? [Dramatic Historical Music] ?
00:00:01.40\00:00:07.10
It has stood the test of time.
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God's book,  the Bible.
00:00:13.04\00:00:17.18
Still relevant in
today's  complex world.
00:00:17.18\00:00:22.02
It Is Written, 
sharing hope around the globe.
00:00:22.02\00:00:30.56
[Lightning sounds]
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? [Peaceful Melody] ?
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JB: I'm John Bradshaw 
and this is It Is Written.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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The old saying is that all
roads  lead to Rome, and it's
00:00:55.08\00:00:59.19
certainly true of this one.
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This is Via
Appia,  the Appian Way,
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built more than 300 years 
before the birth of Jesus and
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the most famous of all
the roads  that lead to Rome.
00:01:06.86\00:01:10.67
It was along this very
road,  from lands as far away as
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Britain, northern Europe, Africa
 and the Middle East, that the
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conquering legions of the 
world's greatest empire returned
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in triumph to Rome, the
center  of western civilization.
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It was roads like this one
that  enabled Rome to transform
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her legions quickly to various
 trouble spots in her empire
00:01:30.95\00:01:34.69
and throughout the world.
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In time, this road was extended
 all the way to Brindisi,
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the port city  in
Italy's southeast.
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It was along this road, 
following the final defeat of
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the slave rebellion led  by
Spartacus, that 6,000 slaves
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were crucified.
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Their bodies left to be stripped
 bare from Capua all the way to
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the gates of the city of Rome.
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And it was along this very
road  that the messengers of the
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Christian gospel brought the
 good news of salvation to the
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sprawling, spectacular
city  that was the city of Rome.
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The queen of ancient cities.
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? [Brooding Drone] ?
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Of all things fairest, 
sang the poet, first among
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cities and home of
the gods  is golden Rome.
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This Roman road leads all the 
way to the heart of golden Rome.
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What was Rome, anciently?
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The Old Testament book of Daniel
 prophesies about this power,
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comparing it twice 
to the strength of iron.
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This power ruled the
world  when Jesus was born.
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It was a Roman magistrate 
who sent Jesus to His death.
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It was on a Roman
cross  that Jesus died.
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And in later years, Rome had a 
heavy influence on Christianity,
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as both
persecutor  and protector.
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Roman heresies would eventually
 pollute the witness of the
00:03:07.45\00:03:10.25
Christian faith, and the effect
 of these teachings extends to
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this time in which we
live  and is still felt today.
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? [Pensive Melody] ?
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I'm on the
Palatine Hill  in Rome,
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one of the seven famous 
hills on which the city of Rome
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was founded, and it was 
at the base of this very hill
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where everything
began  for the Roman empire.
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The story has it that a woman 
named Rhea Silvia, the daughter
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of the king of the nearby city
 of Alba Longa, had twin sons
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named Romulus and Remus.
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Rhea's uncle, Amulius, seized 
power and intending to kill the
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twin boys placed them in a small
 basket and set it on the Tiber
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River, hoping the boys would
 never be heard from again: a
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story that sounds a lot
like  the story of Moses.
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Legend has it that this basket
 washed up at the base of this
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hill and was found by a she-wolf
 who nursed the infant boys.
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The boys were rescued and
raised  by a man and his wife.
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Eventually they killed Amulius.
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They put their grandfather
on  Alba Longa's throne.
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Romulus killed Remus 
and established a city
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here on this very hill, 
the original city of Rome.
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Romulus,  after
whom Rome is named,
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was the first of seven
kings  who ruled the original
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Roman community.
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A number of Rome's earliest 
monuments, such as the Kyrie,
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or senate house, 
and the Circus Maximus,
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were built during 
the time of these kings.
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The last of these
rulers was an  Etruscan named
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Lucius Tarquinius
Superbus,  otherwise known as
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Tarquin the Proud.
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He was not a nice man.
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He usurped the kingdom through
 his girlfriend, Tulia, daughter
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of King Servius Tulius, 
who was then Rome's monarch.
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First, she killed her husband,
 then killed her father by
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driving her chariot over
him in  the streets of Rome
00:05:12.21\00:05:14.61
during a parade.
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Soon she married her
lover,  Tarquinius, and made him
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king of Rome.
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Things really went
 from bad to worse.
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A reign of terror followed,
 eventually resulting in the
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monarchy being overthrown and 
the world's first republic being
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established in the year 509 B.C.
00:05:29.99\00:05:34.60
The Roman forum was the center
 of commercial and civil life
00:05:34.60\00:05:38.40
during the centuries
of the  Roman republic.
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People would gather here to buy
 and sell, to hold elections,
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to listen to speeches, 
and to watch the triumphal
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processions of great conquerors
 over hundreds of years.
