Dr. Michael Peppard

So you just go, maybe you cross your fingers behind your back and say, I hope God you don't judge me for this, but I have a wife and kids and a job and a farm and I don't want to get in trouble and I don't want to get... Who knows what they're going to do to me? Another option is you can bribe someone either to do it for you and get your receipt with your name on it.

So you just go, maybe you cross your fingers behind your back and say, I hope God you don't judge me for this, but I have a wife and kids and a job and a farm and I don't want to get in trouble and I don't want to get... Who knows what they're going to do to me? Another option is you can bribe someone either to do it for you and get your receipt with your name on it.

Like having someone take the SAT for you in the old days or whatever, or write my paper for me. Um, or like bribing a officer, um, or you could try to bribe an official, um, Just to get the, how much is this going to cost me? It's risky. I'm not going to eat the meat, but probably it's very risky because they're likely going to be very, very patriotic to Rome and they're not going to like that.

Like having someone take the SAT for you in the old days or whatever, or write my paper for me. Um, or like bribing a officer, um, or you could try to bribe an official, um, Just to get the, how much is this going to cost me? It's risky. I'm not going to eat the meat, but probably it's very risky because they're likely going to be very, very patriotic to Rome and they're not going to like that.

You could flee. Like you could go live with your uncle in the wilderness for a little while and it passes through and maybe then you get out of it. Or you could stand up to them. You could stand up to the Roman official in your village, in your town, and say, I believe in a living God, the Lord of heaven and earth, who cannot be frozen in this statue. Your gods aren't real. I'm not doing it.

You could flee. Like you could go live with your uncle in the wilderness for a little while and it passes through and maybe then you get out of it. Or you could stand up to them. You could stand up to the Roman official in your village, in your town, and say, I believe in a living God, the Lord of heaven and earth, who cannot be frozen in this statue. Your gods aren't real. I'm not doing it.

And see what happens. And guess what, Mark? Some of them become martyrs. But some of them don't. Some of them are allowed to live. I'm going to blow your mind. Are you ready? So they had confessed their faith, right? So they come to be called confessors. Hmm. Okay. Here's where it's going to blow your mind because you know your Catholic terminology.

And see what happens. And guess what, Mark? Some of them become martyrs. But some of them don't. Some of them are allowed to live. I'm going to blow your mind. Are you ready? So they had confessed their faith, right? So they come to be called confessors. Hmm. Okay. Here's where it's going to blow your mind because you know your Catholic terminology.

When you go to confession, the person who hears your confession is called a confessor. This is why. It goes all the way back to this. You ready? So a confessor in 250 is someone who stood up and said, I'm not eating meat and drinking wine from this sacrifice to the God of Rome and the emperor of Rome. I'm a Christian. I don't do that. Now let's say you're someone who paid a bribe.

When you go to confession, the person who hears your confession is called a confessor. This is why. It goes all the way back to this. You ready? So a confessor in 250 is someone who stood up and said, I'm not eating meat and drinking wine from this sacrifice to the God of Rome and the emperor of Rome. I'm a Christian. I don't do that. Now let's say you're someone who paid a bribe.

You're a Christian who paid a bribe. Now you want to go back to church a month later. Are they going to let you in? Maybe, maybe not. They'll be like, no, man, you paid a bribe and you communed with.

You're a Christian who paid a bribe. Now you want to go back to church a month later. Are they going to let you in? Maybe, maybe not. They'll be like, no, man, you paid a bribe and you communed with.

Yeah. Or you fled. You ran. And now you come back. Now, let's make this even bigger. Let's say you were like the priest or the bishop. And you fled. Yeah, no. But now you come back. You can't come back. And some regular person stood up and confessed. Now they have more authority in your local church than you do. And they can forgive you.

Yeah. Or you fled. You ran. And now you come back. Now, let's make this even bigger. Let's say you were like the priest or the bishop. And you fled. Yeah, no. But now you come back. You can't come back. And some regular person stood up and confessed. Now they have more authority in your local church than you do. And they can forgive you.

They can absolve you of your sin that you participated in idolatry and communed with the wrong God and let you back into the church. So hold on. It gets even better. So there's a communal element to this. Yeah. So this is why I set it up with meals generally is because we have – we meaning –

They can absolve you of your sin that you participated in idolatry and communed with the wrong God and let you back into the church. So hold on. It gets even better. So there's a communal element to this. Yeah. So this is why I set it up with meals generally is because we have – we meaning –

post-enlightenment rationalistic protestant culture folks we don't think this stuff is real often like or we we have this notional idea that like our mind and soul are separated from what our body's doing you know and like oh i can just not believe that that's a god and I'll just eat it anyway. But so many people did not have that mindset, right?

post-enlightenment rationalistic protestant culture folks we don't think this stuff is real often like or we we have this notional idea that like our mind and soul are separated from what our body's doing you know and like oh i can just not believe that that's a god and I'll just eat it anyway. But so many people did not have that mindset, right?

It was a real communion and had to be, you know, you kind of confess and be absolved for this. So, so what, here's another thing that happens at this time is we start to get the leaders of Christian communities called priests. at a much higher rate.

It was a real communion and had to be, you know, you kind of confess and be absolved for this. So, so what, here's another thing that happens at this time is we start to get the leaders of Christian communities called priests. at a much higher rate.