Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 1 October 1992 — Page 29

The Muncie Times, Thursday, 1 October, 1992, Page 29

All churches, pastors are directly responsible to God

The Thyatirian Age A.D. 476-1453 (Catholic) The name Thyatira means a continual sacrifice. This church is classified in church history as the Medieval or Dark Age Church. It was located between Pergamus and Sardis. The sins of this church were that they allowed Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess, to teach the church to commit fornication. This woman represents the spirit of the Jezebel who brought the worship of Baal into Israel. (Idolatrous Worship). It was in this church age that images were introduced for worship in the church. When Rome fell politically in 476 A.D, she strove to continue her conquering ecclesiastical by taking over the leadership of the church. Pope Gregory in A.D. 590, began the Catholic Church. What I mean by that is, he began to organize churches, (who were independently ruled in local congregations), to submit to thechurch ofRomeand accept that the Bishop of the Roman Church should be head over all other Bishops and Churches. This period is one of the darkest hour of Church History. The privilege to read the Bible was taken away from the laity. Knowledge began to be on a stand-still for the average person. The political aspect of the time was ravished by savages invading the Roman Empire. Rome was divided into about Ten Different Kingdoms. The schools of learning were ultimately demolished. The result was the Dark Ages. In about the year 650 A.D., a powerful religious system was established, known as Islam or Mohammedism. They taught that there was no god, but Allah.

Questions & Answers By Dr. W.J. Duncan Founder and President of g Muskegon Bible Institute, I Indianapolis 7

They spread their doctrine with the use of the sword of war. This religious system same from the Arabs, who were descendants from Abraham through Ismael. The reason for their teaching was because of Christianity adopting the Nicean Creed, which actually means three Gods in one Substance. They took over the land of Palestine and Jerusalem and established a foothold in the Holy Land. Because of this, there were many expeditions administered by what is called the Crusaders. They fought to recover the birth place of Christianity and take it out of the hands of the Turks who were a powerful Arm of the Mohammedan’s political religion. The Turks held onto that land until the outbreak of the world war in 1914. In the meantime, the Catholic Church was establishing new doctrines and ordinances that were foreign to the original church. They began to worship Saints who had died. They established the Priesthood to offer the Communion Service, or Lord’s Supper, as a sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ every time it was given. In 1953 they established the doctrine of Purgatory. They say, "It is of faith that there is a place we call Purgatory, where petty faults, or temporal punishment due to sin, are expiated." The Bible does not speak anywhere of a Purgatory.

"Jesus said unto him, (the thief on the cross), Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Euke 23:43. Abraham said to the rich man, "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot: neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." (Luke 16:26; Heb. 9:27; Rom. 8:1; II Cor. 5:19). In 858 A.D. there was a forged document circulated that was called the "Donation of Constantine." (The "Donation" is a spurious document of Emperor Constantine the Great, addressed to the Pope Sylvester I (314335) purporting privileges and possessions: (1) The Bishop of Rome as successor of St. Peter, is to have the primacy over the four Bishops of Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Jerusalem, also over all the Bishops in the World. (2) The Lateran basilica at Rome, built by Constantine, shall surpass all churches as their head. (3) The bishop of Rome shall enjoy the same honorary rights as the emperor. Among them, the right to wear an imperial crown, a purple cloak, tunic, and in general all imperial insignia or signs of distinction. Today, may understand that it was a "Forged document of Emperor Constantine the Great, by which large privileges and rich possessions were conferred on the pope and the Roman

Church." (Catholic Encyclopedia B "Donation of Constantine: p. 118). Even if this document was not forged, Constantine had no power given by the scripture to do so. When the Apostle Paul left the churches, he said unto them, "I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." Acts 20:32. Peter called himself an elder (or bishop) along with other elders even though he was an apostle. I Pet. 5:1,2. All local churches and Bishops (pastors) are responsible directly to God for their tending His flock. Heb. 13:17. Of course, at all times, we must strive for the unity of the church and doctrine. In A.D. 1075, the greatest mass Divorce in History was forced upon the Clergy by Pope Gregory VIII. Gregory VII declared all clerical marriages invalid. "Our Judgement upon marriages contracted by persons of this kind (the clergy) is that they must be broken." (First Lateran Council, 1123, Cannon VI). The Bible said, "Marriage is honorable in all." Heb. 13:4. ("All" includes the clergy). The Apostle said, "Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and as Cephas?" I Cor. 9:5. The

Bible said, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Mark 10:9. In 1213 A.D., the Pope established "The inquisition: together with the death penalty for heresy. The’ Inquisition was instituted with the torture of trials of those who did not accept all the teaching of the Pope. The only thing the Bible tells us to do with a Heretic was to reject and withdraw ourselves from him. Titus 3:10; II Thess. 3:6; I Tim. 6:3. In 1190 A.D. various kinds of "Indulgences" (By a plenary indulgence is meant the remission of the entire temporal punishment due to sin so that no further explanation is required in Purgatory). "A partial indulgence commutes only a certain portion of the penalty." (Catholic Enc. VII, "Indulgences" p.783.) Jesus Christ is the only One that can take away our sins. St. John 1:29; I John 1:7, (:Ps. 49:7,8. In 1545 the Council of Trent, Rome finally turned from authority of God s word to authority of tradition. Tradition mande equal in authority to the Bible. Justification by faith condemned. But the Bible warns us through the Apostles, saying, "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." Ga. 1:8,9: Col. 2:8,9.

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