Mens Bible Studies on the Sermon on the Mount: Sermon On the Mount | MATTHEW 6:19-34

Friday, June 27, 2008

Sermon On the Mount | MATTHEW 6:19-34 | DEALING WITH MONEY AND ANXIETY

I. Introduction:

Note: We are going to take today about money and anxiety! So many of us are captive to anxiety. Jesus ties these two issues together.

However, once He has brought up the issue of money, He goes on to deal in more detail with what causes our anxiety, and it is not money itself. Jesus'

words may sound uncomfortable at first but they hold out to us the hope we need in dealing with worry.

We live in a very materialistic society, and yet since we are beings with bodies as well as a soul, I think these issues have always been

relevant in all types of societies.

II. The Issue of Proper Focus and Its Results: Matthew 6:19-24.

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 6:19-21.

Q What does verse 21 mean?

An = The word "heart" in Hebrew means not just "emotions" but includes the "mind" as well. In the Old Testament it is often translated

as "mind". However, since our mind includes the emotions as well as intellect the word "heart" can be understood by our English word "consciousness".

Jesus says what we really value is shown to us by what comes to our consciousness most often.

RQ What has preoccupied your mind lately? Is it finding a mate, a boyfriend, a certain girl, a job, financial pressures, a boat, a car, a

promotion?

Note: What we really treasure is where our heart is. I remember taking my wife on our first over night vacation months after our first

son was born. We were going to Mariposa (outside of Yosemite, which is beautiful) for a much needed rest. Our parents had our son and they were

excellent baby sitters with plenty of experience. However, we did not get to the end of the afternoon when my wife persuaded me to go back. Her

treasure was not in her needing an exciting, romantic, relaxing time, her treasure was that little boy! Her reaction is totally correct, totally

understandable and quite proper in Jesus' way of thinking!

I often have had my wife's priorities concerning our children, but I also must confess that money pressures, career opportunities, success

at the job have often been where my mind is.

RQ What is our treasure, because is that not where our heart or consciousness thinking is centered?

>>>> Have someone re-read Matthew 6:19-20.

Q Where is Jesus telling us not to have our treasures?

An = Not in things that are temporal. It is not because Jesus does not want us to enjoy or have earthly treasures, but because if they

become central we will be disappointed. Such treasures will disappoint because they will not last. Jesus wants us to enjoy forever what we have

set our hearts on!

It is an obvious fact of life, though one we often refuse to admit, that things in this earthly life are not lasting. The closer we come to

death, the truthfulness of what is said here becomes more and more obvious.

RQ If you win souls to Christ, or help others stay healthy spiritually, beings that will last forever, is not this the more valuable way to

spend one's youth?

RQ If this truth is so obvious, why do we human beings not see it?

RQ Why are we so caught up with things that are so obviously temporal?

Note: Perhaps, the answer is in what follows....

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 6:22-23.

Q What is Jesus saying here? How is the eye the lamp of the body?

Q What does a lamp provide?

An = light so that we can see. We cannot see if there is no light.

Q So what happens if your eye is bad?

An = The eye (if good) is the window (so to speak) for images to be seen in your brain. If your eye is defective, your brain cannot "see"

images. So if your eye is bad you are blind.

Note: Jesus is not talking here about literal eyesight, but spiritual or intellectual sight. Eyes in the Old Testament are the metaphor for

"perceptiveness". We have a little of this in English when we say: "Oh, now I see". If one sees then one perceives, one understands. If one has good

eyes that can see, then one can perceive the truth. If we have eyes that cannot see then we have no ability to see the truth.

A seminary friend once said: "The jaundice eye always sees yellow." In other words, if your blood is tinged with jaundice (a yellowing)

then what you see is filtered through a yellowed lens. Everything you see will be yellow. Similarly, Jesus says in Matthew 20:15 that man cannot

understand certain good actions if his "eye is envious". In other words, envy takes away proper perspective, proper understanding. So here, one's ability

to see truth can be blinded by having the wrong treasures.