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It was here  that you could hear
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Roman
luminaries,  such as Cicero,
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one of Rome's greatest orators;
 the statesman Cato the elder,
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even Julius Caesar.
00:06:03.12\00:06:05.69
Not far from here, 
in the senate house,
00:06:05.69\00:06:08.63
Julius Caesar was
assassinated  by Brutus
00:06:08.63\00:06:11.27
and his co-conspirators.
00:06:11.27\00:06:13.37
And it was here, in 27 B.C., 
on this very spot where Caesar's
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nephew Octavian took the name of
 Augustus and was acclaimed by
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the senate and people of Rome
as  the state's first emperor.
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From here you could see the 
great temple of Jupiter, who was
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the supreme god of the Roman
 people, crowning the summit
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of the Capitoline Hill.
00:06:36.93\00:06:40.06
It was here in 390 B.C.
00:06:40.06\00:06:42.16
that the city of Rome was 
secretly infiltrated by a group
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of Gaelic soldiers, who
sacked  the city and destroyed
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much of it.
00:06:49.07\00:06:50.51
Now, the presence of
the enemy  was betrayed
00:06:50.51\00:06:52.47
by a flock of geese.
00:06:52.47\00:06:54.74
They reacted when the
invaders  came in here.
00:06:54.74\00:06:58.58
Now, for some reason the
Roman  dogs did not react.
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They didn't bark.
00:07:02.92\00:07:05.39
Rome never forgave its dogs.
00:07:05.39\00:07:08.62
The procession commemorating 
this event for years afterwards
00:07:08.62\00:07:11.59
featured nine crucified
dogs and  a goose wearing
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a garland of flowers.
00:07:16.30\00:07:20.14
Now, I don't know  if
you could say today that
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all roads lead to Rome, 
but when you come to the Bible
00:07:24.17\00:07:28.48
you see that Rome plays 
an extremely significant role
00:07:28.48\00:07:32.28
as the Bible unfolds.
00:07:32.28\00:07:34.65
I'll be back with
more  in just a moment.
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>: You are watching the weekly
 It Is Written program with
00:07:41.72\00:07:43.93
Pastor John Bradshaw,
 but did you know that
00:07:43.93\00:07:46.46
there's a daily program, too?
00:07:46.46\00:07:48.30
Every Word  is a
one-minute Bible-based
00:07:48.30\00:07:50.80
daily devotional presented
 by Pastor John Bradshaw
00:07:50.80\00:07:54.00
and designed especially 
for busy people like you.
00:07:54.00\00:07:57.01
Look for Every Word on selected
 networks, or watch it online
00:07:57.01\00:08:00.71
every day on our
website,  ItIsWritten.com.
00:08:00.71\00:08:04.08
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:08:04.08\00:08:06.15
Watch Every Word.
00:08:06.15\00:08:07.45
You'll be glad you did.
00:08:07.45\00:08:09.82
[bright rythmic melody]
00:08:12.95\00:08:15.46
JB: Thanks for joining me.
00:08:19.13\00:08:19.66
Peter and John  were
told by religious leaders
00:08:19.66\00:08:22.33
to no longer speak or
teach  in the name of Jesus.
00:08:22.33\00:08:25.10
This wasn't a
suggestion  but an order
00:08:25.10\00:08:26.84
from the very people responsible
 for the death of Jesus.
00:08:26.84\00:08:29.97
Here's what they
said  in response:
00:08:29.97\00:08:31.74
"Whether it be right  in
the sight of God to listen to
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you more than God, you judge."
00:08:33.94\00:08:35.98
That's Acts 4:19.
00:08:35.98\00:08:37.65
Now that's the right
question:  What's right
00:08:37.65\00:08:39.75
in the sight of God?
00:08:39.75\00:08:41.25
We know what you're saying,
 but ultimately we're going
00:08:41.25\00:08:43.15
to be led by what God says.
00:08:43.15\00:08:44.82
Now,  I'm not
advocating belligerence
00:08:44.82\00:08:47.02
in the name of Jesus.
00:08:47.02\00:08:48.22
There's already too many people
 who justify bad behavior by
00:08:48.22\00:08:50.99
appearing to God's will.
00:08:50.99\00:08:53.23
But that
question should  guide us.
00:08:53.23\00:08:55.13
What's the right
thing to do  in God's sight?
00:08:55.13\00:08:57.63
Not in the sight of friends 
or family or even authorities.
00:08:57.63\00:09:00.74
Today, ask that same question
 and follow God's leading
00:09:00.74\00:09:04.17
in your life.
00:09:04.17\00:09:05.27
I'm John Bradshaw
 for It Is Written.
00:09:05.27\00:09:07.44
Let's live today by every word.
