Europe and the Church Part 4: Union of Church and State

Even in this very secular age, many European countries continue a tradition established in the fourth century of a close relationship between church and state. The origins of this system take us back to one of the most significant leaders in history—Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

A bust of Emperor Constantine the Great stands outside York Minster in the north of England. This is where the young pagan military commander was proclaimed emperor by loyal troops upon the death of his father, Constantius. The year was A.D. 306.

Constantine the Great remains one of the most significant political figures of all time.

But Constantine's accession to the throne was not welcomed throughout the empire. During the following years, he had to fight for his position, finally emerging victorious after a battle at the Milvian Bridge near Rome, on Oct. 28, 312.

"In this sign, conquer!"

Immediately prior to the battle, Constantine was said to have seen a vision in the sky of a flaming cross with the Latin words in hoc signo vinces above it. The words mean, "In this sign, conquer!" Constantine immediately ordered that all the shields and standards of the army should carry the Christian symbol, a monogram of the first two letters of the Greek word Christos. Supposedly, the young emperor had changed his religion.

While many down through the centuries have believed the simple account of Constantine's vision and conversion to Christianity, others have questioned it. "The cross that appeared in the sky...and the banner in the form of a cross which mysterious messengers are supposed to have delivered to Constantine, were evidently a product of the public's imagination. The reality was the victory of Constantine and the issuance of the Edict of Milan between February and June of 313, which declared the freedom of all and any religious cult" (Claudio Rendina, The Popes: Histories and Secrets, 2002, p. 40).

Victorious in battle, Constantine was about to change the fortunes of the Christian church dramatically. "As a result, the person of the emperor became popular with the Christians, appearing as a protector of their religion" (ibid., p. 40). A new relationship was born—a special relationship between church and state that continued down through the centuries of European history.

From persecution to triumph

Prior to Constantine, the Christian church had endured waves of successive persecutions. For 250 years, the various emperors of Rome had tried, with varying intensity, to wipe out the Christians. But they had not succeeded. A major contributory cause of the intense persecutions was that the loyalty of both Jews and Christians was constantly questioned, as they would not comply with the laws that required emperor worship.

Even in the time that Constantine was the emperor in the West, Galerius, the emperor in the East, continued to persecute Christians, until he was on his deathbed. Six days before Galerius' death he permitted Christians to practice their faith, on condition they prayed for him.

In an incredible twist, when Constantine needed a new religion to unite the empire, the Christian church offered a solution. "Constantine...put order and stability, the rule of law, before any other religious consideration" (Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity, 1979, p. 88.)

"The main reason why he had favored Christianity...was because he believed that it would encourage unity in the empire" (Michael Grant, Constantine the Great, 1993, p. 161).

Constantine had "not much knowledge of the Bible" (ibid., p. 151). However, he was inadvertently contributing to the fulfillment of biblical prophecies about the Roman Empire and the close relationship that would develop between it, its successors and the church to which it gave recognition.

"The relationship between the church and the emperors starting with Constantine to the end of the Roman Empire in the East (also known as the Byzantine Empire , AD 330-1453) worked much like a marriage. Much of it was improvised, and the lovers quarreled at times and manipulated each other to get what they wanted" (Bradley Nassif, "A Marriage Made in Byzantium," Christian History, Winter 2005).

"He [Constantine] was also the divinely appointed defender of the faith, the 'pontifex maximus' —a Christianized pagan title for the supreme leader of religion which effectively made the church a department of the state. This meant that heresy and treason were equated. In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian described the relationship between church and empire as a harmonious 'symphony'" (ibid.).

The Bible does not describe the relationship as a "harmonious symphony" or as a marriage. Rather, it describes the union as one of "fornication" (Revelation 17:2). The analogy is appropriate. Whereas in a marriage, a man and wife ideally give themselves to each other, a couple that is fornicating is simply trying to get from each other. There is no real commitment, or they would marry. Fornication then is an uneasy relationship. This is the way it has been between church and state through the centuries.

