PERSONS WHO BECAME MARTYRS

PERSONS WHO BECAME MARTYRS

1.MARTYR

Stephen was called the first martyr. With God's spirit he happened to do many miracles which caused some opposition in the synagogues. So, his opponents considered to have him executed by stoning. This made him the first martyr in the church. They threw him outside the city and stoned him. The witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet whose name was Saul.

Luke while writing the fact about Stephen, foreshadowed the rise of Saul/Paul by describing his presence at the stoning of Stephen. Luke recorded this incident in the first chapter of Acts. The replacement of Judas Iscariot by casting lots among the names of the disciples close to back part of the ‘twelve’, God seemed to leave another disciple in mind to round out the select core of the founding church.

Saul was converted himself from the persecutor of the church and ranking ‘official’ witness to Stephen’s martyrdom, became an apostle Paul in the second portion of Acts had great influence regarding the direction of the church would now take away from Jerusalem. Stephen’s sermon occupied the whole seventeenth chapter of Acts and showed the same kind of power from the Holy Spirit as Peter’s sermon. It might be because Stephen spoke in a less central location, when he testified of the resurrected Christ and where converts were not yet numerous. He was executed while Peter and John were able to escape from that fate.

The Persecution Multiplied

The success of the church in its first generation, could establish its congregation, from Ethiopia in Africa, India in Asia, in Rome, Gaul and Britain in Europe. Some early Christians could escape persecution as mentioned in Acts with the martyrdom of Stephen and the scattering of Jerusalem flock only to find themselves persecuted in the pagan Roman empire. Persons who became Martyrs in their coliseums and finding a threat as their growth in numbers and their un flogging loyalty to Christ made Jesus more beloved and worshipped by more people than the current Ceasar.

THE BOOK OF MARTYRS – JOHN FOX 1517-72

John Fox was a popular and brilliant English scholar, master of Biblical language and history of the early church compiled the true study of persecution of Christians under Ceasar between Nero and Constantius (54-313 A.D.). The later chapters of that book were the description of how Christians were mercilessly persecuted.

James Miller said “after the Bible there is no other book so profoundly influenced the early protestant settlement as “the book of Martyrs”. Even in our time it is still a living one. Fox started that book with the crucifixion of Christ followed by the martyrdom of Stephen, then some details were added in Acts. Stephen’s time of death was believed to have been Passover following the crucifixion and about 2000 people suffered persecution, and martyrdom in Judea.

The Second Martyr – The second martyr as described by St Luke in the history of apostles acts was James the son of Zebedee, and the elder brother of John. James martyrdom took place after ten years of the death of Stephen. As soon as Herod Agrippa became the governor of Judea, he raised a sharp persecution against Christians. He started with the striking of the leaders first.

The first apostolic martyr cheerfully and resolutely received the cup while he was told our Saviour was ready to drink then. “Timon” and “Parmanas” happened to suffer martyrdom at the same time, one at Philippe and the other at Macedonia in 44 A.D.

For the sake of records, there were fifteen more apostles and disciples who miserably died as martyrs. They are:

1.Philip – He suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis in Phriggia. He was scourged, thrown

into prison and afterwards crucified in 54 A.D.

2.Matthew – He was martyred in Ethiopia. He was slain with a halbert in the city of

Nadabah in 60 A.D. This halberd is an ‘axe’ with a long pointed spike.

3.James – He was the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the bishop of the church

in Jerusalem. At the age of ninety four he was beaten and stoned.. and finally had his

brain dashed out.

4.Mattheas – He was elected to succeed Judas Iscariot as the disciple of Jesus. He

was stoned in Jerusalem and beheaded.

5.Andrews – He was Simon Peter’s brother. On his arrival at Edessa, he was taken and

crucified on a cross, the two ends of the cross were fixed transversely in the ground.

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After that came the derivation of the term ‘St. Andrews Cross’.

6.Mark – He was a companion of Peter and the author of the gospel on his name. He

was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria till he died.

7.Peter – He served as the bishop of Rome. He was crucified upside down because he

thought he was unworthy to be crucified in the way how Jesus Christ was crucified.

8.Paul – He happened to die in the hands of emperor Nero’s soldiers. They came and

took him out of the city to the place of execution. There he took some time and prayed

to God. After that he gave his neck to the sword.

