Julius Caesar Augustus, founder of the early Roman Empire, replaced the estate of the late Roman Republic and raised taxes in conjunction with the glorious incarnation of Christ. Christ's ministry lasted the few days of three and a half years, culminating in his atoning death for the kingdom of sinful human nature. Humanity in faith was individually summoned to accept Christ as the antitypical lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world in fulfilment of Gen. 3:15. Systems of faith/belief arms would develop for believers to join. Wars of words broke out between churches and civil states regarding the nature of Christ and other traditions. Some systems of faith/belief operated within the Ten Commandments hedge, while others did not. Roman Catholicism did not operate within that hedge, disregarding the fourth commandment, thus showing contempt for the law. Believers in the Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Reformation, and post-Reformation eras broke away from the Roman Catholic Church system to follow Bible truth, causing people to give their lives and even die for their faith.
About the Author: ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robert Knutson graduated from Andrews University in August 1977 with a B.A. degree in Religion and a Business minor, which included one year as a student missionary, with very little interest in history other than the established dates for prophecy advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Having fallen out of the back seat of a car, on the driver's side, with suicide doors, at the age of 3, going 60 m.p.h. suffering a basal skull fracture, temporary blindness, left side paralysis with a present day hemiplegic gait. He is the oldest of two brothers and a sister with parents who were Seventh-day Adventist secondary education, academy teachers. In lieu of the accident, Mr. Knutson's parents always shared with him that God had a special purpose for his life. In 1980, having read all Ellen G. Whites writings except the 8th or 9th volume of the Testimonies, in conjunction with Bible study, thoughts began formulating on Calvary's cross, the sanctuary and prophecy. Sabbath, January 10, 1981, general conference President Neal Wilson, in a young adult Sabbath class, gave him a call to write. And by March 10, 1981, he had written a submitted yet never published, two-part article entitled "The Cross," and then "Self, Self, and Selflessness."