Originally posted by: Auggie
Bah. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, they matched our current OT texts almost exactly.
Surely the "revisionist" Christians in the first few hundred years would be able to edit their texts to "fit" their whole Christ thing if they wanted to, but they didn't - the OT in our Bible today is nearly an EXACT copy of the Dead Sea Scroll texts that were found and date back thousands of years.
The fact is, there were a tremendous number of Agnostic sects each writing their own texts in the years after Christianity began to spread. Most of them specifically included things that were directly at odds with the early Catholic Church in a direct attempt to separate and to bring over members to their sects. I fail to see what's so shocking about this.
The Nicene Council restricted access to these texts among their literate priests in order to make sure the clergy weren't confused and didn't confuse the flock.
Really your confused al right.
In the fourth century something happens that changes the course of church history forever. Christians seem to find a friend in the least likely of quarters.
Legend has it, that before the decisive battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine had a vision in which a flaming cross appeared in the sky with an inscription over it reading in Latin, "In Hoc Signo Vinces" - In This Sign Conquer!
He dedicated the battle to the Christian God (whose sign he believed he was shown) and upon victory became supreme ruler in the Western Roman Empire.
Christianity had finally gained favor in high places.
In 313 A.D., Constantine issues the Edict of Milan which gives Christians the freedom to worship openly throughout the empire, putting the growing new religion on an equal plane with the popular pagan cults and practices that thrived there.
Suddenly, after more than two centuries of persecution unleashed on Christians by various Emperors, all Christians both "true and false", enjoy a new era of tolerance and acceptance throughout the empire.
Unfortunately for "True Christians", it doesn't last long.
In 321, Emperor Constantine forbids work on "the venerable day of the sun", "Sunday" - changing the biblical day of rest from God's commanded seventh day of the week to the first day of the week.
In 323, he defeats the Eastern Emperor to become sole ruler over the reunified Roman Empire.
In 324, he makes Christianity the official religion of the here-to-fore pagan Roman Empire.
In 325, Constantine himself presides over the council of Nicea at Bithynia. The council rules that all Christians that continue to memorialize the death of Christ on the 14th day Nisan, (Passover) must now keep the first Sunday after the Vernal Equinox (Easter Sunday) as the commemoration of His resurrection.
In 337, Constantine is baptized on his death bed. Though he had declared Christianity the official religion of Rome 13 years earlier, he himself had not become a Christian.
So he who first appeared to be the Christian's best friend, in actuality, turned out to be their worst enemy. Within 13 years, Constantine the first "Christian" Emperor of Rome, managed to undermine almost every precept that had been established by Christ himself. The Gospel that the Roman Bishops (by now calling themselves "Popes") preached, was no longer recognizable to "True Christians". Even worse they were now prohibited from practicing their faith by penalty of death.
In 365, the council of Laodicea strikes another crushing blow to the true church and bans the keeping of the "Jewish Sabbath", by Christians. It was now impossible for true believers to honor their commanded Sabbath openly without consequence even though all existing churches except those at Rome and Egypt still venerated the seventh day rest at that time.
A dark cloud hangs over the faithful.
Many are martyred -
Many flee to the far corners of the empire, while others yield to threats and pressure from the majority and turn from their faith to the other "Christianity", which by this time has been erroneously sanctioned as Christ's church by almost the entire world.
The church whose Gospel was so early on blended with the Gnostic Mysteries of Simon Magus, Menander and their followers like Basilides of Alexandria and Saturninis, whose own heretical cult became known as 'Saturnillians'; the church that had appropriated the name of Christ but taught the doctrines of men instead of the Commandments of God; the church that was sanctioned and made rich by the Kings of the Earth so that it prospered and grew into the great and powerful false church -
The apostle Paul was one of the most famous citizens of the Roman Empire and without question one of the most influential individuals in history. He was used by the Lord in his missionary and evangelistic activities to set in motion a great deal of the organization known as the Christian Church, the Body of Christ on earth, to the extent that billions of human beings have been directly or indirectly affected by his ministry. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the foundation documents for the Christian way of life, the Word of God which has changed the lives of millions.
Paul goes against the words of Christ . Peter is the rock . NOT paul .
Christ None can enter heaven except threw me. Yet paul says he recieves the Gosphel from the Holy Spirit. NOT Christ. Strange that .
Here is were the false church fixes its lie. The Nicene Council.
What happens here that fixes PAULS error and ignorance of Christ words. THE TRINITY. Three gods are 1 GOD . Father SON Holy spirit. NOW paul is legit. Because the holy spirit and the son are 1 and the same. Nice how they did that . But if it were true I believe Christ would have taught it. So dogma truimphs the word of GOD. There are many places were Paul teaches adds to what Christ said, Christ says none can do that, ADD or take away/ Ya already said they took away so as not to confuse the flock . yet you should know the Christ forbid that. Than you have Ceaser residing over the council guiding what is excepted as HOLY SCRIPTURE . not likely.
This is the BEST part RIGHT here.
Legend has it, that before the decisive battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine had a vision in which a flaming cross appeared in the sky with an inscription over it reading in Latin, "In Hoc Signo Vinces" -
In This Sign Conquer!
This goes 100% against the teachings of Christ. It funny how 2 powerful Romans Ceasar and Paul both have visions . Both change the teachings of Christ. Funny that.
There is one more small thing . The sabath day was created for ADAM and Eve. A day of rest . Surely Iam needed no rest.
In the 10 commandments GoD commands us to Keep holy THe LORDS DAY .
Is it the sabbath Iam is speaking of. Or is it that great and powerful day when I am completes his work . Armagedon. You decide.