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The Tragic End of Each of the 12 Disciples and Paul · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Among the twelve men who walked with Jesus, three would
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  Speaker 1: face their end before the others. Their stories remind us
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  Speaker 1: that even those closest to Christ faced darkness, betrayal, and death.
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  Speaker 1: These were ordinary men who became part of something extraordinary,
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  Speaker 1: yet their human nature led them down paths of tragedy
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  Speaker 1: and triumph. Judas would fall to despair, James would become
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  Speaker 1: the first martyr, and Peter would find redemption through his
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  Speaker 1: own death. Each story teaches us about the cost of
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  Speaker 1: following Jesus and the different ways people respond when everything
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  Speaker 1: falls apart. Let's walk through their final chapters together. The
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  Speaker 1: night was dark when everything changed forever. Jesus had just
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  Speaker 1: finished eating with his twelve disciples in the upper room,
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  Speaker 1: sharing what would become known as the Last Supper. The
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  Speaker 1: atmosphere was heavy with tension as Jesus spoke of betrayal
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  Speaker 1: and death, but none of the disciples could have imagined
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  Speaker 1: that one of their own was all ready planning the unthinkable,
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  Speaker 1: as recorded in Matthew Chapter twenty six, verse forty seven.
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  Speaker 1: While he was still speaking Judas, one of the twelve
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  Speaker 1: arrived with him was a large crowd armed with swords
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  Speaker 1: and clubs. Sent from the chief priests and the elders
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  Speaker 1: of the people. The garden of Gethsemone, which had been
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  Speaker 1: a place of prayer and quiet reflection, suddenly became a
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  Speaker 1: scene of chaos and violence. Judas walked through the olive
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  Speaker 1: trees toward Jesus, his heart pounding with what he was
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  Speaker 1: about to do. The signal had been arranged earlier. A
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  Speaker 1: kiss would identify Jesus to the soldiers in the darkness.
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  Speaker 1: This wasn't unusual, as disciples often greeted their teachers with
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  Speaker 1: a kiss of respect. But this kiss would be different
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  Speaker 1: from any other in history. As Matthew twenty six forty
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  Speaker 1: nine tells us, going at once to Jesus, Judas said greetings, Rabbi,
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  Speaker 1: and kissed him. The word used here for kiss means
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  Speaker 1: a tender, affectionate kiss, the kind you would give to
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  Speaker 1: someone you truly loved. But in this moment it became
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  Speaker 1: the most famous act of betrayal the world has ever known.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus responded to Judas with heart breaking gentleness. In Matthew
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  Speaker 1: twenty six fifty do what you came for, friend? But
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  Speaker 1: why did Judas do it? What could drive a man
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  Speaker 1: who had walked with the Son of God for three
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  Speaker 1: years to such a terrible act. The Gospel of Matthew,
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  Speaker 1: chapter twenty six, Verses fourteen and fifteen gives us the answer.
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  Speaker 1: Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot,
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  Speaker 1: went to the chief priests and asked, what are you
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  Speaker 1: willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?
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  Speaker 1: So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.
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  Speaker 1: Thirty pieces of silver. That was the price Judas put
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  Speaker 1: on his master's life. According to Exodus twenty one thirty two,
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  Speaker 1: this was the exact amount paid as compensation for a
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  Speaker 1: slave who had been killed. The religious leaders weren't just
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  Speaker 1: buying Jesus's location. They were treating him like property, like
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  Speaker 1: someone who could be bought and sold. The moment the
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  Speaker 1: soldiers laid hands on Jesus, something inside Judas began to
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  Speaker 1: break apart. He watched as the man he had followed
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  Speaker 1: for three years was dragged away like a common criminal.
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  Speaker 1: The other disciples scattered in fear, but Judas couldn't run.
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  Speaker 1: He was frozen by the magnitude of what he had
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  Speaker 1: just done. Perhaps Judas had thought the arrest would lead
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  Speaker 1: to Jesus revealing his power and establishing his earthly kingdom.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe he believed this was the push Jesus needed to act.
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  Speaker 1: But as Jesus was bound and led away without resistance,
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  Speaker 1: the horrible reality began to sink in. This wasn't part
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  Speaker 1: of some greater plan. This was betrayal, pure and simple.
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  Speaker 1: As Jesus faced trial after trial through the night, Judas
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  Speaker 1: felt the weight of his actions crushed down on him.
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  Speaker 1: He watched from the shadows as the religious leaders he
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  Speaker 1: had made his deal with now accused Jesus of blasphemy
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  Speaker 1: and demanded his death. The same men who had paid
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  Speaker 1: him were now destroying the person he had once called master.
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  Speaker 1: Matthew Chapter twenty seven, verse three describes what happened when
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  Speaker 1: the full impact hit Judas. When Judas, who had betrayed him,
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  Speaker 1: saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse
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  Speaker 1: and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
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  Speaker 1: priests and the elders. The word used for remorse here
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  Speaker 1: is intense. It means to be tormented with regret, to
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  Speaker 1: have your conscience tear you apart from the inside. Judas
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  Speaker 1: ran back to the temple, his hands shaking as he
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  Speaker 1: carried the silver coins that had seemed so important just
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  Speaker 1: hours before, the same coins that had felt heavy with promise,
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  Speaker 1: now felt like they were burning his flesh. But when
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  Speaker 1: he tried to give the money back, hoping someh to
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  Speaker 1: undo what he had done, the religious leaders showed their
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  Speaker 1: true colors. As recorded in Matthew twenty seven four, Judas
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  Speaker 1: cried out in desperation, I have sinned, for I have
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  Speaker 1: betrayed innocent blood. This was a full confession. He wasn't
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  Speaker 1: making excuses or trying to justify his actions. He was
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  Speaker 1: admitting complete guilt and acknowledging Jesus's innocence. But their response
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  Speaker 1: was cold and heartless. What is that to us? That's
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  Speaker 1: your responsibility. They wouldn't take the money back, They wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: listen to his confession. They had gotten what they wanted
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  Speaker 1: from Judas, and now he was nothing to them, just
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  Speaker 1: another piece of trash to be discarded. The man who
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  Speaker 1: had sold his soul for thirty pieces of silver found
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  Speaker 1: himself completely and utterly alone in his desperation. Matthew twenty
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  Speaker 1: seven five tells us what Judas did next. So Judas
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  Speaker 1: threw the money into the temple and left. Then he
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  Speaker 1: went away and hanged himself. The coins scattered across the
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  Speaker 1: temple floor, the sound echoing in the empty halls. Judas
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  Speaker 1: couldn't live with what he had done. The guilt was
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  Speaker 1: too much to bear, the shame was too heavy to carry.
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  Speaker 1: According to Acts, Chapter one, verses eighteen to nineteen, Judas
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  Speaker 1: went to a field he had bought with his blood money.
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  Speaker 1: There alone, and consumed by despair, he ended his life.
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  Speaker 1: The man who had walked with Jesus, who had seen
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  Speaker 1: miracles and heard teachings that would change the world, died
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  Speaker 1: by his own hand in a field outside Jerusalem, but
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  Speaker 1: the story doesn't end there. The chief priests had a problem.
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  Speaker 1: They couldn't put the blood money back into the temple treasury.
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  Speaker 1: Jewish law was very clear about this. As Matthew twenty
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  Speaker 1: seven to six seven explains, the chief priest picked up
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  Speaker 1: the coins and said, it is against the law to
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  Speaker 1: put this into the treasury since it is blood money.
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  Speaker 1: So they decided to use the money to buy the
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  Speaker 1: potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. That field
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  Speaker 1: became known as Aceldama, the field of Blood. It became
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  Speaker 1: a permanent reminder of the price of betrayal, a place
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  Speaker 1: where foreigners and the poor were buried. Every time some
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  Speaker 1: one passed by that field, they would remember the disciple
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  Speaker 1: who sold his master for the price of a slave.
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  Speaker 1: Judas's death was tragic and lonely, but it fulfilled what
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  Speaker 1: had been written in the scriptures hundreds of years before.
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  Speaker 1: As Jesus himself had said in Matthew twenty six twenty four,
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  Speaker 1: the son of Man will go just as it is
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  Speaker 1: written about him. But woe to that man who betrays
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  Speaker 1: the son of Man. It would be better for him
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  Speaker 1: if he had not been born. James was completely different
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  Speaker 1: from Judas in every way imaginable. Where Judas was quiet
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  Speaker 1: and calculating, James was loud and passionate. Where Judas worked
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  Speaker 1: in shadows, James was bold in the life. Jesus had
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  Speaker 1: nicknamed James and his brother John boanagers, which Mark chapter three,
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  Speaker 1: verse seventeen tells us means sons of thunder. This wasn't
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  Speaker 1: because they were gentle and quiet. It was because they
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  Speaker 1: had fiery tempers and weren't afraid to speak their minds
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  Speaker 1: or stand up for what they believed. We see this
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  Speaker 1: explosive side of James clearly in Luke chapter nine, verses
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  Speaker 1: fifty one fifty four. Jesus was traveling through Samaria on
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  Speaker 1: his way to Jerusalem, but when they came to a
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  Speaker 1: Samaritan village, the people there refused to welcome him. This
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  Speaker 1: wasn't unusual, Jews and Samaritans had hated each other for centuries.
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  Speaker 1: But James and John weren't about to let this insult slide.
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  Speaker 1: When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: do you want us to call fire down from heaven
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  Speaker 1: to destroy them? That was James ready to fight for
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  Speaker 1: his master at a moment's notice. He wasn't thinking about
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  Speaker 1: mercy or forgiveness. He was thinking about justice and defending
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  Speaker 1: Jesus' honor. But Jesus rebuked them, showing that his kingdom
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  Speaker 1: would be built on love, not destruction. James also had
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  Speaker 1: big dreams about his future with Jesus. He wasn't content
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  Speaker 1: to just be another follower. He wanted to be special,
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  Speaker 1: to have a place of honor in whatever kingdom Jesus
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  Speaker 1: was building. Along with his brother John, he approached Jesus
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  Speaker 1: with a bold request recorded in Mark chapter ten, verses
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  Speaker 1: thirty five thirty seven. Teacher, they said, we want you
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  Speaker 1: to do for us whatever we ask. When Jesus asked
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  Speaker 1: what they wanted, they replied, let one of us sit
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  Speaker 1: at your right and the other at your left in
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  Speaker 1: your glory. They wanted the best seats in the house.
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  Speaker 1: They wanted to be Jesus's right hand men when he
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  Speaker 1: became king. They had seen Jesus transfigured on the mountain,
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  Speaker 1: had watched him raise the dead and calm storms. Surely
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  Speaker 1: this man was going to overthrow the Romans and establish
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  Speaker 1: him throne in Jerusalem. And when that happened, James and
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  Speaker 1: John wanted to be his prime ministers. But Jesus's response
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  Speaker 1: in Mark ten thirty eight would prove to be prophetic.
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  Speaker 1: You don't know what you are asking, Jesus said, can
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  Speaker 1: you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with
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  Speaker 1: the baptism I am baptized with. Jesus wasn't talking about
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  Speaker 1: literal cups or water baptism. He was talking about suffering,
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  Speaker 1: persecution and death. The cup was a common Jewish way
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  Speaker 1: of describing God's judgment or wrath without hesitation. James and
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  Speaker 1: John answered yes in Mark ten thirty nine, we can
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  Speaker 1: They had no idea what they were agreeing to They
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  Speaker 1: thought they were signing up for glory and power. They
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  Speaker 1: had no clue they were volunteering for martyrdom. Jesus's response
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  Speaker 1: was both a promise and a warning. You will drink
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  Speaker 1: the cup I drink, and be baptized with the baptism
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  Speaker 1: I am baptized with. But to sit at my right
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  Speaker 1: or left is not for me to grant. These places
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  Speaker 1: belong to those for whom they have been prepared. Jesus
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  Speaker 1: was telling them that they would indeed share in his sufferings,
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  Speaker 1: but the rewards they were seeking weren't his to give.
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  Speaker 1: After Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, then
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  Speaker 1: ascended back to heaven, the disciples began preaching boldly about
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  Speaker 1: what they had seen and experienced. The day of Pentecost came,
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  Speaker 1: and the Holy Spirit filled them with power. Suddenly, these
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  Speaker 1: men who had run away in fear when Jesus was
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  Speaker 1: arrested were standing in the streets of Jerusalem declaring that
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  Speaker 1: the man the religious leaders had crucified was indeed the Messiah.
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  Speaker 1: The Early Church grew rapidly, and James became one of
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  Speaker 1: its key leaders, alongside Peter and John. He was no
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  Speaker 1: longer the hot headed young man who wanted to call
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  Speaker 1: down fire from heaven or fight for the best seats.
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  Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit had transformed him into a powerful preacher
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  Speaker 1: and wise leader, that the same passion that had once
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  Speaker 1: made him quick to anger now made him fearless in
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  Speaker 1: proclaiming the gospel. But success in ministry came with a
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  Speaker 1: dangerous price. The religious authorities who had crucified Jesus were
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  Speaker 1: not happy to see his followers continuing his work and
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  Speaker 1: gaining more followers every day. They had thought that killing
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  Speaker 1: Jesus would end the movement, but instead it seemed to
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  Speaker 1: be growing stronger. The Resurrection had changed everything. As the
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  Speaker 1: church grew stronger and bolder, the persecution grew fiercer and
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  Speaker 1: more organized. The Jewish leaders realized they needed help from
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  Speaker 1: the political authorities to stop this movement. King Herod Agrippa
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  Speaker 1: the Sin, the grandson of Herod the Great, who had
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  Speaker 1: tried to kill Baby Jesus, saw an opportunity to win
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  Speaker 1: favor with the Jewish leaders by cracking down hard on
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  Speaker 1: the Christians. Acts Chapter twelve, verse one sets the scene.
