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Scholars, historians, and sincere clerics agree that during the first 200 years following the deaths of the Apostles, drastic, un-scriptural changes came about within the early Assembly that would flourish down to our day. It was prophesied in the Bible. But the Bible also speaks of a "remnant" who will be adhering to the original, scriptural truths in these last days. Understand what happened, ...
and
the urgent need today to return to the "faith which was once
delivered to the saints" (Jude3)
"As the apostolic
age comes to a close, the Church seems to pass through a dark tunnel. When
it comes out at the other side, the original bond of unity, the clear
Standards, and the love of [Yahweh] seem to have been replaced by an
unsettling, institutionalized spirit of domination and by beliefs which
are more Gnostic than Christian. What happened? We are now confronted with
the possibility that the original identity and true definition of
Christianity have become lost." --The Apostasy Of The Lost
Century.
Answer for yourself: Has Gentile Christianity since the first century twisted much of the Bible's truth, thereby making itself guilty of teaching another gospel, another doctrine?
Answer for yourself: Can you explain why a movement identifying itself so closely with Jesus, a Jew, today teaches often doctrines opposite of what he taught?
Answer for yourself: Are you even aware that Gentile Christianity is guilty of changing the gospel of Yeshua?
Through much Bible and historical study, I as well as multitudes of others, have drawn conclusions that differed from what is routinely taught in nominal Christianity throughout our land.
Answer for yourself: Should we need a priest or minister to interpret for us what the Bible says?
Surely the Creator of this universe would not leave an instruction Book for man that humble, sincere, truth-seeking people could not properly understand! But one thing is different today. Living in the Western Hemisphere make rendering and interpreting a Hebrew book quite difficult without adequate preparation on our parts.
Answer for yourself: Is truth that leads to salvation so complicated that it can be grasped only by those with seminary degrees in Bible interpretation, and how do we explain the multitudes of diversity in doctrines that exist in more than 2 thousand different and competing Christian denominations?
With the help of today's concordances,
lexicons, dictionaries, and other Bible study helps, we can come to a
better understanding of many archaic words and renditions found in the
King James Bible.
As we move closer to the end of the age, knowledge of the Bible's true message shall be increased, Daniel 12:4. At the same time there will be a restoring of original truth neglected through the centuries, Acts 3:21. We see this last-days movement to restore Biblical truth spear-headed in the restoration of the Hebraic Roots to the Gentile Christian church today.
Most of us with a little study can easily
find a number of incongruities and even serious errors perpetuated by
churchianity.
For example, the name "Jesus"
appears in Acts 7:45 in the King James, which obviously refers to Joshua
the son of Nun, the great Israelite general. Hebrews 4:8 is another place
where Joshua-or more correctly Yeshua should appear in the King James
Bible. The newer Bible versions recognize this error and have since
changed the name to the Latinized "Joshua" in both Acts and
Hebrews. These are definitive examples revealing that the name Yeshua
(later altered to Joshua) was changed wholesale to "Jesus" by
translators!
The average churchgoer has no idea what the word "Christ" means or where it came from. Bible dictionaries show that "Christ" derives from the Greek christos (Strong's Concordance Greek Dictionary No. 5547, from "chrio" meaning to anoint or rub with oil). It means anointed, as does the Hebrew meshiach.
Answer for
yourself: Why would a Jewish rabbi, speaking
Hebrew, be given the Greek title "Christ?"
Yeshua himself said our salvation is of the Jews (not Greeks, John 4:22). Acts 1:6-7 indicates that the Kingdom will be restored to Israel and not Rome or Athens. Yet English Bibles contain the Greek title "Christ."
Answer for yourself: Why was it not properly translated "Anointed"?
One would be more correct to refer to Yeshua by the Hebrew title "Messiah" rather than identifying him by a title that is "Greek" to most people today.
It does seem rather strange that the Greek title "Christos" is transliterated (that is, brought over into English with the same sound), yet the name of Yahweh and Yeshua are both translated by the English "Lord" in our New Testament. Too often in the King James Version the word "Lord" leaves us in doubt who is meant), Yahweh the Father or Yeshua (see Acts 2:34, Heb. 10:30 and many others). This contributes to the blurring of such major distinctions and created a "theology" that guarantees such a one who follows and believes these things are idolators!
STRANGE CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES
There is a grass roots religious or spiritual movement afoot around the world to free mankind from theshackles of pagan customs and beliefs. Bet Emet Ministries is one such ministry. This is true not only in the United States, but also in Europe and the Middle East. This spiritual revival seeks the old paths of truth by restoring the Hebrew Roots of Christianity.
The problem with mankind is simply one of human nature and sin. Yahweh clearly defines sin for us:
"Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
We cannot do things as we alone see fit, but are obligated to follow His instructions, living His way. He is the final Judge. When our lives are over and we are in the grave, Almighty Yahweh will be the One who matters. So we must please Him now, while we can.
As we near the end of the age it appears that Yahweh is moving to clear from the minds of sincere truth seekers the accumulated rubbish of pagan influence that has overwhelmed and saturated the faith once delivered unto the saints.
Religious error is evident everywhere, yet the majority attending weekly church services are ignorant of the subtle and pervasive influence of pagan customs. Christianity perpetuates the error instead of rejecting paganism and retracing its steps back to truth
It is no secret that the first Israelite Bishops and overseers were replaced at death by converts from paganism. Brumback's History Of The Church states on page 53,
"The Roman emperor, by the office of Pontifex Maximus, directed all religious affairs. When Christianity became the state religion, Constantine [ruling 306-337] assumed all of the authority in the church, which he had exercised as supreme director of paganism."
