-----Original Message-----
From: TIAGO MEIRELES 
Sent: segunda-feira, 16 de agosto de 2004 13:22
To: contato@caiofabio.com
Subject: SEGUNDO A ORDEM DE MELQUISEDEQUE...

 

 

Dear Reverend Caio,

 

How are you doing? This is Tiago Meireles. We met on the first weekend at the “Caminho da Graça” meetings. Do you remember me? How are things getting along? Here everything is fine, which definitely does not mean being trouble-free.

 

I am writing to you because of some good, edifying talks I’ve been having with a friend from college, who is also a Presbyterian seminarian.

 

As we talked about the wide-ranging supracultural nature of the Gospel, we discussed the need (or the non-need) for people to hear about the historical Jesus in order to be saved “in Christ”. At heart, we agreed that despite the missionary calling to the church, God does not depend on the Gospel historical accounts to save anybody. Or would it be true that once a king, always a king unless the King has no heralds in faraway lands? Of course not!

 

Well, we understand we do not have a “doctrine outline” for our ideas. Although we believe so, these ideas are still embryonic, not deep-seated yet. I think this spiritual milk — a foundation of faith — is absolutely neglected by Christians. Then I remembered that, if I am not mistaken, your ministerial thesis for your ordination somehow deals with this subject. Is the thesis or any of your writings on the subject published?

 

How I wish all of us could praise and worship God through the Olympic Games opening ceremony!

 

I keep praying for you. I still intend to go to Brasilia every two months to take part in the “Caminho da Graça” meetings. See you there.

 

Affectionate hugs,

 

Tiago

 

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Dear friend,

 

Grace and Peace!

 

 

My thesis for the Presbyterian ministry ordination, at age 21, was on that topic. In fact, it is neither mentioned nor considered by Christians and their theologians.

 

However, when I was 21, I chose to write on the subject because it was obvious to me, although I had never read anything biblical about it. But the friends in Christ who read the thesis were so scandalized that my father, a wise elderly man, advised me not to talk about it for a while, and so I did.

 

I owe myself publishing the thesis, much more consolidated today than at that time.

 

Actually, without the Lamb no one is saved. That is why He was slain before the creation of the world. And Jesus’ priestly order being “in the order of Melchizedek” shows us that the Way of salvation is in Christ even for those who did not get any historical information about Jesus. After all, the Order of Melchizedek is suprahistorical, since it does not require genealogies nor history information marks.

 

God’s absolute grace is Christ, even for those who have never heard, historically, about Jesus!

 

In fact, there is so much to say about this that I could write a thick book on it.

 

I know the question is: “What about evangelization?”

 

Well, it will be just as it has always been.

 

I have preached (and keep preaching) the Word fervently for the past 31 years because of nothing but love for the Gospel and two certainties: 1) Jesus told us to preach; 2) Jesus said it should be done out of love for “His sheep”, as He told Peter (see John 21). However, I have never believed that if I did not reach out a certain place God’s hands would be tied. God is free, and reveals Himself to whomever He wants, in any way He wants. I preach because I believe the Good News makes all people’s hearts happy, giving them the chance to have a fear-free life in this world, in peace with God. I believe that every person should know salvation as the Good News while they are still on the earth.

 

The church decided not to write about or teach this because it cannot stand the idea that God does not need it in order to be God. The church’s God needs to depend on it.

 

Below is a brief text, taken from this website, dealing with a little bit of the topic. I suggest that you read the whole site, because even though there is not a text about this matter in special, the entire site deals with it. Everything I say and write is permeated by this dimension, without which I cannot see anything in the human History.

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God alone knows people. Nobody else does. What happens between a human being and God is always a mystery.

 

Those who believe in the Gospel can go on certain of eternal life, because they knew it and believed. This is their assuredness.

 

As for those who never heard of it, God knows, however, what they did know. This is what matters. God knows. And God is good.

 

Besides, as Jesus is the true light that, coming into the world, gives light to every man, this issue belongs to God. He alone knows where the Light has shined.

 

Those who come across the Good News and believe are given the gift of going on in peace and conscious—in faith—that they are reconciled to God because God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.

 

I say so because we often mistake religion’s preaching or men’s bearing witness to the historical existence of Jesus for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But one thing has nothing to do with the other.

 

The Gospel is God’s, not men’s. The Gospel is for everyone, but no one in the world is the owner of it.

 

So, as I walk on, I proclaim the Good News to all creation. Those who believe live their lives in peace; those who do not are not necessarily the ones who “do not accept Jesus”. Quite often, people listen to and reject not the message but the odd mix between what the message should be and the messenger’s own wrappings/packages, which, to most people, are apparently part of the message. In fact, to a large degree what we call preaching the Word is nothing but preaching Christianism. And Christianism is a political-economical-religious human phenomenon—thus, a Party.

 

Therefore, Christianism is just a religion like any other in the world.

 

Only Jesus knows who opened themselves and who closed themselves to Him.

 

 

Jesus is the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, so He is not only the savior of Abraham’s offspring and Christians—as even Abraham acknowledged that Melchizedek was superior to him—but also the savior of every human being to whom God decides His Good News should be applied, whether it is among Jews, Indians or Americans.

 

I received the privilege of preaching the Gospel. I want what gave me life to give everyone else life too. It is a commandment from Jesus. I delight in telling the world who He is for every creature.

 

However, I know that God is always at His work to this very day…

 

I know the Spirit blows wherever He pleases. I know that the true light gives light to every human being. I know God’s love constrains people’s hearts throughout all the Earth. I know He knows the hearts, and I know He is love.

 

And above all, I believe He is sovereign and His majesty is pure grace.

 

In fact, by all this I mean that stars, donkeys, corpses, newborns, chickens, angels, winds, archangels, hails, seraphs, preachers, cherubs, uirapurus, * trumpets, moonlights, bugles, drizzles and prophecies; glances, roars, whispers and bellows; horses and eagles; men and bees; worship services and tragedies, madness and wisdom, and everything else that exists, is crying out God’s voice, calling everyone who inhabits the Earth to listen to the voice of the angel who is flying in midair and has “the eternal gospel to proclaim”. He says:

 

“Fear God and give him glory… Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

 

My prayer is that the stones will cry out, the roosts will sing out, the donkeys will speak, the stars will cross the sky, and many waters will declare His Voice.

 

 

My hope is that the Scripture will become the Word, and the soul will not try to be filled with letters, but with the Spirit.

 

My desire, with all my heart, is that His voice will go out into all the Earth, and His words to the ends of the world.

 

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An affectionate kiss to you. Come and talk to me at the “Caminho” meetings in Brasilia; we can discuss the subject.

 

In Him, in whom everything is already reconciled in heaven and on earth—even though many creatures do not know it yet,

 

 

Caio

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* The uirapuru is an actual Amazonian bird, although the word may also refer to a mythical creature. (Translator’s Note)