© 1992 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
| A Bibliographic Essay On Some Human Sources Used In The Urantia Book | Vol 13 No 6 Nov 1992 — Index | Why Do We Need Leaders? |
Adapted from a file (SOS1 OYR.NLA) in the Brotherhood of Man Library.
What is the specific purpose of the Fifth Epochal Revelation on this planet? Perhaps the simplest answer is that it has been given to us in order that we should proclaim the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of All Men. But that message has been proclaimed before, so is there some other purpose for this revelation? Undoubtedly part of its purpose is to rectify errors that have partially negated the effectiveness of the Fourth Epochal Revelation. Another purpose would be to amplify upon the knowledge of our place in God’s creation from a cosmic viewpoint. But why has this new revelation come to us at this time, and not 1000 years hence or whence?
To try to answer this question, let us take a look at Paper 99, ‘The Social Problems of Religion’, addressing specific problems confronting our planet in this century. We are told that, in the past, religion did not have to adjust its attitude to extensive changes in economic and political systems; then it goes on to comment on the current rapidity of changes in living conditions, which require that institutional modifications must be greatly accelerated, and that religion must accordingly quicken its adaptation to an ever-changing social order. We are told that this period of gross instability will not settle down for a millennium, that is 1000 years! Hence, “the human race must become reconciled to a procession of changes, adjustments, and readjustments. Mankind is on the march toward a new and unrevealed destiny”.
In considering the purpose of the Fifth Epochal Revelation, surely we must take these prophetic statements into account. Many of us may feel an urgency about getting on with changing and saving the world right now. But this prophecy is telling us that as fast as we adjust to world problems, new changes will be occurring that will require more adjustments and this situation will be with us for at least 1000 years. So we need to keep in mind the time span that will elapse before any semblance to stability on Urantia can be expected.
Having adjusted our thinking to dynamic, long-term change on the material level, what should be the role of religion? The Paper states: “Religion must become a forceful influence for moral stability and spiritual progression”, and “The paramount mission of religion as a social influence is to stabilize the ideals of mankind during these dangerous times of transition from one phase of civilization to another, from one level of culture to another”.
From these statements, several inferences may be drawn. We have no specific exhortation to prepare for any holocaust-like situation, so perhaps our attitude should be to take no anxious thought but to get on with living today, leaving tomorrow 'to take care of itself. As instructed, we should be concerned with stabilizing the morals and ideals of mankind. The Paper tells us that there are no new religious duties to perform, the role of religion being as a wise guide and experienced counsellor. But the leaders of our best religious institutions know all that, and there is certainly plenty of wisdom and experience to draw upon in the churches, seminaries, theological colleges, university departments of religion, and so on. So why was the Fifth Epochal Revelation necessary?
Perhaps Section 2 of this Paper supplies an answer to this question. We are told that institutional religion is unable to provide the necessary leadership and inspiration because it is in a ‘Catch 22’ situation. It cannot reconstruct society without first reconstructing itself and it cannot reconstruct itself until society has been radically reconstructed. Anyone who has had anything to do with changing some part of church liturgy or custom will know how true is that statement. Section 2 then goes on to tell us that religionists must function in society, industry, and politics as individuals, not as groups or institutions. The proper role of the institutionalized church in the changes already upon us is stated to be the teaching of nonviolence, the doctrine of peaceful evolution in the place of violent revolution, and peace on earth and goodwill among all men. Moving forward to Section 4 we read:
“No matter what upheavals may attend the social and economic growth of civilization, religion is genuine and worth while if it fosters in the individual an experience in which the sovereignty of truth, beauty, and goodness prevails, for such is the true spiritual concept of supreme reality. And through love and worship this becomes meaningful as fellowship with man and sonship with God”. UB 99:4.4
From these statements we may deduce that, for a long time to come, the main role of religion in the advancement of our civilization rests not so much with institutions but with the behaviour of the individual. This view is confirmed in Section 3:
“the attainment of a high cultural civilization demands, first, the ideal type of citizen and, then, ideal and adequate social mechanisms wherewith such a citizenry may control the economic and social institutions of an advanced human society”. UB 99:3.4
But what is all this telling us about the reasons why we have this Fifth Epochal Revelation right now? It appears that we are being told that we have a 1000 -year job in front of us which, at least at first, should be confined almost entirely to the production of ideal citizens who will, as individuals, serve to stabilize the moral and spiritual progression of society during rapid periods of change. But the message of The URANTIA Book relevant to the production of an ideal citizenry is discernible from the teachings of Jesus and particularly his parables as they are recorded in the four Gospels of the New Testament, and have been known to millions upon millions of Christians for nigh on 2000 years! So where is Christianity deficient, and how is The URANTIA Book telling us to compensate for that deficiency?
The answer to that question may well be that the vast majority of Christians know, but do not live the message of Jesus. And a possible reason for that is that for almost 2000 years, the message has been taught that Christ died for our sins — which to many, appears to let us off the hook.
Undoubtedly a very large proportion of practicing Christians are genuine and sincere disciples of Jesus. But, according to The URANTIA Book, there is a considerable difference between the requirements for discipleship and those for apostleship. Perhaps then, the demand being placed upon us by the Fifth Epochal Revelation is that we must follow the original twelve apostles into apostleship?
The qualifications for apostleship are set out in Paper 140 of The URANTIA Book. It is quite possible to read this Paper and to conclude that it was meant only for the original twelve. But this is not so. In Section 1, paragraph 4 , apostleship is offered to all who would take the path of the twelve. That offer is reiterated in Section 3, paragraph 20 where Jesus says:
“But everyone who hears this charge and sincerely executes his commission to represent me before men even as I have represented my Father to you, shall find abundant entrance into my service and into the kingdom of the heavenly Father”. UB 140:3.20
We need to consider whether the real demands of the Fifth Epochal Revelation may be for firstly hundreds, then thousands, followed by millions upon millions of URANTIA Book students, all willing to undertake the more difficult pathway of apostleship. Perhaps it is the role of these modern apostles to exemplify in their lives the meaning of the ‘ideal type of citizen’ referred to in Paper 99 who will catalyze the eventual attainment of the high cultural civilization that is prophesied to eventuate approximately 1000 years from now.
One difference between discipleship and apostleship as announced by Jesus is that, in undertaking apostleship, we elect to represent him in the world in the same way that, in his human life on Urantia, he represented the Father. That is certainly a rigorous undertaking, not to be entered into lightly. Among much else, it requires us to comprehend that the kingdom of God is within us, that we are no longer servants but sons of the living God, and that it is not by the words we speak but by the lives we live that we will represent Jesus to the world.
In the past many Christians have entered fully into apostleship, but Christianity has failed to lead the world along the required pathway simply because the majority of Christians elect, at best, for discipleship. Maybe then, the major purpose of the Fifth Epochal Revelation is the progressive recruitment of vast multitudes of genuine, totally committed apostles. It is surely worth a thought.
| A Bibliographic Essay On Some Human Sources Used In The Urantia Book | Vol 13 No 6 Nov 1992 — Index | Why Do We Need Leaders? |