Posted on 02/25/2021 8:31:53 PM PST by GardenerForLife
A Plot Hole Of The Early Christian Church
I'm not much for flowery words. I don't flatter people. I try to get to the point when ever I can. Which is what I'm going to try to do right here.
I'm going to use a couple logic tools in this writing, connecting the dots and begging the question.
Because this how I read scripture.
In my search for truth, I came across what I call a plot hole in the early Christian Church. Primarily in how it's seen and taught today and the possible effects on Christianity. I'm not slamming on any church or anybody. To some degree this is a shared history.
It has been said that the leader of Christ's Church after Peter was Linus. Today he's called Pope Linus 1. Linus was said to lead the Church from 67AD until 76AD.
However, the Apostle John was still on the earth and talking to the risen Lord face to face during this time. John was a true prophet, receiving visions and receiving instructions directly from Jesus after Jesus had ascended. This begs the question, how can Linus be the head of Christ Church with a living Apostle on the earth? It would seem that someone forget to tell Jesus... Because He was speaking to John. It should be noted, that it was never recorded that Jesus ever visited Linus or any of his successors.
We've seen this before though right? When Moses was late coming down from Mt Sinai, the Children of Israel became impatient and built a golden calf. Much like Moses, John was separated from the people and they grew impatient. They chose a new leader for their church.
Did the people creating a golden calf invalidate Moses authority or his calling from God? No of course not. So did the people choosing Linus invalidate John in Jesus' eyes? No and for the same reason. Men have their free agency. They can choose good or evil, right or wrong. God does this so that His judgment is just.
This begs the question, if John was the true leader of God's Church, what does that mean for the church being lead by Linus?
Think of it this way:
Jesus -> John -> to the people
Linus -> to the people that picked him
Linus did hold the position of Bishop in the original Church. In the early Church, a Bishop lead a local congregation. Being that he was in Rome, it was probably a large congregation. It would be speculation but you could assume that played a part in his being picked to lead the church as a whole.
Connecting the dots, it has to be said then, that the people choosing Linus, did in fact create a whole new church. Because Christ's church was again, being lead by John by the direct instruction of Jesus Christ. As recorded by the Apostle John.
Again, connecting the dots, if this were true there would be signs that Linus wasn't the guy, right?
One sign is the demonstrable way at which doctrines are delivered. In 1995, Pope John Paul II taught, "Many centuries were necessary to arrive at the explicit definition of the revealed truths concerning Mary." In fact, the view of Mary as "Mother of the Church", wasn't arrived at until 400 years after the ascension of Jesus. Up to this time, God had delivered his doctrines via Himself directly, or by a prophet. This is the unchanging pattern of God.
But this very important doctrine, which has erected great cathedrals, churches, and shrines in honor of Mary and has a billion people world wide chanting her name and praying to her... wasn't delivered by God at all. According to John Paul II, it was "arrived at" after 400 years of thinking about it...
I mean that's not how God does things. So it's made up by man...
And no choice of men after Linus will be acceptable to God either. The choice has to come from God directly. God doesn't bend to the will of men.
I could keep going, there are many dots to connect. But it can all be traced back to this one event. The people choosing to follow Linus rather than Jesus and His Apostle and Prophet John. So the next time some religious leader starts making overtures to homosexuality or wokeness, you can trace it back to where it all went off the rails.
Also, is this the purpose of the two prophets the Lord promised in the last days as recorded by John in Rev 11? As it was with the children of Israel in Egypt, God sent Moses to straighten them out and get them back on track and lead them. Is this why the gospel of Jesus Christ is taught by an angel in Rev 14? Because we've been going down the wrong path for so long, fraught with false doctrine and false teachers? God in His omnipotence would know this was the course of mankind and He would have made this correction part of the plan from the beginning.
Rev 14:
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
I mean if it was all here and correct, we wouldn't need angels and prophets to teach us. John only writes about the two prophets that are killed. It begs the question, are there more?
In conclusion, I think all of Christianity needs to abandon their priests and preachers and start giving some effort into finding these promised prophets. I mean if you think it's all real of course. Praying to God in the name of Jesus to direct us to true prophets would be a great start. Because every day I see more and more churches folding to the ideology of the devil. We need correction. We need true doctrine and direction of God just like what Moses did for the children of Israel.
Just my thoughts, thanks for your time.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
God has spoken through many individuals down through the ages. Each of the human authors has been spoken to by God through His Spirit to record for us the things He wants us to know of Him. None is of any greater value in God’s eyes. None has He called to be the leader of the church.
