origen believed in all the old myths, but to show how Origen reached for these stories as analogies to explain the incarnation of the logos. When Celsus argued that he would rather believe in the deity of Asclepius, Dionysus, and Hercules than Christ, Origen responded with a moral rather than ontological argument (3.42). He asks how these gods have improved the characters of anyone. Origen admits Celsus' argument “which places the forenamed individuals upon an equality with Jesus” might have force, however in light of the disreputable behavior of these gods, “how could you any longer say, with any show of reason, that these men, on putting aside their mortal body, became gods rather than Jesus?”[72] (3.42). Origen's Christology is far too broad and complicated to cover here. Undoubtedly, his work on eternal generation laid the foundation on which fourth century Christians could build homoousion Christology. Nevertheless, he retained some of the earlier subordinationist impulses of his forebearers. In his book On Prayer, he rebukes praying to Jesus as a crude error, instead advocating prayer to God alone (10). In his Commentary on John he repeatedly asserts that the Father is greater than his logos (1.40; 2.6; 6.23). Thus, Origen is a theologian on the seam of the times. He's both a subordinationist and a believer in the Son's eternal and divine ontology. Now, I want to be careful here. I'm not saying that all early Christians believed Jesus was a deified man like Asclepius or a descended god like Apollo or a reincarnated soul like Pythagoras. More often than not, thinking Christians whose works survive until today tended to eschew the parallels, simultaneously elevating Christ as high as possible while demoting the gods to mere demons. Still, Litwa is inciteful when he writes: It seems likely that early Christians shared the widespread cultural assumption that a resurrected, immortalized being was worthy of worship and thus divine. …Nonetheless there is a difference…Jesus, it appears, was never honored as an independent deity. Rather, he was always worshiped as Yahweh's subordinate. Naturally Heracles and Asclepius were Zeus' subordinates, but they were also members of a larger divine family. Jesus does not enter a pantheon but assumes a distinctive status as God's chief agent and plenipotentiary. It is this status that, to Christian insiders, placed Jesus in a category far above the likes of Heracles, Romulus, and Asclepius who were in turn demoted to the rank of δαίμονες [daimons].[73] Conclusion I began by asking the question, "What did early Christians mean by saying Jesus is god?" We noted that the ancient idea of agency (Jesus is God/god because he represents Yahweh), though present in Hebrew and Christian scripture, didn't play much of a role in how Gentile Christians thought about Jesus. Or if it did, those texts did not survive. By the time we enter the postapostolic era, a majority of Christianity was Gentile and little communication occurred with the Jewish Christians that survived in the East. As such, we turned our attention to Greco-Roman theology to tune our ears to hear the story of Jesus the way they would have. We learned about their multifaceted array of divinities. We saw that gods can come down and take the form of humans and humans can go up and take the form of gods. We found evidence for this kind of thinking in both non-Christian and Christian sources in the second and third centuries. Now it is time to return to the question I began with: “When early Christian authors called Jesus “god” what did they mean?” We saw that the idea of a deified man was present in the non-Christian witnesses of Tiberius and Pliny but made scant appearance in our Christian literature except for the Theodotians. As for the idea that a god came down to become a man, we found evidence in The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Justin, and Origen.[74] Of course, we find a spectrum within this view, from Justin's designation of Jesus as a second god to Origen's more philosophically nuanced understanding. Still, it's worth noting as R. P. C. Hanson observed that, “With the exception of Athanasius virtually every theologian, East and West, accepted some form of subordinationism at least up to the year 355.”[75] Whether any Christians before Alexander and Athanasius of Alexandria held to the sophisticated idea of consubstantiality depends on showing evidence of the belief that the Son was coequal, coeternal, and coessential with the Father prior to Nicea. (Readers interested in the case for this view should consult Michael Bird's Jesus among the Gods in which he attempted the extraordinary feat of finding proto-Nicene Christology in the first two centuries, a task typically associated with maverick apologists not peer-reviewed historians.) In conclusion, the answer to our driving question about the meaning of “Jesus as god” is that the answer depends on whom we ask. If we ask the Theodotians, Jesus is a god because that's just what one calls an immortalized man who lives in heaven.[76] If we ask those holding a docetic Christology, the answer is that a god came down in appearance as a man. If we ask a logos subordinationist, they'll tell us that Jesus existed as the god through whom the supreme God created the universe before he became a human being. If we ask Tertullian, Jesus is god because he derives his substance from the Father, though he has a lesser portion of divinity.[77] If we ask Athanasius, he'll wax eloquent about how Jesus is of the same substance as the Father equal in status and eternality. The bottom line is that there was not one answer to this question prior to the fourth century. Answers depend on whom we ask and when they lived. Still, we can't help but wonder about the more tantalizing question of development. Which Christology was first and which ones evolved under social, intellectual, and political pressures? In the quest to specify the various stages of development in the Christologies of the ante-Nicene period, this Greco-Roman perspective may just provide the missing link between the reserved and limited way that the NT applies theos to Jesus in the first century and the homoousian view that eventually garnered imperial support in the fourth century. How easy would it have been for fresh converts from the Greco-Roman world to unintentionally mishear the story of Jesus? How easy would it have been for them to fit Jesus into their own categories of descended gods and ascended humans? With the unmooring of Gentile Christianity from its Jewish heritage, is it any wonder that Christologies began to drift out to sea? Now I'm not suggesting that all Christians went through a steady development from a human Jesus to a pre-existent Christ, to an eternal God the Son, to the Chalcedonian hypostatic union. As I mentioned above, plenty of other options were around and every church had its conservatives in addition to its innovators. The story is messy and uneven with competing views spread across huge geographic distances. Furthermore, many Christians probably were content to leave such theological nuances fuzzy, rather than seeking doctrinal precision on Christ's relation to his God and Father. Whatever the case may be, we dare not ignore the influence of Greco-Roman theology in our accounts of Christological development in the Mediterranean world of the first three centuries.    Bibliography The Homeric Hymns. Translated by Michael Crudden. New York, NY: Oxford, 2008. Antioch, Theophilus of. To Autolycus. Translated by Marcus Dods. Vol. 2. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001. Aphrahat. The Demonstrations. Translated by Ellen Muehlberger. Vol. 3. The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings. Edited by Mark DelCogliano. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2022. Apollodorus. The Library of Greek Mythology. Translated by Robin Hard. Oxford, UK: Oxford, 1998. Appian. The Civil Wars. Translated by John Carter. London, UK: Penguin, 1996. Arnobius. Against the Heathen. Translated by Hamilton Bryce and Hugh Campbell. Vol. 6. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995. Arrian. The Campaigns of Alexander. Translated by Aubrey De Sélincourt. London, UK: Penguin, 1971. Bird, Michael F. Jesus among the Gods. Waco, TX: Baylor, 2022. Blackburn, Barry. Theios Aner and the Markan Miracle Traditions. Tübingen, Germany: J. C. B. Mohr, 1991. Callimachus. Hymn to Artemis. Translated by Susan A. Stephens. Callimachus: The Hymns. New York, NY: Oxford, 2015. Cicero. The Nature of the Gods. Translated by Patrick Gerard Walsh. Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2008. Cornutus, Lucius Annaeus. Greek Theology. Translated by George Boys-Stones. Greek Theology, Fragments, and Testimonia. Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2018. Cotter, Wendy. "Greco-Roman Apotheosis Traditions and the Resurrection Appearances in Matthew." In The Gospel of Matthew in Current Study. Edited by David E. Aune. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001. Cyprian. Treatise 6: On the Vanity of Idols. Translated by Ernest Wallis. Vol. 5. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995. Dittenberger, W. Orientis Graecae Inscriptiones Selectae. Vol. 2. Hildesheim: Olms, 1960. Eusebius. The Church History. Translated by Paul L. Maier. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007. Fredriksen, Paula. "How High Can Early High Christology Be?" In Monotheism and Christology in Greco-Roman Antiquity. Edited by Matthew V. Novenson. Vol. 180.vol. Supplements to Novum Testamentum. Leiden: Brill, 2020. Hanson, R. P. C. Search for a Christian Doctrine of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007. Hart, George. The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. 2nd ed. Oxford, UK: Routledge, 2005. Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York, NY: Penguin, 1997. Iamblichus. Life of Pythagoras. Translated by Thomas Taylor. Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras. Delhi, IN: Zinc Read, 2023. Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho. Translated by Thomas B. Falls. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2003. Laertius, Diogenes. Life of Pythagoras. Translated by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie. The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library. Edited by David R. Fideler. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988. Laertius, Diogenes. Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Translated by Pamela Mensch. Edited by James Miller. New York, NY: Oxford, 2020. Lane, William L. The Gospel of Mark. Nicnt, edited by F. F. Bruce Ned B. Stonehouse, and Gordon D. Fee. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974. Litwa, M. David. Iesus Deus. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014. Livy. The Early History of Rome. Translated by Aubrey De Sélincourt. London, UK: Penguin, 2002. Origen. Against Celsus. Translated by Frederick Crombie. Vol. 4. The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Pausanias. Guide to Greece. Translated by Peter Levi. London, UK: Penguin, 1979. Perriman, Andrew. In the Form of a God. Studies in Early Christology, edited by David Capes Michael Bird, and Scott Harrower. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2022. Philostratus. Letters of Apollonius. Vol. 458. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 2006. Plutarch. Life of Alexander. Translated by Ian Scott-Kilvert and Timothy E. Duff. The Age of Alexander. London, UK: Penguin, 2011. Porphyry. Life of Pythagoras. Translated by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie. The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library. Edited by David Fideler. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988. Pseudo-Clement. Recognitions. Translated by Thomas Smith. Vol. 8. Ante Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Refutation of All Heresies. Translated by David Litwa. Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2016. Pseudo-Thomas. Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Translated by James Orr. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1903. Psuedo-Clement. Homilies. Translated by Peter Peterson. Vol. 8. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1897. Siculus, Diodorus. The Historical Library. Translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Vol. 1. Edited by Giles Laurén: Sophron Editor, 2017. Strabo. The Geography. Translated by Duane W. Roller. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2020. Tertullian. Against Praxeas. Translated by Holmes. Vol. 3. Ante Nice Fathers. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Tertullian. Apology. Translated by S. Thelwall. Vol. 3. Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Younger, Pliny the. The Letters of the Younger Pliny. Translated by Betty Radice. London: Penguin, 1969. End Notes [1] For the remainder of this paper, I will use the lower case “god” for all references to deity outside of Yahweh, the Father of Christ. I do this because all our ancient texts lack capitalization and our modern capitalization rules imply a theology that is anachronistic and unhelpful for the present inquiry. [2] Christopher Kaiser wrote, “Explicit references to Jesus as ‘God' in the New Testament are very few, and even those few are generally plagued with uncertainties of either text or interpretation.” Christopher B. Kaiser, The Doctrine of God: A Historical Survey (London: Marshall Morgan & Scott, 1982), 29. Other scholars such as Raymond Brown (Jesus: God and Man), Jason David BeDuhn (Truth in Translation), and Brian Wright (“Jesus as θεός: A Textual Examination” in Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament) have expressed similar sentiments. [3] John 20.28; Hebrews 1.8; Titus 2.13; 2 Peter 1.1; Romans 9.5; and 1 John 5.20. [4] See Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians 12.2 where a manuscript difference determines whether or not Polycarp called Jesus god or lord. Textual corruption is most acute in Igantius' corpus. Although it's been common to dismiss the long recension as an “Arian” corruption, claiming the middle recension to be as pure and uncontaminated as freshly fallen snow upon which a foot has never trodden, such an uncritical view is beginning to give way to more honest analysis. See Paul Gilliam III's Ignatius of Antioch and the Arian Controversy (Leiden: Brill, 2017) for a recent treatment of Christological corruption in the middle recension. [5] See the entries for  אֱלֹהִיםand θεός in the Hebrew Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT), the Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon (BDB), Eerdmans Dictionary, Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, the Bauer Danker Arndt Gingrich Lexicon (BDAG), Friberg Greek Lexicon, and Thayer's Greek Lexicon. [6] See notes on Is 9.6 and Ps 45.6. [7] ZIBBC: “In what sense can the king be called “god”? By virtue of his divine appointment, the king in the ancient Near East stood before his subjects as a representative of the divine realm. …In fact, the term “gods“ (ʾelōhı̂m) is used of priests who functioned as judges in the Israelite temple judicial system (Ex. 21:6; 22:8-9; see comments on 58:1; 82:6-7).” John W. Hilber, “Psalms,” in The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 5 of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. ed. John H. Walton (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009), 358. [8] Around a.d. 340, Aphrahat of Persia advised his fellow Christians to reply to Jewish critics who questioned why “You call a human being ‘God'” (Demonstrations 17.1). He said, “For the honored name of the divinity is granted event ot rightoues human beings, when they are worthy of being called by it…[W]hen he chose Moses, his friend and his beloved…he called him “god.” …We call him God, just as he named Moses with his own name…The name of the divinity was granted for great honor in the world. To whom he wishes, God appoints it” (17.3, 4, 5). Aphrahat, The Demonstrations, trans., Ellen Muehlberger, vol. 3, The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2022), 213-15. In the Clementine Recognitions we find a brief mention of the concept:  “Therefore the name God is applied in three ways: either because he to whom it is given is truly God, or because he is the servant of him who is truly; and for the honour of the sender, that his authority may be full, he that is sent is called by the name of him who sends, as is often done in respect of angels: for when they appear to a man, if he is a wise and intelligent man, he asks the name of him who appears to him, that he may acknowledge at once the honour of the sent, and the authority of the sender” (2.42). Pseudo-Clement, Recognitions, trans., Thomas Smith, vol. 8, Ante Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003). [9] Michael F. Bird, Jesus among the Gods (Waco, TX: Baylor, 2022), 13. [10] Andrew Perriman, In the Form of a God, Studies in Early Christology, ed. David Capes Michael Bird, and Scott Harrower (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2022), 130. [11] Paula Fredriksen, "How High Can Early High Christology Be?," in Monotheism and Christology in Greco-Roman Antiquity, ed. Matthew V. Novenson, vol. 180 (Leiden: Brill, 2020), 296, 99. [12] ibid. [13] See Gen 18.1; Ex 3.2; 24.11; Is 6.1; Ezk 1.28. [14] Compare the Masoretic Text of Psalm 8.6 to the Septuagint and Hebrews 2.7. [15] Homer, The Odyssey, trans., Robert Fagles (New York, NY: Penguin, 1997), 370. [16] Diodorus Siculus, The Historical Library, trans., Charles Henry Oldfather, vol. 1 (Sophron Editor, 2017), 340. [17] Uranus met death at the brutal hands of his own son, Kronos who emasculated him and let bleed out, resulting in his deification (Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel 1.10). Later on, after suffering a fatal disease, Kronos himself experienced deification, becoming the planet Saturn (ibid.). Zeus married Hera and they produced Osiris (Dionysus), Isis (Demeter), Typhon, Apollo, and Aphrodite (ibid. 2.1). [18] Lucius Annaeus Cornutus, Greek Theology, trans., George Boys-Stones, Greek Theology, Fragments, and Testimonia (Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2018), 123. [19] Apollodorus, The Library of Greek Mythology, trans., Robin Hard (Oxford, UK: Oxford, 1998), 111. [20] Pausanias, Guide to Greece, trans., Peter Levi (London, UK: Penguin, 1979), 98. [21] Strabo, The Geography, trans., Duane W. Roller (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2020), 281. [22] Psuedo-Clement, Homilies, trans., Peter Peterson, vol. 8, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1897). Greek: “αὐτὸν δὲ ὡς θεὸν ἐθρήσκευσαν” from Jacques Paul Migne, Patrologia Graeca, taken from Accordance (PSCLEMH-T), OakTree Software, Inc., 2018, Version 1.1. [23] See Barry Blackburn, Theios Aner and the Markan Miracle Traditions (Tübingen, Germany: J. C. B. Mohr, 1991), 32. [24] Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, trans., Pamela Mensch (New York, NY: Oxford, 2020), 39. [25] Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, trans., Thomas Taylor, Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras (Delhi, IN: Zinc Read, 2023), 2. [26] Diogenes Laertius, Life of Pythagoras, trans., Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie, The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988), 142. [27] See the list in Blackburn, 39. He corroborates miracle stories from Diogenus Laertius, Iamblichus, Apollonius, Nicomachus, and Philostratus. [28] Porphyry, Life of Pythagoras, trans., Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie, The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988), 128-9. [29] Iamblichus,  68. [30] What I call “resurrection” refers to the phrase, “Thou shalt bring back from Hades a dead man's strength.” Diogenes Laertius 8.2.59, trans. R. D. Hicks. [31] Laertius, "Lives of the Eminent Philosophers," 306. Two stories of his deification survive: in one Empedocles disappears in the middle of the night after hearing an extremely loud voice calling his name. After this the people concluded that they should sacrifice to him since he had become a god (8.68). In the other account, Empedocles climbs Etna and leaps into the fiery volcanic crater “to strengthen the rumor that he had become a god” (8.69). [32] Pausanias,  192. Sextus Empiricus says Asclepius raised up people who had died at Thebes as well as raising up the dead body of Tyndaros (Against the Professors 1.261). [33] Cicero adds that the Arcadians worship Asclepius (Nature 3.57). [34] In another instance, he confronted and cast out a demon from a licentious young man (Life 4.20). [35] The phrase is “περὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ θεοῖς εἴρηται ὡς περὶ θείου ἀνδρὸς.” Philostratus, Letters of Apollonius, vol. 458, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 2006). [36] See George Hart, The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, 2nd ed. (Oxford, UK: Routledge, 2005), 3. [37] Plutarch, Life of Alexander, trans., Ian Scott-Kilvert and Timothy E. Duff, The Age of Alexander (London, UK: Penguin, 2011), 311. Arrian includes a story about Anaxarchus advocating paying divine honors to Alexander through prostration. The Macedonians refused but the Persian members of his entourage “rose from their seats and one by one grovelled on the floor before the King.” Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, trans., Aubrey De Sélincourt (London, UK: Penguin, 1971), 222. [38] Translation my own from “Ἀντίοχος ὁ Θεὸς Δίκαιος Ἐπιφανὴς Φιλορωμαῖος Φιλέλλην.” Inscription at Nemrut Dağ, accessible at https://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/mithras/display.php?page=cimrm32. See also https://zeugma.packhum.org/pdfs/v1ch09.pdf. [39] Greek taken from W. Dittenberger, Orientis Graecae Inscriptiones Selectae, vol. 2 (Hildesheim: Olms, 1960), 48-60. Of particular note is the definite article before θεός. They didn't celebrate the birthday of a god, but the birthday of the god. [40] Appian, The Civil Wars, trans., John Carter (London, UK: Penguin, 1996), 149. [41] M. David Litwa, Iesus Deus (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014), 20. [42] ibid. [43] Blackburn, 92-3. [44] The Homeric Hymns, trans., Michael Crudden (New York, NY: Oxford, 2008), 38. [45] "The Homeric Hymns," 14. [46] Homer,  344. [47] Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, trans., Marcus Dods, vol. 2, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001). [48] Callimachus, Hymn to Artemis, trans., Susan A. Stephens, Callimachus: The Hymns (New York, NY: Oxford, 2015), 119. [49] Siculus,  234. [50] Cyprian, Treatise 6: On the Vanity of Idols, trans., Ernest Wallis, vol. 5, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995). [51] Arnobius, Against the Heathen, trans., Hamilton Bryce and Hugh Campbell, vol. 6, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995). [52] Livy, The Early History of Rome, trans., Aubrey De Sélincourt (London, UK: Penguin, 2002), 49. [53] Cicero, The Nature of the Gods, trans., Patrick Gerard Walsh (Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2008), 69. [54] Wendy Cotter, "Greco-Roman Apotheosis Traditions and the Resurrection Appearances in Matthew," in The Gospel of Matthew in Current Study, ed. David E. Aune (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 149. [55] Litwa, 170. [56] William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark, Nicnt, ed. F. F. Bruce Ned B. Stonehouse, and Gordon D. Fee (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974). [57] “Recent commentators have stressed that the best background for understanding the Markan transfiguration is the story of Moses' ascent up Mount Sinai (Exod. 24 and 34).” Litwa, 123. [58] Tertullian, Apology, trans. S. Thelwall, vol. 3, Ante-Nicene Fathers, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003). [59] Eusebius, The Church History, trans. Paul L. Maier (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007), 54. [60] Pliny the Younger, The Letters of the Younger Pliny, trans., Betty Radice (London: Penguin, 1969), 294. [61] Pseudo-Thomas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, trans., James Orr (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1903), 25. [62] Litwa, 83. [63] For sources on Theodotus, see Pseduo-Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies 7.35.1-2; 10.23.1-2; Pseudo-Tertullian, Against All Heresies 8.2; Eusebius, Church History 5.28. [64] Pseudo-Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, trans., David Litwa (Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2016), 571. [65] I took the liberty to decapitalize these appellatives. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, trans. Thomas B. Falls (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2003), 244. [66] Justin Martyr, 241. (Altered, see previous footnote.) [67] Justin Martyr, 102. [68] Justin Martyr, 56-7. [69] Arnobius makes a similar argument in Against the Heathen 1.38-39 “Is he not worthy to be called a god by us and felt to be a god on account of the favor or such great benefits? For if you have enrolled Liber among the gods because he discovered the use of wine, and Ceres the use of bread, Aesculapius the use of medicines, Minerva the use of oil, Triptolemus plowing, and Hercules because he conquered and restrained beasts, thieves, and the many-headed hydra…So then, ought we not to consider Christ a god, and to bestow upon him all the worship due to his divinity?” Translation from Litwa, 105. [70] Justin Martyr, 46. [71] Justin Martyr, 39. [72] Origen, Against Celsus, trans. Frederick Crombie, vol. 4, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003). [73] Litwa, 173. [74] I could easily multiply examples of this by looking at Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and many others. [75] The obvious exception to Hanson's statement were thinkers like Sabellius and Praxeas who believed that the Father himself came down as a human being. R. P. C. Hanson, Search for a Christian Doctrine of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), xix. [76] Interestingly, even some of the biblical unitarians of the period were comfortable with calling Jesus god, though they limited his divinity to his post-resurrection life. [77] Tertullian writes, “[T]he Father is not the same as the Son, since they differ one from the other in the mode of their being. For the Father is the entire substance, but the Son is a derivation and portion of the whole, as He Himself acknowledges: “My Father is greater than I.” In the Psalm His inferiority is described as being “a little lower than the angels.” Thus the Father is distinct from the Son, being greater than the Son” (Against Praxeas 9). Tertullian, Against Praxeas, trans., Holmes, vol. 3, Ante Nice Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003).

