A Letter to the Emperor

The following are letters from Pliny's Letters, Book X. Pliny was a governor in the ancient Roman Empire. This letter would have been written sometime during Trajan's reign, from 98-117 A.D. I sent this to you with no other purpose that to connect with the 1st Century Church and to see what was going on in the minds of the "other side".

[Pliny to the Emperor Trajan]

It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be punished.
Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.
Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with the statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ - none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do - these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshiped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.
They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath not some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not to falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food - but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.
I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is afforded.

[Trajan to Pliny]

You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to serve as a king of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it- that is, by worshiping our gods- even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with [the spirit of] our age.

Greek Evangelism 101

Recently I've been doing an intense self-evaluation of my evangelistic techniques. To be honest, my typical approach, which is mostly borrowed from Share Jesus Without Fear, has not to date had warm receptions from those I've tried it on.

This is not to say that these people rejected Christ's message. We know most people will reject Him and not enter Heaven, but I hardly make it to the actual "good news" part of the process.

Instead, the adversity is towards the scholarly approach. Most Lost people don't read the Bible (some, ironically, do), and even those that do don't really believe in it. So quoting scripture (or having the Lost person read the scripture) is often times a pointless endeavor, because the Scripture has no authority in their lives. All the book names, chapter numbers and verse numbers tend to muddy the water that's already somewhat confusing and awkward to the Lost individual who is probably hearing the true Gospel for the first time.

One of the founders of the Creation Museum, Ken Ham, spoke at my congregation a few years back. One of the things he said is that the age-old tactics for evangelism here in the U.S. weren't working anymore. Sermons that once brought in the sheaves are now falling on deaf ears. Why? According to Ham, it's because the U.S. is no longer a nation of "Jews" (religious people of the Bible yet without Christ), but "Greeks" (people with either a pagan or no religion at all and no belief or knowledge of the Bible).

Over a century ago, most Americans learned to read from the Bible, went to church most of their lives, and knew the story of Jesus. This doesn't mean they were saved, but they had the head-knowledge base. To bring them to a salvation-decision, you just had to fill in the blanks for them.

Today, most Americans have not been raised in real Christian households where the Word of God is read and upheld as the standard for living, have not heard countless sermons on the Gospel and the Bible, and have no respect for the Church or the Scriptures. We can't use the same method on them.

In Paul's day, these two ideologies were personified in two people groups: the Jews, who had the Scriptures and the age-old knowledge of God and the prophecies, and the Gentiles or Greeks who knew virtually nothing of any of that. If you read Acts, you'll see the Apostles takes a remarkably different approach to preaching to Gentiles than they do with Jews.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached to a crowd of mostly if not all Jews. His message about Christ was based on the Scriptures at that time, and he proved the case for Christ on the Scriptures the Jews knew and respected.

When Paul went to the Aeropagus (Mars Hill) in Athens, he preached to a crowd of mostly Gentiles. He did not quote any Scripture. The Greeks would not have known it nor would that prove anything to them if he did because they did not believe in it. Instead he used their own philosophies and such to make his point. Even then, few responded. It is hard to convert "Greeks".

Sadly, Americans today are mostly Greeks, even in the "Bible belt". It is hard to convert Greeks, for to them the Cross is nonsense.

With that in mind, I have decided to change the way I approach Americans with the Gospel. Instead of bombarding them with Scriptures (i.e. Roman's Road), I will talk to them about my friend named Jesus, who saved my life. I will tell them who He is and what He's done for us, what He offers to them, and what will happen to them if they refuse Him. I'll use examples based on things they do know, like movies or popular media to get my point across. Then, if they want to know more, I can take them to the Scriptures we are all so familiar with.

In the end, what we are offering the Lost is not a religion or a building or a book of rules, but a relationship with the God-Man Jesus Christ. Perhaps its best if we start by introducing Him as a real person, and not just a name in an old book.

Lose Yourself

"Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 17:33

As I walk in this life, more and more I find myself attempting to keep my own life, or save it, or hold onto it. The tighter I hold onto it, the more of it slips away, leaving me hollow and unfulfilled.

Most Christians know this passage and testify to it, but what exactly is "keeping your own life", and how might that result in its loss?

Our sinful nature inclines us to keep our life in various ways. Here are some of them.

1. I've got my own agenda. The only agenda that should matter to us is God's agenda. When we lay claim to our own agenda, we are trying to keep that part of our life and not surrender it to God. We lose it because anything not of the Lord is doomed to inevitable failure (Proverbs 19:21) or will end in personal disaster (James 1:15).