This is the very slippery slope upon which false prophets and cult leaders make their stand.
Rev 14:6 read it with 7
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water.”
The angel brings judgment, since he announces a gospel that the people reject.
This angel is spoken of in the same terms used to describe the angel who announced the three woes in Revelation 8:13. Both speak in a loud voice (8:13; 14:7), fly in midheaven (8:13; 14:6), and direct their message to the unbelievers of the land (8:13, those who “sit on the land”). The term “the land” is always a description of the wicked in the Apocalypse (3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 12, 14; 17:2, 8)
First century Christianity started off as a Jewish sect, competing with other Jewish sects like the Pharisees and Essenes.
When the temple was destroyed in 70 AD only two sects survived, and both did so as they had rituals separate from the temple.
These two sects were
1. The Jesus is messiah movement. They called themselves followers of “the way”
2. Pharisees who created a new religion, Rabbinical Judaism in 70 ad at the council of Jamnia.
First century Christians did not all observe the leviticus holy days and after the Jerusalem council they stopped that.
“Biblical Christians “? When the books of the Bible were only completed by 84 AD with the last book, the gospel of John. And the biblical canon was compiled in the 2nd century.
The 7th day is Sabbath — Sabbath was never changed to Sunday.
Arabic: Sabet
Armenian: Shabat
Bosnian: Subota
Bulgarian: Sabota
Corsican: Sàbatu
Croatian: Subota
Czech: Sobota
Georgian: Sabati
Greek: Savvato
Hebrew: Shabbat
Indonesian: Sabtu
Italian: Sabato
Latin: Sabbatum
Maltese: is-Sibt
Polish: Sobota
Portuguese: Sábado
Romanian: Sambata
Russian: Subbota
Serbian: Subota
Slovak: Sobota
Slovene: Sobota
Somali: Sabti
Spanish: Sabado
Sudanese: Saptu
Ukranian: Subota
Sabbath is the day of worship for the Jews.
Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath; He brought the New covenant.
That’s why the apostles gathered and worshipped the risen Christ on the day that Christ rose - on Niedziela, dominicus.
In Latin the first day of the week is Dominicus - “the Lord’s Day” and in Polish it’s niedziela = the day of sharing and in Russian it is Воскресенье = resurrection day. You do realize that modern English is quite a few language, right?
An early example of Christians meeting together on a Sunday for the purpose of “breaking bread” and preaching is cited in the New Testament book of Acts (Acts 20:7)
7On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight
2nd-century writers such as Justin Martyr attest to the widespread practice of Sunday worship (First Apology, chapter 67
The term “Lord’s” appears in The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles or Didache, a document dated between 70 and 120. Didache 14:1a “But every Lord’s day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving”
Around 170 AD, Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, wrote to the Roman Church, “Today we have kept the Lord’s holy day (kyriake hagia hemera), on which we have read your letter.” In the latter half of the 2nd century, the apocryphal Acts of Peter identify Dies Domini (Latin for “Lord’s Day”) as “the next day after the Sabbath,” i.e., Sunday. From the same period of time, the Acts of Paul present St. Paul praying “on the Sabbath as the Lord’s Day (kyriake) drew near.”
Easter is the English word.
Call it by the proper name Pascha or Passover.
Pascha has been celebrated since the mid 1st century.
Melito of Sardas wrote about it https://web.archive.org/web/20070312203732/http://www.kerux.com/documents/KeruxV4N1A1.asp
On the Passover
MELITO OF SARDIS
Introduction (1-10)
1. First of all, the Scripture about the Hebrew Exodus has been read and the words of the mystery have been explained as to how the sheep was sacrificed and the people were saved.
2. Therefore, understand this, O beloved: The mystery of the passover is new and old, eternal and temporal, corruptible and incorruptible, mortal and immortal in this fashion:
3. It is old insofar as it concerns the law, but new insofar as it concerns the gospel; temporal insofar as it concerns the type, eternal because of grace; corruptible because of the sacrifice of the sheep, incorruptible because of the life of the Lord; mortal because of his burial in the earth, immortal because of his resurrection from the dead.
4. The law is old, but the gospel is new; the type was for a time, but grace is forever. The sheep was corruptible, but the Lord is incorruptible, who was crushed as a lamb, but who was resurrected as God. For although he was led to sacrifice as a sheep, yet he was not a sheep; and although he was as a lamb without voice, yet indeed he was not a lamb. The one was the model; the other was found to be the finished product.