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  Speaker 1: It was about this in time that King Herod arrested
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  Speaker 1: some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
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  Speaker 1: This wasn't a random sweep or a moment of anger.
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  Speaker 1: This was a calculated political move. Herod wasn't just arresting
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  Speaker 1: random Christians off the street. He was going after the leaders,
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  Speaker 1: the ones whose deaths would send a message to the
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  Speaker 1: entire movement. James, as one of the most prominent apostles
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  Speaker 1: and one of Jesus's inner circle, was at the top
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  Speaker 1: of Herod's list. He was well known throughout Jerusalem as
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  Speaker 1: one of the main leaders of this new sect. Arresting
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  Speaker 1: him would show the Jewish leaders that Herod was serious
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  Speaker 1: about stamping out Christianity. The arrest came during Passover, the
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  Speaker 1: same time of year when Jesus had been crucified just
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  Speaker 1: over a decade earlier. It was as if history was repeating,
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  Speaker 1: but this time there would be no resurrection for James.
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  Speaker 1: The feast that celebrated God's deliverance of his people from
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  Speaker 1: Egypt would become the backdrop for the first Apostolic martyrdom.
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  Speaker 1: Acts twelve two records what happened with brutal simplicity. He
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  Speaker 1: had James, the brother of John, put to death with
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  Speaker 1: the sword, no long trial, no opportunity for defense, no
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  Speaker 1: chance for rescue. James was executed swiftly and publicly, his
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  Speaker 1: head removed by a Roman sword in front of a
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  Speaker 1: crowd that included both supporters and enemies. Just like that,
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  Speaker 1: James was gone, the first of the twelve Apostles to
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  Speaker 1: die for his faith. The man who had once wanted
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  Speaker 1: to sit at Jesus's right hand instead found himself following
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  Speaker 1: his master in death. He had indeed drunk from the
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  Speaker 1: same cup Jesus drank from, just as Jesus had promised
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  Speaker 1: years earlier. The impact of james death on the early
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  Speaker 1: Church was enormous. These were people who had thought the
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  Speaker 1: Apostles were somehow untouchable, that God would always miraculously protect
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  Speaker 1: his chosen leaders, just as he had delivered Peter from
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  Speaker 1: prison on other occasions. James's execution was a brutal wake
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  Speaker 1: up call that following Jesus might cost them their lives too.
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  Speaker 1: But instead of destroying the church, James's death seemed to
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  Speaker 1: strengthen it. His courage in facing execution without denying his
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  Speaker 1: faith became an inspiration to other believers. He had shown
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  Speaker 1: that it was possible to remain faithful even unto death,
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  Speaker 1: just as their Master had done. If James was the
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  Speaker 1: first to die, Peter was the one who lived the
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  Speaker 1: longest among these three men, but his death would be
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  Speaker 1: perhaps the most dramatic and meaningful of all. Peter had
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  Speaker 1: always been the natural leader among the disciples, the one
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  Speaker 1: who spoke first, acted first, and often made mistakes first.
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  Speaker 1: He was impulsive, passionate, and completely devoted to Jesus, even
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  Speaker 1: when that devotion led him into trouble. Jesus had seen
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  Speaker 1: something special in this rough fisherman from the beginning. Peter
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  Speaker 1: wasn't educated like the Pharisees or wealthy like the tax collectors.
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  Speaker 1: He was just a working man who made his living
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  Speaker 1: hauling nets full of fish out of the Sea of Galilee.
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  Speaker 1: But Jesus saw passed the rough exterior to the heart
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  Speaker 1: of a man who would do anything for those he loved.
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  Speaker 1: The first time we really see Peter's character is in
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  Speaker 1: Matthew chapter fourteen, verses twenty eight thirty one, when Jesus
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  Speaker 1: came walking on the water during a storm. While the
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  Speaker 1: other disciples sat in the boat, amazed and terrified. Peter
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  Speaker 1: called out, Lord, if it's you, tell me to come
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  Speaker 1: to you on the water. When Jesus said come. Peter
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  Speaker 1: actually got out of the boat and started walking on
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  Speaker 1: the water toward Jesus. He began to sink when he
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  Speaker 1: took his eyes off Jesus, but he was the only
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  Speaker 1: one brave enough to try. Peter was always like that,
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  Speaker 1: quick to act, quick to speak, quick to make bold declarations.
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  Speaker 1: In Matthew chapter sixteen, verses fifteen sixteen, when Jesus asked
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  Speaker 1: his disciples who they thought he was, Simon, Peter answered,
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  Speaker 1: you are the Messiah, the son of the Living God.
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  Speaker 1: While the others hesitated, Peter spoke up with complete confidence
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  Speaker 1: and absolute truth. Jesus's response in Matthew sixteen seventeen to
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  Speaker 1: eighteen would shape Peter's entire future. Blessed are you, Simon
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  Speaker 1: bar Jonah. For this was not revealed to you by
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  Speaker 1: flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven. And
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  Speaker 1: I tell you that you are Peter, and on this
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  Speaker 1: rock I will build my church, and the gates of
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  Speaker 1: Hades will not overcome it. Jesus changed his name from
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  Speaker 1: Simon to Peter, which means rock or stone, because he
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  Speaker 1: would become the foundation upon which the early Church would
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  Speaker 1: be built. But Peter had to learn some very hard
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  Speaker 1: lessons before he could become that rock. The same man
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  Speaker 1: who boldly declared Jesus to be the Messiah would later
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  Speaker 1: deny knowing him three times. On the night of his arrest,
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  Speaker 1: the Knight Jesus was betrayed, Peter was absolutely convinced of
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  Speaker 1: his own loyalty. When Jesus warned the disciples that they
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  Speaker 1: would all fall away, Peter protested strongly. As recorded in
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  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty six to thirty three to thirty five, Peter replied,
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  Speaker 1: even if all fall away on account of you, I
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  Speaker 1: never will, truly I tell you. Jesus answered this very night,
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  Speaker 1: before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times,
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  Speaker 1: But Peter declared, even if I have to die with you,
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  Speaker 1: I will never disown you. Peter made every word in
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  Speaker 1: his heart. He was absolutely certain that he would die
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  Speaker 1: before he would betray Jesus, and when the soldiers came
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  Speaker 1: to arrest Jesus in the garden, Peter proved his courage
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  Speaker 1: by drawing his sword and attacking the high Priest's servant,
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  Speaker 1: cutting off his ear. He was ready to fight the
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  Speaker 1: entire Roman garrison if necessary. But courage and battle is
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  Speaker 1: different from courage under pressure. And fear. When Jesus was
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  Speaker 1: taken away and Peter followed at a distance into the
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  Speaker 1: courtyard of the High Priest, everything changed, as recorded in
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  Speaker 1: Matthew chapter twenty six, verses sixty nine to seventy five.
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  Speaker 1: When a servant girl recognized Peter and said, you also
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  Speaker 1: were with Jesus of Galilee. Peter panicked, but he denied
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  Speaker 1: it before them all. I don't know what you're talking about,
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  Speaker 1: he said. Two more times people identified him as one
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus's followers, and two more times Peter denied it,
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  Speaker 1: even calling down kur On himself to make his denials
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  Speaker 1: more believable. When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered the word
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  Speaker 1: Jesus had spoken. Before the rooster crows, you will disown
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  Speaker 1: me three times, and he went outside and wept bitterly.
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  Speaker 1: Peter's heart was completely broken. The man who had sworn
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  Speaker 1: to die for Jesus had instead denied even knowing him.
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  Speaker 1: For three days, as Jesus lay dead in the tomb,
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  Speaker 1: Peter lived with the crushing weight of his failure. He
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  Speaker 1: had failed his master at the moment when Jesus needed
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  Speaker 1: him most. But Peter's story didn't end with denial and tears.
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  Speaker 1: After Jesus rose from the dead, he had a special
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  Speaker 1: conversation with Peter recorded in John chapter twenty one. Jesus
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  Speaker 1: cooked breakfast for the disciples by the Sea of Galilee,
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  Speaker 1: and then he took Peter aside for a private conversation
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  Speaker 1: that would restore everything. Three times Jesusesus asked Peter if
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  Speaker 1: he loved him, giving Peter a chance to replace his
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: three denials with three declarations of love. Simon, son of John,
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: do you love me more than these? Jesus asked in
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: John twenty one fifteen. Yes, Lord, Peter replied, you know
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: that I love you. Feed my lambs, Jesus said. Three
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: times the question came, and three times Peter answered, and
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: three times Jesus gave him a commission. Feed my lambs,
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep. Jesus was
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: telling Peter that despite his failure, despite his denials, he
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: was still chosen to lead the church. The rock that
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: had crumbled under pressure would be rebuilt stronger than before.
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: But Jesus also gave Peter a glimpse of how his
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: life would end. In John twenty one eighteen nineteen, Jesus said,
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: very truly, I tell you. When you were younger, you
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: dressed yourself and went where you wanted. But when you
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: else will dress you and lead you where you do
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: not want to go. John adds this explanation, Jesus said
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: would glorify God. Jesus was telling Peter that he would
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: indeed die for his faith, just as he had once
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: promised he would. The man who had failed in the
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: moment of testing would one day pass the ultimate test.
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: For the next thirty years, Peter led the early Church
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: with courage, wisdom, and humility shaped by his earlier failure.
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: He preached the first Sermon on the day of Pentecost,
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: when three thousand people became believers in a single day.
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: He performed miracles, established churches throughout the Roman Empire, and
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: eventually made his way to Rome itself, the heart of
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: the empire and the center of pagan power. Rome was
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: an incredibly dangerous place for christiansans, especially during the reign
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: of Emperor Nero. Nero was known for his cruelty and excess,
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: and he particularly hated the Christians because they refused to
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: worship him as a god. When a great fire destroyed
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: much of the city in sixty four, a d Nero
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: blamed the Christians to deflect criticism from himself. What followed
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: was one of the most brutal persecutions in history. According
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: to the Roman historian Tacitus, Christians were covered with the
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: skins of beasts. They were torn by dogs and perished,
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: flames and burnt to serve as a nightly illumination when
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: daylight had expired. Peter was eventually arrested during this persecution
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: and sentenced to death by crucifixion. He was now an
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: old man, probably in his sixties, with gray hair and
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: hands weathered by decades of hard work and ministry. But
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: he faced his sentence with the courage that had grown
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: from his earlier failure and forgiveness. According to early Church
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: tradition recorded by church fathers like Origin and Eusebius, Peter
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: made an unusual request when he was led to his execution.
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: He asked to be crucified upside down, because he felt
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: unworthy to die in the same manner as his lord.
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: This wasn't just humility. It was Peter remembering his failures
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: and still feeling the weight of his denials decades later.
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: The Roman soldiers granted his request, perhaps thinking it would
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: make his death even more cruel and serve as a
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: better example to other Christians. They drove the nails through
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: Peter's feet and hands, just as they had done to Jesus.
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: But then they turned the cross upside down so that
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: Peter hung head down. But what the Romans meant as
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: extra torture, Peter accepted as an act of worship and humility.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: Even in his final moments, he was thinking about his
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: unworthiness compared to Jesus. The man who had once denied
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: knowing Jesus was now proclaiming his faith for all rome
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: to see. Peter died as he had lived, dramatically and
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: completely devoted to Jesus, but always aware of his own
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: failures and need for grace. The rock that Jesus had
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: spoken of had indeed become the foundation of the Church,
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: and not even death could shake that foundation. The fourth
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: disciple we'll talk about is Andrew, a man whose life
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: was defined by bringing people to Jesus. Andrew was Simon
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: Peter's brother. But while Peter became famous as the leader
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: of the early Church, Andrew worked quietly behind the scenes,
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: always pointing others toward Christ. His story would end far
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: from his home in Galilee, on a cross shaped like
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: an ex in the Greek city of Patras. Andrew was
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: actually the very first person to follow Jesus. John chapter one,
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: verses thirty five thirty seven tells us how it happened.
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: The next day, John was there again with two of
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: look the Lamb of God. When the two disciples heard
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: him say this, they followed Jesus. One of those two
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: disciples was Andrew, and he immediately knew he had found
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: something incredible. After spending time with Jesus, Andrew's first thought
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: wasn't about himself or what he might gain. Instead, John one,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: forty one forty two shows us his heart. The first
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: tell him we have found the Messiah, that is the Christ,
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: and he brought him to Jesus. This pattern would define
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: Andrew's entire ministry. He was always bringing people to meet Jesus.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: We see this again in John chapter six, verses eight
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: to nine, when when Jesus needed to feed five thousand
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: people and the disciples didn't know what to do, another
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: of his disciples, Andrew Simon, Peter's brother, spoke up, Here
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: is a boy with five small barley loaves and two
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: small fish, But how far will they go among so many?
