THE EXCOMMUNICATION OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS BELIEVERS, Part 2 of Chapter 12

THE EXCOMMUNICATION OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS BELIEVERS, Part 2 of Chapter 12 of The Church and The Priesthood    To summarize this chapter:   1. The Mosaic church operated under the authority of the Levitical Priesthood, and Christ held the office of Rabbi in that church. However, Joseph Smith said, “All the prophets had the Melchizedek Priesthood and were ordained by God himself.” (TPJS, p. 181) Jesus had received that Priesthood from His Father, and therefore possessed the highest Priesthood authority.   2. Jesus attempted to teach higher laws of this higher Priesthood, and also performed miracles demonstrating the power that He had with God. These two factors caused both fear and envy among the chief priests and Pharisees. (See Matt. 27:18 & Mark 15:10.)   3. The Jews excommunicated Jesus for teaching and living the doctrines of the higher Priesthood while they themselves were living on only a Levitical Priesthood level. Thus, Levitical Priesthood holders were incorrectly attempting to excommunicate a Melchizedek Priesthood holder.   4. Jesus, His disciples and all others from then on who believed in Him were excommunicated from the synagogue. Jesus had to teach, live and administer the higher ordinances outside of the Mosaic church of the Jews.   5. The Mosaic church did not become Christian. Rather Christianity began outside of and separate from the Jewish church.   6. Essentially the higher principles of the true church and the fullness of the Gospel were considered as an apostate religion.    7. This pattern has occurred repeatedly–both in ancient and latter days.