Doctrine

CHAPTER 4: THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA; 325 AD

THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA

The two councils of Nicaea were ecumenical councils of the Christian church held in 325 and 787, respectively. The First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council held by the church, is best known for its formulation of the Nicene Creed, the earliest dogmatic statement of Christian orthodoxy.

The council was convened in 325 by the Roman emperor Constantine I in an attempt to settle the controversy raised by Arianism over the nature of the Trinity. Nearly all those who attended came from the eastern Mediterranean region. It was the decision of the council, formalized in the Nicene Creed, that God the Father and God the Son were consubstantial and coeternal and that the Arian belief in a Christ created by and thus inferior to the Father was heretical. Arius himself was excommunicated and banished. The council was also important for its disciplinary decisions concerning the status and jurisdiction of the clergy in the early church and for establishing the date on which Easter is celebrated.
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WHENEVER A COUNCIL GETS TOGETHER TO DECIDE ON ISSUES CONCERNING THE THINGS OF GOD, YOU CAN BE SURE OF ONE THING, THAT THEY WILL COME UP WITH THE WRONG ANSWERS. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY WAS INVENTED AT THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA. IT WAS DRAWN UP BY MEN WHO WERE HAND PICKED BY THE POPE AND THE EMPEROR, WHO WOULD BE SURE TO COME UP WITH A DOCUMENT THAT AGREED WITH WHAT THE POPE AND THE EMPEROR WANTED.

THE JOB OF THIS COUNCIL WAS TO PUT THE END TO THE SPREADING OF THE DOCTRINE OF ARIANISM. A BISHOP NAMED ARIUS TAUGHT THAT GOD AND CHRIST WERE TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES AND THAT ALL SUBSEQUENT CREATION WAS MADE BY CHRIST. FOLLOWING THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA, ARIUS WAS EXCOMMUNICATED AND BANISHED FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, ALONG WITH HIS FOLLOWERS. HE WAS BANISHED FOR TEACHING THAT GOD CREATED CHRIST AND THAT CHRIST CREATED EVERYTHING ELSE. EVEN MOST OF THE CHURCHES OF TODAY WHO CLAIM TO DIRECTLY GO BACK TO THE BOOK OF ACTS FOR THEIR DOCTRINE, JUMP FROM ACTS TO 325 AD AND INCORPORATE THE ERRORS IN DOCTRINE THAT WERE INVENTED AT THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA INTO THEIR OWN DOCTRINAL STATEMENTS.

IT IS A GOOD THING THAT GOD DOES NOT REQUIRE US ALL TO BE PERFECTLY CORRECT IN DOCTRINE TO ATTAIN SALVATION OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ALMOST NO ONE SAVED SINCE 325 AD. ALL THAT GOD REQUIRES FOR SALVATION IS FAITH IN CHRIST. WE DO NOT HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF GOD AND OF CHRIST AND OTHER MYSTERIES OF THE MOST HIGH IN ORDER TO BE WELCOMED INTO HIS KINGDOM WHEN WE PASS FROM THIS WORLD! THANK GOD FOR THAT OR WE SHOULD ALL BE LOST!

MOST OF THE MODERN DAY CHURCHES RIDICULE ANYONE WHO DOES NOT FULLY ENDORSE ALL OF THE DOCTRINES THAT WERE WRITTEN AND INVENTED AT THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA, AND CALL THEM A "CULT". WHAT THESE PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE IS HOW MANY MORE DOCTRINAL ERRORS WERE INSTITUTED AT THIS COUNCIL IN ADDITION TO THOSE CONCERNING GOD'S NATURE. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY MAY BE JUST AS MUCH IN ERROR AS ANY THAT THE SO CALLED "CULTS" ARE TEACHING. THERE IS NO HUMAN BEING ALIVE IN THIS WORLD WHO FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE NATURE OF GOD.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA

EUSEBIUS
Eusebius, c.260-c.340, was the first historian of the Christian church. The outbreak of persecution during the reign of Diocletian forced Eusebius to take refuge in Egypt, but he was captured and imprisoned. Around 315 he was elected bishop of Caesarea, in Palestine, and became embroiled in the controversy over Arianism, in which he took the side of Arius. At the Council of Nicaea 325; he sought to reconcile the opposing parties. Although he did not incline to the homoousios doctrine of Athanasius, which established the full divinity and equality of Christ with the Father, he eventually signed the formula approved at Nicaea, largely in deference to Emperor Constantine, who had convened the council.