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: Oh Andrew brought the boy with his lunch to Jesus,
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: and Jesus used that small offering to perform one of
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: his greatest miracles. After Jesus rose from the dead and
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: ascended to heaven, Andrew began his missionary work. While Peter
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: stayed in Jerusalem to lead the church there. Andrew felt
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: called to travel far beyond the borders of Israel. He
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: wanted to take the Gospel to places where no one
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: had ever heard the name of Jesus. Andrew's first major
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: mission field was in Asia Minor, in what we now
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: call Turkey. He preached in cities along the Black Sea coast,
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: establishing small churches and training local leaders. The message of
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ was completely new in these regions, where people
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: worshiped Greek and Roman gods. But Andrew's gentle manner and
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: powerful preaching began to win converts from Asia Minor. Andrew
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: traveled north into the region called Scythia, which covered parts
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: of what we now know as Ukraine and southern Russia.
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: These were considered the ends of the Earth in those days,
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: populated by tribes that the Romans considered barbarians, but Andrew
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: saw them as people who needed to hear about Jesus,
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: no matter how difficult and dangerous the journey might be.
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: As Andrew got older, he felt drawn to return to
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: more familiar territory. He made his way to Greece, where
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: Greek was spoken and the culture was more similar to
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: what he had known growing up. He spent considerable time
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: in a Chaia, the southern region of Greece, preaching in
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: cities and villages throughout the area. Finally, Andrew came to
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: the city of Patras, a major port on the western
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: coast of Greece. Patras was an important commercial center where
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: ships came and went carrying goods throughout the Roman Empire.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: Andrew saw this as an opportunity to establish a church
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: that could spread the Gospel to many other places through
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: the merchants and travelers who passed through in Patras. Andrew's
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: preaching was accompanied by remarkable miracles. People were healed of diseases,
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: demons were cast out, and even some were raised from
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: the dead. The gospel spread rapidly through the city as
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: people saw the power of God working through this simple
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: fisherman from Galilee. One of the most significant conversions was
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: that of Maximilla, the wife of Aegiates, the Roman proconsul
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: who governed the region. Maximilla had been desperately ill, but
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: when Andrew prayed for her, she was completely healed. She
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: immediately believed in Jesus and began using her wealth and
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: influence to support the growing Christian community. Maximilla's conversion created
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: a serious problem. Roman law required wives to worship the
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: same gods as their husbands, and her new found faith
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: in Christ put her in direct conflict with her husband's
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: pagan beliefs. When Ajittes discovered that his wife had become
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: a Christian, he was furious, not just as a husband,
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: but as a representative of Roman authority. Ajet saw Christianity
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: as a threat to Roman power and order. If his
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: own wife could reject the traditional gods in favor of
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: this Jewish prophet, what would happen to Roman society. He
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: decided that Andrew had to be stopped, and he issued
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: an order for the apostles arrest. When Andrew was taught
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: before Ajeats, the proconsul tried to reason with him. First,
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: he offered Andrew wealth, position, and safety if he would
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: simply stop preaching about Jesus and encourage his followers to
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: return to the traditional Roman gods. But Andrew's response was
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: firm and fearless. According to early church accounts, Andrew told
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: a Jets that he served a king far greater than Caesar,
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: and that no earthly reward could compare to the treasure
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: he had found in Christ. He explained that Jesus had
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: died for the sins of all people, including Romans, and
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: that salvation was available to anyone who would believe. Ejets
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: realized that threats and bribes would not work with Andrew.
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: In his anger and frustration, he sentenced the apostle to
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: death by crucifixion. But he wanted Andrew's death to serve
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: as a warning to other Christians, so he ordered that
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: Andrew be crucified on a cross shaped like an ex,
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: which would make his suffering longer and more visible to
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: the public. The ex shaped cross, which later became known
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: as Saint Andrew's Cross, was designed to be especially cruel.
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: Instead of hanging straight down as on a traditional cross,
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: Andrew's body would be stretched diagonally, putting enormous strain on
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: his joints and muscles. The Romans hoped this would make
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: him recant his faith as the pain became unbearable, but
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: Andrew surprised everyone with his reaction to the sentence. When
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: he saw the cross, he welcomed it as an opportunity
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: to share in Christ's sufferings. According to tradition, he said, O,
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: lovely cross, so long desired and now prepared for my
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: willing soul. I come to you with confidence and joy.
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: Receive me as a disciple of him who died on you.
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: Andrew was nailed to the X shaped cross, with his
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: hands and feet fastened to the four ends. The crowds
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: gathered to what what they expected would be a quick death,
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: but Andrew had other plans. Instead of crying out in
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: pain or begging for mercy, he began to preach. For
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: two full days, Andrew hung on that cross, preaching to
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: everyone who came near. He spoke about the love of God,
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: the sacrifice of Jesus, and the hope of eternal life.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: People who had come to mock stayed to listen. Some
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: who had never heard of Jesus became believers right there
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: as they watched Andrew's courage and heard his words. The
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: crowds grew larger each day, and many began to demand
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: that Andrew be taken down from the cross. They were
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: amazed by his patients, his lack of bitterness, and his
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: continued concern for their souls even as he suffered. Even
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: some of the Roman soldiers began to question whether they
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: were executing an innocent man. On the second day, as
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: Andrew felt his strength finally leaving him, he prayed a
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: final prayer for the people of Patras and for all
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: those who would hear his story in years to come.
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: Then he quietly commended his spirit to God and died,
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: his face peaceful despite the agony of crucifixion. Andrew was
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: buried in Patras, and his grave became a place of
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: pilgrimage for Christians throughout the region. The church he had
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: established continued to grow, and the ex shaped cross became
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: a symbol of faithful witness. Even unto death. The fifth
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: Disciple is Thomas, a man whose story shows us that
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: doubt doesn't disqualify us from faith. Sometimes it leads us
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: to the strongest faith of all. Thomas is often called
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: doubting Thomas because of his famous response to news of
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: Jesus's resurrection, but his doubt eventually became absolute certainty, and
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: that certainty took him to the other side of the world.
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: Thomas had always been a practical questioning person. When Jesus
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: announced his intention to return to Judea despite the danger there,
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: it was Thomas who spoke up in John eleven sixteen
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: saying to the other disciples, let us also go, that
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: we may die with him. Thomas wasn't being sarcastic. He
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: genuinely believed they might all be killed, but he was
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: willing to face death alongside Jesus. During the Last Supper,
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: when Jesus spoke about going to prepare a place for
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: them and said they knew the way to where he
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: was going, Thomas was the one who asked the obvious
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: question that the others were probably thinking. In John fourteen five,
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: Thomas said, Lord, we don't know where you are going,
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: so how can we know the way. This question led
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: to one of Jesus' most famous statements. I am the
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: Way and the Truth and the life. But Thomas is
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: best remembered for what happened after Jesus's crucifixion. While the
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: other disciples were hiding together in fear, Thomas had gone
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: somewhere else. When Jesus appeared to the disciples and showed
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: them his wounds, Thomas wasn't there. Later, when the others
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: excitedly told him what had happened, Thomas's response in John
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five became famous. Unless I see the nail
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: marks in his hands, and put my finger where the
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: nails were, and put my hand into his side, I
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: will not believe. Thomas wasn't trying to be difficult or rebellious.
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: He had seen Jesus die on the cross. He had
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: watched his hopes and dreams crushed when the man he
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: thought was the Messiah was executed like a common criminal.
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: Now his friends were telling him an impossible story, and
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: Thomas needed proof before he would let himself hope again.
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: A week later, Jesus appeared again when Thomas was present.
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: Jesus's response to Thomas was gentle, but direct, as recorded
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: in John twenty twenty seven, put your finger here, see
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas didn't need to
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: touch the wounds. The moment he saw Jesus alive and
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: heard his voice, all doubt vanished. Thomas's response in John
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty eight was immediate and complete, My Lord and
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: my God. This was one of the strongest declarations of
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: Jesus's divinity in all the Gospels. The man who had
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: demanded proof now proclaimed absolute faith. Jesus's words to him
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: in John twenty twenty nine would encourage believers for centuries.
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: those who have not seen and yet have believed. After
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: Jesus ascended to heaven, Thomas felt called to take the
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: Gospel to lands where no other apostle had gone. While
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: most of the disciples focused on the Roman Empire and
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: the Mediterranean world, Thomas looked toward the east. He had
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: heard stories of kingdoms beyond the borders of the Roman world,
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: places where people had never heard of Jesus Christ. Thomas's
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: journey took him first through Mesopotamia and then toward India.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: This was an incredibly dangerous trip in those days, requiring
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: months of travel through deserts, over mountains, and across territories
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: controlled by various kings and tribes, but Thomas was determined
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: to obey jesus command to make disciples of all nations.
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: In India, Thomas found a civilization that was ancient, sophisticated,
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: and completely different from anything he had known. The people
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: worshiped many gods, had complex religious rituals, and were organized
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: into a rigid caste system that determined every aspect of
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: their lives. Into this world came a simple fisherman from
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: Galilee with an incredible message, adding to ancient church traditions.
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: Thomas's first major ministry was in the court of King Gondophares,
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: who ruled over a region in what is now Pakistan
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: and northwest Indium. The king had heard rumors about this
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: foreign teacher and was curious about his message. Thomas was
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: brought before the royal court to explain his beliefs. Thomas
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: told the king about Jesus, how he had lived as
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: a man but was also God, how he had died
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: for the sins of all people, regardless of their race
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: or social status, and how he had risen from the
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: dead to offer eternal life to anyone who would believe.
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: This message was revolutionary in a society built on the
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: idea that your birth determined your spiritual destiny. King Gondafares
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: was impressed by Thomas's wisdom and character, and he became
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: one of the first high ranking converts to Christianity in
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: that region. His conversion opened doors for Thomas throughout the kingdom,
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: and church churches began to be established in cities and
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: towns across the area. But Thomas's success also created enemies.
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: The Brahmin priests, who held enormous power in Indian society,
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: saw Christianity as a direct threat to their authority. If
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: people believed that salvation came through faith in Jesus rather
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: than through the complex rituals and caste system they controlled,
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: the entire social structure might collapse. The merchants and traders
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: who had become Christians were also causing problems for the
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: traditional system. They began treating people from lower castes as equals,
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: sharing meals with them and including them in their religious gatherings.
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: This was unheard of in Indian society and caused great controversy.
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: As opposition to Thomas grew, he faced increasing danger. The
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: Brahmin priests began to organize against him, stirring up crowds
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: and putting pressure on local rulers to take action against
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: this foreign trouble maker. But Thomas continued preaching, teaching, and
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: establishing churches, knowing that the message of Jesus was worth
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: any risk. The end came in a place called Millapaw,
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: near what is now the city of Chennai in southern India.
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: Thomas had been preaching there despite warnings that his life
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: was in danger. The local Brahmin priests had decided that
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: he had to be silenced permanently, and they were prepared
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: to use violence to stop him. According to tradition, Thomas
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: was preying on a small hill outside the city when
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: a group of men approached him with spears. They had
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: been sent by the priests to kill him, and they
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: were determined to carry out their mission. Thomas saw them coming,
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: but didn't try to run or hide. As the men
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: surrounded him, Thomas continued praying for the people of India,
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: for the churches he had established, and for those who
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: were about to take his life. He forgave them even
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: before they struck, following the example of Jesus, who had
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: prayed for his executioners from the cross. The spears pierced
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: Thomas's body, and he died there on the hill, his
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: blood soaking into the Indian soil. The man who at
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: once demanded to see Jesus's wounds before he would believe,
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: had now received wounds of his own for the sake
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: of that same Jesus. Thomas was buried in Mylopore, and
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: his tomb became a place of pilgrimage for the Christians
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: of India. The churches he had established continued to grow
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: despite persecution, and the Indian Christian community traces its origins
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: back to this doubting disciple who became absolutely certain of
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: his faith. The sixth Disciple is Bartholomew, who was also
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: known as Nathaniel. He was the man Jesus described as
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: an Israelite in whom there is no deceit, and his honest,
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: straightforward character would eventually lead him to suffer one of
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: the most brutal deaths any of them the Apostles endured.
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: Our first glimpse of Bartholomew comes in John chapter one,
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: verses forty five forty six, when his friend Philip came
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: to tell him about Jesus. Philip found Nathaniel and told him,
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: we have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law,
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth,
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: the son of Joseph Nazareth. Can anything good come from there?
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: Nathaniel asked. Bartholomew's response wasn't meant to be insulting. It
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: was just honest. Nazareth was a small, insignificant town with
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: no reputation for producing great teachers or leaders. Bartholomew was
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: simply expressing what most people in that region would have thought.
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: He was a truth teller, even when the truth might
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: seem rude. But Bartholomew was also open minded. When Philip
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: said come and see, Bartholomew was willing to investigate for himself.
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: As they approached Jesus, something remarkable happened recorded in John
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: one forty seven forty eight. When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching,
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: he said of him, here truly is an Israelite in
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: whom there is no deceit. How do you know me?
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: Nathaniel asked, Jesus answered, I saw you while you were
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: still under the fig tree, before Philip called you. This
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: simple statement had a profound impact on Bartholomew. Jesus had
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: seen him under the fig tree before Philip had even
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: found him. In Jewish culture, sitting under a fig tree
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: was associated with studying scripture and meditating on God's word.
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: Jesus was showing that he knew not just where Bartholomew
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: had been, but what kind of person he was, some
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: one who genuinely sought God. Bartholomew's response in John one
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: forty nine was immediate and complete. Rabbi, you are the
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: son of God. You are the King of Israel. From
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: that moment of recognition under the fig tree, Bartholomew became
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: a devoted follower of Jesus, following him throughout his ministry
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: and witnessing his death and resurrection. After Jesus ascended to heaven,
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: Bartholomew felt called to take the Gospel to distant lands.