If you choose in faith to value eternal treasures then you will "see life differently". It is a risk, however, to value eternal things over

things we can count, touch, and physically see. It is a "gamble", if you want to use a different word, that there is a heaven, a hell, and a God of

righteousness who will guarantee our eternal reward.

Q Can we be perceptive if we have wrong treasures?

Q Is having proper treasures optional?

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 6:24.

Q Is an eternal perspective optional?

An = God and money (the definition of "mammon") cannot both be worshipped. They will rival one another and a choice will have to be

made. Money can become an idol, a rival god. (I am sure Jesus' audience was automatically reflecting on Deuteronomy 6:5: "And you shall love the Lord

our God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your might." The average Israelite knew "idolatry was not an option". If was not an option,

then nor is it one now.

Q What if one cannot "see" that we cannot love both?

III. Basic Needs and Anxiety: Matthew 6:25-34.

Q How many of you have met Christians that are impractical and never handle their finances properly and call it faith?

Q How many of you know young people, who are naive, and do not think about the fact that bills do not pay themselves, will let you pay

them, but then challenge you to have faith?

Note: If you have met such folks, it is hard to take them seriously, however, one can be responsible and have faith. In fact, one has to be

responsible because whether one is a good Christian or not one still has to eat, to put on clothes, etc. Whether we are spiritual or not we have a body, a

physical body, and it needs to be fed and clothed.

If our body does not get fed or clothed, we die.... It is natural to be concerned about this, it is natural to have anxiety about our basic, daily

needs. Jesus knows this, anxiety is a real part of dealing with the reality of meeting our daily needs. So when He challenges us to be free of the love of

money, He knows that what He is telling us could make us more open to anxiety. It takes money, "mammon" to survive.

So Jesus addresses the issue of anxiety....

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 6:25.

Q What behavior is Jesus forbidding?

An = Anxiety, or worry about this life as to how we shall eat, drink, or be clothed.

Q How many times is the word worry or anxiety found in verses 25-34?

An = I count 5 times: 25,27,28,31,34. Obviously the next few verses are all about handling anxiety, worry or apprehension concerning

our daily needs. Jesus does not want us to be naive, or irresponsible, but free and for good logical reasons. Reasons we shall soon see.

Q Towards the end of verse 25, Jesus asks a rhetorical question (one that asks one to think about an issue, not formulate an answer)?

What is that question asking us to think about?

An = Is not life what we are more than the things that help it survive? Is not life more than just existence.

Note: Those who know this truth the best are often those who have excess of money. So many European and American (or rich Asian)

youth are so easily depressed, and have lost interest in life because they have plenty of food, plenty of clothes, but life is more than these.

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 6:26-30.

Q What two things in nature does Jesus ask us to observe and ponder?

An = birds of the air and the lilies of the field.

Q What can looking at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field teach us?

An = That God provides for them and they do not have barns or treasuries and though the lilies are incapable of clothing themselves they

are more beautifully attired than the wealthiest man on earth could accomplish.

Q Does anxiety help?

Q If anxiety cannot help, why do we humans do it?

Q Why do so many of us ruin our health, our joy, our enjoyment of what we do have with anxiety when worry does not help?

Q How would Matthew 6:21-23 answer that question?

An = We have the wrong treasures, non-eternal treasures, and it has blinded us to reality.

Q When we are anxious or consumed with worry, whom have we effectively proclaimed that we do not believe in?

Q Whom do we not have faith in?

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 6:31-32.

Q How is Jesus motivating us not be consumed with worry in the beginning of verse 32? What is His negative motivation?

An = We are like the Gentiles (the non-believers, who do not know the beauties of God as revealed to His people). We are pagan.

Q How is Jesus motivating us to be free of worry in a positive sense at the end of verse 32?

An = Realize who God is. Not only does He exist, but He is aware of(intimate with) our needs. If we have the right view of God it will

change us.

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 6:33-34.

Q Remember Jesus opens this section in verse 19-20 talking about having the proper mental focus, what are we to focus on here in

verse 33?

An = The reign of God and being righteous. If we focus properly all these valid, basic needs will be taken care of.

Q What does it mean to "seek the kingdom and His righteousness"? What does that mean for you?

Q What are we not to focus on according to verse 34?