9.Jude – He was the author of the epistle bearing his name and brother of James. He

was commonly called Thaddeus. He was crucified at Edessa. He was killed with arrows

when he refused to leave his faith in the year 72 A.D.

10.Bartholomew – He is also known as Nathaniel. He witnessed for our Lord in present

Turkey. It is said he translated the gospel of St. Matthew into Indian language and

preached it there. He was cruelly beaten and flayed to death by a whip and then crucified.

the resurrection of Jesus. He preached the gospel in Persia and India. The pagan priests

in India took revenge against him. He was martyred as he was killed with a spear.

12.Luke – He was the author of the gospel bearing his name and also he was the author

of the book of Acts. He was supposed to have been hanged to an olive tree by

idolaterous priests of Greece.

13.Simon – Zealots preached the gospel in Mauritania Africa and also in Britain. He was

crucified in the later country in 74 A.D.

14.John – He was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. But he was saved miraculously and

escaped death and even without injury. He was the only apostle who escaped violent

death like other apostles and disciples. In his last days he was filled with the Holy Spirit

and wrote the last book of the New Testament called “The Revelation” when Jesus

Christ saw him for the last time He prophesies that John would get visions and write

the book of Revelation.

15.Barnabas – The death of Barnabas was one of the secondary followers of Christ. He

was the companion of Paul. His death might have taken place in about 73 A.D.

John Fox gave a brief and important list of the martyrdom of the church’s first generation of leaders. The continuous persecution and horrible punishments were recorded in the churches. Persons Who Became Martyrs

THE TEN PERSECUTORS OF ROME

1.Emperor Nero – 54-68 A.D. – It was he who ordered for the burning of Rome and

it was in continuous flames for nine days. In these flames it is recorded that thousands

of people died. Nero, after doing that heinous act, blamed Christians for that fire and

started persecuting Christians. The emperor refined upon even in the methods of cruelty

and introduced all manners of punishment for them which must be the most infernal

imagination could design.

In particular, the emperor sewed up in the skins of wild beasts, and then worried by

dogs until the Christians died. Some other Christians were dressed in shirts made of

stiff wide wax, fixed to the olive trees and then set on fire in his garden. This type of

persecution became common throughout Roman empire. But the spirit of Christians and

their faith increased in them instead of decreasing. In their routine persecution, St. Paul

and St. Peter were martyred. John Fox said that Nero also martyred the members of

“Seventy” including Erastis, Aristarchus, Trophemus, Joseph, Barsabbas and Ananias,

bishop of Damascus.

2.Dometian – 81-96 A.D. – John Fox gave his opinion about the emperor Dometian

who was naturally inclined to cruelty and with that temperament he happened to execute

his own brother and other members of the Roman Senate. He killed some people due

to malice and some others in order to confiscate their estates. Actually in his rule many

Romans like Christians became victims of persecution and martyrdom. Paul’s co-worker,

Timothy, bishop of Ephesus was among those many martyrs in his regime.

3.Trajan – 98-117 A.D. – John Fox said under Trajan ruler Pliny the second a man of

letters and a famous one happened to see the lamentable brutal slaughter of Christians

and pitied their condition. He wrote a convincing letter to the emperor Trajan that

thousands of people were put to death which was against Roman laws and so on. Then

Trajan was succeeded by another emperor whose name was Adrean. During that period,

Alexandar was the bishop of Rome. He had two deacons and the bishop along with

his deacons was martyred. In addition to that Quirinus and Herinus with their families

Zenon a Roman nobleman and about ten thousand Christians were martyred.

After Adrian came, “Antonimus Pius”. He was one of the amicable monarch among all

the Roman emperors that ruled. He stayed the order of persecution against Christians.

4.Marcus Aurelius Antenimus - This emperor instigated fourth wave of persecution.

Polycorp was the bishop of Smyrna and father of the church, became one of the most

famous martyrs of that period. When the guards came to arrest him, he got it prepared

a good feast for them. Then he took an hour permission to pray to God. His prayer

was so fervent that the guards repented and said they had been only instruments in taking

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him. He was somehow taken to the proconsul who condemned him and he was brutally

burnt in the market place. Fox also reported that inhuman prosecutions took place in

“Zyon” France during that period.

5.Severus – 193-211 A.D. – According to the information given by John Fox, emperor

Severus tried to relieve the persecution because he had a soft corner for Christians.