Eusebius was a writer of immense productivity and learning. His Chronicle (c.303) and Ecclesiastical History (c.324) are principle sources of early Christian history. The History is both a political theology and a theology of history, the first major attempt to explain the association of Christianity with the Roman Empire and to take a historical approach in describing the development of the church.
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THE NICENE CREED, AS WRITTEN IN 325 AD

THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father All Governing, creator of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father as only begotten, that is, from the essence of the father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father, through whom all things came into being, both in heaven and in earth; Who for us men and for our salvation came down and was incarnate, becoming human. He suffered and the third day he rose, and ascended into the heavens. And he will come to judge both the living and the dead. And we believe in the Holy Spirit.

But those who say, Once he was not, or he was not before his generation, or he came to be out of nothing, or who assert that he, The Son of God, is of a different hypostasis (substance or essence) or ousia, (presence) or that he is a creature, or changeable, or mutable, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them. The History of the First Council of Nice, by Dean Dudly, copyright 1886.

DEFINITIONS

hy·pos·ta·sis 1. Philosophy. The substance, essence, or underlying reality. 2. Theology. a. Any of the persons of the Trinity. b. The essential person of Jesus in which his human and divine natures are united. 3. Something that has been hypostatized.

a·nath·e·ma 1. A formal ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication. 2. A vehement denunciation; a curse: "the sound of a witch's anathemas in some unknown tongue" (Nathaniel Hawthorne). 3. One that is cursed or damned. 4. One that is greatly reviled, loathed, or shunned.

The American Heritage Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Co. New York, NY.

THE ARIAN CREED

We Believe in one God, the Father Almighty, and in the Lord Jesus Christ his Son, who was made of Him before all ages; God the Word, by whom all things were made, which are in the heavens and upon the earth; who descended, became incarnate, suffered, rose again, ascended into the heavens, and will again come to judge the living and the dead. We believe, also, in the Holy Spirit, in the resurrection of the flesh, in the life of the coming age, in the kingdom of the heavens, and in one Catholic Church of God extending over the whole earth.
The History of the First Council of Nice, by Dean Dudly, copyright 1886.

THE WRITERS OF THE NICENE CREED WERE WELL MEANING IN THAT THEY WANTED STANDARDIZE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. BUT, THEY CREATED A DOCUMENT THAT WAS INDEFENSIBLE FROM THE SCRIPTURES, BECAUSE THE TERMINOLOGY IN IT IS NOT FOUND IN THE SCRIPTURES. WORSE YET, THEY FORBADE ANYONE WHO STUDIED THE SCRIPTURES TO HAVE ANY OTHER OPINION OTHER THAN THE ONE STATED IN THE NICENE CREED, WHICH WAS ONLY THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE.

SOME OF THE WORDS USED IN THE LATER VERSIONS (SUCH AS CONSUBSTANTIAL), WERE ACTUALLY INVENTED BY THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO WORDS IN EXISTENCE TO DESCRIBE WHAT THEY MEANT TO SAY. OTHER WORDS SUCH AS TRIUNE AND TRINITY WERE IN USE FOR SECULAR MATTERS, BUT ARE NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE.

THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY IS WRONG, IT HAS JUST AS MUCH CHANCE OF BEING CORRECT AS ANY OTHER OPINION, SINCE NONE OF THEM CAN BE PROVEN POSITIVELY FROM THE SCRIPTURES. ALL CONJECTURES ABOUT THE NATURE OF GOD ARE MERELY THE SPECULATIONS OF MEN.

IT WAS DURING THE REIGN OF CONSTANTINE THAT THE FOLLOWING TRADITIONS AND LAWS WERE INTRODUCED:

1. That all books not agreeing with Roman Catholic doctrine should be burned.

2. That Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the fourteenth moon following The Vernal Equinox for the celebration of Passover.

3. That Sunday should be the day of worship.

4. That Mary was the mother of God.

5. The doctrine of the trinity drawn up.

6. The primacy of The Roman Church.

7. That ordination shall be performed by at least three bishops.

8. That those who did not agree with the doctrines of the Roman Church would not be allowed to partake of The Eucharist.

9. That deacons shall not present the bread and wine.

10. The last rites instituted.

Adapted from "The History of the First Council of Nice," by Dean Dudly, copyright 1886.

