Elijah House Ministry S: Fill & Download for Free

First let me post a warning: conspiracy theories will seriously exasperate anyone who knows anything about scholarship, scripture or history—or telling the truth. They are a house of mirrors. If you can’t take it without grinding your teeth or pulling out your hair—don’t read this! Conspiracy theories are based on Penguin logic!There are actually three “types” of conspiracy theory about Jesus:Jesus was created by the Romans—or someone—anyone.Jesus and Christianity were created by members of various secret societies, mystery schools— maybe other religions. (Acharya S)Jesus was created by the Flavian Empire in an effort to control the Jews—or pacify the poor—or enslave people—or something else bad; Josephus wrote the New Testament. (Atwill)Some New Age believers consider that Jesus taught reincarnation but the Christian Church suppressed it.Jesus had an intimate relationship with Mary Magdalene which may or may not have resulted in marriage, and/or children; their continued bloodline is then said to be Christianity's deepest secret.The Sang Real The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, (by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln) (1982) is seen by many as the source of that plotline in The Da Vinci Code.The real problem is—if Jesus wasn’t real—who invented him—and why?Jenny Hawkins's answer to If Jesus didn't exist, who is the person (or group) who first created the myth?There are a limited number of choices:The Apostles are not viable conspirators. Debunking the Conspiracy Theory: 7 Arguments Why Jesus’ Disciples Did Not Lie The apostles demonstrate all the elements of sincere belief. Lies are told for some selfish advantage. What advantage did the apostles derive? They laid their lives on the line and never recanted.But the simplest argument is, if there had been a conspiracy, it would certainly have been unearthed by the disciples' opponents and enemies. These opponents had every reason to do so if they could have; they had both the desire and the power to expose any fraud.But the Jews are even less likely to have invented the story of Jesus.That leaves the Romans or the later church itself.Jesus was created by the Romans.Of the current Mythicists, Robert Price and Richard Carrier are the only ones with any real education in any field of biblical study.Bart Ehrman recently debated Robert Price.Earl Doherty is considered by many to be a leader in modern mythicism. He is a knowledgable amateur.The best known mythicist of modern times is George A. Wells.But these guys are not conspiracy theorists. If mythicists are on the fringe (they are) of biblical studies, conspiracy theorists are on the fringe of mythicism. They are popular sensationalists.Acharya S, whose actual name is D. Murdock has written a book entitled The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold where she asserts Jesus is Horus the sun-god. Bart Ehrman, who is generally no friend to Christianity, says “…the book is filled with so many factual errors and outlandish assertions that it is hard to believe that the author is serious.” (“Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth” by Bart Ehrman) A Refutation of Acharya S's book, The Christ Conspiracy - Risen Jesus, Inc. Horus Manure: Debunking the Jesus/Horus ConnectionI have written responses to Acharya S and was—originally—shocked when I discovered she is perfectly content to simply make stuff up out of whole cloth. I didn’t know people actually did that! This was my first encounter with her. (Jenny Hawkins's answer to Is the religion of Christians the meanest and "bloodiest in history"?) I’ve come to realize this is what one should expect from Acharya S.She clearly believes her audience to be both ignorant and lazy—too ignorant to know she lies profusely and too lazy to look anything up and find out. Even if I were a mythicist, I wouldn’t read her books. I’d be too insulted.In 2005, Joseph Atwill published “Caesar’s Messiah: The Roman Conspiracy to Invent Jesus”.In it, Atwill makes errors of assumption, and errors of correlation; he lacks correct information about church government, and Popes; he misuses Clement's letter to Corinth; he neglects scholarship; he has no evidence; he ignores contrary evidence; he misreads and misquotes the New Testament, uses “props and contrivances” to assert his theory, and is generally such a poor writer that even fellow mythicists like Robert Price and Richard Carrier panned his book. Joseph Atwill Caesars messiah review(For a point by point discussion of Atwill, check here: The Historical Jesus - Part Two: Contemporary Challenges; Sections one and two )The idea that Rome would bother to devise such a scheme is riddled with inconsistencies and improbabilities:Why in the world would the Roman Emperor Titus start a new religion to deceive Jews that he had already soundly beaten on the battlefield?How credible is it that Domitian (himself a Flavian) persecuted Christianity and forgot that his own relatives had created it in the first place?Why would some of those relatives actually become Christians?Even more problematic are Roman writers whose works can’t simply be ignored. Tacitus' comment in Annals 15.44 places Christianity and Roman reaction to it nearly a decade before Titus' final victory.The churches founded by Paul in places like Colossae, Laodicea, Antioch, Smyrna, Ephesus, Galatia and even the church in Rome all date from more than a decade before Titus, since Paul died in the 50’s. How is it possible to explain those if Christianity wasn’t invented till the 70’s?Pliny's letter to Trajan asking what to do about Christians must also be addressed. How credible is it that Hadrian and Pliny "forgot" Romans had created Christianity?Where