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: His first mission field was Arabia, the vast desert region
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: south and east of Israel. This was a harsh, dangerous
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: territory populated by nomadic tribes who had little contact with
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: the outside world. Most of these people had never heard
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: of Judaism, let alone Christianity. Bartholomew spent months traveling through
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: the Arabian desert, stopping at oasis towns and tribal gatherings
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: to preach about Jesus. The message of a God who
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: loved all people equally was revolutionary to people who lived
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: by tribal loyalties and desert survival, but Bartholomew's honest, straightforward
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: manner helped him connect with these direct, practical people. From Arabia,
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: Bartholomew traveled northeast into Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: and Euphrates rivers that is now part of Iraq. This
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: was one of the oldest civilized regions in the world,
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: with cities that had existed for thousands of years. Here,
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: Bartholomew encountered sophisticated religious systems and established priesthoods that saw
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: his message as a threat. In Mesopotamia, Bartholomew met up
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: with Thomas, and for a time they worked together, strengthening
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: each other and coordinating their efforts, but eventually they felt
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: called to separate again so they could cover more territory.
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: Thomas headed toward India, while Bartholomew felt drawn toward Armenia
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: and the regions around the Black Sea. Bartholomew's most significant
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: ministry took place in Armenia, a mountainous kingdom north of Mesopotamia.
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: Armenia was strategically located between the Roman Empire and Persia,
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: and it had its own unique culture and religious traditions.
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: The people worshiped a mixture of Persian and Greek gods,
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: and their society was dominated by powerful priests and nobles.
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: In Armenia, Bartholomew's preaching was accompanied by remarkable miracles. People
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: were healed of diseases that local physicians who couldn't cure,
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: evil spirits were cast out, and some were even raised
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: from the dead. These signs convinced many Armenians that Bartholomew's
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: God was more powerful than their traditional deities. One of
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: Bartholemew's most significant converts was King Polymius, who ruled over
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: a large region of Armenia. The king had been suffering
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: from a mental illness that made him violent and unpredictable,
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: causing great distress to his family and instability in his kingdom.
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: When Bartholemy prayed for him, the king was completely healed
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: and restored to his right mind. King Polymius's conversion had
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: enormous impact throughout Armenia. When the king publicly declared his
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized, many of his
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: nobles and officials followed his example. Churches were established in
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: major cities, and Christianity began to spread rapidly throughout the region.
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: But Bartholomew's success also created powerful enemies. The pagan priests,
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: who had held great influence in Armenian society, saw their
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: power and well threatened by the growth of Christianity. They
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: began to organize opposition to Bartholomew, stirring up fear and
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: resentment among those who profited from the old religious system.
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: The priests convinced some of the people that Bartholomew was
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: a foreign sorcerer who was using magic to deceive them
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: and destroy their ancient traditions. They claimed that the miracles
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: he performed were actually the work of evil spirits, and
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: that accepting his teaching would bring curse and disaster upon
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: their land. As opposition grew, Bartholemew faced increasing danger. Crowds
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: began to gather whenever he preached, not to hear his message,
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: but to shout him down. Stones were thrown and threats
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: were made against his life, but Bartholomew continued his ministry,
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: knowing that many people still needed to hear about Jesus.
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: The end came in the city of Albanopolis, where the
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: pagan priests had successfully turned much of the population against Bartholomew.
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: A mob surrounded the house where he was staying and
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: dragged him out into the street. They were determined to
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: make an example of him that would discourage any other
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: foreign preachers from coming to Armenia. What happened next was
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: one of the most brutal executions any of the apostles endured.
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: The mob decided I did that simply killing Bartholomew wasn't enough.
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: They wanted to make him suffer as much as possible.
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: They began the horrific process of flaying him alive, slowly
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: removing his skin while he was still conscious. Throughout this
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: unimaginable torture, Bartholomew continued to pray and even to preach
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: to his executioners. He forgave them for what they were
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: doing and urged them to turn to Jesus for salvation.
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: His courage and lack of bitterness amazed even some of
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: those who were killing him. When the flaying was complete,
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: Bartholomew was still alive, so they crucified him upside down.
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: Even as he hung on the cross, stripped of his
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: skin and in agony beyond description, Bartholomew continued to speak
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: words of love and forgiveness. He prayed for the people
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: of Armenia and for the growth of the church he
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: was leaving behind. Finally, Bartholmew died, his sufferring ended at last.
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: The man whom Jesus had called an Israelite without deceit,
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: had remained honest and truthful to the very end, never
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: denying his faith or trying to save his life through compromise.
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: Bartholomew was buried in Albanopolis, and despite the horrific manner
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: of his death, the church in Armenia continued to grow.
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: His courage in the face of such brutal persecution, inspired
• 51:28
  Speaker 1: other believers and actually strengthened, rather than weakened, the Christian community.
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: The honest man who had questioned whether anything good could
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: come from Nazareth had proven that something very good indeed
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: could come from following Jesus, even unto death. The seventh
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: disciple is Philip, a man who combined practical thinking with
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: bold evangelism. Philip was always the one who asked the
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: logical questions and looked for practical solutions, but when God
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: called him to take risks for the Gospel, he never hesitated.
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: His journey would take him from the familiar streets of
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem to the foreign temples of Phrygia, where he would
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: face his final test. Philip was one of the first
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: disciples Jesus called, and we can see his practical nature
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: right from the beginning in John chapter one, verse forty three.
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: The next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: he said to him, follow me. Philip didn't hesitate to follow,
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: but he immediately started thinking about who else needed to
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: hear this good news. John one forty five tells us
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: Philip found Nathaniel and told him we have found the
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: the prophets also wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: Philip's practical mind showed up again during the Feeding of
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: the five thousand, when Jesus saw the huge crowd that
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: had gathered and asked Philip where they could buy bread
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: to feed everyone. Philip did some quick calculations. John six
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: seven records his response it would take more than half
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: to have a bite. Philip was thinking in terms of
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: logistics and economics, trying to solve a practical problem. But
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: Philip also had moments of deep spiritual insight. During the
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: Last Supper, when Jesus was talking about the Father, Philip
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: made a request that revealed his heart. In John fourteen eight,
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: Philip said, Lord, show us the Father, and that will
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: be enough for us. Philip wanted to see God himself,
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: and Jesus's response helped all the disciples understand that seeing
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: Jesus was the same as seeing the Father. After Jesus
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: ascended to heaven and the Church was born on the
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: day of Pentecost, Philip became one of the most effective
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: evangelists in the early Church, but his ministry really took
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: off after a wave of persecution scattered the believers from Jerusalem.
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: Acts eight one tells us on that day, a great
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: persecution broke out against the Church in Jerusalem, and all
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Most
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: people would have seen this persecution as a disaster, but
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: Philip saw it as an opportunity. Acts eight five says
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: the Messiah there. This was a bold move because Jews
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: and Samaritans had hated each other for centuries. Most Jewish
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: believers would never have thought to preach to Samaritans, but
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: Philip went straight to their main city. The results were incredible.
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: Acts eight six to eight describes what happened when the
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed. They
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: all paid close attention to what he said, for with shrieks,
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: impure spirits came out of many, and many who were
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: parallel ed or lame were healed. So there was great
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: joy in that city. Philip's practical approach, combined with supernatural power,
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: opened hearts that had been closed for generations. One of
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: Philip's most famous encounters happened when an angel told him
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: to leave the successful ministry in Samaria and go to
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: a desert road. This seemed like a step backward, but
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: Philip obeyed immediately. Acts eight twenty seven to twenty eight
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: tells us what he found. So he started out, and
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandace,
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: which means queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home, was
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the Prophet.
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: Philip's practical mind kicked in as he approached the chariot.
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: The Ethiopian was reading scripture, but clearly struggling to understand it.
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: Acts eight thirty thirty one records their conversation. Then Philip
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading
• 56:10
  Speaker 1: Isaiah the Prophet. Do you understand what you are reading?
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: Philip asked, How can I? He said, unless someone explains
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: it to me, So he invited Philip to come up
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: and sit with him. Philip seized the opportunity and explained
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: how the passage from Isaiah chapter fifty three was talking
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: about Jesus. The Ethiopian believed immediately and asked to be
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: baptized right there on the spot. This single conversation resulted
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: in the gospel reaching Africa as the Ethiopian returned home
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: and shared his new faith throughout his region. After this
• 56:48
  Speaker 1: success in evangelism, Philip continued traveling and preaching throughout the
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: Roman Empire. His practical approach and ability to explain complex
• 56:57
  Speaker 1: spiritual truths in simple terms made him effective wherever he went. Eventually,
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: his travels took him to Asia Minor, the region we
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: now call Turkey. In Asia Minor, Philip established churches in
• 57:13
  Speaker 1: several cities and trained local leaders to continue the work.
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: After he moved on, His reputation as a powerful preacher
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: and miracle worker spread throughout the region, attracting both believers
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: and enemies. The pagan priests who controlled the traditional temples
• 57:30
  Speaker 1: began to see him as a serious threat to their
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: power and income. Phillips final ministry took place in Hierapolis,
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: a wealthy city in the region of Phrygia. Arapalis was
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: famous for its hot springs, which people believed had healing powers,
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: and for its temples dedicated to various Roman and Greek gods.
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: The city was also known for its textile industry and
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: had a large population of merchants and craftsmen. When arrived
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: in Hierapolis, he found a city dominated by pagan religion
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: and superstition. The largest temple was dedicated to Mars, the
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: Roman god of war, and the priest there wielded enormous
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: influence over the city's politics and commerce. Philip knew that
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: establishing a Christian church in such a place would be
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: extremely dangerous, but he also knew that these people needed
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: to hear about Jesus. Philip began preaching in the market
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: place and in private homes, carefully building relationships with people
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: who seemed open to his message. His practical approach helped
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: him connect with the merchants and craftsmen who made up
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: much of the city's population. He could talk to them
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: about their businesses and daily concerns, while gradually introducing them
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: to spiritual truths. As usual, Philip's preaching was accompanied by
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: miraculous healings and other signs that demonstrated God's power. People
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: who had been unable to find healing in the famous
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: hot springs were completely cured when Philip prayed for them.
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: Word of these miracles spread quickly through the city, and
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: crowds began gathering to hear this foreign preacher. The success
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: of Philip's ministry alarmed the priests of Mars, who saw
• 59:21
  Speaker 1: their influence and income declining as people turned from their
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: temple to follow Jesus. They began organising opposition to Philip,
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: spreading rumours that he was a dangerous sorcerer who was
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: deceiving the people with evil magic. The priests convinced many
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: of the cities leading citizens that Philip represented a threat
• 59:42
  Speaker 1: to their traditional way of life and to the prosperity
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: that the pagan temples brought to their city. They stirred
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: up fear and anger among the population, claiming that the
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: gods would punish Hierapolis if they allowed this foreign teacher
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: to continue undermining their ancient religion. A mob formed and
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: surrounded Philip while he was preaching in the city center.
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: They were angry and determined to put an end to
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: his ministry once and for all. Philip could have tried
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: to escape or defend himself, but instead he continued preaching,
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: using even this hostile crowd as an opportunity to share
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: the gospel. The mob dragged Philip to the temple of Mars,
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: where the priests had decided to make an example of him.
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 1: They wanted his death to serve as a warning to
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: any other Christians who might think about coming to Hierapolis,
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: and they wanted to show their god Mars that they
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: were willing to sacrifice this enemy of their religion. The
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: priests decided that Philip should be crucified, but they wanted
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: to make his death even more humiliating and painful than
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: a normal crucifixion. They ordered that he be crucified upside down,
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: hanging head down from the cross. This position would cause
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 1: blood to rush to his head, creating intense pressure and
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: making his suffering more severe. As the soldiers prepared the
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: cross and the crowd gathered to watch, Philip showed no
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: fear or anger. Instead, he used his final moments to
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: preach to every one present, explaining once more why Jesus
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 1: had died on a cross and how his death had
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: made salvation possible for all people, including those who were
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 1: about to kill him. Philip was nailed to the cross
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: upside down, his feet pointing toward Heaven and his head
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: toward the earth. The crowd expected him to cry out
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: in pain or beg for mercy, but instead Philip began
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: to pray, not for himself, but for the people of
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: higher Rapalis. He asked God to forgive those who were
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: killing him, and to open their hearts to the truth
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 1: about Jesus. Even hanging upside down in agony, Philip continued
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: to speak words of love and hope to anyone who
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: would listen. Some in the crowd began to feel ashamed
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: of what they were doing, moved by Philip's courage and
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: his lack of bitterness toward his executioners. As Philip's strength
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: began to fail, he offered one final prayer for the
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 1: church he was leaving behind in Hierapolis, and for all
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: the people he had led to faith in Jesus throughout
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 1: his ministry. Then he quietly commended his spirit to God
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: and died, his practical mind finally at rest and his
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 1: evangelistic work complete. Philip was buried in Hierapolis, and despite
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: the violent opposition to his ministry, the church he had
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: established continued to grow. His death actually had the opposite
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: effect from what the pagan priests had intended. Instead of
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: discouraging Christianity, it inspired more people to investigate this faith
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: that could give a man such courage in the face
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: of death. The eighth Disciple is Matthew, also known as Levi,
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: whose life story shows us that no one is too
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: too far from God's grace to be transformed. Matthew was
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: a tax collector, one of the most hated professions in
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: first century Israel. But Jesus saw past his reputation to
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: his heart that transformed heart would eventually take Matthew to Ethiopia,
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: where he would die for the gospel he had once
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: been paid to a pose. Matthew's first encounter with Jesus
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 1: is recorded in Matthew Chapter nine, Verses nine to ten.