00:09:07.44\00:09:10.58
? [Haunting Melody]
?  I'm John Bradshaw,
00:09:13.58\00:09:22.42
and this is It Is Written.
00:09:22.42\00:09:24.83
Thanks for joining me today.
00:09:24.83\00:09:26.80
When you read the
Bible,  the kingdom of Rome
00:09:26.80\00:09:29.96
and the city of Rome 
are hugely influential.
00:09:29.96\00:09:33.90
No, you're not going to
find  Rome in Genesis, Exodus,
00:09:33.90\00:09:36.20
Leviticus or
Numbers  or so forth.
00:09:36.20\00:09:38.37
You won't read about many Roman
 generals in 1 Kings or 2 Kings;
00:09:38.37\00:09:42.18
but go a little further
into the  Bible and Rome begins
00:09:42.18\00:09:46.68
to make its appearance.
00:09:46.68\00:09:47.85
And when it does,  it's
a whale of an appearance.
00:09:47.85\00:09:52.25
In Daniel chapter 2 there's the 
remarkable prophecy of the image
00:09:52.52\00:09:56.32
of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream.
00:09:56.32\00:09:58.83
Woken one night by an impressive
 dream, Nebuchadnezzar asked his
00:09:58.83\00:10:03.06
wise men to tell him what the
 dream was and what it meant.
00:10:03.06\00:10:08.00
In fact, he told them that
if  they couldn't do it he'd
00:10:08.00\00:10:10.77
have them all killed.
00:10:10.77\00:10:13.04
Why was he so
exercised  over a dream?
00:10:13.04\00:10:16.58
Well, it's because he believed
 the gods communicated with him
00:10:16.58\00:10:19.21
through dreams.
00:10:19.21\00:10:20.58
Ancient kings
believed that  routinely.
00:10:20.58\00:10:23.25
Ultimately, young
Daniel,  a captive in Babylon,
00:10:23.25\00:10:26.25
came to Nebuchadnezzar 
and explained the dream.
00:10:26.25\00:10:30.16
The head of gold of the image?
00:10:30.16\00:10:31.86
That was Babylon.
00:10:31.86\00:10:34.16
The chest and arms of silver,
 that was Medo-Persia, the next
00:10:34.16\00:10:38.73
world-ruling kingdom to
come  onto the world stage.
00:10:38.73\00:10:42.04
In fact, in Daniel chapter
5  that kingdom is mentioned
00:10:42.04\00:10:45.07
by name.
00:10:45.07\00:10:46.61
The midsection of brass, 
Greece. Alexander the Great
00:10:46.61\00:10:51.11
led the Greek armies
 to conquer the world.
00:10:51.11\00:10:54.62
And then the legs
of iron,  that's Rome,
00:10:54.62\00:10:58.35
and the long legs
equate  to a long Roman reign.
00:10:58.35\00:11:02.36
From 168 B.C.
00:11:02.36\00:11:04.59
to 476 A.D.
00:11:04.59\00:11:07.13
Rome ruled.
00:11:07.13\00:11:08.66
That's a long time.
00:11:08.66\00:11:10.67
In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, 
the legs of iron represented
00:11:10.67\00:11:14.27
the kingdom of Rome.
00:11:14.27\00:11:16.37
But notice what happens next.
00:11:16.37\00:11:18.17
Daniel said that the kingdom
of  Rome would be divided into
00:11:18.17\00:11:21.98
feet and toes, partly of
clay  and partly of iron.
00:11:21.98\00:11:25.61
Daniel said this 
in Daniel 2 verse 41.
00:11:25.61\00:11:30.92
"Whereas you saw the feet and 
toes partly of potter's clay and
00:11:31.09\00:11:34.79
partly of iron, the
kingdom  shall be divided.
00:11:34.79\00:11:38.99
Yet the strength of the iron 
shall be in it, just as you saw
00:11:38.99\00:11:43.10
the iron mixed 
with ceramic clay."
00:11:43.10\00:11:47.14
Now, what Daniel
tells us  is that the iron,
00:11:47.14\00:11:50.27
representing Rome, 
would be present in the
00:11:50.27\00:11:53.07
feet and the toes down to the
 end of time; meaning that the
00:11:53.07\00:11:57.55
effect of the Roman empire would
 be felt all the way down to the
00:11:57.55\00:12:02.18
time of the return of Jesus.
00:12:02.18\00:12:04.82
That's a very biblical idea.
00:12:04.82\00:12:07.32
Keep in mind that at
its apex  the empire of Rome
00:12:07.32\00:12:12.36
was a colossus.
00:12:12.36\00:12:14.16
? [Miltitary Anthem] ?
00:12:14.16\00:12:18.20
Emperor Trajan was voted by 
the senate as Optimus Princeps,
00:12:18.63\00:12:23.44
the best emperor.
