Tag: Resurrection

138

5.11.5.
The Marys in the New Testament are prosperous women, in particular merchants, who had the reputation

Ephesus, ancient toilet
Ephesus, ancient toilet

of possessing skills in alchemy and who supported the Christians materially and financially.

5.11.6.
The Messiah’s conception was understood as an (alchemical) act of creation, and only an entirely upright, i.e. pure alchemist could achieve the conception of the Messiah with God’s help (God’s Spirit).

This is why the Messiah’s mother was named after the famous alchemist Mary. She is called a virgin to indicate her purity; therefore in the legend, Jesus must be her first-born son.

5.11.7.
The resurrection was also viewed as an alchemical act of creation. It was prepared by the women called Mary.

When the women arrived at the grave to prepare Jesus’ body for the resurrection, the Creator God, Lord of alchemical powers and mysteries, had already carried out the act of new creation and had raised Jesus from the dead.

111

5.5.11.
The Resurrection: like the ancient mystery cults, the baptismal sect believed in the death and resurrection of people

Masada, Roman military camp
Masada, Roman military camp

and celebrated this in baptism. Death in baptism signifies laying down the old person and the resurrection in baptism signifies the transformation into a new person.

Jesus had not only undergone death in baptism symbolically, like the others who had been baptised; he had really died and was raised to life again by God, due to his merits. In other words he was transposed into the new creation that everyone anticipated.

The Easter resurrection narratives are later literary illustrations of the belief in the resurrection; the resurrection formulae quoted by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:3-5 are statements of faith, not accounts of actual experiences.

The accounts of Jesus’ resurrection describe an interpretation of his death; they do not describe a historical fact, nor can it be claimed that they give historical proof of God’s existence.

087

5.2.12.
The stories about Jesus’ appearances after the Resurrection in Matt. 28 show Jesus in the typical situation of a governor

Jerusalem, Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Jerusalem, Church of the Holy Sepulchre

at the morning audience. Jesus and the angels appear – like the governor – dressed in white linen; the people approach them with their concerns and wishes. Jesus shows both nearness and distance.

Raimund Schulz writes the following on the significance of the governor’s morning audience (Herrschaft und Regierung, p. 108f):

“To be surrounded every morning by a large crowd seeking advice and help – this too was a sign of (the governor’s) prestige and power. It gave the aristocratic ruler legitimacy … “