But the other leaders were afraid of the Christians because of their growth as church

members. Therefore, they persuaded the Roman government to enforce the order laws

against Christians so as to reduce their population. Fox further said, that Tertullian, who

lived at that time informed us, if the Christians had collectively withdrawn themselves

from the Roman territories, the Roman empire would have become depopulated.

Fox prepared a long list of the martyrs in Rome, Africa and Zyon, during that period

including the celebrated bishop of Zyon of France and Irenaus a father of the Church

and author of a book which was considered a classic in Christian literature.

6.Mamimenus Trax – This was called the sixth wave of persecution. In his time some

of the martyrs happened to be members of the Roman Senate and they continued its

inroads in the society and culture of Rome. Fox wrote, “During the time of persecution

raised by Maximenus, uncountable number of Christians were slain even without trial

and buried indiscriminately in heaps. Sometimes fifty or sixty numbers were thrown into

a pit together without a least decency. When this tyrant Maximenus died in 238 A.D.

he was succeeded by “Gordean”. During his reign, “Philip” came as his successor. He

was a kind hearted man. So the church was saved from persecution for more than ten

years.

7.Dicius – 249-251 – Decius disliked Philip because there was a talk among people

that he was a Christian. As he stopped the persecution of churches, for more than ten

years and they had a great relief. Before he came to power it seems even many pagans

must have become Christians and so, the pagan temples were abandoned and the

members in the churches increased catastrofically. So he started a campaign against

Christians. Fox said, as the number in the churches increased there were factions among

themselves.

8.Valerian – 253-260 A.D. – The eighth wave of persecution began in 257 A.D. and it

continued vigorously for three and half months. The martyrs that became victims for the

persecution were innumerable. Their method of torturing that lead to death was of various

types and with unbearable pain. During this time, the government ordered for the

execution of clergy also in Rome. In Africa the persecution raged with peculiar violence.

Thousands of people received the crown of martyrdom. Among such people, there was

“Eyponion” bishop of Cathridge. Persons Who Became Martyrs

At “Utica” due to the order of the proconsul three hundred Christians were placed

around a burning ‘lime kiln’ pan of coals and incense burning prepared. They were

commanded either to sacrifice to Jupitor or to be thrown into the kiln. But they were all

with one word refused their order and jumped into the pit.

9.Diocletian – 284-305 – The ninth wave of persecution began with “Aurelian” during

270-278 and was continued by Diocletian his successor. Under him the most severe

campaign was done against churches and with an imperial order to destroy them and

the churches including the ‘scriptures’. This persecution became common in all the

Roman provinces primarily in the eastern side and it continued for ten years. It is

practically impossible to ascertain the numbers that were martyred or to enumerate

various modes of martyrdom. Racks, scourges, swords, daggers, crosses, poison and

famine were tried or made use of to dispatch Christians.

After the Roman authorities were bored with the above said methods to kill as many

Christians as possible, some of the provincial governors petitioned for a change the

practices of execution. Then a new method was introduced. It was the method of body

mutilation and other means of making the lives of Christians more miserable. The

persecution of the emperor Dioletian reached its climax in 304 A.D. At that time a good

number of Christians were put to unbearable torture and the most painful and ignominous

deaths.

10.Constantius and Galerius – Diocletian was succeeded by Constantius (303-306) and

Galerius (303-311 A.D.). During their reign the Roman empire was divided into two

provinces. The first one was eastern province ruled by Galerius and western province

was ruled by Constantius. In the east, Galerius continued the persecution as severely

as his predecessors. But in the west, Constanius did not implement that heinous

persecution as he was more kindhearted and tolerant of Christians.

11.

THE WORD OF “YEHWEH”

The word "Bible” came from the Greek plural form “Biblia” which means books – the books of western world – a collection of books in Hebrew language which would be put into the library. And after some time they would be taken to the "Canan". About five milleniia ago human hand first carved a written "Word". It consequently created history of messages. This took place in "Sumer" in a ware - house of "Urech". This was perhaps the earliest human habitations which might deserve the name of the city massed along the Euphrates river in ancient Mesopotamia.

In invention of a new "Word" was perhaps necessary and the Sumerians kept the account of everything. Their developments in every walk of life helped the Babylonians who came after them. This Babylon city became famous for hanging gardens which was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world and these Babylonians were called the direct successors to Sumerians.

