Saturating Christianity
with Superstition

On December 8, 1849, Pope Pius IX presented an encyclical to the Archbishops and Bishops of Italy, reaffirming the traditional paternalistic Papal attitude against freedom of thought, against freedom of discussion, against a free press, and against the unalienable right of the laity to possess and read the Holy Scriptures in the common language. The following are a few excerpts from that acidic letter in which the Pope condemned the work of Bible societies and others who disagreed with papal control over the human conscience.

You know as We do, venerable brothers, the recent wrongdoing which has strengthened some wretched enemies of all truth, justice and honor, who strive both openly and deceitfully with plots of every sort to spread their disorders everywhere. . . . These disorders include the unbridled license of thinking, speaking and hearing every impious matter. (Paragraph 1)

The crafty enemies of the Church and human society attempt to seduce the people in many ways. One of their chief methods is the misuse of the new technique of book-production . . . . Under the protection of the Bible Societies which have long since been condemned by this Holy See, they distribute to the faithful under the pretext of religion, the holy bible in vernacular translations. Since these infringe the Church's rules, they are consequently subverted and most daringly twisted to yield a vile meaning. So you realize very well what vigilant and careful efforts you must make to inspire in your faithful people an utter horror of reading these pestilential books. Remind them explicitly with regard to divine scripture that no man, relying on his own wisdom, is able to claim the privilege of rashly twisting the scriptures to his own meaning in opposition to the meaning which holy mother Church holds and has held. It was the Church alone that Christ commissioned to guard the deposit of the faith and to decide the true meaning and interpretation of the divine pronouncements. (Paragraph 14)¹

Please notice that the Pope elevates his authority by capitalizing “Holy See” while degrading God’s authority by downgrading “holy bible” to lower case status. He arrogantly capitalizes all pronouns referring to the papal office, as in “Us,” “Our” and “We.” Why does he do that?

From the historic papal perspective, you have no right to think for yourself in religious matters or to seek, through the aid of the Holy Spirit, to understand the Scriptures for yourself. Your duty is to obey the “interpretation of the divine pronouncements” laid down by the church hierarchy, which sees itself as superior to Scripture itself. Samuel Bacchiocchi offers further penetrating analysis:

By calling the Bibles distributed by Bible Societies “pestilential books” to be treated by faithful Catholics with “utter horror,” Pious IX clearly expresses the historic Catholic condemnation of the reading of theBible by lay people. The reason is that the reading of the Bible has ledcountless Catholics to discover that their fundamental beliefs are basedon ecclesiastical traditions rather than biblical authority.²

Of course, the Roman Church does permit 21^st century Catholics to read the Bible, at least in free Western societies. However, very few Catholics read Scripture in an exploratory manner because they are taught from childhood not to trust their own (Spirit-aided) judgment as to its meaning. Priests and nuns systematically condition their students to accept the Church’s interpretation.

Some might argue that the 21^st century Catholic Church openly encourages lay people to read the Bible. Yes, in free thinking western countries, but even then, only as it is interpreted for them by the magisterium. Devils and popes don’t care if you have a Bible. They don’t even care if you read it, just so long as you don’t have confidence in your ability to understand its meaning without a priest or nun to do your thinking for you.

If you pay close attention to what the Catholic Church teaches about personal, investigative Bible study today, you cannot escape the obvious fact that it still holds to its long-established disdain for the idea of Scripture in the hands of a free, thinking laity! The Roman Catholic Church clearly demands that all laity obey the interpretation of the church and that it is impossible for lay persons to come to a knowledge of truth without a priest or church official to interpret the Bible for them.

You don’t need a priest to tell you what the Bible means. You, as a believer, are a priest; you are royalty as a son or daughter of the King. In fact, you can even come to an understanding of the so-called “closed” book of Revelation through the aid of the Holy Spirit if you will apply yourself and devote the same amount of time and energy you do to many other common or even trivial pursuits in your life. You can pray for Guidance from the Holy Spirit and He will not only lead you in your study but He will also lead you to other people or writings that can aid you. God, the Holy Spirit led you to this Bible guide to give you help.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13a)

“Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand. . . . Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:3, 4b-7; See also Revelation 5:10)

“This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”(1^stJohn 5:6-16)

“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:9-13)

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”(John 17:17)

The papacy tries to block your understanding of the truths you have just read. If they can’t deny you the Scriptures they will simply put a muddling spin on its meaning and seek to dumb you down with superstition so as to maintain control over your mind. They smile sweetly and pretend that you are experiencing “religious liberty” but it is not true liberty — it is a cheap counterfeit of religious freedom.

Is the Papacy merely biding its time saying and doing whatever is expedient until the time spoken of in Revelation 13 when the United States and Western Europe cease to hold her in check? As social problems reach a crisis point on an international scale, the governments of the West will come under increasing socio-religious pressure to grant to the papacy and her confederates a de-facto union of church and state. Is the 21^st century papacy the wily and stealthy beast that Revelation 13:2-3 warns us to watch out for? The papacy is rising rapidly in stature; its centuries-old wound is almost completely healed. Is it preparing to spring with lightning-bolt speed on its prey? (See Revelation 12-19) Chapter 13 The Dark Ages and chapter 18 The Future Foretold will help to confirm from the Bible what I have just asserted.