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. Follow me,
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: This simple account doesn't capture how radical this moment was.
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: Tax collectors worked for the Roman government, collecting taxes from
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: their own people and often charging extra to line their
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: own pockets. They were considered and were excluded from synagogues
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: and religious festivals. Most Jews wouldn't even speak to a
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: tax collector, let alone eat with one, but Jesus didn't
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: just speak to Matthew, he called him to be a disciple,
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: and then went to his house for dinner. This caused
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: a scandal among the religious leaders, as we see in
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: Matthew nine eleven. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: his disciples, why does your teacher eat with tax collectors
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: and sinners. Jesus's response in Matthew nine twelve thirteen revealed
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 1: his mission. It is not the healthy who need a doctor,
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: but the sick. But go and learn what this means.
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: I desire mercy, not sacrifice, for I have not come
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: to call the righteous but sinners. Matthew understood exactly what
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: Jesus meant. He had been sick with greed and selfishness,
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: but Jesus had offered him healing and transformation. Matthew's response
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: was immediate to complete. He left his tax collection business
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: behind and never looked back. Matthew's background in record keeping
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 1: and writing made him uniquely qualified for an important task.
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: After Jesus's death and resurrection, Matthew felt called to write
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: down an account of Jesus's life and teachings, particularly for
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 1: Jewish readers who needed to understand that Jesus was the
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 1: Messiah promised in their scriptures. The Gospel of Matthew became
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 1: one of the four accounts of Jesus's life that were
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 1: included in the New Testament. Matthew's Jewish background helped him
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, and his attention
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: to detail preserved many of Jesus's teachings that might otherwise
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: have been lost. The tax collector who had once served
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: Rome now served the Kingdom of God by preserving the
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: story of Jesus for future generations. But Matthew didn't stop
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: with writing. He felt called to take the Gospel to
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: places where it had never been heard. After spending time
• 1:06:06
  Speaker 1: establishing churches and training leaders in the regions around Jerusalem,
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 1: Matthew felt drawn to travel south toward Africa. Matthew's destination
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: was Ethiopia, a kingdom that lay south of Egypt along
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 1: the Nile River. Ethiopia had ancient connections to Israel. The
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: Queen of Sheba who visited King Solomon may have been
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: from this region, and there were communities of Jews living
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: there who had maintained their faith for centuries. The Ethiopia
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 1: that Matthew entered was a land of great cultural and
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: religious diversity. The royal court had been influenced by Greek
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: and Roman culture through trade and diplomatic contacts, but most
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: of the population followed traditional African religions or combinations of
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: different belief systems. There were also Jewish communities and some
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: who had heard about Christianity through contact with traders and travelers.
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: Matthew's approach in Ethiopia was methodical and patient, reflecting his
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: background in careful business dealings. He began by connecting with
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: the Jewish communities, using his knowledge of scripture to show
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: them how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies they had been studying
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 1: for generations. Many of these Jews became believers and helped
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 1: Matthew understand Ethiopian in culture and customs. From the Jewish communities,
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: Matthew's ministry expanded to include gentiles who were curious about
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 1: this new teaching. His gospel, which emphasized Jesus as the
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: fulfillment of God's promises to all nations, resonated with people
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: who had been searching for spiritual truth in their traditional
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: religions but had not found satisfaction. Matthew's reputation as a
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: teacher and miracle worker spread throughout the region, eventually reaching
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: the royal court. The Ethiopian royal family had a tradition
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: of welcoming foreign teachers and learning about different religious and
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: philosophical systems. They invited Matthew to come and explain his
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: beliefs to them. In the royal court, Matthew found an
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: audience that was educated and sophisticated, familiar with Greek philosophy
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: and Roman law, as well as traditional Ethiopian wisdom. He
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: was able to engage with them on an intellectual level,
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: while also demonstrating the power of the Gospel through signs
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: and wonders that accompanied his preaching. The most significant moment
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: came when Matthew was invited to speak directly to the
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: Ethiopian King and Queen. According to ancient church traditions, both
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: rulers were deeply moved by Matthew's explanation of Jesus's life, death,
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: and resurrection. They saw in the Gospel a message that
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: transcended color, natural and racial boundaries, offering hope to all people,
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 1: regardless of their background. The royal family's conversion to Christianity
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 1: had enormous impact throughout the Ethiopian kingdom. When the king
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: and Queen publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ and
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: were baptized, many of their nobles and officials followed their example.
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: Churches were established in major cities, and Christianity began to
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: spread rapidly throughout the region. But Matthew's success also created
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: dangerous enemies. The traditional priests and religious leaders who had
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 1: held power in Ethiopian society saw Christianity as a direct
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: threat to their authority and influence. They began to organize
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: opposition to Matthew, stirring up fear and resentment among those
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: who profited from the old religious systems. The priests convinced
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: some of the people that Matthew was a foreign agent
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: who was trying to destroy their ancient culture and traditions.
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: They claimed that accepting Christianity would anger their traditional gods
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: and bring disaster upon their land. They stirred up nationalist feelings,
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 1: portraying Christianity as a foreign religion that would make Ethiopia
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: dependent on outside powers. As opposition grew, Matthew faced increasing danger.
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: Crowds that had once gathered to hear him preach now
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 1: came to shout him down and threaten him with violence.
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 1: Stones were thrown when he appeared in public, and threats
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 1: were made against his life and against those who continued
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: to follow him. Three crisis came to a head in
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 1: a city called Nad D'avar, where the pagan priests had
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: successfully turned much of the population against Matthew and the
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: Christian community. They organized a large crowd and surrounded the
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 1: house where Matthew was staying with some local believers. The
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: mob was armed with stone and clubs, and they were
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: determined to put an end to Matthew's ministry once and
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: for all. They dragged Matthew and several Ethiopian Christians out
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: into the street, intending to make an example that would
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: discourage any one else from accepting this foreign religion. What
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: followed was a brutal attack that combined stoning with hacking
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: by axes and swords. The crowd began hurling stones at Matthew,
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: but when he continued to pray and preach even as
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: the stone struck him, some of the attackers grabbed axes
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: and began trying to silence him permanently. Throughout this horrific assault,
• 1:11:38
  Speaker 1: Matthew showed the same courage and forgiveness that had characterized
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 1: his transformed life. He continued to pray for his attackers
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: and to speak words of love and hope, even as
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: his body was being broken by stones and blades. He
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: forgave those who were killing him and urged them to
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: turn to Jesus for salvation. As Matthew felt his strength
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: leaving him, he offered a final prayer for the Ethiopian
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: Church and for the spread of the Gospel throughout Africa.
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: He thanked God for the privilege of serving Christ and
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: for the transformation that had changed him from a selfish
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: tax collector into a messenger of grace. Matthew died there
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 1: in the street of Nadava, his blood mixing with the
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: dust as his spirit went to be with the Jesus
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: he had served so faithfully. The man who had once
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: taken money from his own people to serve a foreign
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: government had given his life to bring his people the
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: message of eternal salvation. Matthew was buried in Nadava, and
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: despite the violent opposition to his ministry, the Ethiopian Church
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: continued to grow and flourish. His death actually strengthened rather
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: than weakened the Christian community, as believers were inspired by
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: his courage and commitment to remain faith faithful even in
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: the face of persecution. The ninth Disciple is James the Lesser,
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 1: also called James the son of Alpheus, a man who
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: spent thirty years leading the church in Jerusalem with quiet
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 1: wisdom and unwavering faithfulness. James was known for his righteousness
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: and his dedication to prayer, earning him the nickname James
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: the Just. His commitment to truth would eventually cost him
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 1: his life on the very steps of the temple. He loved.
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: James the Lesser is often confused with James the Brother
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, but early Church traditions suggests they may have
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: been the same person or closely related. What we know
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: for certain is that this James became one of the
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 1: most respected leaders in the early Church, known for his
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: deep devotion to God and his careful, thoughtful approach to leadership.
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: Unlike some of the other apostles who traveled to dis
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: distant lands, James felt called to remain in Jerusalem and
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 1: serve as a pillar of the Mother Church. Acts fifteen
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: thirteen twenty one shows us James presiding over the crucial
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem Council, where the apostles decided whether gentile converts needed
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: to follow Jewish law. James's wisdom and diplomatic skills helped
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: the early Church navigate this critical decision. James's approach to
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: ministry was characterized by deep humility and intense prayer. According
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: to early Church historian Eusebius, James spent so much time
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: kneeling in prayer in the Temple that his knees became
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: as hard as a camel's from constantly touching the stone floor.
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: He was often found in the temple before dawn, praying
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: for the people of Jerusalem and for the growth of
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 1: the church. The people of Jerusalem, both Christians and non Christians,
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: came to respect James for his integrity and god holiness.
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 1: Even those who didn't accept Christianity recognized that James was
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: a truly righteous man who lived according to his beliefs.
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: His reputation for fairness and wisdom made him an important
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: bridge between the Christian community and the broader Jewish population.
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 1: Four thirty years, James led the Jerusalem Church through times
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 1: of growth and persecution. He oversaw the distribution of aid
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: to poor believers settled disputes within the Christian community and
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: provided guidance to other church leaders throughout the region. His
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 1: steady leadership helped the church maintain its focus on both
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 1: Jewish roots and universal mission. James was also a writer,
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: contributing the Letter of James to what would become the
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 1: New Testament. His letter emphasized the importance of putting faith
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: into action through good works and treating all people with dignity,
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: regardless of their sol social status. The practical wisdom in
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: his letter reflected his years of experience leading a diverse
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 1: urban church. As the years passed, the political situation in
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem became increasingly unstable. Tensions between Jews and Romans were rising,
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 1: and different Jewish factions were competing for power and influence.
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 1: The Pharisees and Sadducees, who had opposed Jesus during his ministry,
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: continued to see the growing Christian movement as a threat
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 1: to their authority. The crisis that would end James's life
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: began during the brief period between Roman governors when Ananus
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: the Younger served as high priest and Nunus was a
• 1:16:45
  Speaker 1: Sadducee who was known for his strict interpretation of Jewish
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: law and his harsh treatment of anyone he considered a
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: threat to traditional Judaism. According to the Jewish historian Josephus,
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 1: Anunus saw the temporary absence of Roman oversight as an
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 1: opportunity to deal with the Christian problem once and for all.
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: He particularly targeted James because of his influence and reputation.
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: If he could discredit or eliminate James, he could strike
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 1: a major blow against the entire Christian movement in Jerusalem.
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 1: Annanus convened the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling counsel, and brought
• 1:17:25
  Speaker 1: charges against James and several other Christians. The charges were
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 1: vague but serious. They were accused of violating Jewish law
• 1:17:33
  Speaker 1: and leading the people astray with their teaching about Jesus
• 1:17:37
  Speaker 1: as the Messiah. The trial was a foregone conclusion, and
• 1:17:43
  Speaker 1: Nunnus had already decided what the outcome would be, and
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 1: he packed the Sanhedrin with supporters who would vote the
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: way he wanted. James was given little opportunity to defend himself,
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 1: and the proceedings were rushed through quickly before any opposition
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 1: could organize. But Ananus wanted more than just a quiet execution.
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 1: He wanted to make a public statement that would discourage
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 1: other Christians and show the people of Jerusalem that the
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: religious authorities were still in control. He ordered that James
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: be taken to the pinnacle of the Temple, the highest
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 1: point of the temple complex, where he could be seen
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: by crowds throughout the city. From this high platform, James
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: was commanded to renounce his faith in Jesus and to
• 1:18:31
  Speaker 1: tell the people that Jesus was not the Messiah. And
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: Nunnus expected that the fear of death would make James comply,
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 1: and that his public renunciation would deal a devastating blow
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: to Christian morale throughout Jerusalem, but James surprised everyone with
• 1:18:49
  Speaker 1: his response. Instead of renouncing Jesus, he used this public
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 1: platform to make one final declaration of faith. In a
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: voice that carried across the temple courtyards and into the
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 1: surrounding streets. James proclaimed that Jesus was indeed the Son
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: of God, that he had died for the sins of
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: the world, and that he would return in glory to
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: establish his kingdom. The crowd's reaction was mixed. Many who
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: heard James were moved by his courage and began to
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: shout Hosanna to the son of David, the same cry
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: that had greeted Jesus when he entered Jerusalem years earlier.
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 1: These people were declaring their belief that Jesus was the Messiah,
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: exactly the opposite of what Ananus had intended. A Nanus
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: was furious that his plan had backfired. Instead of discrediting Christianity,
• 1:19:43
  Speaker 1: James's bold testimony was actually winning converts right there in
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: the temple complex. In his anger and frustration, a Nanus
• 1:19:53
  Speaker 1: decided that James had to be silenced immediately. The religious
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: leaders grabbed James and threw him down from the pinnacle
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 1: of the temple. The fall was tremendous, and James's body
• 1:20:05
  Speaker 1: was broken when he hit the ground below, but incredibly,
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 1: he was still alive, still conscious, and still able to speak.
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 1: Instead of crying out in pain or cursing those who
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 1: had attacked him, James struggled to his knees and began
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: to pray. Following the example of Jesus and of Stephen,
• 1:20:25
  Speaker 1: the first Christian martyr, James prayed for those who were
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: killing him, Father, forgive them, for they know not what
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: they do. Even this act of forgiveness enraged James's enemies.
