Happy 250th Birthday Manasseh! from Pastor General Bill Watson

Pastor Bill Watson, leader of the newly minted Church of God Independent Ministries of Medina, Ohio, just wished America a Happy Birthday! (See Happy 250th Birthday America) Poor old Bill tried to wax eloquent about the "American Experiment," but it fell a little flat.

He said that it was a miracle that America had survived the many challenges it has faced. You know: dispossessing the original inhabitants of all of that land, getting thousands of Africans here across the turbulent Atlantic Ocean and trying to make them work for white folks, leveling vast tracks of virgin forest, making moonscapes of large tracts of land in its pursuit of coal and other resources, finding places to bury all of the refuse we've created, having to get rid of all of those pesky bison and passenger pigeons, building all of those miles of walls to keep people out, figuring out ways to keep undesirables from voting and usurping power from white folks, figuring out new and better ways to wage war and kill people, resisting those nasty folks who would like to mandate public health measures, etc. YES, America has had its challenges, but God has enabled us to survive and thrive! Talk about miracles!

Never one to be at a loss for words, Bill declared that "There is obviously something 'Providential' about the United States that seems to be providing a degree of protection for purposes of clearly, bringing a balance of power to the nations of the world–– and yes, there is: it’s called God’s Covenant Birthright!" You probably didn't know this, but the United States is really an Israelite nation. YES, according to Bill, the people of e pluribus unum are descendants of Joseph's son, Manasseh! Now, aren't we all sorry we slept through U.S. History class in high school?

Although Mr. Watson claims that he is shocked that we haven't seen World War III yet, he appears to be confident that his favorite president has everything in hand. He pointed out how he had completely defeated Iran and "took complete control of the Strait of Hormuz." Indeed, Mr. Watson believes that Trump is so tough that Iran's Russian, Chinese, and North Korean allies didn't dare to even whisper any objections to Trump's actions against Iran. "This is just stunning! Frankly, it’s unbelievably amazing when you think about it. Clearly, God is involved!" Watson crowed. Miracles everywhere we look!

Watson went on to write: "So, it would appear a 'judge' has been raised up in this Birthright Nation to resist and push back at the Globalist. To relieve and slow down some of the oppression and attempted control from the WEF, the UN, and so many of the additional global organizations like the IMF, the WHO, and the World Court, along with so many others, ––a speed bump, if you will––curbing their influence and reducing their momentum from achieving a 'New World Order.' Admittedly, President Trump’s administration has disrupted many of their plans, setting them back on their timeline!" Apparently, we should all be on our knees right now thanking Almighty God that he has raised up such a savior for this great nation of ours!

Mr. Watson sees a great "CHRISTIAN Nation" here. After all, all of those Founding Fathers professed to be Christians didn't they? Oh sure, some of them owned slaves and were personally immoral, but they professed their faith in Christ - Come on, doesn't that mean anything to you people? And, sure, Thomas Jefferson wrote his own version of the Gospels and deleted all of the miracles, BUT he still professed himself to be a follower of Christ's teachings! And, sure, some of our denominations split into Northern and Southern organizations because of their respective stances on slavery, BUT they were all still Christians! And, yes, there were some strong anti-Roman Catholic sentiments within some quarters of the American Christian community, BUT everything is OK now - Protestants and Catholics are united in their condemnation of abortion and homosexuals - SO CHEW ON THAT YOU COMMY ATHEISTIC DEMONCRATS!

Bill is clearly in a happy place. Sure, some will say that he is delusional; but the man is clearly patriotic! Yes, some smart alecks like me will point out that a Christian minister has no business singing the praises of one of this world's nations or becoming a political partisan of one party over another or of serving as a cheerleader for his favorite politician; but there are always killjoys waiting in the wings - aren't there? Maybe we should leave poor Bill alone. After all, he was just trying to wish America a HAPPY Birthday and doesn't America deserve a very happy birthday? What do you think?

The Spirit, NOT the Letter!

