Great Falling Away...
"Kirk's Mail" (kmoore@aa.net)
Sun, 10 May 1998 04:37:35 -0700
This was written by a friend. I have removed his name, if you want to e-mail
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GFA 2:38 (IIA) 50 AD - 1998 AD
Section I = The GREAT FALLING AWAY FROM AC 2:38 BY THE
TRADITIONS OF THEEARLY CHURCH FATHERS and the
Theological History of the Great Falling Away.
Section II = The HISTORY OF WATER BAPTISM
Section III = Feedback from the TEN HORNS WITHOUT CROWNS.
40/60 AD
Nicolas, one of the first seven church Deacons
(Ac 6:5) develops and introduces the doctrine of the NICOLAITANES to the
early Christian church world (Rev 2:6).In his doctrine based on Greek
dualism, he declared that Christians are sinners saved by grace which
meant Christians could look like the world, dress like the world, and
live like the world in all types of sin and still remain saved. His
teaching laid the foundation for the development of the doctrines of
Eternal Security, once saved always saved and confession to a priest
while living in sin. Since his teaching required no outward or inward
change to be saved he and his followers attracted large numbers of
converts both from the many pagan religious systems of his day and the
Apostolic Christian church world. His message to the Apostolic church
world was why live in the legalism and bondage of holiness and
sanctification teachings of the Apostles when you can be free in Jesus
through his teachings?
The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes violated
Apostolic teaching on self-sanctification and holiness which was a part
of their teaching on salvation. In Apostolic teaching a holiness
lifestyle covered standards of dress, types of activities Christians
took part in or did not take
part in, and daily living codes of conduct. (Ro 6:1, 12:1-2, I Thl
4:3-7,
I Ti 2:8-10, He 12:14, I Pe 1:15-16 + many more)
Of special note. When the Great Falling Away
began it started with changing Apostolic teaching on repentance,
holiness and sin, then water baptism and Spirit baptism and the
application of the blood, then to the godhead. All of these gospel of
salvation doctrines were completely
changed between 150-325AD by the Nicolaitanes and the followers of the
Church Fathers.
70/150 AD
The development of Scholastic Theology as a
system to interpret the scriptures begins to be used by Christian
intellectuals. It is this developing system that results in the creation
of the Trinity Christian
world with a complete departure from the gospel of the Apostles and the
plan of salvation given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ. With the
development of the Trinity Christian religious world the gospel of the
Apostles is labeled a heresy. In the following scriptures Paul, Peter,
and Jude, address and warn of the coming of the Nicolaitanes, Church
Fathers, and the Reformers, and many other non Apostolic groups with
their false doctrines.
Gal 1:8-10
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let
him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man
preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men?
for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
2 Pet 2:1-2
But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them,
and bring upon
themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the way of truth (The Gospel of the Apostles)
shall be evil spoken of.
Jude 1:3-6
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto
you of the COMMON SALVATION, it was needful for me to write unto you, and
exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was ONCE
DELIVERED unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares,
who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only
Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in
remembrance, though
ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having SAVED the people out of the
land of Egypt, AFTERWARD DESTROYED THEM THAT BELIEVED NOT. And the
angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment
of the great day.
Exod 32:31-35
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh,
this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray
thee, out of thy
book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever
hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now
go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee:
behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I
visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the LORD plagued the people,
because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
It is also very interesting to note with the slow
development of SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY the receiving of the baptism of the
Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in unknown tongues did not take
place with those who were in leadership or those being taught via the NEW
study system
150 AD
Justin Martyr, makes the first change in
Apostolic teaching on water baptism and the godhead. Since Justin did
not believe that Jesus was God The Father manifested in the flesh as the
Apostles taught, he baptized his converts as follows: "I baptize you in
the name of God the Father and the Lord of all, and our Savior, Jesus
Christ, and of the Holy Ghost". Justin believed and taught as the Jews
that the name of God was so holy and such a great mystery that man would
never even know it. This is why he believed God the Father and his Son
Jesus Christ were two different
persons. It was this unbelief in the name of Jesus Christ as being also
the name of God the Father and the Holy Ghost that laid the foundation of
the coming development of the different trinities in the Christian
religious world.