"Constantine really thought he was above the Church, a 'bishop of the bishops' (to use his own description)...But he did not understand the profound spiritual significance of Christianity. He imposed it for purely political motives that, for him, meant above all the security of the State. And for it he even resorted to assassination, liquidating his colleague of the East, Licinius, and condemning to death certain family members, like his second wife Fausta and his son Crispus" (Redina, p. 41). Clearly, the "Christian" Constantine had no qualms about breaking the laws of God, including the command that forbids murder.

Council of Nicea

Constantine plainly used the church to achieve imperial unity. Even this, however, did not go according to plan. The church was greatly divided over a number of issues. In an attempt to bring greater unity, the emperor convened a council at his expense to enable religious leaders to meet at one of his palaces. The historic Council of Nicea took place in A.D. 325.

"It is not certain who was selected as chairman of the Council...Yet it was to Constantine, who held such strong views about the subordination of church to state, that everyone looked" (Grant, p. 172).

"If Constantine really hoped that his intervention might prove effective, it can only have been, once again, because he was more concerned about imperial unity, which he regarded as all-important, than about theological principles, which seemed to him so pettifogging and pedantic" (Grant, p. 170).

"Shut up and become united"

Earlier, he had "told the contestants to shut up and become united" (ibid.). Unity was extremely important to the emperor, who had fought constant battles for many years in an attempt to unite the empire. "For he liked the idea of backing Christianity because he wanted to have its effective organization on his side" (ibid., p. 151).

"Constantine was not a theologian—in fact, at the time, he was technically not even a Christian! But his push for closure resulted in consensus after only one day. His main goal was imperial unity, not theological accuracy" (Nassif). The emperor was not a Bible student and not even a Christian at the time of the council, but he was still clearly "in control of religion" (Grant, p. 166).

"The order of the day was to resolve the question about the eternity and divine status of the Son of God" (John Anthony McGuckin, "The Road to Nicaea," Christian History, Winter 2005).

This should be clearly understood: The issue of exactly who Jesus Christ was and His relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit was resolved by a biblically illiterate non-Christian serial killer in a single day! This is, to put it mildly, a highly questionable basis for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity!

The Trinity was not the only doctrine Constantine imposed on the church.

He was also responsible for sanctioning Sunday as the official day of rest, thereby without any biblical authority changing the true seventh-day Sabbath observed by Jesus Christ and the apostles to a day that had been observed by pagan Romans in honor of the sun god.

Constantine, "too, was apparently behind the elevation of Sunday as a public holiday and day of rest, despite a manifest solar [pagan] background. 'All magistrates, city-dwellers and artisans,' decreed Constantine in 321, 'are to rest on the venerable day of the Sun...the day celebrated by the veneration of the Sun should not be devoted to swearing and counter-swearing of litigants, and their ceaseless brawling" (ibid., p. 184).

Another issue resolved during the council was the date of Easter, supposedly the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus.

"One of the most vexing problems in the early church concerned when to celebrate Easter. The Greek-speaking Eastern church insisted that it had to be on the date of Jesus' resurrection [actually, His death]—Nisan 14, the Jewish Passover—regardless of the day of the week. The Western, Latin-speaking church, on the other hand, decreed that it had to be on the day of the resurrection—[which they believed was] Sunday—regardless of the date. The Council of Nicaea decided that Easter should be celebrated on a Sunday" (Paul L. Maier, "Taking Care of (Church) Business," Christian History, Winter 2005).

For biblical proof that the resurrection was neither on Nisan 14 nor Sunday, please download or request our free booklet Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?

A very different church

It should be clear to dedicated Bible students that the church Constantine presided over was very different from the Church of Jesus Christ and the first-century apostles.

The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians, "Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Clearly, it is possible for Satan and ministers who serve his purpose to pass themselves off as Christians.

Jesus had said: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). His disciples knew that His Kingdom would not be established until His second coming. They had asked: "When will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3).

The early Church understood that the Kingdom of God would be established at Christ's return, not by a quasi-political church organization. By the time of Emperor Constantine, the church believed itself to be the Kingdom of God on earth.