The first word was incensed on a small clay tablet for many years. Sumer appeared to have been in a collection of five burning city states. We must have to think seriously about the working oracle objects who had dug up many Sumerian cities during present century and many traditions were made of the clay.

There is actually much more importance we have to know from Sumerians because theirs was the world's first civilization. Their teaching of farming and husbandry were really extra-ordinary. It is said the Sumerians had 200 words as their vocabulary. In the beginning of the second millennia BC to Babylon and the Sumer's "Hammurabi" became the world's first emperor. Semitic - is a Hebrew term - Semitic tribe - Abrahamites - it is said Abraham belonged to Sumer tribe.

The ten commandments were also called ten words in Jewish Medianial translations. They were broken into 2 parts, the first is connected to God and the second part for God's people. According to Abrahamic Covenant of Blood, circumcision was the outward sign of The Word of Yahveh the covenant and the commandments. They were the invisible sign of the circumcision of heart. The Heavenly Father would be their God. The Israelites would be His people. His kingdom of Priests and His Holy Nation would be their's only. They would keep God's commandments any of the innovations that represented mount Sinai were the codification of Abrahamic "Monothiesm" which means one God ony is to be worshiped even though many Sumer gods are in existence. Then this standard of 'Ten words" would gradually subsequent "Israel's" history.

Augustine of Heppo era divided the ten commandments into two parts, the first three are connected to God and the remaining seven to people. Augustine's division of the ten commandments was followed by Latin church members, the Lutheran church and the Anglican church members also. But the Greeks and the other Eastern church members followed what appeared to be the most reasonable number that is four for God and six for people.

As a matter of fact if the ten commandments are not for any suggestion, they are not even for any challenge but the only thing new about them is their articulations at this movement and testifying "Sins" of Mount Sinai. And they are properly received by billions of people as reasonable necessary and also unalterable. Why because they are imprinted (written) on human hearts. They are always there in the inner core of human being in the deep silence of every one of us carry within ourselves. They need to be spoken by the people in a loud voice. The time in which those ten words were given was a brutal one, it was a time of spiteful and Godless. And the people we heard the converts were unrefined and "Dusty Ones." God also called those people as stiff-necked ones. Some of the Israel tried to follow "Torah" as an important document.

Torah means teaching - some times it is found mistranslated as "Law", the law of Moses. The name Torah was given by Jesus to the first five books of the Bible. It was also called "Pentateuch" which means the five books in original Hebrew language.

In HebrewIn English

BereshetGenesis

ShemotExodus

VayyigeraLeviticus

BenidvarNumbers

DevearimDeuteronomy

The stories of "Torah" are largely contained in the first two books only. Genesis starts with the creation of everything upto Abraham and ends with the death of Joseph in Egypt. The second book is discription of slavery and their liberation by Moses. The book is

Quest for the Living God concluded with a long list of ordinances, Leviticus contained the ordinances of the priests of the tribe of Levi. The next book Numbers is called so because it contained the information about the census of the desert tribe, Israel.

Deuteronomy is only a code of Biblical and religious laws framed as a long discourse by Moses. The books also mentioned the names of prophets because all that great Israel figures start with Moses and Joshua are deemed to be prophets. The Torah is unquestionably is "Scripture" of Jewish traditions since the early days. Then the first twelve prophets were considered one scroll (one book). The Hebrew Bible containing 24 books was pointing to the importance in justice traditions of the Numbers 12 and its multiple significance and fulfillment. Regarding the order of books in Christian Bible it is completely different from that of Hebrew Bible but the material is spiritual, the intellectual and the moral aspects are the same in both.

"Harken O Israel"

YEHWEH our God YEHWEH (is) One"

The great formula is not that there is one God. But that is "God is One." God and the poor man's son being together as it should be God is One.

David

When David became the king he attacked Jerusalem which was in the occupation of Jebusites. Of all the psalms he wrote, the most favourite one of Jews and Christians is the good Shepherd which became world famous.

"The Lord is my Shepherd

I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures"

Amos

In the middle of eight century a Judean shepherd by name "Amos" was living a few miles away from Bethlehem. He was sent by an important message from God. He got an inspiration through this message and decided to preach in the northern part to the adulterous Israel. But he was not a well known professional prophet like Elijah or any other great men. He was first a shepherd from a remote place. He did not have any connection with any prophet brotherhood members. He was only a rugged shepherd and it was quite evident from his appearance as rough preaching, words delivered at the Samaria Schismatic (shines) in "Bethel" and in the streets of Samaria.