00:12:23.44\00:12:25.67
This magnificent
structure  is Trajan's Column,
00:12:25.67\00:12:29.41
built to memorialize
Trajan's  military conquests.
00:12:29.41\00:12:33.21
It was built in 113 A.D.
00:12:33.21\00:12:37.49
It's 1900 years old.
00:12:37.49\00:12:41.16
During Trajan's time the empire
 stretched in one direction all
00:12:41.16\00:12:45.03
the way to Hadrian's Wall, 
England's border with Scotland.
00:12:45.03\00:12:48.43
And in the other,
 to the Caspian Sea
00:12:48.43\00:12:51.10
and the Persian Gulf.
00:12:51.10\00:12:53.10
This was a massive kingdom.
00:12:53.10\00:12:56.81
Now, you'd expect that
something  that powerful, that
00:12:56.81\00:13:00.21
influential,
would leave its mark.
00:13:00.21\00:13:01.98
The Greeks, who ruled before the
 Romans, certainly left theirs
00:13:01.98\00:13:05.65
in philosophy, in architecture,
 in a great many ways.
00:13:05.65\00:13:10.02
So, how would
Rome  leave its mark?
00:13:10.02\00:13:13.76
Now, keep in mind, the Romans
 were essentially heathens,
00:13:13.76\00:13:17.36
but they were a religious bunch.
00:13:17.36\00:13:19.59
The fact is they
worshipped  a great many gods.
00:13:19.59\00:13:23.97
They built temples to
gods,  they dedicated some of
00:13:24.80\00:13:27.90
the spoils of wars
to gods,  they prayed
00:13:27.90\00:13:31.47
and offered sacrifices, 
sometimes human sacrifices.
00:13:31.47\00:13:36.54
Not often, evidently,  but
at times they did just that.
00:13:36.54\00:13:40.08
So, imagine Roman soldiers 
coming face to face with the
00:13:40.08\00:13:44.19
message of
salvation  through Jesus.
00:13:44.19\00:13:48.26
When Jesus was born in
Israel,  Israel was occupied by
00:13:48.59\00:13:53.43
the government of Rome.
00:13:53.43\00:13:54.90
That was a Roman
cross  on which Jesus died.
00:13:54.90\00:13:58.30
Roman soldiers heard 
John the Baptist preach.
00:13:58.30\00:14:01.74
They heard John the
Baptist say  that the Messiah
00:14:01.74\00:14:04.91
was soon to come.
00:14:04.91\00:14:06.54
In fact, they were deeply moved
 by what they heard John say.
00:14:06.54\00:14:11.11
We read this  in
the Gospel of Luke:
00:14:11.11\00:14:14.42
"Likewise,  the
soldiers asked him, saying,
00:14:14.42\00:14:17.19
'And what shall we
do?'  So he said to them,
00:14:17.19\00:14:20.52
'Do not intimidate anyone
 or accuse falsely, and be
00:14:20.52\00:14:25.19
content with your wages.'"
00:14:25.19\00:14:27.63
When you understand the times 
a little bit, it isn't difficult
00:14:28.46\00:14:30.97
to appreciate 
what was going on there.
00:14:30.97\00:14:33.50
Discontent among Roman soldiers
 regarding their pay was common
00:14:33.50\00:14:37.31
in those days, and here
were men  who were simply
00:14:37.31\00:14:40.38
looking for a better way.
00:14:40.38\00:14:42.44
And then there's the story
where  Jesus heals the servant
00:14:42.44\00:14:45.55
of the centurion.
00:14:45.55\00:14:47.22
We read about that 
in the Gospel of Matthew.
00:14:47.22\00:14:50.29
"Now when Jesus had entered 
Capernaum, a centurion came to
00:14:51.82\00:14:54.79
him, pleading with him,
saying,  'Lord, my servant is
00:14:54.79\00:14:58.86
lying at home, paralyzed,
 dreadfully tormented.'
00:14:58.86\00:15:03.57
And Jesus said to him, 
'I will come and heal him.'
00:15:03.57\00:15:07.70
The centurion answered and said,
 'Lord, I'm not worthy that you
00:15:07.70\00:15:11.04
should come under my
roof,  but only speak a word
00:15:11.04\00:15:14.71
and my servant will be healed.
00:15:14.71\00:15:16.88
For I also am a
man  under authority,
00:15:16.88\00:15:19.38
having soldiers under
me,  and I say to this one,
00:15:19.38\00:15:23.22
Go, and he goes, and to
another,  Come, and he comes,
00:15:23.22\00:15:26.59
and to my servant, 
do this, and he does it.'