That church had also become a vital component of the state's administrative system. "Constantine was said to have placed the entire resources of the state at the disposal of the papacy" (Grant, p. 198).

Constantine certainly changed religion from that of his predecessors. After him, other pagan emperors wore the purple. A new relationship between church and state began under Constantine that continues to this day.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the century following Constantine, it was the church that would carry on the Roman language, Roman laws, Roman system of government and many of the beliefs of the Roman religion. The church would also give its blessing to successive revivals of the Roman Empire, thereby fulfilling the prophecies of your Bible.

Jesus is Lord

Jesus is Lord! The Bible says that our Lord Jesus Christ is “the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.”

What does this mean? A Lord is someone who is in charge; who runs things; who has authority. In past days someone might be called the lord in his business if he is in charge. So to be called the “Lord of lords” means you are in supreme authority; over all other lords; the master of everything.

Jesus Christ is truly the Lord of lords. He is our master. He has all wisdom and all authority. The Bible tells the story of a man who went on a long journey and when he was away he entrusted his estate to others. He was gone, but he was still the master of the estate. When he returned, he once again took charge, because the estate was still his even when he was gone.

So, too, Jesus Christ has gone into heaven; but He is still Lord. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The wonderful news is that our Lord Jesus Christ not only is all powerful, He is also loving and kind and good and forgiving. So while we are here on this earth we have the privilege of bowing the knee to our Lord Jesus. We should serve Him and obey Christ and make Him the Lord of every area of our lives.

So, this week, let us pray and

• Ask Jesus Christ to be the Lord of every part of our lives
• Ask God to help all your family and loved ones accept Jesus Christ as Savior
• Ask Christ to establish His Lordship over the entire earth -- “May Your Kingdom come”
• Ask God to protect and bless the donors and staff and volunteers of Global Media Outreach

THANK YOU so much for your prayers. Let us all join together in service to our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy to receive all praise and all honor and all glory. Some day all of us who have accepted Him here on earth will have the joyful privilege of worshipping Him together in heaven.

May God bless you,

GROWTH in Christ

Making Christ Lord of your life is the most important decision you can make.

Just like a seed in the ground cannot grow without water and sunshine neither can you grow in your Christian faith without certain key elements. The Bible says, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ with every detail of your life. It must start with getting to know Jesus better, because you can’t trust someone you don’t know. Try these:

G – Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7)
R – Read God’s Word daily (Acts 17:11) – begin with the gospel of John
O – Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21)
W – Witness for Christ by your life and word (Matthew 4:19 & John 15:8)
T – Trust God with every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7)
H – Holy Spirit – Allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness (Galatians 5:16-17; Acts 1:8)

I would like to help you grow in your new Christian faith. There are some great materials at http://www.growinginchrist.com/ (click on “Develop”) which can help you be sure you are a Christian; give you some basics about the Christian life; and teach you how to pray and learn from the Bible. At www.greatcom.org/spirit you will discover the crucial role the Holy Spirit will play in your life as a Christian.

History's Twists and Turns

Great events of history and prophecy often occur in ways we cannot foretell and arise out of events that, at least on the surface, appear to be a solution to a crisis. Such was the case with the unexpected rise to power of Adolf Hitler in Germany in 1933.

Germany was in the grip of economic depression. The Weimar Republic had failed to provide a recovery in the post—World War I years. The heavy penalty of reparations imposed by the victorious Allied powers left the country crippled, its pride bitterly bruised. Into this breach stepped Hitler and his National Socialist Party. The Austrian corporal had organized a movement in southern Germany that had galvanized many who were looking for a way forward under strong, dynamic leadership. Germans strongly desired a restoration of German pride in power and strength, along with a place among the nations. Stability, prosperity and security were fundamental promises made by Hitler's movement.

On Jan. 30, 1933, Hitler was sworn in as chancellor of Germany after a legal election. But his Nazi party did not hold a majority in the Reichstag, the parliament, thwarting his plans for total power. New parliamentary elections were called and held on March 5. The Nazis gained seats but still fell short of the clear majority that Hitler desired to establish his dictatorship by consent of the parliament.

