Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW018170A
01:30 ♪[Theme music]♪
01:40 ♪[Theme music]♪ 01:50 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 01:52 I'm John Bradshaw. 01:53 Thanks for joining me. 01:55 On January the 13th, 2012, at 9:45 p.m., 02:00 just two-and-a-half hours into a cruise 02:03 that would see her stop at ports in Italy, France, and Spain, 02:07 the Costa Concordia, with 4,000 people on board, 02:11 collided with rocks, just off an Italian island. 02:15 An enormous hole was torn in her hull. 02:19 It was a disaster. 02:21 Thirty-two people would die. 02:24 The ship's captain was later jailed for 16 years on charges 02:28 of multiple culpable homicide and shipwreck. 02:33 But of course, that means 3,970 people survived. 02:38 They were all rescued. 02:40 And they had stories to tell of their rescue. 02:43 But one of the survivors was a man who probably wishes 02:47 his story wasn't told. 02:50 Father Massimo Donghi was a parish priest 02:54 in a small town near Milan in the north of Italy. 02:58 He told his parishioners that he was going to attend 03:00 a spiritual retreat, a time of prayer and meditation. 03:05 But Father Donghi didn't go on a spiritual retreat. 03:08 Instead, he took a cruise on the Costa Concordia, 03:13 and he was one of the many people who was rescued 03:16 from the sinking ship. 03:18 When asked about it later, Father Donghi said, 03:21 “The judgment of others is not important to me.” 03:26 But one might think that the judgment of God 03:29 would be important to Father Donghi. 03:32 After all, it was God who said, 03:34 “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” 03:37 Or in other words, “Don't lie!” 03:41 There've been some very famous lies told over the years. 03:46 “I didn't take performance-enhancing drugs.” 03:49 Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, who knows who else. 03:53 “I am not a crook.” 03:55 “I did not have...” Well, you know. 03:58 Pete Rose insisted for twenty or more years 04:00 that he never bet on baseball, 04:02 and then later admitted that he had. 04:04 An actor claimed to have been on the 55th floor 04:08 of the World Trade Center when a plane flew into it, 04:11 but he wasn't. 04:12 News reporters have made up news stories. 04:14 People lie about their age or their ethnicity. 04:18 Here in Rome, there's an interesting sculpture, 04:22 a 2,800-pound marble mask with a prominent mouth. 04:28 It's called "La Bocca della Verita." 04:31 "The Mouth of Truth." 04:33 It's located at St. Mary's Church next to the Tiber River 04:37 and just up the street from the Circus Maximus. 04:40 The legend is that if you put your hand 04:43 into La Bocca della Verita, and you've told a lie, 04:47 your hand will be cut off. 04:53 So, how important is truth? 04:56 Well, to God, it's extremely important, 04:59 important enough to be mentioned, or emphasized, 05:03 in the Ten Commandments. 05:04 The eighth commandment consists of only nine words, 05:08 but those nine words outlaw lying. 05:11 It's inconsistent with the character of God, 05:15 and it causes all kinds of issues. 05:17 Both Revelation chapter 21 and 22 say 05:21 liars will not go to heaven. 05:25 Now, you would think that one place truth would be 05:27 especially valued would be the church. 05:31 But that's not always the case. 05:33 Now, being as we're here in Rome, 05:34 we're going to take a look at certain claims 05:36 that have been made right out in the open, 05:39 where people have said, "These things are true," 05:42 even though it would appear those claims don't hold water. 05:47 Now, to begin with, we're going to take a look 05:49 at one of the most incredible miracles that never happened. 05:53 Let's go there now. 05:56 Rome isn't an especially large city, 05:59 which is one of the things that makes it a great place to visit. 06:03 If you wanted to, 06:03 you could walk just about anywhere, 06:05 from pretty well anywhere. 06:07 It's compact. 06:09 The Forum, the heart of ancient Rome, 06:12 which once teemed with temples and monuments, 06:16 it's a stone's throw from the Mamertine Prison, 06:18 where the Apostle Paul was kept 06:20 when he was a prisoner in Rome. 06:22 It's basically across the street from Trajan's Column, 06:25 which is almost 2,000 years old, 06:28 and tells the story of the exploits of the emperor Trajan. 