The Beginning – Martyrdom & The Early Christians

March 17, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

Jesus during His ministry here on earth choose twelve men who along with him, and also following his death shared the good news with unbelievers; these men were called ‘Disciples’ and their names were: Simon, James, John, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus (or Judas the son of James), Simon (the Zealot), and Judas (Iscariot). It was out of these twelve that the explosion of a great Christian movement occurred. In addition to those converted during the ministry of Jesus, following Peter’s message (Acts 2:41) there were three thousand converted to Christianity. Day by day new converts were being added to the Christian movement (Acts 2:47). After Peter’s second sermon, the number of converts (men) grew to five thousand. The number is believed to have been significantly more, as the mention is made specifically of men.

The first sign of persecution took place in Jerusalem (Acts 4) following a miracle by Peter and Paul who healed a cripple. The authorities could not refute the miracle, nor were they able to keep it a secret. Peter and Paul found themselves in a vulnerable position; in an attempt to keep the report from spreading, the council threatened them and asked them not to speak to any man in the name of Jesus. It is revealed in Acts 5:17 that one of the motives of the officials to persecute Christians was that of jealousy. The officials did not possess such authority therefore Peter and Paul were flogged and sent on their way. After being flogged they rejoiced having had the opportunity to suffer as Jesus did. The unjust acts against Peter and Paul marked the beginning of Christian persecution.

In the center of the rapid growth of the Christian movement, certain Spiritual needs of the Church were being overlooked, as certain widows were being neglected. Stephen a new convert along with six other men was appointed to manage this aspect of the ministry. Stephen was a man who was filled with great wisdom and the Word of God abide in him, because of the high regard fellow believers had of him he was chooses as overseer. Unable to cope with Stephen’s wisdom, the leaders of the day in a jealous rage secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him spoke blasphemous words against Moses and against God” (Acts 6:11). They motivated the people under false pretense to disregard Stephen’s true character and had him brought before the council. Following a long speech by Stephen which revealed the suspicion and insecurities of the Officials they became irate and drove him out, and stoned him to death while he called upon the name of the Lord. Following the martyrdom of Stephen, because of persecution, the Christians scattered throughout Phoenicia Cyprus and Antioch. These Christians went on to preaching and winning souls to Christ. The stoning of Stephen marked the beginning of Christian martyrdom.

Rome at the time was saturated in paganism with all sorts of corruption taking place. This way of life filtered into other Roman dominated regions where the worship of false gods was a common and accepted practice, and sexual immorality was prevalent. The beliefs and practices of Christianity went against the accepted norms of the Roman Society. There were various cults present and all these debaucheries created a difficult battle for the Christians, as it was their task to challenge this type of lifestyle and make the love Christ known to all. In becoming a Christian, one was putting their very life in danger. Christians suffered emotionally as their possessions were confiscated and burned, including valuable writings and Bibles, and soon their very places of worship. These crimes against Christians became more brutal as time went by. The reason for this was because Christians possessed an authority that the Roman government could not understand. Intimidated, the government viewed them as a threat to the culture, and indeed the very structure of Roman Society. Ironically, instead of putting an end to this movement, without any logical explanation, the movement experienced phenomenal growth.


Eventually, under the reign of Emperor Nero the State begun to viciously inflict physical torture against Christians employing various means, sometimes even death. Nero, being the ‘master of disaster’ that he was, desired to see the destruction of the world prior to his death; he gave orders that the city of Rome be set on fire. This fire which lasted for nine days claimed the lives of thousands, numerous infrastructure was lost, including what was known as the circus. It is said that while the city burned, Nero set on a high tower and amuse himself by playing his fiddle and singing the song pertaining to destruction of Troy. When Nero realized that he was about to be ousted by the Romans, he deceitfully blamed the whole fiasco on the Christians, thus conveying hatred and resentment against this group.

Paul who under the name Saul had single-handedly persecuted many Christians following the martyrdom of Stephen but having been converted, traveled the region preaching and bringing men to Christ. He had his share of confrontations with the authorities, and his demise was close at hand. Paul was seized by the authorities and brought before the council; he appeared before Governor Felix, and also two years later before Festus who succeeded Felix, and finally before Agrippa. Agrippa found no fault in Paul; therefore, he was shackled and transported to Rome. He was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. In Rome the Officials could not find any grounds on which to condemn Paul, therefore, they had to release him. Paul called together the leading men of the Jews and begun witnessing to them, winning some souls to Christ, but was later captured and beheaded under the instruction of Nero.

