egodeath.com
A SMALL SAMPLE...
"The mystery religions practiced baptism before Christianity. The second century Christian apologist Justin Martyr did not want to admit that the Christians copied the pagans. He explained the pagan origin of baptism by claiming that the demons learned about baptism from Isaiah and taught it to the pagans: "... the demons prompted those [the pagans] who enter their temples ... to sprinkle themselves also with water; furthermore, they cause them to wash their whole persons."
Plutarch mentions the confession of sins by mystery initiates during the ritual of initiation. "When Antalcidas was being initiated into the mysteries at Samothrace, he was asked by the priest [to confess] what especially dreadful thing he had done during his life ..." John the Baptist preached confession of sins before baptism: (Mark 1:4-5) John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. (KJV) Confession of sins was a common practice among the early Christians: (James 5:16) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. (KJV) (1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV)
After the preliminaries, there followed the delivery of the sacred symbol or signal. (Christians, too, used symbols, such as the fish and the anchor.) The initiation culminated in the vision of the deity, in which the appearance of light played an important part. During the ceremony of initiation at the greater mysteries of Eleusis, the initiate would see a bright light and would receive the revelation of the mysteries. Similarly, Paul saw a bright light on the road to Damascus. He had a vision of a deity: Jesus. He received the gospel of Jesus by revelation. (Ephesians 3:3) ... how the mystery was made known to me by revelation ... (RSV) Thus, Paul was initiated to the mysteries of Christ.
With this vision the initiate of the mystery religions attained union with the deity and thus was endowed with eternal life. (Likewise, after Paul saw the vision of Jesus, he attained union with him and was endowed with eternal life.) Another symbolic rite was the vesting of the robe of the deity. By putting on the robe, the initiate "put on the deity." Likewise, Paul "put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (KJV) The mystery initiates after their initiation adopted a new name. Likewise, when Saul accepted Jesus he adopted a new name: Paul. Also, Simon (a Jewish name) took the name Peter (a Greek name). (Mark 3:16) And Simon he surnamed Peter. (KJV) Revelation states that all believers will receive new names. (Revelation 2:17) To him that overcomes I will give ... a new name ... (KJV)
Initially, salvation from Hell through the Zoroastrian messiah was introduced by the Zoroastrians. This idea slightly modified was adopted by the mystery religions during the turn of the Common Era. The promise of salvation from the cycle of reincarnation and the escape to a heavenly world was the main characteristic of all the mystery religions. Only the soul that had lived a pious life three times could be liberated from that cycle. These religions emphasized individual salvation (an idea emphasized in Christianity). Christianity adopted salvation from Hell, not from the cycle of reincarnation."
In the mysteries of Mithra, bread and wine gave the initiates strength and wisdom in this life, and a glorious immortality in the afterlife. Such was the Mithraic ritual of communion. In a rare quotation that survived from an ancient text called the Liturgy of Mithra there is a passage that has a parallel in Christianity:
"Today, having been born again be ... out of so many myriads. ... Born again for rebirth of that life-giving birth."
(John 3:3) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (NASB)
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And so we seek to explain the unknown through myth and allegory! And many profit greatly by their ability to do so... <ggggg> ;-) |
