Gtcotr/ss052420
This
morning we are going to be reading a passage from 2 Corinthians chapter 11.
While you find your place, allow me to chase a thought just a little. My
thought:
The best way to die for something is to live for it.
According
to Biblical Historians and Church tradition, the 12 Apostles of Christ lived in
difficult times, endured great persecution for their beliefs and died in
various ways, all were either tortured or executed by the very people they were
trying to lead to Jesus.
·
Peter – He was crucified in Rome under Nero in
about AD66/67. We are told that Peter’s last request was to be crucified upside down, not feeling worthy to die the
same death as did His Savior, Jesus.
·
Andrew – It is believed that Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross in Greece. His crime
was the preaching of the Gospel to the lost. It is said that he continued to
preach salvation and forgiveness of sins while hanging tilted to one side until
he finally drew his last breath.
·
Matthew – It seems he was arrested in Ethiopia
while attempting to evangelize that part of Northern Africa, where few
missionaries would dare venture. It was there that he was staked to the earth by spears and beheaded.
·
Bartholomew (Nathaniel) – Sadly, most agree that
while he was preaching the Gospel in Armenia, he was arrested and flayed to death by whip, where he was literally torn
to shreds. How agonizing that must have been.
·
Thomas – Not very much is known about the method of
Thomas’ execution but only that while he was establishing a church in India, he was stabbed with a spear and died from the wound.
·
James the son of Zebedee - He was put to death with a sword by Herod Agrippa I shortly before the day of
the Passover, in the year 44. (Acts 12: 1-2)
·
James son of Alpheus - According to
tradition, James the less was thrown down from the temple by the scribes and
Pharisees; he was then stoned and his brains dashed out
with a fuller’s club.
·
Jude (Thaddeus) - Jude taught in Armenia, Syria
and was martyred by the magi in Persia. Tradition tells us he was buried in what is now Iran.
·
Phillip - According
to most historians, Philip’s death was exceedingly cruel. He was impaled by
iron hooks in his ankles and hung upside down to
die.
·
Simon the Zealot - Once again, very
little is known about him inside or outside of the Bible. All that is known
about his death is that he was also was crucified.
·
John - This
is the disciple whom Jesus loved was imprisoned on the island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation. After being released, returned to
Ephesus and was the only one that died a natural death…that is by old age and not martyred. He was near 100.
How about the 12th Apostle? Well,
it depends on who one considers the 12th Apostle. Acts 1:20-26
records the account of the remaining 11 Apostles choosing a disciple named
Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot.
·
Matthias - was apparently stoned
and beheaded late in the 1st century.
However,
if the prophecy of Psalms 109:8 refers to Judas
declaring that another Apostle would take his place and, looking back on the
very fact that no less than 16 times Paul declared himself an Apostle of Jesus
Christ, called, anointed and appointed by the Lord Himself, as a man born out
of time (1 Corinthians 15:8), we might conclude
or at least consider that Paul was that 12th Apostle.
Be glad we don’t have to take a history test to get into heaven … Bible or otherwise. Nonetheless, the study of the
scriptures and the preserved writings of early Church fathers intrigue me so as
to make me hunger for the day when I can
sit at length with those patriarchs of the faith and listen to them give the
details they were unable to include in their written accounts.
So,
just in case Paul is the 12th Apostle of the Lamb, how did he die? Well,
just like these other Apostles we have just talked about, Paul did not just up
and die for Jesus and the Gospel of Christ on a whim one day … he, like they,
lived for Jesus every day. The best way to give your
life for a cause is to live for it. That is what we are called to do and
that is exactly what Jesus and His Apostles did.
2 Corinthians 11
24 From the Jews five times I
received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten
with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day
I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in
perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own
countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in
perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among
false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in
sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness —
28 besides the other things,
what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
Paul
did not just die for Jesus and the Church … he lived for it, every day. Sharing
the Gospel of Christ and telling others about Jesus was his life. Whether he
was teaching in the Church or making tents in his workshop; whether he was in
the palace talking to a King or in the prison talking to a thief; whether he
was arguing his point with Greek philosophers or sharing his perspective with a
run-a-way slave, Paul was always talking about Jesus. He said:
Romans 1:16 For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Yes,
Paul did die a martyrs death … not just once … but over and over, every day and
with each decision to live for Christ.
Philippians 1:21 ¶ For to me,
to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
We
are told that in about the year AD67, Paul was beheaded by order of the Emperor
Nero in the city of Rome. However, that was only the moment when the Apostle
Paul was swallowed up by life … he died a long time before that.
In
closing today, allow me to read one of my favorite scripture combinations. A
scripture combination is where you put two or more Bible passages together in
context to make a chain of encouragement from the Bible. This combination can
be found in Galatians 2:20 and Colossians 3:1-3. I have used these words to
encourage myself so many times … I even sing them together often to gird up the
loins of my mind and strengthen my spirit. Let me just quote them to us from my
heart.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified
with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me.
Colossians
1 If ye then be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your
life is hid with Christ in God.
Come
on saints … let’s live to share the Good News about Jesus!!!
If
you miss any of these notes you can always either go back and listen again or
you can read, download or print a copy of my teaching notes at EzSermons.com – Several thousand ministers and lay
people use this resource which we have made available for free each month. This
website is one of the many websites of our GTCOTR. You can find other resources
as well at cotr.com.
