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Show TESTAMENT OF ANCIENT DOCUMENTS The Antiquity Of Chrises O. Preston and Christine H. Robinson prehend. Although later Christian fathers altered this concept, Jesus taugtit that His father, tlieir God, was so similar in personality and cliaracteristics to himself, that those who had known him had known the Father. (John 8:19). By Editor's Note: In September, Dr. and Mrs. Robin son returned tor a fourth time to the Holy Land. As with previous visits, the purpose of this one was to study recent developments in the discovery and trans lation of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient rcc ords in respect to their possible relationships to tho Restored Gospei. Although 20 years have passed since the discovery of ancient records in caves near the Dead Sea, the controversy over their meaning still boils hotly. The real reason for this controversy lies in the fact, according to the scrolls, that well over 100 years before the birth of Jesus, a group of Jewish searchers after truth, now known as the Dead Sea Covenanters, were practicing and teaching' many religious doctrines which later became a fundamental part of the Gospel taught by Jesus and his followers. Christian cliurehs, other than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints, believe Christianity began with Christ's ministry on earth. These churches are very much disturbed by the message of the scrolls. Their concern is over the question of the originality of Christ's teach- well-sprin- ... ings. If Jesus, as some Christian scholars now contend, borrowed important portions of His teachings from already existing sources, then it is possible that He, accordwas not a miracuing to their conclusion, lous incarnation .of a son of God, preexistent in the heavens and sent to earth as the long awaited Messiahl. Rather, He , may have been just a remarkably capable teacher wlto took the ft uits of many generations of Hebrew religious teachings, added to these the best of the concepts of existing sects, combined all these with His own thinking and composed the whole into a gospel which became the foundation of the orginal Christian Church. This, of course, is a harsh conclusion of one which the meaning of the scrolls rocks the very foundations of Christianity. Yet. the conclusion that Christian origins now need to be iestudied is agreed to by some of our most renowned Biblical scholars. , the eviOne authority has written, dence with regard to the beliefs and practices of Jewish sectarians (the Dead Sea Covenantors) of the last two centuries B.C. bids fair to revolutionise our approach to the beginnings of Christianity.2 Another scholar, who has worked closely with the translation of the scrolls, recorded, All the problems relative to primitive Christianity henceforth find themselves placed in a new light, ulveh forces us to reconsider them completely. '3 Still another: Christianity. Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism all the high religions, no matter what their claims, have grown in natural ways and evolved with history.4 doctrines What were these and practices recorded in the scrolls which have so disturbed church leaders and Biblical scholars? Here are some of the important ones: . then-curre- , Sea Covenanters had a church organization similar to (he one later eslhlishod by Jesus. 1. The Dead According to one of the original translators, the covenanters called themselves by the name Edah, the same as was employed by the early Christians to denote The Clun cii.". Thoie were twelve men of holiness who served as spiritual leaders of the group. Titesc twelve men had three superiors wlm actually directed all of the affairs, both spiritual and lonioral of the sect. In addition, there was a regular system of overseers,-th- e equivalent of the C'irenk Episcopal, or bishops, together with the office of priests and c!tler$.5 This bears a tcmarkable similarity to that which was established lv Jesus and . Ills disciples. believed in man's free agency. The Dead Sea Covenanters taught specifically that every man had the rigiit to exto accept light ercise his free agency and truth and act accordingly or to follow the promptings of Satan. Their Manual of Discipline states, Now, this God created man to rule the world and appointed for him two spirits after whose direction lie was to walk until the final inquisition. They are the spirits of truth and of perversity. The origin of truth lies in the fountain of g light and that of perversity in tiie of darkness. AH who practice righteousness are under the domination of the Prince of Ligiit and walk in the ways of light; whereas all who practice perversity are under the domination of the Angel of Darkness and walk in the ways of darkness for God has appointed these two things (truth and perversity) to obtain in equal measure until the final age.Tl This doctrine of free agency is a fundamental part of original Christianity. Throughout Christ's ministry, lie taugtit His gospel tlnougii persuasion and without compulsion. His dboiples wore instructed to preach the gospel to all who would hear and to show compassion upon those who rejected their teachings. 