06:31 And it's close to the Circus Maximus, 06:34 where 150,000 people would come to watch 06:37 chariot races in ancient times, 06:39 and it's a short walk to the Colosseum. 06:42 A kilometer past the Colosseum, two-thirds of a mile, 06:45 is an interesting building. 06:47 Inside this little building is what's known 06:50 as the “Scala Sancta,” the “Holy Staircase.” 06:55 It's believed that this staircase 06:58 is the actual staircase on which Jesus walked 07:02 when He appeared before Pontius Pilate. 07:04 It's made of marble, 07:06 although the steps have been covered with wood, 07:08 one would think to protect them from constant use. 07:12 Pilgrims come here from all over the world 07:14 to ascend the steps on their knees. 07:17 You'll see them praying as they go. 07:19 The steps are so special, that in 1817, 07:23 Pope Pius VII declared 07:27 that anyone who ascended the staircase 07:30 would receive an indulgence of nine years for every step. 07:35 There are 28 steps. 07:38 Do the math, and what you figure out is that 07:40 a pope declared that anyone who prays their way up these stairs 07:45 will get 252 years off their punishment in purgatory. 07:51 When he was a priest, 07:53 Martin Luther climbed these stairs on his knees, 07:56 praying the Lord's Prayer on every step 07:58 because he'd been told that, by doing so, 08:01 he would redeem a soul from purgatory. 08:04 He got to the top, filled with doubt, and said, 08:08 “Who knows whether this is true?” 08:11 So, let's walk through this together. 08:14 The staircase here is said to be the very staircase 08:16 on which Jesus walked 08:18 when He appeared before Pontius Pilate. 08:22 If you were to make your way up the stairs, 08:23 you would notice there are gaps in the wooden covering, 08:26 allowing you to see through and see drops of Jesus' blood. 08:32 The story goes that St. Helena, 08:35 the mother of the emperor Constantine, 08:37 visited Jerusalem about 300 years after the death of Jesus 08:41 and located the staircase and had it brought to Rome, 08:44 and now, here it is. 08:47 Now, that assertion has been challenged over the years, 08:50 to the extent that the sign inside the building 08:53 is not really definitive as to the origins of the staircase. 08:58 So the church is gently backing away from its claim 09:03 that this is the actual staircase 09:06 on which Jesus actually walked 09:09 when He actually appeared before Pontius Pilate. 09:13 And well it might, because it's what you might call... 09:18 an actual misrepresentation of the facts. 09:22 So, why make a claim like that, 09:24 that Jesus walked on this very staircase? 09:26 Well, it really does make the church look quite privileged 09:30 to have such inside information, 09:33 to have access to such wonderful treasures. 09:36 But think about the story that's being told here, 09:40 that somehow St. Helena managed to find the actual staircase 09:44 Jesus walked on when He appeared before Pilate, 09:47 even though the Bible says nothing at all about Jesus 09:51 standing on any staircase when He appeared before Pilate, 09:55 even though St. Helena purportedly found the stairs 09:59 250 years after the event, 10:03 even though Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD. 10:08 So, you can get 250 years off your time in purgatory 10:13 for praying on each of the 28 steps 10:15 that make up Pilate's staircase. 10:18 It sure managed to give the church 10:20 an enormous amount of prestige, 10:22 back in a time when people would simply believe the church, 10:26 no matter what the church said, 10:28 no matter how unlikely what the church said was true, 10:33 even if the church said, 10:35 “We have the very staircase Jesus Himself walked on.” 10:41 But it said more. 10:43 Upstairs in a chapel, 10:45 there's a painting that is said to have been started by St. Luke 10:49 and finished by an angel. 10:51 It also said that when St. Helena went to Jerusalem, 10:54 she managed to find the crosses 10:56 on which the two thieves died next to Jesus. 10:59 She also found the inscription that said, 11:02 “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” 11:04 And the nails they used to nail Jesus to the cross. 11:07 And the robe Jesus wore just before His crucifixion. 11:12 Quite the archaeologist. 