Foreward: In this short book, Catholics focus on the fact that many avoid: Out of half a billion men in the world, Jesus Christ personally chose St. Peter to be The First Pope of The Only Church Spoken Into Being by This Word of Jesus:
“And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
What is the “interesting idea”?
Catholics know that every cell in our body, 20-30,000,000,000,000 trillion of them, was put in place by atoms in the DNA molecules provided by our parents.
That is why Catholics see that our Faith makes “changes” to our DNA. The First Pope seems to confirm that in both of The Bible Books he wrote, 1st Peter and 2nd Peter.
See if we agree!
Introduction: How do we know that Earth’s Last Age began when Peter genetically replaced Abraham as “The Father of a Multitude”? We ask simple questions!
~
Question 1: “When did The Age of Abraham begin?”
Answer: “The DNA of eight people who survived The Flood in Noah, Shem, Ham, Japeth, and their wives. God’s teaching about Abraham’s DNA from Ezekiel 16:3 gives us God’s clear message about some of his ancestors: ‘Your father was an Amorite. Your mother was a Hittite.’ Both peoples were descended from Noah’s son, Ham, and his wife, Na’eltama’uk.”
~
Question 2: “Where did that DNA take human form pleasing to God?”
Answer: “The introduction to Peter’s Ancestor begins in Genesis 11. Abraham, a descendant of Noah through his son Shem, lived with his family in Ur of The Chaldees, in Iraq. Abraham left Ur with his father, Terah, his wife, Sarah, and his nephew, Lot. They stayed in Haran until Terah died.
The specific DNA facts are in Genesis 12:1-3 ‘Now The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, your kindred, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; and I will make your name great, so that it will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you will I curse, and all the families of the land will be blessed because of you.’
God’s promise that Abraham’s DNA would have a good effect on ‘all the families of the land.’ tells us that ‘all’ the families on earth could choose to benefit by being in ‘the multitude’ of those who heeded Peter. Jesus appointed him to be the Spiritual Father of the largest ‘multitude’ in The History of The World.”
~
Question 2: “Where did Abraham come from?”
Answer: “Judith 5:6-9 tells us: ‘The Jews are descended from the Chaldeans. At one time they lived in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers, who were in Chaldea. For they had left the ways of their ancestors, and they worshipped the God of heaven, the God they had come to know; hence the the Chaldeans drove them out from the presence of their gods and they fled to Mesopotamia and lived there for a long time. Then, their God commanded them to leave the place where they were living and go to the land of Canaan.’”
~
Question 3: “Who was living in Canaan at the time?”
Answer: “Nearly a dozen tribes descended from Ham, including the Hittites and the Amorites.”
~
Question 3: “Did Moses and Joshua know they were following Abraham’s footsteps when they led The Twelve Tribes back to Israel?”
Answer: “Joshua 24:2-3: ‘And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Your ancestors lived of old beyond the Euphrates: Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan.’”
~
Question 4: “Did God tell Abraham to worship Him and not ‘graven images’?”
Answer: “The Book of Jubilees, while not in Catholic Scripture, does give us interesting facts, (including the name of Ham’s wife, Na’eltama’uk). Relevant Passages includ 11:16-17, 12:2, and 6-7. ‘Abraham began to realize the errors of the land that everyone was going astray after graven images and after impurity — And he began to pray to the Creator of all so that He might save him from the errors of mankind. — And he said to his father, ‘What help or advantage do we have from these idols…? Worship the God of heaven.’ — And his father said to him: ‘Be silent my son, lest they kill you.’”
~
Question 5: “Were the leaders of The Twelve Tribes descended from Jacob?”
Answer: “The Book of Judith 5:6-9 tells us that David’s great-grandmother, Ruth, was a Moabite descended from Abraham’s nephew, Lot. (Ruth 4:17–22)
Today, we can see how Peter replaced Abraham as “The Father of a Multitude” in God’s New Testament. Catholic DNA was brought into alignment with The Holy Orders Peter passed on from Jesus Christ: “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give yo the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
~
The First Book of The First Catholic Pope: 1 Peter, Chapter 1
1. Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to all those living as aliens in the Dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen, (Most of those lands had been taken over by Rome after having been ruled by Hittites, Assyrians, Greeks, and Persians, among others. The Catholics to whom The First Pope is Speaking are the people who were ‘chosen to be dispersed” as they sought safety from persecution by those hostile to The Catholic Faith.)