I TIM 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received
up into glory.
II Th 2:10-12
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in
them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned
who believed not
the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
190-200 AD
Origen (Philosopher) and Tertullian (Lawyer) who
became believers via the teachings of Justin Martyr change Justin
Martyr's baptismal formula to just quoting Mt 28:19. In this second
change on water baptism the teachings of the Apostles are also rejected
and both Origen and
Tertullian begin to express the difference between the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost as three different persons of the godhead. In 200AD Tertullian
adopts the Roman pagan word "Trinitas" as a description of the three
persons of the Christian godhead. Both men at this time developed two
different doctrines of the Christian trinity which in fact is not
Christian but are modifications and adaptations of the pagan trinities.
OF NOTE: Origen developed what is called the
Eastern trinity which formed the foundational teaching of the Greek
Orthodox religious system and Tertullian developed the Western Latin
trinity which became the foundational teaching of the Roman Catholic
religious system. Of importance the word trinity was used for the first
time in Christian
theology in 200AD and does not appear in the scriptures. The trinitarians
have always believed for one to be a saved Christian one must be trinity.
If this be so then ALL those who follow the teaching of the Apostles
including the Apostles were never saved because for them the only trinity
they knew was the trinity of the pagan religious world around them.
220 AD
Origen introduces the doctrine of infant baptism
at his pre-baptismal school in Alexandria, Egypt.
320 AD
The Arian heresy develops in the Eastern part of
the Roman Empire. In the teaching of Arius the divinity of Jesus Christ
is denied and God who was manifested in the flesh and body of Jesus
Christ was declared to be nothing more than the adopted son of God. If it
were not for the
intervention of Constantine in 325AD this heresy would have completely
taken over the Eastern church world which later became theGreek Orthodox
Church.
325 AD
Under the Emperor Constantine at the council of
Nicaea, the Western trinity of Tertullian becomes the official doctrine
of the godhead for all Christian churches in the Roman Empire, by
Imperial decree. All religious systems outside of the trinity were
declared to be heresies
including the teachings of the Apostles and the teachings of Arius along
with many other groups. Under Constantine the so called trinity Christian
religious world became the national religion of the Empire.
2 Pet 2:1-2
But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them,
and bring upon
themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the way of truth (The Gospel of the Apostles)
shall be evil spoken of. Following the Council of Nicaea the Apostolic
church world within the boundaries of the Roman Empire was either driven
underground and or
scattered by persecution from the government and the new Roman Catholic
Church.
416 AD
Infant baptism by sprinkling becomes compulsory
in the Western church world.
451 AD
The worship of Mary the mother of
God instituted.
607 AD
Boniface III, is the first trinity bishop to
adopt the name Pope in the Roman Catholic Church. The bishop of Rome only
makes this move after the fall of the Roman Empire.
709 AD
Kissing thePope's foot begins.
786 AD
Worship of images and relics develops.
850 AD
Use of holy water begins.
995 AD
Canonization of dead saints.
998 AD
Fasting on Fridays and before Lent.
1056 AD
Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches split
over their different trinities, papal authority, different modes of water
baptism, and the veneration dead saints and images. It should be noted
because of the language and trinity difference the unofficial split took
place around
500AD but the official split did not take place until 1056AD.
1079 AD
Celibacy of the priesthood instituted.
1090 AD
Prayer beads adopted from several pagan
religious systems.
1184 AD
The Inquisition begins (26 - million Jews and
Protestant believers will die at the hands of the church of Rome before
it ends.)
1190 AD
The sale of indulgences instituted.
1215
AD Transubstantiation
of the wafer and wine.
1220 AD
Adoration of the wafer (host).
1229 AD
Bible forbidden to laymen.
1414 AD
Cup forbidden to layette.
1439 AD
Doctrine of Purgatory decreed.
1439 AD
Dogma of sacraments affirmed.
1508 AD
Ave Maria approved.
1545 AD
Tradition granted equal authority with the Bible
(Council of Trent)
1546 AD
Apocryphal Books added to the Roman
Catholic Bible.
1854 AD
Immaculate conception of Mary.
1870 AD
Infallibility of the Pope declared.
