Facing Persecution: The Apostles' Courageous Stand

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, welcome to The Bible Guys. I'm Chris, this is Jeff, and we're excited to be here. That's correct. And you know, for those of you that are longtime listeners, you know how committed we are yes to bringing only the finest news to our listeners. If you're new with us today, this is a special day for you because you're going to find out that we are committed to great news, particularly the news that we find on the Babylon B. You know, maybe it's better if you actually read it and look at the article for yourself. But for some reason, I don't know if this segment translates as well as I think it does. Maybe it does, but I love this segment because it is so sophisticatingly funny. Well, the Babylon B is funny. So if you don't know, The Babylon B is a satire website and they do a lot of funny things. But one of the things they do is they publish most of their satire as actual news. They publish it with as articles. It's usually like a bunch of sarcasm. Yes, right, there which a lot of something by by legitimizing it. That's right, it's so good. So here's uh, here's a self help for the ladies, the lady listeners. Yes on our show, which is about half of just just under half of all of our listeners, our ladies, Yeah, just over half beating or males. That's incredible, thank you. What a coincidence, Yes, which which makes up a whole I figured that out all by myself. That's great. So on the Babylon b there's an article. It says, confused by your husband's cryptic texts, let the babylon Be interpret it interpret them for you. So here's the article. Ladies, are you having a hard time knowing what your husband's text really mean? Men are complicated creatures. So our relationship experts conducted a study to translate men man texts into lady English. That's great. Here's a complete guide to what your man is really saying when he sends you that text. So when your husband sends you a thumbs up emoji, the translation is cool. When he sends you a text that just is simply the letter. When he sends you the text is simply the letter K. The translation would be okay, it's hilarious. When he sends you a text that is lol, the translation is I mightily amused, but did not laugh. Right. When he sends you a text, kids are fine, the actual translation is I haven't seen the kids in an hour. I'm sure wherever they are they're fine. There it is the word. When he sends you a text take your time, translation is I don't want you coming home early and catching me on the fifth hell diverse too, match, that's funny. And then when he says do you know what isle granola is in, the translation is I've been looking for your dang granola for thirty minutes now, and I'm about to light the store on fire. That is exactly right. When he sends you a laughing emoji, the translation is I'm guessing this is the reaction i'd have if I watched the video that you sent me. That's really funny. That's so funny. When he texts the words got it, the translation is I did not read your text and'll be calling in fifteen minutes to ask you a bunch of questions you already answered in great detail. That's funny too. When he sends you the text do we have any band aids? The translation is I'm bleeding to death in the garage. And then when he texts you the words you okay, question mark, the translation is I know that you're not okay, but I'm approaching you cautiously as though you were a wounded bear. That's easy since those are likely the only phrase is your husband ever texts you, You'll now have no problem understanding what he's saying. That's so so uny, but we are really glad to bring that as a special service to our listeners today. You know, I think the funniest part about this article for me is the first, the first two of them, which is, uh, you know, when he says okay, the translation isn't okay. When he says thumbs up. It's cool, cool, because because you know, we just are pretty uncomplicated creatures. We just say what we mean, right, What do you mean by that? Well, what I meant by that is exactly what I just ask me, And I meant nothing else. I've told my wife so many times, I'm just not as sophisticated as you think I am. Right, right, I didn't mean anything else. That was just that's all I meant. Okay, well, hey, there we go. I can't think of anything else to add to that. I mean, that was just so complete, it was complete. Well, I would just I would just also say oftentimes in conversation when when I say, like, for instance, I'll say I'll ask a question to my family sometimes and I'll say, because I've got I've got the dominant estrogen, so there's three estrogens to hormones, or you know what I mean. And anyway i'll ask a question, I'll say something like, hey, you know, why did you do that again? And instead of just saying, oh, that's why, that's why I did this, and then I'll be like, okay, they would like attach all these things to my question, well what are you thinking? Are you thinking? Are are you questioning? Why are you all these attachments? And I'm like, well, actually, the only thing I met was I just wanted to know why, yes, and I was I was actually like thinking about it in this other text or whatever. And it's just so funny how I seem to do that my entire marriage, my entire marriage, I just seemed to say. I just was asked I literally one question, but the idea was there was probably fifteen meanings behind it, which then means, did you ever think about this? Because it kind of happens too right now, I'm the one guy in the house, and there's two women in my house, right so, my daughter and my wife, and so sometimes I realized that they think I mean more than I mean, yes, which then on a case I'm trying to say, when when I actually step out of the fog of my brain, it dawns on me they must mean more than they're saying. Maybe I'm missing a whole