From the Epistle of Barnabas

This document from the First or Second Century AD/CE was among many early Christian writings that did not make it into the canon of the New Testament:

Further, also, it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Decalogue which [the Lord] spoke, face to face, to Moses on Mount Sinai, "And sanctify ye the Sabbath of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart." And He says in another place, "If my sons keep the Sabbath, then will I cause my mercy to rest upon them." The Sabbath is mentioned at the beginning of the creation [thus]: "And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it." Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years." Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. "And He rested on the seventh day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the-sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day. Moreover, He says, "Thou shalt sanctify it with pure hands and a pure heart." If, therefore, any one can now sanctify the day which God hath sanctified, except he is pure in heart in all things, we are deceived. Behold, therefore: certainly then one properly resting sanctifies it, when we ourselves, having received the promise, wickedness no longer existing, and all things having been made new by the Lord, shall be able to work righteousness. Then we shall be able to sanctify it, having been first sanctified ourselves. Further, He says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbath I cannot endure." Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, [namely this,] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world. Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He had manifested Himself, He ascended into the heavens.

see http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/barnabas-roberts.html 

Justin Martyr on Christians Who Observe the Law of Moses

The following excerpt is from Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho:

CHAPTER XLVII -- JUSTIN COMMUNICATES WITH CHRISTIANS WHO OBSERVE THE LAW. NOT A FEW CATHOLICS DO OTHERWISE.

And Trypho again inquired, "But if some one, knowing that this is so, after he recognises that this man is Christ, and has believed in and obeys Him, wishes, however, to observe these [institutions], will he be saved?"

I said, "In my opinion, Trypho, such an one will be saved, if he does not strive in every way to persuade other men,--I mean those Gentiles who have been circumcised from error by Christ, to observe the same things as himself, telling them that they will not be saved unless they do so. This you did yourself at the commencement of the discourse, when you declared that I would not be saved unless I observe these institutions."

Then he replied, "Why then have you said, 'In my opinion, such an one will be saved,' unless there are some who affirm that such will not be saved?"

"There are such people, Trypho," I answered; "and these do not venture to have any intercourse with or to extend hospitality to such persons; but I do not agree with them. But if some, through weak-mindedness, wish to observe such institutions as were given by Moses, from which they expect some virtue, but which we believe were appointed by reason of the hardness of the people's hearts, along with their hope in this Christ, and [wish to perform] the eternal and natural acts of righteousness and piety, yet choose to live with the Christians and the faithful, as I said before, not inducing them either to be circumcised like themselves, or to keep the Sabbath, or to observe any other such ceremonies, then I hold that we ought to join ourselves to such, and associate with them in all things as kinsmen and brethren. But if, Trypho," I continued, "some of your race, who say they believe in this Christ, compel those Gentiles who believe in this Christ to live in all respects according to the law given by Moses, or choose not to associate so intimately with them, I in like manner do not approve of them. But I believe that even those, who have been persuaded by them to observe the legal dispensation along with their confession of God in Christ, shall probably be saved. And I hold, further, that such as have confessed and known this man to be Christ, yet who have gone back from some cause to the legal dispensation, and have denied that this man is Christ, and have repented not before death, shall by no means be saved. Further, I hold that those of the seed of Abraham who live according to the law, and do not believe in this Christ before death, shall likewise not be saved, and especially those who have anathematized and do anathematize this very Christ in the synagogues, and everything by which they might obtain salvation and escape the vengeance of fire. For the goodness and the loving-kindness of God, and His boundless riches, hold righteous and sinless the man who, as Ezekiel tells, repents of sins; and reckons sinful, unrighteous, and impious the man who fails away from piety and righteousness to unrighteousness and ungodliness. Wherefore also our Lord Jesus Christ said, 'In whatsoever things I shall take you, in these I shall judge you.' "

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-dialoguetrypho.html

THE REAL HISTORY OF THE TRUE CHURCH

My last six posts have included excerpts from historical documents (without commentary or embellishment from me) related to the history of Christianity. For the benefit of those who may not have read those posts, a brief summary of them for the purposes of this post are in order:

1. Worship Among Early Christians - An eyewitness account of a Christian worship service during the first half of the Second Century AD/CE. In that account, we find Christians meeting on Sunday and reading the "memoirs of the apostles" and the writings of the prophets (as they didn't have access to what we now refer to as the New Testament). It is also interesting to note that a simple communion service is observed, and that members with the financial resources to do so made voluntary contributions that were used to help those members who were in need.

2. Martin Luther's Preface to the Book of Revelation - The founder of the Protestant Reformation in Sixteenth Century Europe gives his opinion that the last book of our New Testament doesn't belong in the canon of Scripture!