James the son of Zebedee who was a fisherman when called by Jesus was the first of Jesus’ disciple to be martyred. After being captured by Herod, because of his spreading of the gospel, James was beheaded along with a convert who had come to faith in Christ. All the other disciples of Jesus were martyred accept for John who suffered persecution as well but did not suffered a violent death; eventually he died of old age. Simon (Peter) one of the early Church leaders ended up in Rome and was crucified; because he did not thought himself worthy to die a death similar to that Jesus, he requested to be crucified up-side-down. Also crucified were his brother Andrew, Phillip, James, Bartholomew (also beaten), Jude and Simon (the Zealot). Matthew was killed by a halberd, James the just was beaten to death after being crucified, and stoned, Matthias was stoned and beheaded, and Thomas was killed by a spare. Numerous other Christians were condemned to die for their faith in Jesus Christ.

tyle="text-align:justify;">The early Christians had implemented a standard that was not typical; it was sure to be the cause of a society revolutionized by a people eager to perform the will of God . Because of the standard they maintained, government was disturbed, as Christians were able to evaluate the actions of the State. Fearlessly, they refused to participate in pagan ceremonies held by the State; they remained committed to the standard implemented. As a means of attempting to rid society of this new religion, the State imposed grievous persecution against Christians, utilizing numerous demeaning and terrorizing measures. Christians were tortured and asked to recant; those who refused were often burnt alive, beheaded, fed to wild animals, sewn up in the skin of animals and thrown to wild dogs, forced to wear clothing made of wax and put in the garden where they were set on fire to provide light for pagans, etc. Despite the persecution, the world witnessed a religious ignition that left authorities baffled; Christianity had rapidly spread throughout the Roman Empire. When Emperor Constantine came to power, and following his conversion, he thought of a way to deal with the clash of culture between pagans and Christians. Because of the awesome growth and authority that Christians possessed, Constantine’s desire was that of becoming a recipient of the blessings that the they were beneficiaries of; therefore, he orchestrated a plan that united the State with Christianity, thus legalizing Christianity and making it the preferred religion of the Roman Empire. Soon Rome was known as the holy Roman Empire, as Christianity gained numerous converts, most of whose motives was that of an end fulfilling a means. From this point on, the Christian movement that was so vibrant and true to its calling seemed to have been desecrated, as everything went downhill from here on.

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Something to think about

March 15, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment
Hi guys,

Click on the following links for something to think about.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=4b0f404d4219625ca24c

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1b5bd6e3e034d00b4f73

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Book Report: Christian Jihad – Two Former Muslims Look at the Crusades

March 15, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

Authors: Ergun Mehmet Caner & Emir Fethi Caner

Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, 2004


“How was the Church at Rome able to rally the Warriors, gather the leaders, and then justify the slaughter? How did the papacy justify the first “Christian army” in history? How was the pope able to declare and legitimize a “Christian Jihad?” (Christian Jihad, 104).


The main argument in the book is the refutation of a Christian army and the ungodly acts that took place during the Crusades which was provoked under false pretense by a promise of salvation to the Soldiers. Also, the endorsement of Christians serving in the army for the purpose of combating injustice and the protection against the vulnerability of the State and its Citizens (Just War Criteria).


Anyone reading Christian Jihad should be compelled to really take a serious look at the rationale behind war. The early Christians were known to be pacifists, they were unwaveringly anti-violence and this was evident in the way they endured persecutions; there was hardly if ever any retaliation on their part. They were taught, and practice humility, temperance, and tolerance, as what they endured was done so in the name of Christ, knowing that they would receive their reward in heaven. Their main emphasis of tolerance was based on the fact that they through suffering had tasted in the suffering that Jesus experienced while here on earth. The persecution that was being levied on Christians seemed to foster even more pacifism, as they were also cognizant of the fact that their offenders too would one day receive their just reward. It did not remain this way; the offended soon became the offender. The third century saw a change in the way Christians viewed war and soon Christians were allowed to join the military; in the fourth century there was even a Christian presence in military combat. The body of the Christ whose duty it is to go and make disciples was now joining and participating in what they formally spoke out against; they had become the army of the Lord. At one point in history, the army consisted of only Christians; all the pagan soldiers were discharged. Within the book Christian Jihad the authors gave information of the Christian persecution under various Emperors, that of Diocletian being the worst persecution ever experienced by the Christians. This was just a fanatical time, even known pagans who were converted to Christianity were often murdered; the more Christians were killed the more Christianity spread.