Pope John Paul II was undoubtedly one of the most personable popes ever to reign. Frankly, religious differences aside, I liked some aspects of his personality. I especially identify with his love for the outdoors and his appreciation of nature as a revelation of God. He made many public demonstrations of kindness and compassion toward the weak and suffering. He also performed well-orchestrated public acts of reconciliation with historical enemies. He made many overtures of unity toward non-Catholic Christians and to other religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism to name a few. He even went to the prison cell of the man who had attempted to assassinate him; he embraced and prayed for the man making a public demonstration of forgiveness.

On the other hand, John Paul II never publicly repudiated any of Pius IX’s encyclical against religious liberty and free speech. He certainly could have, so why didn’t he? Furthermore, he allowed himself to be carried on a throne before adoring throngs, bowed down to, and worshipped like God. Why did he do that? After all, didn’t Peter the so-called “first pope” refuse to allow anyone to bow down and worship him?

“And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped [him]. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.”(Acts 10:25-26)

Of course, the popes don’t like this passage about Peter because they claim to be God on earth. Each successive pope claims to speak in God’s place with the absolute authority of God. That identifies the papacy as the major Antichrist power of Bible prophecy. “He as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2^nd Thessalonians 2:4b) Please pay close attention to the following list of haughty and blasphemous claims made by the papacy itself.

We [the popes] hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.³

The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.⁴

Those whom the Pope of Rome doth separate, it is not a man that separates them but God. For the Pope holdeth place on earth, not simply of a man but of the true God...dissolves, not by human but rather by divine authority.... I am in all and above all, so that God Himself and I, the vicar of God hath both one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do ... wherefore, if those things that I do be said not to be done of man, but of God, what do you make of me but God? Again, if prelates of the Church be called of Constantine for gods, I then being above all prelates, seem by this reason to be above all gods.⁵

The Pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth...He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by no one, God himself on earth.⁶

The pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God...The Pope alone is called most holy...Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of hell. Moreover the superiority and the power of the Roman Pontiff by no means pertains only to heavenly things, but also earthly things, and to things under the earth, and even over the angels, whom he his greater than. So that if it were possible that the angels might err in the faith, or might think contrary to the faith, they could be judged and excommunicated by the Pope...the Pope is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief of kings, having plenitude of power.⁷

The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth.⁸

We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.⁹

My dear friend, do you grasp the import of the blasphemous claims you have just read, how they fit into Bible prophecy and how they fit into the Bible’s description of Antichrist? The major Antichrist of Bible prophecy isn’t some mysterious figure from Eastern Europe. He isn’t some obscure, yet unidentified figure from the future. The Antichrist is already here and has been for more than 1,500 years. Despite what most theologians will try to tell you, there is no 1,500 year history gap in the prophecy book of Revelation.

Most modern theologians claim that Revelation prophesies the first few centuries of Christianity and then is silent about the Dark Ages, the rise of the United States, the rise of the age of enlightenment and the problems now confronting the world. They claim that there is a 1,500 year gap that only takes up again during the last few years of world history. These theologians are blind and ignorant. I wish there was a sweeter way to say that but there isn’t. God loves you and He doesn’t want you to be blind and ignorant. He prophesied Christian history before it happened and you can see it clearly laid out in Revelation. After all, that’s what revelation means, to reveal, to expose and to disclose!

The book of Revelation lays out a clear skeletal grid of the history of Christianity from the Apostles to the second coming. The Old Testament book of Daniel also deals with some of this same time frame. Bite-a-Book™ Chapter 18, The Future Foretold presents a captivating study from Daniel and Revelation that will greatly enlighten you if you will take the time to prayerfully study it out.

The Roman Catholic system is far from true Biblical Christianity. It is a blasphemous system. As we noted in chapter 13, Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the English Language defines the word blaspheme as, among other things: “To arrogate the prerogatives of God.” Blasphemy is defined as “that which derogates from the prerogatives of God.”

“It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”(Luke 4:8b; See also Revelation 13:12-15; 14:9-12)

“And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”(Matthew 23:9)

The papacy has the spirit of Lucifer who became Satan. He wanted to take God’s place and exalt himself to the universal throne. Today he continues that effort through his earthly proxy the pope. That means the pope is actually the vicar of Satan, not God.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”(Isaiah 14:12-15)

Revelation 17 & 18 describes a fiery ultimate fate for the papacy. In this chapter, we will go back to the roots of the papacy’s paternalistic attitude. This is a very sensitive subject, and some honest-hearted Roman Catholics may feel hurt to learn the history behind the devaluing of Scripture in Roman Catholicism. I am saddened that so much false teaching exists in Roman Catholicism. I wish it weren’t so, but because false teaching can lead honest hearts down dangerous roads, the deceptions must be exposed, and the truth must be told.

I intend no malice to any individual. But I would be less than honest if I pretended that I don’t feel disgust and aversion for the misguiding papal magisterium. It is painful sometimes to be confronted with truth, but our eternal destiny is at stake. We cannot afford to exchange Bible truth for man-made superstitions and silly sentimentality. So I will tell the truth with straightforward clarity and let the chips fall. In this intriguing chapter we are going to learn about the first Christian leader that shamefully devalued and suppressed the Scriptures.

Tertullian (A.D. 155-240) was a Roman-educated pagan of fiery temperament who dramatically converted to a radical faction of Christianity. He, along with the pagan influenced Christian Athenagorus (A.D. 127-190), was the source of several major heresies that blew into the Christian church in the late second and early third centuries (See chapter 15). Both of these pagan men retained their corrupt Hellenic superstitions about the nature and destiny of the soul. And both men worked to spread those heresies in the Christian church. Tertullian was especially forceful in his feverish determination to saturate Christianity with heretical pagan philosophies. Specifically both men taught natural soul immortality and never-ending torment of the lost; heresies not taught anywhere in the Bible.