1950 AD
Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven
declared.
1965 AD
Mary proclaimed to be the Queen Mother of
Heaven, God, Christ, and the Church.
1985 AD
Pope John Paul II declares that God will not
forgive sins directly and that forgiveness of sins can only be obtained
through a priest of the Roman Catholic Church.
Rev. ????
Reference material for the Great falling Away:
The Bible, Eerdmans' Hand Book to the History of Christianity,
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, The Catholic Church Story, A Popular
History of the Catholic Church, Aspects of Pentecostal - Charismatic
Origins, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Encyclopedia
of World Religion, Encyclopedia Britannica (1947), The Doctrinal
Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Religions of the World, The
History of the Roman Empire.
The writings of the Church Fathers:
The Faith of the Early Fathers, Volume One
Readings in Church History, Volume One
WATER BAPTISM (HISTORY 2)
General overview:
The Apostles taught water baptism was to be done in the name of Jesus
Christ by complete emersion in water in order to receive
remission-forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The Church Fathers taught water baptism was to be done in the trinity
formula of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in order to receive
remission-forgiveness of sins. Their teaching on water baptism began
with complete emersion and then fragmented into different camps of
emersion, pouring on, sprinkling, and infant baptism.
The Reformers adopted the Church Father formula of water baptism but
said remission- forgiveness of sins came at repentance before water
baptism.
The Apostles and the Church Fathers taught water baptism was central to
salvation, the Reformers taught water baptism had nothing to do with
salvation.
Q. WHAT IS TRUTH???
History details:
33AD. The day of Pentecost after the death and resurrection of
Jesus,
Peter preaches the keys to the kingdom of heaven (see Ac 2-38) and the
new covenant + the new priesthood begins. From 33AD to today all who
follow the gospel of the Apostles obey Ac 2:38 as the foundation of
salvation in the Christian walk.
150AD. Justin Martyr changes water baptism from in the name of
Jesus
Christ to in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which is
Jesus Christ. (See Mt 28:19)
(NOTE. No where in the Bible was anyone ever baptized in the
titles of Mt 28:19)
200AD. Origen and Tertullian begin their two different
developments of
the first two doctrines of the Christian trinity. This was done to
support the change in water baptism by Justin Martyr. In baptizing their
converts Origen and Tertullian drop the name of Jesus and the
trinity
formula then becomes Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
220AD Origen introduces infant baptism to the Christian world.
325AD At the council of Nicaea the Western trinity of Tertullian
becomes
official Roman Empire teaching on the godhead along with the trinity
formula of water baptism. Those who continue in the Apostles teaching of
water baptism and the oneness of God are declared to be heretics by the
Roman government and the trinity church world.
416AD. Infant baptism in the trinity formula becomes compulsory in
the
Catholic church.
Q. WHAT IS TRUTH???
Fact: The gospel of salvation preached by the Apostles included water
baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. The Church Fathers changed the
COMMON PLAN OF SALVATION (See Jude) that was taught by the Apostles to a
different gospel on water and Spirit baptism. What was and is the
result of these changes???
A. Gal 1:6-9
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you
into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and
would
pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any
other
gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Deut 27:18
18 Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way.
And all the people shall say, Amen.
A. Jude 1:3-7
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that
ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto
the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of
old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God
into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew
this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of
Egypt,
afterward destroyed them that believed not.
A. Acts 4:10-13
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that
by
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised
from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders,
which is
become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived
that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took
knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
For your review and consideration.
Rev. ????
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Dear ???: A few questions in response to your latest post....
1. WHO says any of this is true regarding Nicolas and the
Nicolaitans???((( I HAVE CROSS CHECKED IT BETWEEN SEVERAL CHRISTIAN
HISTORY BOOKS WRITTEN BY SOME OF YOUR TRINITY EXPERTS AND HISTORIANS.)))