00:15:26.59\00:15:30.83
When Jesus heard it,
 he marveled and said
00:15:30.83\00:15:34.46
to those who followed, 
'Assuredly I say to you,
00:15:34.46\00:15:38.67
I have not found such great
 faith, not even in Israel.'"
00:15:38.67\00:15:43.87
Matthew 8:5-10.
00:15:43.87\00:15:47.54
[water gurgling]  This
is one of the most profound
00:15:49.01\00:15:51.41
of the miracle stories of Jesus.
00:15:51.41\00:15:54.25
Here was a man
representative  of many.
00:15:54.25\00:15:57.02
He was looking for something
 more than his faith and than
00:15:57.02\00:15:59.99
his culture offered him.
00:15:59.99\00:16:02.36
And the fact is, Jesus pointed
 out that this man demonstrated
00:16:02.36\00:16:06.83
more faith in Jesus than anybody
 living in Israel at that time.
00:16:06.83\00:16:12.73
He had more faith than 
the people who were supposed
00:16:12.73\00:16:16.14
to be looking for 
the return of the Messiah.
00:16:16.14\00:16:19.37
This man had been
walking  the Roman road, but he
00:16:19.37\00:16:22.48
was powerfully impacted
 by the person of Jesus.
00:16:22.48\00:16:26.78
So, how much more would 
Christianity affect Rome,
00:16:26.78\00:16:30.49
and how much would
Rome  affect Christianity?
00:16:30.49\00:16:35.56
Perhaps the ultimate encounter
 between Jesus and the Romans
00:16:38.56\00:16:41.86
took place in the judgment
hall  of a governor named
00:16:41.86\00:16:45.00
Pontius Pilate.
00:16:45.00\00:16:47.04
Pontius Pilate was impressed
 by Jesus; so impressed,
00:16:47.04\00:16:50.74
the Bible says that he
wanted  to set Jesus free.
00:16:50.74\00:16:54.18
In spite of the accusations made
 against Jesus, Pilate believed
00:16:54.18\00:16:57.58
that Jesus was innocent.
00:16:57.58\00:16:59.35
In fact, he received a message
 from his wife who had had a
00:16:59.35\00:17:03.15
dream about Jesus,  and
the message for Pilate was:
00:17:03.15\00:17:06.15
Have nothing to do
 with this just man.
00:17:06.15\00:17:09.59
Jesus tried to impress
upon  Pilate the importance of
00:17:09.59\00:17:12.53
following God and being
honest  about Bible truth.
00:17:12.53\00:17:17.23
But Pilate seemed mystified
 by what Jesus had to say,
00:17:17.23\00:17:20.40
even asking Jesus at
one point:  What is truth?
00:17:20.40\00:17:24.41
See, even Pontius Pilate 
had the opportunity to repent.
00:17:24.41\00:17:27.11
I wonder how things might have
 been different, had he done so.
00:17:27.11\00:17:32.41
The Apostle Paul went to Rome.
00:17:32.68\00:17:35.38
He was imprisoned
there,  and died there.
00:17:35.38\00:17:37.99
In a moment, we'll go to
the  Mamertine Prison, the very
00:17:37.99\00:17:42.19
place Paul was kept
in Rome  as a prisoner.
00:17:42.19\00:17:46.16
I'll be right back.
00:17:46.16\00:17:48.13
? [Dreamy Melody] ?
00:17:50.07\00:17:55.87
? [Epic and rythmic music] ? 
>: "Babylon Rising" is a dynamic
00:17:59.07\00:18:02.94
book by Pastor John Bradshaw 
that describes the significance
00:18:02.94\00:18:06.45
of Babylon in Bible prophecy.
00:18:06.45\00:18:08.95
Right now this
powerful book  is available free
00:18:08.95\00:18:11.89
from It Is Written.
00:18:11.89\00:18:12.32
Just call 1 (800)
253-3000;  ask for the book
00:18:12.32\00:18:15.99
"Babylon Rising."
00:18:15.99\00:18:17.69
Or, write to  It
Is Written, Box O,
00:18:17.69\00:18:20.20
Thousand Oaks, CA
91359,  and we will mail a copy
00:18:20.20\00:18:24.00
to your address 
in North America.
00:18:24.00\00:18:26.37
Please note, this free book is
 limited to the supply on hand.
00:18:26.37\00:18:29.50
For even faster access, you
can  download a free electronic
00:18:29.50\00:18:32.37
version of the
book  "Babylon Rising"
00:18:32.37\00:18:34.04
from our website.
00:18:34.04\00:18:35.51
It Is Written is a faith-based
 outreach made possible
00:18:35.51\00:18:38.11
by viewers like you.
00:18:38.11\00:18:39.55
Thank you for your
continued  support.
00:18:39.55\00:18:41.75
Our toll-free number
is  1 (800) 253-3000,
00:18:41.75\00:18:44.59
and our web
address  ItIsWritten.com.
