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Jesus was speaking in the Temple at Jerusalem. "As he spake
these words, many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on Him, If ye continue in my word [IF you believe
my message and act on it -- live by it], then are ye my disciples
indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free" (John 8:30-32).
This angered those "who BELIEVED ON Him." They hotly denied
they were not free. They were Abraham's descendants!
"I know," answered Jesus, "that ye are Abraham's seed; but
ye seek to kill me, because my word [the Gospel] hath no place in
you" (verse 37).
It was that message -- that GOSPEL -- which caused those
to whom Jesus came to cry out for His crucifixion. His apostles
went out proclaiming the same MESSAGE; they, too, were put to
death for it -- with the possible exception of John.
Persecution Sets In
In two years (A.D.33 ) the persecution started (Acts 8:1).
Philip, a deacon, went to Samaria announcing the Kingdom of God
(Acts 8:12) and performing many astounding miracles -- healing
the sick and casting out demons. The people were greatly moved.
They believed and were baptized. Among them was Simon the sorcerer
who had deceived the people with his sorcery. He was their
"spiritual leader" -- the "Peter" (Pater, father) in the Babylonian
Mystery religion.
Seven hundred years before Christ, when the people of the
northern Kingdom of Israel had been moved to Assyria, Gentiles
from Babylon had been moved into the land of Samaria, north of
Jerusalem (II Kings 17:18,23,24). These were the Gentiles which
the Jews of Christ's day called "dogs."
This Simon, known in history as Simon Magus, saw his people
starting to leave his Babylonian Mystery religion, which he had
kept alive. Philip's miracles were REAL, and by hundreds people
were believing and being baptized. Simon offered Peter and John
money, trying to bribe them to confer on him the power to cause
people to receive God's Holy Spirit by laying on his hands.
Peter told him sharply that he was "in the bond of iniquity."
That is, bound by the grip of lawlessness -- hostile to God's Law.
Simon had managed to have himself baptized along with the
scores and hundreds. He knew that all pagan religions were
controlled by kings or heads of state. Their religions were used
to
hold a grip over the people and to keep the rulers in power.
Whoever controlled the religion in a country also controlled the
government.
Simon saw in Christ an opportunity to head up a UNIVERSAL
religion -- he saw visions of ruling the world, if only he could