An = What we cannot control, namely tomorrow.

Q Why is it not good to worry about tomorrow?

>>>> Have someone read Proverbs 18:10-11.

Q How do these two verses relate to Jesus' discussion?

Q Has God changed?

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Early Church Persecution

I pulled this great article from this Christian Author's Site:

INTRODUCTION

This article is an introductory look at the persecution of the early church. The Jewish social setting and subsequent persecution of the Christians by the Jews will be looked at first, followed by the Roman social setting and persecution of the Christians by the Romans.

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS BY JEWS - IN JERUSALEM

SOCIAL SETTING

Jewish Scholars point to the rejection of the Torah as the basis of the conflict between Christians and Jews, while many Christian scholars have pointed to the rejection of the Messiah as the basis of the conflict.1 A closer look at the complex social setting of Jerusalem during the first century will reveal a much more complex set of events.

Judaism of the first century was composed of eight very different groups of Jews. In the same way that it would be a gross misrepresentation to lump Mormons, Muslims and Atheists in the same category, so it would be likewise inaccurate to lump Jews of this time period into one category, simply based on their national or ethnic identity. Here is a brief overview of the various groups, focusing on the political aspects of their identity, since politics were at a fever pitch in this complex and struggling nation:

Sadducees: This was a group of wealthy Jews who controlled the Temple, which enabled them to continuously generate the financial resources to remain in power. While not completely embracing their Roman occupiers, they sided with the Romans to help themselves remain in power over the temple.

Am Ha- 'aretz: The people of the land. These were the segment of the common peasant population, which paid little attention to the observance of the Torah and seemed to shun the study of the Torah.2 This group would have included any Jews who proclaimed atheism and by and large held little political power.

Scribes: Literally translated as one who can write. These were the scholars of their day.

Essences: A sect which separated themselves from the cities, observing extreme purity and piety in the deserts, awaiting a sure eschaton to come in their generation, which would remove the foreign invaders from Judah and establish a new order.

Zealots and Sicarii: The Sicarii were the terrorists of their day. They would hide small knives under their garments and in the midst of busy crowds stab specific offenders. Politically they served to stir up sentiments of war against those they opposed.3

Hellenized Jews: An ever-growing population of Jews who were embracing the new order of Hellenism to the exclusion of Judaism. The reasons for this transformation were numerous, chief of which were financial and political gains that came with embracing and trading in Hellenized areas.

Pharisees: The people who were most focused on Torah worship and observing with rigid detail not only the laws of the Torah, but also the laws created to build a fence around the Torah. This group of people felt great pressure from multiple directions. They had the Sadducees controlling the temple, the Hellenized world enticing Jews to view Judaism as the old way, Hellenism as the wave of the future and the Roman government oppressing them. They were holding on to a belief that seemed to be fading away in this complex and changing world.

Going back to the initial arguments of why the Jews persecuted the Christians, Jewish scholars who point to the lack of Torah worship as the basis for the conflict discount the fact that many groups in this world were not observing the Torah, with little to no persecution being directed at them. Paul was said to have observed the Torah worship when in the company of Jews, but he still faced persecution.4 In addition, records found in the Dead Sea Scrolls speak of an anti-ritualistic sentiment within the Jewish population. Christian scholars who point to the rejection of the Messiah as the basis of the conflict fail to recognize than the Essences and other obscure sects used messiah language and some even claimed to be a messiah, yet there is no record of directed persecutions among those groups. To better understand what could have caused the persecution of the Christians within Jerusalem, the record of Christian activity in Acts must be observed.

In the first seven chapters of Acts, during the Apostles' witness to Jerusalem, the Apostles were found in the temple preaching. Those in attendance of such sermons would have been the Sadducees and Pharisees. The message of a new kingdom reserved only for those who professed Christ would have angered the Sadducees by threatening their power hold on the temple. As much as they would have desired freedom from foreign invaders their link with the Romans helped to keep them in power and thus the Christian message was an affront to their capital. Likewise, the same message would have been even more distasteful to the Pharisees. It would have struck the same already raw nerve of the invading Hellenism in that Christianity, like Hellenism, demoted the very symbols of their ethic solidarity of purity, food laws, Sabbath and circumcision. Judaism was once again being portrayed as obsolete by yet another new philosophy in the new, enlightened world.