In this chapter we will see that Tertullian once again is the source of another major heresy that took hold in Christianity and contributed greatly to Europe’s descent into the Dark Ages. This heresy led to the bleak and bloody 1,260 year duration of Dark Ages persecution and suppression of the Bible. (See chapter 13, The Dark Ages)

Tertullian planted seeds of paternalism and devaluation of the Bible in the Western Church around the beginning of the third century. Those malignant germs of antichristian principle grew into the magisterial papacy. We agree with Tertullian when he proclaims, “Away with all attempts to produce a mottled Christianity of Stoic, Platonic, and dialectic composition!”¹⁰ Tragically, his proclamation condemns his own philosophy. He typically argues from a philosophical stance and often ignores Scripture. He talks about Holy Scripture but almost never uses it to buttress his theories. Even in those instances when he does mention a passage from the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament writings to support his position, he often uses the passage in a way never intended by the original Bible writer. By associating his superstitions with some established truth, he gains a degree of credibility. He then falsely asserts that he derived his teachings from the original Apostles. (See chapter 15)

Tertullian asserts that critical investigation of the Scriptures may be helpful in order to come to know Christ, but it becomes a certain danger to the inquisitive mind that questions his version of “orthodoxy.” He asserts that all Christians should acquiesce to the “Spirit led” interpretation of Scripture laid down authoritatively by church leaders like him. In Tertullian’s opinion, those who conscientiously dissent do not have a right to have or read the Scriptures. We will demonstrate these disturbing assertions from his writings in a few moments, but first let’s consider a few more points.

Let’s briefly consider how Tertullian could come to believe that direct, “Spirit-inspired” revelation is superior to study of Scripture. (By Scripture, we mean not only the Hebrew canon of Scriptures, but also the Gospels, epistles, and other writings, which eventually coalesced into the New Testament Canon. The New Testament canon was not “officially” established with the current twenty-seven books until long after Tertullian’s time, although most of the writings, which eventually became the New Testament, were already considered of equal authority with the Hebrew Scriptures before Tertullian’s time.)

While the Apostles were alive, churchmen called upon them from time to time to settle disputes related to doctrine and practice within the church. This they did through council meetings and sometimes through letters from individual Apostles. However, after the Apostles died, a vacuum of authority seemed to appear in the church. In this environment, some arose who imagined themselves invested with a certain Apostle-like relationship with Christ. These persons saw themselves as guided by the Holy Spirit and possessing special insights into the Spirit-inspired writings of the Apostles. Tertullian seems to have seen himself in this manner, not actually as an Apostle, but as a Spirit-guided authoritative voice for the church nonetheless. Consequently, he began to germinate the magisterial principles inherent in a hierarchical church structure. Whereas the early church had local elders (bishops) and deacons, now it gradually began to develop a higher tier of leaders who ruled from a distance. Christ rebuts this principle in the following words. “One is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ.” (Matthew 23:8b-10)

Centralized organization under the principle “all ye are brethren,” would not have been out of order for a growing church, but the paternalistic principle that developed usurped the place and authority of God. The church hierarchy assumed a sort of “Apostolic succession,” without a shred of Biblical authority. This antichristian concept eventually morphed into the totalitarian papacy.

If you doubt that the papacy still has totalitarian intent, I urge you to investigate how the struggle between the papacy and Eastern Orthodoxy over the Uniate churches in Central and Eastern Europe is being diplomatically resolved. Neither the papacy nor the Eastern Orthodox Church has historically permitted other churches to proselytize their members in countries where they have the power to deny religious liberty. In the case of the Uniate churches, diplomacy seems to be settling the issue in the papacy’s favor as the dominant partner among two “sister churches.” ¹¹ Many Protestant missionaries report that the Catholic Church also restricts religious liberty in many parts of Central and South America — wherever it has the power to get away with it! On the other hand, some major Protestant groups have agreed to stop proselytizing Catholics. Why have they agreed to this?

The controversial document Evangelicals and Catholics Together was signed in 1994 by high profile representatives of American Evangelicalism and the Roman Catholic Church. In my view this document essentially destroys the principles of the Protestant Reformation and opens the door for the fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation 13-18. The following are two passages from a critique of the document found on a web site titled Grace to You.

The document states unequivocally that our witness is not toward people already in the “Christian community.” That is, evangelicals are not supposed to proselytize active Roman Catholics (22 – 23). This is labeled “sheep stealing” . . . “In view of the large number of non-Christians in the world and the enormous challenge of our common evangelistic task, it is neither theologically legitimate nor a prudent use of resources for one Christian community to proselytize among active adherents of another Christian community” (22 – 23).¹²

For evangelicals to sign a pact labeling such conversions “sheep stealing” is in my mind unconscionable. . . By the document’s own definitions, that puts all churchgoers who are Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or liberal Protestant off limits for evangelism.

But most “active adherents” of those communities simply do not know Christ as Lord and Savior. . . For evangelicals to sign a document agreeing to place them off limits for evangelism is a gross act of betrayal.¹³

Revelation 13 warns us of a totalitarian religio-political system, which will spring upon the world as an overwhelming surprise in the very near future. If the papal hierarchy could, would they deny freedom of conscience in Western Europe once again? And what about America; where does 21^st century Protestantism fit in all of this? Does the papacy want your allegiance to a worldwide solidarity confederacy? That powerful organization uses superstitious teachings combined with outwardly loving overtures to persuade people to obey it. However, historically when all other measures failed it has used raw force wherever it has had the power to get away with it! Do you doubt this can happen again on a worldwide scale as it did during the Dark Ages?

