The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

Reverend Elkan V. Kemp

	Format	ISBN	Price
	Paperback (6x9)	9781434372055	$ 13.40

It was his survival of a near fatal head-on collision in 1940 that turned Elkan Kemp's life around. After crossing the threshold of death twice while hospitalized, he gained a new perspective on life and on death, as well.

During his six years in the Air Corps, he met his dream-girl while at Pearl Harbor, and they were married. Elkan Kemp began his college education in 1946 at the University of Iowa. There he obtained both a BA and an MA degree, with majors in Sociology and Religion. It was during this time that his interests included in-depth studies of the Old Testament under Rabbi Judah Goldin. He studied religion under Dr. Marcus Bach and Theology under several Jesuit priests. He learned five dialects in Greek and received honors in Phi Eta Sigma, Eta Sigma Phi and Phi Beta Kappa.

Reverend Kemp's religious studies at the University of Iowa led him to three years of graduate work at the San Francisco Theological Seminary which included research in Greek and advanced Hebrew. He also went on to earn a divinity degree and a Seminary Fellowship for study at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. His experience at the University of Edinburgh led him to more advanced work in Hebrew and extensive studies of the Muslim religion. With a Ph.D. thesis entitled, "Life, Death and What Comes After", Elkan Kemp's education now led him to his lifelong devotion to pastoral work.

After teaching from the Bible for more than 60 years, Reverend Kemp became aware of just how many thinking people have been frustrated by the walls of religious myth, legend, creed and dogma that the churches and synagogues have erected. His decision to write this book came out of a desire to ease those frustrations by helping people to break down those walls. There was a practical side to his effort. He sat with many deeply religious laymen and ministers who came to that event we call death, with great anxiety. Reverend Kemp believes that it is evident that the Judaeo-Christian religion is not working, for those walls require a hand-me-down religion and this does not work. Reverend Kemp states, "We truly believe only what we know about our God first hand. I hope, with this book, people will be able to find that experience and to have a full life, and then come to death with a firm, happy confidence . . . not just a vague hope.

I, Lazarus, a Pharisee, was scribe of the high priest Caiaphas and friend of his father-in-law Annas. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were good friends of my family. The latter two were, like Gamaliel, highly respected (even venerated) among our people. All three served on the Council.

I was still reeling from the untimely death of our parents who died only a few days apart. It was about the time that Yeshua, the carpenter of Nazareth, became prominent in Galilee as the Carpenter Rabbi. It is said that he delivered some wonderful thoughts with his carpenter services.

Great sadness came to my sister Martha and me when our younger sister Mary wandered off distraught over the loss of our parents. Our family had been closely stitched together in love. Her grief was too much for her to bear.

I knew the Pharisee, Paul of Tarsus. We both had been taught by the gentle teacher, Gamaliel. But this Paul was such a violent fellow. He was too strongly devoted to whipping people into line. Gamaliel often cautioned him for his impatience. Paul was deeply committed to the teachings of the books of Moses and very intolerant of anyone who tended to stray from that way.

I remember when Paul came to the high priest, after Yeshua had been

crucified, requesting letters of authority to arrest those who were proselyting disciples for The Carpenter. It was my responsibility to write such letters at the dictation of the high priest.

We Jews, who took Yeshua seriously, had been divided over whether he was the Messiah or not. Those who took him to be the Messiah (among the 12, only Judas and Simon the Zealot), later came to be called Christians (Christianos, i.e., folowers of the Anointed one.) It was against these that Paul directed his ire mostly. Oddly, it was these that he joined upon his conversion.

Those of us who took him at his word (among the 12, the other 10), that he would not accept such a role as portrayed in our scriptures, were called the Yeshua or Jesus people. Yeshua had always been a faithful Jew. Some, therefore, said that his disciples had to be Jews and so circumcised and faithful to the whole law of Moses. The only formal indication that Yeshua gave as to his position in this matter was in his answer given to one of our scribes. The scribe asked what was necessary to achieve eternal life. Yeshua answered that just to keep the Two Great Commandments would suffice. [Luke 10:25-28.]

For scriptural verification of Lazarus as the "disciple whom Jesus loved," see ADDENDUM, page 259 of this book.

Other Books By This Author

Breaking Down the Walls of New Jericho

The Two Great Prophets

A Year Of Daily Devotions