THE FIRST CHURCH.
The First church - was it ever wiped out?
IF THE EARLY CHURCH WAS IDENTICAL TO MODERN EVANGELICALS
DID QUOTE "THE GATES OF HELL PREVAIL AGAINST IT"
BECAUSE IT WAS NOT VISIBLE FOR CENTURIES?
The modern Evangelical Church, especially the house group movement, is almost identical to the early church, as is Evangelicalism in general (as I will prove here). The Big question is, what does "The Gates of Hell will not prevail against it" mean regarding the Church? The most extreme core question being, If the Pagans, Roman Catholics, Orthodoxy and violent persecutions of Islamists really did completely wipe the early church from the map in the period of time of middle history, or even from comparatively early times up to the post Reformation period, did the Gates of Hell prevail against the church, because for a period of time it all but disappeared?
No, you live OUTSIDE of scripture, it is Evangelicals who are famous for Sola Scriptura. The Early Church was identical to the modern born again house Group Movement. We are still here, The Gates of Hell (which includes Romanism and the murderous Orthodox Religion - who BUTCHERED the pacifist church) has therefore not prevailed against us.
THE EVANGELICAL HOUSE GROUP MOVEMENT
WAS THE ORIGINAL CHURCH - ANALYSIS:
PEACE AND LOVE:
You must try to remember that the truth about the Sermon on the Mount is that it was entirely new law, and a "Peace and Love Revolution" entirely different to the Law of Moses. What can happen to "Peace and Love" believers when confronted by people like Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox believers who believe in war, can be seen in The St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, when the Catholics butchered many thousands of the Peace Loving Anabaptists and Huguenot's, who renounced violence. In a similar way the Early Quakers were so persecuted in England by the violent Protestants they had to flee to America though the voyage would most likely kill them.
THE GLORY OF THE RESURRECTION
AND THE REMNANT or LITTLE FLOCK:
Let us assume for a moment that the most terrible scenario suggested by Orthodoxy really is true - viz - that the Early Evangelical Born Again Christian Church, that so perfectly fits the model of the early house group churches in the new testament, really was completely wiped off the face of the Earth at some point in the Second Babylonian Captivity, right up until believers like the Lollards in Great Britain began to emerge just before the Reformation. Ironically butchered off the face of the Earth by the Catholics, Pagans, Islamists, and Orthodox Religion, in such murderous rampages as the Holy Inquisition, the Crusades, and massacres similar to the later Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day, but unrecorded in history books, because the proof is locked away in the dusty vaults of Vatican City (they refuse to this day to release the Holy Inquisition records). The fact is you see, the true early church was like Jesus who preached Love and Peace, and like Stephen who imitated him in his death, loving his enemies, though standing firm against their error, praying for them as he died, even imitating the words of Jesus on the cross, "Lord lay not this sin to their charge!" and "Lord Jesus! Receive my spirit!" without resisting evil with violence. For we seek the Jerusalem above not below.
What would that mean? That - if that is true - the Gates of Hell prevailed against the Evangelical church, and therefore it cannot be the true church? Well now, that supposition, if led to its ultimate logical conclusion, that if there was always a "little flock" or "remnant" that did survive throughout that time period, then the Gates of Hell (Orthodoxy for instance) did NOT prevail against it. Right?
Did "The Gates of Hell prevail" against early Evangelical gospel preachers like Stephen, Peter, Paul and John? No rather - if this ultimate nightmare was true, then I contend that all it would do is compare the church directly to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. He was betrayed. He was spat upon and mocked. He was beaten. He was battered so badly by a whole band of Roman soldiers. quote "his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:". He was flogged. He was striped like a tiger in his own blood. He was crowned with thorns, a crown that was beaten into his head with a reed like unto a rod. He was crucified. He was given vinegar to drink. He was laughed at and derided in his hour of utmost suffering. He shouted "It is finished!" He won our forgiveness with his blood. By his stripes we are healed. His side was pierced. There was a mighty Earthquake. He was buried. He was dead....... he was defeated? The Gates of Hell prevailed against him? No! He was raised from the dead!! Raised from the dead by whom? By the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Yes! Jesus raised himself from the dead! Because he was God in the flesh, and concerning death: "having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." He rose again in victory! The gates of Hell did not prevail against Jesus Christ our Lord! And they never will. And Orthodoxy and Romanism did not prevail against Evangelicalism, even if "in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." Even if their ultimate nightmare of early and middle history is true. Because as you will plainly see today, the Evangelical Movement is here right now, just as Jesus Christ rose from the dead, so did the church. There would be a direct comparison.
But is that ultimate nightmare of butchery really true? Is it really true, for instance, that not one child in the Catholic or Orthodox Faith in that time period, was not born again, because not one of them simply accepted Jesus as their Saviour, without understanding the defiling salvation by works and sacerdotalism that went along with it in their imposed indoctrination? That would be a supreme irony, if millions of young people had been born again in that way, and thus were part of the Evangelical church, whereas every Orthodox priest and bishop was not. And where Catholics believe unbaptized babies and children who die are not saved, most Evangelicals believe they were all saved from Hell. What a supreme irony, for "out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise". In other words the Popes and First Among Equals where all damned and the babes saved, some saved when they died young under the covering mercy of Christ, others because of that and being born again too. Who knows? Only God.