WITH THE POWER AND BLESSING OF THE ROMAN EMPEROR UPON THEM, THE ROMAN CHURCH INSTITUTED TEN FALSE RULES AND DOCTRINES AND DECLARED THEMSELVES TO BE THE ONLY CHURCH THROUGH WHICH MEN COULD RECEIVE SALVATION. THEY BANNED ALL BOOKS THAT DID NOT SUPPORT THEIR DOCTRINES AND ORDERED THAT ALL COPIES OF THEM BE BURNED THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE. THEY TAUGHT THAT MEN COULD NOT BE SAVED UNLESS THEY RECEIVED BAPTISM AND THE EUCHARIST FROM THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. AT THE SAME TIME THEY FORBADE THE LAITY, AND EVEN THE DEACONS, FROM PRESENTING THE BREAD AND WINE TO THE PEOPLE. BY THE END OF THE REIGN OF CONSTANTINE, THE SIMPLE GOSPEL OF SALVATION BY FAITH IN CHRIST HAD BEEN CHANGED TO SALVATION THROUGH BEING A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING OF THE ROMAN CHURCH.

YOU MAY WONDER HOW THE PEOPLE COULD BE DECEIVED SO EASILY. YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT IT WAS NOT LIKE IT IS TODAY WHERE ANYONE, FOR A FEW DOLLARS, CAN GO TO ANY BOOK STORE AND PURCHASE A BIBLE. AT THAT TIME, BIBLES WERE LABORIOUSLY HAND COPIED BY PRIESTS AND MONKS; AND THEY WERE ONLY AVAILABLE TO THE CLERGY. ALSO, EVEN IF THE SCRIPTURES HAD BEEN AVAILABLE, MOST OF THE COMMON FOLK COULD NOT READ. THE COMMON PEOPLE WERE AT THE MERCY OF THE POPES AND PRIESTS TO INTERPRET THE SCRIPTURES FOR THEM. FOR THE NEXT TWELVE HUNDRED YEARS FOLLOWING THE REIGN OF CONSTANTINE, THE ROMAN CHURCH COULD ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM ANY CHURCH DOCTRINE OR CUSTOM AS OFTEN AS THEY DESIRED.

IT WAS NOT UNTIL GUTENBERG INVENTED THE PRINTING PRESS IN 1450 AD THAT THE LAITY WOULD AGAIN BE ABLE TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES. THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTING PRESS FANNED THE FIRES OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THERE WERE ANY LESS PEOPLE SAVED DURING THE DARK AND MIDDLE AGES THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME IN HISTORY. GOD DOES NOT HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR DOCTRINAL ERROR UNLESS HE, HIMSELF, HAS REVEALED THE TRUTH TO THEM. GOD DOES NOT HOLD A PERSON ACCOUNTABLE FOR SOMETHING THAT PERSON CANNOT ATTAIN. THEIR SINS OF BELIEVING THE DOCTRINAL ERRORS THAT WERE TAUGHT BY THE CHURCH LEADERS OF THAT TIME WERE PAID FOR BY CHRIST AT CALVARY.

Acts 17:30 (NIV) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

GOD COULD BE COMPARED TO A MAN THAT HAS TWO SERVANTS AND WHO HAS GIVEN THEM BOTH THE SAME COMMAND, TO DIG A LARGE HOLE FOR THE BASEMENT OF A HOUSE THAT IS TO BE BUILT. TO ONE MAN, HE HAS ONLY GIVEN A PICK AND A SHOVEL; AND TO THE OTHER, HE HAS GIVEN ALL OF THE MODERN EQUIPMENT THAT WE USE TODAY FOR THIS WORK. TO THE MAN THAT GOD HAS ONLY GIVEN THE PICK AND SHOVEL, GOD ONLY EXPECTS THAT HE WILL DO A FAIR DAY'S WORK; AND HE WILL BE REWARDED ACCORDINGLY. IT MAY TAKE YEARS FOR THIS MAN TO COMPLETE THE TASK.