It was not merely the message of the Christians that resulted in persecution, but the combination of the wrong message to the wrong people at the wrong time. Had the Christians been preaching their message to groups such as the Hellenized Jews or the Am Ha- 'aretz they would have probably been met with either acceptance or at worst disinterest. However, their choice of groups and venues ignited a powder keg that was already set to explode. Josephus observed this great hatred and unrest poised to strike back at the Hellenistic and Roman threats. In his autobiography he talks about his effort to defuse an impending revolt:

I perceived that innovations had already begun, and that there were a great many very much elevated in hopes of a revolt from the Romans. ... [I] Persuaded them to change their minds...and this I said with vehement exhortation, because I foresaw that the end of such a war would be most unfortunate to us. But I could not persuade them; for the madness of desperate men was quite too hard for me.5

Needless to say, "loving your enemies" was not met with the greatest enthusiasm.

So the motivation for the persecution of the Jews in Jerusalem changes, based on which group is being addressed. The Sadducees were fighting to maintain the established order, the Pharisees were fighting against the degeneration of the Torah worship and many others were poised to invoke a revolution against the Roman invaders. There was no one reason for the persecution, but rather a complex web of cause and effect relationships.

RESULTING PERSECUTION

In the eyes of the Roman government Christianity, which at this time had no official title, was seen as merely another religious segment within Judaism. With so many sects within the Jewish community, it is easy to see how Romans viewed Christians as merely one more peculiarity in a nation of peculiar people and religious beliefs. So the Jews had very little recourse in turning to the Romans to persecute Christians. This resulted in the trial and stoning of Stephen without help from the Roman authorities.6 While it was unusual for Jews to execute capital punishment under the Roman governance, it was not unheard of. In John's account of the trial before Pilot, Pilot tells the Jews to judge him themselves. They respond that it is not lawful for them to put anyone to death.7 However, in the context of them demanding Jesus be put to death, the comment by Pilot seems to suggest they were known for doing just such a thing, on occasion.

Before the stoning of Stephen, the Christians were living in Jerusalem, worshiping and praying in the temple daily. After the beginning of the Christian persecution in Jerusalem, they were forced out and subsequently began to travel to other cities, spreading the gospel to the Diaspora Jews first and the Gentiles second. It must also be noted here that the persecution of Christians by the Jews was not a unified effort. It was largely the Pharisees and the Sadducees who pressed for the persecutions.

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS BY JEWS - IN THE ROMAN WORLD

SOCIAL SETTING

Unlike the Jews of Jerusalem who viewed the Romans solely in terms of an enemy occupation, the Jews of the Diaspora had learned to co-exist with the Romans in a tense truce, having lived in many of the Roman cities for generations. The Roman Pagans had accepted the Jewish people as a reality and each group had their own butchers and did their own separate sacrifices for their meats to be sold in the marketplace. The Jews in the Roman Diaspora had also attained a measure of wealth and influence in the Roman world.8

RESULTING PERSECUTION

When Paul would arrive at a new city he would first go to the synagogue and preach to the Diaspora Jews. The Jews who rejected his message were often the ones who would go to the Roman authorities to incite them against Paul. This union of Roman and Jewish persecution of Christians is seen in Acts 14. In that story, the Jews go to the Roman authorities to seek Roman action, subsequently resulting in the punishment of stoning, which was the Jewish form of capital punishment.9

Jews who rejected the message of Paul, desired both to disassociate themselves and to prejudice authorities, portraying Christians as dangerous revolutionaries. It was a mass-conversion in Antioch when Christians first received a nickname differentiating themselves from their Jewish counterparts.10 This differentiation opened a new era of persecution from a Roman world that gave no such religious immunities to Christians, as it had for the Jews.

