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December 25 and Mithras

6/9/2020

The fastest growing religious cult in the 1st century surrounded the worship of a god called Mithras. Many link the birthday of this god - December 25 - to the dating of the Christmas celebration as we know it today.

Mithras was envisioned as a powerful god who had the ability to control the cosmos. There are no sacred writings from this cult, only the sculptures found within the Mithras worship sites - called Tauroctony. The Tauroctony tells the story of Mithras through the symbols of the zodiac.

Due to the discovery of the Procession of the Equinoxes by Hipparchus many in the ancient world were looking for a god that was bigger than the cosmos. By the time of the advent of Jesus the world is primed to be looking for a God that has the power to enter the cosmos and bring shalom.

Join us in this faith lesson as we explore the origins of this mystery cult.

For further study I recommend the work by David Ulansey.

You can find an article on the Cosmic Mysteries of Mithras at David Ulansey's website. A link is provided here: http://www.mysterium.com/mithras.html

I also recommend an article that was published in the Journal of Biblical Literature on the cosmic symbolism found within the gospel of Mark. A link provided here: http://www.mysterium.com/veil.html

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Teacher

Scott Broberg - I have a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) from Bethel Seminary - San Diego.

The focus of my studies was twofold:

First, Biblical Studies with an emphasis on the Old Testament (different from theological studies - here is a great article explaining). I love the culture, language, and history that culminates in each biblical story.

The foundation of Jesus' world is the Hebrew Bible. Everything he teaches and does is connected to the only "text" of his day. Jesus did not have a New Testament. Neither did the disciples. The more you understand the Hebrew Bible, the more you will appreciate the New Testament.

The second is Spiritual Growth or Spiritual Formation. What does it mean to be a human within God's creation, and how do we grow and change to be more like what God intended us to be?

The spiritual journey is a journey of a lifetime. It is the most challenging and rewarding thing you can do. It takes tremendous courage to face ourselves and our limitations in an effort to grow. It is THE Critical Journey.