TO THE MAN GIVEN THE MODERN EQUIPMENT, THIS JOB SHOULD REQUIRE ONLY THREE DAYS AT THE MAXIMUM. BOTH MEN WILL BE REWARDED ACCORDING TO HOW FAITHFUL THEY WERE IN DOING THE WORK, NOT ACCORDING TO HOW MUCH WAS ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED. THE MAN WITH THE PICK AND THE SHOVEL COULD EARN A GREATER REWARD FROM GOD IF HE COMPLETED THE WORK IN SEVEN YEARS THAN THE MAN WITH THE MODERN EQUIPMENT, IF HE WAS SLOTHFUL AND THE JOB TOOK HIM TWO WEEKS TO COMPLETE. GOD IS PERFECTLY FAIR IN EVERYTHING. HE JUDGES US ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US TO WORK WITH, NOT ACCORDING TO WHAT WE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH. THIS IS WHAT JESUS WAS TEACHING WHEN HE COMMENTED TO THE DISCIPLES ABOUT THE WIDOW WHO PUT AN OFFERING INTO THE TEMPLE TREASURY THAT TODAY WOULD BE WORTH ABOUT 1/8 OF A CENT.

Mark 12:38-40 NIV As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

Mark 12:41-44 NIV Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

THE WIDOW WHO CAST INTO THE TREASURY HER SMALL OFFERING MAY HAVE BEEN DOCTRINALLY ILLITERATE, BELIEVING WHAT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES TOLD HER, BUT SHE WAS FAITHFUL IN DOING WHAT SHE DID KNOW WAS RIGHT; AND JESUS SAID THAT HER LITTLE OFFERING WAS WORTH MORE THAN ALL THAT THE RICH HAD GIVEN.

Luke 12:48 NKJV For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS WHAT WE DO WITH THE TOOLS AND TALENTS THAT WE ARE GIVEN INDIVIDUALLY BY GOD, NOT HOW MUCH WE ACCOMPLISH AS COMPARED TO SOMEONE ELSE.

THE LATER DECREES OF THE POPES

SOME OF THE OTHER ERRORS THAT WERE ADDED TO CHURCH DOCTRINE AND THE DATES WILL BE BRIEFLY LISTED BELOW.

310 AD Prayers for the dead and the sign of the cross.

375 AD Veneration of angels and dead saints.

394 AD The mass as a daily celebration.

431 AD The worship of Mary as the Mother of God.

593 AD The doctrine of Purgatory.

610 AD The title "Pope".

788 AD Worship of the cross, images and relics.

850 AD Holy water instituted.

995 AD The canonization of dead saints.

998 AD Fasting on Fridays and during Lent.

1079 AD The celibacy of the priesthood.

1090 AD The rosary copied from Hindu and Mohammedan prayer wheels and introduced by Peter the Hermit.

1215 AD Confession of sins to a priest, instituted by Pope Innocent III.

1870 AD Papal infallibility.

1959 AD The assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven.

1962 AD Vatican II seeking to unite all churches to Rome. 1995 AD Encyclical by John Paul II to implement Christian unity by 2000 AD.

All but the last two entries are quoted from Dr. Jack Van Impe's book, "Revelation Revealed", published by Jack Van Impe Ministries, copyright 1982:

THESE LATER DECREES OF THE POPES CONTINUED TO ADD SUPERSTITION AND FALSE DOCTRINE TO THE CHURCH.

MORE SUPERSTITION ENTERS THE CHURCH

PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD WHO ARE BEYOND HELP WERE INSTITUTED. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS BEGAN TO BE USED. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH USE OF THE CROSS AS A SYMBOL OF CHRIST'S DEATH, THE PROBLEM ARISES WHEN A PERSON USES A CROSS OR MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS AS A GOOD LUCK CHARM OR A MAGICAL SIGN TO WARD OFF EVIL.

THE CROSS
The cross was not widely depicted before the 4th century AD, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Earlier, when Christians were often persecuted, the cross was frequently disguised as an anchor, or some other mundane object. Second-century Christians, however, had already begun to make the sign of the cross as a gesture of identification, blessing, and warding off of evil. In the Roman church the sign of the cross was made from left to right and in Eastern Orthodox churches from right to left.
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THE LORDS SUPPER

THE LORDS SUPPER OR THE EUCHARIST, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CELEBRATED BY THE SAINTS WHEN THEY GATHERED TOGETHER, BEGAN TO BE VIEWED AS A MYSTICAL FUNCTION PERFORMED BY A PRIEST, PATTERNED AFTER THE TRADITIONS OF THE RELIGION OF MYSTERY BABYLON.

