'Last Sermon of Jesus'
John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me."
As a true disciple of Jesus, we must obey and teach His words only. Anyone who disregards His teachings are false brethren and false christs.
If They Persecuted Me
John 11:47-48 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."
The spiritual leaders feared that had our Lord Jesus been made the King of Israel, the Romans would annihilate Israel. They killed their Messiah for they feared men more than God. Similarly, depraved Christian leaders will fear men in authority who are rich and powerful instead of God.
Mark 5:10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"
Covetous Pharisees
Luke 16:14-15 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."
The covetous Pharisees who mocked the Lord's teachings were admonished by Him. They were the first to bring heresy into Christianity by making Christians keep the obsolete Law.
Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
False Accusations Against Jesus
Act 20:29-30 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
After the Apostolic Age, there were more than 50 false (Gnostic) Gospels which try to discredit and tarnish Jesus' reputation and sinlessness. Some denied the Triune Godhead or Trinity thereby rejecting the divinity of Jesus making His words inferior to the Law of Moses.
They will Also Persecute You
Gal 2:3-4 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),
Paul too was persecuted when Titus (a Greek) was forced to be circumcised. These false brethren tried to destroy the grace granted by our Lord Jesus.
Gal 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Persecutions of Constantine
After Constantine's vision, he formed the council of bishops to prepare the Christian creed and canonised the books of the bible from the false Gnostic Gospels for Christians to grow in Christ.
By his fruit - his light of love, humility, good works and sincerity to his faith in Christ convinced the Romans. After his death, his son could declare the whole Roman Empire a Christian Empire.
He was faithful to his calling and just like Paul, he was persecuted by wicked historians with Antichrist spirit and false brethren. With lies and false accusations, they projected him as a hypocrite and a tyrant instead of a faithful servant of God.
Brethren, please ensure that you have not wrongly persecuted or judged any Bible believing brethren.