11:13 And perhaps the grandest of them all: 11:17 St. Helena is said to have found something truly amazing. 11:22 And we'll see it in just a moment. 11:25 ♪[Music]♪ 11:34 >>John: Deceptions in the modern church. 11:36 More common than you think. 11:38 And you don't want to be led away from faith in the Bible. 11:41 "Deceptions in the Modern Church," 11:43 a revealing book exposing common teachings 11:45 undermining Christianity. 11:47 Get your free copy 11:48 of "Deceptions in the Modern Church." 11:50 Call 800-253-3000. 11:53 800-253-3000. 11:55 You can write to the address on your screen, 11:57 or visit iiwoffer.com 11:59 Get "Deceptions in the Modern Church." 12:02 800-253-3000. 12:05 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 12:07 In Rome, Italy, it seems as though everywhere you turn, 12:11 there are museums and historical artifacts and ruins. 12:15 And for many years, one of the stops on the itinerary 12:19 of many of the faithful who come here to Rome 12:21 has been the Scala Sancta, 12:23 said to be the staircase on which Jesus walked 12:27 when He appeared before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. 12:31 Of course, there's absolutely no proof 12:33 that Jesus was ever anywhere near these stairs, 12:36 or that the drops of blood on the stairs are Jesus' blood, 12:39 or for that matter, anybody else's blood. 12:42 And along with a lack of evidence, 12:45 claims that Jesus was ever on these stairs 12:48 actually defy sound reasoning. 12:51 But the word is St. Helena, 12:54 the mother of Constantine the emperor, 12:56 brought the stairs back from Jerusalem. 12:59 Now, these days you'll read things that say something like, 13:02 “It is believed that...” 13:03 or "Tradition states that...” 13:05 or "However they got here," thus and so... 13:09 Which is just another way of saying that, 13:11 hundreds of years ago, we told people 13:14 whatever we wanted to tell them. 13:15 And they just believed it because that's how things were 13:18 hundreds of years ago, but today... 13:20 not quite so easy to get a story like that past people. 13:26 Now, if you thought it was incredible that St. Helena 13:29 brought to Rome the very staircase on which Jesus stood, 13:33 well, in the words of the great philosopher, 13:37 “You ain't seen nothing yet.” 13:39 Because we're about to see something 13:40 that makes Pilate's staircase look pedestrian. 13:45 She's said to have found the nails 13:47 that held Jesus to the cross, 13:49 the inscription that was attached to the cross, 13:52 the crosses on which the thieves were crucified. 13:56 And the claim is made that St. Helena found 13:59 the cross on which Jesus died. 14:02 The actual cross. 14:05 Now, how you do that 300 or so years 14:08 after the crucifixion of Jesus, 14:10 260 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, 14:14 nobody knows. 14:15 But the story goes like this: 14:17 In order to discover which cross was the actual cross of Jesus, 14:23 parts of three crosses were brought to the presence 14:27 of a very sick woman. 14:29 When the first cross, or part thereof, was brought to her, 14:32 she remained sick and was not helped. 14:35 In fact, one account says that when they brought that cross 14:38 to her, she screamed fearfully, 14:41 the inference being that was part of the cross 14:43 on which one of the thieves was crucified. 14:46 Same thing happened with the piece of the second cross. 14:50 But when they brought the wood of the third cross to her, 14:54 she was miraculously healed, 14:57 got up from her sick-bed right away, 15:00 full of life and happiness. 15:03 This is the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, 15:07 half a mile from the Scala Sancta, the Holy Staircase. 15:11 Like many churches in this city, it's really quite beautiful. 15:15 And in here are housed a number of so-called relics, 15:19 such as the inscription Pilate had placed on Jesus' cross, 15:25 one of the nails that was used in the crucifixion of Jesus, 15:30 two of the thorns from the crown of thorns 15:33 placed on the head of Jesus. 15:35 And the big one: 15:38 a fragment of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. 15:43 Now, I realize that this can mean a lot to people. 15:46 Seeing these items can be a, a life-altering, 15:50 a faith-restoring experience. 