ROMAN PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

SOCIAL SETTING

It was not long before Christians became a recognizable and particularly detested segment of the Roman world. By 64 AD they were already so set that Nero was able to use them as a likely scapegoat in his Smokey the Bear campaign, which will be discussed in the next section.11

The problem with converted Christians is the way in which they broke from the social norms that were vastly important in the Roman world. From arranged marriages to well prepared dinner banquets for select guests, political positioning of families was key to survival in this world. However, when friends or political acquaintances converted to Christianity they would withdraw almost entirely from the political structure. They refused to partake in the festivals and games, rejecting the gods, which they felt kept their nation strong for so long. They rejected the divinity of the Emperor--a sin that the gods would not allow go unpunished for long. They even refused to partake in joyous sexual ritual prostitution and lively drinking bouts. In addition, some of the Christians refused the meat from the markets, because it was routine for the cuts to be part of the sacrificial system. And most personal, they refused invitations to dine with other long time friends and families. These kill-joys were shunning their former political alliances and beginning to make enemies out of one time allies and friends.12

The difficulty for Christians only compounded as the tensions leading to the persecutions grew. For Jewish Christians the temptation to fall back to their safe Jewish roots in which they were raised also held the lure of being able to once again claim Jewish religious legal immunity. Gentile Christians had no natural link to this religion with its' roots in Judaism and no political power to protect or aid them or their families. The fact that the Christian church was able to survive was nothing short of a miracle.13

RESULTING PERSECUTIONS

The ten persecutions of the Christians spanning from 64 AD to 313 AD was ascribed by the fourth century Christian church as the ten horns of the beast in Revelation and by the ten plagues seen in Egypt.15 The persecutions, each with varying motives and reasons, all share the same peculiar markings in that while the persecutions were historically verifiable, no recorded laws have survived that specify reasons for the persecutions. As the persecutions evolved from one generation to the next, the subsequent generation seemed to use the past persecutions as edict enough for continuing or reigniting them. For example, in response to Pliny on how to deal with and prosecute Christians, Emperor Trajan writes, "No general rule can be laid out in fixed terms." However, he does say unequivocally, "Certain accusations published anonymously should not be entertained on any charge. For they both set a very bad precedence and are alien to the spirit of our age." Pliny was content in sentencing Christians to death for simply being too stubborn in their holding to Christianity in the face of certain death.16

Stemming from the second persecution under Domitian, the charge of refusing to worship the Imperial Cult seemed to be the first and great charge against the Christians. Some have argued that atheism was the charge against Christians; however, atheism in and of itself was not a crime in the Roman Empire. If, though, Christianity was held to with such stubbornness that one refused to pay alms to the Imperial Cult, then the subject was in violation of law. However, the worship of the Imperial Cult was not an issue until the reign of Domitian who, unlike his predecessors, forced the people to address him as their "Lord and their God" during his lifetime, and not after--when Caesars ascended to the level of a god. Domitian even had coins made bearing his likeness that read "father of the gods."17

THE TEN PERSECUTIONS

1. Persecution under Nero 67 AD -- Nero burned a great portion of Rome in a fire that lasted nine days. When word got out that Nero started the fire an uproar forced him to find a scapegoat and so he blamed Christians. During this first great persecution of the Christians Nero started a trend that lasted throughout all ten of the persecutions in that he devised new and increasingly gruesome punishments, including sewing animal skins to Christians and releasing wild dogs to eat them alive. He also put shirts dipped in wax on some of the Christians and then lit them on fire, using them to illuminate his gardens for his invited guests. His acts were so heinous that even the Romans felt sorrow toward the Christians. Paul and Peter died in this first round of persecution.18

2. Persecution under Domitian 81 AD -- Known for cruelty, he killed his brother and many senators, some due to his hatred of them and others to simply confiscate their lands. He also ordered the death of the entire lineage of David. His persecution of Christians stemmed from their refusal to worship him as a god, something most emperors up to this point refused to accept. Among those killed during this persecution was Simeon, the Bishop of Jerusalem. He tried to boil John alive, but when he miraculously survived he was banished to Patmos. Timothy was beaten by a crowd of people on their way to celebrate a pagan feast. He was beaten so badly that he died from his wounds two days later. During the persecution, if any famine pestilence or earthquake happened, the blame was laid on the Christians.19

