Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 14
This was the lesson that really started turning on light bulbs for me. I realize that not everyone has had the same experiences and upbringing as myself, but from where I have come…this lesson struck a nerve. I came from a family who told me that black people had evolved from apes, white people were created by “god” and the biggest insult one could fling was to call someone a “Jew”… and all this came from folks who prayed the rosary.
It was the beginning of a serious work of repentance ~ repentance for sins I did not even commit myself, for the most part. (For more information on the topic of repentance for the sins of our ancestors, please study Demolishing Strongholds, as this concept is only covered briefly in this lesson.) I did a lot of homework to see if these things were truly so… because I had never heard of this information before. Never. I remember a brief mention of the Spanish Inquisition in public school (where I was a straight A student, and loved History no less), but I could not have told you that it had anything to do with Jews.
Not only do I now understand the plight of the Jews throughout history, I can see the progression of how exactly we lost our Hebraic grounding in the first place. It makes perfect sense now. It is an accurate picture of that analogy of a ship being a fraction of a degree off-course at the beginning of a voyage and end up way off course by the end… and nowhere near their intended destination. Replacement Theology was not an overnight development (except possibly in the mind of Satan)…it evolved over time through an unfortunate series of evil events which began by being a wee bit off course. Satan has played this game well, and has deceived many, many people.
THE LOSS OF OUR HEBRAIC ROOTS
The Hebraic-Christians/Judaism Divide
The Church Encounters A Curse — The Plight of the Jews
Israel: What Is God Doing? What Should It Mean To Me?
Here’s the link for Lesson 14.
Here are extra references for some of the books or articles mentioned in this lesson, in case you desire to do some more homework:
Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Justin Martyr: Dialogue With Trypho, A Jew
Origen (see #5 and #8)
“Concerning Jews and Their Lies” by Martin Luther
I am eager to hear your response to this lesson. Especially your answers to the questions Mike and Sue ask at the end…
1) Is the information we’ve shared here new to you? Yes or No? How does it make you feel when you read about the historic persecution by Christians of the Jewish people?
2) Has you attitude toward the Jewish people changed after reading this lesson? Yes or No? If yes, describe the changes.
And their last sentence…
“Please consider your own responsibility to God and to the Jewish people and respond accordingly. “
And one more thing… please, especially if some of the things we have been discussing throughout this study are foreign or totally new to you, go back and re-read ~slowly ~ the beginning of this lesson: Introduction to Section 2 (pages 1-3). Contained therein are concepts that were not just “not what I was taught”, but truly opposed to that which I had always been told in my Christian walk. But when I studied, and finally learned what it was to be a Berean ~ not just believing without a question, but digging ~ I was shocked… and grateful that the Holy Spirit had led me to study on my own. My life will never be the same, and blessed be the name of Yahweh for that!
Posted: February 6th, 2008 under Being Berean, Restoring The Early Church.
Comments: 11
Comments
Comment from beth west
Time: February 7, 2008, 9:19 pm
I haven’t read lesson 14 yet, but from your introduction it sounds similar to some of what I learned reading “Christianity: New Religion or Sect of Biblical Judaism?”
I think of all the biographies aimed at children about “heroes of the faith” like Martin Luther and just wonder , How? How can they just leave this stuff out and make our children think Mr. Luther was so wonderful?
Comment from oldpathsfamilyfarm
Time: February 7, 2008, 10:05 pm
Our family just went through this same frustration and thought process over Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday recently.
It isn’t just the “Church Fathers” that it is done about… most secular folks have their histories airbrushed as well. It bugs me more, though, that it is folks who call themselves Christians who are doing the airbrushing about these “Church Fathers”.
And can I just throw out another pet peeve? What happened to Jesus saying that we aren’t to call anyone Father except YHWH?
Matthew 23:9
“And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”
Comment from beth west
Time: February 8, 2008, 12:38 am
Hmmm. What about the messianic leaders who call themselves Rabbi?
In Matt. 23 Yahshua says, “But you, do not be called, ‘Rabbi,’ for One is your Teacher, the Messiah, and you are all brothers.” (vs 
Why do they do this?