Jesus of Nazareth taught that the Jews had failed to fulfill the spirit of Torah - though many of them were careful to obey the written commandments of that legislation. Indeed, he told his followers "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!" (Matthew 5:20) In other words, obeying the letter of Torah was NOT enough! (The English Standard Version will be used throughout this post.)

Torah commanded: "You shall not murder," but Christ taught that people shouldn't harbor anger and resentment toward each other (Matthew 5:21-24). Likewise, Torah commanded: "You shall not commit adultery," but Jesus said that husbands shouldn't even harbor lustful thoughts toward women who were not their wives (Matthew 5:27). Torah made provisions for a man to divorce his wife if he was dissatisfied with her, but Jesus said that divorce was NOT what God had intended (Matthew 5:31-32). Torah commanded: "You shall not swear falsely," but Christ said that people shouldn't even be making oaths in the first place (Matthew 5:33-37)! Torah laid down the principle of "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," but our Savior taught that we should love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us (Matthew 5:38-42). He went on to say: "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:46-47)

In fact, according to the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus taught that strict obedience to the commandments of Torah was ALWAYS insufficient. It simply was NOT enough! He taught that the Sabbath wasn't just about not doing this or that - that it was more about ceasing from our own evil works and doing good things for each other (Matthew 12:1-13, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-11, John 5:1-17, etc.). Indeed, Jesus said that the entire approach of the Jewish religious leaders of his day to obeying the commandments of Torah was wrongheaded! He said: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness...You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24) Legalists will note that I left out a portion of this passage and will miss the entire point that Christ was making about obedience by doing so! Jesus went on to say: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28)

When Christ was asked which one of the commandments of Torah was the greatest, he replied: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40) Did you catch that? Christ identified two commandments which dealt with the intent of the heart or "spirit" of the Law as fulfilling the whole thing. According to Christ, this was the kind of obedience that God was looking for from his people - an obedience based on LOVE, NOT in scrupulously following a list of dos and don'ts!

The Apostle Paul compared a Christian's relationship to the commandments of Torah to a wife who had been released from her marriage bonds by the death of her husband. He wrote: "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code." (Romans 7:4-6) Paul went on to say that he served the Law of God with his mind (Romans 7:25). In this same epistle, Paul wrote: "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:8-10) In other words, if we keep this commandment, the other commandments become redundant - unnecessary!

Likewise, in his second epistle to the Christians at Corinth, Paul assured them that his message about Jesus of Nazareth was sincere and heartfelt. He went on to write: "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (II Corinthians 3:1-6) Clearly, for Paul, it was what was in the heart that was important. For him, the stuff that was written down was of little importance. Instead, it was what the believer had internalized - what was written on his/her heart!

Human Intelligence vs Spiritual Intelligence

A little over twenty years after Christ's ascension to heaven, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth about their devotion to various leaders within the Church. Some claimed to follow Paul, others followed Peter, and some followed Apollos. Some even claimed that they alone were the real followers of Jesus Christ. (See I Corinthians 1:10-12) In the face of these divisions, Paul went on to point out that there were real/tangible differences between human and spiritual wisdom. He wrote:

 I Corinthians1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[g] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

I Corinthians 2:1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.14 But people who aren’t spiritual[g] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

The New Living Translation

In this way, Paul underscored that spiritual truth did not originate in ANY human source, and that it also didn't depend on the vocabulary, intellectual prowess, or oratorical skills of ANY individual human. Moreover, Paul underscored the fact that God's message to humankind was not readily received by those considered learned or powerful by this world's standards. These are things that all Christians would do well to remember, even those of us who find ourselves in the year 2026!

Shallow Soil

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said: "Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away." (Matthew 13:5-6, ESV) The soil was too shallow to nurture the seed which had been planted in it. In other words, the soil must have depth for the seed to thrive. This is true botanically, intellectually, and spiritually.