3. Persecution under Trajan 108 AD -- Much the same continued regarding Imperial Cult worship during Trajan's reign. Ignatius was the most famous of the martyrs of this persecution.20

4. Persecution under Marcus Aurelius Antonius 162 AD -- So brutal were the means by which these martyrs were persecuted that it is said the Pagan onlookers would shutter with horror at the sights and some became converts at, "A faith which inspired such fortitude." Polycarp and Justin Martyr were given crowns of martyrdom during this persecution.21

5. Persecution commencing with Severus 192 AD -- The age of Tertullian, who said that if the Christians removed themselves from Rome at this time, it would have suffered a great depopulation. In a reversal of the source of the persecutions a Christian healed Emperor Severus of a sickness, but the multitudes demanded the execution of Christians and the reapplication of the defunct Imperial Cult laws to apply to Christians. Many who suffered martyrdom under this persecution fell during games at the amphitheaters. Leonidus, father of Origen was beheaded during this persecution.22

6. Persecution under Maximus 235 AD -- In Cappadocia the president Seremianus did all he could to exterminate the Christians from that province. During this time Christians were martyred without trial and their bodies were cast into pits as many as 50 or 60 at a time.23

7. Persecution under Decius 249 AD -- There were two causes of this persecution. First, Decius hated his predecessor Philip, who was deemed a Christian and second he was jealous of the rampant growth of Christianity, causing the heathen temples to decrease in attendance. By this time many schisms in the Church body had formed and the persecution was met by a divided Church. Fabian, Bishop of Rome was entrusted by Philip to care for his treasure. When Decius seized it and found less than he expected he had Fabian decapitated--the first martyrdom of this persecution. Many soon followed with yet another new set of imaginative deaths to befall those refusing to renounce Christ. Of note, Origen, like his father before him, was sentenced to death. He was thrown in prison where his feet were pierced and his legs were stretched for several days. He was threatened by fire and tortured with long, slow pains such as these for days upon days. However, before any death could befall him, Emperor Decius died and his successor Gallus engaged in a war with the Goths, leaving the Christians with a respite. Origen, having been given a release, retired to his home and died of natural causes five years later. During the reign of Gallus a plague broke out in the empire. So Gallus ordered sacrifices be made by all in the empire. When Christians refused the magistrates had many of them put to death.24

8. Persecution under Valerian 257 AD -- This emperor likewise invented new and distasteful ways of persecuting Christians. Most interesting, however, was the turn of events that marked the end of this, one of the greatest persecutions of the church. Sapor, the King of Persia, captured Valerian and literally used him as a footstool when he mounted his horses. After subjecting him to be a slave in his kingdom for eight years the Persian king then had Valerian's eyes put out. Still seeking more gruesome ways to torment him, he had Valerian flayed alive and then rubbed with salt until he died.25

9. Persecution under Aurelian 274 AD -- The reign of Aurelian, though not this persecution, was short-lived as his own servants put him to death. However, the following emperors who replaced him (and subsequently were likewise met with quick ends) continued the persecution.26

10. Persecution under Diocletian 303 AD -- Commonly called the Era of martyrs. Christians were increasing and becoming wealthy. On February 23, 303 Diocletian set forth his work to extinguish Christianity in one day. Watching on from on high the churches were raided, razed to the ground, and the documents burned. Not satisfied with just this, he purposely burned a portion of the city so that he could blame the Christians and further his cause. Countless Christians were martyred in an endless number of ways. The entire city of Phrygia, known for all of its inhabitants being Christian, was burned to the ground with all the people of the city dying in the fire. The torture and martyrdom was so severe that several pagan governors accused the Imperial Court with impropriety. Because of this, some Christians escaped death, but not before having their ears cut off, right eyes poked out, noses slit, limbs dislocated with such severity that they were rendered useless, and finally branded with red-hot irons.27

One final item of note: The persecution of the Christians was not a continuing event in the Roman Empire. With some expected exceptions, the time in between these distinct persecutions was rather peaceful for the Church. With each new emperor however, they were met with new uncertainties.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the reasons for the various persecutions of the Christians were as varied and complex as the world in which the early church lived. It is a mistake to oversimplify the issue in an effort to categorize it. As has been documented, Christians suffered persecution from both Jews and Gentiles. The reasons for the persecutions varied with each group, as well as from within each group. There is much speculation as to the motives and reasons behind the persecutions. However, there are very few surviving documents, legal or otherwise, which express the grounds for such persecutions, other than the fact that they were simply, "Christians."

