Who were the Apostles, and what did they do?

[BluePrints]

Who were the Apostles, and what did they do?

A short, but helpful resource on this matter is given freely here - Word Pictures Of The Twelve Apostles, & Select Disciples Along With A Brief Apocryphal Martyrology by Aaron Earnest : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Who were the Apostles, and what did they do?​

​

What does the word "disciple" mean?​

​

What does the word "apostle" mean?​

​

Was Jesus also an Apostle, and if so, of whom?​

​

How did the Apostles become chosen?​

​

Is there a succession of Apostleship in scripture?​

​

Was Peter the rock upon which the church of Jesus Christ was built? - Matthew 16:18 - Upon This Rock - Is Peter The Rock, Petros And Petra; Kepha And Shu'a : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

Who was Paul?​

​

Who was Barnabas?​

​

How did they become Apostles? From whom did they receive such an office / position?​

​

Does God choose whomsoever He wills, and giveth to them of the gift / office, or do men decide?​

​

Who was Mary, the mother of Jesus?​

​

Is Mary, ever called in scripture, "the mother of God" (some label as 'theotokos', or is she rather the 'theoNOTokos')? and if not, why do some people call her that?​

​

Did Mary remain an 'ever-virgin', or (speaking respectfully and cautiously) did she ever consummate the marriage to Joseph? - Did The Mary Of Scripture Remain An Ever Virgin (Perpetual Virgin) As Romanism Says - NO : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

Was Mary ever 'assumed up' into Heaven as some claim, and where did these claims come from, from scripture, or from somewhere else? is Mary dead (buried) or alive (in Heaven) right now? - Is The Virgin Mary Dead Or Alive, Assumed In Heaven Or Buried In The Ground Awaiting Her Resurrection At The Second Coming Of Jesus : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

Is Mary the NT, new Ark? Who teaches this and why, and is it correct or not? - Is The Biblical Mary The Ark Of The New Testament As Roman Catholicism Says : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

What happened to Mary post-Calvary, post-Pentecost?​

​

Who were the other Mary's?​

As always, please feel free to comment, ask questions, participate in discussion, engage in prayerful bible study together! Take the time to follow scriptural counsel and read the material before entering into conversation, Pro. 18:13,17, and come to listen to what is being presented, as in Job, before speaking. There is no need to rush into anything when discussing such weighty matters. Better to ask clarifying questions, and listen to one another, and then go to the Bible together.

I will be glad to discuss these things with any others who would like to do so.

 

[BluePrints]

Considering the Apostles that remained after the ascension of Jesus, what were some of the things that the believed / practiced? Let's consider Acts (briefly)

Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they [believers] were all with one accord in one place.​

Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.​

Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.​

Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.​

The reader may witness that the believers were all waiting for the fulfillment of the real Pentecost (aka 'Feast of weeks'), as the OT foretold in type:​

​

Lev 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:​

Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.​

Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.​

Lev 23:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.​

Lev 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.​

Lev 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.​

Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.​

Lev 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.​

Luke shows in Acts, as does Paul, in his own epistles, that the believers keep the feasts of the LORD after their reality, in Jesus Christ, whom is the substance (body) of those previously given typological shadows:​

​

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:​

1Co 5:8 Therefore let us [believers] keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.​

Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.​

The reader may see, that the believers did not begin in the Temple of Jerusalem (where the religious leaders of the nation were, and where the populace often met), but in a lowly house (Act. 2:2), since the religious leadership had rejected the truth, in Christ Jesus, by their incorrect judgment and so removing Him from the congregation (cutting Him off; Dan. 9:26), and then sent out of the city (Jerusalem) to die by Crucifixion. The believers were in the vast minority (Act. 1:15; as a "remnant") and counted as outcasts by the majority. This has never changed (Rev. 12 & Rev. 17).

Were the disciples allowed by the religious leadership to just freely, unhindered, to continue?

Act 4:17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.​

Act 4:18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.​

​

Act 5:17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,​

Act 5:18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.​

​

Act_5:28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.​

​

Act 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.​

There are many in religious authoritative positions, which misuse their authority, and actually try to stifle / strangle the truth, when all the while they believe they are doing God service, and as it was in the past, so it is in the present (Ecc. 1:9, 3:15):

Joh_16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.​

Paul, was one such person, before he was converted by an encounter with the risen LORD Jesus Christ. Paul can be considered in more detail a bit later, as there is more to consider in Acts 1-2.