3. From Book 3 of Eusebius' Church History - The man who was largely responsible for pulling together the New Testament in the Fourth Century states that II Peter, II & III John, Jude, James, Hebrews and Revelation had not been universally accepted by the Christians of the first three centuries of the Church. In other words, Christians had not been able to agree on which books should be included in the canon for three hundred years!

4. First Century Christianity - This Late First Century manuscript gives us the earliest take on a Christian Statement of Beliefs that we know of (once again, prior to any compilation of a New Testament). This simple statement stands in stark contrast to the elaborate Statements of Beliefs put out by today's churches. It begins with a focus on Christ's two great commandments as the foundational principles on which all else follows. Christians are enjoined not to engage in sinful behaviors, and it provides brief treatises on baptism and the Eucharist.

5. Ignatius of Antioch on Christians Keeping the Jewish Law - In excerpts from the bishop's letters to the Philadelphians and Magnesians, we read that Christians of the Late First Century and Early Second Century were not expected to follow Jewish traditions or religious practices.

6. 70 A.D. - A First Century Jewish historian (Flavius Josephus) gives a graphic account of the destruction of the Temple by the Romans.

Now, WHY DID LONNIE CITE ALL OF THESE PRIMARY SOURCES RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY?

Because they present some very inconvenient truths for Fundamentalist/Literalist Christians - especially for Armstrongites!

In his booklet, Where Is The True Church?, Herbert Armstrong wrote: "So it was, that before A.D. 50 (the Church had been founded in A.D. 31) a fierce controversy arose as to whether the gospel to be proclaimed was the gospel OF Christ, or a gospel ABOUT Christ. Soon the curtain was wrung down on historic records of the Church. It evidenced the fact that a vigorous cooperative and systematic effort was made to destroy historic records of church happenings of the next hundred years. It was the LOST CENTURY in church history. When the curtain of history is raised about A.D. 150, it reveals a church calling itself 'Christian,' but one totally different from the Church Jesus founded through his apostles in A.D. 31."

As you can see from the primary documents I cited (and there are others besides them), there was no "lost century" in terms of the history of Christianity. Yet, the folks who are familiar with Armstrongism will recognize this as a central tenet of his theology (and of those who have followed him). The problem is that, in attempting to explain the emergence of a Christian Church that has abandoned the Sabbath and embraced Sunday, Armstrong and his minions have had to avoid/ignore a whole lot of REAL history!

Yes, Jesus and his disciples kept the Sabbath and observed the Holy Days - THEY WERE JEWS! Yes, the very first Christians were Jewish and observed Jewish traditions and met with other Jews. In fact, we are told in Scripture (see the book of Acts) that this insular attitude of early Christians prevented them from fulfilling the commission which Christ had given to his apostles and church (see Matthew 28:19-20). Indeed, when we continue to read in Acts, we see that Christ had to give Peter a special vision in order to convince him that he should carry the gospel to the Gentiles! Moreover, we know that Christ later raised up Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles, because the twelve simply were not getting it done! Jewish Christians continued to observe the religious traditions which they had been in the habit of observing for their entire lives - until the destruction of the temple in 70 AD/CE made that impossible (remember, there was only ONE place that was a legitimate feast site according to Scripture - see Deuteronomy 16).

Gentiles, however, had no such traditions. Gentiles were never a part of the Old Covenant. They had NEVER observed the Sabbath or the Holy Days. Moreover, the great council of Jerusalem decided that Gentile Christians would not be forced to adopt those features of the Old Covenant - with the exception of a few tenets which everyone agreed should be universal in applicability (see Acts 15). The above history, in combination with Scripture, leads one to the inescapable conclusion that MOST Christians were observing Sunday and didn't have access to any New Testament by the close of the First Century!

The notion that God had handed the Church a completed New Testament and commanded them to observe the tenets of the Old Covenant is made absurd by this history! There simply wasn't any great Roman Catholic or Satanic conspiracy to do away with God's Sabbath during a hundred year period shrouded in mystery!

And Mr. Armstrong was not alone in concocting this false narrative about Church History. There was Herman Hoeh's A True History of the True Church. The United Church of God has its The Church Jesus Built. There is David Pack's Where is the True Church? - and Its Incredible History! We have Gerald Flurry's The True History of God's True Church. There is the Church of God International's documentary, The Chronicles of the New Testament Church. For Armstrongites, this is an essential part of the narrative that makes them superior to the rest of Christianity. They have to tell the story about the rise of a counterfeit Christianity. Never mind that history debunks their false narrative and consigns their efforts to the bin of historical fiction!

