Taking Truth the Distance
Sometimes people out there think us Christian types are full of hot air. We believe in something that just isn't true. Or we've made the whole thing up. Fact is, all of us believe in something. Even if you believe in nothing, you believe that's the way it is. The men who are written of in the New Testament who walked and talked with Christ obviously believed what they heard and saw. If it was a made up story they wouldn't be so willing to give their lives for the truth they wanted everyone to hear and receive, would they? That being said, let's look at the track record of the followers of Jesus.
- Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword.
- Mark died in Alexandria, Egypt, dragged by horses through the streets.
- Luke was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
- John, the only apostle to die peacefully, faced martyrdom when he was boiled in oil where he was miraculously delivered from death, John was then sentenced to the island of Patmos, he was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa, and died as an old man.
- Peter was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross, he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
- James the Greater, son of Zebedee, was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial, he later declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
- James the Just, the brother of Jesus, was thrown over a precipice and fell one hundred feet from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
- Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel, was martyred for his preaching in Armenia when he was flayed to death by a whip.
- Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece... he was whipped severely by seven soldiers, they then tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony, yet he continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he died.
- Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips.
- Jude, the brother of Jesus, was killed with arrows for refusing to deny his faith.
- Matthias, the replacement for Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
- Barnabas was stoned to death at Salonica.
- The apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded by Nero at Rome in AD 67.
What do you believe? And are you willing to take it the distance?
Chris
Sometimes people out there think us Christian types are full of hot air. We believe in something that just isn't true. Or we've made the whole thing up. Fact is, all of us believe in something. Even if you believe in nothing, you believe that's the way it is. The men who are written of in the New Testament who walked and talked with Christ obviously believed what they heard and saw. If it was a made up story they wouldn't be so willing to give their lives for the truth they wanted everyone to hear and receive, would they? That being said, let's look at the track record of the followers of Jesus.
- Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword.
- Mark died in Alexandria, Egypt, dragged by horses through the streets.
- Luke was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
- John, the only apostle to die peacefully, faced martyrdom when he was boiled in oil where he was miraculously delivered from death, John was then sentenced to the island of Patmos, he was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa, and died as an old man.
- Peter was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross, he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
- James the Greater, son of Zebedee, was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial, he later declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
- James the Just, the brother of Jesus, was thrown over a precipice and fell one hundred feet from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
- Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel, was martyred for his preaching in Armenia when he was flayed to death by a whip.
- Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece... he was whipped severely by seven soldiers, they then tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony, yet he continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he died.
- Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips.
- Jude, the brother of Jesus, was killed with arrows for refusing to deny his faith.
- Matthias, the replacement for Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
- Barnabas was stoned to death at Salonica.
- The apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded by Nero at Rome in AD 67.
What do you believe? And are you willing to take it the distance?
Chris
posted by Chris at
10:02 AM
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