WITH ST. PETER IN THE CITY OF ROME. a lecture by R.H. KENT. PETER is by far the most popular name in the city of Rome. You meet it everywhere. And yet, study the Bible record of his life and you will fail to find one single text that says Peter ever set foot in the city. The last reference to his ministry is found in Gal. 32:11-14 where he was corrected by St Paul in Antioch. His epistles are addressed to the churches of the East (1 Peter 1:1) They were apparently written from Babylon (1 Peter 3:13.) St. Paul wrote six letters from Rome, and in reviewing the work and the workers associated with him there, he doesn’t mention Peter – he does mention, however, that Mark only was with him in Rome. The evidence seems to prove that St. Peter’s ministry was spent in Palestine and to the East. Further, the Bible is silent on the Primacy of St. Peter – he knew nothing of it and merely calls himself an elder and one among many. Now, if St. Peter returned to Rome this year, where would he find the faith he advocated and for which he died? Peter would doubtless seek for the old fashioned Gospel in its modern setting. In his day he emphasized the importance of Present Truth. (2 Peter 1:12.) To find God’s message for this generation would be his first interest. It should also be ours. (Matt. 6:33.) St. Peter would find himself in a different world from the one he knew. He may even think he had landed on another planet! Imagine his surprise to see busses, lorries and automobiles racing down the roads of Rome, huge airliners soaring overhead, great steel ships at the docks and crossing the seas, wires over which men from many lands communicate and the radio bringing in the voices of beings thousand of miles away. Think of his surprise in hearing the names of modern centers, London, New York, Sydney, Johannesburg! These names would mean nothing to Peter America, Australia would be meaningless. He would need to begin to study geography all over again. I think I hear him enquiring, “when were these great lands discovered and colonized and these cities built? When did these modern means of communication and transport appear?” On being told that this century has already witnessed more progress than all the past history of the race, that passage from Daniel would suddenly take on meaning and Peter would exclaim, “Men running to and fro – knowledge increasing – explosing progress everywhere – this must be the TIME OF THE END!” (Dan. 12:4.) Daniel’s message is to go to the world! Peter could hardly wait to get to a church to hear the up-to-date preacher giving the Present Truth! And so they directed him to the square of St. Peter – enters the Church of St. Peter, sees St. Peter at the head of a long list of Popes. Then inside the church he looks up and reads the inscription in 6ft letters of gold around the base of the lovely dome, “THOU ART PETER AND ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH”. Who is the Rock – why all this dedication to St. Peter, he enquires?” On being informed that the church is built on Peter he turns pale. “But the question in Matt. 16 was never “Who is Peter, but who is Christ – and I confessed the faith – that he is the Son of the living God – Christ built the Church on the faith I confessed, not on the poor mortal who confessed it! Haven’t you read what St. Paul said in Cor. 3:11 – or for that matter my own words in 1 Peter 5:1 – or in that sermon recorded in Acts – (see chapter 4:12.) There is no other name but the name of Jesus on which to build for salvation. “But Peter was the first Pope” the guide explains. “You had better see what I wrote in 1 Peter 5:1 – an elder, and one of many – no primacy hinted there!” says Peter. “You must be a heretic – we have taught and believed this for centuries – if you have believed a thing 1,000 years it can’t be wrong can it? Mother and Grandmother believed it too, so it must be good enough for us today. Moreover, the Bible is only authority when interpreted by my church and the church says Peter was the first Pope – I must stand to what my church teaches – must I not?” “Well”, says Peter, “If you follow a church instead of the Bible and accept the teachings of men rather than the Word of God, how are you going to decide which man to follow – better read my letter (1 Peter 1:23) God’s word abides – abides forever! You must judge men and churches by the Bible – not the Bible by the church!” “Here’s Father O’Flanigan – you ought to talk to him”. “Glad to meet him – is he really your Dad?” asks Peter. “OF course not – our priests don’t marry – we call them father in a spiritual sense!” “This is very confusing, especially to one who heard Jesus give us the instruction in Matt. 23:9 – I don’t feel very comfortable here”. But O’Flanigan says, “You must not stick too closely to the Bible – the church is a living present teacher, and the voice of the Church is real authority in religion – we can change and innovate if it seems best – even the commands of Christ can be modified or changed by the Pope –in fact in some things the church has changed even the law of God – the Ten Commandments – and Protestants follow the change. They concur!” “How have you changed the law?” “IN the matter of the times - the times of Christian worship particularly. The church by the power God gave her changed the fourth Commandment and made Sunday the day of worship instead of Saturday, the 7th day of the week”. Peter would remember the mysterious reference of Daniel 7:25 – the Little Horn power which would arise and change God’s law and particularly the time of Christian worship. “This must be the fulfillment of what must be a Protestant – find a Protestant church.” But Peter had never heard of a Protestant! There are many Protestant churches in Rome and soon he locates one. “Quietly”, says the doorkeeper, “There is a Baptism in Progress.” He takes in the scene, but can see no river or lake, or fountain sufficiently large enough for Bible Baptism. “Where are the Baptismal waters” he enquires. “In the silver goblet!” “But how can you immerse anyone in there? And who are you Baptizing?” “The infant daughter of Deacon Caesaroni is being christened – she is two weeks old today”. “Has she repented? (Acts 2:38). And does she believe in Christ? (Mark 16:16) And have you taught her the gospel, and is she obeying the Commandments of God (Matt. 28:19-20)” asks Peter. “Children weren’t so far advanced in my day!” The Deacon says, “Less noise please – this is a solemn service.” Peter can only mumble his own words. “The figure – the figure – where is the figure? If you take away the true form, how can you preserve the symbolism of Baptism? Only immersion can represent burial and resurrection (1 Peter 3:21; Col. 2:12). Later the minister explains, “Of course we recognize the fact that baptism means ‘immerse’ and it is certain that immersion was the practice of the early church – but it was attended by too much inconvenience”. And as for baptizing infants, the Apostles were binging pagans and Jews into the church, but this infant is the child of Christian parents and is born a Christian”. “Are these folks really Christian – truly Christian, Peter asks. They don’t look any different than the fashionable folks I see in the streets – painted and draped with gold and pearls – do you never read to them my instruction to Christian folks regarding dress and adornment? (1 Peter 3:3,4). But Nicodemus was born of good parents, and was an exemplary man, but Jesus said, “Ye MUST be born again, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the spirit is Spirit”. (John 3:3-6) That is why even children of Christian parents ought to be baptized AFTER they believe and accept Christ”. The Minister is unable to stay to discuss, for a burial service follows immediately. Peter attends and listens carefully while the man assures the relatives, “She in whose honour we gather today is not here – her mortal remains are with us but her immortal soul is already with the Lord!” As they drive home, Peter can’t help enquiring if the man has heard of Job’s statement that man is MORTAL (Job 4:17) and of St. Paul’s teaching that “God ONLY hath immortality” (1 Tim. 6:16,17). Did you never read in my letter that the inheritance is reserved – in heaven – till the chief Shepherd shall APPEAR – i.e. that it is only at the return of the Lord that rewards and punishments will be given?” “If you think the righteous go immediately to their reward, when would you suppose the wicked go to their punishment” he enquires? “The souls of the damned are already roasting in Hell Fire”, the man says quite gravely. “And where is the place of burning?” “Where the Devil reigns!” “And where does the Devil reign?”. “IN Hell Fire – of course! – the exact geography, nobody really knows.” “I should say not, says Peter, for if you had read my letter you should have noticed that punishment is NOT now going on – it is reserved for the end of time at the second coming of Christ” (2 Peter 2:9). “But how can we be sure that there will be a Second Advent? My grandfather talked about it but since the fathers fell asleep or died and it hasn’t come yet, we are beginning to feel that he will not return.” “Just what the Lord told me would happen to the faith and expectation of the church”, Peter observed. “You ought really to read by second letter chapter 3:4,5”. “You with your attitude are one of the surest proofs that the story is really true.” Peter decided, however, to attend the evening service. A long list of announcements preceded the preaching. Peter is electrified when he hears the minister say, “Lent commences next Sunday, a 40 day fast begins. At the end of the fast we celebrate the great festival of the Christian Church, EASTER!” Peter remembers how the pagan world worshipped Ishtar and this is the only connection he can think of for the word Easter. He recalls the 40 days of weeping and fasting