In this episode I am joined by Matthias Castle, the forthcoming translator of the new English edition of the Ars Notoria. We establish the historical tradition and textual evolution of the Notary Art, from its origins with Apollonius of Tyana's Flores Aurei & the angel Pamphilius all the way down to the Summa Sacrae Magicae & De Arte Crucifixi. Matthias is an independent scholar of classical studies, medieval history, and the Western esoteric tradition. After graduating from Emory & Henry College with a degree in religious studies and philosophy, Castle's Latin expertise, rich historical understanding, and keen research skills developed into the more than twenty-year ambitious investigation and translation project that resulted in his new book Ars Notoria: The Notory Art of Solomon, coming out November 28th with Inner Traditions. The 13th-century magical treatise offers a secret account of the sacred angelic magic revealed to King Solomon. This new complete translation features both the short and long versions (A, A2 & B) based on Julien Veronese's critical Latin edition and includes all of the original figures (notae), essential for inspection during ritual. You can connect with Matthias on his website at www.matthiascastle.com and I recommend you read his blog on the topics discussed in this video. His book is released November 28th and can be found in most bookstores & online retailers. Check it out here: https://www.innertraditions.com/books... Interested in Esoteric Scholarship & historical Occult practice? Check out our flagship training program: https://www.mystai.co.uk/omm Follow Mystai in all your usual places:

Opening Song: Abide (https://open.spotify.com/track/0WI1CFxnvfIm4rBubmzaY5?si=b1c81d01c0854e38) by Aaron Keyes and Aaron Williams Lyrics: For my waking breath For my daily bread I depend on You I depend on You For the sun to rise For my sleep at night I depend on You I depend on You You're the way the truth and the life You're the well that never runs dry I'm the branch and You are the vine Draw me close and teach me to abide Where the Spirit leads As I'm following I depend on You I depend on You For the victories Still in front of me I depend on You I depend on You You're the way the truth and the life You're the well that never runs dry I'm the branch and You are the vine Draw me close and teach me to abide Be my strength my song in the night Be my all my treasure my prize I am Yours forever You're mine Draw me close and teach me to abide When I pass through death As I enter rest I depend on You I depend on You For eternal life To be raised with Christ I depend on You I depend on You Oh would you teach me Would You teach me to abide I depend on You I depend on You Passage: 33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (Matthew 21:33–44 ESV) Musical Reflection: Harp meditation No. 1 by Gretchen Kirby Reflection Notes: A repetitive pattern in the left hand provides a meditative foundation while the right hand experiments with ascending lines. The tune is meant to be joyful and evoke delight. Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, give us a measure of your spirit that we may be enabled to obey your teaching to pacify anger, to take part in pity, to moderate desire, to increase love, to put away sorrow, to cast away vainglory, not to be vindictive, not to fear death, ever entrusting our spirit to immortal God, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without end. -Apollonius [(d. c. 185–190). A Roman senator who was particularly well read in the philosophy of the pagans. He was forced to appear before the praetorian prefect Perennes and was eventually martyred.]