In July 2009, Pope Benedict XVI published an encyclical, the highest form of ex-cathedra papal writing, in which he called for a “world political authority” to control the global economy and for ordered government regulation of national economies to pull the world out of the current crisis and prevent a similar crisis in the future. Benedict said “there is an urgent need of a true world political authority” whose job would be “to manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result.” The authority would be “regulated by law” and “would need to be universally recognized and to be vested with the effective power to ensure security for all, regard for justice, and respect for rights.” The pope declared, “Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties, and also with the coordinated measures adopted in various international forums.”

Such a high profile reach for international religio-political power on the part of the papacy only a few decades ago might have caused alarm and wide agitation among Protestants worldwide. But the attitude of Protestant leaders toward the papacy has changed radically from what it was 60 or 70 years ago. Today, the majority of Protestant leaders seem actually to welcome the concept of a global religio-political authority with the pope playing a major headship role.

Pope Benedict has called for a “true world political authority.” The pope’s envisioned “world political authority” would build a world social order that, in his words, “conforms to the moral order.”

The Bible predicts just such an international order. Revelation 13 & 14 explicitly foretells this coercive world authority. Many other prophecies in Daniel, Revelation and elsewhere in Scripture echo that dire warning. (See Bite-a-Book™ chapters 18 & 19 in this series.)

It should raise huge red flags when the Pope, head of an organization that claims authority superior to Scripture and claims authority to change God’s law makes such a call.

The pope heads an organization that seeks, wherever it can get away with it, to establish its own teachings into civil law through political and coercive means. A quick glance at the laws of Poland and many other “Catholic” countries in Europe and South America makes that point clear. (Russian Orthodoxy follows a similar program of coercion and political intrigue.)

The pope is now calling on the governments of the world to create a political hegemony that will execute global political, economic and moral policy through coercion and force. The Pope says that the “political body” should be “vested with the effective power to ensure security for all, regard for justice, and respect for rights. Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties.” This would obviously involve a police or military force. Who would be included in such a police force or coalition? Would the United States take the lead role? Scripture points clearly to a world authority headed by the papacy, in cooperation with US religious and civil power.

A centralized, armed global authority would be almost a mirror image of the power wielded by the papacy during the Dark Ages. For 1260 years the papacy had just such an arrangement with the western European civil authorities. They, on behest of the papacy, enforced a “moral political authority” throughout Western Europe and beyond. (See chapter 13, The Dark Ages )

Who would determine the boundaries of this moral order? Who would determine the specifics of the moral order? The pope isn’t calling for “a” moral order but “the” moral order. Certainly the pope has a certain moral order in mind. Would he support a moral order that was incompatible with Roman Catholic principles? Hardly!

In the midst of widespread Protestant stupor and naiveté, there are still a few Protestant voices that remain faithful to the historical and Biblical principles of Protestantism. Nicholas P. Miller, Director of the International Religious Liberty Institute at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, responded to the pope’s encyclical with a very thought-provoking but measured alert. The following is a brief excerpt from Dr. Miller’s timely article as published online by Adventist Review.

The actual governing and wielding of the sword, or rifle, or bayonet, of the global authority might be by non-religious, state powers. But it would seem that the Pope must envision that they would do so with some connection with Catholic Church leadership, or teaching, or both. It cannot be that the Pope is calling for the creation of an authority and the implementation of a social and moral order, and then he plans to have no role, or say, in how it is to be implemented. Evidence to support this is virtually the entire history of the Middle Ages, where classic Catholic teaching called for a distinction between church and state, but with a full cooperation, where the state wielded the sword on behalf of “the moral order” of the church.

Given this history, and the abuses that flowed from it — including the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the war on heretical groups such as the Waldenses — it seems unwise for the Pope to thrust himself into the role of lead counselor on the enforcement of an economic, social and moral order.  But given prophetic insights, it is not unexpected.¹⁴

In booklets 18 & 19 of this Bible guide series we cover many of the prophecies foretelling this rise of the papacy back to political prominence and the cooperation she will receive from her spiritual daughters.

The rest of this guide exposes some of the methods the papacy has historically used to suppress truth and even to “rewrite” history whenever it has been able to get away with it.

Satan’s number one priority is to distort our picture of God because he knows that if we see God the way He really is we will be drawn to Him like a magnet. Our enemy’s modus operandi doesn’t change. Rather than completely doing away with truth and beauty, he amalgamates lies and ugliness with them to confuse and deceive the beholder. Satan inspires misguided men to do the work for him. He miseducates their consciences and they then take up their pens and speak from their pulpits to do his evil work.

Most of the extant writings of the earliest Church Fathers have an original authentic core surrounded by forged text that dishonest churchmen added generations or even centuries later. Most Bible scholars acknowledge this, although there is sometimes disagreement over which portions are authentic and which are fake.¹⁵ For example, there are three different versions of Ignatius’ writings: the “Syriac,” the so-called “Shorter,” and the so-called “Longer.” In my view, the Syriac is certainly the untouched, unspoiled original. The counterfeiter of the “Shorter” version added more language around that original core, and the forger of the “Longer” version adds even more. To complicate matters further, some of the original language is altered or missing in the two interpolated versions. Furthermore, a lot of the additional language is rather innocuous in that it is basic Christian language, which makes it more difficult to recognize it as not the authentic writing of the original author. The biggest problems arise where the forgers slipped false unbiblical and unchristian principles into this generally innocuous text. It is sometimes nearly impossible to distinguish between the authentic and bogus parts of the text. This is very frustrating for an honest seeker of truth like me, who simply wants to uncover what the earliest Church Fathers actually believed and taught.

