Post-WCG Life and Theology ARCHIVES

What if Jesus had behaved as an ACOG? Boy, wouldn't the New Testament be a totally different document? I believe this speculative topic is fair game, too, since the ACOGs profess to be practicing Christianity in the same manner as the early Christians.Just in briefly pondering this topic, I've come up with some very interesting changes that would be required. I would guess that some of our other members will come up with some additional contributions.First, we'd need to radically alter the work that Jesus and the disciples did. If they behaved in the Armstrongian mode, Jesus would constantly be hammering people for their tithes and offerings, so that opulent buildings could be built to house and train additional young disciples, and to enhance Jesus' credibility amongst the world leaders of the day. He would also be chauferred from city to city in a fine Egyptian chariot to preach his message. The message would need to be changed from one of salvation, to one dominated by the end of the age, to capitalize on the value of scare, and stimulating additional donations.There would be no concern for the world at large, only for those who believed and were part of Jesus' church. Instead of reprimanding Peter for cutting off the Roman Centurion's ear, and rather than heal him, he'd probably say, "Oh well, he's not one of us, so let the dead bury the dead!"We'd also need to edit the passages concerning miraculous healings, so that perhaps 99% of the healings failed, with the "patients" being ridiculed as "dumb sheep", and blamed for their lack of faith. Rather than teaching that the Sabbath is made for man, Jesus would be required to select and carefully choose certain requirements from the 613 Levitical laws, and to insist that they be kept to the nth degree.He would not be concerned with feeding the masses physical food. Perhaps those who were baptized would get a morsel or two, but largely they'd be told to start tithing so that God would bless them.When his disciples asked him serious hard and deep questions, he would compare them to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and tell them that they were in rebellion, and in the bonds of Satan. No way would he be patient with them, and try to minister to their deep inner needs as he was with Thomas. In fact, Thomas would have been told, "My way or the highway".To elude capture by Romans and Jews, Jesus would have travelled to a place outside of his would be captors' jurisdiction, where he maintained a fine third or fourth home, and kept a fine sailing vessel ready to travel on short notice. He would also have a team of attorneys and possibly an armed bodyguard to defend him.Finally, Jesus message would need to incorporate the total valuelessness of the human experience. Humans are totally secondary to the law. They are only important if they obey. The minute they exercise free will apart from the law, they are to be blotted out for eternity.