I know it feels really good to be so sure and settled about what you believe; but, if your narrative is built on a foundation of sand, how settled can it really be? Rather than read a church booklet on church history, why not do a little digging of your own?

70 A.D.

An excerpt from First Century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus' account of the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. follows:

"Most of the slain were peaceful citizens, weak and unarmed, and they were butchered where they were caught. The heap of corpses mounted higher and higher about the altar; a stream of blood flowed down the Temple's steps, and the bodies of those slain at the top slipped to the bottom.

When Caesar failed to restrain the fury of his frenzied soldiers, and the fire could not be checked, he entered the building with his generals and looked at the holy place of the sanctuary and all its furnishings, which exceeded by far the accounts current in foreign lands and fully justified their splendid repute in our own.

As the flames had not yet penetrated to the inner sanctum, but were consuming the chambers that surrounded the sanctuary, Titus assumed correctly that there was still time to save the structure; he ran out and by personal appeals he endeavored to persuade his men to put out the fire, instructing Liberalius, a centurion of his bodyguard of lancers, to club any of the men who disobeyed his orders. But their respect for Caesar and their fear of the centurion's staff who was trying to check them were overpowered by their rage, their detestation of the Jews, and an utterly uncontrolled lust for battle.


Most of them were spurred on, moreover, by the expectation of loot, convinced that the interior was full of money and dazzled by observing that everything around them was made of gold. But they were forestalled by one of those who had entered into the building, and who, when Caesar dashed out to restrain the troops, pushed a firebrand, in the darkness, into the hinges of the gate Then, when the flames suddenly shot up from the interior, Caesar and his generals withdrew, and no one was left to prevent those outside from kindling the blaze. Thus, in defiance of Caesar's wishes, the Temple was set on fire.

While the Temple was ablaze, the attackers plundered it, and countless people who were caught by them were slaughtered. There was no pity for age and no regard was accorded rank; children and old men, laymen and priests, alike were butchered; every class was pursued and crushed in the grip of war, whether they cried out for mercy or offered resistance.

Through the roar of the flames streaming far and wide, the groans of the falling victims were heard; such was the height of the hill and the magnitude of the blazing pile that the entire city seemed to be ablaze; and the noise - nothing more deafening and frightening could be imagined.

There were the war cries of the Roman legions as they swept onwards en masse, the yells of the rebels encircled by fire and sword, the panic of the people who, cut off above, fled into the arms of the enemy, and their shrieks as they met their fate. The cries on the hill blended with those of the multitudes in the city below; and now many people who were exhausted and tongue-tied as a result of hunger, when they beheld the Temple on fire, found strength once more to lament and wail. Peraea and the surrounding hills, added their echoes to the deafening din. But more horrifying than the din were the sufferings.

The Temple Mount, everywhere enveloped in flames, seemed to be boiling over from its base; yet the blood seemed more abundant than the flames and the numbers of the slain greater than those of the slayers. The soldiers climbed over heaps of bodies as they chased the fugitives."

see http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/jewishtemple.htm

Ignatius of Antioch on Christians Keeping the Jewish Law

Ignatius (who lived sometime between 40-140 AD) was the Bishop of Antioch.

From the Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians:

But if any one preach the Jewish law unto you, listen not to him. For it is better to hearken to Christian doctrine from a man who has been circumcised, than to Judaism from one uncircumcised. But if either of such persons do not speak concerning Jesus Christ, they are in my judgment but as monuments and sepulchres of the dead, upon which are written only the names of men. Flee therefore the wicked devices and snares of the prince of this world, lest at any time being conquered by his artifices, ye grow weak in your love. But be ye all joined together with an undivided heart. And I thank my God that I have a good conscience in respect to you, and that no one has it in his power to boast, either privately or publicly, that I have burdened any one either in much or in little. And I wish for all among whom I have spoken, that they may not possess that for a testimony against them.

see http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-philadelphians-roberts.html

From the Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians:

Let us not, therefore, be insensible to His kindness. For were He to reward us according to our works, we should cease to be. Therefore, having become His disciples, let us learn to live according to the principles of Christianity. For whosoever is called by any other name besides this, is not of God. Lay aside, therefore, the evil, the old, the sour leaven, and be ye changed into the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in Him, lest any one among you should be corrupted, since by your savour ye shall be convicted. It is absurd to profess Christ Jesus, and to Judaize. For Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism Christianity, that so every tongue which believeth might be gathered together to God.

see http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-magnesians-roberts.html