2. I've got my rights. As slaves to Christ, we have no rights. God gives us gifts out of His love for us, but we deserve nothing. There are no "inalienable rights" as a famous document claims. God clearly states there are only two positions available to Mankind: slavery to Christ, resulting in Life, or slavery to sin, resulting in death.(Romans 6:16)

3. This is more important. Nothing is more important than God's work. To be clear, God's work includes more than evangelism. God's will for you is to also love your neighbors, serve others, take care of your family, etc. The rest of life is junk. Worthless dust and shadow that will pass away in the End. Only three things will remain after the Day of the Lord, Faith, Hope and Love, the greatest of which is Love. (1 Corinthians 13) What you have done to grow and support those three things will go with you into Eternity. The rest burns away. (1 Cor. 3:11-15)

4. I need this. If what you seek truly is a need, then God Himself will provide it. You need only to do as you are told by God, loving others and serving the Kingdom, and what you need will become yours. (Matthew 6:33)

The more I let go of my agenda and perceived rights, the more I realize only what God wants is important, and the more I realize He will provide my every need if I but serve Him and others, the more I am blessed, and the more I live the life Christ talked about. I'm a long way from where I want to be, but I encourage you to come with me and lose your life so that it may be found.

One Salvation

Many many years ago, a simple farmer was given some ferry money so that his wife and daughter could go to a nearby church across the river. None of them were saved, but the wife wanted to take the daughter to church, no doubt to teach her good morals.

Now it so happened this week was Gospel Meeting week (read: Revival week if Baptist). The young girl attended each meeting, and was herself saved. After the meetings, a fellow brother asked the preacher how it went. "Not well" he replied, "we had just one salvation, a little girl."

That young girl grew up in faith and started a family. She gave birth to four sons and many daughters. All four sons became Gospel preachers.

Now one of the daughters grew up and started her own family. She had sons and daughters.

One of those sons grew in faith and became a strong leader in his congregation. He started his own family and had a son and a daughter.

His son grew in faith, became a leader at his congregation and started his own family. He had one son. That son is me.

Now God has called me into the ministry as well, and may Heaven forbid if I ever say "We had just one salvation."

That Gospel Meeting was the best my family has ever known, for it saved us all.

Busy Bees

Satan is ever on the move to destroy us. His devices and schemes are many and varied, for he knows that not every trick works every time.

In America, we are bombarded with the Media. The Media tells us how to live, what to wear, what to eat, what to watch, etc. Many women spend thousands on makeup, jewelry, designer clothes, cosmetic surgery, and eating disorders which destroy the body. Many men are drawn into alcohol, pornography, and worse.

Some say that Americans fall into the traps of the Media because we are sheeple who can not think for ourselves. This is not true. America is filled with as many intellectuals and brilliant minds as any other nation on earth.

The problem is that Americans are too busy to think. At some point people became so busy that they willingly or subconsciously handed the other decisions of their lives over to the Media. People fill their lives with so much activity that they only have a few seconds to consult the latest commercial to see what society says they ought to be eating, wearing, and looking like.

It's a wonder we don't rebel against this monster that is the Media. A monster that tells us to eat at McDonald's but also tells us we must be thin and pretty to be worth anything. Such contradictory statements should cause us to rise up with fury against this monster, but we are simply too busy to figure that out, or do anything even if we do figure it out.

In America today, children are forced to learn how to live from this monster called Media and from other unhealthy sources. People want to blame the pregnant teenager, but she is just a child. She was only looking for love because no one seemed to love her, and she gave her body away because no one ever told her what true love really is. People want to blame the guy, but he too is a child. He did what was in his nature and obeyed his urges because no one taught him there was a higher obedience. He engaged in premarital sex because he was not taught what God created it for.

American parents do not fail to raise their children properly because they do not love them. They fail because they are too busy to raise them. Instead, they offer up their children to the Media and the School System to raise them, both of which are corrupt institutions. Parents complain when Schools begin teaching things they don't agree with or demand better television programs because they rely on those things to teach their children while they are busy out doing everything important to them.

More Americans die in their sins every day. They die without Christ not because they are particularly more evil than other humans or because they are more stubborn, but because they are too busy. Eternity is simply too large a concept to fathom in the split-second society we have developed. When people send a text message because a phone call takes too long, they cannot be expected to be concerned about their eternal destiny or God's love. Such things can certainly be handled later, when there is more time. And there is always more time...until it runs out.

As Christians, we must be holy for He is holy. Holiness is not about perfection, but separation. We are to not to conform to this World. We need to slow down. It can be done, and God can show you those things in your life that could be cut to make the time for the things that are truly important. We should take the time to seek God's counsel in the Word to know how to live. We should raise our children, not the Media and not the Schools. And we should be the interruption in the lives of the Lost to give them a moment to breathe and think about their eternal destiny.

You have only today.

120

"Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." Genesis 6:3

Many Christians assert this passage from Genesis is the point at which God ended the long years of man (many lived well in excess of 600 years) and limited humans to an age of 120 years.

There is, however, just one small problem with that assessment. Many, many men who lived after the flood lived longer than this prescribed amount of years. Now, Noah and all of his sons lived far in excess of 120 years, but it could be easily argued that since those men were born before God's declaration, it did not apply to them.

However, starting in Genesis 11:10...

