orthodoxy is the apostasy

orthodoxy is the apostasy

the apostasy meaning fall away from the truth



the apostasy begin in the year 190AD with Pope Victor I


By the fourth century Christianity had become, by the decree of the Emperor Constantine, the official religion of the State with the Bishop of Rome the "head of all the churches". The clergy organised themselves in­to an elaborate system of priesthood, and discouraged the common peo­ple from privately studying the Scriptures. They kept the people ignorant of the Scriptures, set aside the doctrine of Christ's Millennial reign on earth and introduced doctrines such as the Trinity, Immortality of the Soul, Hell Torments and Heaven-going. They taught that" the world would be ultimately converted by the Roman Church and that the Pope and the clergy were to be revered as God's representatives on earth.



The docrinal foundations upon which orthodox Christianity rests are not those of the First Century Ecclesia. Its teaching is a mixture of errors which produces the works of the flesh and not the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:17-26). Thus orthodox Christianity is powerless to save from sin and death.
Error crept into the early ecclesias because the Truth requires sacrifice and discipline, which has no appeal to fleshly minded people (Matt. 7:14; Rom. 8:7-8). Corruption from "The Way" occurred because the corrupters made appeal to:—
The lusts and desires of the flesh (2 Pet. 2:18-22; Jude 4)
The human imagination (Jude 8)
The pride of life (Jude 16; 1 Tim. 6:4-5)
The desire for riches, comfort and a release from earnestly contending for the faith (2 Pet. 2:3; 2 Tim. 3:1-8; 1 Tim. 6:10).
In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul describes this system as "the man of sin", with the Pope at its head "sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God" (vv. 3-4). Its confessionals, purgatory, indulgences, celibacy, image worship and relics have well-earned it the description "the working of Satan with all the power and signs and lying wonders" (v.9). Though lasting for many years it will be destroyed at Christ's com­ing (v.8).

History of false doctrines of Christendom

Departure from the Truth

dates are as accurate as possible




THIS PROCESS, WHICH BEGAN SOON AFTER THE ECCLESIAS WERE FORMED IN THE FIRST CENTURY AD, WAS PROPHESIED IN THE WORD OF GOD

Some of these prophecies are set out in full below…their fulfilment is illustrated by the facts following… the dates are as accurate as possible by the records - the facts are indisputable, and are readily accepted by believers who are the modern-day equivalents of those to whom Jesus spoke these wonderful words- "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear"- Matthew 13v16.

As shown elsewhere we must be able to clearly identify & witness against the apostacy which the word of God has told us must arise...and any way in which this apostacy can turn attention away from itself has been used -

We can clearly identify the modern-day equivalent of ancient Babylon, as the apostacy is termed, in Revelation 17v5-'MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH'.

The comment of the then head of the 'Roman Catholic church',when in 1962 he welcomed sympathetic 'Protestant' observers to the 21st 'Ecumenical Council', is a damning identification of both parties when he stated the following- "ROME WELCOMES YOU AS A MOTHER" this harmonises with "The Roman Church is the Mother and Mistress of all the churches" ( 'Council of Trent' 1545-1563)

If Rome is the "mother" who then are her "daughters"?

The family likeness is obvious, by the sharing of false teachings, which came from paganism ("Babylon") via Rome- being dressed up in a 'Christian' garb to deceive the unenlightened-which teachings include– "the trinity", "immortal souls", "a fallen-angel devil", etc. etc. "Babylon" signifies'confusion'. Such confusion is evident in these self-contradictory doctrines which are totally opposed to the Scriptures.

"Mystery'' identifies the modern-day apostacy with the"mystery" religion of Babylon, so well known to historians and Bible scholars. It is a means which any hierarchy utilizes to retain power by the use of fear of the unknown, which only "the initiated leaders" can interpret. And "the great" demonstrates the world-wide expansion of this pagan-derived apostacy.

In 'The Two Babylons' Hislop clearly identifies the links between the ancient pagan days of worship & the modern Catholic equi- valents. Refer particularly to chapter iii-'Festivals', including the

9 month period between the feasts of 25 March&25 December.

See the gestative period of the harlot– below*

In the course of his comments Hislop states:

"To conciliate the Pagans to nominal Christianity,Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan fes-tivals amalgamated, and, by a complicated but skilful adjustment of the calendar, it was found no difficult matter, in general, to get Paganism and Christianity– now sunk far in idolatry - in this, as in so many other things, to shake hands"-page 105, 1969 edition.



prophecies of the apostacy

Matthew 24v4-13- "..And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.. the love of many ("the many"-RV, Diag-lott, John Thomas- i.e. 'the majority') shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved".




Acts 20v26-32-"For I know this,that after my departing shall grievous 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".

(Jesus prophesied of this- Matthew 7v15-20; John 10v12,13).

(Jude 4 testifies this process had then begun- "For there are certain men crept in unawares..before of old ordained").




2nd Thessalonians 2v1-10- " ..the day of Christ..shall not

come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of

sin be revealed,the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalt-

eth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;

so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing him-

self that he is God..And now ye know what withholdeth that

he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity

doth already work; only he who now letteth will let ("only

there is one that restraineth now"- RV) until he be taken out

of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed..whom the

Lord..shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even

him, whose coming is after the working of satan (original =

'the satan'- )..because they received not the love

of the truth, that they might be saved".

(Note the prophecy of "the mystery of iniquity", later to be

fulfilled as "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT".

Also, the "man of sin", later to be fulfilled as the "man

child" and the "man"- Revelation 12v5; 13v18-see below-

the "one that restraineth", i.e. Pagan Rome was "taken out

of the way" in AD312-324, allowing "that wicked..man of

sin..(to) be revealed" at the head of the apostacy).