The Syriac version contains only three of Ignatius’ letters. The “Shorter” and “Longer” versions contain several additional letters not found in the Syriac. Some of these letters may also contain an authentic core, but there is no known extant record of them in their untainted state. There is also another set of letters attributed to Ignatius, which is completely spurious. This isn’t my opinion only; scholars almost universally agree on this point. For a thorough explanation, see Introductory notes to the writings of Ignatius, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 1, pp. 91-97, A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, Editors, American Reprint of the Edinburgh Edition.

Although it is difficult to find and separate the original untainted core from later additions, it is sometimes doable; especially when one passage or document completely contradicts another by the same author.

When teachings are clearly in contradiction to Scripture, I tend to believe that, in the case of the earliest Apostolic Fathers, the contradiction was “fathered-in” by a forger at a later date and is not the actual writing of the original Apostolic Father. I am referring especially to the writings of Ignatius (A.D. 30-107) and Polycarp (A.D. 65-155), because they were direct disciples of John.

In the case of Clement of Rome (A.D. 30?-97 or 100), his First Epistle to the Corinthians (probably written between A.D. 96-99, while the Apostle John was still living) seems to have survived without being corrupted with heavy interpolations, although there is evidence of some interpolation. The superstitious reference in that epistle to the mythological Phoenix and alter to the sun bears the definite stamp of interpolation. Any other possible interpolations in the rest of Clement’s First Epistle to the Corinthians seems relatively mild to me.

A biased traditionalist could stretch one particular passage in that writing to suggest that martyrs such as Peter and Paul are already in heaven. An English translation of the passage under discussion is quoted below for your own review and judgment as to the writer’s intent:

Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the Church] have been persecuted and put to death. Let us set before our eyes the illustrious apostles. Peter, through unrighteous envy, endured not one or two, but numerous labors, and when he had at length suffered martyrdom, departed to the place of glory due to him. Owing to envy, Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. After preaching both in the east and west, he gained the illustrious reputation due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and come to the extreme limit of the west, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects. Thus was he removed from the world, and went into the holy place, having proved himself a striking example of patience.¹⁶

Let’s dissect Clemet’s statement that we just read so we can have a clear understanding of what he meant. The Greek word, which has been translated “departed,” is pŏrĕuŏmai [Greek word # 4198 from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible]. Strong indicates that pŏrĕuŏmai, can mean “die.” Therefore, the Greek phrase containing this word pŏrĕuŏmai could indicate “removed from life” or “departed from life.” The Bible teaches that every person is removed from life at the moment of his or her death.

When Clement says that Peter “departed to the place of glory due to him,” he is not saying that Peter had a ghost that went to heaven when he died. Likewise, when he says that Paul “obtained the reward of patient endurance” and “went into the holy place,” he is not indicating that Paul has gone to heaven as a disembodied ghost. “Went into” is also translated from the Greek pŏrĕuŏmai. This is the same Greek word translated “departed” earlier in the passage. Rather than placing a bodiless Peter and bodiless Paul in heaven, Clement actually indicates that those Apostles have “gained the illustrious reputation due to [their] faith” as they departed from life. The “illustrious reputation” is the “place of glory,” the “holy place,” that they have gained in the annals of God’s record keeping. There is an especially strong case for understanding the passage this way since other statements by Clement clearly state his understanding that the believer’s reward comes when bodily resurrected at the second coming. (See chapter 14, The Earliest Church Fathers Possessed Pure Ointment) We cannot force Clement to contradict himself in the same document.

To force Clement, in this passage, to say that these men went straight to heaven in ghost form at death would do violence to other statements by Clement in this same letter to the Corinthians. Those passages explicitly state that the reward comes at the second coming when God “will raise you up out of your graves.” Let’s review those passages and see how Clement’s statements there fit with his statement above that we have just read.

All the generations from Adam even unto this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place [of record] among the godly, and shall be made manifest at the revelation of the kingdom of Christ. For it is written, “Enter into thy secret chambers for a little time, until my wrath and fury pass away; and I will remember a propitious day, and will raise you up out of your graves.”¹⁷

And thus He forewarns us: “Behold, the Lord [cometh], and His reward is before His face, to render to every man according to his work.”. . . For [the Scripture] saith, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which He hath prepared for them that wait for Him.”¹⁸

How blessed and wonderful, beloved, are the gifts of God! Life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth in perfect confidence, faith in assurance, self-control in holiness! And all these fall under the cognizance of our understandings [now]; what then shall those things be which are prepared for such as wait for Him?¹⁹

According to Clement, rather than receiving the reward as a disembodied soul at death, we “wait for Him.” We wait for the second coming of Jesus and the resurrection. There is only one true Gospel, and that is recorded in the Bible. It is to the Bible and the Bible alone that we are to look for authoritative teachings on the blessed hope of immortality. Clement absolutely and explicitly affirms the Bible teaching that immortality is bestowed at “the resurrection of the dead” only on those who have “the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (Philippians 3:11b, 9b) The apostle Paul firmly proclaimed in his letter to the Galatians that this is the only true gospel:

“Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) . . . Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world. . . . I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. . . . he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 1:1, 4a, 6-9; 6:8b)