15:53 But don't you have to ask, faith in what? 15:57 Now, the reason we believe the Bible 15:59 is that there's so much in the Bible that checks out; 16:01 it adds up; it makes sense. 16:03 So that when we read 16:05 that people walked around the city of Jericho, 16:08 and then shouted, 16:10 and those great big walls came tumbling down, we believe that. 16:13 When we read that Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, 16:16 we say, “Why, sure," 16:18 because there's so much else in the Word of God 16:20 that's obviously trustworthy and clearly verifiable. 16:25 So therefore we say, "We can believe the miracles. 16:28 We can believe those things that seem a little extraordinary." 16:33 But this? 16:36 I met a lady while I was visiting this church, 16:39 San Pietro in Vincoli, St. Peter in Chains. 16:43 We bumped into each other, we chatted about this and that, 16:45 and then she said, 16:47 “If I met someone who was ever doubting their faith, 16:52 I would tell them to come here. That would fix them.” 16:56 Well, sure. 16:57 Impressive churches, incredibly grand, magnificent structures. 17:04 Should you visit them, look up. 17:07 The paintings on the ceilings are almost always breathtaking. 17:12 They certainly are in St. Peter in Chains. 17:15 But what impressed the lady I spoke to 17:17 was that inside this church are the actual chains 17:21 that bound Peter when he was in Rome. 17:25 And then if you'll allow yourself to believe, 17:27 even for a moment, that these really are the chains 17:29 that bound St. Peter, then you'll be convinced. 17:33 If you'll allow yourself to believe that the church 17:35 actually managed to get the very staircase, 17:37 on which Jesus walked, into their possession, 17:40 again, no mention of a staircase in the Bible, 17:43 then, sure, you'll be a believer. 17:46 And that's the point of these relics. 17:49 A church that wants people to believe it is the true church 17:53 makes all kinds of claims about so-called historical artifacts. 17:58 And if you want to believe that that's the true church, 18:01 then, what option do you have, 18:03 when it comes to these relics, but to trust? 18:06 But what is it that's supposed to grow our faith? 18:10 The Word of God. 18:12 Miracles? Sure. 18:14 Answered prayer? Absolutely. 18:16 But the authority is the Bible, the book that speaks of Jesus, 18:21 that tells you that there is a God of love 18:23 and gives you reason after reason to believe. 18:26 A church doesn't need miracles or relics 18:29 to convince people that it's a valid church. 18:33 Now, think about how all of this worked together. 18:37 If you can convince the people 18:39 that these things are legitimate, 18:41 then you can better convince them to open up their wallets. 18:45 Keep in mind, the church of Rome was the ruling church 18:48 in the world for hundreds and hundreds of years. 18:52 It monetized salvation. 18:55 There was a time that indulgences were sold. 18:59 It's one of the reasons the Reformation began. 19:02 It was a horribly abusive practice. 19:05 Now, keep in mind, purgatory doesn't exist. 19:09 But if you'll believe that there's a place that, 19:11 if you're not good enough to go to heaven, 19:12 not bad enough to go to hell, 19:15 that you'll go to be purged of your sins, 19:17 and that the church decides, 19:19 or can tell you who went there and who did not... 19:22 that's an abomination. 19:24 Even today, 19:25 pray your way up Pilate's staircase, a fraud, 19:30 and you'll get a reduction in the time 19:32 that you spend in purgatory. Another fraud. 19:36 So, for a variety of reasons, the church here in Rome 19:39 is portraying things one way when there's a very, 19:44 very high probability that things are actually another way. 19:49 Now, what could be more impressive than somebody 19:52 coming back from heaven with a message for the faithful? 19:56 It's made believers out of a lot of people. 19:59 In just a moment, we'll go to a place 20:02 where it is said messages have been brought from heaven. 20:05 ♪[Music]♪ 20:15 >>Announcer: It has followed God's people 20:17 since the dawn of time. 20:19 Under the pharaohs of Egypt, 20:21 ♪[Music]♪ 20:24 the decree against the Jews in the time of Esther, 20:29 Herod's decree against baby boys in the time of Jesus. 