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Few people know what it is like to face extreme persecution simply for being a Christian. We have been raised up in a country that, so far, has assured us of freedom of religion. Sure we may be talked about behind our backs for being religious fanatics, or in severe cases may have been passed over for a secular job or promotion because we are Christians, but I'm talking about severe.

History of the things which went on during the first and second centuries, will curdle your blood. And the bravery and courage of those Christians make most of us look like wimps. We have always heard of the harsh persecution by the emperor Nero, but he was a nice guy in comparison to Domitian. When you read the accounts written in Fox's Book of Martyrs, it becomes pretty obvious that almost every one of the notable church leaders of the first century were put to a violent death. Of the Lord's apostles, only John is recorded as escaping martyrdom. And tradition history states that he was cast into a caldron of boiling oil but was miraculously spared harm by God. And then he was exiled to Patmos.

Seemingly, the stronger the persecution, the faster and more courageous the church grew. These brave and courageous souls assured their place in eternity. I wonder how we look in the eyes of the Lord when placed beside them. We who can't even brave a thunderstorm, cold and windy days, or a minor headache, to make it to services of the church. We who are unforgiving and hate one another. We who cannot miss a ball game to read the Lord's words. We who live sumptuously every day and put a pittance in the collection plate on the Lord's day.. If a terrorist captured us and put a knife to our throat and demanded that we renounce Jesus Christ...how many would say "Never!"?

The first persecution of the Church took place in the year 67, under Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. This monarch reigned for the space of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the greatest extravagancy of temper, and to the most atrocious barbarities. Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should be set on fire, which order was executed by his officers, guards, and servants. While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Macaenas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy, and openly declared that 'he wished the ruin of all things before his death.' Besides the noble pile, called the Circus, many other palaces and houses were consumed; several thousands perished in the flames, were smothered in the smoke, or buried beneath the ruins.

This dreadful conflagration continued nine days; when Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed, and a severe odium cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the Christians, at once to excuse himself, and have an opportunity of glutting his sight with new cruelties. This was the occasion of the first persecution; and the barbarities exercised on the Christians were such as even excited the commiseration of the Romans themselves. Nero even refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs until they expired; and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them. This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire; but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. In the course of it, St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred.

To their names may be added, Erastus, chamberlain of Corinth; Aristarchus, the Macedonian, and Trophimus, an Ephesians, converted by St. Paul, and fellow-laborer with him, Joseph, commonly called Barsabas, and Ananias, bishop of Damascus; each of the Seventy

( Excerpt copied from the 2nd chapter of Fox's Book Of Martyrs)

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were...Cherie Carter-Scott

Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life...Joan Lunden

According to the gospel accounts, people came in great numbers to see Jesus. They followed Him from place to place in huge multitudes. What was the source of such attraction to Jesus? He wasn’t wealthy; as far as we know, He never owned a home or accumulated much in the way of physical assets. He was born the son of a carpenter, laid in a manger at his birth. He didn’t attend a prestigious school and never became one of the socially elite.

The fact that He healed sick people by miraculous means obviously attracted some people. The striking wisdom of His teaching and the authority with which He spoke also attracted followers. Yet I suspect that there was also a personal magnetism which drew people to Jesus. For centuries artists have struggled to capture in ink or paint that special “look” in their portrayals of Jesus.

May I humbly suggest that the answer may be in a statement of Scripture that we sometimes pass over quickly? The author of Hebrews affirmed that Jesus was “in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). From the standpoint of the redemptive work of Jesus and from a purely doctrinal viewpoint, His sinless life made Him the perfect sacrifice for sinful men. There is, however, another fascinating aspect to the inspired writer’s statement.

Sinless! That means that Jesus never gossiped about anyone. He didn’t pass on to James “juicy tidbits of unflattering information” about Simon Peter. He never lost control of His temper, “flying off the handle” and wounding others with sarcasm or biting remarks. Never. He was never mean or cruel; He took no pleasure in the pain of others. He never told a dirty joke or an off-color story.

Sinless! It means that He never played the hypocrite. He was exactly what people saw. When Jesus said something, it was always the truth; He never lied to make Himself look good or to avoid a confrontation with others.

Sinless! It means that He wasn’t selfish and unwilling to share when He saw someone in need. He didn’t “use” people for selfish purposes. He never valued things more than people. He wasn’t arrogant or hardhearted, but rather He was compassionate. He knew how to be gentle at the same time that He was firmly committed to God’s truth.

Sinless! It is no surprise that people wanted to be around Him! He was perfection in the midst of imperfection. No one ever saw in Jesus any of the unflattering, annoying or even disgusting things, the sins, which characterize the lives of all of us. Paul said of himself, “Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20), not as a boast, but as a goal. It is a humbling thought that the Christian’s mission in life is to imitate, as closely as possible, the character of the Savior. To look at the life of a Christian should be like looking at Jesus. What a glorious and challenging task!

To spend a lot of time studying the apocryphal books would probably be a waste of time when one should be studying the bible. But, a little knowledge of these books, I believe, is valuable. The Gospel of Thomas, for instance was discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt near the end of 1945 and a number of scholars have contended that it does actually date back to the first century and some even go so far as to say it was written by the Apostle Thomas. But to read the available translations of it, shows evidence of a lack of quality which you do not find in the inspired writings. It contains a number of quotations credited to Jesus, some of which seems to be unrealistic for the Lord.

Some of the brief statements made, supposedly by Jesus, make little sense and sound as if written by a person with limited comprehension of truths and/or a limited ability to express himself. These verses remind me somewhat of the manner the Quran is written. Read these few quotes:

3. Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."

5. Jesus said, "Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. [And there is nothing buried that will not be raised."]

12. The disciples said to Jesus, "We know that you are going to leave us. Who will be our leader?" Jesus said to them, "No matter where you are, you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being."

Many of the Old Testament apocryphal books are better written and more meaningful (historically) than the New Testament apocrypha.

A poor workman blames his tools

A guilty conscience needs no accuser

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave...Calvin Coolidge