Deliverance from the Cross — Page 84
in which case death was not a necessary element. But if death was essential, the blood of Jesus was of no importance. In his Easter Message of 1961, Pope John XXIII once more emphasised complete salvation through the blood of Jesus when he said:. . . for the salvation of the whole flock of Jesus Christ whom he, the divine shepherd of souls, has redeemed with his blood. ' This is in accord with the basic message of the community of the Apostles in Jerusalem. At no time did the Salvation through Death take root in the old community in Palestine. On the contrary, there were bitter theological quarrels between the old community and Paul, who taught in the neighbouring countries. Modern research has brought to light that most of the invectives and curses which Paul wrote in his letters were aimed at the Palestinian community and the followers of the other Apostles. Those who did rely on Paul built on sand. Professor Hirt's final pronouncement was: 'Scientific discoveries and findings of the past decades as well as the unequivocal and incontrovertible revelation of the Shroud of Jesus, prove that all those who have stated in speech or writing that Jesus died on the cross, have spoken or written an untruth, albeit in ignorance of the true facts. Those who henceforth assert in speech or writing that Jesus died on the cross will speak and 84