1st Timothy 4v1-3- "..in the latter times some shall depart

from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines

of devils (orig. 'demons', supposed demi-gods); Speaking

lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot

iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from

meats, which God hath created to be received with thanks-

giving of them which believe and know the truth".

(Note the pagan 'demons' (demi-gods) have been replaced by

"patron saints"; priests are "forbidd(en) to marry"; meat is

not to be eaten on Fridays;all of which is absolute apostacy.

Daniel 11v39 (Hebrew)speaks of "the bazaars of the protect-

ors (guardians)"- prophesying of the apostate "churches" &

their"patron saints"- & the sale of "indulgences / penances"-

"with a strange god"- identified below as the Roman bishop).

The Roman bishop is "the god of protectors" Dan.11v38.



AD 1190,1473 re "indulgences" etc.



2nd Timothy 4v2-4- "Preach the word..For the time will

come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after

their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having

itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the

truth, and shall be turned unto fables (Grk.'the fables').

THE FABLES AS PROPHESIED ARE SET OUT BELOW.




DEPARTURE FROM THE TRUTH– AS IT HAPPENED

Note-dates are as accurate as possible



AD33 The death and resurrection of Jesus. Then - the

outpouring of the spirit on the Day of Pentecost - the

early ecclesias formed- the beginning of the apostacy-

"the mystery of iniquity doth already work" (original

has connotations of WORKING INWARDLY, as with

the formation of a child). No longer " a chaste virgin un-

to Christ"2nd Corinthians 11v2, this corrupted "whore"

Revelation 17v2, impregnated with the seeds of apostate

formalism and pagan philosophy, carefully nurtured the

child from her harlotry within. The gestation period of a

woman is 280 days. In the Scriptures, 1 day represents

1 year in prophetic terms- cp Numbers 14v33,34; Ezek-

iel 4v4-6.This gestative period* ended after 10 day-years

of birth-pangs (persecution) in AD313 by a decree, & the

harlot-woman of the apocalypse gave birth- Rev.12v1-5.



Her "man child" Constantine began to set up in power

those who had left the Truth . These apostates were no

longer, as commanded, "strangers and pilgrims" (1st

Peter 2v11). They became power-brokers of the world!

In fact many of them took up arms in the service of Con-

stantine– defying Christ (Matt.5v38-48)- now "friend(s)

of the world..(and thus)..enem(ies) of God"- James 4v4.

From AD 312-324, Constantine consolidated his power

over the Roman Empire, and set up apostate Catholic

bishops over his subjects. Though nominally "Christian"

it was now in reality pagan- because it was founded

upon PAGAN TEACHINGS, and not scriptural truths.

Edward Gibbon, the noted historian, wrote that though

"Christianity" emerged triumphant, it was at the cost

of the adoption of many pagan teachings. Scripture corr-

oborates his independent testimony, as we have shown.




Remarkably, the "man child" (Constantine) was fully

revealed in AD324, when he became the sole ruler over

the Roman Empire, now to become 'Pagan-Christian'.

In AD330 he laid the foundations for his Eastern capi-

tal upon the soil of the Greek colony Byzantium, and

named it Constantinople. In this year also the Basilican

church of 'St. Peters' in Rome was erected. It was later

pulled down and replaced by the present edifice.




Another gestative period began, which was to end in

AD604-610, when the decrees of Phocas, then emperor,

finally established the bishop of Rome as the supreme

head over all Catholics. The "man of sin" was now fi-

nally revealed, as Paul had prophesied, that "he as God

sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is

God"-2nd Thess. 2v4;cp Dan.7v8,11,20,25;Rev. 13v5,6..

see proofs below, which could be greatly multiplied..

(we hesitate to record such blasphemies; however they

must be provided for the information of the viewer).



'If to serve God truly is to reign, while thou servest Leo thou

reignest; for Leo is God on earth'- App. to Roscoe's Leo X.

'All the kings of the west held the pope to be a God upon earth'.

- Gregory II, AD727.

'The Pope is God because the Vicar of God'

- Innocent, from his Decretals.

'It is certain that the Pontiff was called a God by the pious

prince Constantine: and it is manifest that God cannot be judged

by men..Our Lord God the Pope'- Canon Law, Gratian,12thC.AD

'The pope..the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of

all..God himself on earth'- The 'New York Catechism'.

'We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty'-

the Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.

'For thou art the shepherd..thou art another God on earth'-

Mansi (ed.) in Sacrorum Conciliorum.

As noted elsewhere,we deny any legitimacy to such titles as "pope"

applied to mere mortal fallible men. "And call no man your father

upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven"- Matt.23

v9. And to assume the title of "God" is the height of blasphemy.




The Roman bishop promotes the above claims. And the "church"

admits her decrees would be "terrible presumption and blasphemy"

without the authority of Christ (Australian 'pastoral letter' 1962 ).





Revelation 13v18** tells us that the "number" of the

"man" i.e. the "man of sin" prophesied by Paul, is 666#.

One of many titles used of or by the Roman bishop =

'Vicarius Filii Dei'-i.e. 'The Vicar of the Son of God'.

The total numerical value of these Roman letters = 666.

In addition, 'Lateinos' and 'The Latin Kingdom' when

given the Greek numerical equivalents add up to 666.

Latin clearly identifies the "man of sin" with Rome..

(..a pagan custom was to designate their "gods" by the

numerical equivalents of their names- the above iden-

tification therefore reveals Rome's pagan associations)




**note the connection between the "mark" and the "num-

ber" of the apostacy– Revelation 13v15-18– see page 2.

Further, note the prophecy of Daniel 7v8,20 re "the eyes of

(a) man" and the shocking fulfilment as "the holy see".

..ask yourself, are these things "just co-incidences"?

