This second of two posts is in response to a question that came out of a prior 2-part post, dated 4-7-24 and 4-10-24, “Long Division”.

In a brief discussion about the Inquisition the statement was made:

“The Inquisition began circa 1100 but did not reach its height of cruelty until it was established in 1229 A.D. and was in force about 600 years, and still exists on paper since 1965 under a new name, waiting to be used again.”

It is my fault that the wording is so vague because I was trying to cram too much information into too few words.

What is meant by the statement that the Inquisition still exists on paper is that the office of the Inquisition still exists as part of a larger organization which has been named, “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”.

The Congregation’s sole objective is to, “Spread sound Catholic doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines.”

The problem here of course is that the Medieval Church made up an appalling number of their own, “new and unacceptable doctrines” with absolutely no basis in Scripture.

Things like disagreeing with the church, icons, selling of indulgences, Purgatory, and Limbo for infants who died without being baptized are some of the many practices that the early church pulled out of the air.

Let me be clear about this, in those days if you or I contested any of these things we would be arrested, tortured to recant or put to death, or all three, even burned at the stake!

One other extremely important thing before we move on. Concerning the doctrine of Limbo of infants, which I believe the church has since changed its stance on, yet many still believe in.

Limbo is a place which borders hell where infants go if they die without the baptism of a priest, they will reside there but, arguably, never get into heaven.

First, Limbo and Purgatory do not exist. There is no basis in Scripture for these doctrines.

Last, if anyone learns anything from these posts and nothing else, let it be this. There are no infants in Limbo or hell.

All infants go directly to heaven, no exceptions. Whether they are black, white, oriental, or the child of a sadistic murderer all go to heaven, no exceptions and none are missing there.

Many Catholics think their infant is in Limbo, and even many Christians believe their child is in hell.

Throw off the bondage of teachings like this. Release your heart to know that everyone who accepts Christ as their Savior will join their child in heaven for eternity.

Considering all these errors, what if early church leaders, including the popes wore one of those wristbands with the letters, WWJD? What Would Jesus Do?

Actually, they had something better, the complete Bible with the 39 Old Testament books and the entire 27 books of the New Testament which were listed at the Council of Carthage in 397 A. D.

So, what would Jesus do?

“Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20.

These are the last words of the Lord recorded in the book of Matthew. Though they are not likely the last words He spoke before His return to heaven as recorded in the book of Acts 1:1-11.

Nevertheless, this is called the great commission, not just to His disciples, but to all Christians. Both the disciples and missionaries have gone throughout the earth carrying the good news of Jesus Christ.

Jesus told the disciples in this passage that, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

By the statement, “All authority…” Christ is telling us that He is the ultimate authority, and we do what He says. Not the pope, the ayatollah, the priest, Buddhist monk, or a pastor if they tell you something contrary to Scripture.

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9.

Notice that the apostle states the words “let him be accursed” twice, giving a strong emphasis to his admonition not to stray from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

With the words, “All authority…” Jesus is also telling us that He is the head of the church, no one else. All others, apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors, teachers, elders, deacons, are under His authority and have no right to change His commands to whatever they like.

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18.

Both we and the disciples are commanded to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” which is what the disciples did.

“But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king – Jesus.’” Acts 17:5-7.

Since that time, many thousands of missionaries have been tortured or died carrying the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ into all the nations and among all the peoples.

Many missionaries and everyday Christians became and continue to be victims of the Inquisition through the Muslims, atheists, socialists, communists, even among the Hindus.

“As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’” Romans 8:36.

The Lord also called upon men to be baptized “…in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” this is not something that just Baptists do; it is something commanded by Jesus for all Christians.

Jesus also affirmed that the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Godhead, is a fact and not just a fabrication as some men claim it to be.

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:3-6.

While baptism will not affect your salvation, that is to say you will not go to hell if you die before you are baptized; it is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus like communion. It is something that we do out of love and in obedience to Jesus.

The phrase, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” is a critical part of these three verses in Matthew 28:18-20. The question is, what did Jesus teach His disciples?

And more importantly, does the average Christian know what Jesus taught them?

There is not enough room to go over all His teachings, so we will just look at a few of the more important ones, which covers just about everything.

First off, did Jesus command His disciples to rape, torture, and place those who reject Him in dungeons for life?

Were they to take a person’s possessions away from him and his family after murdering him? Were they to humiliate, flay, disembowel burn or roast anyone at the stake?

“And as they went [to Jerusalem], they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?’ But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’ And they went to another village.” Luke 9:52b-56.

Did Jesus teach that the end justifies the means to bring the gospel to the whole world, or is that the way of man?

“And [in the synagogue on the Sabbath] He said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Step forward.’ Then He said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.” Mark 3:3-6.

Did Jesus advocate setting up a huge church hierarchy with men looking down at the unwashed masses?

“You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42b-45.

Men who have a series of letters after their name often get caught up in who they are and begin to look at the unlearned as the ignorant unwashed.

And there are many more of these folks who have a great deal of knowledge yet have never accepted Christ as Savior. They too look at outsiders with contempt, seeing them as nothing more than a means of sordid gain.

“Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why have you not brought Him [Jesus]?’ The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man!’ Then the Pharisees answered them, ‘Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’” John 7:45-49.

The truth is that the people would have known the law if the Pharisees had done their job. But there is no compassion in these men, something that is much needed in leadership both then and today.

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Matthew 9:35-36.

In compassion the Lord fed, healed, freed, and taught the multitudes who were like sheep without a shepherd. What did He teach?

A scribe asked Jesus, “Which is the first commandment of all?” His reply was as follows.

“The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’” Mark 12:29-33.

If a person loves the Lord our God with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind, and with all their strength, they will reverence His word, seek His leading, and do His will, and never seek to harm His creatures that are made in His image.

If one were to love their neighbor as themselves, they would never dream of stealing from them, committing adultery against them or raping them, nor would one consider molesting their child.

They would love them too much to gossip about them, defraud them, slander them or murder them, because they would not do these crimes against themselves.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21.

Many, if not all the above things will harm, if not destroy your neighbor, and in time, yourself.

“… if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” John 14:23b-24.

Finally, Jesus’ commandment:

“These things I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:17.

“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” “Amen.” Matthew 28:20b.

Demonized Men, Part 2 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 12-26-15, reposted on 4-16-24 ck.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.