Opinion of the Apostles

Translation of the postumous writings of Allan Kardec on the study of the nature of Jesus Christ. Third in a series.

The Words of the Apostles relating to the nature of Jesus Christ

So far, we have relied exclusively on the words of Christ as the only peremptory element of conviction, because, beyond that, there are only personal opinions. Of all these opinions, those of greater value are undoubtedly those of apostles since they assisted him in his mission:

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,

‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope.

Then everything in the words of Jesus - whatever He said in life, death - accuses a duality of perfectly distinct entities, as well as the deep feeling of His inferiority and His subordination to the Supreme Being. By His insistence on asserting it spontaneously-without being embarrassed or provoked by anyone- He seems to want to protest in advance against the role attributed to Him after His prediction. If He had kept quiet about His personality, the field would have been open to all assumptions as well as to all systems. But the accuracy of His language eliminates all uncertainties. What greater authority can be sought than that of His own words? When He says categorically: I am or are not this or that, who would dare to arrogate the right to deny it, even if to put it higher than He Himself puts Himself? Who can rationally claim to be more enlightened than He is about His own nature? What interpretations may prevail against statements as formal and multiplied as these:

For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.’” (Acts of the Apostles, 2:22 to 28. St. Peter's Preaching)

“Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts of the Apostles, 2:33 to 36. St. Peter's Prayer)

For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’

“Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”(Acts of the Apostles, 3:22 to 26. St. Peter's Preaching)

"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole." (Acts of the Apostles, 4:10, Preaching of St. Peter)

“The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." (Acts of the Apostles, 4:26 to 28.)

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts of the Apostles, 5:29 to 31. Response of the Apostles to the High Priest)

" This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? " (Acts of the Apostles, 7:37, 48, 49. Stephen's Address)

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. (Acts of the Apostles, 7:55 to 58. Martyrdom of Stephen)

These citations clearly demonstrate the character that the apostles attributed to Jesus. The exclusive idea that emerges from these texts is that of their subordination to God, constant supremacy of God, without anything there revealing a thought of any assimilation of nature and power. For them, Jesus was a man prophet, chosen and blessed by God. Therefore, there was not one among the apostles who believed in the divinity of Jesus. St. Paul - who did not know Jesus, but who, an ardent persecutor, became the most zealous and most eloquent disciple of the new faith and whose writings prepared the first forms of the Christian religion. There is in him the same feeling of two distinct beings and the supremacy of the Father over the Son. “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1: 1 to 7)

"Being thus justified by faith, may we have peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! " (Romans 5: 1, 6, 9, 11, 15, 17)

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10: 9)

"Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.“(1 Corinthians 15: 24-28)

“But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews, 2: 9-13, 17, and 18)

"Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)"(Hebrews 3: 1-4)