We will not benefit from a message that is not contemplated and studied. Short attention spans and laziness are lethal to learning. Learning demands a willingness to read, listen, cogitate, and respond. It requires an investment of time and attention. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we are all constantly making value judgments which impact our ability to absorb information. We ask ourselves questions like: Is a book too much? Is a booklet sufficient? Is a post too long? Is a four-hour documentary worth the time? Do we prefer headline news, history, theology? Is this consistent with what I already believe to be true?

Ideas are like seeds. If they lay on top of thin or rocky soil, they tend not to take root and grow. And, without growth, there will be no fruit. Ideas must be allowed to penetrate. Moreover, an honest evaluation requires consideration and time. Anything less, is inadequate, unfair, and gives opportunity and space for ignorance and prejudice to flourish. Is your soil shallow or deep?

Is There Anything for God and Christians to Celebrate on July 4, 2026?

The United States of America is approaching the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. As that date approaches, I think that it is appropriate to reflect on whether or not U.S. Christians and their God have anything to celebrate on that holiday. For most Christians, such questions will seem almost blasphemous and disloyal. After all, they will point out that the Declaration of Independence gives a nod to the Almighty, and that the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Indeed, many of them proudly declare their devotion to "God and country." Even so, I seem to recall Jesus Christ once saying that it was impossible to serve two masters - to divide one's loyalty.

In 1775, many of the citizens of the various British colonies rebelled against the king and his parliament. Over 1,700 years before those events, the Apostle Paul wrote: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." (Romans 13:1-2, ESV) In particular, these people were protesting "taxation without representation." Yet, Jesus once said: "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21)

Now, in Christ's day, the government was centered in Rome and was carried out in the name of the emperor. We should also note that the emperor did NOT recognize the God of the Hebrews and even regarded himself as an object of worship! Moreover, the emperor's decrees and actions were often cruel, unjust, and self-serving. Nevertheless, the Apostle Peter wrote: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." (I Peter 2:13-17) Was the emperor worthy of honor? Was the emperor righteous? Was the emperor the servant of the people's interests? NO! Yet, according to the apostle, the Christian citizens of the Roman Empire were obligated to accept and respect his authority.

When Jesus stood before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, he remained silent before the spurious charges made against him. The governor asked him: "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus replied: "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above." (John 19:10-11) Even though everything that was happening was unjust and evil, Christ recognized and submitted to the authority over him.

Some questions for Christians to ask themselves about the United States before the upcoming Independence Day celebrations:

Does the United States government truly trust in God?

Do the people who run that government (president, governors, legislators, judges) serve the interests of the citizens of that country or their own interests?

Does the leadership of the United States exhibit high personal moral standards? (love, mercy, kindness, patience, fidelity, faithfulness, courage, truthfulness, fairness)

Does the United States have a history of righteousness and good works? (If you answered yes, what about how Native Americans have been treated, slavery, wars, poverty, exploitation of natural resources, crime, violence, addiction, etc.)

Is the United States a part of this world or God's Kingdom?

I am old enough to remember celebrating the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976! We had just finished with the Vietnam War and Watergate, but the celebration was a happy one. We were trained to exhibit a high degree of patriotism to our country. Later, I had the opportunity to serve in the United States Army. Looking back on all of that now, as a Christian and a student of history, I recognize that the United States of America has exhibited all of the many failures inherent to HUMAN governance. While I am thankful to have had the physical blessings that I and my family have enjoyed and to be able to practice my faith without government interference, I am still very mindful of the many sins of this nation, and my own status as a pilgrim and stranger on the earth. Moreover, I am reminded of the Lord's Prayer - where we were instructed to pray: "Thy Kingdom come - Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" (Matthew 6:10) Now, THAT will be something to celebrate!

Excerpts from Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians

Polycarp, and the presbyters with him, to the Church of God sojourning at Philippi: Mercy to you, and peace from God Almighty, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, be multiplied.

I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because you have followed the example of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord; and because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in days Philippians 1:5 long gone by, endures even until now, and brings forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] whom God raised from the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave. In whom, though now you see Him not, you believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; 1 Peter 1:8 into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that by grace you are saved, not of works, Ephesians 2:8-9 but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.

