Urantia Book 19. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua ben Joseph, Christ Michael, Sovereign God of the Universe of Nebadon. As the three were waiting to embark at Tarentum, they saw a man mistreating his wife. Jesus took the man aside and was so tactful in his approach to him that the man expressed sorrow for his behavior. “And then, in bidding him farewell, Jesus said: My brother, always remember that man has no rightful authority over woman unless the woman has willingly and voluntarily given him such authority. Your wife has engaged to go through life with you, to help you fight its battles and to assume the far greater share of the burden of bearing and raising your children; and in return for this special service, it is only fair that she receive from you that special protection that man can give to woman as the partner who must carry, bear and nurture the children…The Father in heaven treats the Spirit Mother of the children of the universe as one equal to himself”(133.2.2). As their boat moved away, they could see the couple in a silent embrace. Gonod, having heard the last part of Jesus’ message, meditated all day about it and decided to reorganize his household when he returned to India. Next, they spent several days in Nicopolis at the home of Jeramy, a Greek proselyte. Later, Paul would spend all winter in the same house with the son of Jeramy. Next, they sailed for Corinth. In Corinth, Ganid was interested in the Jewish religion, and they went to the synagogue frequently. They met the chief ruler, Crispus, and became very fond of him and his family. Jesus taught Crispus a deeper religion, and when Paul came through teaching the Gospel, he and his family became Christians. Paul was joined later by Silas and Timothy, and they heard a lot about the “Jewish tutor of the son of an Indian merchant.” Ganid knew Jesus didn’t like the public baths and was evasive about the topic of sex. One night as they were walking along, they passed two prostitutes. Thinking Jesus would disapprove of them, Ganid rudely told them to move away. Jesus said to Ganid: “You mean well, but you should not presume thus to speak to the children of God, even though they chance to be his erring children. Who are we that we should sit in judgment on these women? Do you happen to know all of the circumstances which led them to resort to such methods of obtaining a livelihood? Stop here with me while we talk about these matters” (133.3.6). Jesus said that prostitution didn’t make the women evil. Jesus took the women to a friend’s house. One found a job in the friend’s business and the other died.***** Athens, the center of culture, was the next stop. At their inn a Greek philosopher lectured for 3 hours about science. When he was finished, Jesus replied: “Scientists may someday measure the energy, or force manifestations, of gravitation, light and electricity, but the same scientists can never (scientifically) tell you what these universe phenomena are” (133.5.4). Jesus went on with a very complicated analysis of matter and energy; and the insufficiency of math and equations. He said that science and religion both must become less dogmatic. Real knowledge says that quantitative fact and qualitative value have a common causation in the Paradise Father. And “when the energies of the universe are so slowed down that they acquire the requisite degree of motion, then, under favorable conditions, these same energies become mass” (133.5.9). I am at a loss to know why Jesus is discussing the opposite of Einstein’s formula, E=MC2. Anyway, his listeners were astounded, and one of them said: “At last my eyes have beheld who thinks of something besides racial superiority and talks of something besides religion.” They didn’t make many contacts in Athens because people were either intellectually snobbish or stupid and ignorant.******************************** Ephesus, the first Christian city and the Roman capital of Asia, was next on their itinerary. Ephesus was important later because there Christianity got its start. Paul spent two years preaching there while making tents for a living. Jesus had a conversation with a Greek who was confused by his use of the word “soul.” Jesus answered him by saying: ” The soul is the self-reflective, truth-discerning and spirit-perceiving part of man which forever elevates him above the animal world. Self-consciousness, in and of itself, is not the soul…the soul is that part of man which represents the potential survival value of human experience. Moral choice and spiritual attainment, the ability to know God and the urge to be like him, are the characteristics of the soul. The soul cannot exist apart from moral thinking and spiritual activity. A stagnant soul is a dying soul. As long as there is a glimmer of a desire to find the Father, the soul can survive.