Or are they, in actual fact

the demonstration of the truth of Bible prophecy?







The "mystery of iniquity" prophesied by Paul was later

revealed as "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT" in

Revelation 17v5. This identifies the modern-day

"church" apostacy with the well-known ancient "mys-

tery" religion of Babylon. It teaches "the trinity", which

is called "a mystery". Julius III is said to have removed

"mystery" from the tiara because of Protestant jibes..

(the tiara represented the three states seized & lost by

Rome, as prophesied- Daniel 7v8; Rev. 16v13;17v16).

Edward Gibbon, the noted historian, wrote-

"The creed of MYSTERY and superstition..in the

7th century disgraced the simplicity of the Gospel".
















Departure from the Truth-page 2




SIGNIFICANT DATES

Before we look more closely at the history of how the various unscriptural teachings & practices have been added over the centuries, let us note the main epoch-al dates fulfilling Biblical prophecies of the course of




the apostacy

AD33- the beginning of the "in-working" of the apostacy by heretic Jewish and pagan influences to be re-vealed after 280 gestative day-years.

AD303- the "birth-pangs" of the harlot woman of the Apocalypse, about to give birth to the "man child" Constantine, the champion of Catholics. Persecution by pagan emperors for 10 day-years.

AD312-324- the wars of Constantine against the pagan emperors, by which the rulership of the Roman Empire is changed to apostate "Christianity".

AD312- the beginning of prophecies of 1260 day-years of persecution of "the remnant of (the woman's) seed" and dissenters by the Catholics.

AD313- the "birth" of the "man child" marked by his decree of "toleration" of all religions; which was also marked by the elevation of the Catholics.

AD324-Constantine assumes total control- the beginning

of the 2nd "in-working" of 280 day-years.

AD330- Constantine in this year lays the foundations for

his Eastern capital upon the soil of the Greek

colony Byzantium. He names it Constantinople.

The old 'St. Peters' in Rome erected.

AD529-535- the laws of Justinian giving authority to the

bishop of Rome over his rivals for power.Beginn-

ing of 1st application of prophecy of 1260 day-

years of persecution by the established apostacy.

AD604-610- the laws of Phocas giving supreme ecclesias-

tical power to the bishop of Rome. The final rev-

elation of the "man of sin"after another 280 day-

years. Beginning of 2nd application of prophecy

of 1260day-years of persecution by the apostacy.

AD1572-the massacre of St.Bartholomew when the apos-

tacy murdered thousands of dissenters, and also

struck a medal in celebration- thus fulfilling the

1260 years of persecution which began in AD312.

AD1789-1795- the French Revolution which began to dis-

member, as prophesied, the temporal (political)

power of the apostate "church". This ended the

1st period of 1260 years from AD529-535.

AD1864-1870- the dissolution of the temporal (political)

power of the apostate Roman "church" by the

taking away of her 3 states by the new Italian

kingdom. This ended the 2ndperiod of 1260 years

beginning AD604-610. Having lost the power to

persecute, the Roman bishop proclaims his own

infallibility. The "man of sin" is now termed

"the false prophet"- i.e. one who can only falsely

claim to be a teacher, having no power to enforce

his dogmas on others. The above also fulfilled the

first period of 1335 years.

It likewise pre-figured future judgments.

Daniel 2v31-33,40;7v19-26;11v36-38;12v5-13;

2nd Thessalonians 2v1-12;

Revelation 11 &12;13v1-10;16v13,14;17v16.





AD37- "And certain men which came down from Judea"- Acts 15 records the first organized resistance to the purity of the Faith, which has been shown in its various forms to persist until the present time.

The first error involved the placing of redundant laws upon the Gospel, which in its practical effect nullified salvation by faith-

The Truth gradually became further corrupted by the entrance of pagan philosophies, such as:

"immortal souls" origin=Egypt

"the trinity" origin=Babylon

"a fallen-angel devil" origin=Persia




Holy spirit gifts ceased by the early 2nd century AD-  Corrupt evil men then began to usurp power to themselves, becoming "lords over God's heritage" -

Thus began the unscriptural "clergy"/"laity" divide, which persists to this day, to the ruin of the Truth. Contrast Matthew 23v8 -

"But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren".



AD37-324-we reproduce comments taken from 'Eureka',

an incomparable exposition of The Apocalypse, by

John Thomas, which summarise this period..

"The invention of this lie (i.e. the teaching of the Judaizers

in Acts 15) was the beginning of troubles to the body of

Christ. Its inventors found their advantage in propagating

it in defiance of the apostles. They made proselytes to their

tradition both among the elders and private members of the

flock; and wherever they succeeded in establishing their in-

fluence, there, and to the same extent, the authority of the

apostles was set aside. They became the adversaries of these

holy and self-denying men, and are therefore styled in the

Apocalypse "the Satan", and their "church", "the syna-

gogue of the Satan"...But others arose after these, and added

new elements to "the lie". Truth is fixed, but lies never di-

minish in circulating, but always increase. Pious Jews began

the work of corrupting the faith; and pious Gentiles, who

had been subverted, added some of their "philosophy" and

"gnosis", or "science falsely so called", to the original stock,

and in their combination, produced what Paul styles, in 2

Thess. 2:7, musterion tes anomias, THE MYSTERY OF IN-

IQUITY. This, he says, was "already working"; and in its

working through Judaizing and philosophizing teachers,

gave him all the trouble and mortification he laments in the

several epistles". 'Eureka', 1861.