Wherefore, girding up your loins, 1 Peter 1:13; Ephesians 6:14 serve the Lord in fear and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory, 1 Peter 1:21 and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things 1 Peter 3:22; Philippians 2:10 in heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. Acts 17:31 His blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him. But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise us up also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, 1 Peter 3:9 or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: Judge not, that you be not judged; Matthew 7:1 forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful, that you may obtain mercy; Luke 6:36 with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you again; Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:38 and once more, Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist; 1 John 4:3 and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many, and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from Jude 3 the beginning; watching unto prayer, 1 Peter 4:7 and persevering in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the all-seeing God not to lead us into temptation, Matthew 6:13; Matthew 26:41 as the Lord has said: The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38

Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree, 1 Peter 2:24 who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, 1 Peter 2:22 but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him. 1 John 4:9 Let us then be imitators of His patience; and if we suffer Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 4:16 for His name's sake, let us glorify Him. For He has set us this example 1 Peter 2:21 in Himself, and we have believed that such is the case.

Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 12)

Toward the end of the First Century of the Common Era, the generation of leaders which followed the apostles were approaching the end of their lives. One of these men was Clement of Rome, who wrote a letter to the saints at Corinth which has survived to the present time. It is a very long letter which was prompted by a great disturbance in that Church. Although the bishop begins with praise for the former reputation of that congregation, he quickly turned to the main object of his epistle. Clement wrote: "Every kind of honor and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, My beloved ate and drank, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked. Deuteronomy 32:15 Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity. So the worthless rose up against the honored, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years. For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as every one abandons the fear of God, and has become blind in His faith, neither walks in the ordinances of His appointment, nor acts a part becoming a Christian, but walks after his own wicked lusts, resuming the practice of an unrighteous and ungodly envy, by which death itself entered into the world. Wisdom 2:24" (See Clement to the Corinthians)

The bishop then proceeded to remind that congregation that such behavior always produced unwanted consequences. He reminded them of what evil people had done to Peter and Paul and encouraged them to repent and return to a state of peace, harmony, and righteousness. Clement went on to exhort them to be humble and resist the impulse to be prideful and rebellious. He pleaded for them to obey God and Christ over evil men and troublemakers. He went on to remind them that faithful Christians have the hope of a future resurrection to look forward to, and that their faith would ensure that outcome. Clement wrote: "Whosoever will candidly consider each particular, will recognize the greatness of the gifts which were given by him. For from him have sprung the priests and all the Levites who minister at the altar of God. From him also [was descended] our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. Romans 9:5 From him [arose] kings, princes, and rulers of the race of Judah. Nor are his other tribes in small glory, inasmuch as God had promised, Your seed shall be as the stars of heaven. All these, therefore, were highly honored, and made great, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of His will. And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." He continued: "What shall we do, then, brethren? Shall we become slothful in well-doing, and cease from the practice of love? God forbid that any such course should be followed by us! But rather let us hasten with all energy and readiness of mind to perform every good work." (See Clement to the Corinthians)

He went on to exhort them to be obedient to those who had served in leadership positions among them and to underscore the important role which Christ had assigned for love to play in their lives. The bishop wrote: "Let us therefore, with all haste, put an end to this [state of things]; and let us fall down before the Lord, and beseech Him with tears, that He would mercifully be reconciled to us, and restore us to our former seemly and holy practice of brotherly love...Let him who has love in Christ keep the commandments of Christ. Who can describe the [blessed] bond of the love of God? What man is able to tell the excellence of its beauty, as it ought to be told? The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love bears all things, is long-suffering in all things. There is nothing base, nothing arrogant in love. Love admits of no schisms: love gives rise to no seditions: love does all things in harmony. By love have all the elect of God been made perfect; without love nothing is well-pleasing to God. In love has the Lord taken us to Himself. On account of the love He bore us, Jesus Christ our Lord gave His blood for us by the will of God; His flesh for our flesh, and His soul for our souls." He went on to conclude his epistle by appealing to everyone to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ and to pray for the speedy resolution of the problem there. (See Clement to the Corinthians) Even so, Clement's epistle to the saints at Corinth is NOT the only extant writing available to us from this generation of Christianity.