Through a series of quick agreements, Hitler managed to gain what he wanted. The Reichstag was "asked to pass an enabling act conferring on Hitler's cabinet exclusive legislative powers for four years. Put even more simply, the German Parliament would be requested to turn over its constitutional functions to Hitler and take a long vacation" (William Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, 1960, p. 196).

This took place on March 23 and formed the basis for Hitler's dictatorship. Hitler was able to boast he was the legal ruler of Germany. All this occurred in less than 60 days. Events can move quickly. The rest is history.

In this issue of World News and Prophecy we continue the series on "Europe and the Church" in history and prophecy. We are writing the series to give a sense of perspective to the crisis of leadership among governments today. Revelation 17 describes a complex picture of events hinting at unexpected twists and turns. A political leader emerges with power given by others who are of "one mind" (verse 13). Later comes a twist where the "ten horns...on the beast...will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire" (verse 16). These are headline-making events, and it is frankly impossible for us to see in advance how they will happen.

But happen they will because God will put His purpose into the hearts of men to bring His prophetic plan to pass (verse 17). We don't have to know the details in advance, but God gives us the broad overview of understanding. It is our spiritual duty to watch and keep our spiritual lives above reproach. This is what Christ shows as the way to avoid the deception of the end times (Revelation 16:15).

From an understanding of history we can conclude that human events can take dramatic turns beyond what well-intentioned people can control. God controls the ultimate course of history and nothing will be done to prevent the conclusion of this age of man and the dawn of His ruling Kingdom on earth. Ground your worldview in the Bible. Continue to study Christ's warnings to discern the times.

Europe and the Church, Part 3: The Early Church

The first Christians expected Jesus Christ to return in their lifetime, bringing an end to the Roman Empire. But the empire was set to continue for many centuries. The relationship between the early Church and the state caused turmoil in the Church and led to the development of a very different church.

by Melvin Rhodes

Jesus Christ came "preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14).

In Luke 9:1-2 we see the 12 disciples were also sent out to preach this central message of the coming Kingdom of God. "Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."

After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see the apostles preaching the same message. The apostle Paul, who was called to be an apostle after the original 12, "went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God" (Acts 19:8). At the end of the same book we see Paul continuing in "preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him" (Acts 28:31).

The Jews of Christ's time and the early Christians, many of whom were Jewish by birth, were very aware of Old Testament prophecies about the Kingdom. They were familiar with the prophecies revealed in the book of Daniel, which had been revealed to Daniel in the sixth century before Christ.

When the disciples asked Jesus: "What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of this age?" (Matthew 24:3), He replied with a quote from the book of Daniel: "Therefore, when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet..." (Matthew 24:15).

The same book of Daniel revealed a sequence of successive gentile empires that would all have a profound impact on the Jewish people. Daniel had been taken as a slave to Babylon, the first of these empires, during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar in 604 B.C. God used him powerfully. In Daniel chapter 2 we see God using this prophet to reveal to Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of a dream. In his dream, the king saw a progression of four great empires, the first of which was his (Daniel 2:36-38). After Babylon another great kingdom would arise, Persia, "then another," Greece (verse 39).

After these three, there would come a "fourth kingdom," the Roman Empire (verse 40). This would be followed by the Kingdom of God: "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed" (verse 44).

Inevitably, the expectation of the early Christians was of the imminent return of the Messiah.

For much of his ministry the apostle Paul himself thought that Christ's return was near. He wrote to the Thessalonians: "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:15). He wrote similar words to the Corinthian church: "We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51).

What they did not understand was that the Roman Empire would last for centuries. After the final demise of the Latin Western Empire in A.D. 476, there were to be 10 prophesied revivals of the empire down through history, culminating eventually in the second coming of the Messiah. God prophesied this in Daniel 7:7:

"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns."

A horn is a symbol of royal power. After the fall of the Western Empire, there were to be 10 revivals of the empire, leading ultimately to Christ's return.