Amos addressed Israel as "Cows of Bashan" living on the hills of Samaria by exploiting The Word of Yahveh the weakness and ill treating the innocent poor. The sophisticated and pleasure seeking ladies of Samaria were not habituated to that kind of address. They were also unhappy over the direct accusation of Amos towards their husbands openly hated Amos for criticizing them and their way of life. But Amos sincerely appealed to them to seek not evil but justice reign at the city gate. Israel's hatred increased more and more when he openly attacked them by saying

"I hate, I scorn your festivals,

I have no pleasure in your solemn assemblies"

It was only due to Amos' constant and hateful criticism had been continued and finally he was forced by the circumstances to leave Israel with short notice. But in his brief celebrity he had taken the old part of prophecy and shaped it into a new instrument for a new age. Leaders like Moses, good kings like David, good priest like Samuel and good prophets like Nathan who spoke truth. In such conditions God raised Amos from nobody, and from nowhere to tell about the truth to the stiff-necked Israel.

Therefore in Samaria during 8th century B.C. Amos preached about truth with justice. The cream of his preaching was that one cannot pray to God and offer more sacrifices by ignoring the poor and beggars at the church gate. He insisted that it is more radical if any one (possessed) more than he required or needed.

According to the understanding of Amos a man who possessed more than he needed was no other than a thief because he had stolen the excess from those who did not have it. Added to that he called such people as murderers who had abundance that had been taken from the mouths of those starving people. Amos even addressed such people as idolaters because their worship was not true towards God. They were like whores as they had bedded down over other gods, the gods of their own comforts.

Hosea

When Israel's mind was in such perverted condition, a new priest joined Amos. His name was Hosea who preached in the same style of Amos. Since he had his own experience with his unfaithful wife, he was able to enrich his preaching.

In the meantime the Assyrians descended and seized the properties of Israel and dispersed the nobles through out the empire as nameless slaves and they never heard of them again. But the whereabouts of those nameless slaves was known to Amos only. Those Israels were taken away permanently leaving their homes forever. They lost even their identity.

The circumstances made them permanent exiles. It is said the Israel were simply evaporated a ten lost tribles who left no trace of themselves. In the historical records it seemed

Quest for the Living God to be even the remaining stiff-necked Israel did not properly understand the prophesies of both Amos and Hosea. When Israel were in such pathetic condition, a new prophet came to the people of the South. He was no other than prophet Isaiah of Judah. He was an educated man like Moses. Due to his education and other abilities he could have every access even with the kings. So he was called the "first literary prophet". Added to that he became a great writer. When he was 25 years old he had a vision in the temple of king Solomon in Jerusalem. In his vision Isaiah saw God entroned in His Heavenly Sanctuary. He was surrounded by the Seraphim angels, who were six winged and four headed fiery ones. They were shouting - rather singing,

"Holy, Holy, Holy,

YEHWEH Sabath

All the earth is full of His glory."

* * *

APOSTLE PAUL - A GREAT PREACHER

Saul was a Jew by birth and a Roman by nationality. He was from "Tarsus" and he could speak Greek also. As a Jew he was a hater of Christianity. So the Jewish authorities who were antagonistic to Christianity appointed Saul to persecute as many Christians as possible and even to kill them without any reason. With that, Saul became more notorious and a threat to Christian community.

Saul with such a record one day he was going to Damascus. On the same business, He was asked to bring as many Christians as possible both men and women to Jerusalem to persecute them. While he was going, he was stopped by a light that came down from Heaven and encircled him. Saul was surprised at this unexpected incident that made him fall down to the ground. Then he heard a voice that came from heaven in the following manner. "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4). Then Saul said "Who art thou Lord?" "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting". He said "God" and then added, "What I should do?"

God made him blind at that time and asked him to go to Damascus and to the house of "Judah". Accordingly his followers took him to Judah's house as God planned. Saul as a blind man stayed three days in that house in that condition.