bunch right then, because because I don't mean more than I say usually, I don't have like a secondary this cryptic language of implication. I don't imply anything. If I say I'm hungry, what I'm implying is I'm hungry. That's it. That's it. I'm not trying to say you're not taking care of me. I'm not saying anything. I'm not questioning your judgment or your ability or anything else. I'm just making a statement. Right But then it dawns I mean, maybe I'm missing a bunch in the conversation that there's a whole other conversation going on that I'm totally oblivious, and I'll tell exactly what you're missing. You're missing the female chromosome. That's what you're missing. And that's the end of the story. Great, you're not a woman. Well have fun after this episode, right because doesn't listen every day, every day, every single day, and usually I would say nine, it's in the morning, unless she for some reason is running late for very odd reason, but usually when she's getting ready. So right now I could almost predict with accuracy, certain with certainty, that she is putting on her makeup. The phone is on the bathroom, in the master bathroom, and she's yelling at it right now, right now. Oh, you are so trouble christ especially what she's doing. She's putting on her I makeup, and she's talking to herself, and she's like, uh, okay, Chris, be quiet. He's in so much trouble when he get much trouble when he gets in home. OK. Yeah, that's what she's saying. Good well, Liz, I just want you to know he's not talking about you specifically, He's guessing what it must be like for other men. That's because you are a wonder to behold and a mystery to him. And I love you baby. There you go. So remember yesterday. Anyways, let's we should get into this. So Jesus appears to these disciples. They're out fishing. Yeah, seven seven of the eleven, that's right. Peter says, I'm going to go back fishing. And by the way, his decision affected six others. You know a lot of times when we decide we're going to walk away from the mission we're supposed to be on, others will follow. Right, that's what happens here. But Jesus doesn't go out and get mad, and said, Jesus goes fixed breakfast. Say hey, guys, cast your net on the other side. And as soon as they do, when they start catching a bunch of fish, John and Peter realize who this is, and Peter jumps in the water and swims to Jesus. It's just such a wonderful thing. Jesus meets Peter where he was, and Jesus already had breakfast for them even before he called him out. Yeah, or at least by the time Peter made it the shore, breakfast is ready. And so I'm laughing. Yes, yeah, yesterday we wasted like five minutes on that one. So in John twenty one, Verse fifteen, It says after breakfasts, so we do know breakfast gets finished? Yes, Jesus asked Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord replied Peter replied, you know I love you, Then feed my lambs, Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question, Simon's son of John, do you love me? Yes? Lord, Peter said, you know I love you, Then take care of my sheep. Jesus said a third time, he asked him sign son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt that Jesus asked a question a third time. He said, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you, and Jesus said, then feed my sheep. I tell you the truth. When you were young, you were able to do as you liked. You distressed yourself, you went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go. Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him follow me. Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved, the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, Lord, who will betray you? Peter asked Jesus, what about him? Lord? Jesus replied, if I want him to remain alive until I returned, what is that to you? As for you follow me? So the rumor spread among the community of believers that the disciple wouldn't die, But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, if I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here, and we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, well, that's such a grand phrase, right, I suppose the whole world cannot contain the books that would be written. I don't suppose that that's a literal translation, is it? Like? Certainly, Well, he says, I don't suppose. So he's acknowledging hyperbole there. Yeah I think so too. Yeah, I do which is why I asked. So. There's a note in the Life Application Study Bible about these three questions that Jesus asks Peter, and I love the detail. It says this. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. The first time Jesus said do you love He used the word the Greek word agape sacrificial love, and so when he said, do you love me? More than these? The second time, Jesus focused Peter on focused on Peter alone and used the same Greek word. The third time, Jesus used the Greek word phi leo significant, signifying affection, affinity, or brotherly love. He asked, in effect, are you even my friend? Peter responded each time with the Greek word phi leo. Jesus didn't settle for a quick, superficial answer. He has a way of getting to the heart of the matter. Peter had to face his true feelings and motives when Jesus confronted him. How would you respond if Jesus asked you did you love me? Do you really love me? Are you even my friend? Isn't that we're super insightful, because you know, again, we say this at weddings or at least I do is that, you know, Unfortunately, when we use the word love, or when we translated the word love, we just translated it flippantly. There's all these Greek words that mean specific things. There's friendship love, there's romantic love, there's sacrificial love, and yet we just translate them all to the same word love. And so here's what I always say at I've been known to say this at weddings. I'll say, uh, so we we over use the