What Christians see, or claim to see, in Genesis 1-3 changed as the church itself changed from a dissident Jewish sect to a popular movement persecuted by the Roman government, and changed further as this movement increasingly gained members throughout Roman society, until finally even the Roman emperor himself converted to the new faith and Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire. Elaine Pagels
About This Quote

Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ, who was God in human form. Jesus was divine, but he didn't claim to be God. The reason why Jesus told his disciples to flee to the mountains when they were being persecuted is because Jesus knew that if he were killed he would be the one doing the persecuting, not the church. When Jesus died on the cross, his divine spirit took on human flesh and he ascended to heaven where he sat at the right hand of God, who is also God. Hence, there's no need to flee to the mountains anymore since Jesus is no longer here with us.

Source: Adam, Eve, And The Serpent: Sex And Politics In Early Christianity

Some Similar Quotes
  1. Hate the sin, love the sinner. - Mahatma Gandhi
  2. No woman wants to be in submission to a man who isn't in submission to God! - T.d. Jakes
  3. Isn't it funny how the memories you cherish before a breakup can become your worst enemies afterwards? The thoughts you loved to think about, the memories you wanted to hold up to the light and view from every angle--it suddenly seems a lot safer to... - Ally Condie
  4. You made me confess the fears that I have. But I will tell you also what I do not fear. I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not... - James Joyce
  5. There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it. - Shannon L. Alder
More Quotes By Elaine Pagels
  1. What Christians see, or claim to see, in Genesis 1-3 changed as the church itself changed from a dissident Jewish sect to a popular movement persecuted by the Roman government, and changed further as this movement increasingly gained members throughout Roman society, until finally even...
  2. People who study the way religions develop have shown that if you have a charismatic teacher, and you don't have an institution develop around that teacher within about a generation to transmit succession within the group, the movement just dies.
  3. I study religion because I find it fascinating and problematic. But I struggle with the idea of what religion is, what being religious means. A lot of people assume that if you write about early Christianity, you must be some kind of Sunday-school teacher.
  4. The Secret Revelation of John opens, again, in crisis. The disciple John, grieving Jesus' death, is walking toward the temple when he meets a Pharisee who mocks him for having been deceived by a false messiah. These taunts echoed John's own fear and doubt.
  5. I have sympathy for anyone who finds consolation anywhere we can. And many people do find it in religious tradition as it has been. I mean, I love much of that tradition. But somehow, that just didn't speak to me in the way that it...
Related Topics