In Damascus there was a disciple of Jesus and his name was "Ananias". He was chosen by God to heal the eyes of Saul in the house of "Judah". And Saul was praying to God in that blind condition and saw in his vision of a man by name Ananias would come to him and put his hand on his eyes and with his touch, he would get his sight back. Then God asked Ananias to go to the house of Judah and heal Saul from his blindness. He was surprised to hear such words from God, because he heard many horrible stories about Saul. But he sincerely obeyed God and healed the eyes of Saul as he was instructed by God.

Since that time the name of Saul was changed to Paul as God had some purpose with him in future. Then God told Ananias about Paul that he was a "chosen vessel" for Him to

Quest for the Living God bear His name before the gentiles, the kings and other Christian Israel. After he was healed he took Baptism from Ananias himself. Paul immediately started his responsible work of preaching about Christ. This sudden change in the character of Paul surprised many, particularly Jews, Christians and also Apostles.

The Jewish authorities who actually appointed him to persecute Christians and kill them saw this sudden change in Paul and decided to kill him somehow at the earliest. Then Paul came to Jerusalem one day secretly to meet the "Apostles". They did not know what happened to Paul. So they were afraid of meeting him. In such conditions, it was Barnabas who brought Paul to the disciples. Since then they could understand one another and planned together for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul's sincere effort resulted in starting a good number of churches in Judah, Galilee and Samaria. In Ephesus also he preached to both Jews and Greeks. In addition to that many people accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour. Paul once said when many people were converting to Christianity, "I am pure with the blood of all men". This sudden change of Paul and his regular preaching made 40 numbers of fanatical Jews to take oath not to eat or drink until they kill Paul. At that time one day he was arrested but not punished and later he was released.

While he was preaching in Rome, he said, "man must live by faith, because he is justified by faith". Before Saul became Paul he was originally a murderer, a blasphemer and a persecutor. In spite of all past history, God touched him and changed him so as to use him as a vessel who changed people in many nations. His humble and faithful saying was "Christ came into this world to save the sinners and I am the first sinner." He hopefully advised the people to pray to God for forgiveness. This word "forgiveness" can be found in the New Testament 27 times.

At that time the gentiles were worshipping God of Israel and their own gods equally. That system of pagan idol worship was not acceptable to some Jews. But gradually they tried to leave the idol worship and stick to one God and honour the fundamental principles of the "Scripture". The Jewish Christians are really happy at the change and attitude of the people. They were preached about the coming Messiah and the heavenly kingdom.

Paul joined the Christian movement three years after the death of Jesus and the church elders appointed him to travel into many places and establish congregations in "Syria minor" and Greece. Then he decided to spread the gospel to every nook and corner of the earth before Jesus returns again.

Paul wrote letters to the converts and answered their questions, in order to satisfy them and at the same time explained the fundamentals of faith. He was called the busiest preacher who never thought of himself for a moment. He wrote Scriptures because he was convinced Apostle Paul - a Great Preacher fully that Christ would return in his own life time. Paul never imagined about future generations as they would follow their own way of living with selfless conditions. He was considered to be the most satisfied and popular teacher and preacher to the gentiles.

He was the embodiment of explosive temperament and it made him unpopular to some extent. Neverthless, his letters to different churches in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Philippi and Thessalonica were the masterpieces in the Bible. Some commentators gave a wonderful testimony of apostle Paul that without the letters of Paul there is no New Testament at all.

Paul explained to the people of different nature that his gentiles have totally renounced all their pagan cult and worshipping completely the God of Israel. But he had no belief in that they should convert into Judaism as Christ already made the gentiles love the son of God. Christ openly declared about the gentiles as they need not undergo circumcision and observe the fundamentals in "Torah" (which means the five books of Moses or the Law of Moses).

But they must live as if the kingdom of God is at hand and already arrived. The gentiles were advised hopefully to take care of the poor and behave with charity. Those two, charity and modesty must become part and parcel of their life. Then they must love one another. With all his preachings Paul found a wonderful change among gentile Christians. It was found some of them became spirited and even prophesied and performed miracles also. In a grip of excitement they spoke strange languages. All these experiences gave us a clear picture of an indication of the power in the Spirit of God was hovering in the gentiles. These above said examples would suffice to justify the kingdom of God would arrive in near future.

Apostle Paul in all his letters or speeches suggested why Christ did not like to observe Torah. Perhaps he might have thought it would put Him out of covenant. The Israel received a special gift of revelation from the mount Sinai. The temple cult and the privilege of being called the children of God.