Another Church leader of this generation was Ignatius of Antioch. My readers will remember that Antioch was considered by many to be the mother church of Gentile Christianity. Fortunately for us, we have several epistles by this bishop which have survived to our own time. Ignatius wrote epistles to the congregations at Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna. Moreover, we also have a letter which he wrote to another one of the Church leaders of this period - a bishop by the name of Polycarp.

In his epistle to the Ephesians, Ignatius exhorted those Christians to remain united in doctrine and purpose, listen to their bishop, and beware of false teachers. His letter also makes numerous references to Paul's own letter to the Ephesians and his first epistle to the saints at Corinth (which demonstrates familiarity with them and that they were being circulated within the Church). He went on to write: "None of these things is hid from you, if you perfectly possess that faith and love towards Christ Jesus 1 Timothy 1:14 which are the beginning and the end of life. For the beginning is faith, and the end is love. 1 Timothy 1:5 Now these two, being inseparably connected together, are of God, while all other things which are requisite for a holy life follow after them. No man [truly] making a profession of faith sins; 1 John 3:7 nor does he that possesses love hate any one. The tree is made manifest by its fruit; Matthew 12:33 so those that profess themselves to be Christians shall be recognized by their conduct. For there is not now a demand for mere profession, but that a man be found continuing in the power of faith to the end." In this same letter, Ignatius also displayed a familiarity with Christ's origin story when he wrote: "Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence by God. How, then, was He manifested to the world? A star shone forth in heaven above all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light was exceedingly great above them all. And there was agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came, so unlike to everything else [in the heavens]. Hence every kind of magic was destroyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was removed, and the old kingdom abolished, God Himself being manifested in human form for the renewal of eternal life. And now that took a beginning which had been prepared by God. Henceforth all things were in a state of tumult, because He meditated the abolition of death." (See The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians)

Likewise, in his letter to the saints at Magnesia, Ignatius exhorted them to remain unified and listen to their bishop. He went on to warn them: "Let us not, therefore, be insensible to His kindness. For were He to reward us according to our works, we should cease to be. Therefore, having become His disciples, let us learn to live according to the principles of Christianity. For whosoever is called by any other name besides this, is not of God. Lay aside, therefore, the evil, the old, the sour leaven, and be changed into the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. Be salted in Him, lest any one among you should be corrupted, since by your savour you shall be convicted. It is absurd to profess Christ Jesus, and to Judaize. For Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism Christianity, that so every tongue which believes might be gathered together to God." He continued: "These things [I address to you], my beloved, not that I know any of you to be in such a state; [addicted to the error of Judaizing] but, as less than any of you, I desire to guard you beforehand, that you fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but that you attain to full assurance in regard to the birth, and passion, and resurrection which took place in the time of the government of Pontius Pilate, being truly and certainly accomplished by Jesus Christ, who is our hope, 1 Timothy 1:1 from which may no one of you ever be turned aside." Once again, the bishop displays a familiarity with Christ's story which also demonstrates that the Gospel was circulating among believers during this period. (See The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians)

Once again, in his letter to the Christians at Tralles, he admonishes them to listen to their bishop and deacons. In similar fashion, he again related his familiarity with Christ's story and admonished them to remain focused on that message. He wrote: "Stop your ears, therefore, when any one speaks to you at variance with Jesus Christ, who was descended from David, and was also of Mary; who was truly born, and ate and drank. He was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate; He was truly crucified, and [truly] died, in the sight of beings in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. He was also truly raised from the dead, His Father quickening Him, even as after the same manner His Father will so raise up us who believe in Him by Christ Jesus, apart from whom we do not possess the true life." (See The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians)

