The Church of Smyrna (part 4)
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Text: 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
intro: Last week we spent sometime considering the direct contradiction to the Scriptures by those “...which say they are Jews, and are not...” today I would like us to consider how something so seemingly insignificant had such catastrophic implications over time. From Revelation 2:6 we go from the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, to 2:15 where we see the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.
Rev. 2:9 “…I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.”
Where this teaching went...
We may be surprised to see the monstrosity that has been created throughout history on the simple and subtle deviations from the Scriptures. Our study has been on replacement theology, which today 95% of professing Christianity claims to believe.
Last week we looked at the doctrines that were directly attacked by this false teaching. Today, I would like us to see some of the more indirect attacks of true Bible doctrine that occured over a period of time. As discussed in last weeks lesson, if the church has replaced the Jew then the kingdom of God and heaven are one kingdom, and there is no longer a need for Christ to establish His earthly reign here on a Jewish kings throne, in a Jewish city. Therefore the millenium kingdom is either now with the church leading the world, or we are working to establish peace, and usher in the “golden age” of the church domination of the world… (All false)
Very quickly we see how this very subtle deviation of saying they were Jews when they were not, became the very false doctrine that hundreds of thousands of people were killed over. It is still the premise for antisemitism in the world today.
1. Peter as the first:
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
If Christ made Peter the first “___________” of the church; and Christ gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. (The physical, literal, governmental kingdom on earth.) Mt. 16:19, and the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are the same thing, then the church has the God-given authority to exercise control over the governments of the world.
*Did you know… The Vatican, called the “Holy See” has a permanent seat at the United Nations, which actually enables it to vote in certain UN conferences and allows it to participate in the General Assembly discussions and consensus agreements. The Vatican is one of two permanent non-state members according to the UN website, the “Holy See” and the State of Palestine.
The effects of this blasphemous and satanic teaching was not only pertinent during the early church periods. This next paragraph is from an organization here in the United States called the Knights of Columbus.
“Jesus could scarcely have used stronger or plainer words to indicate that He would confer on Peter such a great authority that any act of government, any rule which he should prescribe, any interpretation of the Master’s teaching which he should promulgate, would be ratified, sanctioned, and fully approved by God in heaven.” (Is that what Jesus was saying? __________.) “Peter’s successor fell heir to Peter’s job, which carried with it the assurance of divine guidance and assistance, such as had been promised to Peter. This is what is meant by the infallibility of the Pope.”
(This meant that Peter and his successors could speak on behalf of God and that whatever came out of their mouth or even whatever they did was approved by God) I want to consider that statement “approved by God” for a moment by asking a few questions. Did God approve of Peter rebuking Christ? How about when he denied Him, or when he cursed to prove that he wasn’t His follower? What about when Paul withstood him to his face because Peter had corrupted the gospel?
Augustine wrote a book called “The City of God,” and goes as far as teaching that “Rome” has even replaced Jerusalem.
If you remember from one of our first lessons we discussed that nothing good ever came out of Egypt (OT) or Rome (NT). We talked about that “great” Alexandrian School which somehow was seen as “christian”, and how it is still esteemed by many with high regard because of its work in producing the early church fathers which laid the foundations for church traditions. In reality it was a school that blended the ideas of Greek philosophy with the Bible and Christianity. Prioritizing and promoting the pursuit of ______________________ of the pursuit of God Himself.
2. The rise of Gnosticism: Gnosticism was the attempt to make Christianity a philosophical system. The word “Gnostic” means to know or knowledge.
As recorded by Albert Henry Newman, A Manual of Church History, “A man is regarded as exalted in the scale of being in proportion to his knowledge.”
This study of the church through Revelation has taught me that many of these false doctrines had their roots as early as the time of the Apostels, and that many of the NT epistles establish and re-establish Biblical truth that was under attack.
There were three common components to Gnosticism
Dualism - The Gnostic belief that all matter is evil and all spirit is good. (From this teaching the fall of man was on the basis of Adam’s “good” spirit being trapped in his “evil” body. It teaches that a man can be without sin through knowledge and that through that knowledge man’s spirit can transcend above his body and be without sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
2. Doceticism - Denies the physical body of Christs and teaches that since all flesh is evil, then God could never live in a literal human body… He only appeared to have a body and if he ever took human form at all then it was brief and that Christ left it on the cross as the man Jesus, to suffer the eternal punishment for us. (You may be surprised to learn that this false doctrine is widely promoted today by many of these world renown TV preachers.)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
3. Demiurge - Denies the deity of Christ altogether and teaches that Jesus was only a “sub-god” or “begotten God” being created by God but never being equal with God and certainly not being God Himself. This is where the teaching that Jesus and Lucifer were brothers comes from…) This teaching also establishes that Jesus’s death was not sufficient so we need knowledge beyond Christ in order to be saved.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
*Knowledge can be a very intimidating thing, especially when someone knows something that you don’t know… In these cases the knowledge was promoted as something that you could not know, therefore you needed someone, a person, that was in the path of succession of this knowledge to teach you… Do you remember what Christ said He hated when speaking to the church of Ephesus? The __________________ (Rev. 2:6) but that is exactly what was being created through all of this… and the basis for which John says,
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Let’s consider a few of these superior knowledge individuals which became early church fathers and who’s writings became church traditions.