Compare Acts 20v17-38; 1st Corinthians 15v1-17; 2nd Cor-

inthians 11v12-28; Galatians 2-5; 2nd Timothy 2; 2nd Peter

2v1-3; 1st John 4v1-6; Jude - whole epistle - & also please





AD300 prayers for the dead

AD300 making the sign of the cross**

AD320 wax candles

AD325 teaching that Christ is equal to God

AD325 "Easter"- from 'Astarte' (pagan goddess )= =

AD325 priests to refuse marriage after "ordination"<<

AD337 sun-god birthday now "Christ-mass"- Julius I= =

AD375 image-worship, veneration of angels, "dead saints"^^

AD381 personality of holy spirit, its equality with God

AD385 married priests' celibacy after "ordination"<<

AD394 beginning of daily "mass"

AD5thC sun-god birthday fixed as "Christ-mass"= =

AD431 exaltation of Mary as "mother of God"^^

AD451 final form of "the trinity"

AD500 priests begin to dress differently to "laymen"

AD526 beginning of "extreme unction"

AD529 prohibition of work on sun-god birthday("Christ-mass")= =

AD593 teaching of purgatory - Gregory I

AD600 latin used in prayer and worship - Gregory I

AD600 prayers directed to Mary, angels and "dead saints"^^

AD607 universal power to Roman bishop - Boniface III

AD709 kissing the Roman bishop's foot

AD727 Roman bishop called "a God upon earth"

AD750 temporal power of Roman bishop

AD787 veneration of images of Christ, Mary, "dead saints"^^

AD850 "holy water" mixed with salt & blessed by a priest

AD890 worship of "St. Joseph"^^

AD927 beginning of "college of cardinals"

AD965 baptism of bells - John XIII

AD995 "canonization" of "dead saints"- John XV^^

AD998 fasting on Fridays and during "Lent"<<

AD11thC "mass" proclaimed "a sacrifice", & obligatory

AD1074 pledge of celibacy demanded of trainee-priests<<

AD1090 "the rosary" (= mechanical prayer via beads)

AD1122 concordat of Worms; Roman bishop & emperor

AD1123 nullification of all clerical marriages<<

AD1184 the first "inquisition"-council of Verona##

AD1190 beginning of sale of "indulgences"<<

AD1215 transubstantiation proclaimed - Innocent III

AD1215 auricular confession of sins to priests by "laity"

AD1220 adoration of the wafer ("host")

AD1229 Bible forbidden to "laymen"

AD1237 Spanish "inquisition" begins - Gregory IX##

AD1251 scapula invented by English monk

AD1252 torture for "heresy" - bull of Innocent IV##

AD1311 final decree substituting "sprinkling" for baptism

AD1416 cup at "communion" forbidden to laity

AD1414-1418 concurrent competing Roman bishops>>

AD1439 "purgatory" proclaimed as dogma

AD1439 doctrine of "seven sacraments"

AD1473 sale of "indulgences" extended to the dead<<

AD1508 the "ave Maria"^^

AD1534 Jesuit order founded by Loyola

AD1545 tradition declared as equal to Bible

AD1546 apocryphal books added to Roman Bible

AD1572 massacre of Huguenots

AD1560 Roman "church" creed against "protestants"

AD1854 "immaculate conception" of Mary proclaimed^^

AD1864 "syllabus of errors" condemning freedoms etc.

AD1870 Roman bishop proclaims own infallibility

AD1908 "inquisition" re-named "holy office"

AD1930 public schools denounced by Roman "church"

AD1941-45 Roman bishop does not condemn holocaust

AD1950 "assumption" (bodily ascent) of Mary^^

AD1962 Rome "welcomes (protestants) as a mother"00



The above is only a selection of the abominations which have been committed..more details may be obtained from 'Vicars of Christ' by Peter de Rosa, first published 1988.



Note – we refuse to refer to the Roman bishop by his more common title, see Matthew 23v9..we also will not allocate to any mortal the reverence due to God alone, Psalm 111v9.




WE HAVE THE CHOICE AS TO WHICH OF THE TWO

'WOMEN' WE SHALL BELONG – LET US CONSIDER: will it be "the great whore..having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication..drunk-en with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus"- or will it be "a chaste virgin to Christ…..a glorious ecclesia, not having spot,or wrinkle, or any such thing..holy and with- out blemish..the wife..of the Lamb (who) hath made herself ready"? Rev.17v1,4,6; 2nd Cor.11v2; Eph.5v27; Rev.19v7.

TODAY WE HAVE THAT CHOICE.

Tomorrow it may be too late.

John Milton's Paradise Lost

John Milton's Paradise Lost, with its graphic depictions of a rebellious satan being hurled from Heaven to earth, greatly popularized the image of a personal satan. The visual images conjured up by Milton's poem remain significant in the minds of many to this day, even if they themselves haven't read his epic poem. But its influence has been such over the last few hundred years that many have come to assume that this actually is a reflection of Bible teaching. Let's face it- people adopt their religious ideas more from popular culture, what they see in art, what they hear on the street, how others talk... rather than by reading books by theologians and Bible students. There's no doubt that art played a highly significant role in fixing the idea of a personal satan in peoples' minds- and Paradise Lost played a huge part in this (1). Milton himself admitted that he wrote the poem [among other reasons] in order to "justifie the wayes of God to men" (1.26). And this is a repeated theme we find throughout the whole history of the personal satan idea. It's as if men feel they have to apologize for God, as well as seeking to somehow avoid the difficult fact that the Bible teaches that it is God alone who ultimately allows evil in human life.