WORKS CITED

Fox, John. Fox' Book of Martyrs. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962.

Hare, Douglas R. A. The Theme of Jewish persecution of the Christians in the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967.

Josephus, Flavius. The Works of Flavius Josephus, Translated by William Whiston. Philadelphia, PA: Henry T. Coates & CO.

Roetzel, Calvin. The World That Shaped the New Testament. London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.

Whittaker, Molly. Jews & Christians: Graeco-Roman Views. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.

Workman, Herbert. Persecution in the Early Church. London: The Epworth Press, 1923.

APPENDIX

Christian and Pagan Primary Sources Speaking of the Persecution

This information is taken largely from Molly Whittaker's Jews and Christians: Graeco-Roman Views. See the Works Cited Page for more details. This is not intended as an exhaustive list.

New Testament:

Mark 15:39

Matthew 27:54

Luke 23:47

Acts 11:19-26

Acts 13:42-50

Acts 14:1-6

Acts 14:18-20

Acts 16:13-40

Acts 17:1-9

Acts 17:10-14

Acts 17:17-21

Acts 17:32-33

Acts 18:12-18

Acts 19:23ff

Acts 19:40

Acts 22:25-9

Acts 23:26-33

Acts 24:22-7

Romans 13:1-6

I Peter 4:12-16

Hebrews 10:32-4

Revelation 2:13ff

Early Christian Sources:

Ignatius Letter to Romans 5.1

Martydom of Polycarp 1-19

Justin martyr Apology 2.9-20

Acts of Justin

Letter of the Gallican Church

Octavius 8.3-5

Octavius 9.1-6

Octavius 10.1-4

Octavius 31.1-2

Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs

Origen Celsum 1.9

Origen Celsum 1.28

Origen Celsum 2.55

Origen Celsum 3.12

Origen Celsum 3.55

Origen Celsum 5.14

Origen Celsum 7.9

Origen Celsum 8.24

Origen Celsum 8.67-9

Origen Celsum 1.28

Galen Reference 6 (Pg. 15)

Epictetus 4.7.6

Lucian On the Death of Peregrinus 333-8; 341

Alexander the False Prophet 232.25; 244.38-245

Tertullian Apology 50

Pagan Sources:

Tacitus Ann. 13.32.3-5

Tacitus Ann. 15.44.2-8

Life of Nero 16

Pliny Letter 10.96.1-10

Pliny Letter 10.97

FOOTNOTES

1. Douglas R. A. Hare, The Theme of Jewish persecution of the Christians in the Gospel According to St. Matthew (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967), 2.

2. Calvin J. Roetzel, The World That Shaped the New Testament, (London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 59f.

3. Ibid, 57ff.

4. Hare, 6f.

5. Flavius Josephus, The Works of Flavius Josephus, trans. William Whiston (Philadelphia, PA: Henry T. Coates & CO.), 3.

6. Molly Whittaker, Jews & Christians: Graeco-Roman Views, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984), 133.

7. John 18:31

8. Whittaker, 133

9. Whittaker also notes similar incidents in 13:42-50, 17:1-9, 10-14, (Whittaker, 133).

10. Acts 11:19-26

11. Whittaker, 134.

12. Ibid, 133f.

13. Ibid, 133.

14. Revelations 17:3, 6.

15. Herbert B. Workman, Persecution in the Early Church, (London: The Epworth Press, 1923), 9.

16. Wittaker, 134.

17. Roetzel, 113f.

18. John Fox, Fox' Book of Martyrs, (New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962), 5f.

19. Ibid, 6f.

20. Ibid, 7f.

21. Ibid, 8ff.

22. Ibid, 12f.

23. Ibid, 14.

24. Ibid, 14ff.

25. Ibid, 18ff.

26. Ibid, 22ff.

27. Ibid, 24ff.

seo

This Nashville SEO article is reprinted with permission.

