- Dec 23, 2012
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If you've ever read the Epistle to the Hebrews as well as Plato's story of the Forms, you might notice a similarity between the concept of the Ideal Republic, a heavenly city whose sun is the Form of the Good, and the New Testament image of the New Jerusalem. You might also have heard of Apollonius of Tyana, and at least spent some debating his similarity to Christ.
I find it rather strange that Jesus speaks of His impending crucifixion in terms of drinking from His Father's cup. Now perhaps He was referring in some way to the Last Supper: perhaps He thought one of the Apostles would poison the wine, or He knew that the wine would come right before He was betrayed, or something along those lines. I don't know how often a young Jewish man would be liable to compare a literally foreseen crucifixion to drinking from a cup of poison unless speaking in metaphors. And if He didn't literally foresee such a thing, if He was predicting it, on what did He base His prediction? And wouldn't crucifixion still have seemed the likelier threat?
But suppose, instead, that Greek philosophy was more a catalyst for the genesis of Christianity than just contributing the conception of the Logos to the religion, for instance. What if there were adherents of Plato's philosophy who adapted his metaphysics to Jewish cosmology, teaching in an area Christ at least passed through at some point in His life? Or maybe He independently figured out a philosophy akin to the one traceable to Socrates. (I don't really know who the Essenes were, and I imagine there might be answers to my question already out there, so forgive me my lack of education if it proves my theories unoriginal.) Anyway, suppose He hears the legend of Socrates' demise. Christ knows He's intending in Jerusalem something like Socrates did in Athens. Only, Jerusalem is far more volatile than Athens back in the day, so if Socrates was unjustly executed for "provoking" his city, Christ has some pretty good reasons to expect Himself to be put to death as He protests in Jerusalem. And so to compare the known threat of being crucified with Socrates being made to drink water laced with hemlock would be poetic justice after a fashion.
I find it rather strange that Jesus speaks of His impending crucifixion in terms of drinking from His Father's cup. Now perhaps He was referring in some way to the Last Supper: perhaps He thought one of the Apostles would poison the wine, or He knew that the wine would come right before He was betrayed, or something along those lines. I don't know how often a young Jewish man would be liable to compare a literally foreseen crucifixion to drinking from a cup of poison unless speaking in metaphors. And if He didn't literally foresee such a thing, if He was predicting it, on what did He base His prediction? And wouldn't crucifixion still have seemed the likelier threat?
But suppose, instead, that Greek philosophy was more a catalyst for the genesis of Christianity than just contributing the conception of the Logos to the religion, for instance. What if there were adherents of Plato's philosophy who adapted his metaphysics to Jewish cosmology, teaching in an area Christ at least passed through at some point in His life? Or maybe He independently figured out a philosophy akin to the one traceable to Socrates. (I don't really know who the Essenes were, and I imagine there might be answers to my question already out there, so forgive me my lack of education if it proves my theories unoriginal.) Anyway, suppose He hears the legend of Socrates' demise. Christ knows He's intending in Jerusalem something like Socrates did in Athens. Only, Jerusalem is far more volatile than Athens back in the day, so if Socrates was unjustly executed for "provoking" his city, Christ has some pretty good reasons to expect Himself to be put to death as He protests in Jerusalem. And so to compare the known threat of being crucified with Socrates being made to drink water laced with hemlock would be poetic justice after a fashion.
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