Did the fall and/or destruction of the Great Library of Alexandria really set human progress a thousand years? Would w bee flying around in spaceships and teleporting and doing all kinds of crazy stuff if Julius Ceasar hadn't have burned down the library around 2000 years ago? Or DID Ceasar burn it down? What actually happened? What do we truly know about the contents of a place said to be the greatest house of knowledge of the ancient world? Exploring a historical mystery today - AND - bringing back Idiots of the Internet. Hooray! WATCH MY NEW SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! Trying to Get BetterWet Hot Bad Magic Summer Camp tickets are ON SALE!  BadMagicMerch.com Get tour tickets at dancummins.tv Watch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1eizkqK41AQMerch: https://www.badmagicmerch.comDiscord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard?  Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcastSign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits

We have Ancient Greeks including Xenophanes, Democritus and Apollonius to thank for some of the ideas that underpin our study of astronomy

Tuesday, 18 July 2023   Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. Acts 18:24   The words now form an insert into the narrative to introduce a new figure into the Bible. While Paul is going through the areas of Galatia and Phrygia, the figure is introduced so that when he meets with Paul, their two accounts will properly align. Understanding this, it now says, “Now a certain Jew named Apollos.”   The name Apollos is derived from the pagan deity Apollon, meaning the sun god. It is from the same source as Apollonia which is a place in Macedonia noted in Acts 17:1. The name Apollos may be a shortened form of a longer Greek name, such as Apollonius or Apollodorus.   This person will be noted twice in Acts, six times in 1 Corinthians, and then once in Titus. Outside of these verses, nothing more is known of him. He is next noted as having been “born at Alexandria.” Of this location, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown says –   “...the celebrated city of Egypt on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean, called after its founder, Alexander the Great. Nowhere was there such a fusion of Greek, Jewish, and Oriental peculiarities, and an intelligent Jew educated in that city could hardly fail to manifest all these elements in his mental character.”   This evaluation then explains the next words, saying he was “an eloquent man.” The word in Greek is logios. It signifies being gifted with learning. It also speaks of one with excellent oratory skills. Vincent's Word Studies explains further –   “The word is used in Greek literature in several senses. As λόγος [logos] means either reason or speech, so this derivative may signify either one who has thought much, and has much to say, or one who can say it well. Hence it is used: 1. Of one skilled in history. Herodotus, for example, says that the Heliopolitans are the most learned in history (λογιώτατοι) of all the Egyptians. 2. Of an eloquent person. An epithet of Hermes or Mercury, as the god of speech and eloquence. 3. Of a learned person generally. ...the scripture-learning of Apollos is specified in the words mighty in the scriptures, and his superior eloquence appears to have been the reason why some of the Corinthians preferred him to Paul.”   The comment about Apollo being preferred by some in Corinth is found in Paul's first epistle to them where the church was divided in who was the best example to follow. Because of his eloquence, it is assumed that some in the church preferred following Apollos. Not only did he possess the ability to eloquently convey his thoughts, but it also notes of him as, “and mighty in the Scriptures.”   Rather, the Greek contains a present participle, saying, “being mighty in the Scriptures.” In other words, he had a deep knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures. Of this, Albert Barnes rightly says, “The foundation was thus laid for future usefulness in the Christian church.”   This is the purpose of introducing him at this point. When someone will soon play a prominent role in the ongoing narrative, he or she is often introduced in advance. Then, at the right time, that person is brought directly into the ongoing narrative. Suddenly introducing Apollos as Luke has done means that this will be the case with him in the verses ahead. For now, it notes of him that he “came to Ephesus.”   Earlier in the chapter, it noted that Paul indicated that he would return to Ephesus –   “When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them, saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.' And he sailed from Ephesus.” Acts 18:20, 21   From there, the account hurriedly rushed through Paul's trip. At this point, he has left Antioch and is in the region of Galatia and Phrygia. At the same time, Apollos is introduced and he is at Ephesus, the place Paul committed to returning to. Without looking forward, one can be reasonably assured that these two will meet up in Ephesus. What type of meeting is unknown. Maybe they will be rivals, fighting over points of doctrine. Maybe they will become close friends as Paul and Timothy have done. But it is reasonably assured that the two will be brought into the same account in the narrative in the not-too-distant future.   Life application: One of the biggest mistakes made by people looking for a church, or of churches in the selection of the pastors, is that they look, first and foremost, for a person who is a skilled orator. There is nothing wrong with good oratory skills. Instead, they can be a source of great encouragement or stirring of the soul by those who hear well-spoken sermons.   Another similar mistake occurs when people look first and foremost for a pastor who is incredibly intelligent and articulates his thoughts in a remarkably logical and methodical way. There is nothing wrong with this approach either. Some people or congregations are so well developed in their thinking that having this type of presentation really edifies them.   However, the problem with such selections is derived from the thought “first and foremost.” All of the oratory skills in the world are wholly useless to a church if they are not properly aligned with Scripture. Likewise, being extremely well versed in the Greek language or in the structure of literature means diddly if evaluations of such things are torn out of their proper context.   What should be the first and foremost consideration is, “How well does this person know, understand, and care about Scripture?” Without this considered, nothing else really matters. To be properly and excitingly orated into heresy can only lead to sadness. To be presented with meticulous analyses of Scripture that are not based on what is contextually proper will only lead to faulty conclusions and aberrant doctrine.   If a person does not know Scripture well and if his understanding of it is not orthodox, he shouldn't be given two seconds of your time. Don't look at externals! How he is dressed, what he looks like, where he went to school, what type of degree he possesses, etc., are all not to be thought of as primary considerations. Understanding of, and adherence to, sound doctrine should be looked for before anything else.   Remember this and don't get caught up in fallacious thinking. Innumerable people have been swept up into cults and aberrant sects because they failed this first and primary consideration.   Glorious Lord God, please direct us to leaders who are mighty in Scripture and who handle it properly. We have our part in the selection of our leaders, so help us to be well-versed in Your word as well. Fill us with the strong desire to be fully aware of what Your word is conveying before we select those who we will appoint over us. If they are sound in such things, only then should we consider their other qualities. Keep us on the straight path in this matter. Amen.  