The “other gospel” that Paul refers to is the idea that keeping Old Testament rituals and ceremonies can be added to faith in Christ for merit. This leads me to mention Justin Martyr (A.D. 110-165). Though Justin is somewhat later than the Apostolic Fathers (more than a century after Christ), his writings, especially his Dialogue with Trypho strongly rebut Judaistic tendencies to cling to Old Testament rights and ceremonies for salvation. There is much merit in the dialogue as it has come down to us, but it seems equally clear to me that it is either heavily interpolated or that Justin did not have a pure understanding of the gospel. He was a Gentile and definitely Hellenized in his thinking after immersing himself in the writings of Socrates and Plato. His writing in the first few pages of his Dialogue is both sweet and powerful, and saturated with Scripture, all qualities that I value. But most of the other writings attributed to him are probably forgeries and even the two Apologies, which are considered genuine, are almost certainly heavily interpolated. Justin’s reasoning (probably interpolated as it has come down to us) is a mixed bag containing both truth and error. It is the Bible and the Bible alone that remains the final arbiter of truth!

Statements about the soul in Justin’s two Apologies clearly contradict statements in his Dialogue with Trypho. This evidence indicates that some or all of his writings are filled with interpolations — I believe all, including the Dialogue with Trypho. The Dialogue is Conditionalist in its approach to the subject of the soul. (A Conditionalist is someone who believes that all souls are mortal and that God grants immortality only to people who have faith in Him and that immortality will be bestowed in a bodily resurrection at the second coming of Jesus.) Even though Justin’s Dialogue is Conditionalist it, nevertheless, reveals heavy interpolation in many other respects. Be that as it may, I will share two clearly Conditionalist quotes from the Dialogue with you here. The first is from an old Christian Justin met one day while walking in a field by the sea. The old man is Conditionalist in his statement, although somewhat muddled as to the exact nature of the soul. The second quote is from Justin to Trypho and seems to present good straightforward truth.

“Now, that the soul lives, no one would deny. But if it lives, it lives not as being life, but as the partaker of life; but that which partakes of anything, is different from that of which it does partake. Now the soul partakes of life, since God wills it to live. Thus, then, it will not even partake [of life] when God does not will it to live. For to live is not its attribute, as it is God’s; but as a man does not live always, and the soul is not for ever conjoined with the body, since, whenever this harmony must be broken up, the soul leaves the body, and the man exists no longer; even so, whenever the soul must cease to exist, the spirit of life is removed from it, and there is no more soul, but it goes back to the place from whence it was taken.”²⁰

Justin to Trypho: “Moreover, I pointed out to you that some who are called Christians, but are godless, impious heretics, teach doctrines that are in every way blasphemous, atheistical, and foolish. . . . I choose to follow not men or men’s doctrines, but God and the doctrines [delivered] by Him. For if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this [truth], and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians.”²¹

These two statements from Justin’s Dialogue indicate a straight Biblical understanding of the non-immortality of the soul. But there are teachings in the Dialogue pertaining to other subjects (not the soul), which contradict the Bible. Those teachings indicate heavy interpolation.

Let’s consider why and how interpolations were intruded into the historical records. Honorable and honest men such as Polycarp and Ignatius, so close to John the beloved, would never have dreamed of tampering with another man’s writings, but some of the proponents of universal soul immortality and other heresies, which appeared later, were apparently men with an agenda that they deemed more important than transparent honesty. Therefore, they attempted to alter the church’s historical records in order to further their sinister agendas. Others perhaps simply thought that they were doing no harm by tossing in a little embellishment here or there to a document or two. Perhaps yet others might have included some of their own thoughts in a famous writer’s works because it made them somehow feel secretly important.

Some of the forgers and interpolators placed extreme emphasis on obedience to church authority in their interpolations. It is clear to me that that was part of their modus-operandi. The authoritarian tone of the interpolations intermingled clumsily with the humility of the originals is one of the clues we can often follow in determining which parts of a writing are genuine and which are forgeries. Ignatius and Polycarp, for example, emphasized deference to the office of bishop or pastor. They advised counseling with and seeking guidance from pastors, but they never suggested that one should blindly obey church authorities when such obedience might violate conscience.

There are statements made in some of these documents referring to religious teachings that had not even existed at the time of the writing of the original document. And the extant documents refer in some places to events that had not yet taken place at the time of the original writings. These are dead giveaways of “fathering in,” or to put it plainly, forgery!

We must keep in mind that printing had not yet been introduced during the period of the early church, and hand-scribed copies of Scripture were relatively rare. Congregations depended on someone to read Scripture aloud during worship and study services. Most church members during the early centuries got their knowledge of Scripture by “hearing” and not by personally reading. These public readings also included letters from apostolic Fathers such as Polycarp and Ignatius who had been direct disciples of the Apostle John. Obviously, later forgers would see value in altering the writings of influential Church Fathers to promote the false, unbiblical dogmas the forgers wanted the masses to adopt. The circumstances made it relatively easy for these forgers to get away with their deception.

Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians seems mostly pristine, although the Epistle Concerning the Martyrdom of Polycarp is most definitely very heavily interpolated if not an outright forgery. This is not my opinion only, but is almost universally recognized by scholars.

Several of the letters purportedly written by Ignatius have been proven complete forgeries. Again, this is not my opinion only, but is almost universally recognized by the most eminent and respected scholars.²²

All other surviving copies of Ignatius’ extant writings were also thought to have been severely tampered with until a Syriac version of three of his letters was discovered in the early nineteenth century. Those three letters seem to be pristine. It is Ignatius’ witness in those letters that we can depend upon with confidence.

