The Bible in its Making Part 14

Christ had given him his name 'Peter' or 'Cephas,' that is, a rock or stone, and so he wrote of his Master as the great Corner-stone of G.o.d's spiritual house, in which each one of Christ's people are living stones, (1 Peter ii. 5-7.)

The Saviour had once told Peter that he must forgive his brother although he was wronged by him on seventy-times seven occasions, and in Peter's Epistle we read, '_Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the mult.i.tude of sins_.' (1 Peter iv. 8.) 'Charity' should have been translated 'love.'

Then the Lord had warned Peter that Satan had desired to have him, and he--remembering that solemn fact in his own life--tried to put his readers on their guard against the great enemy, '_because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour._' (1 Peter v. 8.)

Most touching of all are the words he wrote: '_For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?

But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with G.o.d ... because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example._' (1 Peter ii. 20, 21.) The man who had seen the Lord Jesus Christ suffer patiently could never forget.

'_Feed the flock of G.o.d which is among you.... And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory._' (1 Peter v.

2, 4.) His Master's last command by the Lake of Galilee to feed His flock was so deeply impressed on Peter's mind that it coloured all his thoughts to the last day of his life. (John xxi.)

This Epistle of St. Peter was written, we believe, to comfort G.o.d's people under the heavy trial of Paul's second imprisonment. Cruelty and persecution were doing their worst, but G.o.d was above all.

'_Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you ... but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings._' (1 Peter iv. 12, 13.)

Two short, but very beautiful, epistles are believed to have been written by two of the Lord's brethren, St. James and St. Jude.

Eusebius, the first Christian historian--born 260 A.D., died 340--tells us that James was a Nazarite. This means that he had taken the old Jewish vow of special purity; he ate no meat, drank no wine, and wore nothing but white linen garments. This vow is often mentioned in the Old Testament. James had not believed that Jesus Christ was the Saviour of the world until after His Resurrection, when the Lord appeared to him. '_After that, He was seen of James._' (1 Corinthians xv. 7.)

This set his doubts at rest for ever, and St. James too was called to write a part of G.o.d's Book.

Of St. Jude, author of the Epistle of that name, scarcely anything is known, but from Matthew xiii. 55 and Mark vi. 3 we learn that he was one of the Lord's brethren, and, like his brother, James, did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah until after the Resurrection.

This Jude must not be confused with the Apostle Jude.

These writers of the New Testament as they took their reed pens in their hands, and spread out their rolls of whitey-brown papyrus-paper, were not like Moses. True, they knew that the Holy Spirit was bidding them write, but that their written words should ever be used by G.o.d to form a part of the Bible would have seemed impossible to them all.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PART OF AN ANCIENT COPTIC TOMBSTONE--IN BRITISH MUSEUM]

The last and by far the latest writer of G.o.d's Book was St. John, the beloved disciple.

Long after most of the other Apostles were dead, he still lived on, speaking and writing of his Master, and to the Apostle John the Lord Jesus Christ entrusted the record of many of His most beautiful and comforting words, and of the deepest and most spiritual teaching in the whole Bible.

Three of the shortest and yet most beautiful Books of the Bible are the three epistles which bear John's name. They are supposed to have been written from Ephesus, in John's latter days, and every sentence in them seems to breathe forth the peace, love, and wisdom of a very old man who has lived close to Christ for many years. It may well be then that these calm and loving letters were the last of all the Bible words to be written.

Now the 'Revelation,' though placed at the end of our Bible, was not the last Book to be written.

It was probably composed whilst Nero, the wicked Emperor, was torturing and burning the followers of Christ. St. John's heart must have been ready to break with distress, but the Holy Spirit comforted him, and lifted his thoughts right up to Heaven, showing him in a vision the end of all these things.

Among the fragments of the oldest Bibles in the world recently discovered, the Book of Revelation takes a prominent place. Some of these were probably written about the year 150 A.D. Let us remember when we look on the faded pages lying in the British Museum that when their discoloured lines were fresh and clean, men were still living who had seen the early martyrs die.

[1] The Iliad.