But there's another take on Milton. It needs to be remembered that Milton rejected very many standard 'Christian' doctrines- e.g. the trinity, infant baptism, and the immortality of the soul- and despised paid clergy (2). As we note in section 1-5, Isaac Newton came to identical conclusions- and his rejection of those very same mainstream dogmas led him to likewise reject the popular idea of a personal devil, and rediscover the Biblical definition of satan as simply an 'adversary', with especial reference to the adversary of human temptation and sin. We can therefore reasonably speculate that Milton did the same. John Rumrich has developed this possibility at great length, leading to the suggestion that in fact the whole of Paradise Lost is Milton poking fun at the bizarre requirements of the personal Devil myth, taking the whole idea to its logical conclusions. Hence Rumrich calls for a radical reinterpretation of what Paradise Lost is really all about (3). After all, there is a huge contrast between the enormous power and intelligence of the supposed Devil- and his very dumb behaviour, in [supposedly] committing the sins of envy and pride, thus leading to his downfall. Surely such a highly intelligent creature wouldn't have fallen into such a simple sin?

Milton's theological treatise De Doctrina Christiana cites Isaiah 45:6,7 ("I am the Lord and there is no other; I make the light, I create darkness...") as evidence against both a trinity of gods, and a personal devil. Milton concluded: "These words preclude the possibility, not only of there being any other God, but also of there being any person, of any kind, equal to him... it is intolerable and incredible that an evil power should be stronger than good and should prove the supreme power" (4). In that treatise, Milton also commends George Herbert's statement that "devils are our sins in perspective", and throughout his whole attempt at a systematic theology in the book, Milton never actually says that he agrees with the popular view of satan. We have shown elsewhere in this book that the common Christian view of Satan derived from a mistaken Jewish view of Satan, which in turn had been influenced by the surrounding cultures with which they mixed. One wonders whether Milton recognized that by the way in which he names Satan's cabinet after the titles of the gods believed in by the nations which so influenced Israel- Moloch, Chemosh, Baalim, Astaroth, Asorteth, Astarte, Thammuz, Dagon, Rimmon, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Belial etc. As a Bible student, Milton was surely fully aware that the Bible mentions these gods and defines them as 'no-gods', as non existent.

All these points pale into into insignificance before the simple fact that in his De Doctrina Christiana, and as commented in by the scholars in footnote (2) below, Milton rejects the idea of immortal souls and understands hell as the grave, as we do in section 2-5. Yet the first two books of Paradise Lost are all about the popular concept of hell as a place of torment. Milton gives us a guided tour as it were through nine supposed circles of hell. How are we to square this difference between his poetry and his personal theological beliefs? The obvious conclusion would surely be that he is over painting the popular conception of hell in a sarcastic way, as if to say: "If this place really exists, well, is this what it's supposed to be like?". He's thus cocking a snook at the popular idea by taking it to its logical conclusions- and it's likely that he does the same with the related issue of Satan.

It must be understood that departure from the doctrinal position of the popular church in those times was a risky business- it had to be done discreetly, especially by people of any standing in society like Milton and Newton. This fact, to me at least, makes it more likely that Milton was exaggerating and developing the bizarre implications of God as it were getting into a fight with an Angel, in order to reveal to the thoughtful reader how wrong the idea was. Stanley Fish argues that it was a feature of Milton to write in a highly deceptive way, using his skill as an author to show how the meaning he has set up for some phrases is actually the very opposite (5). An example is the way Milton promotes one of the 'hard questions' about the devil myth: If Adam sinned but could repent, why could not satan and the supposed fallen angels also repent? Thus Milton observes: "Man therefore shall find grace / The other [i.e. satan] none" (3.131). This is one of the many contradictions I've listed in section 3-2 as examples of the mass of logical and Biblical problems created by the personal satan idea. At times, Milton appears almost sarcastic about the existence of Satan as the "Leviathan" sea monster of the book of Job- Book 1.192-212 presents this beast as a myth believed in by sailors, who at times bumped into him, assuming he was an island, and cast their anchor "in his scaly rind"- "in bulk as huge as whom the fables name of monstrous size" (1.196,197). But this may be beyond sarcasm- Milton posits here that Satan is "as huge" as the fables paint him to be. Milton could be saying: "Is this, then, the creature your fables lead you to believe in?". In line with this, consider the connections between Milton and Dante which have been traced and analyzed by many scholars. The similarities between Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's The Divine Comedy are apparent. Perhaps research waits to be done on whether Dante too wasn't using an element of sarcasm in his presentation of Satan- he does, after all, title his work "The Divine Comedy", as if he didn't intend the images he painted to be taken literally.

In more recent times, Soviet writers who wished to criticize the system, or those living in any repressive regime, always wrote in such a way that it appeared on the surface that they were towing the party line- only the reflective would grasp that actually the subtext of their work was a violent denial of it all. It seems likely that Milton was doing the same. And yet, the fact is that most people read literature and indeed receive any art form on a surface level; they so often 'don't get' what the artist is really trying to convey. And so images of satan being hurled over the battlements of Heaven remain in the popular consciousness as a result of Milton's epic and graphic story about 'satan'. As Neil Forsyth concludes: "So compelling is the character of Satan in Paradise Lostthat generations of English speakers, knowing their Milton better than their Bible, have assumed that Christianity teaches an elaborate story about the fall of the angels after a war in heaven, and have been surprised to find no mention of Satan in the Book of Genesis" (6). G.B. Caird concludes likewise: "The Bible knows nothing of the fall of Satan familiar to readers of Paradise Lost" (7). Whether these authorities agree or not isn't of course the point; but I reference them to show that the thesis developed throughout this book is not original, and that many respected scholars and thinkers have come to similar conclusions.

Milton, Goethe And Mary Shelley

I see a similarity between Milton's approach and that of J.W. von Goethe in his Faust. Goethe's Devil, Mephistopheles, has become a highly influential image in the minds of many who believe in a personal Satan. But Goethe "always vehemently denied the literal existence of the Christian Devil" (8). He brings out the tension between the ideas of God's will always being done, and the supposed existence of Satan- "he is an invitation to the reader to face the multiplicity of reality" (9). But as with Milton, I submit, Goethe's presentation of a personal Devil is too convincing for the surface reader and those who never read the book but are influenced by the associated images associated with it.

