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No part of the world part 2

As we established in the last lesson, Jesus taught that his followers would be "no part of the world" John17:14,16. Jesus continued teaching how his disciples could distinguish themselves from the world. Jesus continues in verse 17 saying "sanctify them by means of truth, your word is truth".  So by strict adherence to Godly standards as outlined in God's Word, the Bible, Christians could thereby live in "the world" but not be a part of it.

One main feature of Biblical truth that Jesus taught was about the kingdom of God, of which he would be King. When speaking with the Roman governor Pontius Pilate as related in John 18:36.  Jesus clarified that his "kingdom is no part of this world...my kingdom is not from this source". 
So what did Jesus mean? Evidently that his kingdom government was heavenly not earthly. It's not hard to imagine a heavenly government by God with his king Jesus Christ, as Jesus himself taught us to pray in Matt6:9,10 "Let your kingdom come, let your will take place ON EARTH  as it is in heaven. Imagine when God's kingdom rules over the earth worldwide conditions will change, God's will, will be done ON EARTH as it is in HEAVEN. 

So the Biblical truth that would separate(or sanctify) true Christians from "the world" would be their understanding of, and belief in God's heavenly kingdom as being the only true source of peace and happiness. As a consequence of this belief, true Christians would pray for God's kingdom to come, and their fervent belief in this coming Kingdom of God set them apart from hoping in and trusting in, and supporting other earthly kingdoms or governments.

What does history show? That true Christians would die before giving worshipful honor to the Roman Emperor. Emperor worship was the state religion of the Roman Empire, the Emperor was indeed the head of Roman Paganism. True Christians were killed, some by wild beasts in the Roman theater, or in Ephesus as the Apostle Paul made reference to at 1Corinthians 15: 31,32.  Up until the 4th century there was a marked distinction between a Christian who's hope was in the Kingdom of God, not in "the world" outside the Christian congregation.

Although true Christianity started off small it grew quickly as is clearly shown in the gospel accounts and the book of Acts of the Apostles. By the year 98CE the year when the Apostle John received his vision of the Apocalypse or Revelation, there were many establish Christian congregations in the Greco-Roman world and Palestine.  Many Christian writings especially by the Apostle Paul were letters to those first century congregations. Even the Apostle Paul knew of his imminent death as a Christian martyr, and he probably died around the year 65CE while in detention in Rome.  Indeed hundreds or perhaps thousands of Christians were later killed by the Romans, in the late first century until the fourth century.

In a previous writing I wrote of the origin of Christianity, but touching briefly on a few points will summarize this particular write. In the fourth century, the Catholic Church rose to prominence, and was so successful in uniting the Roman Empire, by a mixing of Christian teachings with Paganism and Mysticism that it became the state religion. Interestingly the word Catholic means universal, and indeed the Catholic teaching was acceptable to the masses of pagans and some Christians. However there was a group of true Christians that opposed Catholicism's mixing with the political structure of the day.  Those Christians were viewed by The Church as heretics, opposers  to the mixing of Jesus teachings with paganism.  They believed that by mixing Christian truth with false pagan worship, and allying themselves with politics the result would be becoming "part of the world".

In part 3 I will discuss the history of true Christianity through the centuries until the Protestant Reformation.

Thanks for reading!  

Source material:  1. Insight on the scriptures 2 .Foxes book of Martyrs

All Biblical quotes are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures


February 14,2021
John Derek Hamilton
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