In his letter to the Christians of Rome, Ignatius waxed eloquent about his impending martyrdom on behalf of his faith in Jesus Christ. He wrote: "I write to the Churches, and impress on them all, that I shall willingly die for God, unless you hinder me. I beseech of you not to show an unseasonable good-will towards me. Allow me to become food for the wild beasts, through whose instrumentality it will be granted me to attain to God. I am the wheat of God, and let me be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ. Rather entice the wild beasts, that they may become my tomb, and may leave nothing of my body; so that when I have fallen asleep [in death], I may be no trouble to any one. Then shall I truly be a disciple of Christ, when the world shall not see so much as my body. Entreat Christ for me, that by these instruments I may be found a sacrifice [to God]. I do not, as Peter and Paul, issue commandments unto you. They were apostles; I am but a condemned man: they were free, while I am, even until now, a servant. But when I suffer, I shall be the freed-man of Jesus, and shall rise again emancipated in Him. And now, being a prisoner, I learn not to desire anything worldly or vain." He continued: "Remember in your prayers the Church in Syria, which now has God for its shepherd, instead of me. Jesus Christ alone will oversee it, and your love [will also regard it]. But as for me, I am ashamed to be counted one of them; for indeed I am not worthy, as being the very last of them, and one born out of due time. 1 Corinthians 15:8-9 But I have obtained mercy to be somebody, if I shall attain to God. My spirit salutes you, and the love of the Churches that have received me in the name of Jesus Christ, and not as a mere passer-by. For even those Churches which were not near to me in the way, I mean according to the flesh, have gone before me, city by city, [to meet me.]" (See The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans)

As in his other epistles, Ignatius admonished the Christians at Philadelphia to respect and obey their bishop. Likewise, he exhorted them to strive for unity and avoid schismatics. The bishop went on to write: "But if any one preach the Jewish law unto you, listen not to him. For it is better to hearken to Christian doctrine from a man who has been circumcised, than to Judaism from one uncircumcised. But if either of such persons do not speak concerning Jesus Christ, they are in my judgment but as monuments and sepulchers of the dead, upon which are written only the names of men. Flee therefore the wicked devices and snares of the prince of this world, lest at any time being conquered by his artifices, grow weak in your love. But be all joined together with an undivided heart. And I thank my God that I have a good conscience in respect to you, and that no one has it in his power to boast, either privately or publicly, that I have burdened any one either in much or in little. And I wish for all among whom I have spoken, that they may not possess that for a testimony against them." He concluded: "The priests indeed are good, but the High Priest is better; to whom the holy of holies has been committed, and who alone has been trusted with the secrets of God. He is the door of the Father, by which enter in Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets, and the apostles, and the Church. All these have for their object the attaining to the unity of God. But the Gospel possesses something transcendent [above the former dispensation], viz., the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, His passion and resurrection. For the beloved prophets announced Him, but the Gospel is the perfection of immortality. All these things are good together, if you believe in love." (See The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians)

Finally, in his letter to the saints at Smyrna, Ignatius again confirmed his familiarity with Christ's story, and its central role in the life of a Christian. He wrote: "I Glorify God, even Jesus Christ, who has given you such wisdom. For I have observed that you are perfected in an immoveable faith, as if you were nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, and are established in love through the blood of Christ, being fully persuaded with respect to our Lord, that He was truly of the seed of David according to the flesh, Romans 1:3 and the Son of God according to the will and power of God; that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled Matthew 3:15 by Him; and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. Of this fruit we are by His divinely-blessed passion, that He might set up a standard Isaiah 5:26, Isaiah 49:22 for all ages, through His resurrection, to all His holy and faithful [followers], whether among Jews or Gentiles, in the one body of His Church." Ignatius continued: "Let no man deceive himself. Both the things which are in heaven, and the glorious angels, and rulers, both visible and invisible, if they believe not in the blood of Christ, shall, in consequence, incur condemnation. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. Matthew 19:12 Let not [high] place puff any one up: for that which is worth all is faith and love, to which nothing is to be preferred. But consider those who are of a different opinion with respect to the grace of Christ which has come unto us, how opposed they are to the will of God. They have no regard for love; no care for the widow, or the orphan, or the oppressed; of the bond, or of the free; of the hungry, or of the thirsty." (See The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans)