The same goes for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Her husband Percy Shelley had openly mocked the idea of a supernatural Devil, as we commented upon in section 3-2 and section 1-4. And Mary Shelley clearly has an ironic intention in her novel- the source of evil is presented as being in the humans who created the Frankenstein monster, rather than in the monster himself. Significantly, she pictures her Frankenstein as teaching himself to read from Paradise Lost- as if she recognized the extent to which Milton's epic had influenced the perception of the Devil as a grotesque monster; Paradise Lost , according to Mary Shelley, had even influenced Satan's own self-perception.

Milton, T.S. Elliot And The Christadelphians

The Christadelphians, along with their adjunct Carelinks Ministries, are the only significant sized denomination to formally reject the existence of a superhuman Satan as an article of faith. Their beliefs are summarized in their booklet, The Declaration. The following personal anecdote from Ted Russell, former lecturer in English at the University of Western Sydney, Australia, is interesting confirmation of what we have suggested above: "There is something interesting about John Milton which concerns Christadelphians. When we were in Birmingham in 1956 we asked John Carter [late editor of The Christadelphian magazine] a question. We had been to visit John Milton’s cottage in Buckinghamshire: “Why does the mantle shelf over the fireplace in John Milton’s cottage have a brass plate on it, on which are the words “John Milton... A kind of Christadelphian”, attributed to T. S. Elliot? There were no Christadelphians around at the time he was writing”. “Ah, we know about that,” John Carter said, “We are aware that John Milton had the same ideas as we have about Satan and many other things. Milton was a kind of Christadelphian, for he believed as we believe, and in fact there is mention of him and that fact on the inside back cover of The Declaration”. The point is not so much that we recognize Milton, or not, but that T.S. Elliot recognized the connection between Milton and the Christadelphians... This is why T.S. Eliot in studying and understanding Milton‘s poetry as being figure, and not literal, became aware of Milton’s real religious beliefs on the subject in “Paradise Lost” and realized that he was “a kind of Christadelphian” although Milton lived 200 years before Christadelphians were formed" (10).

Notes

(1) See Luther Link, The Devil: The Archfiend In Art (London: Reaktion Books, 1995).

(2) As documented in Stephen Dobranski and John Rumrich, Milton And Heresy (Cambridge: C.U.P., 1998). For Milton's non-trinitarian views, see Michael Bauman, Milton's Arianism (Bern: Lang, 1987) and W.B. Hunter, C.A. Patrides and J.H. Adamson, Bright Essence: Studies In Milton's Theology (Salt Lake City: University Of Utah Press, 1971).

(3) John Rumrich, Milton Unbound: Controversy And Reinterpretation (Cambridge: C.U.P., 1996).

(4) From The Complete Prose Works of John Milton edited by Maurice Kelley (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1982) Vol. 6 pp. 300, 131.

(5) Stanley Fish, Surprised By Sin (London: Macmillan, 1997) p. 215.

(6) Neil Forsyth, The Satanic Epic (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003) p. 66.

(7) G.B. Caird, The Revelation (London: A. & C. Black, 1984) p. 153.

(8) J.B Russell, The Devil (Ithaca: Cornell University Press 1977) p. 158.

(9) See J.K. Brown, Goethe's Faust: The German Tragedy (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1986).

(10) Email received from Ted Russell, 1/1/2007.

John Milton On Theology

Milton embraced many heterodox Christian theological views. He has been accused of rejecting the Trinity, believing instead that the Son was subordinate to the Father, a position known as Arianism; and his sympathy or curiosity was probably engaged by Socinianism: in August 1650 he licensed for publication by William Dugard the Racovian Catechism, based on a non-trinitarian creed.[71][72] Milton's alleged Arianism, like much of his theology, is still subject of debate and controversy. Rufus Wilmot Griswold argued that "In none of his great works is there a passage from which it can be inferred that he was an Arian; and in the very last of his writings he declares that "the doctrine of the Trinity is a plain doctrine in Scripture."[73] In Areopagitica, Milton classified Arians and Socinians as "errorists" and "schismatics" alongside Arminians and Anabaptists.[74] A source has interpreted him as broadly Protestant, if not always easy to locate in a more precise religious category.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milton#Theology



On the soul[edit]


Milton believed in the idea of soul sleeping or mortalism, which determines that the soul, upon death, is in a sleep like state until the Last Judgment.[8] Similarly, he believed that Christ, when incarnated, merged his divine and human identities, and that both of these identities died during his Crucifixion.[9] With such views on the nature of the human body and the soul, there is no possibility of a state of existence between death and the resurrection, and concepts such as Purgatory are outright denied. However, these views are not standard Calvinistic interpretations, but his views on what happens after the resurrection are orthodox Calvinistic doctrine: Christ, during the resurrection, would raise man up higher than the state he was in before the fall.[10]






https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_John_Milton#Views

Theodotus of Byzantium

Theodotus of Byzantium

Theodotus of Byzantium (Ancient Greek: Θεoδoτoς; also known as Theodotus the Tanner, Theodotus the Shoemaker, lived late 2nd century) was an early Christian writer from Byzantium, one of several named Theodotus whose writings were condemned as heresy in the early church.

Theodotus believed that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit as a non-divine man, and though later "adopted" by God upon baptism (that is to say, he became the Christ), was not himself God until after his resurrection.

This doctrine, was declared Heresy by Pope Victor I, and Theodotus was excommunicated.

Condemned and excommunicated by Pope Victor in 190, Theodotus nevertheless continued to acquire disciples, forming his own Church community that lasted until the end of the 4th century.