2. in the foresight of God the Father, to be made holy by The Spirit, obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (Being “sprinkled with His Blood” describes the taking of Catholic Communion. That changes The DNA molecules of those chosen to receive That Holy Food. Were one or more molecules in every Catholic’s DNA was “upgraded” to let us be among those “chosen” to have His “Grace and peace”?)
3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who in His great mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Could we have a “new birth” into a “living hope” without having our DNA “upgraded” to be “born again” with the DNA ‘upgrade’ that gives Catholics that “new birth”?)
4. and into a heritage (It is obvious that only those whose DNA is “upgraded” can “inherit” His “heritage”!) that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away. It is reserved in heaven for you
5. who are being kept safe by God’s power through faith until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the final point of time. (God’s Power works within those whose DNA has been changed to allow them to be among those able to “inherit” His “inheritance” at God’s Final Judgment.)
6. This is a great joy to you, even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials; (Every “trial” is a “test of faith”.)
7. so that the worth of your faith, more valuable than gold, which is perishable even if it has been tested by fire, may be proved — to your praise and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8. You have not seen Him, yet you love Him, and still without seeing Him you believe in Him and so are already filled with a joy so glorious (Only those blessed to be Catholic may be ‘filled with a joy so glorious’ by receiving His Body and Blood by The Miracle of Transubstantiation that takes place at every Catholic Mass.) that it cannot be described;
9. and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls. (Only Catholics can even conceive of the fact that our DNA may be “upgraded” so much that it can be “sanctified” by receiving His Body and Blood from Catholic priests who obey The God Who Is Powerful enough to provide that Holy Transformation.)
10. This salvation was the subject of the search and investigation of the prophets who spoke of the grace you were to receive,
11. searching out the time and circumstances for which the Spirit of Christ, bearing witness in them, was revealing the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow them.
12. It was revealed to them that it (‘it’ is the possibility of changing the essence of our being by “upgrading” molecules in our DNA) was for your sake and not their own that they were acting as servants delivering the message which has now been announced to you by those who preached to you the gospel through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things. (The “upgrade” begins to be downloaded by The Holy Spirit into the DNA molecules of those who become “believers” at the Sacrament of Baptism, one of Christ’s “keys to The Kingdom of Heaven”.)
13. Your minds, then, must be sober and ready for action; put all your hope in the grace (that “upgrades” your DNA) brought to you by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14. Do not allow yourselves (your original DNA) to be shaped by the passions of your old ignorance, (that came from our mind and body produced by the “old DNA”.)
15. but as obedient children, (All meaningfully ‘obedient children’ are obedient to the DNA “upgrades” with which we have been blessed) be yourselves holy in all your activity, after the model of the Holy One (Whose DNA is perfect in form and alignment, down to the tiniest electron within every atom of His DNA molecules.) Who calls us,
16. since scripture says, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’
17. And if you address as Father, (God is “The Father”. Mary and The Church are our “Mother” Who provide our DNA “upgrades” on earth.) Him who judges without favouritism according to each individual’s deeds, live out the time of your exile here in reverent awe.
18. For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors (They were not blessed with as much soul-elevating DNA, but who may be blessed with that “upgrade” by our prayers for them.) was paid, not in anything perishable like silver or gold,
19. but in precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ. (Our DNA “upgrades” can keep us as ‘blameless and spotless lambs’ of God during the days before we go to His Judgment.)
20. He was marked out before the world was made, and was revealed at the final point of time for your sake. (Trillions of lightyears of History were spoken Into Being to let Catholics know how special we are to God as His continually expanding universe rolls out over at least 13 trillion lightyears of distance.)
21. Through Him you now have faith in God, Who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory for this very purpose — that your faith and hope should be in God.
22. Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves (And, were chosen to be made worthy of “upgrading” our DNA) so that you can experience the genuine love of brothers, (who share the same, “upgraded” DNA) love each other intensely from the heart;
23. for your new birth was not from any perishable seed but from imperishable seed, the living and enduring Word of God. (That is what “upgrades” Catholic DNA!)
24. For all humanity is grass, and all its beauty like the wild flower’s. As grass withers, the flower fades,
25. but the Word of the Lord remains forever. And this Word is the Good News that has been brought to you. (Upgrading our DNA molecules puts every part of our mind and body in such good alignment with The Father that He will let us into Heaven.)
1 Peter, Chapter 2
1. Rid yourselves, then, of all spite, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and carping criticism. (Remove all “downgrades” to our DNA molecules.)
2. Like new-born babies all your longing should be for milk — the unadulterated spiritual milk — which will help you to grow up to salvation,
3. at any rate if you have tasted that the Lord is good. (The ongoing importance of Catholic Communion is emphasized.)
4. He is the living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to Him; set yourselves close to Him
5. so that you, too, may be living stones making a spiritual house (God’s “Spiritual House” is His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church where we live after our DNA has been “upgraded”.) as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.)
6. As scripture says: Now I am laying a stone in Zion, a chosen, precious cornerstone and no one who relies on this will be brought to disgrace. (That “cornerstone” is The Catholic Church, God’s eternal source of the DNA “upgrades” that let Catholics be Catholic!)
7. To you believers it brings honor. But for unbelievers, it is rather a stone (People used to seek a “Philosopher’s Stone” that would turn metals like lead into gold. God’s Holy Version of that is “The Cornerstone” that “upgrades” our DNA enough to let us be among “the children of God”.) which the builders rejected that became a cornerstone,
8. a stumbling stone, a rock to trip people up. They stumble over it because they do not believe in the Word; it was the fate in store for them. (Failure to meaningfully believe God’s Power to “Upgrade our DNA” with The Catholic Sacaraments brings people to “the fate in store for” those who reject The DNA “Upgrades” that Jesus died to provide.)
9. But you are a chosen race, (of people whose DNA was “upgraded”) a kingdom of priests, (Catholics know that His Catholic priests are both “kings” and “priests” in God’s Kingdoms on earth and in Heaven!) a holy nation, a people (Truly, the ‘children of God’.) to be a (God’s!) personal possession to sing the praises of God Who called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.
10. Once you were a non-people (with the common, ordinary DNA of the rest of the world’s people) and now you are the People of God; once you were outside his pity; now you have received pity. (His “pity” for repentant Catholics lets us have His
merciful “upgrade” in our DNA to let us be among “The people of God”!)
11. I urge you, my dear friends, as strangers and nomads, to keep yourselves free from the disordered natural inclinations that attack the soul. (May we pray to be saved from the vanity that leads many to follow The Profiteers of Protestantism and believe that we know more than God about which Church to be in.)
12. Always behave honourably among gentiles so that they can see for themselves what moral lives you lead, and when the day of reckoning comes, give thanks to God for the things which now make them denounce you as criminals. (Many who reject God’s “upgrade” for their DNA hate those of us who are blessed with His “pity”. We must not let ourselves sin so that our beloved neighbors will have reasons to be Catholic.)
13. For the sake of the Lord, accept the authority of every human institution: the emperor, as the supreme authority,
14. and the governors as commissioned by him to punish criminals and praise those who do good. (God uses earthly leaders to give laws people need at the time they are given and enforced.)
15. It is God’s will that by your good deeds, you should silence the ignorant talk of fools. (“Fools” will not listen to reasonable words about The Power of God. They are sometimes cured of “foolishness” by seeing good examples of holy obedience in Catholics.)
16. You are slaves of no one except God, so behave like free people, and never use your freedom as a cover for wickedness. (“Fools” are smart enough to notice when we live in the hypocrisy of claiming to be Catholics while choosing to commit sins.)
17. Have respect for everyone and love for your fellow-believers; fear God and honor the emperor.
18. Slaves, you should obey your masters respectfully, not only those who are kind and reasonable but also those who are difficult to please.