Dorotheos and Eusebia, a devout, aging Christian couple who lived in Anatolia, had no children. After many years, their fervent prayers for a child were answered, and they were blessed with a daughter, whom they named Kyriake ('Sunday' in Greek) because she was born on the Lord's day. The child grew up beautiful in body and soul and, though she had many suitors, chose to consecrate herself entirely to God and remain single. One of her suitors, angered at her refusal, denounced her and her parents to the Emperor Diocletian. Dorotheos and Eusebia were subjected to cruel tortures, then sent into exile, where they died under further torture. Kyriake was sent to Maximian, Diocletian's son-in-law, for trial. By his orders, she was subjected to a horrifying series of torments; but Christ Himself appeared to her in prison, healing and comforting her. Many pagans came to believe in Christ when they saw her miraculously saved from death by fire or from wild beasts; all of these were beheaded. Kyriake told Apollonius, the general who supervised her tortures: 'There is no way that you can turn me from my faith. Throw me into the fire — I have the example of the Three Children. Throw me to the wild beasts — I have the example of Daniel. Throw me into the sea — I have the example of Jonah the Prophet. Put me to the sword — I will remember the honored Forerunner. For me, to die is life in Christ.' Apollonius then ordered that she be beheaded. At the place of execution, she raised her hands in prayer and gave up her soul to God before the executioner could take her life.   Note: St Kyriake is also known as Dominica or Nedelja, Latin and Slavonic words for 'Sunday'.

Dorotheos and Eusebia, a devout, aging Christian couple who lived in Anatolia, had no children. After many years, their fervent prayers for a child were answered, and they were blessed with a daughter, whom they named Kyriake ('Sunday' in Greek) because she was born on the Lord's day. The child grew up beautiful in body and soul and, though she had many suitors, chose to consecrate herself entirely to God and remain single. One of her suitors, angered at her refusal, denounced her and her parents to the Emperor Diocletian. Dorotheos and Eusebia were subjected to cruel tortures, then sent into exile, where they died under further torture. Kyriake was sent to Maximian, Diocletian's son-in-law, for trial. By his orders, she was subjected to a horrifying series of torments; but Christ Himself appeared to her in prison, healing and comforting her. Many pagans came to believe in Christ when they saw her miraculously saved from death by fire or from wild beasts; all of these were beheaded. Kyriake told Apollonius, the general who supervised her tortures: 'There is no way that you can turn me from my faith. Throw me into the fire — I have the example of the Three Children. Throw me to the wild beasts — I have the example of Daniel. Throw me into the sea — I have the example of Jonah the Prophet. Put me to the sword — I will remember the honored Forerunner. For me, to die is life in Christ.' Apollonius then ordered that she be beheaded. At the place of execution, she raised her hands in prayer and gave up her soul to God before the executioner could take her life.   Note: St Kyriake is also known as Dominica or Nedelja, Latin and Slavonic words for 'Sunday'.

We tend to believe that the prosperity gospel is a modern dilemma for the true churches. The reality is that the Early Church Battled this mindset long before we did. On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce investigates the writings of Apollonius and Serapion on this heresy of Phrygia. Here are the links that were mentioned in the episode. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250105.htm https://www.christianpost.com/news/pope-francis-denounces-prosperity-gospel-preachers-who-worship-money.html https://churchleaders.com/news/329453-the-prosperity-gospel-criticized-by-the-vatican.html

Strange omens, plague, occult religious rites. King Tullus Hostilius' reign collapses in something like supernatural madness. The great Ancus Marcius takes over, but is finally deceived by a rich, mysterious newcomer to Rome: Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. Join Jonathan and Ryan as they outline how the first of the Tarquins takes the throne after first disinheriting his own nephew, and then effectively disinheriting the sons of Ancus Marcius, whom Lucius was bound to protect.Livy's Ab Urbe Condita: https://amzn.to/3gYwtbhMachiavelli's Discourses on Livy: https://amzn.to/3NtNBSjRene Girard's I See Satan Fall Like Lightning: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781570753190Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana: https://amzn.to/3qgEcWNFustel de Coulanges's La Cité Antique (French): https://amzn.to/3yzATuZFustel de Coulanges's The Ancient City (English): https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780648690542New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Apollonius the Apologist; Roman senator, denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves; he was arrested, and ended up in a debate in the senate; despite his eloquent defense, Apollonius was condemned and beheaded in 185 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/18/23 Gospel: John 3:7-15