As more pagans were supposedly converted to faith "in" Yeshua the more difficult it was to resist the strong influence of pagan practices and customs they brought along with their new faith. Halley's Bible Handbook includes a section on church history entitled "Paganization of the Church," which aptly details what happened since the time of Constantine who was the first Christian emperor.
While Constantine did not make Christianity the state religion, he favored Christians in official appointments and positions. After his death, other Roman emperors favored Christianity above all else. Note Halley's comments:
"Emperor Theodosius, 378-395 CE, made Christianity the state Religion of the Roman Empire, and made Church Membership Compulsory. This was the Worst Calamity that has ever befallen the Church. The forced conversion filled the Churches with unregenerate people...
"But
now the military spirit of Imperial Rome had entered the Church. The
Church had conquered the Roman empire, but in reality the Roman Empire had
conquered the Church, by making the Church into the image of the Roman
Empire...
"The Imperial Church of the 4th and 5th
centuries had become an entirely different institution from the persecuted
Church of the first three centuries. In its ambition to Rule it lost and
forgot the spirit of [Messiah].
"Worship, at first very
simple, was developed into elaborate, stately, imposing ceremonies having
all the outward splendor that had belonged to heathen temples...
There
were mass conversion of the Barbarians. There is only one problem. There
was little repentance and instruction, and they amounted to false
conversions. The Gothes, Vandals and Huns who overthrew the Roman Empire
accepted Christianity; but to a large extent their conversion was nominal;
and this further filled the Church with pagan practices..." p. 867,
Halley's Bible Handbook.
Historians attest to the change that came
over the early fledgling assemblies following the death of the Apostles,
all of whom had been Jews. It is as if a curtain had come down upon their
activities, and when it is raised a hundred years or so later, an entirely
different situation is seen. Syncretism-the
merging of pagan practices with Bible truth-is obvious everywhere. The
heathens continued keeping their former pagan ways, but under a new name
and with a slightly different meaning.
Man's desire to do things his way, rebelling against the commands of Yahweh, started back in the Garden with Adam and Eve. Rebellion continued, forcing Yahweh to intervene through the flood, the tower of Babel, and even while the Israelites were being fed manna and having Moses lead them to the Promised Land. Isaiah's opening chapter is a condemnation of His chosen people. Rebellion against Yahweh's law continues and is becoming even more evident today.
The point of Isaiah's rebuke and that of Yeshua reveals that the syncretism has continued throughout history. Carnal man has continued to inject his own thoughts and concepts in his worship and thus early on contaminated the True Worship of our pure and holy Creator Yahweh.
Having come out of
Egypt, and recalling that pagans worshipped a golden calf, Israel decided
they would have a visible object that they could see, handle and touch to
represent the invisible Yahweh, Exodus 32:4. The
clear warning in Exodus 20:1-5 was that under no circumstances were they
to follow the idolatrous practices of the pagans in the land they were to
possess.
Israel's covenant was to follow the teachings of Moses and so be a light to the Gentile nations around them. The Gentile pagan nations were not to be a light to Israel. Israel's mission was to be a model nation and to lead others in the pure worship of Yahweh. This is clear from Isaiah 27:6: "He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit."
Psalm 80:8-11 clearly shows that what Yahweh sought from Israel, His vineyard, did not become a fruit of righteousness. His people were soon removed from their favored and unique position among all peoples and sent into exile.
Answer for yourself: What happened?
Israel had become ensnared in the worship practices of the pagans about them. Instead of holding Yahweh's way of life-with its many blessings and security-as an example to the world, Israel took up pagan ways, turning their backs on pure worship given in the Bible.
When Israel finally went into the Promised Land, it was a new generation, a people that had seen the miracle of the daily manna being provided for them, and the presence of Yahweh in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
This new generation of Israelites should have
gotten the paganism of Egypt out of their system. They had among them
Moses and the tabernacle with a functioning priesthood to keep them
mindful of the goodness and bounty of Yahweh's providence. All of this to
no avail.
After
the death of Moses, Israel, instead of driving out the inhabitants to a
man, tolerated the pagans, married them, absorbing their heathen worship
and practices.
The pagan nations were still in the land at
the time of David and Solomon and were a snare to them.
Eventually,
the false religions of the world so corrupted the Chosen People that
Yahweh divorced them spiritually
Answer for yourself: Is God the same yesterday, today, and forever?
Now pay attention to the next question.
Answer for yourself: If God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, divorced His people and "cut them off" from Himself and commanded His people to divorce their Gentile wives because of the pagan worship practices that they brought into Israel, can God do any less with us who practice and observe pagan holidays in the Church and substitute pagan "sabbaths" for the Sabbaths of God? You better think deeply before you give a quick answer.
One
only has to read Matt. 7: 18-21 to find that many will come to Yeshua
thinking that they have done many wonderful works in "his name"
only to hear "depart from me I never knew you..because you work and
practice iniquity." What we fail to understand is that the Greek word
for "iniquity" means those who are not submitted to or ignorant
of the Laws of Moses, especially Gentiles. If we were not ignorant of such
Laws we would see specifically that God has commanded how He is to be
worshipped, and no where in these Laws and Commandments can we find the
holidays observed in the Christian Church today, instead, we find the
opposite….a complete calendar of Jewish Holy Days which by in large
is neglected.
IF WE DO NOT LEARN FROM HISTORY IT REPEATS ITSELF
History repeated itself centuries later after Yeshua's death. The first disciples were all Israelites, as were the first bishops. Within the first hundred years, however, the "called-out ones" no longer were of the characteristic Hebrew flavor. Paganism had moved in and taken over.