is there any evidence of any of it?Timing is the primary problem for all mythicists. Doherty claims it was only in the second century that Christian communities began believing in an historical Jesus, but that is backwards of what historical record we have.The early creeds and hymns recorded in the New Testament give evidence of both the theology and the historical facts new Christians were being taught about Jesus during the period of oral history. All scholars agree the oral period began almost immediately after the resurrection in the 30’s.These creeds say: that Jesus became a man (Phil.2, 1 John 4:2), that he was of the lineage of Jesse and David (Acts 13:23, 2 Tim. 2:8), that he lived in Nazareth (Acts 2:22, 4:10, 5:38), That he was preceded by John the Baptist (Acts 10:37, 13:24–25), was baptized by him (Rom. 10:9–10), and in Acts 10:37 the creed says Jesus’ ministry began in Galilee and extended to Judea in Palestine.The creeds tell of Jesus’ character, his teachings, his disciples, his miracles and ministry, they say he fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, they describe the last supper—which scholars acknowledge traces back to Jesus himself—and the oldest creed in existence that probably dates to within one to four years of his death speaks of his resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15.Gnosticism—the belief that Jesus was not a real human man—is the legend that evolved in the second century—after the first generation of believers who had known him had all died and could no longer object with the historical facts they knew.Not to mention the idea that Christian communities created the beliefs and teachings about Jesus has been undermined suficiently it can no longer be considered valid.2. Some New Age believers consider that Jesus taught reincarnation but the Christian Church suppressed it. Edgar Cayce believed Jesus taught reincarnation and had been reincarnated 30 times before becoming the Christ figure. "Christ is Not a Man" and ResponseCayce’s views can be described as a version of the mystery religions combined with gnosticism. "Christ is not a man" means that "Christ" is a spirit that descends on certain men. The concept of a Christ spirit or a cosmic spirit coming upon various people throughout history is not new but can be traced back to Gnosticism in the second century.The Bible teaches Jesus is the "unique" Son of God, who fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures for the Messiah. This means Jesus was unique and was the only one who fulfilled these prophecies:"[F]or the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me" (John 5:36b; see also John 10:25, 38; 14:10,11). There is no "Christ spirit;" there is only Jesus and he is the only one who is the Christ.Jesus did say of himself that he had pre-existed Abraham, but this is not a reference to reincarnation, it is a reference to his divine identity.While preaching in Galilee, Jesus speaks to the crowds about John the Baptist saying; “if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:14). (Jesus is making a direct reference to an Old Testament prophecy found in Malachi 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the day of the LORD comes.") But when asked if he was Elijah, (John 1:21), John said no.Resolution is in the first chapter of Luke when the birth of John is foretold to his father Zechariah by the angel Gabriel.The angel does not say that John the Baptist is Elijah come again, but that his ministry will be like that of Elijah.The Bible does not support belief in reincarnation.3. Jesus had an intimate relationship with Mary MagdaleneThis one has done a lot of damage I feel.If Jesus had gotten a wife there would have been nothing in Judaism to indicate there was anything wrong about that. As a matter of fact, if Mary was anything like Jewish mothers everywhere, Jesus probably had to resist pressure to marry. Jesus was fully man—a doctrine of the church from the beginning—there would have been no reason to hide something as reasonable and honorable as marriage. Some of the disciples had wives. It was accepted.But none of the Gospels, nor any other New Testament documents, nor any other early Christian sources, nor any historical source, or reference to a source, of any kind, tell us Jesus was married. None.Jesus was called “Rabbi” by his followers, but there is no indication that he held the formal, official office. His followers addressed him as such simply because he was their “teacher.” And we have a number of instances of Jewish men, teachers, and scribes who were single. The Essene community at Qumran for example.Moreover, there is no evidence that all rabbis were married. On the contrary, it was not uncommon for rabbis dedicated to the special study of God’s word to remain single (see George F. Moore, Judaism in the First Centuries of the Christian Era, 2:119-120).Paul doesn’t argue that Christians should be celibate, because Jesus was celibate, but Paul rarely invokes Jesus as a moral example. Instead, he invokes faith in Jesus’ identity as moral motivation.Paul tells very little about Jesus’ historical life. That doesn’t mean he was unaware of it, but he simply doesn’t invoke many specific examples of Jesus’ behavior; he probably would have felt he was claiming something that rightly belonged to the original disciples only. Thus, his “silence” on Jesus’ celibacy is not noteworthy.“Mary the Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb to prepare his body for burial…Then and now, no woman would touch the naked body of a dead Rabbi, unless she was family. Jesus was whipped, beat and crucified. No woman would wash the blood and sweat off his private parts unless she was his wife.”What historical evidence is there that only wives would care for a dead body? This is completely make-believe. NO one was supposed to touch dead bodies—yet someone had to.Other women went with Mary to the tomb to care for the body (Matt 28:1; Mark 16:1). Are we to think these other women were also married to Jesus?