5. For God replaced the lamb, and a man the sheep; but in the man was Christ, who contains all things.
6. Hence, the sacrifice of the sheep, and the sending of the lamb to slaughter, and the writing of the law–each led to and issued in Christ, for whose sake everything happened in the ancient law, and even more so in the new gospel.
7. For indeed the law issued in the gospel–the old in the new, both coming forth together from Zion and Jerusalem; and the commandment issued in grace, and the type in the finished product, and the lamb in the Son, and the sheep in a man, and the man in God.
8. For the one who was born as Son, and led to slaughter as a lamb, and sacrificed as a sheep, and buried as a man, rose up from the dead as God, since he is by nature both God and man.
9. He is everything: in that he judges he is law, in that he teaches he is gospel, in that he saves he is grace, in that he begets he is Father, in that he is begotten he is Son, in that he suffers he is sheep, in that he is buried he is man, in that he comes to life again he is God.
10. Such is Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.
The doctrine of the Trinity was taught by christ who tells his apostles to baptize people in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit.
The trinity isn’t a modern concept. We see it right from Genesis.
In the 4th century the debate was how the Trinity was ordered
“The church in Corinth was composed of probably MOSTLY gentiles”
Corinth had a large population of Jews.
“Christianity “ was/is a sect of 2nd temple Judaism.
Does works save us? No. faith saves us. How do we show faith? By our obedience to Gods Word. The Sabbath is commanded in the Ten Commandments. Note: Not the Ten Suggestions modern Churchs would have you believe. The Sabbath is a memorial for Gods Creation. Adam kept it. Moses kept it. Jesus kept it. but GardenerForLife doesn't want to keep it? Why? Because the world doesn't keep it? The world also lies, murders and takes Gods Name in vain. That's not a very good reason from Gods viewpoint. And we should always look at it from Gods viewpoint.
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They did have the "old testament" and there's also pretty strong evidence that the books of the new testament were in common use long before the 2nd century. Paul's letters for example were surely being passed around between churches.
Corinth may have had a large Jewish population but the early Christian church didn't seem to have a large Jewish population.
Col 4:10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
Col 4:11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.
Granted this was Colossae but it is likely representative. Jewish people for the most part were intimidated by those who gave them pressure to leave the way.
What Christ taught was a method and means of baptism. It matches up with this:
Act_2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It's not a trinitarian formula, but an explanation of how we need to turn to God through Christ to gain the gift of the holy spirit.
Yes and no....there are definite physical advantages to "resting" but there is also a distinct spiritual advantage of keeping something holy that God created holy.
I just don't see any indication that Jesus Christ wouldn't extend His grace for someone's salvation just because they got the math wrong and mixed up Saturday and Sunday.
I don't think the math is wrong. God reinstituted...or at least re-explained...the sabbath just before the Exodus. And he was very careful to do so.
As far as grace goes, why yes, that is the purpose of grace...to give people who turn to God some leeway. But I certainly think that God expects us to stop sinning when we learn that what we're doing is sin.
Protestant, here. Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
1 Timothy chapter 3, speaks of the offices and qualifications of bishops and deacons..
Obviously, the original apostles, minus Judas Iscariot, chose those who would be pastors, bishops, deacons, prophets, and teachers, according to God’s will, (which, at least once, they ascertained by drawing lots!). Once they had all died, the pattern they set was to be followed, and perhaps it was for a while. God still puts callings on individual’s lives, whether or not a certain church agrees to it. Of course, there usually IS agreement by whatever denomination of which the individual is a part. To be in ANY of these offices, legitimately, one is to be called of God. The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable; even if they fail, they still have God’s calling on their lives. (Think of the failings of Samson, Moses, Aaron, Elijah, David, Peter).
Oh, and read the 3rd chapter of Ephesians. God STILL calls prophets. (And for those who reject the notion of modern prophets, prophecies are lumped together with other things that will one day pass away, including KNOWLEDGE. And until knowledge passes away, neither will prophets -— you cannot pick and choose!)
The JEWISH Christians were to continue to observe feast days, etc. Gentile Christians had only to refrain from things strangled, the eating of blood, food offered to idols, and fornication. See Acts chapter 15. (Of course, the two commandments given by Jesus was to be observed by all).
Though the word, “trinity” was not used, the truth of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, runs from Genesis to Revelation.
We are made in God’s image. We are a trinity ourselves -— body, soul (the mind and emotions), and spirit (the part of us that is alive unto God).
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