Yeshua came to call us to repent and return to the pure religion of Yahweh, teaching us to follow His ways instead of carnal, human understanding. Historically we see that Christianity, when it departed from its Jewish Roots rejected the Hebrew religion, which led to a despising of the Mosaic Law given by Yahweh Himself to man (Rev. 22:14). Instead, Gentile Christianity tolerated and absorbed prior pagan customs and teachings in flagrant violation of Scripture.
The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity, commenting on the widespread infusion of pagan influence, on page 84 states:
"The
'opaque' areas of experience, of institutions and daily living, if they
had not disappeared by [Pope] Gregory's time had become absorbed into a
Christian universe as translucent parts. In principle, there was nothing
that could not be absorbed into the radically Christian world."
The
religion of modern churchianity has absorbed many foreign doctrines that
have no basis in the Bible, but are rooted in Mystery Pagan Religions.
Answer for yourself: Could many today in the church be likened to the rebellious Israelites who took up whatever new worldly fad or liberal trend came upon the scene? You better believe it! Yahweh is completely out of their thoughts.
And
even as they did not like to retain Yahweh in their knowledge, Yahweh gave
them up to a reprobate mind [unfit to pass judgment], to do those things
which are not convenient: being filled with all unrighteousness...who
knowing the judgment of Yahweh, that they which commit such things are
worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do
them," Romans 1:28-29, 32
BAPTIZED
WITHOUT REPENTANCE
Historians attest to the change that came over the early fledgling assemblies following the death of the Apostles. With the exception of Luke and Paul, all the New Testament apostles were Jews. They had grown up following Israelite customs, keeping the Saturday Sabbath, the annual Feast Days and hearing the Torah (Law) read to them each Sabbath. Yet, there are those who contend that these Jews were dyed-in-the-wool Christians and wrote the books of the New Testament in Greek no less! Current scholarship since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has proved this 1700 year Catholic tradition totally bogus.
Syncretism (the merging of paganism with Biblical truth) is obvious everywhere within the New Testament to those with such prior knowledge of both Judaism and pagan Gentile religions. The pagans continued keeping their pagan ways, but under a new name and with a slightly different meaning and much of this was written within the pages of our New Testaments and without prior knowledge one falls prey to such deception.
The Oxford History of Christianity, on page 85 states,
"Baptism
turned a pagan into a Christian...What constituted a 'pagan' was a matter
of definition by clerical authority; in practice it meant what evaded the
bishop's control. Gregory the Great's decision that English converts to
Christianity might continue to use their traditional places of worship
provided they were sprinkled with holy water was a revolutionary extension
of clerical tolerance, with momentous implications for later missionary
activity."
All
of this is to say the pagans were baptized, but returned to their former
houses of idolatry and continued to worship as before. Only the name had
been changed to gain larger numbers of converts to Christianity.
THE
FACTS OF THE MATTER ARE QUITE DISTURBING
The following is taken from the book, The Jewish Christians of the Early Centuries of Christianity According to a New Source, written by Shlomo Pines. The Islamic historian reveals much about growing dissension between Jews and Christians shortly after Yeshua's time and the blending of pagan beliefs brought into Christianity by the growing number of gentile converts.
Pines makes revealing comments from his vantage point of an outside spectator, namely, as an observer of the history of the two distinct groups which emerged from Judaism-Christianity and Islam.
Shlomo Pines writes of the early centuries of Christianity and states, "The original Gospel was regarded as written in Hebrew." He goes on to point out what history has verified, that the Gentile converts to the true Biblical Jewish Faith no longer used the Hebrew texts to bring about the conversion of many other nations. Because of the infusion of foreign doctrines by Christianity, the Gentile bishops and teachers avoided the Hebrew Scriptures, relying mostly on the Greek texts. Pines tells us why in this eye-opening statement:
"In their view, this was a deliberate policy on the part of the Christian leaders, who did not want to have their doctrines demolished by the scholars grounded in the Scriptures who were numerous among the Jews."
It
is noteworthy that this Islamic writer is acutely aware of the many
un-scriptural doctrines of early Gentile Christianity. Gentile Christians
had abandoned the Commandments of the Old Testament (Torah) and
substituted alien laws and heathen customs and practices.
Rather
than evangelize the nations around them through the authentic Hebrew
Scriptures, the Christian leaders from Gentile backgrounds avoided the
Hebrew texts because so many of their "Christian" doctrines were
nowhere found in the Bible.
Thus,
they avoided any clash with those knowledgeable of the Hebrew Scriptures
which condemned taking on any aspect of worship foreign to the Word of
Yahweh. Author Pines contends that Emperor Constantine turned against the
pagan philosophers and adds, "The philosophers' books were
burnt and monks were lodged in their temples, which were transformed into
churches (or monasteries)" p. 30.
UN-SCRIPTURAL TEACHINGS REPLACE GOD'S TRUTH
That pagan temples were turned into churches or monasteries explains the heathen derivation of the word "church" used in the King James and other Bibles. The Greek word "ekklesia" literally means "the called out ones," which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew "kahal." Ekklesia refers to a body of people, not a building. The word "church" is a poor translation of ekklesia. Church refers to the building coming to us through the Anglo-Saxon "circe." Circe was the Greek goddess who turned men into swine. In Scottish the word is "kirk," relating to the Hebrew "kikkar," meaning a circuit or disc-the sun! The ancient link to sun-worship (on Sun-day) is undeniable.
