HISTORY LESSON

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Christianity did not appear instantly. It evolved slowly through the five patriarchal centers, each adding layers of doctrine, hierarchy, and tradition that did not come from Paul or the apostles.

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Antioch, Syria is where Christianity first began somewhere around 100 A.D. The Gentile Bishop was Ignatius, and he detached from the Apostle Paul’s teachings and began trying to convert the Believing Jews into his “CHURCH” and out of Judaism. He saw that “IE SUS” (Jesus Christ) establish his new religion which replaced Torah and “The Children of Israel”.

He contrasts “Judaism” with “Christianity” (Magnesians 10.3), treating them as mutually exclusive systems—an innovation not found in Paul’s letters, where Torah and grace are in tension but not severed.

In Magnesians 8.1, Ignatius writes: 

“If we still live according to Judaism, we admit that we have not received grace.” 

This equates Torah observance with a denial of grace, a stark theological rupture.

His detachment erased the symbolic continuity that anchored Messiah to the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, and truly created another Saviour altogether to serve.

Ignatius may rightly be seen as the first Gentile Bishop to detach himself—not just personally, but institutionally—from the Jewish Messiah’s framework. And that detachment became the blueprint for centuries of replacement theology and ecclesiastical distortion. On his way to Rome, about 40 years or so from the death of The Apostle Paul, his writings testify against him as clearly being detached from Paul’s doctrines.

Soon after his execution in 110 A.D. other “Replacement Theologians” arose.

This image shows how detached Christianity became over the years.

“Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them…” (Deuteronomy 5:8-9)

There is no single year when “statue‑kneeling” was officially approved, but the practice developed gradually and became formally defended in 787 A.D. at the Second Council of Nicaea.

That council is the first time the Church officially declared:

• images may be honored
• bowing before them is permitted
• veneration of icons is orthodox
• rejecting icons is heresy

This is the moment the practice becomes authorized.

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The first “CHURCH” (G-1577 “ekklesia”) was made up of Torah compliant Jews who had no idea that their :”Gospel” was open to Gentiles. After about fifteen years or so, Peter preached to Cornellius.

(Acts 10:28-48)

This created a problem that it took a council to resolve.

Do the Gentiles convert to Judaism as a condition of salvation?

Has YHVH required all the Believing Gentiles to enter the Sinai covenant and perform Torah?

This question is fully answered in decision the Acts 15 Council.

The Believing Pharisees try to impose the Sinai covenant upon the Believing Gentiles as the condition of Salvation.

They were corrected; the solution was to caution the Gentiles against four practices that they should avoid.

This was not the first step to learning Torah, it is all that every Believing Gentile needs to try to stop doing.

The Gentiles are not to pretend to be Jews. But we really need to study them!

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Examine the Jeremiah 31:31-34 “NEW COVENANT”.

We all, both Jew and Gentile gain entrance to it by our “Repent and Believe” response to: “THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM”.

The Holy Spirit is received as a person repents and believers, not after they join one of the denominations of Christianity through a water-baptism service.

The Gospels preached by the thousands of Denominations seem to ignore “The Kingdom of God”, pushing in into the future, and preaching about going to heaven when you die.

This fact is only one aspect of “Replacement Theology” that fulfills the prophecy in Jeremiah 16:19 that “The Gentiles” will understand that they have been taught lies, vanity and things that are unprofitable.

“O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.” (Jeremiah 16:19)

We all must release the lies we were taught!

“The Holy Spirit”

The “ROLE” of “The Holy Spirit” is to lead us into all truth, and produce the “FRUIT” within us, making us “PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE”.

This occurs as we follow His leading.

The Kingdom of God can only be experienced by those who have the promised “Spirit of God” within.