First Century Christianity

The Didache or The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations was probably written toward the end of the First Century (in other words, before a "New Testament" existed) and provides the earliest known summary of the fundamentals of Christianity:

There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, your neighbor as yourself; and all things whatsoever you would should not occur to you, do not also do to another. And of these sayings the teaching is this: Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. For what reward is there, if you love those who love you? Do not also the Gentiles do the same? But love those who hate you, and you shall not have an enemy. Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts. If someone gives you a blow upon your right cheek, turn to him the other also, and you shall be perfect. If someone impresses you for one mile, go with him two. If someone takes away your cloak, give him also your coat. If someone takes from you what is yours, ask it not back, for indeed you are not able. Give to every one that asks you, and ask it not back; for the Father wills that to all should be given of our own blessings (free gifts). Happy is he that gives according to the commandment; for he is guiltless. Woe to him that receives; for if one having need receives, he is guiltless; but he that receives not having need, shall pay the penalty, why he received and for what, and, coming into straits (confinement), he shall be examined concerning the things which he has done, and he shall not escape thence until he pay back the last farthing. But also now concerning this, it has been said, Let your alms sweat in your hands, until you know to whom you should give.

**Several sections follow this one on sins/behaviors that are forbidden to Christians (e.g. murder, adultery, witchcraft, hate, anger, idolatry, blasphemy, etc.)********************************

And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have not living water, baptize into other water; and if you can not in cold, in warm. But if you have not either, pour out water thrice upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whatever others can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.

But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites; for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week; but fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday). Neither pray as the hypocrites; but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, thus pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (or, evil); for Yours is the power and the glory forever. Thrice in the day thus pray.

Now concerning the Thanksgiving (Eucharist), thus give thanks. First, concerning the cup: We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory forever. And concerning the broken bread: We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory forever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom; for Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever. But let no one eat or drink of your Thanksgiving (Eucharist), but they who have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, Give not that which is holy to the dogs.

**This is followed by a prayer and a discourse on teachers, apostles and prophets. Then there follows a section on reception of Christians and support of prophets.*********************************

But every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.

Therefore, appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men meek, and not lovers of money, and truthful and proven; for they also render to you the service of prophets and teachers. Despise them not therefore, for they are your honored ones, together with the prophets and teachers. And reprove one another, not in anger, but in peace, as you have it in the Gospel; but to every one that acts amiss against another, let no one speak, nor let him hear anything from you until he repents. But your prayers and alms and all your deeds so do, as you have it in the Gospel of our Lord.

Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord comes. But often shall you come together, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you be not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as the Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven; then the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.

see https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0714.htm

From Book 3 of Eusebius' Church History

Eusebius was Bishop of Caesarea and lived 263-339 AD. Speaking of the canon of the Christian Bible in his day, he wrote in the third book of his Church History:

Chapter 25. The Divine Scriptures that are accepted and those that are not.

1. Since we are dealing with this subject it is proper to sum up the writings of the New Testament which have been already mentioned. First then must be put the holy quaternion of the Gospels; following them the Acts of the Apostles.

2. After this must be reckoned the epistles of Paul; next in order the extant former epistle of John, and likewise the epistle of Peter, must be maintained. After them is to be placed, if it really seem proper, the Apocalypse of John, concerning which we shall give the different opinions at the proper time. These then belong among the accepted writings.

3. Among the disputed writings, which are nevertheless recognized by many, are extant the so-called epistle of James and that of Jude, also the second epistle of Peter, and those that are called the second and third of John, whether they belong to the evangelist or to another person of the same name.

4. Among the rejected writings must be reckoned also the Acts of Paul, and the so-called Shepherd, and the Apocalypse of Peter, and in addition to these the extant epistle of Barnabas, and the so-called Teachings of the Apostles; and besides, as I said, the Apocalypse of John, if it seem proper, which some, as I said, reject, but which others class with the accepted books.

5. And among these some have placed also the Gospel according to the Hebrews, with which those of the Hebrews that have accepted Christ are especially delighted. And all these may be reckoned among the disputed books.

6. But we have nevertheless felt compelled to give a catalogue of these also, distinguishing those works which according to ecclesiastical tradition are true and genuine and commonly accepted, from those others which, although not canonical but disputed, are yet at the same time known to most ecclesiastical writers — we have felt compelled to give this catalogue in order that we might be able to know both these works and those that are cited by the heretics under the name of the apostles, including, for instance, such books as the Gospels of Peter, of Thomas, of Matthias, or of any others besides them, and the Acts of Andrew and John and the other apostles, which no one belonging to the succession of ecclesiastical writers has deemed worthy of mention in his writings.

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250103.htm