2. Why would the same men who "departed from the gospel of the Apostles"
give their lives to preserve the writings of the apostles,(((RELIGION IS
A
POWERFUL FORCE IN THE HEARTS OF MEN. MEN HAVE BEEN DYING FOR WHAT THEY
BELIEVES RIGHT OR WRONG FOR 6000 YEARS))) and furthermore, why do you
trust that the Bible is indeed the word of God,(((IF ONE HAS THE SPIRIT
OF TRUTH ONE WILL KNOW THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD AND THE TEACHING OF
THE APOSTLES IS THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD. IF ONE DOES
NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH ONE WILL BELIEVE SOMETHING ELSE))) when it
was these untrustworthy men who gave us the canon of Holy
Scripture?(((JUST BECAUSE GOD USED THE CHURCH FATHERS AS TELEPHONE POLES
TO TRANSMIT THE
CANON TO US DOES NOT MEAN THEY WERE TRUE PROPHETS. ALWAYS REMEMBER GOD
USED A DONKEY TO TALK TO A PROPHET. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THE DONKEY WAS
SAVED. CHRISTIAN HISTORY IS FULL OF DONKEYS))) By the way, if they
hadn't been faithful to the apostolic teachings, don't you think they
could have chosen other texts as scripture...texts that agreed with their
error?(((SURE AND THAT IS WHAT THEY DID. THEY MIXED ROMAN AND
GREEK MYTHOLOGY/PHILOSOPHY WITH THE SCRIPTURES AND CAME UP WITH THE New
Theology WHICH THEY TERMED Scholastic Theology. WHERE DO YOU THINK ALL
THESE MYSTERIES (trinity # 1) CAME FROM??? ANSWER = SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY
AND DELUSIONS SENT FROM GOD BECAUSE THEY DID NOT LOVE THE TRUTH.
Following the Council of Nicaea the Apostolic church world within the
boundaries of the Roman Empire was either driven underground and or
scattered by persecution from the government and the new Roman Catholic
Church.
What evidence do you have of this? (((THE CREED OF NICAEA LAID THE
FOUNDATION OF STATE TRUTH AND THE HISTORY BOOKS TELL US WHAT HAPPENED TO
THOSE WHO DID NOT FOLLOW THE DIFFERENT CREEDS OF THE TRINITY OFFICIALS IN
AND OUTSIDE OF THE TRINITY CHURCH WORLD)))
> 451 AD The worship of Mary the mother of God instituted.
Actually there has NEVER been ANY official documentation of ANY
Christian church advocating the worship of Mary.>(((NOTHING IS DONE IN
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SO FAR AS DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE IS CONCERNED WITHOUT
EXPRESS APPROVAL OF THE POPE AND THE COUNCIL OF CARDINALS.)))
607 AD Boniface III, is the first trinity bishop to adopt the name
Pope in the Roman Catholic Church. The bishop of Rome only makes this
move after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Pope is simply a Latin derivative for "father"...it's been used by not
only the bishop of Rome, but by all bishops from dates MUCH earlier than
607.(((THE TERM POPE IS TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN PONTIFFS MAX. THE TERM
WAS USED BY THE EMPERORS OF ROME TO DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS HIGH PRIEST
AND GOD OF THE EMPIRE. WHEN THE EMPIRE FELL BONIFACE III TOOK IT UPON
HIMSELF TO ADOPT THE TITLE. IT HAS STUCK EVER SINCE.)))
> 1508 AD Ave Maria approved.
Do you KNOW the Ave Maria???? It's taken from Scripture. The Gospel of
Luke, to be precise.(((MAYBE SO BUT IT WAS NEVER USED IN THE CONTEXT OF
WORSHIP AND PRAISE FOR APOSTOLIC CHRISTIANS)))
1546 AD Apocryphal Books added to the Roman Catholic Bible.
Sorry, wrong again...the apocryphal books were recognized as canonical
from the earliest days of the Church(((THE APOSTLES NEVER SIGHTED THEM AS
DOCTRINAL AUTHORITY AND NEVER TAUGHT FROM THEM)))...at Trent (((TRENT WAS
A TOTAL FARSE AND DELUSION ON A GRAND SCALE. AT TRENT CATHOLIC TRADITION
WAS GRANTED EQUAL AUTHORITY WITH THE CANON AND THIS IS HOW THE APOCRYPHA
WAS INCLUDED IN THE CATHOLIC CANON.))) they were AFFIRMED, not
ADDED....cf. the writings of the early fathers...by the way, the
Septuigant, the version USED BY THE APOSTLES, included the Apocrypha.