I will repeat that it is the Bible and the Bible alone that is the final arbiter of truth. You can trust that Word even if every other teaching in the world were tainted and corrupted with lies. I would caution, however, that in modern times some groups have published very corrupted translations of the Bible itself in order to justify homosexual lifestyle practices or teach that God is female and other unscriptural notions. Some Roman Catholic Catechisms have for centuries contained corruptions such as the deletion of the second commandment, the abbreviating of the fourth, the transference of the fourth to third position, and finally the division of the tenth in order to make a pretense that they are still the “Ten” Commandments. Catholic Bibles also contain non-canonical apocryphal books that teach many things contrary to the true Scriptures.

The church hierarchy of the Dark Ages not only created many forgeries and fathered in many corrupt teachings but also ordered the systematic destruction of any writing that contradicted its dogma’s and traditions. Millions of documents and books containing uncorrupted truth were burned by the church itself! As we’ve already documented in earlier chapters the church leaders even ordered the burning of and suppression of the Bible itself in languages other than Latin. This kind of systematic “chiseling-out” of historical records reminds me of the ancient practice of Egyptian Pharaoh’s and almost all other pagan rulers. They would expunge all record of former rulers that they did not want remembered by posterity and they would alter the records of history so as to leave only their rewritten false version. Even public monuments had their hieroglyphics literally chiseled out or erased and replaced with revised language.

Do you want to know the truth and maintain a firm grip on reality? It will require time and effort on your part and a firm reliance on the providential hand of the Holy Spirit to “guide you into all truth” through a study of the Sacred Scriptures. (John 16:13b)

Let’s return now to our review of the roots of historical papal paternalism. Tertullian, about 1,800 years ago, argued in The Prescription Against Heretics that faith (in his version of Christianity) is better than knowledge of the Scriptures. He, in essence, said that all believers should unite on one traditional creed (his version of “truth”), and from that point onward, all critical investigation and discussion of Scripture ought to be considered a threat to church unity. He asserted that all study of the Scriptures that calls his “orthodoxy” into question ought to cease. He even advocated suppression of dissenting views. Let’s look at a few brief excerpts from his treatise The Prescription Against Heretics. Please pay thoughtful attention to the words and phrases that I have italicized:

It is written, they say, ‘Seek, and ye shall find.’ Let us remember at what time the Lord said this. I think it was at the very outset of His teaching, when there was still a doubt felt by all whether He were the Christ, and when even Peter had not yet declared Him to be the Son of God, and John (Baptist) had actually ceased to feel assurance about Him. With good reason, therefore, was it then said, ‘Seek, and ye shall find,’ when inquiry was still to be made of Him who was not yet become known. . . . It is only at the last that He instructs them to ‘go and teach all nations, and baptize them, when they were so soon to receive ‘the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, who should guide them into all the truth.’ And this, too, makes towards the same conclusion. If the apostles, who were ordained to be teachers to the Gentiles, were themselves to have the Comforter for their teacher, far more needless was it to say to us, ‘Seek, and ye shall find,’ to whom was to come, without research, our instruction by the apostles, and to the apostles themselves by the Holy Ghost. All the Lord’s sayings, indeed, are set forth for all men; through the ears of the Jews have they passed on to us. Still most of them were addressed to Jewish persons; they therefore did not constitute instruction properly designed for ourselves, but rather an example.²³

Perhaps Tertullian had forgotten how the Apostle Paul commended his hearers at Berea who searched the Scriptures to prove whether what the apostle had said was true. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11) Paul was referring to the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). The hearers at Berea obeyed the Bible injunction, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20)

Perhaps Tertullian supposed that the Old Testament Scriptures were not for Gentiles but only for Jews. “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2^nd Timothy 3:16) The “all scripture” is a reference to the Old Testament. The New Testament did not yet exist as a catalogued document at the time Paul wrote to Timothy. Much of the New Testament was not yet written.

Close scrutiny of the last two sentences in the quote above shows that Tertullian plays down the direct value of the writings of the Apostles. Let’s look at those two sentences again now. “All the Lord’s sayings, indeed, are set forth for all men; through the ears of the Jews have they passed on to us. Still most of them were addressed to Jewish persons; they therefore did not constitute instruction properly designed for ourselves, but rather an example.” As we shall see in a few moments, Tertullian clearly refers to the “Christian Scriptures” as a source that should be kept off limits to those who disagree with his concept of “orthodoxy.” Let’s read a few more of Tertullian’s comments, which are so contradictory to the message we see in the Bible passages above.

It is better for you to remain in ignorance, lest you should come to know what you ought not, because you have acquired the knowledge of what you ought to know. “Thy faith,” He says, “hath saved thee” not (observe) your skill in the Scriptures.²⁴

Our appeal, therefore, must not be made to the Scriptures.²⁵

Heretics ought not to be allowed to challenge an appeal to the Scriptures, since we, without the Scriptures, provethat they have nothing to do with the Scriptures. For as they are heretics, they cannot be true Christians, because it is not from Christ that they get that which they pursue of their own mere choice, and from the pursuit incur and admit the name of heretics. Thus, not being Christians, they have acquired no right to the Christian Scriptures.²⁶

Now, unquestionably, the Divine Scriptures are more fruitful in resources of all kinds for this sort of facility. Nor do I risk contradiction in saying that the very Scriptures were even arranged by the will of God in such a manner as to furnish materials for heretics, inasmuch as I read that “there must be heresies”, which there cannot be without the Scriptures.²⁷

Tertullian, with statements such as these, laid the foundation for the Catholic Church’s suppression of the human conscience. The Catholic Church has a long history of opposing the translation of the Bible into the common languages of the people and opposing their God-given right to read it. This suppression of Scripture began long before Pius IX. And the twenty-first century Roman Catholic clergy still claims sole authority to interpret the Bible for the laity. If the historic magisterial papacy were revived today, a writer such as I could be subject to severe penalties (fines, torture, imprisonment, and even death) for daring to write a book such as the one you are now reading. You could be in serious trouble for possessing and reading both it and the Bible to which it points. Please ponder that thought.