"I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated...and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him" (verses 9, 13).

It was not for the early Christians to know how long it would be before Christ's return. The disciples' asked Christ immediately prior to His ascension into heaven: "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Consider Christ's answer: "It is not for you to know times and seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:6-7).

Not only was the Messiah returning after their lifetime, the early Church was to come under an onslaught of persecution.

Persecution

After much of central Rome was destroyed in the disastrous fire of A.D. 64, Emperor Nero blamed the Christians. Nero himself is thought to have been the likely arsonist, but he blamed Christians as convenient scapegoats. They were a new religion that rejected the Roman gods and refused to worship the supposedly divine emperors. Additionally, their preaching of a coming King and Kingdom could be considered treasonous.

Terrible persecution resulted as Christians were cruelly martyred for their beliefs. The apostle Paul was among those arrested and apparently executed. He reminded Christians that Jesus Christ had predicted His followers would suffer persecution (John 15:20), adding, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12).

It appears that the apostle Peter was executed about the same time as Paul. Persecution was only set to worsen.

Between A.D. 66 and 70, the province of Judea revolted against the Romans, which helped to turn the peoples of the empire against the Jews. As the early Christians were considered a sect of Judaism and shared many beliefs in common with the Jews, including observance of the seventh-day Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, Christians also suffered the wrath that came down upon the Jews.

Turmoil in the Church

By this time, some of Christ's followers had left the faith. Others were compromising with the pagan religion of Rome. Eventually, such compromising would lead to a form of Christianity that was very different from that of the early Christians.

There had been false Christians from the beginning, the "tares" mixed in with the wheat that Jesus Himself had warned about in Matthew 13:24-30. Judas Iscariot had betrayed Him. Later, the apostles had to contend with Simon the Sorcerer, who "also believed," but who corrupted the faith (Acts 8:9-24).

The apostle Paul warned the Galatians about their "turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6). A similar warning was given to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11:4.

Later, Paul warned that after his "departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves" (Acts 20:29-30). He even said that Satan's ministers would actually transform themselves into "ministers of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:15), just as "Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (verse 14), passing himself off as a fake Messiah.

After the death of the apostles Paul and Peter, later in his ministry the apostle John observed that many members had left the fledgling Church. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us" (1 John 2:19).

In his second epistle he wrote that "many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist" (2 John 7).

Things worsened. In his final epistle he wrote about a Church leader, perhaps the pastor, casting the truly faithful out of the congregation (3 John 9-10).

Jude wrote, encouraging the faithful "to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed...ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 3-4).

Syncretism was taking place. (This is a mixture of religious philosophies, which in this case was a blend of human-devised concepts with the original teachings of Scripture.) Some Christians were compromising to fit more into Roman society.

The apostle John was the last surviving apostle. Under the Emperor Domitian (81-96) he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. Domitian cruelly persecuted the Jews and the Christians, who were indistinguishable to the Romans.

There on Patmos John received the Revelation of Jesus Christ. This book finally helped the true followers of Jesus Christ to see that His return would be in the distant future.

In the first century of the Christian era, Church and state were in conflict. The relationship between Church and state was to be a constant theme throughout history. It wasn't until the fourth century, over 200 years later, that an attempt would be made to reconcile the two—but by that time, the church (a physical and political organization) was very different from the Church (the spiritual body) of Jesus Christ and the apostles.

The Ninth Commandment: Truth as a Way of Life

How important is truth? To fully appreciate the Ninth Commandment, with its prohibition of lying, we must realize how important truth is to God.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).

What do the Scriptures tell us about God, His Word and truth? Notice what several verses tell us: "Every word of God is pure . . ." (Proverbs 30:5). Daniel refers to God's Word as "the Scripture of Truth" (Daniel 10:21). Jesus Christ said of God the Father, "Your word is truth" (John 17:17).

The Bible throughout teaches that "God is not a man, that He should lie" (Numbers 23:19). It explains that "the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth" (Psalm 33:4) because He is a "God of truth" (Deuteronomy 32:4). And "His truth endures to all generations" (Psalm 100:5).