As has already been noted, Ignatius also wrote a short letter to Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. Now, while that epistle demonstrated that these men knew each other and had worked together for the good of the Church, the surviving epistle of Polycarp to the saints at Philippi is even more important. In that letter, Polycarp demonstrated his familiarity with Paul's letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Philippians and Ephesians, the Gospel of Matthew, and the First Epistle of Peter. Moreover, toward the epistle's conclusion, Polycarp provided us with some insight into how these epistles were shared and circulated among the various congregations of that time. He wrote: "Both you and Ignatius wrote to me, that if any one went [from this] into Syria, he should carry your letter with him; which request I will attend to if I find a fitting opportunity, either personally, or through some other acting for me, that your desire may be fulfilled. The Epistles of Ignatius written by him to us, and all the rest [of his Epistles] which we have by us, we have sent to you, as you requested. They are subjoined to this Epistle, and by them you may be greatly profited; for they treat of faith and patience, and all things that tend to edification in our Lord. Any more certain information you may have obtained respecting both Ignatius himself, and those that were with him, have the goodness to make known to us." (See The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians) It is with sadness that we must report that both Ignatius and Polycarp suffered martyrdom for their faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, the days when Christian leaders would die in their beds of old age was still in the distant future as the first one hundred years of the Church came to a close!

Now, at the very close of that first one hundred years, a young man named Justin was converted to Christianity and would later give his own life in defense of the religion. I refer to him and his writings at the close of this history, because they offer us some insight into what the Church was like at the conclusion of that first one hundred years of the Church. He defended the Church against the charge of Atheism, since Christians refused to recognize any other gods than their own. His writings also provide us with some insight into how Christians practiced their faith during this period. After speaking at some length about the Eucharist, he wrote: "And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succors the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration." (See The First Apology of Justin Martyr)

In his book The Triumph of Christianity, Dr Bart Ehrman wrote: "It may come as a shock to learn that Christians on trial in the Roman world were maligned and punished for being atheists...Nonetheless, the term "atheist" was used. Only rarely did it refer to someone who denied the existence of any divine being at all. Rather, it was used either to refer to those who thought the gods were radically disinterested and uninvolved with human affairs-that was the view of the Epicurean philosophers-or to those who did not ascribe any true divinity to the traditional gods. No one who participated in the regular religious life of the empire fit that category. The Jews were a partial exception, but even most Jews were completely open to gentiles worshiping their pagan gods in any way they chose. The charge of atheism principally came to be applied, after the Epicureans, to Christians. They insisted not only that theirs was the only god but also that a person needed to worship this god alone. None of the other gods was really a god. Worse still, Christians did not engage in widely recognized and accepted cultic acts, especially sacrifice. Because of their idiosyncratic views and practices, Christians were considered to be without the gods. They were the atheists." (Ehrman, Bart. The Triumph of Christianity, New York, 2018, p. 188) Although there is other evidence available to us that Christians were NEVER overwhelmed by paganism, this point alone demonstrates the absurdity of the notion.

Thus, at the conclusion of the first one hundred years of the Church, we find a group of people which had continued to grow and expand in the face of persecution. We have also demonstrated that these folks were very familiar with the story of Christ's life, death, and resurrection; and that many of them were familiar with the canonical epistles and other writings of First Century Christians. We have also demonstrated that it was the practice of the overwhelming majority of Christians to meet together and worship on the Lord's Day - the first day of the week or Sunday. Finally, we have also demonstrated that Christians shunned and disparaged other gods and religious practices (which got them into big trouble with Roman authorities). These are the conclusions which an open-minded review of the evidence has led us to reach. This evidence has also demonstrated to me that something supernatural was at work in these events - that they could NOT have happened by mere coincidence or chance. That Christianity would one day supplant the religions of Rome, and the other peoples of the Western World is nothing less than a miracle, in my humble opinion! From these very humble beginnings and against entrenched thinking and traditions, the Church continued to grow and triumph over other faiths and ideologies.

THE END