The Argonautica

Book 1, Meditation 5. Marcus thanks Apollonius. -- Get rid of ads and support our work : https://link.stoicismpod.com/members Hang out with us in our free listener community: https://link.stoicismpod.com/discord Join our daily Stoic journaling program : https://link.stoicismpod.com/journaling Join our Stoic mentoring community : https://link.stoicismpod.com/path  -- View a list of our sponsors : https://link.stoicismpod.com/sponsors -- Visit our website : https://stoicismpod.com Check out our reading list : https://stoicismpod.com/suggested-reading Read our articles : https://stoicismpod.com/category/articles -- Online copy of Meditations (Long) : https://link.stoicismpod.com/meditations-long Online copy of Meditations (Casaubon) : https://link.stoicismpod.com/meditations-casaubon Online copy of Seneca's Letters : https://link.stoicismpod.com/letters -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “Argonautica”, written by the third century poet Apollonius of Rhodes, is the only surviving epic poem from the Hellenistic period. Recounting the travels of the hero Jason and his crew of Argonauts as they searched for the Golden Fleece, Apollonius managed to pay homage to the works of Homer while also reinventing the genre to better reflect the scholarship coming out of Alexandria. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2023/03/04/083-hellenistic-literature-apollonius-of-rhodes-and-the-argonautica/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/083-hellenistic-literature-apollonius-of-rhodes-and-the-argonautica-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The Brian D. O'Leary Show February 14, 2023 Happy St. Valentine's Day!   Show notes at https://briandoleary.substack.com/p/the-brian-d-oleary-show-2142023?sd=pf   Fountain.FM Listen and support us at the same time over at Fountain.FM   Saint Valentine February 14 This Day, the Fourteenth Day of February At Rome, on the Flaminian road, in the time of the emperor Claudius, the birthday of blessed Valentine, priest and martyr, who after having cured and instructed many persons, was beaten with clubs and beheaded. Also, at Rome, the holy martyrs Vitalis, Felicula, and Zeno. At Teramo, St. Valentine, bishop and martyr, who was scourged, committed to prison, and as he remained unshaken in his faith, was taken out of his dungeon in the dead of night and beheaded by order of  Placidus, prefect of the city. In the same place, the holy martyrs Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius, who, whilst watching by the body of St. Valentine, were arrested and put to the sword by the command of the ex-consul Leontius. …   History of St. Valentine from the Catholic Education Resource Center https://catholiceducation.org/resources/history-of-st-valentine   Painting gracing the cover art today is “St Valentine receiving a rosary from the hands of the Virgin” by David Teniers III. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Teniers_III     “I Never Liked St. Valentine” by Reckless Kelly   https://youtu.be/nvWoSGGd90w   Reckless Kelly   Micky and the Motorcars     RokBlok RokBlok … a different spin on vinyl. As seen on ABC's Shark Tank! RokBlok is the world's smallest, wireless record player. Simply place RokBlok on top of any record to instantly listen to your favorite vinyl, anywhere. https://briandoleary.com/rokblok/     For all the rest of it, go to BrianDOLeary.com for more information.    

In this episode, we explore the fascinating life of Apollonius of Tyana, a Neopythagorean philosopher whose life in many ways mirror that of Jesus.Sources/Suggested Reading:Dzielska, Maria (1986). "Apollonius of Tyana in Legend and History". L'Erma Di Bretschneider.Kirk, G.S., J.E. Raven & M. Schofield (1983). "The Presocratic Philosophers". Second Edition. Cambridge University Press.Huffman, Carl A. (ed.) (2017). "A History of Pythagoreanism". Cambridge University Press.#Apollonius #jesus #ancient Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 0744 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, XII (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.)Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Historicity of Jesus & Western scholarship, and final discussion of Michael Lockwood's research on Buddhism & the Gospels. Introduction to Kevin Brown's study of Hermes Trismegistus & Apollonius, and the true sage as defender of the

Episode 0745 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, XIII (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Concluding reflections on the historicity of the Gospel account of the life of Jesus -- with the issues of individual & collective psychology, reluctance to view-correction, idealization/devaluation, and preserving core wisdom. The

A neo-Pythagorean miracle worker, rival to Jesus, or a charlatan? Let's explore! Thank you for listening! Please share and subscribe! Leave a five star review, it helps people find us!

Episode 0741 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, X (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Historicity of Jesus & Western scholarship, and continued exploration of Michael Lockwood's research on Buddhism & the Gospels. A true sage as lover of truth, peoples' defender & healer, and eternal threat to 3D- authority. Date: 10/12/

Episode 0742 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, XI (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Historicity of Jesus & Western scholarship, and continued discussion of Michael Lockwood's research on Buddhism & the Gospels. True sage as lover of truth, peoples' defender & healer, and eternal threat to 3D- authority. Date: 10/19/22.

Episode 0737 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, VIII (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Focused discussion of RW Bernard's "Apollonius the Nazarene," the Council of Nicea, historicity of Jesus & Western scholarship. Ra on 'holy war,' Yahweh's genetic intervention, a history of conflict. Buddhism & Christianity, and the

Episode 0739 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, IX (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Final comments on R.W. Bernard's "Apollonius the Nazarene" & Council of Nicea, historicity of Jesus & Western scholarship. Ra on 'holy war' & Albert Schweitzer, with introduction to Michael Lockwood's research on Buddhism & the Gospels.

Episode 0733 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, VI (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Focused discussion of R.W. Bernard's "Apollonius the Nazarene," Council of Nicea, historicity of Jesus & Western scholarship. Buddhism & Christianity, and the true sage as lover of truth, peoples' defender & healer, and threat to 3D-

Episode 0734 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, VII (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Focused discussion of RW Bernard's "Apollonius the Nazarene," the Council of Nicea, historicity of Jesus & Western scholarship. Buddhism & Christianity, and the true sage as lover of truth, peoples' defender, healer & threat to