6. They had a unique euneept of sin. One of the communitys beliefs, which is emphasized over and over again in their hymns and in tlieir Manual of Discipline, is that there is no vistage of the idea of original sin. Every man is endowed at birth wdth the charisma of knowledge and discernment and that any sinfulness which he incurs is due only to his individual neglect of these gifts and to his individual submission to, or entrapments by, the domination of the evil impuisp.12 In view of this concept of individual responsibility, the only way that any individual can overcome his own sinfulness i3 through personal effort and individual experience. This concept, too, is a basic part of original Christianity. Jesus taught that man was responsible for his own acts and the only way he could overcome sinfulness was to replace evil with good. 7. They believed in a Messiah and in Ills second coming. The covenanters' teacher of righteousness was a continuing office rather than a title given to a specific individual. The various references to him throughout their scriptures do not indicate that they were alluding to one and the same person. They believed in a single. Christ-likteacher of righteousness who had suffered martyrdom but whose second coming was expected. Their term Messiali simply meant annointed King. 13 These are only some of the major concepts held by the Dead Sea Covenanters. They also considered themselves to be an elect group who, had made a new' covenant with their God, They were persuaded that tlieir contemporaiy Jewish brothers had drifted far from the original teachings of the prophets and they were determined to do everything possible to bring themselves back into harmony with God's teacliings. In the face of this significant body of concepts, there are only two reasonable explanations on the meaning of the contents of the Dead Sea Scrolls . 1. Christian doctrines, practices and organizations evolved out of already existing religious teachings. This, as indicated above, is the point of view now being taken by many of leading religious Continued on Pa go 12 3. They "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face 2, Hiey practiced for the remission of sins by immersion after full 3. They were organized into a communal brotherhood. repent- ance. The Dead Sea Covenantors established a true communal brotherhood. All property was held in common and all affairs or the members of the group were administered for the common good. One of their scrolls, now known as The Manual of Discipline, records, this is the procedure which all members of the community are to follow in all dealings with one another, wherever they dwell. Everyone is to obey his superi- or in rank in all matters of work or money. But all are to dine together, worship together ard take counsel together. 9 was This community organization remarkably similar to that established by Christ's disciples. As described in the Acts of the Apostles, all that believed weie together. and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and part- ed them to all men, as every man had baptismal font has been uncovered in the Qumran community ruins. Archeologists and scholars have no doubt but that this font was used for baptismal purposes. A Dr. Charles T. ' Fritsch concludes, The complicated water sytem which has been excavated, played a larger role in the community than the satisfaction of ordinary, daily needs. The only possible answer is that it was used for baptismal or lustration rites.6 . Baptism, of course, is an ancient rcli- -' gious practice. Although the Old Testament makes no direct reference to it, the Hebrew Talmud is unmistakably dear that proselytes of righteousness were required to accept baptism prior to admission into the church.7 Baptism practiced by the Dead Sea Covenanters, however, n was only after repentance and for the of sins. A modern Hebrew scholar, in discussing this rite indicates that the group's concept of the purposes of baptism were quite than those held by Rabbinic Judaism, He states that the idea that immersion has anything to do with the forgiveness of sins is quite foreign to the la tier .8 Baptism by immersion for the i emission of sins was a requirement for entry into the original Christian Church. Even Jesus, .. himself, was baptised to fuMill all (Matt.. 3:13),.. . . need. rent--issio- riglit-cousues- . (Acts 2:41, 45.) had a unique coneept of God. As indicated in the previous article, 10, although the covenanters did not have a dear concept of the Trinity, their under-- , standing of their God was as a kind, concerned, merciful, father. Unlike tlieir contemporary Jewish brothers, Urey thought of their God as a personal, divine being with human cliaracteristics with whom they could commune, and from whom they could receive revelations and individual dilection. This was the kind of a God which Jgs.us endeavored to have his disciples com ' 4. TWy WEEK ENDING DECEMBER e 7, 1968 CHURCH- -7 |