This Church community of Theodotus held the original doctrine of the church which, had continued in-corrupted until Victor I came to the office of bishop of Rome, the truth being first perverted by Victor I and his successor Zephyrinus (c. 199).

 Hippolytus reports that as to the Deity and the work of creation the doctrine of Theodotus was orthodox, but as to our Lord's person he agreed with Gnostic speculations, especially in distinguishing Jesus and Christ. The miraculous conception of Jesus he was willing to admit; but he held Him a man like others, though of the highest virtue and piety. He taught that at the baptism of Jesus, Christ descended on Him in the form of a dove, and that He was then able to work miracles, though He had never exhibited any before: but even so He was not God; though some of the sect were willing to acknowledge His right to the title after His resurrection.

Heracleon on the Soul

the Gnostic Heracleon: Fragments from his Commentary on the Gospel of John about the soul


Fragment 40, on John 4:46-53 (In John 4:46, “So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose child was ill.) The official was the Craftsman, for he himself ruled like a king over those under him. Because his domain is small and transitory, he was called an “official,” like a petty princeling who is set over a small kingdom by the universal king. The “child” “in Capernaun” is one who is in the lower part of the Middle (i.e. of animate substance), which lies near the sea, that is, which is linked with matter. The child’s proper person was sick, that is, in a condition not in accordance with the child’s proper nature, in ignorance and sins. (In John 4:47, “When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his child , for it was at the point of death.”) The words “from Judea to Galilee” mean ‘from the Judea above.’. . . By the words “it was at the point of death,” the teaching of those who claim that the soul is immortal is refuted. In agreement with this is the statement that “the body and soul are destoyed in Hell.” (Matthew 10:28) The soul is not immortal, but is possessed only of a disposition towards salvation, for it is the perishable which puts on imperishability and the mortal which puts on immortality when “its death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54)



The early Christians Gnostics did not believe in an immortal soul (see Fragment 40, on John 4:46-53 http://gnosis.org/library/fragh.htm) therefore we still need to rediscover the original Gnostic belief system which can be found in the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip and my personal favourite the Odes of Solomon


http://gnosis.org/library/fragh.htm

Justin Martyr on the soul

the expectation of the kingdom of God on earth was largely rejected by the gentile church. we can see how thees false ideas were gaining ground in the middle of the second century


CHAPTER LXXX


But tell me, do you really admit that this place, Jerusalem, shall be rebuilt; and do you expect your people to be gathered together, and made joyful with Christ and the ForeFathers, and the prophets,


Justin does admit this


But if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this [truth], and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians,


But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.



http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-dialoguetrypho.html

Photinus

Photinus (Greek Φωτεινός; died 376),^[1] was a Christian heresiarch and bishop of Sirmium in Pannonia Secunda (today the town Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia), best known for denying the incarnation of Christ. His name became synonymous in later literature for someone asserting that Christ was not God. His teachings are mentioned by various ancient authors, like Ambrosiaster (Pseudo- Ambrose), saint Hilary of Poitiers, Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen, saint Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo, John Cassian, Sulpicius Severus, Jerome (Eusebius Sophronius Hyeronymus), Vigilius of Thapsus (Vigillius Tapsensis) and many others.^[2]

None of his writings are extant and must be reconstructed through his critics

At the time Photinus voiced his own theological system, according to which Jesus was not divine and the Logos did not exist before the conception of Jesus.^[9] For Photinus the Logos was simply a mode of manifestation of the Father, hence he denied the pre-existence of Christ and saw theophanies in the Old Testament as of the father, and the image of the "Son of God" (actually, Son of man) in front of (and distinct from) the Ancient of Days as prediction only.^[10] As a matter of fact, Photinus' apprehension of God as Father, and his teachings about the nature of Jesus Christ are maybe more complex than has been thought.^[11]

The church historian Socrates Scholasticus identifies Photinus' beliefs with those of Sabellius, Paul of Samosata.^[ This also was presumably misapprehension of Photinus' doctrine about Jesus.^[14] Ambrose, among the many accusing Photinus of reducing Christ to a man adopted by God, notes that his favourite verses were 1 Timothy 2:5 and John 8:40.^[15] In the controversies against Polish Socinian influence in 18th-Century Photinus was repeatedly cast as a heretical predecessor of early Unitarians for his denial of the pre-existence of Christ.^[16]

He makes the Father and the Word one Person (prosopon). The Word is equally with the Father unbegotten, or is called a part of the Father, eternally in Him as our logos is in us. The latent Word (endiathetos) becomes the explicit Word (prophorikos) not, apparently, at the creation, but at the Incarnation, for only then is He really Son. The Divine Substance can be dilated and contracted (so St. Hilary translates platynesthai and systellesthai, while Mercator's version of Nestorius's fourth sermon gives "extended and collected"). This is exactly the wording of Sabellius, who said that God platynetai, is broadened out, into Son and Spirit. To Photinus the expansion forms the Son, who is not, until the human birth of Christ. Hence before the Incarnation there is no Son, and God is Father and Word, Logopator. The Incarnation seems to have been conceived after a Nestorian fashion, for Photinus declared the Son of Mary to be mere man, and this is the best-known point in his teaching. He was consequently classed with Paul of Samosata; Jerome even calls him an Ebionite, probably because, like Mercator, he believed him to have denied the Virgin birth. But this is perhaps an error. He certainly said that the Holy Ghost descended upon Christ and that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost. By His union with the prophoric Word, Christ was the Son. The Holy Ghost is identified like the Word with the Unbegotten; He is a part of the Father and the Word, as the Word is a part of the Father. It is evident that Photinus went so far beyond Marcellus that it is unfair to call him his follower.

