Hey folks, my name is Johnny Artivannis and this is Dialin. In this episode, we continue the series that I started last week on the church, which is the body of Christ.

If you haven't already listened to that episode, I would encourage you to stop now and go back and do so because this episode will build upon the former.

Now, last week, we looked at the reality that Jesus Christ is building his church.

And in this episode, I want to look at the

qualifications and the attitudes of the chief leaders that Jesus Christ has put in position

in shepherding and leading the church under himself as the great shepherd. That being elders.

Well, without further ado, let's dial in.

Thank you. Well, without further ado, let's dial in. The year is 62 AD.

The empire of Rome is experiencing a time of political turmoil and economic instability under the leadership of Emperor Nero.

The rise in Christianity has led to a rise in persecution, and following the fire of 64

AD, Nero is eager to deflect the blame and use the Christian community as the scapegoat.

This persecution was marked by extreme brutality, and the most horrendous and horrific

methods of execution and torture were reserved for those who would not renounce their faith in Jesus

Christ. Nero's executions of Christians were both public and painful. Often Christians were

thrown to starved and savage animals. At other times,

they were crucified like their lord. And at other times, Nero, who was known for his extravagant

garden parties, would dip the Christians in wax or pour pitch on them, tie them to stakes,

and set them ablaze as Nero's dinner guests would then waltz through his garden and

see the Christians burning. Despite the severity of Nero's persecution, however, the Christian

community continued to grow and spread throughout the Roman Empire. Remember, Turtulian once said

that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the

church, and such was true in the early church. It's against this backdrop and in this context of

...