Shem, son of Noah, begets Arphaxad.

Arphaxad lives 403 years.

Shelah lives 403 years.

Eber lives 430 years.

Peleg lives 209 years.

Reu lives 207 years.

Serug lives 200 years.

Nehor lives only 113 years, and is the only one of the bunch to live within the 120 year time frame.

But wait! There's more!

Terah lives 205 years (he has his sons at 70!) Gen 11:32

Abraham lives 175 years, and Sarah herself lived 127 years. Gen 25:7 and 23:1

Issac lives 180 years. Gen 35:28

Jacob lived 147 years. Gen 47:28

Levi lived 137 years. Exodus 6:16

Kohath lived 133 years. Exodus 6:18

Amram lived 137 years. Exodus 6:20

All of these men lived longer than 120 years save one. We know God is not a liar. If God said "man can only live 120 years" then it would be so, and these men would not have lived a day past 120, yet all of them (save one) did, and some to a great extent.

So what then can we conclude? The facts show that the common interpretation of this passage is incorrect. So if it is not referring to the age limit of man, what does it refer to?

In Gen 6:3, the word commonly translated as "mortal" can also mean "corrupt". The passage is saying humans had become corrupted.

The depravity of man is a doctrine any Christian should be familiar with, and if you aren't you can read this summary of the doctrine. When Man fell in the Garden of Eden by rebelling against God's authority, he became corrupt. Much like a data file that becomes corrupt on a computer, there is no hope in the data recovering itself. By rebelling, Mankind had created a privation of righteousness, a lack of goodness within himself. We call this absence of God's perfection sin or evil. The Bible tells us in places like Romans 1 and Ephesians 4 that sin begets more sin. Sin is a downward spiral that is always getting worse, and never better. Without God's intervention, mankind sunk deeper and deeper into depravity with no hope of escape.

Therefore, Genesis 6:3 can be seen as a judgement on Man. He is corrupt. He will never change. He must be destroyed.

It is likely then, that the Lord was in fact declaring his plans for the Flood. The 120 years then, are the number of years mankind has left before this judgement is executed. Enough time for Noah to build the Ark.

Praise God, however, for he preserved Noah and his family, who walked with God. Through that one family we all are descended, and through that preserved bloodline came Christ our Lord and Savior.

In many ways, the Flood was a dress rehearsal for the final Judgement on Man and Sin due on the Day of the Lord, when Christ returns. We know this from passages like those found in 1 Peter and 2 Peter.

So why did the ages of humans drop so sharply after the Flood? The explanation is genetics. Adam and Eve were created perfect and flawless, but after the Fall, sin and death pervaded all Creation, infecting it with entropy, or decay. This decay affected human genes, which began to show abnormalities. These imperfections eventually killed off humans, though since they were very well made, it took many centuries. As humankind multiplied and time rolled on, however, the ages of humans start to drop slowly. The human genome is losing its perfection, and the new humans being born are weaker and weaker, and thus dying sooner.

After the Flood, Noah's descendants had no choice but to marry with their brothers and sisters to procreate. We all know that unions between close relatives is a bad idea because the offspring are likely to be defective. This is because abnormal genes are recessive. You have to get a matching pair of bad genes to actually have a defect occur. When the baby is born of two close relatives, the chance for a matching pair is very high because their genetic code is very similar. When Noah's descendants married, they all but guaranteed a proliferation of genetic defects in their children, cutting their lifespans in half almost at once. Of course, this still meant they lived some 200 years, but to those who can remember their relatives living far in excess of that, I'm sure it was a tragedy and a reminder of the price of sin.

So what are we to take away from Genesis 6:3? One, that humans are totally corrupt with sin from the Fall. Two, that God will ultimately deal with that sin in Judgement. Three, that God in His mercy has delayed His judgement for a fixed time period in order that some may be saved. Four, only those who submit to God's redemptive plan will be saved. It was an Ark for Noah. For us, it is the person of Jesus Christ and His Gospel; that if you submit to Him as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Christian Priorities

Recently I heard this proverb: "Everyone has enough time to do what is important to them."

Profound but simple words. They struck my spirit, and bade me take inventory of my time. I was shocked to find how much of my life was devoted to vain things or things of no value.

All Christians worth their salt agree that God is the most important person in our life and that His Word is the most important subject of study in our lives.

I wonder though, do we actually believe it? Is God the most important person in our life? Is His holy Word our most important subject of study?

Most people would agree that the most important person in your life should be delegated the best of your time. They would also agree one should spend the majority of his time pursuing the subject which is most important to him. So do we?

Here's an interesting experiment. This week, take an inventory of what you spend your time doing each day. If you sleep, record the hours you slept. If you watch T.V., record that. If you read the Bible, record that, and so on. At the end of the week, step back and examine what you spent the hours God gave you doing. You might be surprised at how much time you spend doing some things which are hollow and empty, and how little time you spent doing the things which have eternal significance.