**that this theological study started early in the 2nd century as attested to in the writings of St. Justin Martyr who died circa 155 AD and also St. Ireneaus’s writings circa 175 AD.**
And you guarantee those teachers to be without error?
Paul warned the elders of the church in Ephesus: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievious wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also OF YOUR OWN SELVES shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20: 29-30
That was on Paul’s third missionary journey. He had run into a false prophet, on his first journey, that was perverting the right ways of the Lord.
Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude all warned of false teachers and doctrines being present even then (1st century), as well in the years to come. Furthermore, I believe the devil didn’t wait 50 hours, let alone 50 years before trying to mislead the masses away from this ‘new and living way’.
**the Church saw in Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant,**
Maybe your church does, but the scriptures show the Ark of the Covenant to be one of many things that symbolize Jesus Christ himself.
What was in the Ark? The tablets of stone, or as Stephen refered to them...”the lively oracles”. What was/is in Jesus Christ? The Word. “..the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63
**..passages in Revelation 12 once again speak of a Woman and a Son which most fully represent Christ and his Mother Mary.**
This forum has delt with that myth numerous times like it has others.
The woman is the nation of Israel, and the twelve stars are the twelve tribes. The chapter covers, in very spiritual terms, the persecution of the ‘woman’, after the man-child has been caught up to heaven. The ‘time, times, and half a time speak of the persecution during the great tribulation, where the nation is nearly overcome by the serpent.
Gotta go, be back in a couple of days.
Zuriel gets at the heart of the concern. The apostles were specifically ordained by Jesus, and of course Jesus we trust. But we were specifically taught to look out for false teachers.
As the demon said to the seven sons of Sceva when they attempted to exorcise him:
“And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” Acts 19:15
I trust the Scriptures written by the designated apostles. I trust the Old Testament that was quoted by Jesus as authoritative. Men who teach who are not apostles are subject to scrutiny of Scripture by me. If they teach doctrine contrary to Scripture or in addition to Scripture, I reject it. I have to. Jesus said to watch out for false teachers.
{**the Church saw in Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant,**
Maybe your church does, but the scriptures show the Ark of the Covenant to be one of many things that symbolize Jesus Christ himself.}
Indeed Jesus Christ and a vision of the future completion of each individual soul in Christ. We are all living Arks, all who are believers with the glory of the Holy Spirit existing in our hearts much like the Shekinah glory of God that rested between the two Cherubim on the lid/mercy seat of the Ark. Someday this reality will be perfected in us all and we shall all have glorified bodies and we shall all blaze as Christ did upon the Mount of transfiguration!
Ponder this, the Ark had a pair of Cherubim facing each other, on the left and on the right. Ponder on the fact that humans have a left and right hemisphere in their brains and tend to be dual natured but spiritually dead. Picture the restraint that begins in our natures as the Holy Spirit begins to act, bringing an inner balance as He writes God’s laws into our beings. Ponder again the Shekinah glory existing in total balance between the two Cherubim on the Mercy seat. Hence the Hebrews were given a vision of the future of redeemed man and of the first fruits, Jesus Christ but remained generally ignorant of it!
Zuriel:
I understand you have a high opinion of your interpretation of scripture but I don’t hold it to be the standard for theology.
So my question to you, is can you guarantee that what you are interpreting is orthodox doctrine.
The 2nd Century Church Fathers [St. Ignatius, St. Polycarp, St. Justin Martyr and St. Ireneaus of Lyons being the big 4 of that period] were the ones defending the orthodox Apostolic Tradition from the various Gnostic heretical sects. Thus, they represent legitimate witness of the Faith of the Church that had been received from the Apostles for St. Polycarp was likely a disciple of the Apostle John and St. Ignatius new Polycarp as one of his letters was addresed to him.