WHY I AM A CHRISTIAN (Part III)
I AM A BELIEVER. Today, I
will share more of my faith perspective, detailing another specific reason
underlying my decision to become a Christian disciple. Indeed, there are
many.
REASON #3
The original disciples personally experienced the teachings
and miracles of Jesus Christ. In fact, they
were eyewitnesses to His resurrection; and subsequently, they were willing to
experience ostracism, suffering and martyrdom as a direct result of their
abundant faith in Him. The lives and testimonies of these courageous men
comprise a significant and powerful reason why I am firmly established in the
Christian faith.
Consider this: If Jesus had NOT existed, if Jesus had NOT
performed miraculous works, or if Jesus had NOT risen from the dead, would
these men have been available and willing to suffer such extreme persecution,
physical suffering and even death in His name? I think not.
In the American system of jurisprudence, the most important
determiner of guilt or innocence (other than the jury itself) is the WITNESS that is summoned to the
bar for testimony. Each witness establishes the credibility (or lack
thereof) of the defendant, regarding his/her alleged actions. Consider
the PRIMARY WITNESSES who
confirmed and affirmed the teachings, miracles and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST.
ANDREW, the brother of Peter, was a fisherman before Jesus called
him. He was crucified and died as a martyr in Achaia, Greece.
BARTHOLOMEW lived in Cana of Galilee. This was actually his second
name; his first name was NATHANIEL, whom
Jesus called “An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.” (John
1:47) The Armenian Church claims him as its founder. He died as a
martyr in India, flayed alive with sharp knives.
JAMES, THE ELDER, was the brother of John the Apostle. Also a
fisherman, he preached in Jerusalem and Judea and was beheaded by Herod in AD
44. He was a member of Christ’s inner circle and the first of the twelve
to become a martyr.
JAMES, THE YOUNGER, lived in Galilee and was the brother of the Apostle
Jude. He preached in Palestine and Egypt. Eventually, he was
crucified in Egypt and his body was cruelly sawn into pieces.
JOHN, “the beloved disciple” and member of the inner circle was
the brother of James, the Apostle. He preached in Asia Minor.
Banished to the Isle of Patmos, he was later freed and died a natural
death. An unsuccessful attempt was made on his life via a chalice of
poison, but he died later from natural causes.
JUDE, also called Thaddeus, was the brother of James the
Younger. He preached in Assyria and later in Persia, where he died from
arrow wounds.
MATTHEW, also called Levi, lived in Capernaum. He was a publican or tax collector. He
wrote the gospel that bears his name and died as a martyr in Ethiopia.
SIMON PETER, also known as Cephas, was a fisherman who lived in
Bethsaida and Capernaum. He famously confessed Jesus Christ as the Son of
the Living God, yet denied him on crucifixion day. He
did evangelistic and missionary work among the Jews and ultimately was crucified
upside-down in Rome.
PHILIP, also a fisherman, came from Bethsaida and preached in
Phyrgia. He was a highly effective missionary who died as a martyr in
Hierapolis.
SIMON, the Zealot, was one of the little-known followers of
Jesus who lived in Galilee. Tradition says he was crucified as a martyr.
THOMAS DIDYMUS lived in Galilee and preached in Parthia, Persia and
India. He suffered martyrdom near Madras, India, at a place now called
Mount St. Thomas.
Each of these men had an UP-CLOSE-AND-PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
They lived and traveled with him during 3½ years of public ministry. They
beheld his awesome miracles, the multiplicity of signs and wonders that
emanated daily from His person and work. Importantly, they were EYEWITNESSES OF HIS RESURRECTION,
directly seeing Him, conversing with Him, dining with Him and being taught
Kingdom principles for a period of forty days. Then, they personally witnessed
His ascension into Heaven.
No level of threat, persecution, pain, or even death was
ever able to cause any one of them to recant his faith in The Living
Christ. Their unwavering steadfastness is just another piece in the
puzzle of my personal belief. Stay
tuned…more to come tomorrow!
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