Certain of the early Church leaders did not approve of Christians joining the military. One such leader was Justin who thought that such a decision was not only defiant to Scripture, but was even considered a decision that did not engender sufficient thought, as when one swear such an oath, there is nothing that the country can give that has any perpetual value attached to it. Another such leader was Irenaeus whose contention it was that the main reason for God sending his Son Jesus was to suspend war and violence; he did not think that God approved of such matters. There were a number of other church leaders who stood opposed to war, some of whom took the view that the duty of Christians as far war is concerned had to do with prayer (engaging in spiritual battles) a much higher calling than that of a solider. The early church fathers did not think that the idea of Christians taking part in war was of any benefit to the work of the Lord, and that participation in warfare would only bring spiritual disgrace to the church and the Christian faith. The idea of Christians participating in war all came about following Constantine’s legalization of Christianity, and the close relationship that ensued between Church and State, referred to this as an unholy marriage, where the church became the mistress of the Roman Empire (pg 21).


It was revealed that Agustin in an attempt to formulate a just war criteria, with the contribution from other theologians including Thomas Aquinas came up with the following: Just cause, legitimate authority, right intention, probability of Success, probability of violence, the principle of last resort. (pg 68) In summing all these up, the Christian was not to take part in war unless it was warranted.

During the Crusade, Christians mercilessly butchered their brothers and sisters. On page 47 there is a report of the conquest of Jerusalem, concerning the Muslims murdered. It cites, “Before we attacked the city, the bishops and priests, by preaching and exhortation, ordered everyone to hold a procession in honor of God all around the city and arranged for prayers, alms giving and fasting…Soon our men were running all around the city, seizing gold and silver…Rejoicing and weeping for joy, our people came to the sepulcher of Jesus our Savior to worship and pay their debt. At dawn our men cautiously went up to the roof of the Temple and attacked the Saracen (Muslim) men and women, beheading them with naked swords…” They were taught that they were doing the will of God, and that as a reward for slaughtering their brothers and sisters they would inherit eternal salvation. As a matter of fact, joining the army was an automatic promise of salvation. The passion displayed in their butchering of their victims shows that they really believed in the possibility of being rewarded with salvation as a prize for successfully annihilating the Muslims. They had become obsessed with the idea of war. What transpired there in Jerusalem at the break of dawn that morning resulted in Muslims being driven to hate those who professed faith in Christ.

Following the battle at Jerusalem an eyewitness gave this account, regarding the men and women that were slain, “Indeed it was a just and splendid judgment of God that this place should be filled with the blood of unbelievers, since it had suffered so long from their blasphemies. At nightfall the Crusaders’ hands were still bloody when they folded them in prayer and knelt at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, sobbing for excess joy” (100). Muslims were beheaded, thrown to the flames, or shot with arrows; it is said that the Christian soldiers during this massacre were up to their knees (while riding on their horses) in the blood of the Muslims. It gives a very disturbing picture of just how many Muslims were slain; this the Christians claimed was sanctified slaughter.

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Like a blast from the past, the more contemporary call from leaders with immoral agendas seems to parallel the clarion call of Pope Urban to come together and combat the outside forces that seek to defy the will of God. Constantine in his defense of Christians taking part in war was that of referencing back to “Old Testament armies which operated as a killing force for God’s purposes.” (61). “Constantine, as Pope Urban II later, ignores the moral implications of the teachings of Jesus Christ and simply uses Old Testament anecdotal evidence to justify the “warring church”(61).

As the Caners puts it, “the darkest day in Christian history – the day Christianity declared a jihad….Christians had taken on as much guilt as Muslims who declared a jihad. The just war criteria had been replaced by a theology of retribution. Christians no longer had mere permission to serve in the army. The army was now explicitly Christian.”

Nowhere in God’s Word has He ever given instructions for Christians to enter into warfare on His behalf. He has long ago sent his only begotten Son Jesus whose blood was shed for all of humanity, there is no reason the shedding of the blood of another.


As disclosed, “In 1996, about 150 Christians attempted to build bridges into the lives of Muslims and Jews by tracing the steps of the crusaders and publicly apologizing for the acts of carnage performed in Jesus Christ’s name.” An apology that came nine hundred years after the gruesome slaying though late was accepted in the towns visited by the group, but today there is still tension between Christians and Muslims.

