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In the wider sense what is going on here? At the end of the last Section (c/f
the analysis of Reality Search)
Paul cuts, what some may have perceived to be, an almost pathetic
figure. It appears he has 'boxed' himself into a corner - too dangerous to be released as far
as the Jews were concerned yet innocent as far as the representatives
of the 'Gentile' world could see.
As a biblical scholar and as an Apostle he is convinced that his
position about the minimisation or internalisation of the law and faith
in the cosmic presence and power of Jesus Christ, is the fulfilment of
Judaism. Yet the Jews do not see
this position as being realistic.
With a clash of both theological logic and realism going on,
Luke the writer then takes the reader into a detailed description of a
huge storm. Surely this is a
reflection of what internal and external pressures the emerging church
was going through at the time, as it tried to sort out its position.
Luke the third and last synoptic gospel writer (synoptic
meaning similar) has taken a reader to the point when there is a
dawning realisation that Christianity is indeed something
different. But at the same time
it has, what appears to be, some basic and inherent contradictions.
Consider contradictions in the light of the line of logic
presented by the analysis of Reality Search. The
contradictions include the situation that Christianity combines two diffferent
societies. One is based upon time and the other is based
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upon place. They involve
two different mind sets, even a contradiction in terms. Yet the one supports the existence of
the other. The Christian 'type'
- of the adult-child is also a contradiction in terms.
Something that makes the C21st cosmology of "The Big
Bang" an interesting starting position for this line of logic and
the structure of the Church itself is that both time and place started
out together. At some stage they
did fit as a fusion. So also
were the 'Cause' of the big bang and its 'result' together, or in other language, the Creator and
the created were at one.
Perhaps there is some sort of 'force' within nature trying to
bring about some form of 'reconciliation' between the two.
It appears there is some sort of realisation
about inherent contradiction, towards the end of The Acts of the Apostles and this finds expression in the
description of the storm. The
next gospel writer, John, who wrote some decades later, appears to
'embrace' such the realisation of contradiction. Instead of reaching such an idea
towards the end of his writing, he in fact starts with it - in the very
first sentence. "In the
beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was
God." Then he proceeds with
the rest of his gospel. He
redefines Christianity in terms of the fact that it is a contradiction.
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