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: Some in the crowd began picking up stones and hurling
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 1: them at the broken man, who continued to pray for them.
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 1: Others grabbed clubs and began beating him as he knelt there,
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: defenseless and already mortally wounded. According to tradition, the final
• 1:20:56
  Speaker 1: blow came from a Fuller, a man who worked in
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: the cloth making trade, who struck James in the head
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 1: with a heavy club used for beating cloth. James died
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 1: there at the base of the temple, his blood staining
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: the stones where he had spent so many hours in prayer.
• 1:21:13
  Speaker 1: James was buried near the Temple in Jerusalem, close to
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: the place where he had served faithfully for three decades.
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 1: His death shocked even many non Christians in Jerusalem, who
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 1: recognized that a truly righteous man had been murdered for
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: his beliefs. According to Josephus, many Jews were outraged by
• 1:21:34
  Speaker 1: Annonus' actions, which they saw as an abuse of power
• 1:21:39
  Speaker 1: during the absence of Roman oversight. The death of James
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: marked the beginning of the end for the Jerusalem Church
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: as the center of Christianity. Within a few years, the
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 1: Jewish revolt against Rome would begin, leading to the destruction
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: of Jerusalem and the Temple in seventy a d. Many Christiansans,
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: remembering Jesus's warnings about the coming destruction, fled the city
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: before the siege began. But James's legacy lived on in
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 1: the church he had faithfully served, and in the letter
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: he had written. His example of combining deep spirituality with
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 1: practical wisdom influenced generations of church leaders. The man who
• 1:22:21
  Speaker 1: had been known as James the Just had proven that
• 1:22:24
  Speaker 1: righteousness was worth dying for, and that faith without works
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 1: truly was dead. The tenth Disciple is Simon the Zealot,
• 1:22:34
  Speaker 1: a man whose life story shows us the power of
• 1:22:37
  Speaker 1: Jesus to transform even the most radical hearts. Simon had
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: once been a member of a violent revolutionary group that
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: wanted to overthrow the Roman Empire through force, but Jesus
• 1:22:48
  Speaker 1: changed him into a messenger of peace. His journey would
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: end in partnership with another apostle, dying together for the
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: Gospel in a distant land. Simon's back ground as a
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: zealot tells us everything we need to know about his character.
• 1:23:04
  Speaker 1: Before he met Jesus. The Zealots were a Jewish political
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: movement that believed God wanted them to drive the Romans
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: out of Israel through armed rebellion. They carried daggers hidden
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 1: in their robes and were ready to assassinate Roman officials
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: or Jewish collaborators at a moment's notice. Zelots believed that
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 1: paying taxes to Rome was a sin against God, since
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: it acknowledged Caesar's authority over the Promised Land. They thought
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 1: that anyone who worked with the Roman government was a
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 1: traitor to both God and Israel. This means that Simon
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 1: probably hated Matthew the tax collector, long before they both
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: became disciples of Jesus. When Jesus called Simon to follow him,
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 1: it must have been shocking to Simon's former associates in
• 1:23:52
  Speaker 1: the Zealot movement. Here was their comrade, a man who
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: had been ready to kill for Jewish independence, now following
• 1:23:59
  Speaker 1: a teacher who preached about loving your enemies and turning
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: the other cheek. Jesus's message of peace was the complete
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: opposite of everything Simon had believed about how to serve God.
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: But Simon discovered that Jesus offered something the Zealots could
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 1: never provide, real freedom. The Zealots promised political freedom through violence,
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 1: but Jesus offered spiritual freedom through love. Simon learned that
• 1:24:26
  Speaker 1: the greatest victory wasn't defeating Rome, but defeating the sin
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: and hatred in his own heart. The transformation wasn't easy.
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: We can imagine the tension in the group when Simon
• 1:24:38
  Speaker 1: the revolutionary sat down to eat with Matthew the tax collector.
• 1:24:43
  Speaker 1: Luke Chapter six, verses fifteen to sixteen lists them right
• 1:24:47
  Speaker 1: next to each other. Among the twelve disciples, Matthew, Thomas
• 1:24:53
  Speaker 1: James son of Alpheus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: Judas son of James, and Judas is Scariot, who became
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 1: a traitor. Jesus deliberately put natural enemies together to teach
• 1:25:04
  Speaker 1: them about forgiveness and unity. Simon's passion for justice didn't
• 1:25:09
  Speaker 1: disappear when he became a Christian, it was redirected. Instead
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: of fighting for political change through violence, he began fighting
• 1:25:18
  Speaker 1: for spiritual change through the Gospel. The same intensity that
• 1:25:22
  Speaker 1: had made him a dangerous revolutionary now made him a
• 1:25:26
  Speaker 1: fearless evangelist. After Jesus ascended to heaven, Simon felt called
• 1:25:32
  Speaker 1: to take the Gospel to regions where Roman power was
• 1:25:35
  Speaker 1: weak and revolution might still seem attractive. He began his
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 1: missionary work in Egypt, preaching to communities of Jews who
• 1:25:43
  Speaker 1: had fled there to escape Roman persecution, and to Gentiles
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: who were looking for alternatives to the pagan religions of
• 1:25:51
  Speaker 1: the Empire. In Egypt, Simon's background as a former revolutionary
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: actually helped his ministry. People who were suffering under Roman
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 1: oppression could relate to someone who understood their anger and frustration.
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 1: But Simon offered them something better than violent rebellion. He
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: offered them hope for eternal freedom through Jesus Christ. Simon's
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 1: message was particularly powerful because he could speak from experience
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: about the futility of trying to change the world through
• 1:26:25
  Speaker 1: hatred and violence. He had walked that path and found
• 1:26:29
  Speaker 1: it led nowhere but destruction. Now he offered people a
• 1:26:33
  Speaker 1: different way, the way of love that could transform hearts
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 1: and ultimately transform society. From Egypt, Simon traveled west across
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 1: North Africa, establishing churches in cities and towns along the
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: Mediterranean coast. This was dangerous territory, filled with bandits, wild animals,
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 1: and hostile tribes, but Simon's experience as a guerrilla fighter,
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: had prepared him for hardship and danger. Simon's ministry in
• 1:27:03
  Speaker 1: North Africa was marked by his ability to connect with
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 1: outcasts and rebels. He understood people who felt angry at
• 1:27:10
  Speaker 1: injustice and who wanted to fight against oppression, but he
• 1:27:14
  Speaker 1: taught them that the real enemy wasn't Rome or any
• 1:27:18
  Speaker 1: earthly government. The real enemy was sin, and the only
• 1:27:22
  Speaker 1: weapon that could defeat it was the love of Christ.
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 1: As Simon's reputation spread, he began to attract the attention
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: of other apostles who were working in nearby regions. One
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 1: of these was Judas Thaddeus, who had been preaching in
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: Mesopotamia and Armenia. The two men discovered that they shared
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 1: similar callings and decided to work together in spreading the
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: Gospel to new territories. Simon and Judas Thaddius formed a
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 1: powerful partnership. Simon's experience with revolutionary tactics helped them navigate
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 1: dangerous political situations, while Judas's gentle spirit helped them build
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 1: relationships with local communities. Together, they decided to venture into Persia,
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 1: one of the most challenging mission fields in the ancient world.
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 1: Persia was the heart of an ancient empire that had
• 1:28:17
  Speaker 1: its own complex religious system, dominated by Zoroastrian priests called magi.
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: These priests wielded enormous political and religious power, and they
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 1: saw any foreign religion as a threat to their authority.
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: The Persian government was also suspicious of anyone who might
• 1:28:37
  Speaker 1: be spreading ideas that could undermine their control. Simon and
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: Judas Thadius knew they were entering hostile territory, but they
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 1: felt called by God to bring the Gospel to the
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 1: Persian people. They traveled together through the harsh landscapes of
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 1: Mesopotamia and into the Persian heartland, preaching in cities and
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 1: villages where no one had ever heard the name of Jesus.
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 1: Their preaching was accompanied by miraculous signs that demonstrated God's power.
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 1: People were healed of diseases, evil spirits, were cast out,
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 1: and some were even raised from the dead. These miracles
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 1: convinced many Persians that the God proclaimed by these two
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 1: foreigners was more powerful than their traditional deities, but their
• 1:29:25
  Speaker 1: success also created dangerous enemies. The Zoroastrian magi saw Christianity
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 1: as a direct threat to their religious system and their
• 1:29:36
  Speaker 1: political power. They began organizing opposition to Simon and judas Thadius,
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: stirring up fear and hatred among the population. The Persian
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 1: authorities were also concerned about these foreign preachers, who were
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 1: attracting large crowds and challenging traditional beliefs. In the society,
• 1:29:55
  Speaker 1: where religion and politics were closely connected, any threat to
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 1: rec religious authority was seen as a threat to political stability.
• 1:30:04
  Speaker 1: The crisis came to a head in a city called Suanier,
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 1: where Simon and judas Thadius had established a thriving Christian community.
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 1: The local magi convinced the Persian governor that these two
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 1: men were dangerous revolutionaries who were using religion as a
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 1: cover for political rebellion. This accusation was particularly ironic given
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: Simon's background as an actual revolutionary. But now instead of
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 1: plotting against earthly governments, Simon was proclaiming a kingdom that
• 1:30:38
  Speaker 1: was not of this world. The man who had once
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: advocated violence was now preaching peace and submission to God's will.
• 1:30:47
  Speaker 1: The Persian authorities didn't care about these distinctions. They saw
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 1: Christianity as a foreign influence that was undermining Persian culture
• 1:30:55
  Speaker 1: and threatening social order. They decided that Simon and judas
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: Thadius had to be eliminated as examples to anyone else
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: who might think about challenging traditional Persian religion. A large
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: crowd gathered in Swania as Simon and judas Thadius were
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: brought out for public execution. The Persian officials wanted their
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: deaths to serve as a warning to the growing Christian
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 1: community and to show that Persian power were still supreme
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: in their own territory. But Simon and judas Thadius used
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 1: even this moment as an opportunity to preach the gospel.
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 1: Standing before the hostile crowd, they proclaimed once more that
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 1: Jesus was the Son of God, that he had died
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: for the sins of all people, including Persians, and that
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 1: salvation was available to anyone who would believe. Their boldness
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: in the face of death impressed even some of their enemies.
• 1:31:52
  Speaker 1: Here were two men who were about to die horribly,
• 1:31:55
  Speaker 1: yet they showed no fear and no hatred toward those
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 1: who were killing them. Instead, they continue to speak words
• 1:32:01
  Speaker 1: of love and hope, even offering forgiveness to their executioners.
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 1: The execution was brutal and designed to maximize suffering and terror.
• 1:32:11
  Speaker 1: Simon and Judas Thaddius were hacked to death with swords
• 1:32:14
  Speaker 1: and axes, their bodies mutilated in front of the watching crowd.
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 1: The Persian authorities wanted to make sure that this bloody
• 1:32:22
  Speaker 1: spectacle would discourage anyone else from accepting Christianity. Throughout their
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: torture and execution, both men continued to pray and encourage
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: each other. Simon, the former revolutionary, who had once advocated violence,
• 1:32:39
  Speaker 1: died peacefully, forgiving his enemies and committing his spirit to
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 1: the Prince of peace he had learned to serve. The
• 1:32:46
  Speaker 1: two apostles were buried together in Swanier, their blood mixing
• 1:32:51
  Speaker 1: in the Persian soil as their spirits went to be
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 1: with the Jesus they had served so faithfully. The man
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 1: who had once fought for an earthly king kingdom had
• 1:33:00
  Speaker 1: given his life for the kingdom of heaven. Despite the
• 1:33:04
  Speaker 1: violent nature of their deaths, the Persian Church continued to grow.
• 1:33:10
  Speaker 1: The courage and forgiveness shown by Simon and Judas Thadius
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 1: in their final moments actually strengthened, rather than weakened, the
• 1:33:19
  Speaker 1: Christian community. Their martyrdom became a powerful testimony to the
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: transforming power of the Gospel. The eleventh disciple is Judas Thadius,
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: also called Judas the son of James or Lebius, a
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: man who shared not only a name with the traitor
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 1: Judas Iscariot, but possibly also a family connection with Jesus himself.
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 1: Some traditions suggest he was one of Jesus's brothers or
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 1: close relatives, which would make his faithfulness even more remarkable,
• 1:33:51
  Speaker 1: given that Jesus's own family initially doubted his mission. Judas
• 1:33:57
  Speaker 1: Thadius is one of the most obscure of the twelve apostles,
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: mentioned by name in the gospel lists, but rarely featured
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: in the gospel narratives. This obscurity may have been deliberate.
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: Sharing a name with Judas Iscariot would have made him
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 1: want to stay in the background to avoid confusion and suspicion.
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 1: The one time Judas Thaddius speaks in the Gospels reveals
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 1: his heart and character. In John chapter fourteen, verse twenty two,
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: during the Last Supper, then Judas, not Judas is Scariot, said,
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 1: but Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: us and not to the world. This question shows that
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 1: Judas Thadius was thinking about the broader mission of spreading
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: the Gospel to all people. Jesus' response to judas Thadius
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 1: in John fourteen twenty three was significant. Anyone who loves
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 1: me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them,
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 1: and we will come to them and make our home
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: with them. Jesus was teaching judas Thadius that the way
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: to reach the world wasn't through spectacular displays of power,
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: but through the faithful obedience of his followers. This lesson
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: shaped judas Thadius's entire ministry. Instead of seeking attention or
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 1: dramatic signs, he focused on faithful, quiet service that allowed
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 1: God's presence to work through him. He became known for
• 1:35:29
  Speaker 1: his gentleness and his ability to encourage people who were
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 1: struggling in their faith. After Jesus ascended to heaven, judas
• 1:35:38
  Speaker 1: Thadius felt called to take the Gospel to regions that
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: were far from the centers of Roman power and Greek culture.