CHAPTER XIII

THE FIRST BIBLE PICTURES

[Ill.u.s.tration: (drop cap T) Roman Scourge]

Those boys and girls who love their Bibles are fond of Bible pictures.

Even tiny children delight to see a picture of Jesus Christ holding the little ones in His arms; and how sad children feel when they are shown a painting or engraving of the Saviour led away to die!

We have learnt much now of the Bible, and of how the Old and New Testaments were written, but who first thought of making pictures from the Bible?

We shall see.

A few miles from the city of Rome, deep, deep underground, are those wonderful networks of galleries and chambers called 'The Catacombs.'

'Catacomb' means 'scooped out.' Miles and miles of pa.s.sages are there, some low and narrow, others wide and lofty; they cross and re-cross each other, like the streets of a town, and all are scooped out of the solid earth.

On either side of every gallery are almost endless rows of s.p.a.ces hollowed out in the walls, one above another like the berths on board s.h.i.+p. For the most part they are open and empty, but a few are still closed. Above some of them words are faintly traced on stone slabs; a man or woman's name perhaps, oftener still the Latin words, '_In Pace_'--that is, 'In Peace.'

For all this great underground city is in reality one huge cemetery: the quiet resting-place where the first Christians of heathen Rome buried their dead, where the martyred bodies so cruelly tortured by Nero were laid at last. In pace, in peace.

How wonderful to read the names of those who loved Christ and suffered for His sake so long, long ago! Their very names speak to us of the courage and joy which, in spite of torture, Christ had brought into their lives.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TWO EMPTY TOMBS IN THE CATACOMBS, THE LOWER ONE SHOWING PART OF THE COVERING SLAB WITH A ROUGH CARVING OF THE MARTYRS' PALM OF VICTORY]

'Rest,' 'Constancy,' 'G.o.d's will.' Many names have meanings like these. Sometimes a simple picture of a victor's crown or martyr's palm-branch is placed beside them; sometimes a few words are added.

Latin is a dead language now, but in those days it was the everyday language of Rome, so most of these inscriptions are in Latin.

Some of them are sorrowful, for the mourners grieve to think that the loved one will open his eyes on earth no more; but in all the hope of eternal life is sure and certain. Our beloved mother, our little child, our dear brother is with Christ; the parting is only for a time.

Yonder, in our beautiful Heavenly Home, we shall meet once more.

How different from the words carved over heathen tombs! We know what these were like, for not very far away is a heathen catacomb.

'_Valeria dormit in pace._' Valeria sleeps in peace. So the Christian woman was laid to rest.

'I lift up my hands against G.o.d, who s.n.a.t.c.hed me away.' We can still read these despairing, rebellious words on a heathen tomb.

'Spare your tears, dear husband and daughter, and believe that it is forbidden to weep for one who lives in G.o.d.' How beautiful to know that we shall one day meet the woman in Heaven of whom these words are written!

Now, about the time of Nero's cruel persecution, the Christians of Rome began to use the Catacombs for meetings and services. Their heathen tormentors had a horror of death, and therefore among the quiet dead the Christians were safe for a while.

So they met deep underground in the dim galleries, their little oil-lamps twinkling like stars, and there they listened to the Word of G.o.d, and prayed and sang together.

Many touching stories are told of these days; and of the meetings held underground in these Catacombs, where the living were surrounded by the bodies of the martyred dead.

Now, these first Christians loved the Bible with all their hearts, and just as you like to see hanging in your room the picture of the Good Shepherd with the little lamb, so they began to long for pictures from their Bible. Every heathen Roman had his house decorated with pictures and carvings from his pagan religion, but it was in the dim underground galleries that the first Bible pictures appeared.

Some of the subjects were taken from the Old Testament, some from the New. Only Bible pictures interested the first Christians.

Noah and the Ark was a very favourite subject. 'Noah was safe in the ark,' they said, 'although thousands perished. So will G.o.d keep safe all those who trust in Him.'

There are many pictures of Jonah and the whale, and one of the three children in the burning fiery furnace, for this had special messages for the martyrs as we can well understand.