word love. I said. For instance, I said, you may go to the reception and say, hey, I love these or irths, and then you look at your spouse and say, oh, and I love you too. I said, So your wife will have no choice but to compare herself to in our dirth because what other choice have we given her? Right because we're using these word love or using the same word for me like cheese and crackers and olives. Right, But but yeah, that's the way we use the word love. So love means a bunch of things for us. But in the Greek, you know, Jesus was very specific. So he says, do you love me unconditionally? Do you really love me unconditionally? And are you even my friend. That's that's wow. Yeah, I love it because there you go. Love it. I love this passage because you know, Peter denied Jesus three times, and so Heesus comes back and lets Peter restate his love for him three times, right, And there's something to that. I think it was incredibly emotional moment and for Jesus to challenge him, Jesus doesn't let Peter off the hook on this one. Peter confronts the fact that, hey, you denied me. Let's address that. And sometimes I think we're tempted to sweep things under the rug. We're tempted to just kind of ignore a thing, to not address it, and long term that does damage to relationships when we just don't address a thing. Now, the Bible does say that, you know, love covers a multitude of sins and doesn't keep any record of wrong. There's so many things like that, So sometimes it's not worth it. But other times, in this situation, Peter had denied Jesus three times, struggles with the whole death and resurrection, and even after having seen the resurrected Lord, he abandons his mission and goes back fishing, and so clearly he had seen the resurrected Lord. He saw Jesus fulfill everything he said he would do, and then felt like I blew it so bad. I'm this is never going to be fixed. So the only way to fix this relationship was to go back to where it broke. And Jesus goes back to where it broke in this moment and says, do you love me like sacrificially? Because remember I sacrifice myself for you? Do you love me sacrificially again? And then are we even friends? And it breaks Peter's heart because at that point he goes, Lord, you know everything. It says it hurt that Jesus even asked that question the third time. He said, you know everything. You know that I love you, And I love the fact that Jesus gave him the opportunity to emphatically state his love for Jesus. And then every time he said I love you, Jesus gave him restated his mission. Then go feed my sheep. That's what I want you to do. You want to show that you love me, you want to really you're really my friend. Then let's get back on mission together. I'm not done. I'm not done with you. You don't have to be done with me. Let's get back to work and feeding my sheep. And then he tells him, Hey, you know, it's a weird way to tell him, you're gonna die for me, you know. Uh, but he lets him know when year old, they're going to take you and where you don't want to go, You're gonna die. Isn't it interesting how every one of the disciples were martyred for Jesus. So one was dragged behind a horse, right and then uh, and then you know, one's crucified upside down, you know, one is you know, uh, all these different horrible ways to die. And right here, Jesus looks beyond uh excuse me, Peter looks beyond Jesus sees John and says, what about him? Yeah, And Peter's like, or Jesus is like, hey, if I wanted to rend alive, that that's up to me. I'm not talking about him, Peter, I'm talking about you. And what's interesting is is that just coincidentally, John is the only one who doesn't. He isn't martyred. He was attempted. They both tried. They tried, they try to kill him, but he survived. I just think that's really really interesting. And and uh, listen to this this note as well. It says this was a prediction of Peter's death by crucifixion. Tradition indicates that Peter was crucified for his faith upside down because he did not feel worthy of dying in the same way that his lord had. Despite with Peter's future held, Jesus told him to follow him. We may be uncertain and fearful about our future, but if we know that God is in control, we can confidently follow Christ. That's incredible. Yeah, And so you know, there's there's a price that has to be paid. Jesus himselves tells us we're going to be persecuted when following following him. You know, we'll be uh, you know, having to give up our relationships, our most important relationships. Uh, not necessarily having to, but we we may have to sacrifice some relationships in our lives if they're unhealthy, and there's a price to be paid. We have to show that Jesus is number one in our lives. So it's not always easy to follow Christ, but it's definitely worth it. That's right. That's right. So I remember one of my favorite phrases that I preach is no matter the cost, Jesus is worth. The Christ's a good point. So Jesus is letting Peter know, hey, you're going to die for me, and for some of us we would read it and go, oh, my goodness, that's the punishment for denying Jesus three times. But it's not. It's the other way around. There's great reward for being a martyr in scripture, right, and the Bible talks about it in the Book of Revelation, the extraordinary rewards for being able to give your life for Christ. And by the way, all the apostles except for John, as you mentioned, were martyred. So I just looked this up a moment ago. But Peter, these are all according to the church tradition, right right, There's only a couple of them that are actually mentioned in the Bible. But Simon Peter, according to a second century text, said that Jesus or that Peter, was crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to be crucified the way that Jesus was. And this happened under the Emperor Nero. So Nero had burned the city of Rome and then blamed