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Thursday 18 January 2018

Scriptures outside the Western churches canon

Jesus teaches much not taught clearly in other scriptures included in the Western canon and some is clearest when you look at scriptures not canonised by western churches. Take the matter of who goes to hell (the dark part of Sheol, Hades) and how wicked you need to be to go there. The Book of Jasher description of Sodom describes the ancient world meaning of 'wickedness' so eloquently - very illuminating. The Book of Enoch describes it too especially focusing on violent crime and disregard of justice. That fits with Jasher. The poor are noted as victims of it in Jasher. The innocent 'sheep' are noted victims in Enoch - the righteous are so often those oppressed by the wicked. Being righteous puts people at risk of the wicked taking advantage, but is still the best way in light of what Enoch knew of the future judgement against the wicked and the future easing of the burdens of the righteous as the Lord, the Son of Man removes the wicked from among them in the future. Jesus the actual Son of Man made flesh took it further by showing how neglect of innocent poor by wicked rich is being balanced out constantly after death in the afterflfe too, even before the future turning of tables and eventual final judgement. We need to turn from things we learn are wicked and learn to do right and we need to accept what is bad as it comes to us in this life knowing it will be balanced out in the afterlife.  Interesting how in the parable or story Jesus told of the Rich Man and Lazarus it is Abraham who reminds the rich man in the afterlife that no more warning is needed to be given to the rich man's living brothers except what scriptures already give of a terrible afterlife result of disregarding the poor in the first life - interesting because it is only really the Book of Enoch that gives such warning directly and clearly, including such detail about the afterlife and who is sent where. Clearly Jesus was mindful of the Book of Enoch when giving such a teaching and was calling it scripture. To say the scriptures are so clear that people need no more warning in this life about the treatment of the poor and the afterlife after death means you have to include Book of Jasher passages clearly spelling out the wickedness of Sodom and Book of Enoch passages describing the places of the dead. This means they are what Jesus calls scripture. We need to know this and know it now.