Comment from oldpathsfamilyfarm
Time: February 8, 2008, 9:42 am
I don’t know… a lot of stuff is bugging me in a way that makes me question, and question, and question…
The other (Father) thing has just been more personal…I have a cousin (younger by ten years) whom I am now expected to call “Father”… a Jesuit. It ain’t happenin’.
Comment from Kelli
Time: February 8, 2008, 11:54 am
This lesson was meaningful to me because of the specific history it gives. As our family has pulled out of “normal” christendom we have been met with resistance and disdain from family and friends who profess to love and follow Jesus. How could we be so arrogant as to believe that what we now believed was right and hundreds of years of church history was wrong?? It wasn’t and isn’t arrogance. Our hearts were truly broken over the lies that *we* had been living and perpetuating. Father had given us the broad brush strokes before and this lesson filled in many of the details for us. Though the information is heart wrenching, I am so glad to have it and hope to share it at His prompting.
Comment from beth west
Time: February 8, 2008, 7:05 pm
Kelli, I found the transition to discovering my beloved church was like the “emperor’s new clothes” to be truly heartbreaking. I am still saddened by it today. I pray Yahweh will wash us all in grace, courage and faith even as He reveals deeper truths to us.
Comment from Kelli
Time: February 8, 2008, 10:36 pm
Yes, washed in His grace! We stand amazed at how much we *didn’t * know, and how much we took for granted because our pastor said this or that. And we think, with a sigh of anticipation and trepidation, how much more we yet don’t know. So we do our best to keep our eyes on Yeshua, and our hearts yielded to Him. Grace and courage and faith - yes, yes, yes!
Comment from oldpathsfamilyfarm
Time: February 11, 2008, 10:37 am
Sometimes I have a holy fear of realizing how close we were to never knowing some of these things… and am ever so grateful to YHWH for revealing them to us.
When I get that realization about how much we still don’t know (which usually comes right after we *just* learned something huge) and I am freshly aware of it… I really just weep over His mercy and patience to lead us so gently.
Comment from Kelly
Time: February 16, 2008, 1:50 pm
Matthew 23:9
“And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”
In this verse, Jesus was discouraging His followers from elevating the scribes and Pharisees to the titles of “fathers” and “rabbis” because they were hypocrites. Jesus warns us not to elevate anyone to the level of our heavenly Father.
Acts 7:2; 22:1,1 John 2:13 - elders of the Church are called “fathers.”
1 Cor. 4:15 - Paul writes, “I became your father in Christ Jesus.”
Philemon 10 - Paul says he has become the “father” of Onesimus.
Phil. 2:22 - Paul calls Timothy’s service to him as a son serves a “father.”
Comment from oldpathsfamilyfarm
Time: February 16, 2008, 9:56 pm
Kelly~
Yes! That is exactly why I have a problem with naming these guys the “Church Fathers”, because I believe they *have* elevated them to the level of our Heavenly Father ~ by idolizing them. By and large, the word of these “Church Fathers” is not questioned in the church.
Thanks for sharing the additional scriptures!
Comment from Rose
Time: June 24, 2008, 3:57 pm
With all due respect, as a Christian, we hope to above all else listen to what our Lord has instructed us to do, to be, until he comes in glory, right? His word is not alcarte. It is what it is entirely. Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying “This is my body, which will be given for you; DO THIS in memory of me.” Luke 22:19 That is what the Catholic church teaches, It is what is celebrated every Sunday at mass. This is central to all that we believe and hold sacred, The real presence of our Lord in the Eucharist…The bread that has been consecrated has become the bread of life …the new covenant. Our holy father (in Rome) is not to say he takes the place of our Father who is in heaven, he is his representative who continues to celebrate the consecration of the bread of life and leads his fold as the succesor of Peter. It is Apostolic. My question is how do you think that we are to be in one accord when there are so many fractions of the church that seem to have dismissed such a command? To be one in Christ ,there is a need for all to come to the banquet the Lord himself has provided. The rosary is a prayerful devotion to ask for our Blessed Mother to pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death. I think for myself as a sinner, I could use the Queen of heaven praying for me…We are family…a large family. Peace of Christ to you and your beautiful family!
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