 

[BluePrints]

Continuing in the consideration of the Apostles & Disciples from Acts 2:

Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.​

Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.​

Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?​

Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?​

Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,​

Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,​

Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.​

Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?​

Act 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.​

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:​

Act 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.​

Act 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;​

Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:​

Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:​

Act 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:​

Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:​

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.​

The reader may witness that the original disciples were primarily "Galilaeans", and of this the scripture foretold

Isa 9:1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.​

Isa 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.​

​

Mat 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,​

Mat 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;​

Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.​

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.​

Galilee (G1056) means “circuit or circle”.

The disciples each received a gift from the Holy Ghost / Spirit to share the gospel with all the "Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven", even those that were, "Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians" and so were able to "hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born". The gospel is not for a few select group, but for all mankind, out of every nation. Thus the church will have membership out of all nations on earth in it.

These disciples, following the commandment of Jesus, began in Jerusalem, and yet it would grow from there:

Luk_24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.​

​

Act_1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.​

Yet, not everyone present for this marvellous event believed. Many "mock[ed]", and said that the disciples were babbling incoherently, as if they were drunken. To some, the truth only reveals their shame in sin, and so do not desire to be exposed to the open light, but to others, it is the sweet liberty of freedom in the light. Many still mock at the Spirit of Truth today, and wrongly call the Spirit of Truth a result of inebriation, a 'spirit of drunkenness', a 'false spirit'. There is a dreadful "woe" upon those who continue to do so:

Isa_5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!​

Isa_5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!​

The Apostle Peter, once unstable, but now firmly, not being dismayed or discouraged by the false accusation and mockery, continued, even more boldly, and preached from the scriptures quoting the prophet Joel, in a present truth Bible study linking the present events to the already foretold prophecies of God, who declares the end from the beginning, for Peter knew where he was in time (as John the Baptist also did, as Jesus also did), and what to do (see 1 Chr. 12:32):

Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,​

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:​

​

Joe 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:​

Joe 2:29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.​

Joe 2:30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.​

Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.​

Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.​

 

[BluePrints]

The same Everlasting Gospel message, that was from the beginning:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.​

​

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.​

​

Gen 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.​

Prophesying was not just for the believing men, but also the believing women ("daughters", "handmaidens"), some of whom were directly present at Pentecost

Act 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.​

The church of God has always had women who were able to prophesy in His name (such as Miriam the prophetess of the sanctuary; Exo. 15:20; or Anna in the Temple, in the court of women, in Luk. 2:36), though their offices were not as the offices of the men. In fact, such gift is one of the many gifts of the Holy Ghost:

1Co_12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.​

​

Eph_4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;​

And such gifts last unto the end in the body of christ:

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.​

Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.​

​

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:​

Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:​

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;​

Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:​

Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.​

Such gifts have always existed in the church throughout the ages, and examples may be provided as needful at a later time.

 

[BluePrints]

Continuing in the consideration of the Apostles & Disciples from Acts 2:

Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:​

Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:​

Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.​

Act 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:​

Act 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:​

Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.​

Act 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.​

Act 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.​

Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;​

Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.​

Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.​

Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.​

Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,​

Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.​

Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.​

Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?​

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.​

Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.​

Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.​

Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.​

​

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.​

The disciples, especially Peter in this instance, continually relied upon the OT scriptures, given by inspiration of God, and showed from them, their fulfillment in the present truth events (Act. 2:25-28):

Psa 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.​

Psa 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.​

Psa 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.​

They fully acknowledged that Jesus was "a man" (Act. 2:22) the "Christ" (Act. 2:30-31,38), the "Holy One" (Act. 2:27), the "Lord" (Act. 2:34,36), from "Nazareth", who did many "miracles and wonders and signs" and was "approved of God" among the "men of Israel". They declared a difference between "LORD" "God" "the Father", "Jesus" (who was "raised up" (Act. 2:32) to Heaven to be "by the right hand of God"; Act. 2:33) and "the Holy Ghost" in their Persons / Beings (Act. 2:34).

One of the most important doctrines, is found in Acts 2, and that is what the disciples, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost / Spirit, in the power of the fullness of Pentecost, citing the inspired scriptures, as the words of God, on the state of the dead: - What does Necromancy have to do in connection with the Gospel?

Act 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.​

Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,​

​

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.​

Paul, also, later acknowledges this in the continuing "steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine":

Act_13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:​

​

Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:​

Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.​

David, himself, is not in heaven, even now. He is still dead, and still buried awaiting the resurrection, and that only comes at the 2nd Advent of Jesus:

1Th_4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.​

​

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.​

Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.​

The disciples, by the Holy Ghost, repudiated the lie of the devil and amened God from the beginning:

God:

Gen_2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.​

devil:

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:​

​

Immortal soul / spirit theology cancels the words of God, and destroys the Gospel itself.

 

[Lamb]

Who were the Apostles, and what did they do?

