Posted on 07/28/2019 6:02:04 AM PDT by Kaslin
In an imaginary “ranking” of Christian topics that elicit the most fervent discussions, Jesus Christ is No. 1. But near the top is the Shroud of Turin — believed by millions of Christians to be the authentic burial cloth of Jesus. This “ranking” was inspired by you — Townhall readers who wrote over 500 impassioned comments in response to my July 21 piece, “Shroud of Turin: New Test Concludes 1988 ‘Medieval Hoax’ Dating Was a Fraud.”
I purposely read all your comments to gain insight into my role as an adviser and fundraiser for a groundbreaking exhibition about the Shroud of Turin at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. This spectacular museum, among the largest and highest rated in the city, is located only three blocks from the Capitol. And just prior to the January 20, 2021, presidential inauguration is when this high-tech Shroud exhibit is scheduled to open.
Threaded throughout hundreds of your responses about all aspects of the Shroud was one overarching theme summarized by these three comments:
“Anyone who requires physical evidence to underpin their faith doesn’t understand the concept of faith.”
“JESUS CHRIST died for all. HE is what is important. Making such a fuss about this piece of cloth is a distraction from HIS work of SALVATION.”
“I respectfully submit that the only ‘relic’ which really matters is the one which was left us on that first Easter morning: The tomb is empty! He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!”
Of course, “He is Risen” is also the foundation of my Christian faith, (made slightly more complicated by having been born Jewish). But I feel compelled to discuss and explore the comment that reads in part, “…such a fuss about this piece of cloth...”
And my response is simple: The Shroud of Turin exists because HE exists. An answer that echoes what God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).
Thus, the existence of the Shroud of Turin raises two questions that I will attempt to address: First, what exactly is the Shroud? And second, a deeper dive into “Why does the cloth exist?”
The Shroud of Turin is a 14.5-by-3.5-foot linen cloth with a linear front to back mirror image of a crucified man. The Shroud has the distinction of being the most studied artifact in the world, yet the cloth’s numerous mysteries remained unexplained by modern science.
At this moment the Shroud lies in a fireproof box in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, as it has continuously since 1578. (But secretly relocated between 1939 and 1946 when Italian authorities feared Hitler was seeking possession.)
Dating the Shroud has been controversial and the subject of my July 21 piece.
Among Shroud historians, there is no dispute that in 1352, over 200 years before the Shroud was housed in Turin, Geoffrey DeCharney displayed the cloth in Lirey, France marking the beginning of the Shroud’s documented "modern" dating.
There is also much circumstantial Shroud evidence through art, artifacts, and coins that pre-dates 1352. Moreover, scientifically verified botanical evidence found on the cloth in the form of pollen, dust, flowers, and even the weave and type of linen traces the Shroud back to first-century Jerusalem.
The cloth with its mysterious properties has survived wars, invasions and the ravages of time including numerous fires — most recently in 1997 at its home cathedral in Turin.
Most harrowing was the 1532 fire in Chambéry, France. Miraculously the entire cloth was not destroyed but left those distinctive linear markings along both sides of the Shroud that we see today. Hard to imagine, but the linen cloth was stored in a silver box, folded in 48 layers, when drops of molten silver burned through the cloth’s outer folded edges.
The point is, against all the odds, the Shroud exists. And, as stated earlier, because He exists. There is also a significant Bible-based reason found in the Gospel of John known as “Doubting Thomas” (John 20:24-31).
But first, a “guest” who will explain this passage needs a proper introduction:
It turns out that the many Townhall readers who commented about not needing the Shroud’s “physical evidence to underpin their faith,” represent a large swath of Christian believers. I learned this when asking Russ Breault— my fellow Shroud exhibit team colleague, and a world-renowned Shroud expert and speaker — if he had experienced similar attitudes after over 30 years of hosting his popular “Shroud Encounters” to sell-out crowds.
Breault replied:
“I get that statement all the time! When someone says, ‘I don't need the Shroud for my faith,’ I usually say, ‘That is fantastic! But that doesn't mean the Shroud was not meant for someone else.’ ”
Breault continued: “In the Doubting Thomas story, Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who ‘believe yet have not seen,’ but Jesus did not condemn Thomas for his unbelief. In fact, a week after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared a second time, and the first person he spoke to was Thomas, who was not there to witness Jesus’ first appearance. Jesus then quotes Thomas' words back to him, ‘Thomas, thrust your hand into my side and place your fingers into my nail wounds and be not faithless but believe.’
At this point, Thomas — forever known as "Doubting Thomas" — makes the strongest profession of faith in the New Testament saying, "My Lord and my God." Then Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who can believe without seeing. So we are blessed if we can believe without seeing, but we are not cursed if we can't get there without some additional evidence.