But before we look at most of the logical possibilities, let us define Evangelical Christianity.
WHAT IS PROTESTANT?
WHAT IS EVANGELICALISM?
ARE AND WHERE PEOPLE SAINTS IN BOTH?
One of the biggest lies told by Orthodoxy is that the word "Protestant" is derived from the word "protest", and therefore they cannot be the early church type believers, but as their core centre is "to protest" against something, that which they protest against must have preceded them, thus that is Orthodoxy. Well the word means also "for a testimony". It does not have to have purely negative connotations.
Protest:
ORIGIN (etymology) late Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘make a solemn declaration’): from Old French protester, from Latin protestari, from pro- ‘forth, publicly’ + testari ‘assert’ (from testis ‘witness’).
Evangelical born again Christian Church means those who
1) Preach the "good news" of salvation through Christ crucified, buried and resurrected. (something Orthodoxy does not do, having Jesus as a Semi Saviour, and two Co-Saviours - yourself by good works, and the priest by sacerdotalism).
2) Emphasise that spiritual rebirth comes after accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour, not before as a baby, via priestcraft salvation.
Because the churches in the Reformation were not as honed and perfected as the best of modern day born again Evangelical churches are, especially the housegroup movement (who avoid the mistake of churchianity via buildings - buildings entirely unmentioned in the new testament) does that mean that the millions of people labelled as "Protestants" before them were not saved? Well the body of Christ, the church, consists of those who accept Jesus as Saviour and thus become born again. Exactly what degree of mistakes might be the outward sign of damnation in a believer, we have yet to see on the Day of Judgement "for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts" and "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Who knows the glory God will get for himself eternally in showing mercy on that Day? Only he can see into the heart and those who are after him. It is easy to criticise the ignorance of those in the past, as we sit with a world of theology, definitions, lexicons, search engines and commentaries on the internet, especially as the bible had been withheld from the people by..... guess who? The Roman Catholics and the Orthodox. TheOrhodox church is so non zealous over giving the people the bible even after the example of Reformation zeal in putting together the Textus Receptus, it took them 300 years to come up with their incomplete "Patriarchal Text' (PT). I contend therefore it is obvious many Reformation saints were clearly Evangelical in doctrine, but were so continually threatened by death for their Faith, like those in Foxes Book of Martyrs, thy like Meshach, Shadrach, Abednego, Daniel, St Stephen, St Paul, St Peter and Antipas, to name but a few, throughout history, were minded to be "for a testimony".
THE MOST LIKELY EXPLANATION:
a remnant shall be saved:
In modern Christianity a heresy has arisen that the Rapture will be early, not late, so early the church will not see the antichrist or Beast take power. The Rapture describes the church of Jesus being taken from the Earth to meet the Lord in the air (1 Cor 15:51-58). Notice it says "in the last trump". The Rapture is late not early. Modern Christians of all denominations just do not want to face the reality Christians will die in their millions, at the hands of the antichrist. YET as we have heard, there will STILL be a Rapture. The conclusion? As ever in history God will preserve a remnant, though the whole world seeks them to destroy them, armed with modern technology, they still evade capture. How much more then those saints that history tells us hid under the ICHTHUS symbol (for instance) could have evaded capture even more easily, so the church was not wiped out. This I think is the most likely thing that happened, as it is written,
"Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Romans 11:2-6.
It is the testimony of Catholicism and Orthodoxy that the bigger they are, the more it proves "they are the narrow way". Perhaps the only two bigger absurdities in Orthodoxy are...... calling the Titular Head of Orthodoxy "The first among equals" and "saved by grace by works". It is difficult to know what is worse, the sophism "Accepting a free gift renders it no longer free therefore salvation by grace is impossible", which is as twisted as the famous sophist "liar paradox", or the oxymoron "salvation by grace by a synergy of priestcraft and works", which is like being a vegetarian meat eater, believing in holy cannibalism, or the Orwellian motto "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". One has to wonder if the scripture Titus 1:12 was a veiled reference to the famous Epimenides paradox. A failing of the Greeks is to love sophisms, paradoxes and oxymorons more than The Truth. Right back to Plato.
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ICHTHUS:
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE! THEY SAID
THEN THEY DID IT THEMSELVES TO PROVE IT IS NOT!
video on YouTube: Agafia. Hermit Surviving in Russian Wilderness for 70 years
Russian Orthodox family found
Quote from the video blurb:
"In the mid-17th century, the leader of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Nikon, introduced radical reforms in Russia. Many couldn’t accept the changes and became known as “Old Believers”. To avoid religious persecution first from the Orthodox Church and then from the Soviets, families fled to some of the most remote corners of the world. In 1978, one such family was discovered by a group of geologists in the remote Russian Republic of Khakassia, Siberia. The Lykovs looked as if they belonged to a previous century: they dressed in homespun clothes and used primitive instruments in their everyday life. They were completely self-sufficient and still highly religious."
"Flee to the mountains" was the direct command and instruction of Jesus.
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