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NASB | Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 3:28 For we maintain that an individual is justified by faith distinctly apart from works of the Law [the observance of which has nothing to do with justification, that is, being declared free of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]. |
Subject: What separates Evangelicals, Catholics? |
Bible Note: HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE CHURCH FATHERS "Thus Nero publicly announcing himself as the chief enemy of God, was led on in his fury to slaughter the Apostles. Paul is therefore said to have been beheaded in Rome, and Peter to have been crucified under him. And this account is confirmed byt he fact that the names of Peter and Paul still remain in the cemeteries of that city even to this day. But likewise, a certain ecclesiastical writer, Caius by name, who was born about the time of Zephyrinus bishop of Rome, disputing with Proclus the leader of the Phrygian sect, gives the following statement respecting the places where the earthly tabernacles of the aforesaid Apostles are laid. 'But I can show,' says he, 'the trophies of those who have laid the foundation of this church. And that both suffered martyrdom about the same time, Dionysius bisho of Corinth bears the following testimony, in his discourse addressed to the Romans. "Thus, likewise you, by means of this admonition, have mingled the flourishing seed that thad been planted by Peter and Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of these having planted us at Corinth, likewise instructed us; and having in like manner taught in Italy, they suffered martyrdom about the same time."' Historical records show that Peter chose Mark as his secretary or amanuensis. Papias of Hierapolis recorded the fact that "Mark, the interpreter of Peter, wrote down carefully what he remembered, both the sayings and the deeds of Christ, but not in chronological order, for he did not hear the Lord and he did not accompany him. At a later time, however, he did accompany Peter, who adapted his instruction to the needs (of his hearers), but not with the object of making a connected series of discourses of our Lord. So Mark made no mistakes in writing the individual discourses in the order in which he recalled them." (Keep this in mind later.) "Peter was led to the top of the Vatican Mount near the TYBER and crucified with his head downwards. His body was embalmed by Marcellinus the Presbyter after the Jewish manner, then buried in the Vatican near the Triumphal Way. Over his body a small church was erected. It was destroyed by Heliogalachis." (Dorman Newman) "His (Peter's) body was removed to the cemetery in the Appian Way, 2 miles from Rome where it rested obscurely until the Reign of Constantine (who) rebuilt and enlarged the Vatican to the honor of St. Peter. "The appearance of Peter was a follows; His body was slender of a middle size inclining to tallness. His complexion pail (sic) and almost white. His beard curled and thick but short. His eyes black but flecked with red due to frequent weeping. Eye brows thin or none." The Roman history, Augustus to Constantine, contains an interesting insight regarding controversies about the propriety of the early Christians' veneration of Apostolic burial places. "The Montanist Proclus argued that the tombs of the four daughters of Philip, all prophetesses in New Testament times, were still to be seen at Hierapolis in Asia. Gaius replied that he could point out the "trophies" of the Apostles (Peter and Paul) who founded the Roman church; they were on the Vatican Hill and by the Ostian Way. This interest in tombs was fairly widespread among Asian Christians and was certainly present at Rome as early as the middle of the second century. It did not spring into existence at that time, for in the New Testament itself we read of the burial of John the Baptist andof the martyr of Stephen. Ignatius of Antioch expected wild beasts to be his tomb, but this was a special case. Polycarp of Smyrna was carefully buried, even though a reference to an annual commemoration in the late second century may be an interpolation in the story of his martyrdom. |