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: He began his missionary work in Mesopotamia, the ancient land
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that is now part
• 1:35:54
  Speaker 1: of Iraq and Syria. Mesopotamia was one of the oldest
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 1: civilized regions in the world, with cities that had existed
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 1: for thousands of years, and religious traditions that were deeply
• 1:36:07
  Speaker 1: rooted in the culture. The people there worshiped a complex
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 1: mixture of Babylonian, Persian, and Greek gods, and they had
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 1: sophisticated philosophical and religious systems. Judas Thadius's approach in Mesopotamia
• 1:36:21
  Speaker 1: was patient and respectful. Instead of attacking the local religions directly,
• 1:36:27
  Speaker 1: he looked for ways to connect the Gospel message with
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: the spiritual hunger he found in the people. He listened
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: to their concerns and questions, then showed them how Jesus
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 1: provided the answers they were seeking. The results of this
• 1:36:42
  Speaker 1: gentle approach were remarkable. People who might have been offended
• 1:36:45
  Speaker 1: by a more aggressive evangelistic style were drawn to judas
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 1: Thadius's humble manner and genuine care for their spiritual welfare.
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 1: Churches began to spring up throughout the region as people
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 1: discovered the geese and hope that came through faith in Jesus.
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 1: From Mesopotamia, Judas Thadius traveled north into Armenia, a mountainous
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 1: kingdom that controlled important trade routes between the Roman Empire
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 1: and Persia. Armenia was a strategic location for spreading the Gospel,
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: since merchants and travelers from many different regions passed through
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 1: its cities. In Armenia, judas Thadius's ministry took on new dimensions.
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: The Armenian people were known for their independence and their
• 1:37:33
  Speaker 1: resistance to foreign domination, but they were also open to
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 1: new ideas and religious teachings that could help them maintain
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: their cultural identity while dealing with the pressures of living
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: between two great empires. One of judas Thadius's most significant
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 1: achievements in Armenia was his correspondence with King Abgar of Odessa.
• 1:37:57
  Speaker 1: According to ancient church traditions, King Abgar had heard about
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 1: Jesus during his earthly ministry and had written a letter
• 1:38:06
  Speaker 1: inviting Jesus to come and heal him of a serious illness.
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: Jesus had not been able to come personally, but after
• 1:38:16
  Speaker 1: his ascension, he sent judas Thadeus to fulfill the king's request.
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: When Judas Thadius arrived in Odessa and met with King Abgar,
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: the king was indeed healed of his illness and became
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: a believer in Jesus Christ. King Abgar's conversion had enormous
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: impact throughout the region of Osrowhen which he ruled. When
• 1:38:37
  Speaker 1: the king publicly declared his faith in Jesus Christ and
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 1: was baptized, many of his nobles and officials followed his example.
• 1:38:46
  Speaker 1: Edessa became one of the first kingdoms to officially embrace Christianity,
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 1: providing a safe haven for believers who were being persecuted
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: in other regions. The success of Judas Thadeus his ministry
• 1:39:00
  Speaker 1: in Armenia and Osrowheen attracted the attention of other apostles
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 1: who were working in nearby regions. It was during this
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 1: time that he connected with Simon the Zealot, who had
• 1:39:13
  Speaker 1: been preaching in Egypt and North Africa. The partnership between
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 1: Judas Thadius and Simon the Zealot was a perfect complement
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: of different personalities and approaches. Judas Thadius's gentle, patient style
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 1: balanced Simon's more intense, passionate approach. Together, they were able
• 1:39:33
  Speaker 1: to reach people that neither could have reached alone. When
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 1: they decided to venture into Persia together, Judas Thadius brought
• 1:39:41
  Speaker 1: valuable experience in dealing with complex political and religious situations.
• 1:39:46
  Speaker 1: His work with King Abgar had taught him how to
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: navigate royal courts and diplomatic relationships, skills that would be
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 1: crucial in the Persian Empire. In Persia, Judas his gentle
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 1: approach initially helped them gain acceptance in communities that might
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 1: have been suspicious of foreign preachers. He was able to
• 1:40:08
  Speaker 1: build relationships with local leaders and gradually introduce them to
• 1:40:13
  Speaker 1: the Gospel message without seeming threatening or confrontational. But as
• 1:40:18
  Speaker 1: their ministry grew more successful and began to attract larger crowds,
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 1: the opposition also grew more organized and dangerous. The Zoroastrian magi,
• 1:40:29
  Speaker 1: who controlled Persian religion, saw Christianity as a fundamental threat
• 1:40:33
  Speaker 1: to their power and began planning to eliminate these foreign influences.
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 1: Judas Thadius understood the danger they were facing, but he
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 1: refused to abandon the Persian Christians they had led to faith.
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 1: He knew that leaving would send a message of cowardice
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: that could undermine the young church's confidence and give their
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: enemies a propaganda victory. Instead, Judas Thadius and Simon the
• 1:41:00
  Speaker 1: Zealot decided to face the persecution together, supporting each other
• 1:41:05
  Speaker 1: and continuing to minister to their converts, even as the
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 1: threats against them grew more serious. They spent their final
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 1: weeks visiting Christian communities, encouraging believers to remain faithful even
• 1:41:19
  Speaker 1: if their leaders were killed. When the end came in Swania,
• 1:41:24
  Speaker 1: Judas Thadius faced death with the same gentle courage that
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: had characterized his entire ministry. Even as he was being
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 1: tortured and killed, he continued to speak words of love
• 1:41:35
  Speaker 1: and forgiveness, showing the Persian people what it meant to
• 1:41:39
  Speaker 1: follow Jesus. The manner of Judas Thadius's death was particularly brutal.
• 1:41:45
  Speaker 1: Along with Simon the Zealot, he was hacked to death
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 1: with swords and axes, his body mutilated by the crowd
• 1:41:52
  Speaker 1: that had gathered to watch, But his peaceful acceptance of
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 1: this horrible death made a powerful impression on many witnesses.
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 1: Judas Thadeus died as he had lived, quietly, faithfully, and
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 1: with complete trust in God's goodness. The man who had
• 1:42:09
  Speaker 1: asked Jesus why he didn't reveal himself to the whole
• 1:42:12
  Speaker 1: world had learned that sometimes the most powerful revelation comes
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 1: through the faithful suffering of his followers. The two apostles
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: were buried together in Swanir and there joint martyrdom became
• 1:42:26
  Speaker 1: a powerful symbol of Christian unity and courage. The Persian Church,
• 1:42:31
  Speaker 1: despite losing its leaders, continued to grow and eventually became
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: one of the strongest Christian communities in the ancient world.
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 1: The twelfth and final Disciple is John, the only one
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 1: of the original twelve who would not die as a martyr.
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: John was known as the disciple whom Jesus loved, and
• 1:42:53
  Speaker 1: his long life allowed him to see the Early Church
• 1:42:56
  Speaker 1: grow from a small group of believers in Jerusalem to
• 1:42:59
  Speaker 1: a movement that spread throughout the Roman Empire. His story
• 1:43:02
  Speaker 1: is different from all the others. Instead of dying for
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: his faith, he lived for it through decades of service
• 1:43:09
  Speaker 1: and persecution. John was the younger brother of James, and
• 1:43:14
  Speaker 1: like his brother, he had been nicknamed son of Thunder
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 1: by Jesus because of his fiery temperament. Mark chapter three,
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 1: verse seventeen tells us James, son of Zebedee, and his
• 1:43:26
  Speaker 1: brother John. To them, he gave the name Boanerges, which
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 1: means sons of Thunder. But while James would be the
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 1: first apostle to die, John would be the last to live.
• 1:43:38
  Speaker 1: John's special relationship with Jesus is evident throughout the gospel accounts.
• 1:43:43
  Speaker 1: He was part of Jesus's inner circle along with Peter
• 1:43:47
  Speaker 1: and James, and was present at crucial moments like the
• 1:43:50
  Speaker 1: Transfiguration and the agony in gethsemone. But it was John's
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 1: closeness to Jesus during the Last Supper that really showed
• 1:43:59
  Speaker 1: their relationship. John chapter thirteen, verse twenty three describes the
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: scene one of them, the Disciple, whom Jesus loved, was
• 1:44:09
  Speaker 1: reclining next to him. In that culture, the place next
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 1: to the host at a dinner was reserved for the
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 1: most honored guest. Jesus had chosen John for this position
• 1:44:21
  Speaker 1: of honor, showing how much he valued their friendship. This
• 1:44:25
  Speaker 1: special relationship continued even at the cross. While most of
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: the other disciples had fled in fear, John stayed with
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 1: Jesus until the end. John nineteen twenty six to twenty
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 1: seven records Jesus's words. When Jesus saw his mother there
• 1:44:42
  Speaker 1: and the disciple whom he loved, standing near by, he
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 1: said to her, woman, here is your son, and to
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 1: the disciple, here is your mother. From that time on,
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 1: this Disciple took her into his home. Jesus intrusted his
• 1:44:59
  Speaker 1: own mother to Joeon's care, showing the depth of trust
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 1: and love between them. This responsibility would shape John's ministry
• 1:45:06
  Speaker 1: for years to come, as he cared for Mary while
• 1:45:10
  Speaker 1: also serving as a leader in the early Church. After
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 1: Jesus's resurrection and ascension, John became one of the pillars
• 1:45:19
  Speaker 1: of the Jerusalem Church, alongside Peter and James, the brother
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 1: of Jesus. Acts Chapter three shows John and Peter healing
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 1: a lay man at the temple gate, and Acts chapter
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 1: four describes how they were arrested and threatened by the
• 1:45:35
  Speaker 1: religious authorities for preaching about Jesus. But John's ministry wasn't
• 1:45:39
  Speaker 1: limited to Jerusalem. As the Church began to spread throughout
• 1:45:43
  Speaker 1: the Roman Empire, John felt called to establish churches in
• 1:45:48
  Speaker 1: Asia Minor, particularly in the region around Ephesus. This great
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 1: city was one of the most important commercial and cultural
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 1: centers of the ancient world. In Ephesus, John's ministry was
• 1:46:01
  Speaker 1: marked by the same love and gentleness that had characterized
• 1:46:05
  Speaker 1: his relationship with Jesus. Unlike some of the other apostles
• 1:46:09
  Speaker 1: who were known for their dramatic preaching or miraculous powers,
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 1: John was known for his deep spiritual insight and his
• 1:46:17
  Speaker 1: ability to explain the love of God in ways that
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 1: touched people's hearts. John's time in Ephesus was productive and
• 1:46:24
  Speaker 1: peaceful for many years. He established a strong church there
• 1:46:28
  Speaker 1: and trained many leaders who would carry on the work
• 1:46:31
  Speaker 1: after him. He also wrote his Gospel during this period,
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: focusing on the spiritual significance of Jesus's life rather than
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: just the historical facts. But John's peaceful ministry in Ephesus
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: was interrupted when Emperor Domitian began a severe persecution of
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: Christians throughout the Roman Empire. Domician demanded that all citizens
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: worship him as a God, and he was particularly harsh
• 1:46:58
  Speaker 1: toward anyone who refused to participate in the imperial cult.
• 1:47:04
  Speaker 1: John's reputation as a leader of the Christian movement made
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: him a target for Domitian's persecution. According to early church traditions,
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: John was arrested in Ephesus and brought to Rome for trial.
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 1: The emperor wanted to make an example of this prominent
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 1: Christian leader to discourage others from following their faith. Various
• 1:47:24
  Speaker 1: traditions describe different forms of torture that John endured during
• 1:47:29
  Speaker 1: his time in Rome. Some accounts say he was thrown
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: into a cauldron of boiling oil, but was miraculously preserved
• 1:47:37
  Speaker 1: from harm. Others describe different attempts to kill him that
• 1:47:41
  Speaker 1: failed because of divine protection. What we know for certain
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 1: is that instead of executing John, Domician decided to exile
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 1: him to the island of Patmos, a small rocky island
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 1: in the Aegean Sea that was used as a prison
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: for political criminals. Revelation Chapter one, verse nine confirms this,
• 1:48:02
  Speaker 1: I John, your brother and companion in the suffering and
• 1:48:07
  Speaker 1: kingdom and patient endurance that are hours in Jesus, was
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 1: on the island of Patmos because of the word of
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 1: God in the Testimony of Jesus. Patmos was a harsh
• 1:48:18
  Speaker 1: place of exile, with little vegetation and no fresh water.
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: Prisoners sent they were expected to die slowly from the
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 1: difficult conditions. But instead of despair, John found on Patmos
• 1:48:30
  Speaker 1: the setting for one of the most remarkable spiritual experiences
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 1: in human history. It was on Patmos that John received
• 1:48:39
  Speaker 1: the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation. Revelation one
• 1:48:43
  Speaker 1: ten to eleven describes how it began on the Lord's Day.
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 1: I was in the spirit, and I heard behind me
• 1:48:49
  Speaker 1: a loud voice like a trumpet, which said, write on
• 1:48:53
  Speaker 1: a scroll what you see and send it to the
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 1: seven churches, to Ephesus, Haron, Pergamo, Thiatera, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicia.