Irenaeus (130-202 A.D.) He was known as the bishop of Lyons. (Southern France) He was born in Smyrna and in his early years was influenced by the life and ministry of Polycarp. Who if you remember, was discipled by the Apostle John. Meaning that Irenaeus was clearly a man who had “superior” knowledge through the path of succession. He later became educated in the philosophical mindset of the Greeks, and in his writings, quotes most of the leading Greek philosophers.He is seen as very important because he wrote five books against Gnosticism called Against Heresies.
Note: Don’t miss the subtlety of Satan here… Some of the things Irenaeus wrote against Gnosticism, became the very things Satan used to further develop his false doctrines and counterfeit church.
In attempting to refute Gnosticism, Irenaeus wrote, “if there were a “secret knowledge” the Apostles certainly would have had it, and they certainly would have entrusted it to those whom they selected as their successors in the government of the churches.”
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Irenaeus emphasized the organic unity of the church through the apostolic succession of the leaders from Christ and a rule of faith.
It is through this fabricated Apostolic line that Irenaeus will tell us “the ecclesiastical tradition from the Apostles, and the preaching of the truth have come down to us.”
Irenaeus wrote that Rome was the “first” and “oldest” church acknowledged by all and was founded on Peter and Paul. Also stating that it is a matter of necessity that every church should agree with this church.
He writes that the Lord’s Supper confers “_________________.” “For as the bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread but the Eucharist consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly: so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity.”
“The Eucharist is the human organism of Jesus Christ, made up of His flesh, sinews, and bones, and the cup is His blood and the bread is His body. It nourishes our literal flesh and bones because it is ______________ flesh and blood.”
As he writes about Christ being the Second Adam, he beings to suggest that His mother was the second __________. stating that “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosened by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.”
The idea of following early church fathers is not on the basis of following the Bible and its teaching, but is on the basis of following men, who were given superior knowledge through apostolic succession. (YIKES)
Cyprian (195-258 A.D.) He was born in Africa and was known as the bishop of Carthage. He was known for his sanctity and it is said that, “He was a genuine pastor, and had the profoundest regard for the welfare of each member of the flock… He had administrative plans, and he insisted on executing them,” Newman, A Manual of Church History.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
But these guys lived unbelievably “holy lives”...
He wrote two major works. The unity of the Catholic Church, and The Epistles of Cyprian.
He called pastors, “_________________”.
He wrote, “There is one God, and Christ is one, and there is one church, and one _____________ founded upon the rock by the world of the Lord.” (“ex-cathedra” means from the chair.)
He referred to Rome as “the chief church whence priestly unity takes its source.”
“Though all bishops were equal, and though all were in the line of Apostolic succession of bishops from Christ himself, Rome deserved special honor, it was believed, because its bishops were in the line of succession from ___________.”
Comments concerning salvation: “Whoever he may be and whatever he may be, he who is not in the church of Christ is not a __________________.” “He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the church for his mother.” “There is no salvation out of the church.”
In his epistles, he begins the process of the Lords supper becoming both a sacrifice as well as a sacrament.
“For if Jesus Christ, our Lord and God is Himself the chief priest of God the Father, and has first offered Himself a sacrifice to the Father, and has commanded this to be done in commemoration of Himself, certainly that ____________ truly discharges the office of Christ, who imitates that which Christ did; and he then offers a true and full sacrifice in the church when he proceeds to offer it according to what he sees Christ Himself to have offered.”
The business of the Christian “priest” is “to serve the altar and to celebrate the divine __________________.”
These teachings are going to become a part of Roman Catholic ___________, which they say is not only with the Bible, but equal in _______________ to the Bible.
Hippolytus (170-235 A.D.) He was a disciple of Irenaeus. He also wrote against Gnosticism, in his work, Refutation of All Heresies. The way that Irenaeus and Hippolytus saw to keep the unity of the church against heresies was to elevate the office of the ______________. (Which again, is the thing that Jesus hates.)
During his elevation of the office of the bishop, Callistus, the Roman Bishop wrote that “a Roman Bishop can never be deposed or compelled to resign no matter what kind of ______________ he’s committing.”
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.