Gnostic Jesus Essays - Coptic Literature, Christology, Gnosticism

Gnostic Jesus Gnostic writings of Jesus portray him as a heavenly redeemer made less of flesh than of spirit. The emphasis of Jesus' importance is not on his physical humanness but rather, on his ability to show people the way to the kingdom. Jesus put on flesh in order to give people gnosis and reveal to them where they come from and where they will eventually return. When it is time for Jesus to return to his heavenly home, he is crucified and resurrected before he finally ascends. His body's lack of importance in some Gnostic texts gives this series of events a different connotation than other versions of the story more common today. The Gnostic understanding of Jesus gives us better knowledge of what will happen to us when we leave the body and world in which we are currently trapped. This understanding also gives us insights into the realm in which we belong. The lack of concern for the body is also connected with the Gnostic view that anything that happens on this earth or in this realm is i rrelevant. I will argue that the issue of flesh is very significant in some Gnostic views of Jesus, citing examples from selected Gnostic texts including, the Gospel of Thomas, the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, Hypostasis of the Archons, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Truth, the Treatise on the Resurrection and the Hymn of the Pearl. Most Gnostic books show Christ to be of heavenly origin. The books either explicitly say that he is from the father and heaven above or imply it by saying that he descended into earth. He is part of the ?heavenly triad with the Father and the Mother?(Franzmann, 39). In the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, the author who is supposedly Christ says, I am from above the heavens (Ehrman, 231). He is also sometimes described as a heavenly light, I am the light which is above all of them: I am All. The All came forth from me and the All reached me (G of Th., v.77). Many people, however, look at Christ's incarnation in different ways. According to some Gnostic thought Christ comes to our earth and puts on Jesus' human body so that he may walk among us. I visited a bodily dwelling (Ehrman, 231). Some of the Gnostic writings show Jesus as an earthly being with a heavenly nature, while others show Jesus as a purely heavenly being with a lack of earthly context. In the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, Christ's incarnation was into Jesus' body in which he cast out the original occupier (Franzmann, 75). Christ's arrival on earth in the Gospel of Thomas is described in a docetistic way, I stood in the midst of the world, and I appeared to them in flesh (G. of Th, v.28). He is said to appear to them in flesh only in outward appearance (Franzmann, 78). The Gospel of Truth describes Jesus as a fruit of knowledge that when eaten gives people gnosis (Ehrman, 161). This Gnostic text shows Christ as a revealer. He is referred to as the book or logos, which reveals to us all that is unknown (Ehrman, 162). He put on the book, was nailed to a tree and published the edict of the father on the cross (Ehrman, 162). These actions say that by dying on the cross, which in this text is not in flesh, he is helping people receive gnosis. Many Gnostic views have implied a hatred of the body. The body is what is keeping people from realizing their origin (G. of Thomas, v.29). For Christ to have a human body seems strange because he has gnosis. Woe to the flesh which depends on the soul; woe to the soul which depends on the flesh (G of Th, v.112). According to the Hypostasis of the Archons, the body is just a shell for the spirit. Locked within the material shell of the human race is the spark of this highest spiritual reality which (as one Gnostic theory held) the inept creator accidentally infused into humanity at the creation -- on the order of a drunken jeweler who accidentally mixes gold