They enjoyed many things among themselves, but Paul too valued and respected all of them. He was not criticizing or commenting either on Jesus or Judaism but only Jewish Christians who were expecting the gentiles must undergo circumcision and observe the entire Torah.

Paul became very great among gentiles because he had the magnetic power to attract and change many gentiles into true believers and also most faithful. He was convinced that he alone was in possession of truth. In the Messianic age with his mixed congregation of Jews and gentiles, he felt they were the true Israel. That means they had become wonderful believers and changed themselves completely in their character and conduct since the coming of Christos (Christ).

Quest for the Living God

Whatever was written long ago in the Scriptures meant to teach us something. The real importance of law and prophets had come to light therefore, those Jews were referred to accept Jesus as the "Messiah" did not understand Him and His importance properly.

The Israel too did not understand Jesus and realize Mosaic covenant was only an interim measure. They could not see what this scripture was about because the veil was over their minds. Then they would be transformed also and their unveiled focuses reflecting the brightness of our Lord. As the Jews were fond of new meaning to a secret message in the scriptures which referred to their community, all used to refer to some Biblical quotations in order to keep his congregation in correct tract.

He would say to the gentiles how Adam and Eve brought sin into the world then, how the humanity was put into correct relationship with God. Then Abraham became the father of the Jews and also the father of all the faithful. His faith was important to remember which was later translated to the meaning of "Trust" rather than "Belief". This spotless faith of Abraham made an indelible impression on Paul and made him remain as a model Christian. He was also astonished how Abraham could have such perfect faith in his time. That was centuries before the coming of Messiah.

The scriptures also praised the faith of Abraham. It means it is referring to us and to our faith too. The scriptures for-saw God was going to use faith to justify pagans and proclaimed this good news long ago. When Abraham was commanded by God to abandon his concubine Hagar and her son Ishmael in the wilderness, it had become an allegorical saying in the Bible.

In this connection, Hagar represented mount Sinai covenant which turned Jews to law, but regarding Sarah, Abraham's free born wife was corresponding to the new covenant "which had liberated gentiles from the "Torah Obligation". The author of the epistle to Hebrews appeared to be more radical in his writings. He seemed to have written that just to console the community of Jewish Christians.

The Jews were beginning to lose heart and at the same time faith with their forceful arguments about Christ because he had not given any importance of "Torah". It was actually more exalted by Jews than Moses himself. In an extra-ordinary passing authority the entire history of Israel which was at present unknown and unseen.

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Debora, Barak, Gidean, Samson, Samuel, David, and prophets who obediently exhibited their faith in some form or the other basing on their position and condition in which the society they lived it had been indeed their individual achievement. God made all people provisions for us to find or receive something useful from. But unfortunately they could not reach perfection in their day today life. Apostle Paul - a Great Preacher

All the Hebrew writers showed their share of achievements to their future generations how to interpret or explain the Hebrew Bible and make it their own. The "Jesus Movement" had become more controversial for the people than before. The Jews and Christians became desperate and spellbound at the pathetic scene of Jerusalem temple. They might have dreamed of replacing Herod's temple but no one was in a mood to say anything. One thing all unitedly felt is that without the temple their life would be a waste.

The Christians also saw the total destruction of the temple with shedding of their tears. Even Jesus prophesied about the destruction of the temple on the mount of Olive 40 years after He was crucified. The ruins of the temple symbolized its tragic and wore a deserted look. People who looked at it felt the end was approaching. After everything was cleared people believed that God would order for the establishment of a new kingdom.

By the middle of second century A.D., all the twenty seven books of the New Testament had been completed probably by scanning. The commentators doubted whether the letters of Paul were scripture. Paul called Jesus Christ as the "Son of God". But he had used the title in traditional Jews sense and said Jesus was a human being who had special relationship with God like the ancient kings of Israel. Paul wrote his contribution to the Bible when the temple was intact. So, he did not mention the temple in his writings anywhere. But the temple was very important for him because it marked the vision of Jesus.

After the death of Paul in early 60's the Christian writers who recognized his worth as a great writer and a wonderful preacher. They praised him for his extraordinary letters to different churches, especially in Ephesus and Colasians. They whole-heartedly declared that they had lost a powerful write from the Christian believers. Then some other Christian writers wrote a supposed posthumous letters addressed to Paul and his associates "Timothy and Titus."

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