preceding the Ishtar festival and wonders is this not the source of the observance the minister is announcing and advocating. Did not St. John say that the Mysteries of Babylon would invade the church? In the address that followed, Peter became more and more uncomfortable as the preacher referred to the creation and the flood stories as merely the interesting folklore of Israel – but not scientific or historic fast. He mutters, “My second letter – second letter, chapter 3:5,6”). But the preacher was very friendly and asked Peter home to supper. When waiting in the sitting room, the servant appeared with a frothing drink, moving itself aright! Immediately he recognized it for WINE – RED WINE and thinking of God’s instruction through Solomon (Prov. 23:29-35) he asks, “Could I perhaps have water – just pure water, that is the drink God made for man – it is really the strongest drink – it doesn’t weaken the will or the reason or the knees!” Seated around the table in the dining room Peter is asked to say grace… He has been eyeing a little roasted animal in the center dish on the table and his decision has been made. I believe Peter, if he prayed over it at all, would pray like another man of God is reported to have done in like circumstances, “Lord if thou can bless to our good in this age what thou altogether cursed in the old dispensation, then bless this little pig!” “But didn’t God clean up the pig – isn’t that what we are taught by the vision of Acts 10?” the preacher enquires. “The pig doesn’t look as though God did the cleaning”, Peter observes, “But you ought to consider carefully the meaning of that vision as recorded in the 28th verse of Acts 10 – “God hath shown me that I should not call any man (not pig) unclean”. The unclean and creeping things merely represented the Gentile world – God was telling us to take the Gospel to the Gentiles – not to eat pigs and reptiles and rodents”. So Peter continues to search for a church that might be preaching Present Truth. One afternoon he sees a notice board outside a very well appointed worship house, “Service at 11.00 a.m. EVERY LORD’S DAY.” And so he arrives on the seventh day at 10:45 for service. Peter is mystified to find the doors shut and no worshippers in evidence. As he knocks on the door it suddenly opens and the janitor appears in his overalls with a broom. “Do you always clean out the church immediately before service – is this a job for the Lord’s Day, and when does the service commence?” He asks in consternation. “You are a whole day early, the Lord’s day is tomorrow! “But I heard Jesus say he was Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) and the commandment says the SEVENTH DAY is the SABBATH – isn’t this the seventh day? “Yes, but we call the first day, Sunday, the Lord’s day! You must be a Seventh-day Adventist with ideas like yours – why don’t you slip around the corner – their service will be commencing in just a few minutes – you must be looking for their church”, said the janitor. It was not what you would call an imposing edifice, just a humble house of worship. These folks explained that they prefer to put funds into soul-winning rather than steeple building. Peter feels quite at home in these pews. He spent a large part of his life as a fisherman. He was never meant to be carried around on the shoulders of his fellowmen and accorded divine honors. After the singing of the hymns and a prayer, not from a book, but from the heart, the preacher commenced his sermon. He read frequently from the open Bible. The basic material came from Revelation 12., It presented three views of the enemies’ endeavor to destroy God’s plan in Christ for the salvation of men. The first encounter was when he endeavored to destroy Christ in person – as a babe and later on the Cross, but the Lord triumphed gloriously. Secondly, he turned his attention to the Church. For over twelve centuries he tried to blot it out, but the true Church survived in the wilderness. In the out-of-the-way places of earth the original primitive faith was preserved till the outbreak of the reformation. The popular church of the cities was in apostasy! But, thirdly and finally, the prophecy brings us to the close of the controversy, the enemy’s attack on the remnant just before Christ returns. The remnant would have two identifying characteristics – they would keep all God’s commandments in an age when many would be declaring that the commandments no longer mattered, and they would have the testimony of Jesus. A truly Christian church, clinging to all the commandments of God. Peter says: “THIS IS THE FAITH – the faith that Jesus and the apostles taught and practiced. This is the massage for this generation cling to it – publish it – it must be God’s PRESENT TRUTH. For further info. or studies please phone: Cell: Errol 082 765 9498.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:22:30 +0000
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