| History... | |
Before the advent of our web sites, my husband spent a great deal of time conversing (via email) with an "Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Theologian and Gospel Tract Writer", trying to reach this man with the Truth in the Word of God... in the end, to no avail. What follows is an excerpt from this gentleman's numerous questions (and "excuses" for rebuttle), along with the the answer my husband sent to him.
>>>>I do not think not [emphasis mine] celebrating these externals would take you to Heaven [he was speaking of "holidays", the "traditions of men"]. I do not think that celebrating these externals will take you to Hell, but when you make the yardstick of these externals your basis of defining which churches are the churches of Jesus Christ, and church membership, I can see a problem, and 2,000 years of church perpetuity (not Roman Catholic) reveals a problem.<<<<<
Regarding "2,000 years of church perpetuity"
-- THE PROBLEM --
God chose Israel to be His special people, miraculously brought them out of Egypt, and gave them the land that He had promised Abraham.
He gave them special instructions through the prophet Moses as to how they were to posses the land and as to how they were to live in separation from pagan practices in order to remain His chosen people and maintain possession of the land.
In the Book of Deuteronomy we find Israel had fair warning of the consequences of disobedience to God: Blessings if obedient, and cursings if disobedient.
A study of the Old Testament reveals the sad fact that the majority of the Israelites were disobedient; accepting and blending pagan customs with the true worship of God: the customs of the pagan nations that God had instructed them to totally displace.
Because the majority of the nation of Israel disregarded the warnings they had been given, the whole nation reaped the consequences. By the time the expected Messiah presented Himself, their beliefs were so polluted and their leaders so corrupt that the majority of them could not even recognize Him. He called their religious leaders vipers and snakes and said that they were of their father -- the devil!
BUT GOD HAS ALWAYS PRESERVED A FAITHFUL REMNANT
This faithful remnant received their promised Messiah. Because of their faithfulness, God allowed them to see and receive the Messiah, but the rest were BLINDED.
The faithful remnant of believers became the first church and followed the instructions of Yeshua (Jesus) to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and all the world. The disciples boldly proclaimed the Gospel of Christ and thousands of Jews received their Messiah when they heard the truth in the streets, in the synagogues, and even in the temple.
The Jewish leaders were furious, and believers suffered persecution as a result of proclaiming the Gospel; but: "they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Christ."
Then something unexpected happened. God appointed Saul of Tarsus, a Jewish man and Roman citizen who had been a leader in the persecution of Christians to bear witness of Christ to the Gentiles.
Peter was instructed to go to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile who lived in Caesarea. Cornelius had been told by God that Peter could tell him how he and his house could be saved. When Peter told the Gentiles about Jesus Christ they received the gift of the Holy Ghost. As there was no doubt that they had received salvation, Peter commanded them to be baptized as a sign of renunciation of their former paganistic involvement -- The Jews required a "sign".
Paul, on the Sabbath, in a synagogue in Antioch, after the reading of the law and the prophets, told the Jews about Jesus. Some of the Gentiles heard and asked if Paul would preach to them on the next Sabbath day. He agreed, and almost the whole city came to hear the word of God. When they heard the message of Paul and Barnabas, many believed. Later, in a synagogue at Iconium, as they preached, again; both Jews and Greeks were in attendance and many believed.
Some believers thought that in order to be saved one must be circumcised. Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to discuss the matter. When they arrived in Jerusalem some of the believers who were from the sect of the Pharisees, said that Gentiles should be commanded to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses in order to be saved. After much discussion it was decided that salvation is received by Gentiles through faith just as the Jews were saved through faith in Jesus. It was also decided that Gentiles should be instructed only regarding specific pagan practices in accordance with the Levitical laws of Leviticus 17 and 18 which applied to soujouners and that they could hear the instructions of Moses in the synagogues on the sabbath. The Gentiles were told to refrain from specific pagan practices that they had been accustomed to and were expected to learn the basics of Christianity in the synagogue.