The following excerpts are taken from Pine's work:
A footnote on page 39 reveals,
"Strecker
points out that the Jewish Christian doctrine started out by being the
Christian church doctrine and became a heresy only in the wars of
historical evolution."
In
other words, paganism and worldly doctrines infiltrated the early body of
believers and corrupted it. As more pagan converts became "Christians,"
they flooded the church with their traditional practices that soon were "baptized"
by the Christian clergy and absorbed as doctrine. This is how Sunday, New
Year's, Xmas, Easter, Lent, Halloween, Valentine's Day, and much more
crept into and became "holy-days" (holidays) of churchianity.
THE PARTING OF THE 2 WAYS
The early movement saw one group of Christians as rooted in the teachings of Jesus which still clung to Israelite laws. These converted Jews known as "Jewish-Christians" continued to meet in the synagogues of the Jews as did Paul, Acts 13:14; 15; 42; 14:1.
The other group, composed mostly of Gentile converts, took on Grecian culture and Hellenistic customs and were simply called "Christians." According to Pines, this latter group [Gentile converts] brought about "the abandonment and portrayal of what is regarded as true Christianity and its replacement by Greek notions and ways. It is the relation of a historic failure; victory rests with the agents of corruption," page 14.
In
other words, the flood of pagan converts to Christianity soon overwhelmed
the pristine truth as taught by Yeshua and the Apostles, and Christianity
became tainted.
Christians
today, many unknowingly, observe more pagan carry-overs than days plainly
commanded in the Bible.
These popular days include Sunday (a day
historically set aside in honor of the sun), Easter (the day honoring
Astarte, alias Ishtar and Ostra, Chaldean Queen of Heaven) Xmas (midwinter
solar-fertility celebration), Lent (40-day fast for Ostra), New Year's
(near the midwinter solstice instead of the Biblical spring), Valentine's
Day (Roman fertility celebration), Halloween (demonic observance), and
many others.
There
is no teaching or foundation for any of these "Christian holidays"
anywhere in the Bible. They are the concepts and doctrines of men, firmly
embedded in Christianity through centuries of tradition and practice.
Pines
continues: "After Him [Yeshua] his disciples were with the Jews and
the Children of Israel in the latter's synagogues and observed the prayers
and the feasts of (the Jews) in the same place as the latter'" (page
41).
The
early believers (referred to by Pines as "Jewish-Christians")
continued on with the worship of Israel by observing the weekly Sabbath,
the annual Holy Days, and heard the preaching of the Old Testament along
with the prayers of the Jews. They continued meeting in the Jewish
synagogues just as did Jesus and the Apostles.
A
decided difference soon arose between the "Jewish Christians"
and "Christianity" itself.
The
true believers continued with the "Jewish" worship based on
Yahweh's immutable law, while Christianity had amalgamated into its
doctrines almost every foreign belief and practice necessary to
accommodate the new convert. Accepting Christianity for the pagan was made
easy. For him his old ways remained the same, only the name had been
changed.
TRUE WORSHIPERS ALARMED BY SUCH CHANGES
The Jewish Christians were deeply concerned about the events that had corrupted many converts to the faith of Jesus through the Roman Caesars and the "Rominization" of Christianity," according to Pines.
"...Jewish
Christian authors of our texts and presumably other members of their sect
may have been the only people in the world-at the relatively late period
(perhaps the fifth or sixth century) at which these texts were
composed-who still deplored the split of Judaism and Christianity, two
religions which should have remained one. They also deplored the fact that
the Christians (or perhaps only most of them) no longer read the Gospels
in Hebrew, the language of [Yeshua], and all the prophets. Quite clearly,
these Jewish Christians believed that they preserved and continued
(perhaps clandestinely) the traditions of the first not yet corrupted
Christian community of Jerusalem founded by the immediate disciples of
[Yeshua] who professed His religion, i.e...observed the Mosaic
Commandments," p. 65.
Author Shlomo Pines summarizes the accounts
of other historians who maintained that the early believers in Yeshua as
the expected Messiah still observed the Sabbaths and the Annual Holy Days.
Paganism
proceeded apace and soon overwhelmed Bible truth, replacing Scriptural
customs and celebrations with paganized additions and substitutes.
HISTORY DOES NOT LIE...WELL NOT ALWAYS...UNLESS YOU ARE THE WINNERS OF HISTORY....LIKE ROME
While
the comments of historian Pines are revealing, they are by no means
unique. Many astute historians who are aware of the vast changes that took
place from the time of the Yeshua until now corroborate what we have read.
Luther H. Martin's book Hellenistic Religions reads on pages 118-119,
"One
of the first issues to be debated by Christians was whether they were a
new religion... These early Jewish Christians understood Christianity in
terms of its Jewish past and they continued their observance of Jewish
ritual practices exemplified by dietary requirements and circumcision."
Tracing the history of paganism, Martin writes, "...and by the second
century, Christianity had assumed many of the forms and practices of the
mystery cults" p. 162.
Brumback's History of the Church, referring to the beginning of the true Assembly at Pentecost in 31 C.E., reveals,
"In it practices that are common in the religious world today were not found," p. 19.
Author Brumback explains that the early church did not celebrate many of the holidays observed by most of churchianity today, which we have mentioned.
Then
follows an explanation of the pagan source of Lent. "The word 'Lent'
is derived from the old English word 'Lencten' which means spring. It was
connected with a pagan feast that was celebrated in honor of the goddess
'Ostra,' the goddess of the east. The sacrifices to this deity were
offered just about the time of the Passover and in this way it became
associated with the believed resurrection of Jesus which followed the
Jewish Passover.