19. You see, there is merit if, in awareness of God, you put up with the pains of undeserved punishment;
20. but what glory is there in putting up with a beating after you have done something wrong? The merit in the sight of God is in putting up with it patiently when you are punished for doing your duty.
21. This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in His steps.
22. He had done nothing wrong, and had spoken no deceit.
23. He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when He was suffering He made no threats but put His trust in the upright judge. (Catholics see the word “upright” is composed of two meaningful words that describe The Judge. He is both “up” and “right”.)
24. He was bearing our sins in His own body on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live for uprightness; through His bruises you have been healed.
25. You had gone astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. (Though we may “go astray” and “downgrade our DNA”, we may be “healed” and restored by The Sacraments of Confession and Absolution.”
1 Peter, 3
1. In the same way, you wives should be obedient to your husbands. Then, if there are some husbands who do not believe The Word, they may find themselves won over, without a word spoken, by the way their wives behave,
2. when they see the reverence and purity of your way of life. (As a once-married man, the widowed Peter knew from personal experience that men could be led by their wives to do good. Her last words to him may have been, “Love and obey God, my Lord.” That was one reason Jesus chose him to be the Leader of The Church He Spoke Into Being with His Holy Word. Peter’s experience let him reach the women who make up half the world’s population and know their job is to help get their husbands and families into Heaven.)
3. Your adornment should be not an exterior one, consisting of braided hair or gold jewellery or fine clothing, (Catholic women know that the accoutrements of beauty are as useless as they are expensive.)
4. but the interior disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and peaceful spirit, so precious in the sight of God. (May every woman on earth be blessed with a “gentle and peaceful spirit” and be “precious in the sight of God.” May their husbands be led to such joy!)
5. That was how the holy women of the past dressed themselves attractively — they hoped in God and were submissive to their husbands;
6. like Sarah, who was obedient to Abraham, and called him her ‘Lord’. You are now her children, as long as you live good lives free from fear and worry. (Catholic women know: The more they honor their husbands, the harder they will try to be better leaders of their families.)
7. In the same way, husbands must always treat their wives with consideration in their life together, respecting a woman as one who, though she may be the weaker partner, is equally an heir to the generous gift of life. This will prevent anything from coming in the way of your prayers. (Anger between spouses keeps both from being as close to God. Only the devil fans the flames of anger in families.)
8. Finally: you should all agree among yourselves and be sympathetic; love the brothers, have compassion and be self-effacing. (Do not get into arguments by exalting ourselves and our opinions above those of others.)
9. Never repay one wrong with another, or one abusive word with another; instead, repay with a blessing. That is what you are called to do, so that you inherit a blessing. (If we curse and abuse others, that will be our “inheritance”!)
10. For Who among you delights in life, longs for time to enjoy prosperity? Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from any breath of deceit.
11. Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.
12. For the eyes of the Lord are on the upright, his ear turned to their cry. But the Lord’s face is set against those who do evil.
13. No one can hurt you if you are determined to do only what is right;
14. and blessed are you if you have to suffer for being upright. Have no dread of them; have no fear.
15. Simply proclaim the Lord Christ holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have. (The Classic Catholic “answer we have ready” for why we are Catholic remains The Churc-Creating Word with Which Jesus Spoke One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church Into Being: “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”)
16. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their accusations. (Everyone who thinks of themselves as “Christian” should be “ashamed” of rejecting Any Word of Christ.)
17. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.
18. Christ himself died once and for all for sins, the upright for the sake of the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body He was put to death, in the spirit He was raised to life,
19. and, in The Spirit, He went to preach to the spirits in prison. (For 2,000 years, The Holy Spirit has let people in prison remain faithful to Jesus and His Church.)
20. They refused to believe long ago, while God patiently waited to receive them, in Noah’s time when the ark was being built. In it only a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water.
21. It is the baptism corresponding to this water which saves you now — not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience given to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22. Who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angels, ruling forces and powers subject to Him. (May all on earth be blessed to see where He Who Spoke The Catholic Church Into Being lives forever.)