20:33 And Jesus said many of His followers would be persecuted. 20:38 The Roman emperor Diocletian took persecution 20:41 to a whole new level. 20:44 Houses of worship were destroyed. 20:47 And Christians who refused to sacrifice to the gods 20:50 were put to death. 20:53 History has a habit of repeating. 20:56 And the Bible makes clear that when it comes to persecution, 20:59 history is going to repeat. 21:01 ♪[Music]♪ 21:05 Don't miss "History Repeats" on 21:07 itiswritten.tv 21:10 ♪[Music]♪ 21:15 >>John: Thank you for remembering 21:16 that It Is Written exists 21:18 because of the kindness of people just like you. 21:20 To support this international life-changing ministry, 21:24 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 21:28 You can send your tax-deductible gift 21:30 to the address on your screen, 21:31 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 21:35 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 21:38 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 21:42 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 21:46 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 21:49 The Mouth of Truth is a marble sculpture in Rome 21:52 that has become famous over the years 21:55 because of the legend that says if a person has told a lie, 21:58 and puts their hand into the Mouth of Truth, 22:02 their hand would be cut off. 22:05 The sculpture became famous after it featured 22:07 in an Audrey Hepburn movie in the 1950s, 22:10 and since then it's been on the tourist circuit. 22:12 Just a legend, a story. 22:15 But it underlines an important, even a biblical idea. 22:19 Truth matters. 22:21 Truth is important. 22:23 Important enough to God that He dedicated 22:26 one of the Ten Commandments to the subject. 22:29 And so you'd want to believe that the prominent voices 22:31 of faith are telling the truth. 22:34 Except that's not what always happens. 22:37 Healing crusades where nobody at all is healed. 22:40 Kid says he took a trip to heaven, writes a book about it. 22:43 Then it turns out that none of what he says happened 22:47 actually happened. 22:48 It seems to me that part of the problem is 22:51 that Christian believers can be a little bit gullible. 22:56 That is, we are conditioned already 22:59 to believe the supernatural. 23:01 We already believed that a man walked on water. 23:04 We already believe that water came out of a rock. 23:07 So when somebody tells you something that might just push 23:10 the boundaries a little bit, 23:11 you're predisposed to believing it, 23:14 especially if you want it to be true, 23:17 especially if you're told to believe. 23:21 In the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 23:24 just 10 miles from the border with Croatia, 23:27 is the small town of Medjugorje. 23:31 In 1981, six children in this town claimed 23:35 that Mary the mother of Jesus appeared to them. 23:38 They were mainly 15 and 16 years of age. 23:40 One was a little younger. 23:42 Four girls, two boys. 23:44 They said that one of them received 23:47 nine special “secrets” from Mary 23:50 that she would be asked to reveal to the world 23:53 at the appropriate time. 23:56 The Catholic Church has not confirmed whether or not 23:58 the apparitions are of supernatural origin. 24:02 Yet thousands of people come here every day. 24:06 One of those children, obviously much older now, 24:09 says that Mary still appears to her on a daily basis. 24:14 And so here we have the problem. 24:17 Mary is dead. 24:20 Now there are some people who don't believe that; 24:22 they believe instead that she was taken bodily to heaven 24:25 without seeing death. 24:27 But where does that idea come from? 24:29 It comes from tradition and not the Word of God. 24:32 You see, when you let tradition usurp 24:34 the authority of the Bible, 24:37 there's no end to what you can teach 24:39 and what you can believe. 24:41 Well, tradition says it, 24:42 and the Bible doesn't say it didn't happen, and so... 24:47 And so you've got confusion. 24:50 That's the inevitable result of allowing the Bible 24:53 to be second to tradition. 24:57 The Bible makes clear 24:58 that the dead do not come back and visit the living. 25:02 This is Job, chapter 7, verses 9 and 10. 25:06 “As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, 25:08 so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. 