"Not
until the Council of Nice (325 C.E.) decreed that Easter should be kept on
Sunday next after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox, was there
a definite day for the observance of Easter. Here is the evidence that it
has a human origin, as it was not known until after the fourth century
just when Easter would be," p. 20.
Easter is not a Bible celebration. It is found in only one place in the King James, at Acts 12:4, a woeful mistranslation of the Greek Pascha, or the Passover.
Author Brumback goes on to explain in fuller detail a bit of Easter's history, adding,
"Certainly
no such day is authorized by the teaching of the Apostles."
"What
brought these changes about? Why did disciples submit to having these days
set apart as special days for the church? The answer is found in the
failure of those who were the people of [Yahweh] to know what [Elohim's]
Word taught. Lack of this knowledge made it possible to introduce new
doctrines and new practices into the teaching of the church. The apostasy
of the church and the corruption of the [evangel] resulted from neglect of
the church to study [Yahweh's] Word" p. 21.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF BIBLICAL TRUTH WAS LOST BY NEGLECT
Brumback continues on page 31,
"In
the beginning the church was pure. The divine plan of the church as
revealed in the New Testament was followed. Now the apostasy of which the
apostles warned, began to develop."
"Ultimately
Christianity overcame paganism and thousands of those who had once opposed
the church now became identified with it, without understanding that such
a step called for the reformation of life, separation from the world, and
devotion to the cause of [Messiah]. Christianity in its purity was thus
destroyed by paganism," p. 54.
Widespread
neglect of the Old Testament meant that converts were not schooled in the
Old Testament and were ignorant of Israelite background and the books of
Moses. They simply accepted the Greek Septuagint as their source of Old
Testament teaching, nor did they know anything about it's purposeful
corruptions to pattern paganism, and knew little and understood even less
of the Feasts and the deep meaning of the sacrificial laws. By and large
the Gentile Christians detested the Jews and would have none of their
teaching or understanding of the Torah.
The New Testament is built upon precepts and teachings of the Old. Paul was inspired to write that salvation is found in the Old Testament:
"And that from a child you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ" (2 Timothy 3:15).
The
early Apostles based their teachings on the Old Testament to prove that
Yeshua was the promised Messiah of Israel. Yeshua even mentioned that
himself in Luke 24:44: "...that all things must be fulfilled, which
were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms,
concerning me"...sadly we yet await the fulfillment of the true
Messianic Prophecies so the identity of the Messiah yet remains
unknown...that is until the true Messianic Prophecies are fulfilled!
In
Luke 4:4 Yeshua said that man shall live by every word of Yahweh. He
constantly referred to the Scriptures, the Old Testament, when answering
matters concerning the law, divorce, and personal conduct (the New
Testament was not yet in existence at this time! See Luke 24:27).
The last warning of the Bible is that man is
not to add to the Bible or to take anything away, on pain of losing
salvation, Revelation 22:18. "Scripture
cannot be broken," John 10:35. Yeshua said, "Search the
Scriptures," John 5:39.
Gentiles
did not always comprehend the deep meaning of the Sabbaths and knew little
of the Feast Days found in Leviticus 23. (The Bible calls them "Yahweh's
Feasts," not "Jewish" Feasts. They detested the Jews and
would have nothing to do with their practices, nor did they try to
understand or study Hebrew. As a consequence of arrogantly ignoring the
Old Testament basis of truth, Christianity generally still does not
understand the foundation of Scripture.
"Now
therefore you are...fellowcitizens with the saints...and are built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets [Old Testament], Yeshua
Himself the chief cornerstone," Ephesians 2:19-20
IS THE BIBLE GREEK TO YOU
The influence of paganism is easily found in many historical sources. Charlton Larid's book, The Miracle of Language, reveals:
"The Church furthered Greek as well as Latin, the early Fathers of the church wrote Greek, and even as early as the seventh century Greek was being studied in England. Thus Greek words entered the English directly; they became Latin words which were borrowed directly; and they became Latin words which became French words which were borrowed directly" p. 90.
This custom of admitting Greek and Latin names wholesale into English Bibles resulted in replacing and disguising Hebrew names. These names supplanted the true, original names, making them surrogate hybrids with a Grecianized flavor.
Today the claim is made that the entire New Testament was written in Greek, which is disputed by reputable scholars who find an unmistakable Hebrew original underlying the Greek text.
Because early Christian translators were woefully ignorant of Hebrew, Greco-Latin names soon replaced the inspired Hebrew names. Even today the King James uses Esaias for Isaiah, Judas for Judah, Elias for Eliyah (Elijah), Urias for Uriah, Ozias for Uzziah, Josias for Josiah, Ezekias for Hezekiah, Idumea for Edom, Paul for Shaul, James for Ya'akov, Peter for Kefa, John for Yochanan, and many others.
The most holy of all words in the Bible, the sacred Name Yahweh, was replaced with kyrios and theos, which the King James renders Lord or God-outright substitutes.
Further enlightenment is given on page 118 of The Miracle of Language: "The Anglo-Saxon word for a general director was stigweard, the sty-ward, the man who looked after the pigpen, for an Anglo-Saxon capitalist was likely to have his stocks and bonds mostly in the form of razorbacks. We have reduced the word to steward. The boss himself was a hlafweard, a loafward, the man who looked after the bread. We cut that word to lord..."
Thus, we can see how the English Bible has reduced the sacred Name of our Creator Yahweh to "keeper of the loaf," or Lord! His holy Name Yahweh is now replaced with an inferior title.