Paul of Samosata

SARDIAN STATE The Pale Horse. 

From A.D. 248. Sword, famine, pestilence, wild beasts - Rev. vi. 8. Decian persecution. End of the world thought to be at hand. Spiritual death resulting from long peace and Platonism - Rev. iii. 1,2. The Thyatiran, or Jezebel and Satan, ethics, working death, or becoming Sardian. Dionysius of Alexandria; Paul the first hermit, A.D. 250; Paul of Samosata, 264. Gregory Thaumaturgus. Anthony the Egyptian, founder of Monkery, A.D. 270. Fifth seal

Paul of Samosata was another Sardian. He flourished A.D. 264, as bishop of Antioch, and instructor of Zenobia, the Queen of the East, in his own notions of christianity. He taught that Jesus Christ was by nature a common man like others. He was artful, eloquent, deceitful, and otherwise immoral. He was deposed A.D. 269 by a council of seventy bishops whose indictment against him argues an awful degeneracy from the truth in this primitive arena of the labors of Saul of Tarsus and his companions in the gospel.

Paul of Samosata (Greek: Παῦλος ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, lived from 200 to 275 AD) was Bishop of Antioch from 260 to 268. He was a believer in monarchianism, a nontrinitarian doctrine; his teachings reflect adoptionism

Paul's teaching is a form of Monarchianism, which emphasized the oneness of God. Paul taught that Jesus was born a mere man, but that he was infused with the divine Logos or word of God. Hence, Jesus was seen not as God-become-man but as man-become-God. In his Discourses to Sabinus, of which only fragments are preserved in a book against heresies ascribed to Anastasius, Paul writes:

• "Having been anointed by the Holy Spirit he received the title of the anointed (i.e. Christos), suffering in accordance with his nature, working wonders in accordance with grace. For in fixity and resoluteness of character he likened himself to God; and having kept himself free from sin was united with God, and was empowered to grasp as it were the power and authority of wonders. By these he was shown to possess over and above the will, one and the same activity (with God), and won the title of Redeemer and Saviour of our race."
• "The Saviour became holy and just; and by struggle and hard work overcame the sins of our forefather. By these means he succeeded in perfecting himself, and was through his moral excellence united with God; having attained to unity and sameness of will and energy (i.e. activity) with Him through his advances in the path of good deeds. This will be preserved inseparable (from the Divine), and so inherited the name which is above all names, the prize of love and affection vouchsafed in grace to him."
• "We do not award praise to beings which submit merely in virtue of their nature; but we do award high praise to beings which submit because their attitude is one of love; and so submitting because their inspiring motive is one and the same, they are confirmed and strengthened by one and the same indwelling power, of which the force ever grows, so that it never ceases to stir. It was in virtue of this love that the Saviour coalesced with God, so as to admit of no divorce from Him, but for all ages to retain one and the same will and activity with Him, an activity perpetually at work in the manifestation of good."
• "Wonder not that the Saviour had one will with God. For as nature manifests the substance of the many to subsist as one and the same, so the attitude of love produces in the many a unity and a sameness of will which is manifested by unity and sameness of approval and well-pleasingness."
• 
  

Paul was an early forerunner of Adoptionism. Possibly, the Paulicians of Armenia adhered to his teachings, and received their name from him. However, historical records show that the Paulicians were bitterly persecuted more for their gnostic and iconoclastic views than for their adherence to Adoptionism.

Paul's pupil Lucian of Antioch is considered to have had a major influence on Arius the founder of Arianism.

Did the Apostle Peter EVER Visit Rome?

Simon Peter in Babylon

Peter, having fled Jerusalem, had gone to ‘another place’ (Acts 12:17). This place was not Rome, as is often thought. This idea is based on the book of Revelation, where Rome is compared with Babylon. However, the Babylon referred to at the end of 1Peter denotes an actual place. To ensure that Herod could not find him, the apostle had to leave the territory of the Roman Empire. For that reason, he went to Babylon, where there was a Jewish community. From there he writes to Gentile Christians in Asia Minor,

According to Peter’s own testimony, he composed his first letter while at Babylon. (1Pe 5:13) Possibly also from there he wrote his second letter. Available evidence clearly shows that “Babylon” refers to the city on the Euphrates and not to Rome, as some have claimed. Having been entrusted with ‘the good news for those who are circumcised,’ Peter could be expected to serve in a center of Judaism, such as Babylon. (Ga 2:8, 9)

There was a large Jewish population in Babylon. The Encyclopaedia Judaica (Jerusalem, 1971, Vol. 15, col. 755), when discussing production of the Babylonian Talmud, refers to Judaism’s “great academies of Babylon” during the Common Era. Since Peter wrote to “the temporary residents scattered about in [literal] Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1Pe 1:1), it logically follows that the source of the letter, “Babylon,” was the literal place by that name. The bible Never states that Peter was ever in Rome.

When Paul wrote to the Romans, sending greetings by name to many in Rome, he never mentions or refers to Peter. Had Peter been a leading bishop there, this would have been an unlikely exclusion. Also, Peter’s name is not included among those sending greetings in Paul’s letters written from Rome—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Timothy, Philemon, Hebrews.

The Ecclesiastical Writers of the period succeeding the times of the New Testament, are not reliable. They all belonged to that class of men who set up for successors of the apostles with clerical authority; and where facts were wanting, did not hesitate to substitute conjecture. For our own part, we rely upon nothing ecclesiastical outside the Old and New Testaments. What they testify we believe; but whereon they are silent, we have no faith. Peter may refer to Rome in using Babylon; but there is no evidence that he certainly does. If by Babylon he do indeed mean Rome, it favours the supposition that the Apocalypse was written before his decease; because this is the only Scripture extant in which Rome is certainly comprehended in the name.