United States of Columbus?

So, we all taught Columbus discovered America, so how come it isn’t named after him?

The new world was called America after Amerigo Vespucci an explorer sent in 1499 to verify Columbus’ discovery. He was the first to say “these regions…may rightly be called a new world”.

Columbus however refused to do so. Convince he had traveled to Asia he scoffed at the notion this was a new land. He even forced his crew, under threat of corporal punishment, to sign an affidavit declaring they’d discovered Asia. When Columbus died in 1506, he still claimed he was right.

His stubbornness led to his losing the moniker that might have gone to him.

In Romans 2 Paul scolds those who refuse to see the error of their ways. He exclaims in verse 5 “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God”. Since they would not see their fault, they would never escape it. Many folks today, like Columbus, are so set on being ‘right’ that they miss out on the blessing they could have if they would just submit to the truth.

Refusal to change when you are wrong isn’t a good thing but a way to make sure your name won’t be called by God.

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Ecclesiastes 12:10

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