• 1:49:05
  Speaker 1: John's visions on Patmos revealed the future of the Church
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 1: and the ultimate victory of God over evil. These weren't
• 1:49:12
  Speaker 1: just personal experiences. They were messages of hope for Christians
• 1:49:16
  Speaker 1: who were suffering persecution throughout the Roman Empire. The book
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 1: John wrote became a source of comfort and courage for
• 1:49:24
  Speaker 1: believers facing martyrdom. The visions also revealed the cosmic significance
• 1:49:33
  Speaker 1: of the struggles the early Christians were enduring. John saw
• 1:49:36
  Speaker 1: that their suffering was part of a larger spiritual battle
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 1: between good and evil, and that their faithfulness would ultimately
• 1:49:44
  Speaker 1: be rewarded with eternal victory. When Emperor Domitian died in
• 1:49:50
  Speaker 1: ninety six a d the persecution of Christians ended, and
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 1: John was released from Patmos. By this time he was
• 1:49:57
  Speaker 1: a very old man, probably in his ais nineties, but
• 1:50:01
  Speaker 1: he returned to Ephesus to continue his ministry among the
• 1:50:04
  Speaker 1: churches he had established. John's final years in Ephesus were
• 1:50:08
  Speaker 1: marked by a simplicity and focus that came from his
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 1: long experience and deep spiritual maturity. According to church historian Jerome,
• 1:50:18
  Speaker 1: John became so elderly and frail that he had to
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 1: be carried into church gatherings, but he continued to preach
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 1: with great impact. The message of John's final years was
• 1:50:30
  Speaker 1: beautifully simple. According to tradition, when John became too weak
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 1: to give long sermons, he would simply say, little children,
• 1:50:39
  Speaker 1: love one another. When his disciples asked why he always
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 1: said the same thing, John replied, because it is the
• 1:50:46
  Speaker 1: Lord's command, and if this alone is done, it is enough.
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: This focus on love reflected everything John had learned from
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 1: his years with Jesus and his decades of ministry. The
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 1: young man who had once wanted to call down fire
• 1:51:02
  Speaker 1: from heaven had become the apostle of love, understanding that
• 1:51:06
  Speaker 1: God's greatest power was expressed not through judgment, but through
• 1:51:10
  Speaker 1: sacrificial love. John died peacefully in Ephesus around one hundred
• 1:51:16
  Speaker 1: a d. Having lived to see the Church spread throughout
• 1:51:19
  Speaker 1: the known world. He was approximately one hundred years old
• 1:51:23
  Speaker 1: at his death, having outlived all the other apostles by
• 1:51:27
  Speaker 1: many years his death marked the end of the Apostolic
• 1:51:31
  Speaker 1: Age and the beginning of a new era in Church history.
• 1:51:36
  Speaker 1: Unlike all the other Apostles, John was not martyred for
• 1:51:40
  Speaker 1: his faith, but in many ways, his long life of
• 1:51:43
  Speaker 1: faithful service was its own form of martyrdom, a daily
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 1: dying to self that allowed Christ to live through him
• 1:51:51
  Speaker 1: for nearly seven decades of ministry. John was buried in Ephesus,
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 1: and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage for Cristriestians
• 1:52:00
  Speaker 1: from throughout the region. The man who had been closest
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 1: to Jesus during his earthly ministry had also been privileged
• 1:52:07
  Speaker 1: to see further into the future than any other apostle,
• 1:52:11
  Speaker 1: bridging the gap between the historical Jesus and the eternal
• 1:52:15
  Speaker 1: Christ who would reign forever. There was one more man
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 1: who would join the ranks of those who died for Jesus.
• 1:52:23
  Speaker 1: Though he wasn't one of the original twelve. Paul, originally
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: called Saul, became known as the thirteenth Apostle, and his
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 1: story is unlike any other. He was the enemy who
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 1: became the greatest missionary, the persecutor who became the persecuted,
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 1: and the man who took the Gospel further than any
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 1: of the original disciples. Paul's story began as the greatest
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 1: enemy the early Church had ever known. He wasn't just
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 1: opposed to Christianity. He was actively hunting down believers and
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 1: destroying their lives. Acts Chapter eight, verse three disc ribes
• 1:53:00
  Speaker 1: his early activities. But Saul began to destroy the church.
• 1:53:05
  Speaker 1: Going from house to house, he dragged off both men
• 1:53:08
  Speaker 1: and women and put them in prison. This wasn't casual opposition.
• 1:53:13
  Speaker 1: Paul was systematic and ruthless in his persecution of Christians.
• 1:53:17
  Speaker 1: He got official letters from the religious authorities giving him
• 1:53:21
  Speaker 1: permission to arrest believers wherever he found them. Acts nine
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 1: one two tells us meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 1: High Priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues
• 1:53:38
  Speaker 1: in Damascus, so that if he found any there who
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 1: belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might
• 1:53:45
  Speaker 1: take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. Paul was traveling to
• 1:53:49
  Speaker 1: Damascus with these arrest warrants when his life changed forever.
• 1:53:54
  Speaker 1: Acts nine three four records what happened as he neared
• 1:53:58
  Speaker 1: Damascus on his journey, Suddenly, a light from heaven flashed
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: around him. He fell to the ground and heard a
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 1: voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: When Paul asked who was speaking, the voice replied in
• 1:54:13
  Speaker 1: Acts nine five, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
• 1:54:17
  Speaker 1: In that moment, Paul realized that the Christians he had
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 1: been arresting were right. Jesus really was alive, and Paul
• 1:54:25
  Speaker 1: had been fighting against God himself. The encounter left Paul
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 1: blind for three days until a Christian named Anonius came
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 1: to heal him. When Paul's sight returned, his entire life
• 1:54:39
  Speaker 1: had changed direction. The man who had been the church's
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: greatest enemy became its greatest advocate almost over night. Paul's
• 1:54:48
  Speaker 1: transformation was so dramatic that the other Christians didn't trust
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 1: him at first. Acts nine twenty six tells us when
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 1: he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples,
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 1: but they were all afraid of him, not believing that
• 1:55:03
  Speaker 1: he really was a disciple. They thought it might be
• 1:55:06
  Speaker 1: a trap to identify more Christians for a rest, but
• 1:55:10
  Speaker 1: Paul proved his sincerity through years of faithful ministry and
• 1:55:15
  Speaker 1: suffering for the Gospel. He became the missionary to the Gentiles,
• 1:55:19
  Speaker 1: taking Christianity beyond its Jewish roots and making it a
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 1: global faith. His three missionary journeys covered thousands of miles
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: and established churches throughout the Roman Empire. Paul's ministry was
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 1: marked by incredible hardship. In Second Corinthians eleven, twenty four
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 1: twenty seven, he lists just some of what he endured.
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 1: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes
• 1:55:46
  Speaker 1: minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once
• 1:55:50
  Speaker 1: I was pelted with stones. Three times I was shipwrecked.
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 1: I spent a night and a day in the open sea.
• 1:55:57
  Speaker 1: I have been constantly on the move. I have been
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 1: in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger
• 1:56:04
  Speaker 1: from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles, in danger
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: in the city, in danger in the country, in danger
• 1:56:11
  Speaker 1: at sea, and in danger from false believers. I have
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 1: labored and toiled, and have often gone without sleep. I
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 1: have known hunger and thirst, and have often gone without food.
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 1: I have been cold and naked. Despite all this suffering,
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 1: Paul never gave up. He wrote letters to the churches
• 1:56:30
  Speaker 1: he had established, and many of these letters became part
• 1:56:33
  Speaker 1: of the New Testament. His writings helped shape Christian theology
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 1: and continue to guide believers to day. Paul's final imprisonment
• 1:56:43
  Speaker 1: came in Rome, where he was held under house arrest
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 1: for two years. Acts twenty eight thirty thirty one describes
• 1:56:50
  Speaker 1: this period. For two whole years, Paul stayed there in
• 1:56:53
  Speaker 1: his own rented house and welcomed all who came to
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 1: see him. He proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught
• 1:57:00
  Speaker 1: about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
• 1:57:04
  Speaker 1: Even in prison, Paul continued his ministry. He wrote letters
• 1:57:08
  Speaker 1: to churches, trained young leaders like Timothy and Titus, and
• 1:57:13
  Speaker 1: shared the Gospel with anyone who would listen. Roman soldiers
• 1:57:17
  Speaker 1: who were assigned to guard him heard the message of salvation,
• 1:57:21
  Speaker 1: and some became believers. According to early Church tradition, Paul
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 1: was eventually executed during the persecution under Emperor Nero around
• 1:57:34
  Speaker 1: sixty seven a d. As a Roman citizen, he had
• 1:57:38
  Speaker 1: the right to be executed by sword rather than crucifixion.
• 1:57:42
  Speaker 1: The location was probably along the road leading out of Rome,
• 1:57:46
  Speaker 1: in an area that later became known as the place
• 1:57:50
  Speaker 1: of Paul's martyrdom. Paul's death marked the end of an
• 1:57:55
  Speaker 1: incredible journey from persecutor to martyr. Man who had once
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 1: dragged Christians from their homes to be killed, ended up
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 1: giving his own life for the same faith he had
• 1:58:07
  Speaker 1: tried to destroy. His transformation showed that no one is
• 1:58:11
  Speaker 1: too far from God's grace to be saved and used
• 1:58:14
  Speaker 1: for his purposes. Paul's impact on Christianity was enormous. He
• 1:58:20
  Speaker 1: wrote more books of the New Testament than any other author,
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 1: established churches throughout the Mediterranean world, and developed much of
• 1:58:28
  Speaker 1: the theological framework that Christians still use today. His missionary
• 1:58:33
  Speaker 1: journeys opened the door for Christianity to become a global
• 1:58:37
  Speaker 1: religion rather than just a Jewish sect. The former persecutor
• 1:58:43
  Speaker 1: became the greatest missionary in Christian history, proving that God
• 1:58:47
  Speaker 1: can use anyone who surrenders their life to him completely.
• 1:58:52
  Speaker 1: Paul's story continues to inspire people today who feel their
• 1:58:56
  Speaker 1: past disqualifies them from serving God. His life shows that
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 1: transformation is always possible through faith in Jesus Christ. And
• 1:59:05
  Speaker 1: so we reached the end of our journey through the
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 1: tragic yet triumphant stories of the Twelve Disciples and Paul,
• 1:59:12
  Speaker 1: We've walked alongside these ordinary men who became extraordinary witnesses,
• 1:59:18
  Speaker 1: seeing how their lives ended in distant lands far from
• 1:59:21
  Speaker 1: the shores of Galilee where their adventure with Jesus first began.
• 1:59:26
  Speaker 1: From Judas's desperate suicide in the field of Blood to
• 1:59:30
  Speaker 1: John's peaceful death in Ephesus at one hundred years old,
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 1: each story teaches us something different about faith and courage
• 1:59:38
  Speaker 1: and the cost of following Jesus. Some died quickly by
• 1:59:42
  Speaker 1: the sword, others suffered long tortures on crosses and under stones.
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 1: Some faced their end alone, while others died alongside fellow believers.
• 1:59:51
  Speaker 1: But all of them, except for the traitor Judas, remained
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 1: faithful to the very end. These weren't perfect men. They
• 1:59:59
  Speaker 1: had questioned, doubted, argued, and even denied Jesus during his lifetime.
• 2:00:05
  Speaker 1: Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. Thomas demanded proof of
• 2:00:10
  Speaker 1: the resurrection. James and John wanted the best seats in
• 2:00:13
  Speaker 1: the kingdom. Matthew had been a despised tax collector, Simon
• 2:00:18
  Speaker 1: had been a violent revolutionary. Yet Jesus chose them, transformed them,
• 2:00:23
  Speaker 1: and used them to change the world forever. Their deaths
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 1: weren't meaningless tragedies. They were seeds planted in foreign soil
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 1: that grew into churches throughout the known world. The blood
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 1: of these martyrs became the foundation upon which Christianity spread
• 2:00:38
  Speaker 1: from a small Jewish sect to a global faith that
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 1: has touched billions of lives across two thousand years. As
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 1: we remember their stories, let's also remember that their mission
• 2:00:51
  Speaker 1: continues through us. The same Jesus who called twelve fishermen,
• 2:00:56
  Speaker 1: tax collectors, and revolutionaries is still calling people today to
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 1: follow him and share his love with a world that
• 2:01:03
  Speaker 1: desperately needs hope. If these stories have touched your heart
• 2:01:08
  Speaker 1: and helped you understand more about the incredible sacrifice these
• 2:01:12
  Speaker 1: men made for their faith, I'd love for you to
• 2:01:14
  Speaker 1: share this video with your friends and family. Hit that
• 2:01:18
  Speaker 1: share button and help spread these powerful testimonies to others
• 2:01:22
  Speaker 1: who need to hear them. And if you enjoyed learning
• 2:01:25
  Speaker 1: about these biblical heroes, make sure to subscribe to our
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 1: channel and ring that notification bell so you won't miss
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: any of our upcoming videos about the amazing stories and
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 1: characters from Scripture. We have so many more incredible journeys
• 2:01:41
  Speaker 1: to explore together. Thank you for joining me on this
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 1: emotional and inspiring trip through history. Until next time, may
• 2:01:50
  Speaker 1: you be encouraged by the faithful example of these men
• 2:01:53
  Speaker 1: who counted nothing more precious than their relationship with Jesus Christ.
• 2:01:59
  Speaker 1: God bless you no