Christians for it. So both Paul and Peter were executed about the same time, really close to each other. But he was crucified. Andrew, Peter's brother, was also crucified just like his brother. And then James, the son of Zebedee. So John's brother, he was put to death. You can read about that in the Book of Acts where they threw him down and they killed him and put him to death with the sword. So then you have John, who is the writer of the Book of John and Revelation. For a second there, John, he died natural death. They tried to burn him or boil him alive. And here's what Tertullian said. Totullian was a historian in the second century, and he wrote that the Romans exiled Before they exiled John, they brought him into a colosseum and immersed him in a barrel of boiling oil. But when he emerged unharmed, the entire colosseum converted the Christianity. That's what Tertullian wrote about that moment when Jesus, when James or John was boiled in oil, it isn't amazing. So the Romans were trying to make an example out of John, and when he didn't die. The whole coliseum became Christians. It's like, that's exactly right, exactly. The Bible or history tells us that Uh Philip was was martyred as well. He was executed because of uh uh. He led a government uh leader's wife to Christ, so they executed him. Bartholomew was in India. He was cruely beaten and then he was crucified. Thomas, according to history, was executed in India as well. He was run through with spears. And Matthew was in Ethiopia and suffered martyrd him. He was slain with a halberd like a spear, kind of a fighting long stemmed weapon. James was preaching and he was stoned to death and then was buried beside the temple. Thaddeus, which we often is Judas the son of James, right, This isn't Judas is scary, but the other one. He was beaten and then was turned into Cole's stroke of thunder by these witches, and then the king bare the body's apostles and did just make of marvelous saying. So he was destroyed, wiped out, executed and chopped to death during that time. That's a pretty bad way to go. Simon was martyred. He was crucified in Samaria, and then in Matthias, who was the guy who took Judas's place, was stoned to death in what would be now modern day Georgia, up north of Armenia. In that area, he was stoned to death and then beheaded. So it's pretty pretty amazing how many of these disciples that they come, they see Jesus and so when John or when Jesus tells Peter, so then let's get about the mission, and then says, you're going to die for me someday, but between here and there, let's get on this mission. Right. I believe that you love me. Now go feed my sheep. He's restoring him and then letting him know, Hey, there's a great glory in your future coming in your future, and it's not going to be easy. Jesus said, in this world you will have trouble, but don't worry. To overcome the world. And they all were convinced that there was life after this because they saw the bodily resurrection of Jesus and they knew, okay, if Jesus can defeat death, he'll defeat it. From me too, right, And people don't die for something that they made up. That's correct. So you know, there's not a single person that's going to say, absolutely, crucify me upside down or throw me into oil or you know, spear me to death or whatever it is, right, you know, the shot me up, chop me up, stole me. Yeah, of course I'd be willing to, you know, subject myself to that. You know, they would, they would recant, they would recant at the last minute. But but but these men aren't going to do that because they know for a fact that Jesus is the Lord, just like you said. You know, it's the same, it's the same proclamation. Uh funny that I'm referring to sh Shak and Vinegol. But but they're the ones that spoke before their ex sentence was carried out, and they said, hey, listen, we know that the God we serve is able to deliver us out of your hand and out of this fiery furnace, and if he wants to, he's going to do that, essentially. But if he chooses and his wisdom not to do that, let it be known to you, o King, we will never bow down and worship the false God in the image that you've set up, which is such an unbelievable statement. And even though those things aren't record for the disciples that you just mentioned, I have to believe that there has to be those kinds of moments where you know, hey, you're about to be killed. You know I'm the authority that has the power to put you to death. Do you have anything else to say for yourself? I have to believe that there's going to be those kinds of statements, because, after all, Peter stood in front of the Sanhedron after you know, after in the Book of Acts, after having seen the same council put Jesus to death. Peter stands in front of them and says, hey, hypocrites, you're the ones you've killed, all the martyrs, you've killed all or the prophets, rather right, And he stands during the Book of Acts and he just accuses them with confidence. How is he able to do that? And he tells them we're going to obey God rather than men. Yes, And he says all of those things with his bony little finger pointed at the council. And the reason why he's able to do that is because he has the confidence of knowing that if God before us, who could be against this? And He's not going to do that for a made up story of somebody stealing the body and claiming that there's a false resurrection, And so take this story as just encouragement. You might have felt like you've crossed the line and you can never serve the Lord again, but God's not done with you yet. He's going to want to re establish that you really do love him, that you really are on his side, and he has a mission for you. There are still many people his sheep who have not yet been found, So go find more people, bring him to Jesus. Right, that's great, all right, Well, hey, we'll see you next time on the Bible. Gus