As the source of truth, God requires that His servants always speak truthfully. Under God's inspiration, King David writes: "Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbour no wrong and casts no slur on his fellow-man . . . [and] who keeps his oath even when it hurts" (Psalm 15:1-3, NIV).

God expects truth to permeate every facet of our lives.

Christ and the truth

Restoring regard for truth as a universal way of life will be a priority when Jesus Christ returns to establish His rule. "Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain'" (Zechariah 8:3).

Looking forward to Christ's rule in the Kingdom of God, Psalm 85 reveals the emphasis God will place on righteousness and truth. "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the LORD will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway" (verses 9-13).

At that time Jesus Christ will insist that all of mankind follow His footsteps in accepting, believing and speaking the truth.

Truth in our relationship with Christ

Our personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, begins with our acceptance of and surrender to God's Word as truth. "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13).

When Jesus stood trial, just before His crucifixion, the Roman governor Pilate asked Christ if He were truly a king. Jesus responded by summarizing His mission and noting who would respond to His message: "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37).

Jesus Christ's character was (and is) a perfect reflection of the character of our heavenly Father, the God of truth. In response to a question from one of His disciples, Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). His disciples, by "speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ" (Ephesians 4:15).

To be disciples of Jesus Christ we must resolve to consistently speak the truth, demonstrating the sincerity of our love for others. We must also accept and obey, as "the way of truth," the commandments and teachings of God (Psalm 119:30, 151, 160). Samuel tells us, "Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you" (1 Samuel 12:24).

Lying abounds

It is almost impossible nowadays to be certain who, if anyone, is telling the truth. Almost everyone tries to balance the risk of being caught against the perceived benefits of lying.

Some businesses display amazing creativity in camouflaging deceit when they advertise their products. Almost everywhere we can spot individuals, businesses and other organizations involved in a sophisticated game of seeing how deceptive they can be without attracting lawsuits or alienating potential customers.

Lying is an accepted way of life. Our world is accurately described by Isaiah's description of ancient Israel: "No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity" (Isaiah 59:4).

How did God view the Israelites' epidemic of lies? "So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth'" (Jeremiah 7:28).

Then as now, people routinely inject deceit into their relationships—personal, social, political, religious and economic. The dearth of honesty is so widely accepted that public censure no longer even discourages lying. That demand must come from within.

Are you truthful?

Now comes the important question to you personally: Do you lie?

Maybe it would be kinder to word the question a little differently: Just how important is being truthful to you? Or, reversing the coin: Is lying repugnant to you? These questions are crucial. You need to ask and answer them truthfully to yourself.

Temptations to lie never cease. They are always present. Lying is such a quick and effortless way to gain an advantage over others. It appears to offer easy and swift escape from embarrassment, fear and guilt. But the Bible says, "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight" (Proverbs 12:22).

We face a fundamental choice. We follow God's example of truthfulness and honesty in our actions and communications, or we follow the example of the originator of lying, Satan. Jesus tells us that the devil is "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44, NIV). He deceived Eve, then she talked Adam into partaking of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-6, 17). This act of disobedience brought suffering and death on our first parents. The devil has relentlessly misinformed and misled people ever since. Satan's malicious influence is so great that he "deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). It is all too easy for us to follow his example in our dealings with others, especially when lying is so commonly practiced all around us.

Human nature is deceitful

Learning to be firmly and consistently truthful requires self-discipline and courage, and in our firmness and consistency we must rely on help from God.

We often find ourselves doing things that we know are wrong. So why, then, do we do them? The prophet Jeremiah gives us the answer. "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds" (Jeremiah 17:9-10, NASB).

God understands our nature and reveals how to combat it. Jesus explained that, even though we may be willing to obey, our flesh is weak (Mark 14:38). We lack the resolve and strength to resist temptation. How, then, can we neutralize this weakness?