Can two work together unless they agree? The Roman Empire had inflicted great persecution on the Christians of the Early Church; the reason for this being that the Church had set a standard by which to judge the government. Christians refused to participate in pagan worship held by the state. This persecution by the State and refusal to worship pagan gods by the Christians was because the two sides had nothing in common. But years later the Church became the Mistress of the State, and their allegiance to God became allegiance to the government, an unholy marriage indeed. Christians at this stage were popular and preferred by the government; therefore, they forsook their early teachings in the way of Christ and allowed the state to govern the church, even to the extent of telling them how to treat their fellowmen. The power the State had invested in the Church had caused them to become disoriented with pride; what they did not realize at the time was that the power they possessed was only temporary. Today, because of what transpired there in Jerusalem between Christians and Muslims we have a massive work on our hands as it relates to witnessing and making disciples of a people who have been wronged by those who were suppose to care about the eternality of souls. We have a long way to go as far as making peace with these our Muslim brothers and sisters as we do all we can to show the love of God. This is a difficult feet but not an impossible one; with God on our side we can accomplish great things for the advancement of His Kingdom.

I enjoyed reading Christian Jihad, it clarified for me a number of issues as it relates to why the Crusades took place. It just does not seem rational that Christians would consider blood shed as an answer to any grievance. This is the way the world thinks; to inflict pain, hurt and devastation as a means of solving societal ills. From a personal perspective, I view war as a senseless act of brutality, an absurd compromise and desecration of precious lives and really wish it did not have to be a part every day life, but when the well being of a country and its citizens are at risk there must be some sort of mechanism in place to defend and protect.

Sad but factual, like Saul who persecuted the church years prior, the Christians were certain that that were doing God’s bidding. The mass slaughter of Muslims by Christians during the Crusade was unjustified.

My compliments to the Caners who through freedom of expression have meticulously examined and divulged the naked truth concerning the dark side of Christian history as it relates to Christian Jihad. Bravo guys!

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Early Christian Art & Architecture

March 10, 2008 By admin 2 Comments

Follow the link for some interesting clips of Early Christian Art and architecture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYO8FoqmJ60

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Early Christian Art – Kimball Art Museum

March 8, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

I attended the Early Christian Art exhibit at the Kimball Art Museum on Saturday, March 1st. This is a short review of the presentation on Temples, Churches and Synagogues – The Evolution of Religious Architecture. The presentation was given by L. Michael White of the University of Texas at Austin.

During the presentation it was revealed that late antique synagogues prior to the time of Augustin was extravagantly decorated. Prior to the introduction of the Basilica by Constantine Christians employed other available architecture as a means of worship. The House Church was used as a casual meeting place for Christians; these were private homes, where Christian fellowship was held and the Eucharist was served; the home owners served as Patrons. In addition, there was also the Domus Ecclesiae - These were houses altered to accommodate Christian meetings, and were decorated with Christian art. Dura Europos (231-256 CE) became fundamental as church building even though it might have looked like a house. The decorations used were among the earliest known Christian art. Some of the Art that decorated Dura Europos included art of Moses being rescued by from the river, Moses striking the rock and the crossing of the red sea. If one were to take a tour of the building today it would reveal no direct evidence that the building was used for Christian gathering.

The Aula Eccesia was a specifically designed hall made larger by renovation, the partitions/walls were knocked out in order to give larger space. Christian art decoration included among other decorations the names ‘God’ and ‘Christ’.
The Basilica was introduced as a sign of imperial favor and patronage by Emperor Constantine. The Basilica which was rebuilt in the second century and formally the Coliseum was lavishly decorated. The art and architecture revealed rich culture from past history. The decorations depicted stories of the Christian faith. Today as the Basillica stands, it would seem highly unlikely that the building had ever been used or occupied by Christians; the decorations that previously adorned the edifice are no longer present. There are no Christian art in sight, no inscriptions, no crosses or the like. One would not be able to tell that the building was once used for Christian worship.

St. Peter’s Basilica in Saudis Turkey- the gymnasium was transformed into a Basilica; the sanctuary is over 80 meters on internal measurement, and was extravagantly decorated.

The Cleveland Marbles developed by early Christians dates to the late eighth century. Carved from docimium the group of early Christian sculptures depicts the story of how Johah was thrown overboard the ship bound for Tarshish. The set consists of five pieces – Jonah being swallowed by the fish, Jonah being spat up by the fish, Jonah praying, Jonah under a vine, and the good shepherd. These sculptures were perhaps originally carved for wealthy Christians. The set is commonly referred to as the Johah Marbles.