During the Dark Ages, Roman Catholic armies murdered millions of Christians because they treasured the Bible and refused to give it up. The Church’s ban on common people reading the Bible is well documented. Consider the following:

Canon 14 of the Synod of Toulouse in 1229 A. D. reads: “We prohibit that the laity should be permitted to have the books of the Old or New Testaments. . . . We most strictly forbid their having any translation of these books.”²⁸

Likewise, the Council of Tarragona in A.D. 1234 decreed: “No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments in the Romance language, and if anyone possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days after the promulgation of this decree, so that they may be burned.”²⁹

The Council of Trent (April 8, 1546) ruled “It is manifest, from experience, that if the Holy Bible, translated into the vulgar [common] tongue, be indiscriminately allowed to everyone, the temerity of men will cause more evil than good to arise from it”³⁰ (Bracketed text supplied.)

Contrast this repressive attitude of the papacy toward common people owning, studying, and interpreting the Bible for themselves with the fact that the Old and New Testaments both were originally written in the language of the common people.

The fact is, the Bible was written for the common people. The language of the Old Testament was the language spoken in the homes and market-places of the Hebrews. The New Testament Greek was not the classical of an earlier period but the Greek spoken by the common people. It was called the Koine, which means the common language, what we would call today “newspaper language.” This shows that God intended the common people to understand the Bible.³¹

An early twentieth century edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia expressed the magisterial Church’s disdain for the unalterable authority of the Holy Scriptures in the following derisive language. “The Catholic system with the splendid organization of its living magisterium is far superior to the Protestant system, which rests everything on the authority of a book.”³²

Now we must ask, what has this “splendid organization” with “its living magisterium” which is “far superior” to the authority of the Bible actually replaced the Bible’s pure reality based teachings with? The Bible’s pure soul-liberating truths have been replaced with a huge morass of mind-numbing, sacrilegious superstitions. “John Henry Newman, later cardinal, in his book, The Development of the Christian Religion, admits that,

Temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, holy days and seasons of devotions, processions, blessings of fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests monks and nuns), images, etc., are all of pagan origin.³³

The Apostle Paul made strong heart appeals, even tearfully, to the shepherds of the flock to watch out for such encroaching heresies. He foresaw that church leaders themselves would teach these gross heresies to the people.

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:29-31)

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”(Galatians 1:8, 9)

Surely, we walk a fine and dangerous line when we seek, in love, to confront deeply entrenched religious error. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2^nd Timothy 3:13) We are within our rights to avoid enemies who are bent on our harm. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

Jesus longs to free us from all superstition and man-made tradition that contradicts His word as it stands in the Bible. Of what did He accuse the ancient religious leaders?

“Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. [Ye] hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:6b-9)

With what does He say we are to replace the traditions? “The commandment of God.” He says to you and me, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Dear friend, the commandments of God and the commandments of men are often contradictory to one another. When that happens the Scriptures take precedent over every fabricated tradition, no matter what authority stands behind the tradition.

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.” (John 14:21-24)

Who keeps Jesus commandments? Those who love Him. How may you come to love Him? The same way you come to love anyone. You spend time with Him and His qualities will attract you. As you behold His character as expressed in His words and actions you will find yourself imperceptibly drawn toward Him. If you do not resist, you will find yourself admiring and loving this God in human flesh. He is the greatest Hero this world will ever know.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither [was any] deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:3-11)

Jesus endured 33 ½ years of toil, poverty, weariness, hunger, loneliness and abuse for you. If you had been the only sinner in need of salvation, he would have endured it all for you including the horrible abuses at the cross and the terrible mental consternation of taking all your accumulated guilt upon His own mind. They spat in his face, stripped Him naked, and hung him up as a gazing stock for all to revile. He knew all about it before He entered the path, yet He willingly came and endured it all because of His love for you. He didn’t have to go through with it. He could have abandoned this world and rocketed right back up into heaven any time He so desired.

That same Jesus inspired the writing of the Bible. Millions have shed their own blood for the right to possess and study the Bible. Some sacrificed liberty and life so that you could have access to the Scriptures. Show Jesus how much you appreciate those great sacrifices by spending quality time studying His inspired word every day. And encourage your friends and loved ones to search the Scriptures, which have come to them at so great a cost.

Jesus didn’t leave a dumpy old apartment in downtown Detroit or some miserable swamp in Bangladesh to come down here and play golf in the pristine beauty of Kalispell or Whitefish, Montana. He willingly walked out of Paradise, real Paradise, into Detroit and Bangladesh in order to find and rescue anyone in those seemingly Godforsaken places that would respond to His message of redeeming love. Wow! Think it through! He loves you! Oh yes He does! He wants to set you free from the sins that control your life.

“I will make a man [woman/boy/girl] more precious than fine gold.” (Isaiah 13:12a; Bracketed text added)

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