God, through the pen of the apostle Paul, explains the cause of and solution to this universal human problem. Citing himself as an example, Paul described the timeless human struggle: "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do" (Romans 7:14-15).

We can relate to Paul. We have experienced the same frustration and remorse. Paul continues: "For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (verses 22-24). Paul had learned that people need help to rise above the weaknesses of human nature.

Overcoming deceit

Another apostle, Peter, denied Jesus Christ and even lied, on the night of His betrayal, about being acquainted with Him (Matthew 26:69-74). Like Peter, most people find it almost impossible to abandon all forms of deceit until they surrender their lives to God and begin sincerely seeking His help. That help is readily available, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

We must ask for that help. And how can we get it? God's Word tells us: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16).

We have at hand the solution to this pervasive and insidious human weakness. Paul urged Church members in Ephesus to "put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." How were they to do this? By "putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:24-25).

The way of truth

Those who willingly believe and obey the truth of God can, by being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit, become members of the Church that Jesus Christ built. He refers to them as the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). They represent "the way of truth" (2 Peter 2:2).

Paul calls God's Church "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). Its members are the servants of "the living and true God" (1 Thessalonians 1:9). By "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), it is commissioned by Christ to preach "the truth of the gospel" to all the world (Galatians 2:5; Matthew 24:14; 28:19).

Everything in the life of a Christian is anchored to truth. God wants us, as His children, to commit ourselves to truth and reflect it in everything we do. That is why God commands us: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).

Europe and the Church, Part 2: What Led to Rome

Two thousand years ago the Roman Empire held sway over Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Its legacy was to continue down through the centuries and is with us to this day. (The first part in this series ran in the May issue as "Who Will Be the Next Superpower?")

by Melvin Rhodes

The 12 disciples of Jesus Christ were not perfect, just as we are not perfect, for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Like people throughout history, they were much influenced by what was taking place around them.

There is an interesting account of an incident in Matthew chapter 20 that helps us get a glimpse of life in the Roman Empire at that time.

"Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him [Jesus] with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, 'What do you wish?' She said to Him, 'Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your Kingdom'" (verse 21).

Here we see a clear case of political ambition. Knowing that Jesus Christ came preaching the good news of the coming Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14), the two men, with support from their mother, were making a power play for the two top positions after Christ in the Kingdom.

"And when the [other] ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers" (Matthew 20:24).

Jesus then had the task of correcting the two brothers, reconciling all 12 disciples and, at the same time, enlightening them all on the clear contrast between carnal, secular, worldly power and the type of government that He will bring to this earth when He returns to establish His Kingdom.

"But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many'" (verses 25-28).

Here, Jesus Christ was teaching His disciples an important Christian principle, that ruling is about service. Jesus Himself set the perfect example by laying down His life for all mankind.

Leadership, Roman style

This was in stark contrast to the world around them. The disciples lived under the rule of the Romans who had taken control of Judea decades earlier. The disciples had had plenty of opportunities to see how the Romans operated. Not only could their empire be despotic and cruel, it was also prone to political upheavals at the highest level.

The Roman Empire had started out as a republic, with an aristocratic ruling class known as the patricians. At the time of Christ's birth it was no longer a republic, but an empire under the rule of Augustus Caesar.

"Half a century earlier, when he was an unknown boy named Gaius Octavius whose mother happened to be the niece of Julius Caesar, the dying Roman Republic had been torn apart by a seemingly interminable series of fratricidal civil conflicts waged by rival warlords and ruthless demagogues such as Pompey, Catiline, Crassus, and of course Caesar himself, all of whom treated the increasingly feeble and fractious Senate—ostensibly the supreme authority in the land—with the disdain it deserved.

"In the year which we know as 49 BCE [before the Common Era], Caesar had emerged triumphant, parlaying his command of the western legions into a civil dictatorship.

"Unfortunately, the noble Julius combined incomparable political and military abilities with an appalling lack of tact and an undisguised contempt for the time-honored forms of republican rule. Hence his assassination in 44 BCE, by a clique of aristocratic reactionaries who feared that Caesar, after being named perpetual dictator by the Senate, would seek to establish an absolute monarchy in the manner of an oriental potentate" (William Klingaman, The First Century, 1986, p. 20).