1 Peter, 4
1. As Christ has undergone bodily suffering, you too should arm yourselves with the same conviction, that anyone who has undergone bodily suffering has broken with sin, (When we suffer for defending God’s Truth, we have “broken” with sin.)
2. because for the rest of life on earth that person is ruled not by human passions but only by the will of God. (If we choose to later fall into sin, “the rest of our life on earth” will not be ruled by God’s Will.)
3. You spent quite long enough in the past living the sort of life that gentiles choose to live, behaving in a debauched way, giving way to your passions, drinking to excess, having wild parties and drunken orgies and sacrilegiously worshipping false gods.
4. So people are taken aback that you no longer hurry off with them to join this flood which is rushing down to ruin, and then abuse you for it. (This describes the hostility directed to Catholics from those who are angry that we will not march proudy with them down “the broad path to destruction” described in Mt. 7:13.)
5. They will have to answer for it before the judge who is to judge the living and the dead.
The Gospel was brought to the dead as well, so that, though in their bodies they had undergone the judgement that faces all humanity, in their spirit they might enjoy the life of God. (We learn that Jesus brought Himself to the dead when He “descended into Hell”, as we learn from The Apostle’s Creed.)
7. The end of all things is near, so keep your minds calm and sober for prayer. (In that short sentence, St. Peter describes the goal of every Catholic’s life on earth.)
8. Above all preserve an intense love for each other, since love covers over many a sin.
9. Welcome each other into your houses without grumbling. (We see that Peter had a profound understanding of our nature!)
10. Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these varied graces of God, put it at the service of others. (Catholics obey The Command to “Love God and our neighbors as ourselves” because we see that each of us was given our gifts by God, Himself, when He downloaded The DNA Program that makes each person our unique “gift” to His Creation Program.)
11. If anyone is a speaker, let it be as the words of God, if anyone serves, let it be as in strength granted by God; so that in everything God may receive the glory, through Jesus Christ, since to him alone belong all glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. (Every Catholic knows how important it is to make our words and deeds pleasing to God.)
12. My dear friends, do not be taken aback at the testing by fire which is taking place among you, as though something strange were happening to you; (All who are blessed to be “tested by the many kinds of fire” must see what a common occurrence it is!)
13. but in so far as you share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, so that you may enjoy a much greater gladness when His glory is revealed. (No explanation needed!)
14. If you are insulted for bearing Christ’s name, blessed are you, for on you rests the Spirit of God, the Spirit of glory. (Since the word “Catholic” means “universal”, Catholics are the most blessed people in all Creation!)
15. None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer; (Note that the crime of being a tattle-tale or “informer” is ranked with the crimes of “murderers, thieves, and criminals” and, we may reasonably assume, has the same eternal punishment.)
16. but if any one of you should suffer for being a Christian, then there must be no shame but thanksgiving to God for bearing this name. (What an eternal joy to be persecuted for obeying Words of Jesus!)
17. The time has come for the judgement to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to believe God’s gospel? (Catholics have a duty to remind those who refuse to be Catholic to stop insulting The Divine Perfection of The Church-Creating Decree with Which Jesus Christ SPOKE His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church Into Being: “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”)
18. If it is hard for the upright to be saved, what will happen to the wicked and to sinners? (That is a question that no unrepentant “wicked person” or “sinner” wants to face.)
19. So even those whom God allows to suffer should commit themselves to a Creator who is trustworthy, and go on doing good. (May we all be blessed to never lose our “commitment” to God.)
1 Peter, 5
1. I urge the elders among you, as a fellow-elder myself and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and as one who is to have a share in the glory that is to be revealed:
2. give a shepherd’s care to the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, as God wants; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it.
3. Do not lord it over the group which is in your charge, but be an example for the flock. (This instruction is extended to all who supervise and guide others.)
4. When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will be given the unfading crown of glory. (We may think of the ‘chief shepherd’ as Jesus Christ, ‘The Pope of Popes’!)
5. In the same way, younger people, be subject to the elders. Humility towards one another must be the garment you all wear constantly, because God opposes the proud but accords his favour to the humble. (May we all benefit by listening to the words of our “elders”. They usually know more than we do about the nature of our concerns.)
6. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, so that He may raise you up in due time;
7. unload all your burden on to Him, since He is concerned about you. (We must never lose sight of the fact that The First Pope is telling us that “God is concerned about you.”)
8. Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (Those who are inebriated or dull-witter are easiest for the devil to “devour”.)
9. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that it is the same kind of suffering that the community of your brothers throughout the world is undergoing.
10. You will have to suffer only for a little while: the God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will restore you, he will confirm, strengthen and support you.
11. His power lasts forever and ever. Amen.
12. I write these few words to you through Silvanus, who is a trustworthy brother, to encourage you and attest that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!
13. Your sister in Babylon, who is with you among the chosen, sends you greetings; so does my son, Mark.
14. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ.
~
The Second Book of The First Catholic Pope: 2 Peter, 1
1. Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as precious as our own, given through the saving justice of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. (The “faith as precious as our own” can only refer to The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church Spoken Into Being by This Word of Jesus Christ, Himself: “Thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”)
2. Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of our Lord. (May all be blessed with the respect for Jesus to never avoid The Only Church He Spoke Into Being with His Church-Creating Word.)
3. By His divine power, He has lavished on us all the things we need for life and for true devotion, through the knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and goodness. (Again, The First Pope is saying: “Be Catholic!”)
4. Through these, the greatest and priceless promises have been lavished on us, that through them you should share the divine nature and escape the corruption rife in the world through disordered passion. (The Catholic Church and Her Guidance for getting our souls into Heaven are the “greatest and priceless promises” in living form on earth.)
Catholics spend our lives trying to solve Peter’s Addition Problem by adding up:
5. With this in view, do your utmost to support your faith with goodness, goodness with understanding,
6. understanding with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with devotion,
7. devotion with kindness to the brothers, and kindness to the brothers with love. (Verses 5-8 have given us The First Pope’s Holy Addition Project for our life. The process begins with “Faith + “Goodness” Then, we take “Faith” + “Goodness” + “Understanding” After that, we add “Self-control” + “Perseverence” + “Self-control” + “Devotion”. We then add “Kindness to our brothers”, and see that adding components of “Faith + Goodness + Understanding + Self-control + Perseverence + Devotion + Kindness to Brothers + Love = Being a good Catholic!)
8. The possession and growth of these qualities will prevent your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffectual or unproductive. (Our solving of Peter’s Addition Project lets us be both “effectual and productive” in this life and the next.
9. But without them, a person is blind or short-sighted, forgetting how the sins of the past were washed away. (Those people who were living “sins of the past” were washed away by The Flood that destroyed all but Noah, His Wife, their three sons and their wives!)
10. Instead of this, brothers, never allow your choice or calling to waver; then there will be no danger of your stumbling, (Catholics know: We must stand firmly!)
11. for in this way you will be given the generous gift of entry to the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Once again, Catholics respect Jesus enough to find the only “keys to The Kingdom of Heaven” that He died to leave on earth.)
12. That is why I will always go on recalling the same truths to you, even though you already know them and are firmly fixed in these truths. (Amd. we Catholics go on recalling “the same truths”, especially only The Church-Creating Word of Jesus Christ.)
13. I am sure it is my duty, as long as I am in this tent, to keep stirring you up with reminders, (Many Catholics die with this blessed Word to those around them when they pass: “Be Catholic! Stay Catholic!”)
14. since I know the time for me to lay aside this tent is coming soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.
15. And I shall take great care that after my own departure you will still have a means to recall these things to mind. (The First Pope’s departure from this life began by asking to be Crucified upside-down because he was not worthy of dying as Jesus died. Every knowledgeable person on earth is able “to recall” that!)
16. When we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not slavishly repeating cleverly invented myths; no, we had seen His mMajesty with our own eyes.
17. He was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when a voice came to him from the transcendent Glory, “This is My Son, the Beloved; He enjoys mMy favour.”
18. We ourselves heard this voice from Heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19. So we have confirmation of the words of the Prophets; and you will be right to pay attention to it as to a lamp for lighting a way through the dark, until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.