Gram Stain Procedure in Microbiology

Gram Stain Procedure in Microbiology The Gram stain is a differential method of staining used to assign bacteria to one of two groups (gram-positive and gram-negative) based on the properties of their cell walls. It is also known as Gram staining or Grams method. The procedure is named for the person who developed the technique, Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram. How the Gram Stain Works The procedure is based on the reaction between peptidoglycan in the cell walls of some bacteria. The Gram stain involves staining bacteria, fixing the color with a mordant, decolorizing the cells, and applying a counterstain. The primary stain (crystal violet) binds to peptidoglycan, coloring cells purple. Both gram-positive and gram-negative cells have peptidoglycan in their cell walls, so initially, all bacteria stain violet.Grams iodine (iodine and potassium iodide) is applied as a mordant or fixative. Gram-positive cells form a crystal violet-iodine complex.Alcohol or acetone is used to decolorize the cells. Gram-negative bacteria have much less peptidoglycan in their cell walls, so this step essentially renders them colorless, while only some of the color is removed from gram-positive cells, which have more peptidoglycan (60-90% of the cell wall). The thick cell wall of gram-positive cells is dehydrated by the decolorizing step, causing them to shrink and trapping the stain-iodine complex inside.After the decolorizing step, a counterstain is applied (usually safranin, but sometimes fuchsine) to color the bacteria pink. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria pick up the pink stain, but it is no t visible over the darker purple of the gram-positive bacteria. If the staining procedure is performed correctly, gram-positive bacteria will be purple, while gram-negative bacteria will be pink. Purpose of the Gram Staining Technique The results of the Gram stain are viewed using light microscopy. Because the bacteria are colored, not only is their Gram stain group identified, but their shape, size, and clumping pattern may be observed. This makes the Gram stain a valuable diagnostic tool for a medical clinic or lab. While the stain may not definitely identify bacteria, often knowing whether they are gram-positive or gram-negative is sufficient for prescribing an effective antibiotic. Limitations of the Technique Some bacteria may be gram-variable or gram-indeterminate. However, even this information may be useful in narrowing down bacterial identity. The technique is most reliable when cultures are less than 24 hours old. While it can be used on broth cultures, its best to centrifuge them first. The primary limitation of the technique is that it yields erroneous results if mistakes are made in the technique. Practice and skill are needed to produce a reliable result. Also, an infectious agent may not be bacterial. Eukaryotic pathogens stain gram-negative. However, most eukaryotic cells except fungi (including yeast) fail to stick to the slide during the process. Gram Staining Procedure Materials Crystal violet (primary stain)Grams iodine (mordant, to fix crystal violet in the cell wall)Ethanol or Acetone (decolorizer)Safranin (secondary stain or counterstain)Water in a squirt bottle or dropper bottleMicroscope slidesCompound microscope Note its better to use distilled water than tap water, as pH differences in water sources may affect results. Steps Place a small drop of bacterial sample on a slide. Heat fix the bacteria to the slide by passing it through the flame of a Bunsen burner three times. Applying too much heat or for too long can melt the bacteria  cell walls, distorting their shape and leading to an inaccurate result. If too little heat is applied, the bacteria will wash off the slide during staining.Use a dropper to apply the primary stain (crystal violet) to the slide and allow it to sit for 1 minute. Gently rinse the slide with water no longer than 5 seconds to remove excess stain. Rinsing too long can remove too much color, while not rinsing long enough may allow too much stain to remain on gram-negative cells.Use a dropper to apply Grams iodine to the slide to fix the crystal violet to the cell wall. Let it sit for 1 minute.Rinse the slide with alcohol or acetone about 3 seconds, followed immediately with a gentle rinse using water. The gram-negative cells will lose color, while the gram-positive cells will rema in violet or blue. However, if the decolorizer is left on too long, all cells will lose color! Apply the secondary stain, safranin, and allow it to sit for 1 minute. Gently rinse with water no longer than 5 seconds. The gram-negative cells should be stained red or pink, while the gram-positive cells will still appear purple or blue.View the slide using a compound microscope. A magnification of 500x to 1000x may be needed to distinguish cell shape and arrangement. Examples of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Pathogens Not all bacteria identified by the Gram stain are associated with diseases, but a few important examples include: Gram-positive cocci  (round)  -Staphylococcus aureusGram-negative cocci  -  Neisseria meningitidisGram-positive bacilli (rods)  -  Bacillus anthracisGram-negative bacilli  -  Escherichia coli

GM Acquiring Ford Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GM Acquiring Ford - Research Paper Example General Motors Company is a classic car manufacturing brand present in US since 1931. The brand is popular with its classic distinctions in both car and truck sections. Its network is present worldwide, covering Europe, Africa and United States. It is one of the leading competitors of Ford Corporation since 1980s, when both brands introduced new classic models into the market regions (Salamie & Stansell, 2006). With such massive global network of automobile, Ford Corporation has been facing a lot of challenges in its internal divisions (New York Times, 2012). Alan Mulally the CEO of the company has talked about several challenges the company has faced in the recent times, which if it gets merged with any company like General Motors, will add several risk factors in the organization system (New York Times, 2012). It has been seen in recent years that Ford Corporation is facing big time challenges in both American and European markets, while GM decisively focusing on the European section because of its fallback in the Central Europe since 2008, will expect Ford Corporation to support its European region (New York Times, 2012). If Ford gets merged with General motors, probable chance is that it invites uncertainties of General Motors prevailing in the European market. (New York Times, 2012) According to New York Times, due to lack of efficiency and operation, GM has lost its entire position in the Central Europe market segment. The company has received big time debts and bankruptcy cases which has deprived company’s dominating position in the Central Europe. More investments are made on the European side as the formal CEO Rick Wagoner of the company suggested restructuring of the company in that region. On this node if Ford gets along with such present situation of General Motors, it will have to invite challenges of European market carrying risk of sales regression, brand devaluation or deflation of the brand culture. According to New York Times (2012), Ford