“In 1947, in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, the Gnostics got their revenge. At that time, several of their Gospels were found hidden in jars. They all tell the same story — Jesus was married.”Shades of Acharya S! This is a baldfaced lie! None of the Nag Hammadi texts say Jesus was married. None.The Lost Gospel states that Jesus and Mary had two children.The “Lost Gospel” is a Syriac manuscript, dated to the 6th century AD, that contains a pseudepigraphical story entitled Joseph and Aseneth. That story has been well known to scholars for years. It has nothing to do with Jesus at all. Indeed, the name of Jesus is never mentioned.Was Jesus Married to Mary Magdalene? Revisiting a Stubborn Conspiracy TheorySo who was Mary Magdalene anyway and what was her role?Luke 8:1–3 introduces three of the women—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna—who travel with Jesus around Galilee up until his death in Jerusalem (see also Luke 23:49, 55; 24:10).It was not necessarily ‘scandalous’ in nature for first century women to join themselves to a traveling male teacher or religious figure. But the presence of women among Jesus' followers, along with Luke's willingness to make them known, suggests that Jesus' movement was more inclusive and welcoming toward women than were some others in the ancient world.Luke mentions that the women "provided for" Jesus and the others "out of their resources."Luke does not elaborate on the nature of their service, so some have interpreted it to be supplying and preparing food. The context and details of these verses, however, lend stronger support to the assumption that the women offered their independent financial patronage to assist Jesus' ministry.In any case, offering service of any kind to Jesus and the community of his followers is something highly valued throughout Luke-Acts.What evidence there is indicates they were donors—not wives or sexual companions. There is no evidence of anything else.There are more conspiracy theories out there—one claims the Christian church made up the historical Jesus after it gained political power in the fourth century under Constantine. Again timing—and actual history—get in the way.But that’s the problem with all of them: actual history gets in the way.There is no evidence of any kind to support a single aspect of any conspiracy theory.There is a large quantity of evidence that refutes them.Evidence. Rationality. Jesus was not made up; he was a real person and the gospels were written by people who believed in his uniqueness.The Historical Jesus Collection

There were multiple purposes as I understand it. This is a story; like many stories from that time we cannot know to what extent the story is true or embellished (contrary to the inerrant Bible beliefs which have been largely debunked by modern historical and archaeological findings). Unfortunately, unlike many of the other Prophets of Israel, we do not have a Book of Elijah and have only records of His promises and prophesies. The Hebrew Bible we have today is based on records and traditions compiled in Judah primarily after the fall of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel to Assyria and then edited and completed after the return from Babylon of certain scribes. Some archaeological work and reports on the cave(s) and discussing the temple to Ba’al can be found at: http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/israel/toldot/ovadiha-elijah2.pdf.First, it demonstrated to the People of Israel the impotency of “false gods” and the supreme authority of the one God. Elijah was a monotheist (contrary to the academic argument and some evidence of “monolatery” (Monolatry - Wikipedia).In Canaanite and regional religious traditions, El was a Supreme God but had a consort Ashereth, and Baal and other “gods” were also considered and worshiped in the region. El (or Elohim, which is technically plural) and YHWH were both terms for God adopted in ancient Hebrew that were adapted from regional names for the most supreme god. These traditions were held over and still practiced to some extent in Israel even after widespread adoption of Judaism in the region. The people of Israel (particularly in the northern kingdom) tended to be more flexible with respect to this worship of other gods and the monarchy and people tended at times to marry persons who worshiped other gods.Historical evidence and traditions suggest that at various times the worship of Ba’al returned to Mount Carmel near the cave of Elijah after Elijah (during the 6th century BCE worship of Ba’al is mentioned there and the place was part of Phoenicia at times during and after the fall of the northern kingdom). The place was venerated by various different beliefs in the Hellenistic (Greek conquest of the region), then in the Roman period, and again venerated by Jewish and Christian groups after the 1st Century CE and again from 12th Century CE onwards http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/israel/toldot/ovadiha-elijah2.pdf (http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/israel/toldot/ovadiha-elijah2.pdf).Second, the place is important historically and currently in my religion. Carmel means the vineyard of the Lord and the place name reflected Elijah would appear before the Great Messiah, the Lord of Hosts aka Glory of the God of Israel, would appear at the end of time (end of an age of human history). Elijah understood and foresaw the future significance of the site itself in conquering once and for all the false gods and unifying belief in the one God.