If well-known religious figures today knew they would surely
be crucified upside-down, beheaded, sawn in half, tortured on the rack,
disemboweled, burned at the stake, strangled and then quartered for their
prominence as preachers of the gospel, how many would pursue after applause and
public prominence?
With the sophistication the church has imposed on itself, I
daresay that such a gruesome prospect of a tortured death was never even
considered as part of pastoral discipline.
The apostles did not go through such painful and shameful
ends so we might enjoy comfortable Christianity.
They suffered as models for us to follow, and we will.
