Posted on 07/23/2019 9:37:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A 1700-year-old letter that was recently discovered is said to reveal the way Christians actually lived centuries ago.
The Papyrus P.Bas. 2.43 was written by a man named Arrianus to his brother Paulus, who was believed to be named after the apostle Paul. The letter has been dated to 230s AD and is thus older than all previously known Christian documentary evidence from Roman Egypt.
It describes day-to-day family matters and provides insight into the world of the first Christians in the Roman Empire.
“The earliest Christians in the Roman Empire are usually portrayed as eccentrics who withdrew from the world and were threatened by persecution. This is countered by the contents of the Basel papyrus letter,” said Sabine Huebner, professor of ancient history at the University of Basel in Switzerland.
The letter was concluded by the phrase: “I pray that you farewell ‘in the Lord.” This statement is their proof that the writer was actually a Christian.
“The use of this abbreviation – known as a nomen sacrum in this context – leaves no doubt about the Christian beliefs of the letter writer,” Sabine added. “It is an exclusively Christian formula that we are familiar with from New Testament manuscripts.”
The University of Basel has been holding onto the 1700-year-old letter for the past 100 years. It originated in the village of Theadelphia in central Egypt and belongs to the Heronius archive. The Heronius archive is the largest papyrus archive from the Roman Times.
Arrianus and Paulus were the sons of the local elite, landowners and public official. The letter discusses politics, food, and faith during those times.
“Greetings, my lord, my incomparable brother Paulus. I, Arrianus, salute you, praying that all is as well as possible in your life.
“[Since] Menibios was going to you, I thought it necessary to salute you as well as our lord father. Now, I remind you about the gymnasiarch, so that we are not troubled here. Heracleides would be unable to take care of it: he has been named to the city council. Find thus an opportunity that you buy the two [–] arouras.
“But send me the fish liver sauce too, whichever you think is good. Our lady mother is well and salutes you as well as your wives and sweetest children and our brothers and all our people. Salute our brothers [-]genes and Xydes. All our people salute you.
“I pray that you fare well in the Lord.”
What a miracle that we are still digging up more and more artifacts dating back to the time of Christ!
Nor can reliance on sola Scriptura resolves the disputes about what the Bible means. We need go no further than "This is my Body." A whole litany could be made out of Bible verses where Catholics and Protestants disagree, not on the authority of the Bible, but on the meaning of the passage.
IF, read in context, and that is usually where the problems arise is scripture is read out of context, the passages on the Lord's Supper are clear as to their meaning.
“written XIIII”
Uh, that should be “XIV”
Agreed, that is why I am Catholic. By what authority do say that I am wrong? If we are to go by sola Sciptura, show me in the Bible where it says that this passage is not to be taken in its plain meaning.
Show me where you’re not supposed to cut off your hand than causes you to sin.
The book used XIIII. I was providing the exact quote.
Quite a while back, the current Pope may be the last one, the policy of praying to Church officers (Bishops) as well as other “Saints” is a position they claimed they had authority to do over a thousand years ago
I have seen more weird positions from Him than any pope in history and there have been some real winners if you know what I mean. Ratzinger wanted to normalize things but the more radical/weird elements in the church stopped him and now look at what they have.
Both could be, and were used. As has been stated, there are manuscripts that do indeed show "XIIII." Even today "IIII" is more often used instead of "IV" on clocks and watches.
An obvious metaphor, or do you dispute this?
Hi, metmom-!
The point of that sentence was to confirm it was confirming the age of the letter in reference to Paulus being named after the Apostle Paul, yes?
Either way, I am hoping they have more like this letter.
By most estimates Rome has only ruled dogmatically on around 15 or so, in some estimates considerably less, verses.
https://jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2005/12/incarnation_dur.html
This writter suggests only seven have been provided a definitive definition.
https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/scripture-texts-interpreted-by-the-church/
When, (if) you read your Bible, how can you understand it without Rome's rendering of what the passage means?
An obvious metaphor, or do you dispute this?
As a Roman Catholic....how do you know for sure??
Francis is naught but a public heretic. Such cannot be Pope, no matter how many people call him one.
Bruce has forgotten more about this topic that what anyone knows on these threads.
Nope. Nor are churches mentioned, crosses, collection baskets, preachers, schools, summer camps. The original Church was all about saluting family members and sharing fish liver sauce.
Frederick Fyvie Bruce’s career at the University of Manchester aside, nothing alters or contradicts the points listed in post 114.
Sorry...but it does.
P.S. And remember Paulus, buy as much property along the French Riviera. It will probably be worth a lot of money some day.
I would guess that they meant that Paul was a known personage to them through the letters and oral traditon and that this child was named after Him. As my son Peter was named after Peter Simon, the Apostle.
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