(((ONLY PAUL
AND LUKE WOULD HAVE USED THE SEPTUAGINT TO MINISTER FROM, THE OTHER
APOSTLES WOULD HAVE USED ARAMIC OR HEBREW TRANSLATIONS. AGAIN THERE IS NO
MENTION IN THE SCRIPTURES OF THE APOSTLES EVER USING THE APOCRYPHA AS
PART OF THE CANON)))
Dear ????
I see you're getting all your material from second hand sources.(((THIS
DOES NOT MEAN THE RECORDED FACTS ARE WRONG. BOTTOM LINE IS EVERYTHING WE
HAVE IS SECOND HAND)))..may I suggest you read the actual writings of the
early fathers themselves?(((I DID, YOU MISSED IT. I HAVE TWO COPIES FROM
DIFFERENT PUBLISHERS OF THE WRITINGS OF THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS AS A
CROSS CHECK. IN THESE WRITINGS ONE CAN EASILY AND QUICKLY SEE WHERE THE
PLAN OF SALVATION OF THE APOSTLES WAS CHANGED BY THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS
AND THE NICOLAITANES. EERDMANS ALSO COVERS MOST OF THESE CHANGES. FYI =
CROSS CHECK EVERYTHING.)))
>A good place to start would be with the letters of ((MY PUBLICATIONS GO
BACK TO CLEMENT OF ROME WHO WAS BEFORE Ignatius (who was ordained by
Peter and served as bishop of Antioch after him) and Polycarp (a disciple
of St. John, and the bishop of Smyrna when the Revelation was written).
These two (among others) provide the "link" from the apostles to the rest
of the early church. You might also consider Clement of Rome - ordained
by Peter and ((( ALWAYS REMEMBER, A GOOD TREE CAN ORDAIN ANOTHER GOOD
TREE THEN THE FIRST OR SECOND TREE CAN GO BAD VIA LEAVEN THAT LEAVENS THE
WHOLE LUMP. SALVATION AND TRUTH IS INDIVIDUAL IN THE END AND THIS IS
BASED ON THE HEART, NOT INTELLECT.))) Paul and mentioned in Paul's
writings. He has an epistle to the church at Corinth. These men were not
heretics. They were not men who "fell away".(((RE-CHECK MY TIME LINE.
THE FALLING AWAY BEGAN WITH THE NICOLAITANES AND JUSTIN MARTYR SO FAR AS
THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION IS CONCERNED. AS FOR CLEMENT HIS WRITINGS
INDICATE HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION BY
FAITH AND JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH. THIS WAS THE SAME STUMBLING BLOCK
FOR THE REFORMERS (many years later) WHICH CAUSED THEIR FALSE GOSPEL OF
SALVATION TO BE DEVELOPED. WHILE CLEMENT MAY HAVE STILL BEEN WITH THE
GOSPEL OF THE APOSTLES HE HAD THE LITTLE LEAVEN THAT WOULD LEAD TO A
FALSE GOSPEL)))
AS FOR IGNATIUS HE IS THE FOUNDING AUTHOR OF BISHOP WORSHIP WHICH LATER
RESULTED IN THE WORSHIP OF THE POPE OF ROME. I WOULD SAY IN YOUR POSITION
IGNATIUS WOULD BE ONE OF YOUR #1 AUTHORS. AS TO THE GOSPEL OF
SALVATION NOTHING IN HIS WRITINGS INDICATE WHERE HE STOOD.))) They were
men hand picked and hand trained by the apostles, who had vowed to them
to be faithful to the message received. (((YES AND HOW ABOUT JUDAS, WHO
PICKED HIM AND WHO PICKED NICOLAS AS ONE OF THE FIRST DEACONS??? WHERE
DID BOTH WIND UP???))) Why don't you begin with them and then move
forward.(((THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS ABOVE.))) It's much more firm
ground than secondary sources.
Blessings,
And happy Easter to you and yours.
(Written by a friend....)
In His Service...
Kirk Moore
United Pentecostal Church of Renton.
Renton, WA
"Black holes are created when God divides by zero"