Therefore, perhaps the Shroud is a silent witness to the world offering all of humanity the same opportunity Jesus gave to Thomas. In some proverbial sense by looking at the Shroud, we too can thrust our hand into His side and place our fingers into His nail wound and find our faith in the process.”
Thank you, Russ! And now my final thoughts for Townhall commenters.
If blessed with great faith, you are free to ignore or downplay the image on the Shroud showing Christ’s great suffering and victory over death. Yet, take comfort in knowing that the Shroud is there to supplement or reinforce the faith of others while potentially witnessing to the ever-increasing number of Doubting Thomases found throughout the world.
In the end, I believe that the Shroud exists as proof of God’s greatest gift to mankind —the Lord Jesus Christ — who lives and reigns forever and ever. Alleluia!
(Now, let the comments begin!)
I; for one; am waiting to see it in others...
Yeah, so am I. Which is why I wrote that.
“Hon, we need another rolling pin...”
This is just a guess on my part; but I imagine that a look through WIKI, for each item shown, would give the answer.
It appears that the data was in a formatted TABLE, but lost it’s formatting when posted.
Sure...
That's ALL there was back then; right??
Now it's Rome's 'Mary' that leads folks to Christ.
And different factions within the Church. ("I belong to Apollos; I belong to Cephas."))
Nice try, but not up to your usual humor standards.
What?
What other person did Paul CALL father?
For me, it was 1970. I had joined the USAF, in 1967. I got away from mom and dad, and really started living in sin. After a couple of years, a few guys I knew, handed me a Bible. I started to read it, and in a few weeks, I learned that either the Bible was right, or the Catholic Church was right, but certainly not both. So, I left the one true church, never to return. 😁👍 There are many ex Catholics around. 🤣
As long as people end up in Heaven.
I once heard a sermon at an Evangelical church (the denomination was fairly obscure, the Christian and Missionary Alliance).
The preacher was talking about riding in the car with someone and being touched with God's Grace when a beautiful song came on the radio.
The other person in the car then turned off the radio, explaining that the title of the song was "Honky Tonk Moon Keeps Shinin' on my Baby and Me."
And yet the music allowed God to work on the heart of the preacher.
Himself. And since Paul was a man, even calling *himself* Father contradicts your repeated statement.
I just got up this morning.
And different factions within the Church. ("I belong to Apollos; I belong to Cephas."))
Nowadays it's...
("I belong to Vatican I; I belong to Vatican II."))
or...
("I belong to Benedict; I belong to Francis."))
No; it does not.
What it is, is a lame attempt to self-justify the ignoring of the very words of Jesus, "Call no man father.
If you guys are gonna claim This is my body then you best be ready to do the same when Jesus speaks in other places.
In for a penny,
in for a pound.
(1) have not that unshakeable full commitment described in Hebrews 12:27-29; nor
(2) having died with Him on the Cross, reckoned yourself to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God (Romans 6:6,11);
(3) that you see and see but do not perceive, hear and hear but do not understand (Is. 6:9-10; Ezek. 12:2; Mt. 13:14; Mk. 4:12; Lk. 8:10; Jn. 12:39-40; Acts 28:25-27; Rom. 11:8-10; 2 Cor. 3:14), but have been blinded by Romish doctrine;
(4) that you have another "Jesus," similar to mine, but without the power to generate genuine confidence in him nor to keep secure what is his (Jn. 10:27-29), with a spirit and a gospel of a different kind that cannot save (2 Cor. 11:3-4); and
(5) have a self-induced enthusiasm and confidence not of the gospel defined by Paul in his teachings (Gal. 1:4-9) but that which can be cast away (Heb. 10:35), and not coming from having been born of the Spirit (1 Jn. 3:9) through germination of the seed, the Word of God, apart from any of your own fanaticism.
I am quite well aware that it would be vain for me to think that I could bring understanding to you by a natural, logical, soulish approach, for you are not in a state to receive the deep things of the Spirit of God: you've shown that you think what I've said is foolish.
But here and elsewhere in this thread, the true Gospel has been declared to you by myself and others, and if you come to accept it through being wakened through a saving faith given to you by The Spirit (Jn. 16:7-11, Eph. 2:8-10)--not like the unsaving faith exhibited by the demons and preachers of a false gospel (Jas. 2:19)-- then let The Father God and His Son be praised and glorified.
Not that I expect much fruitful discussion, still, I must make the attempt.
Jesus was talking about bombastic religious leaders: of which there are many throughout all of Christendom.
(He follows up by saying, "Call no man Teacher" either...but Protties have no problem loudly proclaiming their new lineup of Bible *teachers*...)
Got your pride hurt, have you? ;-P
There does exist the possibility that you didn't realize what you wrote, came off like the way I highlighted it.
Elsie deals with this using humor. I deal with this by sincerity. You deal with it as an enemy. Go figure.
Nice Freudian slip, there. bro. :-D
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