20. At the same time, we must recognise that the interpretation of scriptural prophecy is never a matter for the individual. (We may have our own ideas about meanings of The Prophecies. We should let ourselves by guided by Catholic priests, religious, and those who have lived in obedience to Jesus. It is an insult to those who have given their lives to Jesus to think we know better than they do. The only time new opinions may be helpful is when new discoveries open up new visions of God’s Power.)
21. For no prophecy ever came from human initiative. When people spoke for God it was the Holy Spirit that moved them. (We may take that as Gospel Truth!)
2 Peter, 2
Many Profiteers of Protestantism hate The First Pope’s Warning to Willful Protestants:
1. As there were false prophets in the past history of our people, so you too will have your false teachers, who will insinuate their own disruptive views and, by disowning the Lord who bought them freedom, will bring upon themselves speedy destruction. (The Profiteers of Protestantism have made a living by leading donors away from God long before The Flood. It is best to recognize the financial motivations of those who lead us to reject The Only Church Spoken Into Being by This Word of Jesus Christ: “And I say unto you, thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.” This proud thought echoes in the mind of every Profiteer of Protestantism: “I know more than Jesus Christ about that!”)
2. Many will copy their debauched behaviour, and the Way of Truth will be brought into disrepute on their account. (The First Pope calls such teachings “debouched” and tells us that those who follow those “debouched behavior” are brought into “disrepute”.)
3. In their greed they will try to make a profit out of you with untrue tales. But the judgement made upon them long ago is not idle, and the destruction awaiting them is for ever on the watch. (Peter is clear: they are motivated by ‘greed’ to ‘profit’ from ‘untrue tales’! We see why so many Profiteers of Protestantism encourage donors to avoid many parts of The Bible and accept “destruction”. This Passage tells us why so many Willful Protestants are anti-Cathoic!)
4. When angels sinned, God did not spare them: he sent them down into the underworld and consigned them to the dark abyss to be held there until the Judgement. (That is Peter’s allegorical warning to every person on earth who rejects The Church Spoken Into Being by Jesus.)
5. He did not spare the world in ancient times: he saved only Noah, the preacher of uprightness, along with seven others, when he sent the Flood over a world of sinners.
6. He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by reducing them to ashes as a warning to future sinners; (We cann0t imagine the horrors in store for those who encourage such sins.)
7. but rescued Lot, an upright man who had been sickened by the debauched way in which these vile people behaved —
8. for that upright man, living among them, was outraged in his upright soul by the crimes that he saw and heard every day. (We see that the ‘upright’ are those who avoid “debauched ways”.)
9. All this shows that the Lord is well able to rescue the good from their trials, and hold the wicked for their punishment until the Day of Judgement, (There is no better reason to be Catholic, confess our sins, and receive Absolution from a Catholic priest, the only men on earth who are empowered by Jesus to provide The Absolution promised in John 15:14: “Those whose sins you forgive on earth are forgiven in Heaven.”)
10. especially those who follow the desires of their corrupt human nature and have no respect for the Lord’s authority. Such self-willed people with no reverence are not afraid of offending against the glorious ones,
11. but the angels in their greater strength and power make no complaint or accusation against them in the Lord’s presence. (The “angels” know that only God will Judge every person on earth by what is written in our “Book of Life”, Rev 20:12)
12. But these people speak evil of what they do not understand; they are like brute beasts, born only to be caught and killed, and like beasts they will be destroyed, being injured in return for the injuries they have inflicted. (That is a powerful promise of punishment based on simple justice.)
13. Debauchery even by day they make their pleasure; they are unsightly blots, and amuse themselves by their trickery even when they are sharing your table; (Those “under a curse” bring “debauchery” to everything they do.)
14. with their eyes always looking for adultery, people with an insatiable capacity for sinning, they will seduce any but the most stable soul. Where greed is concerned they are at their peak of fitness. They are under a curse. (Not only do they live in “debauchery”, but also, they want others to join them in sin. May all be blessed to avoid the“curse” promised by God, Himself!)