Choosing a reputable SEO in Nashville, Tennessee can be daunting, considering that there is so little knowledge available on what to look for. Companies paying for advertisements in the Nashville Scene, Citysearch or the Tennessean are trying to attach their name to the credibility of those established organizations, but it does help you choose a top ranked or top rated SEO Firm. So we here at Nashville SEO Info are going to give you the four key scams to watch out for, when searching for an SEO Firm as good as ours:

SEO WANNA-BE’S

Search engine optimization is one of those unknown fields that has no established standards. Anyone can say they are an SEO or can do SEO work, but that does not mean they have the talent, time or tools to produce any results. There are also programs that claim to help search engine ranking. They do not work either. Period.

An easy way to spot an unknowledgeable SEO or a web designer who poses as an SEO is to ask them if they optimized your site when they designed it. They will answer, "Oh yeah, I optimized it."

That is equivalent to saying, "Oh yeah, I've been worked out." Working out and SEO are never one time events. They are always on-going projects.

SEO SUBMISSION SCAMS

A lot of companies will also call people and tell them that they will submit their sites to 2000 directories, which will build their search engine ranking. It is a form of link campaigning--albeit lopsided and one-dimensional. The problem with these "auto-submissions" is that the directories to which they are submitting have safe-guards in place to reject these kinds of mass submissions. Now, here is the scam: the company has technically done what they promised they would do, SUBMIT your site, even though 99% of those submissions will be rejected and thus be of no use to building a client’s search engine ranking.

SEO KEYWORD SCAMS

Another prevalent scam in the industry is for SEOs to try to gull you into letting them pick the phrases to dominate. For instance, say you are real estate agent and your website is: www.MollyLynnMorganRealEstate.com

A scam SEO will come to you and say, "We can get you a #1 ranking for ‘Molly Lynn Morgan Real Estate." They can probably do that for you. Unfortunately, none of your potential clients are going to Google and typing in that phrase.

More sophisticated SEOs will come to you and tell you, "I will try to get you the ranking 'Real Estate in Middle Tennessee.'" That sounds like a wonderful phrase to dominate, but their data has told them that no legitimate SEOs are going after that phrase; because, again, while it might sound good, very few people are actually typing that in. People are actually most often using either 'Nashville Real Estate' or 'Nashville Tennessee Real Estate.'

What a legitimate SEO will do (like we do here at Nashville SEO Info) is to show you the actual data. We will show you the exact numbers of how many people per month are searching for the product or services you offer and what exact keyphrases they are typing in. We won’t go after any of the silly phrases above. We will show you the data AND LET YOU CHOOSE!

BLACK HAT SEO

There are short cuts that can be used to quickly build a ranking. These shortcuts involve “spammy” techniques that are referred to as Black Hat SEO. One of these techniques includes overloading a website with keywords. This works temporarily, but once the Google algorithm figures out what the site is doing, they will banish the site to what is referred to as “Google hell.” This simply means that the site is marked to never be allowed to have a good ranking in the system.

SEOs will sometimes do this because it is the easier than doing the work the honest way. In the long run, the hard, honest way is more effective and far more safe, but it does take longer. A few years ago BMW of Germany hired an SEO firm. This SEO firm applied some black hat techniques and Google found out. BMW of Germany was banished to Google hell and the auto giant spent the next few years and millions of dollars wooing Google to allow them back in to the system. Google finally agreed, but unless you have millions of dollars and the power of a automotive giant, you have to be careful who you allow to do SEO work on your behalf.

We at Nashville SEO Info know where the line is and we stay miles away from it. This puts us in a position where we end up having to do more work to achieve our results, but it ensures that once we attain high rankings for our clients, they will never have to worry about Google one day deleting their site!

Mens Bible Studies on the Sermon on the Mount

Friday, June 27, 2008

Sermon On the Mount | MATTHEW 6:19-34 | DEALING WITH MONEY AND ANXIETY

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