Matthew 23:34-39 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: 35 that upon you may come all the righteous blook shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blook of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (American Standard Version; ASV)
This group of scriptures brings out how true followers of Jesus (Yeshua) would be persecuted and given a hard time as they are disliked by those belonging to this system of things who may claim that Almighty God (YHWH) is their god in keeping with Exodus 20:3, the First Commandment, ""Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (ASV); but in reality their 'hearts' are far removed from his per Matthew 15:8, "This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me." (ASV). Their 'heart' is with the god of this system of things as revealed at 2 Corinthians 4:4, "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn [upon them]. " (ASV). In fact, the Bible shows at Luke 21:12, that they would, "But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bring you before kings and governors for my name's sake." (ASV); And at John 16:2, "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God." (ASV); And at Acts 5:40, "And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go." (ASV). Just as back there, the believers in false doctrines and myths are many and seek to silence the proclaimers of Biblical Truths today. It has been this way through out recorded history that the true way has been ill spoken of Acts 19:9, "But when 'some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." (ASV); And at Acts 19:23, "And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way." (ASV); In reality, some wickedly disposed ones then and now referred to the Way as a cult with its leader Jesus (Yeshua) labeled a false prophet by the mainstream religions of His day.
However, actually the scriptures show his true followers, the ones following what was called the Way in the first century A.D. would be few in number. Now let's us consider a few scriptures that make this clear. First let's consider both Luke 13:24 and Matthew 7:13-14, it is in both of these that the road followed by true believers would be narrow and cramped, Luke 13:24, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Authorized King James Bible: AV); And Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, abroad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (AV); thereby, clearly showing few would be entering the narrow gate "which leadeth unto life." In reality, it will be difficult for even true Christians to enter as testified to at 1 Peter 4:18, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear." (AV). In order to enter, we must have the right sort of guide, Luke 1:79, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (AV). Now, if one picks the wrong group, just because it is popular or the so called 'one to belong to in a community' and not because of Bible Truths, there is an important warning given at Matthew 15:14, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (AV). In fact, being with the wrong group can mean you are NOT having fellowship with the Son of God, Jesus (Yeshua) as testified to at 1 John 1:6, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not [have] the truth." (AV). This danger is made abundantly clear at Luke 12:32 when Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of his true followers as a little flock and not a large one, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (AV). Simply stated, his true followers will be relatively few in number which should cause all sincere individuals to question whether mainstream religion with its vast membership is heading for the narrow gate!
Therefore, it is imperative that true Christians give heed to the admonition given at Titus 2:1, ""But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:" (ASV); and be like the Beroeans, Acts 17:11, "Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so." (ASV); and avoid false doctrines and myths such as the Duality, the Trinity, and the Mother of God who always existed and never had a mother, and other God (YHWH) dishonoring fables, the products of mankind under the influence of the god of this system of things.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89
This group of scriptures brings out how true followers of Jesus (Yeshua) would be persecuted and given a hard time as they are disliked by those belonging to this system of things who may claim that Almighty God (YHWH) is their god in keeping with Exodus 20:3, the First Commandment, ""Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (ASV); but in reality their 'hearts' are far removed from his per Matthew 15:8, "This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me." (ASV). Their 'heart' is with the god of this system of things as revealed at 2 Corinthians 4:4, "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn [upon them]. " (ASV). In fact, the Bible shows at Luke 21:12, that they would, "But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bring you before kings and governors for my name's sake." (ASV); And at John 16:2, "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God." (ASV); And at Acts 5:40, "And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go." (ASV). Just as back there, the believers in false doctrines and myths are many and seek to silence the proclaimers of Biblical Truths today. It has been this way through out recorded history that the true way has been ill spoken of Acts 19:9, "But when 'some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." (ASV); And at Acts 19:23, "And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way." (ASV); In reality, some wickedly disposed ones then and now referred to the Way as a cult with its leader Jesus (Yeshua) labeled a false prophet by the mainstream religions of His day.
However, actually the scriptures show his true followers, the ones following what was called the Way in the first century A.D. would be few in number. Now let's us consider a few scriptures that make this clear. First let's consider both Luke 13:24 and Matthew 7:13-14, it is in both of these that the road followed by true believers would be narrow and cramped, Luke 13:24, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Authorized King James Bible: AV); And Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, abroad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (AV); thereby, clearly showing few would be entering the narrow gate "which leadeth unto life." In reality, it will be difficult for even true Christians to enter as testified to at 1 Peter 4:18, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear." (AV). In order to enter, we must have the right sort of guide, Luke 1:79, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (AV). Now, if one picks the wrong group, just because it is popular or the so called 'one to belong to in a community' and not because of Bible Truths, there is an important warning given at Matthew 15:14, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (AV). In fact, being with the wrong group can mean you are NOT having fellowship with the Son of God, Jesus (Yeshua) as testified to at 1 John 1:6, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not [have] the truth." (AV). This danger is made abundantly clear at Luke 12:32 when Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of his true followers as a little flock and not a large one, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (AV). Simply stated, his true followers will be relatively few in number which should cause all sincere individuals to question whether mainstream religion with its vast membership is heading for the narrow gate!
Therefore, it is imperative that true Christians give heed to the admonition given at Titus 2:1, ""But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:" (ASV); and be like the Beroeans, Acts 17:11, "Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so." (ASV); and avoid false doctrines and myths such as the Duality, the Trinity, and the Mother of God who always existed and never had a mother, and other God (YHWH) dishonoring fables, the products of mankind under the influence of the god of this system of things.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89