In his History of the Church,
Brumback answers the question how pagan ways and pagan days infiltrated
the early church. He points out:
"The
answer is found in the failure of those who were the people of [Yahweh] to
know what [His] word taught. Lack of this knowledge made it possible to
introduce new doctrines and new practices into the teaching and worship of
the church. The apostasy of the church and the corruption of the gospel
resulted from neglect of the church to study [Yahweh's] word."
"Pagans were accustomed to observe a
feast to Proserpine with the burning of candles. To make the transition
from pagan worship to Christian worship easy, the church in apostasy
instituted on the same day a feast to the virgin Mary and burned tapers in
her honor. Lactatius, a historian of the church, spoke of this practice as
superstition, ridiculing those who lighted candles for [Yahweh], as if He
lived in the dark.
"Here
were changes that appeared in the teaching and worship of the church as it
developed into an apostate institution. Holy water, the burning of
incense, the observance of Lent and Easter...were connected with paganism.
When the church dropped the guidance of [Yahweh's] word pagan ceremonies
found their way into the church and they are today a part of that system
of worship which grew out of the apostasy," page 21-22.
THE SUPREME SOURCE OF ERROR
The extent to which non-Biblical doctrines and error have become unquestionably accepted as fundamental truths directly from the Bible has alarmed sincere Bible students.
The Bible as originally given is indeed the pure Word of Yahweh. Man has translated the Scriptures into other languages while viewing the Bible through the eyeglass of human error. Such errors are accepted as the true teachings of God without further inquiry. Some are outright substitutions with no basis in the truth of the Scriptures.
The anti-Semitic and anti-Judaic Gentile Christian Church of the early centuries after Yeshua has twisted the minds of some who perhaps unknowingly have accepted error as truth and call truth error. Thus, the masses are led astray (Revelation 12:9). And this began a long time ago. To this sad situation I am glad to say that Yahweh also has His people who are standing fast in His truth and studying the Scriptures to prove whether these things be so.
The purpose of this study is to help us better comprehend the source of error so that we can separate truth from falsity. History shows that all pagan religion has its source in Nimrod's Babylon. The teachings of Babylon have dominated Egyptian as well as Greek and Roman religion.
Teachings right out of
Babylon can be found in almost all religions of the world. These
abominable doctrines have even undermined the true religion Yahweh gave
mankind through Israel. With corrupted doctrines and error, ministers have
continued to twist the Bible so that "truth" is no longer Bible
truth.
The Bible when first given to mankind was inspired by Yahweh's Spirit. It was pure, holy and undefiled. Problems began when translations were made from one language to another. Our English Bible, for example, is taken primarily from the Latin. Which was translated from the Greek. Which was translated from the Hebrew, with much being lost along the way. It is like taking change from one pocket to place in another and losing some in the process. This is why it is our goal to return as closely as possible to the original languages.
Through what is known as syncretism,
pagan doctrines are merged with Bible teachings and blindly accepted as if
from Scripture. Thus, the pristine Truth of the Bible has been adulterated
with paganism and unknowingly accepted.
On page 109, The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity quotes Patrick Wormald on adaptations of Christianity,
"Christianity had been successfully assimilated by a warrior nobility, a nobility which had no intention of abandoning its culture or seriously changing its way of life, but which was willing to throw its traditions, customs, tastes, and loyalties into the articulation of the new faith."
While
the expressed purpose of the church was to convert pagans and bring them
into the fold of Christianity, in reality it was paganism that triumphed
over churchianity. It was the church that absorbed and retained the pagan
rituals, symbols, holidays, and precepts, but gave them a new name with a
new meaning and a "Christian" understanding.
Meyers' Medieval And Modern History states on page 42, "Many of our religious ideas, festivals and ceremonies, as witness Easter, and Christmas may be traced back to an origin in the practice and belief of our heathen ancestors."
Thus, pagan converts felt right at home as they retained their worship of the sun on Sunday, observed the re-birth of the sun in December, and called it not "Sol Invictus," but "Christmas." It made for a painless conversion to "Christianity." So the unregenerate pagan was baptized and became a "Christian-but was still a pagan at heart.
Had Israel and churchianity not done what
they respectively have done in corrupting of Truth and establishment of
falsehood, anti-Biblical sentiment would not be what it is. The conflict
between light and darkness is no new conflict. It has carried on ever
since sin first entered the Garden of Eden.
Churchianity
reads the Bible and sees no parallel between Israel's past dismal history
and its own deplorable record.
Bible teaching rests upon learning from the examples of others (1Cor. 10). But what if man contends that he needs no examples? With our high-tech society and our sophistication and knowledge, along with our scientific thinking, modern man feels competent to find his way if only given money enough and sufficient time to follow whatever light is given. Man is convinced that he is quite sufficient unto himself, and given time will eventually work things out.
Israel was overwhelmed by the visible power of Yahweh at Sinai (Exodus 19 and 20). The thunderous voice and trumpet, the lightning, the smoking, the rumbling and quaking of the Mount itself was evidence enough. The vaunted ability of man was tested. Israel vowed they would be perfect in everything and be obedient. Yet, when they tried they obeyed in nothing. Israel was pardoned again and again, and each time they continued to transgress.
The Tabernacle (and later the Temple) was
right in their midst with the visible priesthood actively carrying out
Yahweh's instructions day by day. Instruction, warning, chastisement, and
the evident presence of Yahweh in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of
fire by night were of no avail.
