Gates of Hell at Caesarea Philippi
The Greeks and the Romans established worship of a pantheon of so called gods, building elaborate temples, and ordering worship of idols. A temple dedicated to the worship of Pan was built here at the Gates of Hades.
When Jesus was near here with His disciples, He asked Peter what people were saying about who He is.
Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus
Mat 16:13 When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They said, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”
17 Then Jesus told him, “How blessed you are, Simon son of Jonah, since flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, though my Father in heaven has. 18 I tell you that you are Peter,[g] and it is on this rock[h] that I will build my congregation,[i] and the powers of hell[j] will not conquer it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom from heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven.”
Later Jesus gave them the great commission while they were on Mount Hermon, above Caesarea Philippi.
Jesus Commissions His Disciples
Mat 28:16 The eleven disciples went into Galilee to the hillside to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, though some had doubts. 18 Then Jesus approached them and told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day[l] until the end of the age.”[m]
The great commission was a directive to carry the message of the Messiah to nations under the rule of paganism, as all nations other than Israel were at that time. The message of salvation in the resurrected Savior would bring down the power of Satan vested in the worship of false ideas, especially the world empire of Rome, which even demanded the worship of the Roman Emperor as a god.
Emperor Nero brought things to a head with his wanton slaughter of believers in the Roman Colosseum. The believers could save their lives if they would worship the Emperor. But they preferred death rather than denying their Lord and Savior, the True and Living God.
The blood shed by those persecuted believers fed the revolution that went to the ends of the earth. Wherever believers went, they carried the message about the Resurrected Savior.
Most of those who carried the message to other nations were Caucasian. It is a fact of history. Thousands of men and women gave their lives to carry a saving message to the Pagan tribes and nations of the earth.
Yes, Jesus is a white man, because Jews and Arabs are Caucasian.
And it was mostly white men and women from America, Europe, and Australia who gave their lives to carry a message of hope to people under the death penalty for practicing paganism.
The natives of America, South America, China, India, Africa, Indonesia, etc. were all pagans before the gospel message was carried to them. The preachers of diversity and those who praise all cultures must not have a clue about how it was to live under paganism. One of the things that the British did in India was to end the burning of widows on the husband's funeral pyre.
I visited remote tribes in Papau New Guinea, where in modern times believers had risked their lives to carry the gospel to cannibals. Murder, thievery, rape, and war were their way of life.
No, all cultures are not praiseworthy, and those who praise diversity should have to live in a pagan culture for their own education.
The Muslims are closer to the truth, than those who praise diversity, in their opposition to paganism and idolatry. They destroyed pagan societies. Those pagans were under the death penalty because of sin, and the Muslims were their executioners, much like the Babylonians were the executors of the Jewish idolaters with the destruction of Solomon's Temple.
Satan loves to destroy people, and he jumps at the chance when God's protection is removed from His people because of sin. Destruction is never pleasant, and we need to learn from history.
But God is not willing that any should perish, and wants all to come to Him for salvation.
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