cms@gatech.edu (10/07/90)
On the number of the beast discussion: Perhaps this has been said before, however, it bears repeating that slaves, in the New Testament era and other times, were marked or branded with tatoos or scars signifying to whom they belonged. The marks were placed on the thigh or wrist or sometimes forehead; in the Old Testament, the ears of Hebrew slaves were pierced. The Apostle Paul called himself a slave of Jesus Christ and he meant this literally. Paul even said that he had been branded or marked by Christ with the stigmata signifying God's ownership of him. God was his master and he was Christ's slave. The mark of the beast signified that those so marked were slaves of sin or the devil and were in his power; those marked with the mark of Christ, as in Confirmation when the bishop marks the Confirmand with holy oil in the sign of the Cross, are branded as slaves of God and saved from destruction. The mark of the beast signifies eternal sickness and death; the mark of Christ signifies health and eternal life. Francis, who restored Christ's church, was marked with the holy stigmata physically; we are all marked with the stigmata spiritually who believe in the holy Name of Jesus Christ. -- Sincerely, Cindy Smith _///_ // SPAWN OF A JEWISH _///_ // _///_ // <`)= _<< CARPENTER _///_ //<`)= _<< <`)= _<< _///_ // \\\ \\ \\ _\\\_ <`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ <`)= _<< >IXOYE=('> \\\ \\ \\\ \\_///_ // // /// _///_ // _///_ // emory!dragon!cms <`)= _<< _///_ // <`)= _<< <`)= _<< \\\ \\<`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ GO AGAINST THE FLOW! \\\ \\ A Real Live Catholic in Georgia