By himself, man lacks the ability and moral fiber to be holy. This is the primary lesson we are to learn here on earth, namely, that man's way is not Yahweh's way. We are to change our mind, the way we think, by having Yahweh's Spirit dominate our very being. "The carnal mind is enmity against Elohim: for it is not subject to the law of Elohim, neither indeed can be," Romans 8:7.
It is only through the workings of Yahweh's omnipotent Holy Spirit power, which now is available to us, that we can rise above this mundane world. This means obediently following the way of life given us throughout the Bible, for it is through obedience that we are given the Holy Spirit: "And we are his witnesses of these things; and [so is] also the Holy Spirit, whom Elohim has given to them that obey Him." (Acts 5:32)
By professing to be His worshipers, ancient Israel assumed they could obligate Yahweh to tolerate whatever whim their degenerate minds could devise. They mentioned His Name, but their hearts were far from obedience.
"Yea,
you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your deity Remphan,
figures which you made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond
Babylon. Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as
he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to
the fashion that he had seen." (Acts
7:43-44)
DOCTRINE AND THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN
Giving only lip-service is not acceptable to a holy, just, and righteous Yahweh. It never was and never will be. Genuine obedience comes from a contrite heart. Yeshua himself said, "They worship Me (referring to YHVH) in vain; their teachings are but rules made by men," Mark 7:7, NIV. This is a direct quotation of Isaiah 29:13, condemning the city of David, Jerusalem, for their idolatry and wickedness.
Yeshua then
castigates the Pharisees and teachers of the law with those same words
when the Pharisees heap criticism upon His disciples who apparently paid
too little attention to the tradition of the Pharisees and Jewish elders.
The point of Isaiah's rebuke and that of Yeshua reveals that the syncretism (mixing pagan concepts and customs with Bible teaching) has continued throughout history. Unconverted man injects his own thoughts and notions into his worship and continues to contaminate the pure worship of a holy Yahweh.
While we hear much of the error that has
crept into the worship of our Creator, many have not studied deeply into
the truth of the Bible and are oblivious and unschooled in what is
actually taught as Bible doctrine. A growing movement of sincere
Commandment keepers with faith in the Savior is prophesied to arise at the
end of the age as we see in Revelation:
"Here
is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of
Yahweh, and the faith of Yeshua," Revelation 14:12.
LET US LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF TRADITIONS OF MEN WHICH HAVE REPLACED THE WORD OF GOD
Few
are aware of the many teachings abounding in nominal religion that are
contrary to the Bible. I choose not to go in-depth in pointing out these
errors, however here are a few simple examples, in which one or two verses
of correction follow the erroneous teaching which sadly is accepted as if
true today by the majority of Christians:
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three persons in one, and are equal.
"My Father
is greater than I," John 14:28.
Yeshua Himself acknowledged that the Father was greater. Paul said, "The
head of Messiah is Yahweh," I Corinthians 11:3.
The Holy Spirit is the power, the force of
Yahweh shared by the Son and is not a person--Ruach ha Kodesh.
We keep Sunday because that is the day the Son was resurrected, and that changed the Sabbath.
"There remains therefore a rest [Sabbatismos, Sabbath] for the people of Yahweh," Hebrews 4:9 (reference to verse 4). There is no Bible justification for changing the day of worship. Sunday-keeping stems from pagan sun worship. Yeshua did not rise Sunday morning, but at the end of the Sabbath, and said nothing about any change whatsoever in the weekly day of worship. Besides that, if you are aware of Hebraic reckoning of time you can easily see that Yeshua was resurrected on Saturday evening, before the dawning of a new day at 6 PM which would be Sunday. He was raised BEFORE Sunday on the Sabbath, a perfect picture of the eternal Sabbath given to mankind in the world to come.
The
Son by His resurrection changed Sabbath to Sunday.
"And it shall come to pass, from
one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh
come to worship before me, says Yahweh,"
Isaiah 66:23. This speaks of the future kingdom. The Saturday Sabbath has
never been changed but is in effect now and will be observed in the
Millennium.
The
Son was put to death on Friday and arose Sunday morning.
"...in the midst of the week He
shall cause the oblation and sacrifice to cease,"
Daniel 9:27. He was impaled on Wednesday (Wednesday in German is
Mittwoch, midweek) and was in the grave three days and three nights.
He rose from the grave before sunset on Saturday (Mat. 28:1- "end"
is the Greek opse meaning "late on".
"For as Jonas [Jonah] was three
days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,"
Matthew 12:40. There is no way one can get three nights from Friday until
Sunday morning.
The
Son came to do away with His Father's law by nailing it to the cross.
"Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfill," Matthew 5:17. He brought
the law to its fullest intent and meaning; He did not destroy it, but
lived it as an example for us, John 14:31. Besides the only "handwriting
and ordinances" that were "against us" are those which we
incur when we disobey, not obey; for the Torah (Law) was given to us as a
patter for Godly life, that when obeyed brings God's blessings and not his
curses. The death penalty for disobedience is the only thing in the Law
which is against us is the only part of the Law that was against us and
that only when we disobeyed. Repentance restored relationship then as well
as now.
The
Son cleansed all foods and now all animal flesh like pork and shellfish is
good for food.
"They that sanctify themselves, and
purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating
swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed
together, says Yahweh," Isaiah
66:17. This is speaking of the end of the age and those eating swine's
flesh will be consumed. Clean food laws are still in effect.