15. They have left the right path and wandered off to follow the path of Balaam son of Bosor, who set his heart on a dishonest reward, but soon had his fault pointed out to him:
16. a dumb beast of burden, speaking with a human voice, put a stop to the madness of the prophet. (Even an animal is closer to God than any person who sinks into “debauchery”.)
It is very hard for Willful Protestants to see themselves described by Teaching of The First Pope:
17. People like this are dried-up springs, fogs swirling in the wind, and the gloom of darkness is stored up for them.
18. With their high-sounding but empty talk they tempt back people who have scarcely escaped from those who live in error, by playing on the disordered desires of their human nature and by debaucheries.
19. They may promise freedom but are themselves slaves to corruption; because if anyone lets himself be dominated by anything, then he is a slave to it;
May Every Willful Protestant be blessed to Think Clearly about what happens to believers who reject The Only Church Spoken Into Being by Jesus:
20. and anyone who has escaped the pollution of the world by coming to know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and who then allows himself to be entangled and mastered by it a second time, ends up by being worse than he was before.
21. It would have been better for them never to have learnt the way of uprightness, than to learn it and then desert the holy commandment that was entrusted to them.
22. What they have done is exactly as the proverb rightly says: The dog goes back to its vomit and: As soon as the sow has been washed, it wallows in the mud. (This is the “Third Animal Comparison” (donkey, dog, and sow) in this Chapter from The First Pope. Is there a better description of a Catholic who becomes a Willful Protestant than “a dog returning to its vomit”?)
2 Peter, 3
1. My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to you, trying to awaken in you by my reminders an unclouded understanding.
2. Remember what was said in the past by the holy prophets and the command of the Lord and Saviour given by your apostles.
3. First of all, do not forget that in the final days there will come sarcastic scoffers whose life is ruled by their passions.
4. ‘What has happened to the promise of his coming?’ they will say, ‘Since our Fathers died everything has gone on just as it has since the beginning of creation!’
5. They deliberately ignore the fact that long ago there were the heavens and the earth, formed out of water and through water by the Word of God,
6. and that it was through these same factors that the world of those days was destroyed by the floodwaters.
7. It is the same Word which is reserving the present heavens and earth for fire, keeping them till the Day of Judgement and of the destruction of sinners.
8. But there is one thing, my dear friends, that you must never forget: that with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
9. The Lord is not being slow in carrying out his promises, as some people think he is; rather is he being patient with you, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to repentance.
10. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and melt away, the earth and all that it contains will be burned up.
11. Since everything is coming to an end like this, what holy and saintly lives you should be living
12. while you wait for the Day of God to come, and try to hasten its coming: on that Day the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat.
13. What we are waiting for, relying on His promises, is the new heavens and new earth, where uprightness will be at home.
14. So then, my dear friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live blameless and unsullied lives so that He will find you at peace. (It is impossible to be “at peace” for anyone who keeps their soul from the only “keys to The Kingdom of Heaven” that Jesus dies to give only to His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church: “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”)
15. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved; our brother Paul, who is so dear to us, told you this when he wrote to you with the wisdom that he was given. (Obviously, The First Pope was hearing people criticizing St. Paul, the last of the Twelve Original Cardinal-Bishops. St. Peter teaches us two things about blunt, truthful Catholic Teachings : 1. Some of St. Paul’s direct Teachings did upset people. 2. People should not any Truths shared by St. Paul keep them from being Catholic.)
16. He makes this point too in his letters as a whole wherever he touches on these things. In all his letters there are of course some passages which are hard to understand, and these are the ones that uneducated and unbalanced people distort, in the same way as they distort the rest of scripture–to their own destruction. (Pope St. Peter urges us all to put Teachings of The Church “before” any human opinions.)
The First Pope concludes His Second Book with His Final, Soul-Saving advice:
17. Since you have been forewarned about this, my dear friends, be careful that you do not come to the point of losing the firm ground that you are standing on, carried away by the errors of unprincipled people. (Only people who are ‘unprincipled) will encourage us to disobey Any Catholic Teaching.)
18. Instead, continue to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, in time and eternity. Amen.
May we all be blessed to see that the only time Peter was “upside down” about anything was at his crucifixion.