[I have been to the cave(s) of Elijah (one is covered by a Carmelite Christian church and monastery known as the Stella Maris and the other is a lower and less prominent but publicly accessible grotto revered by certain Jewish groups; see Cave of Elijah - Wikipedia)]The region surrounding Mount Carmel (Megiddo is not far away either) has symbolic and spiritual significance in Jewish tradition. The Hebrew Bible of today was compiled and written primarily from the perspective of Judea (after the fall of the northern kingdom), but hints and references are found in the Jewish Bible. The Plain of Sharon is the most fertile region and the heart of certain promises of future fulfillment. See Map of Ancient Israel.Isaiah 35:2 “It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.” (KJV)The Carmelites (see Carmelites - Wikipedia) and German Templer movement believed that the prophesies anticipated the return of the Lord on or near Mount Carmel at the end of times. Around 1868 the German Templers (Templers (religious believers) - Wikipedia) began to emigrate to and populate the lower area at the foot of Mount Carmel in expectation of the Return. You can still see messages on some of the old homes in the “German colony”, such as Der Her ist Nigh (The Lord is near.).Not far from the cave of Elijah today is the Shrine of the Bab and the Baha’i Gardens. Additionally, a number of the administrative buildings (Seat of the House of Justice, the elected governing body of the Faith) and important monuments of the Baha’i Faith are located on Mount Carmel. Baha’i believe that the Bab (Gate in English; Ministry 1844 to 1850; now interred in the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel; see Báb - Wikipedia) plays the role of the return of Elijah. Baha’u’llah (the Glory of God; Ministry 1853 to 1892; see Bahá'u'lláh - Wikipedia) was exiled by the Ottoman Empire to the prison city of Akka, Northern Palestine in 1868 (Akka juts out into the Mediterranean Sea norm of Akka and forms a bay with Haifa on the south end). Baha’u’llah later in His life spent some time near the cave of Elijah and on the slopes of Mount Carmel and indicated where certain future Baha’i shrines and developments would be located. (See Bahá'í gardens - Wikipedia; Tours - The Bahá'í Gardens)

Peter associates lying (thief) to the church with lying (thief) to the Holy Spirit. And without a repentant heart, death is knocking at the door.{1} Jude put it this way: “1. Build yourselves up in your most holy faith2. Pray in the holy Spirit.3. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.4. On those who waver, have mercya. Save others by snatching them out of the fire.b. On others have mercy with fear.c. Abhor even the outer garment stained by the flesh.”(Jude 1:20 – 23)The sentence seems very harsh for Ananias and Sapphira who donated the proceeds from the sale of their land. But Peter claimed they lied. The offence was so egregious that God condemned both of them to death.{1} Why? Well apparently a “great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things,” that the pledge for the donation had become very public. And, with the lie, the penance also became just a public.What too many Christians do not understand is that sin is an overt rejection of the love of God, God’s law, and His community. This is reflected in Jesus’ words to Peter: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”{2:2c-d} We have become too accustom to thinking sin is a very private affair. The Catholic Church insists on absolution by a priest as confirmation of God’s forgiveness; and penance (restitution) as a means to mend whatever breach I created with my neighbor(s).Ananias and Sapphira are stark reminders of the spiritual death I incur every time I sin and don’t repent of it. Those sins harden my heart and provide fodder for Satan to use to further my demise into more sin and final destruction.* Couple Lie Before Peter *{1} A man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. He retained for himself, with his wife’s knowledge, some of the purchase price, took the remainder, and put it at the feet of the apostles.Peter: “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you lied to the holy Spirit and retained part of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain yours? And when it was sold, was it not still under your control? Why did you contrive this deed? You have lied not to human beings, but to God.”When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last, and great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men came and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened.Peter: “Tell me, did you sell the land for this amount?”Sapphira: “Yes, for that amount.”Peter: “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen, the footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”At once, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men entered they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.(Acts 5:1 – 11)* From Simon to Peter *{2} Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi.Jesus: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”Disciples: “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”Jesus: “But who do you say that I am?”Peter: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”Jesus: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.1. Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.2. You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.a. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.b. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.c. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.d. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven[1].”