Man
is born with an immortal soul
"[Yahweh] Who ONLY has immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man has
seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting,"
1Timothy 6:16. We do not yet have immortality but are seeking it, "To
them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and
immortality, eternal life," Romans 2:7. Why are we to seek for
immortality if we already have it? Why a resurrection if we are already
immortal and can't die? (1Thes. 4:16)
Not a Dead Soul Alive
The most blatant of all erroneous teachings fostered by churchianity is that man has an immortal soul, a teaching found in most pagan religions. That the soul upon death leaves the body and immediately goes to heaven or hell is not found in Scripture.
Many such errors are accepted as the true teachings of the Yeshua without any inquiry. Some are outright substitutions to the Bible and have no basis but lead to a corruption of the truth of the Word.
False teachers certainly have twisted the minds of some who perhaps unknowingly have accepted error as truth and call truth error. Thus, the flesh of man, in opposition to God (called Satan in Hebrew as the Yetzer HaRa..the evil inclination in man) "leads the whole world astray," Revelation 12:9.
The purpose of this study is to help us
better comprehend the source of erroneous teaching so that we can sift out
the truth. Scripture and history show that all pagan religion has its
source in Nimrod's Babylon where religious lies have complete sway. The
ways of Babylon have dominated Egyptian as well as Greek and Roman
religion. Babylonian teaching can be found in almost all religions of the
world. These abominable doctrines have even undermined the true religion
Yahweh gave mankind through Israel. Yahweh calls Babylon the Mother of
Harlots, who has corrupted the earth, Revelation 17-18.
MODERN BLIND GUIDES LEADING THE BLIND
Bible readers today follow the history of Israel and shake their heads in disbelief over the fickleness of the people of Yahweh who are led astray by heathen practices. They read of Israel's falling into pagan idolatry and marvel that Yahweh, full of mercy, always was ready to take Israel back when they repented.
But these same people today (Christians) do not see that they are doing the very same thing and following the same pattern of lawlessness. Today it is not the pagan worship and temples about us that lead people astray. Instead it is those of Gentile churchianity who are supposedly upholding and teaching Yahweh's Word who lead men away from Yahweh, 2 Peter 2.
They preach from the pulpit that Yahweh's law no longer applies to us. Law was only for ancient Israel; we are under grace, and not under the law, say those teaching a modern and up-to-date gospel of love, grace and forgiveness. Being obedient to the law of Yahweh is said to be bondage, and we are not under the bondage of the law, we are told.
According to them supposedly when the Messiah came to die for the sins of the world, he did away with the law. Now all we need is faith. "Faith alone!" was the rallying cry of the Reformation. But the Bible says that faith alone is meaningless! "Faith without works is dead," James 2:26. You see dear brother and sister, God is concerned how we worship, what days we set aside and make holy, and how we build His kingdom by giving our tithes and offerings. Any old way won't do. Just as Nadab and Abihu learned when they were smote dead by YHVH. Let us learn from their example lest we follow in the ways and be rejected by God when we die.
By twisting the Scriptures and choosing to emphasize certain portions over others, today's preachers strain hard to do away with the law. They especially despise two of the Ten Commandments.
The first tells them that the Sabbath is on Saturday, the seventh day. The second tells us to handle His Name with respect and reverence. Known as the Third and Fourth Commandments, these two "test" commandments show our complete obedience to Yahweh. They are among the first to be rejected by many people. Some ministers seem willing to move heaven and earth to get these two Commandments buried under faith, love, and grace!
Your Bible says that if you break one
commandment you have broken them all. That is, unless you keep all Ten,
you have fallen short of perfection. Yahweh expects His people to keep His
Commandments, for all His Commandments are righteousness, Psalm 119:172.
We
read in 1 John 5:3 that the love of Yahweh is the keeping of His
Commandments.
He
loves us in return when we keep His law, John 14:21.
Because many have been told from countless
sermons that the Savior came essentially to bring a new religion, many
simply repeat what they've heard without thoroughly checking their Bibles.
"We are a New Testament Church and emphasize the teachings of the Savior Who nailed the law to the cross," they say. Such a belief is absolute foolishness! Yeshua never said or even intimated that he came to do away with his Father's laws! He said just the opposite.
"My
doctrine is not mine but His that sent Me," he said, John 7:16
"Think not I came to destroy the law and the prophets. I came not to destroy but to fulfill," Matthew 5:17
Some attempt to get around this verse by
telling us that Yeshua did away with his Father's laws, fulfilling them
completely-filled them up-and now has set them aside.
Actually, what he has done is fulfilled them
with a greater depth of meaning than before. He shows us the fuller
spiritual intent of Yahweh's laws. "Fulfill" is the Greek plerosai
and means to conform to or accomplish. Notice how the Savior
elaborated on one of the Ten Commandments:
"You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matt. 5:27-28).
Clearly, Yeshua was
emphasizing that the keeping of the Commandments begins with proper and
right attitudes, thoughts, desires, and goals. To entertain a wrong
thought could well lead to committing the act-sin.
Furthermore,
we read in the last book of the Bible that true believers will be keeping
the Commandments of Yahweh when Yeshua returns to rule.
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of Yahweh, and have the testimony of Yeshua," Rev. 12:17
Sadly, there is but a "remnant" of the seed of the true Israel. There is no large multitude following the way of the Bible today, but a "little flock," Luke 12:32. They are also known as the "saints." Don't look for a large group of people to make up the "Bride" at the end of the age. Consider the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins. Only half of them went in to the marriage supper. The other half was locked out.
Answer for yourself:
What about you? Where do you stand?
Answer for yourself:
Are you on that downhill, broad and easy road to destruction? (Mat.
7:13-14). Or that narrow, more difficult road that leads to life
everlasting? We at Bet Emet as you to let us help you in your quest for
truth.