A good Cartoon often tells the story in a better way than 1000 words
Cartoon of the day # 304
Holy steps in Rome claims to have blood stains of Jesus
Nine years shorter in Purgatory. Thats what Catholics get for each step they climb on their knees in a Vatican staircase, claimed to have been transported to Rome from Jerusalem.
The so-called «Sacred Steps» in Rome is supposed to be the staircase from Pontius Pilate’s mansion, on which the Catholics are told Christ was made to walk on his knees, carrying the cross.
People still walk on their knees on those 30 odd steps as a mark of Jesus’ sacrifice for mankind. And there are 4 places on the stairs that are encased in gold-framed glass, supposed to be places where drops of Jesus’ blood fell.
How Pilate’s staircase came to Rome?
Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, brought it from wherever she might have found it.
In the Catholic Church, plenary indulgence can be granted for climbing the stairs on the knees. Pius VII on 2 September 1817 granted those who ascend the stairs in the prescribed manner an indulgence of nine years for every step. Finally Pius X, on 26 February 1908, granted a plenary indulgence to be gained as often as the stairs are devoutly ascended after confession and communion.
Not a few popes are recorded to have performed this pious exercise; Pius IX, who in 1853 entrusted the Passionist Fathers with the care of the sanctuary, ascended the Holy Stairs on 19 September 1870, the eve of the entrance of the Piedmontese into Rome.
There are replicas (holy copies) of these Holy Stairs at Lourdes, France; St. Anne de Beaupre, Canada; Tytuvenia, Lithuania; Abruzzi, Italy; Nasonville, Rhode Island and at St. Patrick’s.
My comment:
First:
There is no words in the Bible, about Jesus being dragged in a staircase in the Governor`s palace in Jerusalem. And if there ever was such a staircase, how did it end up as a pagan Roman Queens possession, more than 300 years after the life of Jesus?
Second:
And if there were blood in this staircase, how did anyone come to know if the blood was of Jesus? No one had His DNA-profile.
Since Pilate washed his hands of Jesus, would it not be reasonable, that someone would have cleaned up the mess in the staircase?
Third:
Frankly, it is more than unlikely that the Governor would make his presumed blood stained staircase into a «Museum» for a Jew the Jewish crowed wanted to get rid off, and the Roman soldiers crucified.
Forth:
In Mathew 28 you can read how the chief priests and the Jewish elders tried their best to blot out any traces and evidences of a risen Messiah, a cover-up that was supposed to have pleased Pilate.
Fifth:
How do you transport a staircase? I guess it must have been difficult to demolish? Was the building also demolished, and a proper copy of the castle built in Rome, to fit the staircase?
Six:
Jesus did not redeem mankind in the presence of Pilate, and any penance in such a staircase that will redeem the dead Catholics from «purgatory» is not-Biblical non sense.
The Vatican is cheating. The pagans claimed to be «Christians» has built a religion around a copy-cat Jesus, and religious rituals based on fabricated stories that perverts the truth.
The Old and the New Covenant
Daniel 12:7
The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
Revelation 11:12
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
These are two verses I use to teach about a Great tribulation rapture. Lord Jesus will come to collect and rapture a badly bruised, powerless and persecuted Church. The rest of the «Church» will be left behind. The rapture will take place Just before he returns to Jerusalem, and there will be hardly anyone who wants to listen to the truth about Jesus the Messiah. The teachers who preach about a Global end time revival, have in my opinion missed the mark. The true Church is a rescue operation, not a political power house.
Copies of Jesus in the Christian landscape
Jesus warned us not to follow copies. There would come false teachers and lead people astray. Yes, even the very elect, if possible .
It is important to be on our guard against copies of Jesus, that operates in the Christian landscape, and even are proclaimed inside “Christian” assemblies .
Paul talks about Jesus copies . So this is a serious issue, as Christians must assemblies not slide under the carpet.
2 Corinthians 11:4-6
For those tolerated very well so that someone comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or that they receive a different spirit from the one they have not received, or another gospel, which they have taken the opposite. But I believe that I am not in any way less than these super-apostles . If I may be rude in speech arts , I am not without knowledge, and I have always and in every piece presented to you.What are the characteristics of a copy of Jesus?
Basically will all copies of Jesus lack both the nature and character of God as He is presented in the Bible. Many claim to know ” Jesus “, but have accepted and follows a copy . We must all take note of what Jesus says in Matthew 7: 21-23 :
Not everyone who says to Me , ‘Lord , Lord, ‘ will enter the kingdom of heaven , but he who makes it my Father in heaven wants. Many will say to Me in that day , ‘Lord , Lord ! Have we not spoken prophecy of thy name , cast out evil spirits in thy name done many mighty deeds in your name ? ‘ Then I’ll say it straight out : ‘ I never knew you. Go away from me , you evil doers ! ‘
We must be able to distinguish between “ God can “ and ” God wants “ . Whoever knows God knows that ” God can .” He could , for example, have prevented that John the Baptist was beheaded . God could also intervene and he prevented that Stephen was stoned . But those who in these days said that good came to save the life of the Baptist or the disciple, were not conveying the will of God. Such people were false prophets, and easy to expose.
Anyone who says that Jesus “can do everything”, must be careful. Jesus can for example not lie . Jesus can not go against the Word. Jesus must on the contrary fulfill all the prophecies . Jesus can not save those who refuse to accept salvation. If He did, He would have set aside the Word.
Jesus is Holy . We can never deny this . If you refuse to repent from sin so that Jesus can not change your life , you are not one of the true followers of Jesus . Many people take pleasure in sin, some even bless sin. Such people mock a Holy God.
There was , for instance, funny in this election campaign , to listen to those who claimed that all Christians had to vote for the party “ The Christians “ . We got right that the party thought, talked and would act in accordance with God ‘s will.
Often I heard that God wanted ” The Christians “ were to be represented in the Parliament of Norway. The political party “The Christians” got 0,7 per cent of the votes. It is of course good that there are idealistic Christians in Norway . I count myself to be one of them. It is also good that there are Christians who are willing to work in political forums, as elected representatives of various political parties .
But it is dangerous to take a holy God in defense of political ideologies. Jesus came , for example, not to Jerusalem to remove the Roman occupation forces . He could of course have done this. But He did not . Those who claim that Jesus made mistakes in Jerusalem, have set them themselves above God.
In the Christian landscape there are a multitude of false teachers and false prophets . It is easiest to expose such people, when they say ” Jesus will ” . They claim to represent God ‘s perfect will in your life. For example, many of them will say : ” Jesus wants to heal you”. The problem arises of course when a person with cancer dies , or when a person is not getting up from his weelchair .
Who is responsible for such failures?
Was it God who failed , or was it the self-proclaimed prophet?
The victim of such evil in Jesus ‘s name, will be the sick person . He will be led into spiritual bondage , and are indirectly accused of not having ” enough faith ” or to hide personal sin.
It is important to be humble, to bow before a holy God. Life on Earth might be a rocky ride , with both victories and defeats. It is in the eternal perspective we can find peace with Jesus the Messiah.
There was nothing wrong with the faith of martyrs who sacrificed their life on Earth for their faith . They were a part of a holy God ‘s perfect will. They were promised , and they will live forever in heaven together with the Father , Son and the Holy Spirit .
Written by Ivar
ivarfjeld.com 