They singularly failed in their attempt to save the Republic, "for seventeen years later Caesar's great-nephew Augustus became Emperor of Rome. The next four emperors also belonged to the family of the Caesars, and the imperial name thus gained such dignity that it was retained henceforward as a title of honor, surviving the First World War (1914-1918) in the official designation Kaiser of the German and Austrian rulers, and until 1946 in that of the Czar of Bulgaria" (The Book of Knowledge, Vol. 2, p. 163).

The Roman Empire, under the Caesars, had set a precedent for European history right down to modern times!

"To the surprise of nearly everyone in Rome, the nineteen-year-old Octavius, who had been serving as a staff officer at the right hand of Caesar, was named sole heir in the great man's will. Those who scoffed at the sudden elevation of an untried boy to such an exalted position discovered to their peril that Octavius was an exceptionally hard, cunning coldly ambitious young man, with a generous measure of cruelty in his character."

By 31 B.C., "Octavius emerged as the sole ruler of the Roman world. The old Republic was dead, with all of its internal chaos and constant bickering and private warfare among the rich and powerful oligarchs, and many Romans mourned its passing not at all" (ibid.).

Four empires lead to Rome

Interestingly, the 500-year-old prophecies regarding the Roman Empire, the "fourth beast" of Daniel chapter 7, accurately showed the internal contradictions at the top, the constant power struggles and instability, in contrast to the first beast, Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. (For more on the four beasts of Daniel 7, see the first article in this series, "Who Will Be the Next Superpower?" in the May issue, page 13.)

The four beasts of Daniel 7 correspond with the four empires portrayed in the image in Daniel 2. There Daniel reminded King Nebuchadnezzar of his dream, in which he had seen a great image.

"This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you and its form was awesome. This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces" (Daniel 2:31-34). This verse ends with the coming of God's Kingdom (see also verses 44-45).

Daniel explained to Nebuchadnezzar, "You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.

"But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others" (verses 37-40).

In this vision, we see successively baser metals, implying a growing degeneracy from empire to empire. Of course, none of these empires was godly, but God pictured Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold, the most valuable of the metals mentioned. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's 19th-century Commentary on the Whole Bible explains it this way: "The metals lessen in specific gravity, as they go downwards; silver is not so heavy as gold, brass not so heavy as silver, and iron not so heavy as brass, the weight thus being arranged in the reverse of stability" (comment on Daniel 2:32).

Nebuchadnezzar's empire was extremely powerful. He had absolute power. We see this in Daniel 5:18-19: "O King, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down."

The second empire, Persia, had a more confusing system of government, and the king's power over his princes was limited.

"And the king...was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him... Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, 'Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed'" (Daniel 6:14-15).

Even though he wanted to, the king was not able to save Daniel from the princes' plot.

The third empire, Greece, had a still weaker structure, as a result of the premature death of its founder, Alexander the Great. After his death in 323 B.C., his extensive empire was divided among his four generals. "The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it" (Daniel 7:6).

"As strong as iron"

Finally, the fourth kingdom, the Roman Empire was to be "as strong as iron" (Daniel 2:40). "Iron is stronger than brass, but inferior in other respects; so Rome hardy and strong to tread down the nations, but less kingly and showing its chief deterioration in its last state" (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, comment on Daniel 2:32 ).

It should also be noted that each successive empire incorporated its predecessor. In Daniel 5:28 Daniel tells Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon: "Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

"That very night Belshazzar...was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom" (verses 30-31).

The Roman Empire may have had serious weaknesses in its governmental structure, but it was to be the biggest empire in history, until the British Empire almost two millennia later. It was also to last the longest. After its fall, it was so envied that attempts were made to revive it right down until our modern times. Not only was the title Caesar to survive among the kaisers and the czars of different European countries, but its system of government, its religious beliefs and even the influence of its language survive to this very day.

Rome set the standard, as we shall see in future issues of World News and Prophecy.