25:12 He shall never return to his house, 25:15 nor shall his place know him anymore.” 25:18 A person who dies doesn't come back to the earth 25:21 this side of the Resurrection. 25:23 Of course, one day there'll be a resurrection, 25:25 when as Paul said, 25:26 “The dead in Christ shall rise. 25:29 Then we which are alive and remain 25:31 shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 25:34 to meet the Lord in the air: 25:36 and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 25:39 That's 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17. 25:41 Now, believe what the Bible says about this, 25:45 and you no longer have prayer to saints or Marian apparitions. 25:50 It's a game-changer. 25:51 But that's what the Bible is. 25:52 The Bible is a game-changer. 25:55 And it's reliable, and it's trustworthy. 25:59 And it's interesting that that staircase is said 26:03 to have been Pilate's staircase. 26:05 When Jesus appeared before Pilate, 26:08 they had this exchange. 26:10 This is John 18:37 and 38. 26:14 “Pilate therefore said to Him, 'Are You a king, then?' 26:18 Jesus answered, 'You say rightly that I am a king. 26:23 For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come 26:26 into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. 26:30 Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.' 26:35 Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?'" 26:40 It seems he didn't wait for an answer. 26:43 "And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, 26:46 and said to them, 'I find no fault in Him at all.'" 26:52 Truth matters; it's important. 26:54 It's inseparable from Jesus, 26:57 who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 27:01 Now, traditions are great, 27:02 if they're in harmony with the Bible. 27:04 The supernatural is wonderful, 27:06 as long as it's biblical in its orientation. 27:10 But if it isn't, well, it's likely an error. 27:14 Maybe a mistruth. 27:16 Maybe even...a lie. 27:19 The famous story is told of George Washington when, 27:22 as a boy, confessed to his father that he had cut down 27:26 the cherry tree with his little hatchet. 27:28 And he said to his dad, “I cannot tell a lie.” 27:33 The really interesting thing about that story 27:35 is that it's likely not even true. 27:38 But I'll tell you what is true. 27:40 The Word of God? That's true. 27:42 That's believable. 27:43 God? He is real. And you can trust Him. 27:48 And you can trust the Bible, every time. 27:52 >>John: Deceptions in the modern church. 27:54 More common than you think. 27:55 And you don't want to be led away from faith in the Bible. 27:59 “Deceptions in the Modern Church,” 28:00 a revealing book exposing common teachings 28:03 undermining Christianity. 28:05 Get your free copy 28:06 of “Deceptions in the Modern Church.” 28:08 Call 800-253-3000. 28:11 800-253-3000. 28:13 You can write to the address on your screen, 28:15 or visit iiwoffer.com 28:17 Get “Deceptions in the Modern Church.” 28:19 800-253-3000. 28:23 >>John: Let's pray together now. 28:25 Our Father in heaven, we thank You today for Jesus, 28:28 the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 28:31 We thank You for Your Word, which is true. 28:33 We thank You for every promise in Your Word 28:36 that is valid and reliable and trustworthy. 28:41 We thank You for the great truth that Jesus died for us, 28:43 that we can claim now the gift of salvation. 28:46 And friend, if you don't have that, 28:48 would you claim it now through Jesus? 28:50 Would you say in your heart?: “Lord, I want that gift. 28:53 I claim the gift of salvation now in Jesus Christ.” 28:59 We thank You for the great truth that Jesus is soon coming back. 29:04 And we thank You for the truth of heaven 29:06 and of an earth made new. 29:08 We look forward to that day when we are with You for eternity. 29:12 And we pray with grateful thanks in Jesus' name. 29:16 Amen. 29:18 Thank you so much for joining me today. 29:20 I'm looking forward to seeing you next time. 29:22 Until then, remember: 29:24 "It is written, 29:26 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 29:28 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 29:33 ♪[Theme music]♪ 29:43 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2018-08-30