(Mt 16:13 – 19)[1] Caesarea Philippi: situated about twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee in the territory ruled by Philip, a son of Herod the Great, tetrarch from 4 B.C. until his death in A.D. 34. He rebuilt the town of Paneas, naming it Caesarea in honor of the emperor, and Philippi (“of Philip”) to distinguish it from the seaport in Samaria that was also called Caesarea[2].Who do people say that the Son of Man is?: for Jesus here refers to himself as the Son of Man.John the Baptist: “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”(Mt 14:2)Elijah: John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey(Mt 3:4). The clothing of John recalls the austere dress of the prophet Elijah. The expectation of the return of Elijah from heaven to prepare Israel for the final manifestation of God’s kingdom was widespread, and according to Matthew this expectation was fulfilled in the Baptist’s ministry[3].Jeremiah: an addition of Matthew.The Son of the living God: This exalted title eliminates whatever ambiguity was attached to the title Messiah. This, among other things, supports the view proposed by many scholars that Matthew has here combined his source’s confession with a post-resurrectional confession of faith in Jesus as Son of the living God that belonged to the appearance of the risen Jesus to Peter[4].Flesh and blood: a Semitic expression for human beings, especially in their weakness.Has not revealed this…but my heavenly Father: that Peter’s faith is spoken of as coming not through human means but through a revelation from God is similar to Paul’s description of his recognition of who Jesus was, “when God was pleased to reveal his Son to me[5].”You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: the Aramaic word kēpā’ meaning rock and transliterated into Greek as Kēphas is the name by which Peter is called in the Pauline letters. It is translated as Petros (“Peter”) in John. The presumed original Aramaic of Jesus’ statement would have been, in English, “You are the Rock (Kēpā’) and upon this rock (kēpā’) I will build my church.” The Greek text probably means the same, for the difference in gender between the masculine noun petros, the disciple’s new name, and the feminine noun petra (rock) may be due simply to the unsuitability of using a feminine noun as the proper name of a male. Although the two words were generally used with slightly different nuances, they were also used interchangeably with the same meaning, “rock.”[6]Church: There are several possibilities for an Aramaic original. Jesus’ church means the community that he will gather and that, like a building, will have Peter as its solid foundation. That function of Peter consists in his being witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it: the netherworld (Greek Hadēs, the abode of the dead) is conceived of as a walled city whose gates will not close in upon the church of Jesus, i.e., it will not be overcome by the power of death.The keys to the kingdom of heaven: the image of the keys is probably drawn from where Eliakim, who succeeds Shebna as master of the palace, is given “the key of the House of David,” which he authoritatively “opens” and “shuts”[7].Whatever you bind…loosed in heaven: there are many instances in rabbinic literature of the binding-loosing imagery. Of the several meanings given there to the metaphor, two are of special importance here: the giving of authoritative teaching, and the lifting or imposing of the ban of excommunication. It is disputed whether the image of the keys and that of binding and loosing are different metaphors meaning the same thing. In any case, the promise of the keys is given to Peter alone. Elsewhere, all the disciples are given the power of binding and loosing, but the context of that verse suggests that there the power of excommunication alone is intended. That the keys are those to the kingdom of heaven and that Peter’s exercise of authority in the church on earth will be confirmed in heaven show an intimate connection between, but not an identification of, the church and the kingdom of heaven[8].[2] Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. When the latter died, his territory was divided among three of his surviving sons, Archelaus who received half of it, Herod Antipas who became ruler of Galilee and Perea, and Philip who became ruler of northern Transjordan. Since he received a quarter of his father’s domain, Antipas is accurately designated tetrarch (“ruler of a fourth [part]”).[3] (2 Kgs 1:8; Mal 3:32–34; Sir 48:10)[4] He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”· And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”· Jesus appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.· They were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” (Mt 2:15; 3:17; 1 Cor 15:5; Lk 24:34)[5] But when [God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, (Gal 1:15–16)[6] I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”· Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you,· Do we not have the right to take along a Christian wife, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?· Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.· And when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.· On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised, for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles, (1 Cor 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; Gal 1:18; 2:11; Gal 2:7–8)[7] On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, gird him with your sash, confer on him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut, what he shuts, no one will open. (Is 22:20 – 22)[8] Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Mt 18:18)