A short, but helpful resource on this matter is given freely here - Word Pictures Of The Twelve Apostles, & Select Disciples Along With A Brief Apocryphal Martyrology by Aaron Earnest : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Who were the Apostles, and what did they do?​

​

What does the word "disciple" mean?​

​

What does the word "apostle" mean?​

​

Was Jesus also an Apostle, and if so, of whom?​

​

How did the Apostles become chosen?​

​

Is there a succession of Apostleship in scripture?​

​

Was Peter the rock upon which the church of Jesus Christ was built? - Matthew 16:18 - Upon This Rock - Is Peter The Rock, Petros And Petra; Kepha And Shu'a : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

Who was Paul?​

​

Who was Barnabas?​

​

How did they become Apostles? From whom did they receive such an office / position?​

​

Does God choose whomsoever He wills, and giveth to them of the gift / office, or do men decide?​

​

Who was Mary, the mother of Jesus?​

​

Is Mary, ever called in scripture, "the mother of God" (some label as 'theotokos', or is she rather the 'theoNOTokos')? and if not, why do some people call her that?​

​

Did Mary remain an 'ever-virgin', or (speaking respectfully and cautiously) did she ever consummate the marriage to Joseph? - Did The Mary Of Scripture Remain An Ever Virgin (Perpetual Virgin) As Romanism Says - NO : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

Was Mary ever 'assumed up' into Heaven as some claim, and where did these claims come from, from scripture, or from somewhere else? is Mary dead (buried) or alive (in Heaven) right now? - Is The Virgin Mary Dead Or Alive, Assumed In Heaven Or Buried In The Ground Awaiting Her Resurrection At The Second Coming Of Jesus : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

Is Mary the NT, new Ark? Who teaches this and why, and is it correct or not? - Is The Biblical Mary The Ark Of The New Testament As Roman Catholicism Says : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive​

​

What happened to Mary post-Calvary, post-Pentecost?​

​

Who were the other Mary's?​

As always, please feel free to comment, ask questions, participate in discussion, engage in prayerful bible study together! Take the time to follow scriptural counsel and read the material before entering into conversation, Pro. 18:13,17, and come to listen to what is being presented, as in Job, before speaking. There is no need to rush into anything when discussing such weighty matters. Better to ask clarifying questions, and listen to one another, and then go to the Bible together.

I will be glad to discuss these things with any others who would like to do so.

Is that YOUR book?

You seem to be pushing these things onto my members. We don't allow advertising here.

 

[BluePrints]

Is that YOUR book?

You seem to be pushing these things onto my members. We don't allow advertising here.

The book doesn't belong to me, but to every one, and is shared in the OP, for the discussion's sake, just as the rest of the materials are shared, such as the images, which I also do not own. Also, any may consider that there is also no copyright or DRM on the material either, which ought to be refreshing. If you desire to not utilize that, that is up to you (or any really). Nothing is about force here. It would be like sharing a gospel tract. I do not own the tract, nor the scripture words written in them, and I would hope that such sharing is not considered "pushing". I have not forced anyone to read anything in the links shared.

Just so you are aware, I also do not own the Internet Archive (or other archive sites utilized for study / research materials that I utilize in some responses), or anything that is shared through it either.

The same goes for any Youtube, or other Media site sharing that may be done in OP or response, for further study's sake. I do not own those either, nor do I own the material shared through them. That which is uploaded is upon the internet and freely given to all to use, and that includes you, me, or anyone that desires to do so.

You are free to utilize the resource or not as you decide sister, though I will say, it is most helpful in multiple ways, but if you decide not to, and just want to discuss the OP topic just from scripture, I am not averse to that at all, and would prefer it, so that any cannot say my position comes from a source other than scripture. Though one will not find the non-scripture historical sources, in the Bible, about the so-called 'martyrdoms'.

What I am "pushing" (your word, not mine; for I would say, "sharing") is various scripture topics which are discussed throughout the Christian 'world', and in theological circles, and even secular ones, in a readily accessible source. I have shared many works, such as from Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, & others. Am I "advertising" those works, simply because I am sharing them?

As for "advertising", I have not paid anyone to post these things, nor am I selling any of these shared things here, nor am I here to merely share those materials (though I started with them, like sharing the best one has with a friend, and if I had access to a better source, I would share that first). As stated, previously, I have access to about 5TB of materials, in books, videos, audio, files, &c., and those in the main, non-Seventh-day Adventist materials. All is shared freely (even some things I do not agree with fully), as I have found that such things are excellent resources to discuss the topic, whether one is for, against or indifferent to the topic. The historical material in them alone is worth the time to read, since a lot of those things are scattered in various places on the internet, sometimes in hard to access places (such as needing a library log in, or in some other language, or only in image format).