00:18:44.59\00:18:49.22
JB: When you get a little 
further into the New Testament,
00:18:52.53\00:18:54.80
you see how profoundly
the  Christian gospel affected
00:18:54.80\00:18:58.30
Roman society.
00:18:58.30\00:19:00.04
Many historians believe that 
Paul was kept as a prisoner in
00:19:00.04\00:19:02.90
the Mamertine Prison in
Rome  during his trial before
00:19:02.90\00:19:06.78
Emperor Nero.
00:19:06.78\00:19:08.18
By the time Paul got to Rome,
 Christianity had penetrated
00:19:08.18\00:19:12.05
much of the Mediterranean basin.
00:19:12.05\00:19:14.58
The effect that the Christian
 message had on Roman society
00:19:14.58\00:19:18.75
was revolutionary.
00:19:18.75\00:19:20.96
The Bible tells us how
the  Apostle Paul was brought
00:19:20.96\00:19:23.96
to the city of Rome.
00:19:23.96\00:19:25.46
First, he was
arrested  by his own people,
00:19:25.46\00:19:27.93
then delivered to the Romans,
 and eventually he was brought
00:19:27.93\00:19:30.97
across the
Mediterranean  to Rome for trial
00:19:30.97\00:19:34.14
before the emperor.
00:19:34.14\00:19:36.07
The Bible doesn't describe 
Paul's arraignment before Nero
00:19:36.07\00:19:40.14
or his eventual
martyrdom  in what was then
00:19:40.14\00:19:42.88
the world's capitol city.
00:19:42.88\00:19:45.25
But the Bible does
say  the apostle's message
00:19:45.25\00:19:48.18
reached directly 
into the emperor's court.
00:19:48.18\00:19:51.42
We read this in the book of 
Philippians, possibly written by
00:19:51.42\00:19:54.79
Paul from this very prison.
00:19:54.79\00:19:57.83
"All the saints greet
you,  but especially those
00:19:57.83\00:20:01.93
who are of Caesar's household."
00:20:01.93\00:20:04.50
Philippians 4:22.
00:20:04.50\00:20:07.74
So there were Christians 
in the household of Emperor
00:20:07.74\00:20:11.47
Nero himself.
00:20:11.47\00:20:13.71
The Christian gospel 
was shaking the Roman empire
00:20:13.71\00:20:16.08
to its very heart.
00:20:16.08\00:20:18.58
No doubt it was from the
 Mamertine Prison that the
00:20:18.58\00:20:20.75
Apostle Paul penned
these  poignant words:
00:20:20.75\00:20:24.89
"For I am already being 
poured out as a drink offering,
00:20:24.89\00:20:28.79
and the time of my
departure  is at hand.
00:20:28.79\00:20:32.13
I have fought the good fight,
 I have finished the race,
00:20:32.13\00:20:36.43
I have kept the faith.
00:20:36.43\00:20:38.53
Finally, there is laid up for
me  the crown of righteousness
00:20:38.53\00:20:42.90
which the Lord, the righteous
Judge,  will give me on that
00:20:42.90\00:20:47.81
day. And not to me only,
 but also to all who have
00:20:48.11\00:20:52.01
loved his appearing."
00:20:52.01\00:20:53.92
2 Timothy chapter 4, 6-8.
00:20:53.92\00:20:58.62
? [Sounds of the city] ?
00:20:58.65\00:21:01.99
The famous Roman Coliseum could
 hold as many as 80,000 people.
00:21:02.19\00:21:07.10
Over a period  of a
couple hundred years,
00:21:07.10\00:21:09.03
thousands of
Christians  met their final,
00:21:09.03\00:21:13.30
gruesome fate 
here in this arena.
00:21:13.30\00:21:17.61
Some of them were
fed  to wild animals,
00:21:17.61\00:21:19.74
some were crucified, 
some of them were rolled in
00:21:19.74\00:21:23.24
pitch and burned alive 
during evening festivities.
00:21:23.24\00:21:28.92
But there was something 
that the persecuting Romans
00:21:28.92\00:21:30.92
just couldn't figure
out about  these Christians.
00:21:30.92\00:21:34.09
One early Christian leader,
 Tertullian, wrote to Emperor
00:21:34.09\00:21:36.89
Decius during a time of some
of  the most intense persecution
00:21:36.89\00:21:40.80
suffered by the Christians.
00:21:40.80\00:21:42.20
Here's what he said: 
"The oftener we are mown down
00:21:42.20\00:21:47.04
by you,  the more
in number we grow.
00:21:47.04\00:21:50.44
The blood of
Christians  is seed."