As Paul preached, "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" many misunderstood his message of salvation by grace. They thought that he was teaching against God's laws. Jesus had taught that until heaven and earth passed away, not one jot nor tittle would pass from the law and that those who broke the least of the Commandments and taught men to break them would be called least in the kingdom of heaven, and that those who kept His Commandments and taught them would be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Even though God's law would always be in effect, believers were no longer under the PENALTY of the law -- "DEATH". Paul knew that "sin is the transgression of the law" but that the law was NOT made void through faith. He explained that the law was established through faith.
Many of the early believers attended synagogue on the Sabbath as it had been adopted as a day of rest by all the known world. Some of the early Christians met in homes after synagogue on Saturday night, as well as on other days of the week, "breaking bread from house to house". They ate "their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, to encourage one another."
The Jews, both believers and unbelievers, lived side by side attending their local synagogue. Up until approximately 70 A.D. Christianity was considered by most leaders in the Roman government to be a sect of Judaism.
In approximately 66 A.D. Cestius Gallus besieged Jerusalem and would have taken the city had he continued in his efforts only a few more hours.
BUT GOD HAS ALWAYS PRESERVED A FAITHFUL REMNANT
For some unexplained reason he ordered his army to retreat and as the inhabitants of Jerusalem pursued them, they fled from the area. Christians living in Jerusalem remembered that Jesus had instructed them to flee to the mountains when they saw Jerusalem encompassed with armies. So they fled across the Jordan River to Pella.
In 70 A.D. Titus succeeded in taking Jerusalem. Over one million inhabitants died and up to one hundred thousand were taken captive. Christianity on the other hand, survived both in Pella and in the other areas of the world to where it had been spread.
The date of the writing of the Book of Revelation is uncertain. There is one thing that is sure: by this time, error had crept into the churches. The Lord reveals these errors to John in Chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation, to include: evil people calling themselves "Christians"; false Apostles; Nicolaitanes (a conquering priesthood); the doctrine of Baalim; fornication; false prophets teaching fornication; and apathy (people neither hot nor cold). Jesus had warned believers about these things and plainly told them that the mystery of iniquity was at work through the churches. In a period of less than 60 years, pure Christianity had become polluted by outside influences.
BUT GOD HAS ALWAYS PRESERVED A FAITHFUL REMNANT
Over the next 30 to 40 years, true Christianity became more and more polluted. In 120 A.D. Hadrain built AElia Capitolina on the ruins of Jerusalem; people holding any Judaic belief were denied entry. Up until that time, Christians in Judea observed the Commandments while they worshipped Christ as God. Vespasian had earlier introduced a temple tax for the upkeep of the temple in Jerusalem before its destruction in 70 A.D. Anyone considered to have anything to do with Judaic beliefs was required to pay the tax. Even though the temple had been destroyed, Hadrain maintained the tax for the upkeep of the pagan temple that he had built on the temple mount.
These events served as a strong incentive for Christians to distance themselves from any appearance of their Judaic beginnings. In 137 A.D. the church in Jerusalem, for the first time, proclaimed Marcus (an uncircumcised Gentile) as bishop. People who adhered to God's laws, did NOT return to Jerusalem! These Christians who were saved from annihilation in Jerusalem, were truly the "remnant" of the very first group of believers. However, at this point in history, they were now considered narrow minded and unenlightened Christians even though they acknowledged the true divinity of Jesus Christ, and accepted the writings of the Apostle Paul!
Around the beginning of the second century we begin to find written records of the doctrine of the "church". More than ever, Christians that adhered to God's Commandments presented problems for the so called "church fathers": the very title of which must immediately arouse our "suspicions", as Jesus had commanded that no man be called father! These writings, most of which were collected in the fourth century, and many of whose authenticity is debated, seem to be the basis of fourth century Christianity -- Basis only; for many alterations and additions were combined for political advantage.
Many of the second century "Christians" became participants in non-Christian activities. The Roman Emperors ordered that Christians should be tortured to death; but if they should recant, they should be let go. Some chose life, and while participating in many pagan practices, claimed the title "Christian".
BUT GOD HAS ALWAYS PRESERVED A FAITHFUL REMNANT
~ Click here to read part 2 of '2000 years'. ~