As the Christian population grew Churches and Synagogues were built and rebuilt to accommodate for the growth. The use of art to decorate the walls of synagogues was striking. Art, architecture and culture were an amazing combination as far as early places of worship were concerned.

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Pretence can never endure

February 22, 2008 By admin 1 Comment
Here is a quote I’d like to share.

“For men who think that they can secure for themselves unshakable glory by pretence and empty show, by dissembling in speech and countenance, are wildly mistaken. True glory takes root and spreads its branches too; but everything false drops swiftly down like blossom; and pretence can never endure.” – Cicero

God has created each of us special….. Let’s not compare ourselves with another, lets be exactly who God created us to be. Pretence can never endure.

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Culture Matters

February 22, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

I would like to recommend a book entitled ‘Culture Matters’ - A Call for Consensus on Christian Culture Engagement by T.M Moore. We do it without realizing, but we somehow intermingle with culture every day. In this book Moore shares his observations on culture and supports Christian unity in culture matters. He also emphasize past figures who were partly responsible for the way culture has taken form (Augustin, Calvin). At the end of each chapter there are questions for study or discussion. Here’s an excerpt form the book:
“Perhaps the vast majority of contemporary Christians hardly give culture a second thought, at least as it relates to their faith in Christ. It’s not that they are not engaged in culture; they just don’t think about their involvement all that much, at least not from the perspective of their Christian beliefs. They have simply absorbed the tastes, habits, manners and cultural preferences of their environment throughout the course of their lives.” (Culture Matters)
I still have a couple more chapters left to read, but I’m really enjoying this book. Check it out!

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I am Forgiven! Therefore I must forgive.

February 4, 2008 By admin 2 Comments

I grew up on Providenciales in the beautiful by nature Turks & Caicos Islands. Our two bed room home that housed my parents, and seven children was located on the water front in the settlement of Blue Hills. I can still recall the daily trips to the beach by my siblings and me enjoying the beautiful water, sand and sun. My life was no ordinary one. Our home was not what God intended a home to be. As I can recall there was constant turmoil in our home (looking back, I guess those days at the beach was simply our way of getting away from it all). My mother who was/is a Christian, held Bible devotions with us, taught us Bible verses, took us to church, and made sure that we attended Sunday school and other church-related functions. My father on the other hand, was/is not a Christian, and was the main cause of the ever-present turmoil.

Our family owned a restaurant where I worked (when I was old enough) while attending school. To this day I cannot decipher how I endured the public humiliation, because my father had no regard for God, men, time or place; he almost on a daily basis dispensed verbal abuse and threats (sometimes in the presence of customers). Through it all I tried my best to remain respectful and always regarded myself as a “nice” girl, as I was not out there in the world doing anything that could be classified as sin (or so I thought in my own immature way).

Because of the emotional abuse, i instinctively developed apprehension, I learned to smile when I wanted to cry (pretense); I always managed to maintain a calm disposition (pretense) even though inside I was screaming, “I can’t take this any longer!” I later realized that I had grown to be a very angry, resentful young lady, one who would chase all the guys away with a don’t-say-nothing-to-me look, or a few harsh words. Well, enough of that depressing segment of my life. Just writing about it brings on negative emotions.

At age nineteen, I met my husband Derek. Three years later, in the summer of 1987 after much work, he was finally able to convince me that I needed a Savior, and that being a “nice girl” was not good enough. I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior at a revival service being held at our church. Most stories you’ve heard of persons coming to know Christ perhaps went like this: “Well I was rebellious, doing whatever I wanted to, but later I realized that I needed a Savior.” For me, it happened in the reverse. I rebelled after I had become a Christian (you might say, you were never saved in the first place – well, in that regard, I guess none of us are, because we ALL sin from time to time. We’re just experts on classification/comparison of sin).

I’ve done some terrible things I wish I could go back and undo, but I can’t. I’ve hurt a lot of folks and I wish that I could just zap them so they would forget that the ‘ungodly’ incident occurred, but I can’t. What I can do is to say that I’m sorry, that the pain that I’ve caused was unwarranted and brought on by either my own selfishness or a desire to get even. I have repented and I know that God in His mercy have forgiven me, but the regret will always be there. Because I have been forgiven, I am then required to in turn forgive. I have forgiven my father, but the memory of the verbal/emotional abuse will always be there.

I leave with you the words of a song (not certain of the author):

“You who are broken, stop by the Potter’s House, you who need mending, stop by the Potter’s House, give Him the fragments of your broken life. My friend, the Potter wants to put you back together again.

Thank God for forgiveness!

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