00:21:50.44\00:21:54.78
The more the Romans 
tried to wipe out Christianity,
00:21:56.11\00:21:59.71
the more
Christianity  flourished.
00:21:59.71\00:22:02.72
And the Romans didn't persecute
 the Christians because the
00:22:02.72\00:22:05.02
Christians worshipped Jesus.
00:22:05.02\00:22:07.32
People all over the
empire  had their various gods
00:22:07.32\00:22:10.13
that they worshipped.
00:22:10.13\00:22:11.23
It didn't bother
the Romans  a bit.
00:22:11.23\00:22:13.23
But what the Christians wouldn't
 do is, they wouldn't add the
00:22:13.23\00:22:15.93
worship of Jesus to the
worship  of the Roman state.
00:22:15.93\00:22:20.34
In obedience to the commandment
 of God, they refused to take
00:22:20.34\00:22:23.84
that seemingly innocuous pinch
 of incense and place it upon
00:22:23.84\00:22:27.14
Caesar's altar.
00:22:27.14\00:22:29.24
Writing about this, one recent
 historian had this to say:
00:22:29.24\00:22:34.32
"Rome could accept 
their version of a supreme god
00:22:34.32\00:22:37.52
whom others
called Jupiter  or Saul.
00:22:37.52\00:22:40.92
It could also accept Christ,
 together with other heroes
00:22:40.92\00:22:43.79
and divinities.
00:22:43.79\00:22:45.76
But what was preposterous 
was that Christians' arrogant
00:22:45.76\00:22:49.43
insistence that no gods had
ever  walked the earth until
00:22:49.43\00:22:54.24
an obscure Jewish
teacher,  who was executed
00:22:54.24\00:22:56.94
during the reign of Tiberius."
00:22:56.94\00:23:00.54
You see, what the Romans had
 going on is they were mixing
00:23:00.54\00:23:03.08
truth together with untruth.
00:23:03.08\00:23:05.98
Truth and error.
00:23:05.98\00:23:07.65
They really didn't mind if the
 Christians wanted to believe
00:23:07.65\00:23:09.75
in Jesus.
00:23:09.75\00:23:11.19
What they weren't impressed with
 was the Christians' believing
00:23:11.19\00:23:14.16
in Jesus alone.
00:23:14.16\00:23:16.46
And that attitude  of
combining truth and error
00:23:16.46\00:23:19.96
would be the attitude, 
the pattern moving forward.
00:23:19.96\00:23:24.40
You see, over time Satan managed
 to figure some things out.
00:23:24.40\00:23:27.80
He came to realize that he was
 never going to be able to crush
00:23:27.80\00:23:30.87
Christianity altogether.
00:23:30.87\00:23:33.58
So he decided that if 
persecution wouldn't work,
00:23:33.58\00:23:36.78
he'd come at it 
from another angle.
00:23:36.78\00:23:40.05
In the 4th century
A.D.,  the Emperor Constantine
00:23:40.05\00:23:42.82
claimed to be converted.
00:23:42.82\00:23:45.05
Roman symbols 
became Christianized.
00:23:45.05\00:23:48.96
The Roman day of
the sun,  Sunday,
00:23:48.96\00:23:52.36
became the popular
day  of Christian worship.
00:23:52.36\00:23:55.76
The statue of Jupiter,
 the Roman supreme god,
00:23:55.76\00:23:59.07
would become  the
statue of the Apostle Peter,
00:23:59.07\00:24:02.77
now, in St. Peter's Basilica.
00:24:02.77\00:24:05.97
Over time, Rome became 
a strong Christian center.
00:24:05.97\00:24:12.11
But Rome continued to
mix  truth with error.
00:24:12.11\00:24:15.32
While today's Roman religion
 deals a lot with values and
00:24:15.32\00:24:18.12
morals, and that's good, you 
have today a system where people
00:24:18.12\00:24:21.52
are taught to
pray--  which is truth--
00:24:21.52\00:24:23.89
to so-called
saints--  which is not truth.
00:24:23.89\00:24:27.13
And in order to get forgiveness
 from God, believers are
00:24:27.13\00:24:30.00
instructed to confess
their  sins--which is truth--
00:24:30.00\00:24:33.90
to a priest, an ordinary 
sinful man--which is error.
00:24:33.90\00:24:41.41
Martin Luther learned
this  when he found himself
00:24:41.61\00:24:44.45
walking on his knees  up
Pilate's staircase in Rome,
00:24:44.45\00:24:48.48
along with many other pilgrims.
00:24:48.48\00:24:50.62
He was humbling
himself  before God: truth--
00:24:50.62\00:24:54.06
while expecting to
somehow  get merit with God
00:24:54.06\00:24:57.26
by his works--error.
00:24:57.26\00:25:01.60
Luther came to realize that
the  just shall live by faith,
00:25:01.60\00:25:05.90
which is truth.