Meditation Begins at 4:10The intention of this meditation is to invoke the genii. The genii are archetypes or aspects of the universal mind called genius spirits that make up one particular energy or aspect. These genius spirits are often described as personified virtues and are known as The Genii of the Twelve Hours. They were described in the Nuctemeron, attributed to Apollonius of Tyana from the First Century AD. There is some confusion regarding these spirits, with some people assuming that ‘genius' is the same as ‘genie' because it sounds similar.  Genies are also known as ‘djinn' or ‘jinn,' and they are sometimes unpredictable and evil. As such, I would never use them in this book. The misunderstanding occurs partly because of issues with translation, and because ‘genius' sounds somewhat like ‘genie.'  With sufficient research, it is clear that the spirits employed in this ritual are gentle and safe. It is my belief that these genius spirits are not angels, but are an embodiment of angelic power. That is, they personify the virtues of various angels in the form of unique spirits.  People who have actually used this magick report real and lasting results, so don't let armchair occultists who wrongly assume that ‘genius' means ‘genie' put you off. The genius spirits give you access to power that is as warm, safe and mighty as that of the angels because it is inspired and powered by angels.Haven (HAH-VEN), genius of dignity, grant me the power of the magus.   Baglis (BAH-GLISS), genius of measure and balance, grant me the power to express my will.   Hahabi (HAH-HABI), genius of fear, let the force of my will overcome all terrors.   Phalgus (FAL-GUSS), genius of judgment, grant me clear sight on the path to victory.   Camaysar (CAH-MAY-SAR), genius of the marriage of contraries, grant me harmony.   Tabris (TAH-BRIS), genius of free will, grant me power over my own domain.   Sabrus (SAH-BRUS), sustaining genius, grant me the power to see beauty.   Alphun (AL-FUN), genius of the doves, grant me peace.   Zeffak (ZEFF-AK), genius of irrevocable choice, grant me the power to create my own immortality.   Mastho (MAST-OH), genius of delusive appearances, grant me the power to see through all deception.   Eglun (EGG-LUN), genius of lightning, grant me the power to express my will through magick.   Marnes (MARN-EZ), genius of the discernment of spirits, grant me the power to protect myself. Zahun (zah hoon) genius of scandal protect me from any scandal Sisera Sis-er- ah, genius of desire grant me the power to control my desires for m y greatest good. Labzerin (Lab-- Zer-- IN,)genius of success grant me success Zeirna (Zer na) - protect me from all sickness SIALUL, (See Al ool) genius of prosperity grant me the power for infinite prosperity JAZER (Ja Zer), genius who compels love. Buy My Art - Unique Sigil Magic and Energy Activation Through Flow Art and Voyages Through Space and Imagination. https://www.newearth.art/ BUY MY BOOK! https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Revolution-Mind-Blowing-Movement-Hack/dp/154450618X/Listen to my book on audible https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Reality-Revolution-Audiobook/B087LV1R5V The New Earth Activation trainings - Immerse yourself in 12 hours of content focused on the new earth with channeling, meditations, advanced training and access to the new earth https://realityrevolutioncon.com/newearth Alternate Universe Reality Activation  get full access to new meditations, new lectures, recordings from the reality con and the 90 day AURA meditation schedulehttps://realityrevolutionlive.com/aura45338118 Join our Facebook group The Reality Revolution https://www.facebook.com/groups/523814491927119 For all episodes of the Reality Revolution – https://www.therealityrevolution.com Follow Us on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/TheRealityRevolution/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/the_reality_revolution/ Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/mediaprime Follow me on MeWe https://mewe.com/i/brianscott71 Join our reality revolution group on twitter https://twitter.com/i/communities/1509405555579777024 Music By Mettaversfull sturgeon super moonFirst lightCovergence  

Episode 0730 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, IV (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana, from Maria Dzielska's discussion of historicity, to R.W. Bernard's "Apollonius the Nazarene." The lives or life of Apollonius & Jesus: a true sage as lover of truth, peoples' defender & healer, and threat to dishonest authority.  

Episode 0731 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, V (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana. Focused discussion of R.W. Bernard's "Apollonius the Nazarene," the Council of Nicea, historicity & scholarship & professional honesty. Life and Lives of Apollonius & Jesus: a true sage as lover of truth, peoples' defender & healer, and

Episode 0729 - Apollonius of Tyana & the Sage, III (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Extended commentary on the life & times of Apollonius of Tyana, from F.C. Conybeare's introduction to Maria Dzielska's discussion of historicity. The lives or life of Apollonius & Jesus -- and the true sage as lover of truth, peoples' defender & healer, and threat to dishonest authority.  

This amazing books that comes with an introduction by Arthur Conan Doyle is a fascinating and incredible channeled worked from 1929 called the New Nuctemeron The Twelve Hours Of Apollonius Of Tyana By Marjorie Livingston. The Nuctemeron is called "the Day of God" because he intended to rebuild and re-establish the existence of God in our lives, forever, so that God might manifest itself fully in human form, in the common man and modern living in today's world. It is said that the original text of the nuctemeron was burned in the fire at the library of alexandria.  A number of scholars have translated portions and created a description of the 12 hours of nuctemeron.  Here I discuss the original nuctemeron and the meaning of each hour.   Eliphas Levi translated a text that describes the hours. Apollonius Of Tyana was a Greek Neopythagorean philosopher from the town of Tyana in the Roman province of Cappadocia in Anatolia. In Philostratus's description of Apollonius's life and deeds, there are a number of similarities with the life and especially the claimed miracles of Jesus.   Marjorie Livingston channels an entity called Arcaziel who appears to be Apollonius.  This work is called the new nuctemeron and is a channeled work that tells the story of the soul as it travels through matter, is initiated into the higher knowledge and becomes of aware of the astral worlds. This work describes the astral realm and the journey of the soul into divinity. The New Earth Activation trainings - Immerse yourself in 12 hours of content focused on the new earth with channelings, meditations, advanced training and access to the new earth https://realityrevolutioncon.com/newearth Alternate Universe Reality Activation  get full access to new meditations, new lectures, recordings from the reality con and the 90 day AURA meditation schedulehttps://realityrevolutionlive.com/aura45338118 BUY MY BOOK! https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Revolution-Mind-Blowing-Movement-Hack/dp/154450618X/ Listen to my book on audible https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Reality-Revolution-Audiobook/B087LV1R5V Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Reality-Revolution-Podcast-Hosted-By-Brian-Scott-102555575116999 Join our Facebook group The Reality Revolution https://www.facebook.com/groups/523814491927119 Subscribe to my Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgXHr5S3oF0qetPfqxJfSw   Contact us at media@advancedsuccessinstitute.com For coaching – https://www.advancedsuccessinstitute.com For all episodes of the Reality Revolution – https://www.therealityrevolution.com Follow Us on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/TheRealityRevolution/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/the_reality_revolution/ Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/mediaprime Follow me on MeWe https://mewe.com/i/brianscott71  Music By Mettaversejourney through the multiverseinner worldssolsticenocturneinto the omniversethe language of lighttravel lightsolacegolden lotus