parresia

hard scripture

Mystery and Mysticism from the New Testament

Sometimes it's very easy to just read over certain parts of Scripture without really paying attention to what the author is giving testimony. Sometimes those glossed parts of Scripture reveal very mystical/mysterious events. The following are just a few of the many such verses found in the New Testament alone-- there seem to be many more in the Old Testament.

These are the types of verses that do not easily fit into western rationalistic Christianity, but they do, in a certain way, add credibility to the many remarkable events preserved in the traditions of the Church. It is not that the traditions of the Church need more credibility, but from a Protestant perspective it is often very easy to dismiss many of the miraculous traditional accounts of the Church as mere hyperbole, or aggrandized historical events. However, when a Protestant is presented with Bible verses, such as the following, it may make it just a little easier to accept some of the traditions they might otherwise reject outright.

Matthew 27
52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Numbers 22 30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?" And he said, "No." 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. 32 The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me.

Matthew 4 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

John 5 1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]

Mark 5
27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

Acts 19 11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

Luke 2
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."
33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them

Glory be to God both now and forever!

Posted by jeremy stock at January 23, 2003 02:47 PM