00:25:05.90\00:25:07.04
And not by penance  and
sacraments, which are error.
00:25:07.04\00:25:14.41
When Jesus saw iron in the feet
 and toes of the image of Daniel
00:25:14.41\00:25:17.91
chapter 2, he saw the influence
 of Rome extending down
00:25:17.91\00:25:21.95
to the very end of time.
00:25:21.95\00:25:23.95
Put another way, he saw, 
whether he realized it or not,
00:25:23.95\00:25:27.59
well-intentioned, well-meaning
 people mixing truths and error
00:25:27.59\00:25:33.29
together down to the
last  days of earth's history.
00:25:33.29\00:25:37.27
Now, is that something we
should  be concerned about?
00:25:37.27\00:25:39.57
Well, if you think truth is 
important, it would be something
00:25:39.57\00:25:42.47
that you should
be concerned  about.
00:25:42.47\00:25:44.64
You see, Jesus said that if 
anybody wants pardon for sin,
00:25:44.64\00:25:47.78
they should come
straight  to Him.
00:25:47.78\00:25:50.18
Well-intentioned people
have  said, if you want pardon
00:25:50.18\00:25:52.38
for sin, come and
see  one of our priests.
00:25:52.38\00:25:55.55
But then you might be
like  Pontius Pilate, who,
00:25:55.55\00:25:58.19
the night before Jesus died, 
couldn't decide whether or not
00:25:58.19\00:26:01.46
truth was important.
00:26:01.46\00:26:03.93
There are two roads that you
can  follow: One is the way of
00:26:03.93\00:26:09.10
Jesus; the other is that Roman
road,  where truth and error are
00:26:09.10\00:26:13.37
blended together.
00:26:13.37\00:26:15.97
Paul walked the Appian Way.
00:26:15.97\00:26:18.37
It led him to the
heart of the  city of Rome.
00:26:18.37\00:26:21.04
He walked this very road,
 and it led him to yielding
00:26:21.04\00:26:26.28
his life to the cause of Jesus.
00:26:26.28\00:26:29.15
Jesus walked a road.
00:26:29.15\00:26:30.32
He walked the Via
Dolorosa,  the Way of Suffering,
00:26:30.32\00:26:33.92
the path of self-denial.
00:26:33.92\00:26:35.66
He was led down that road 
because of his total commitment
00:26:35.66\00:26:39.16
to his Father's Word and
doing  His Father's will.
00:26:39.16\00:26:42.60
So, which road are
you  going to walk?
00:26:42.60\00:26:44.60
You could walk the road of
self;  you could walk the road
00:26:44.60\00:26:47.14
of doing your own thing.
00:26:47.14\00:26:49.14
Or you could walk that
road  where Jesus leads the way.
00:26:49.14\00:26:52.44
Will it be for you truth
and  error, tradition and truth?
00:26:52.44\00:26:57.11
Or will it be all
Jesus,  and all the Bible?
00:26:57.11\00:27:01.05
God is looking today for people
 who will stand up and say I'm
00:27:01.05\00:27:03.55
going to follow the Bible.
00:27:03.55\00:27:04.92
I'm going to, by doing that, 
allow the God of heaven to come
00:27:04.92\00:27:07.49
into my life and
make me  completely His.
00:27:07.49\00:27:11.53
God will do that for
you,  if you'll let Him.
00:27:11.53\00:27:14.26
Will you let Him do that today?
00:27:14.26\00:27:15.70
Let's pray together.
00:27:15.70\00:27:17.93
Our Father in
heaven,  we thank You
00:27:17.93\00:27:19.57
that Jesus is the way,
 the truth and the life.
00:27:19.57\00:27:22.64
I thank You that people such
as  Paul walked this Appian Way;
00:27:22.64\00:27:26.44
others like Him walked
these  roads, sharing Jesus and
00:27:26.44\00:27:30.98
demonstrating a commitment
to  the God of heaven.
00:27:30.98\00:27:33.95
Give us grace to walk those
same  footsteps, that same road.
00:27:33.95\00:27:36.95
The road of
commitment,  the road of truth,
00:27:36.95\00:27:40.12
the road of Christ.
00:27:40.12\00:27:41.52
We thank You today.
00:27:41.52\00:27:43.12
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:43.12\00:27:47.40
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:48.20\00:27:49.23
I look forward to
seeing you  again, next time.
00:27:49.23\00:27:51.87
Until then
remember:  It is written.
00:27:51.87\00:27:55.04
Man shall not live by bread 
alone, but by every word that
00:27:55.04\00:27:59.47
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:27:59.47\00:28:02.71
? [It Is Written Theme] ?
00:28:04.55\00:28:10.32