EUCHARIST
Eucharist, a sacred meal preceded by prayers, chants, and Scripture readings, in which the participants were mysteriously united with Christ. As time went on, the Eucharist, or mass, became surrounded by an increasingly elaborate ritual in the Latin, the Greek, and other Eastern churches.
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IN 325 AD THE CHURCH HAD ALREADY FORBIDDEN THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORDS SUPPER WITHOUT A PRIEST. THEY CHANGED THE LORD'S COMMAND TO BELIEVERS WHO GATHER TOGETHER FROM "DOING THIS AS OFTEN AS YE DRINK IT," TO A RITUAL THAT WAS PERFORMED BY THE PRIESTS (IN 394 AD) ON A DAILY BASIS. THE POINT WE ARE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE FURTHER SEPARATION BETWEEN THE CLERGY AND THE LAITY BY THE REQUIRING OF A PRIEST TO PRONOUNCE A BLESSING OVER THE ELEMENTS BEFORE THE PEOPLE CELEBRATED THE LORDS SUPPER.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH THE BELIEVERS MET HOUSE TO HOUSE OR CAME TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE, PERHAPS OUTDOORS OR BY A RIVER OR STREAM IN ORDER TO BAPTIZE NEW CONVERTS, AND AFTER GIVING THANKS, PARTOOK OF THE BREAD AND THE WINE, TO COMMEMORATE THE LORDS DEATH.

Acts 2:41-42 NKJV Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

1 Corinthians 10:16 (NIV) Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

Acts 2:46-47 NKJV So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

THE COMMUNION, OR THE EUCHARIST IS A CONTINUATION AND EXPANSION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. THE LORDS SUPPER WAS INSTITUTED BY CHRIST AS HE CELEBRATED THE PASSOVER WITH HIS DISCIPLES, WHICH WAS DONE IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN ISRAEL WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF THE PRESENCE OF A PRIEST. LIKEWISE, NO PRIEST NEEDED TO BE PRESENT FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS TO BAPTIZE NEW CONVERTS AND PARTAKE OF THE LORDS SUPPER, IN OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST.

Luke 22:17 & 20 NKJV Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

LATER, IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY THE NOT ONLY DID THE ABSENCE OF A PRIEST PREVENT THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORDS SUPPER FROM TAKING PLACE, BUT EVEN WHEN IT WAS CELEBRATED THE WINE BEGAN TO BE HELD BACK FROM THE LAITY.

Matthew 23:13 NIV "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

BY DOING THIS THE CHURCH WAS FURTHER PREVENTING THE CONGREGATION FROM OBEYING THE COMMAND OF CHRIST.

Luke 22:19 NKJV And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

Mark 14:23 NKJV Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

MARYOLOGY

COUNCIL OF EPHESUS
The Council of Ephesus (431), the third ecumenical council of the Christian church was significant for its dogmatic decrees on the position of the Virgin Mary in the celestial hierarchy and on the nature of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It was convened by the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II with the approval of Pope Celestine I in order to respond to the teachings of Nestorius that Mary be considered only the "mother of Christ" and not the "mother of God." After lengthy debates continuing even after the end of the council, the pope's representative, Cyril of Alexandria, reached an accord in which the appellation "mother of God," formally decreed by the council, was accepted by all. The council also refined the dogma on the human and divine aspects of Jesus, now declared to be of two separate natures though perfectly united in Christ.
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THE PAGAN RELIGIONS OF EUROPE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF GODDESS WORSHIP. THE ROMAN CHURCH LEADERS IN ORDER TO MAKE CHRISTIANITY RESEMBLE THEIR OLD FAMILIAR CUSTOMS ELEVATED MARY TO THE STATURE OF A MOTHER GODDESS.

THE MOTHER GODDESS
The symbol and mythology of the mother goddess is found in many diverse cultures of the ancient world. She represents the creative power of all nature along with the periodic renewal of life. The mother goddess has appeared in many localized forms, such as Isis, the "goddess of many names," Venus, and the Phrygian Magna Mater. The worship of a great goddess was particularly dominant in Middle Eastern religions, especially in the cults of Cybele and Ishtar. Both were fertility goddesses involved with a young male consort who dies and is continually reborn. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is frequently portrayed with a young male lover of this kind, as in the myth of Adonis. Further cultural integration occurred with the adoption of the Egyptian Isis cult by the Greco-Roman world. Isis became a universal goddess, incorporating local forms of Greek and Roman goddesses, and was identified with a fertility mystery cult. The cult of Isis persisted during the first four centuries of the Christian era, until persecution finally halted cult activities.

In Christianity the figure of the Virgin Mary as theotokos, or the "Mother of God," has clear affinities with that of the ancient mother goddess. Her role, however, is diminished, and that of the divine child--the dying and resurrected male god--is central. The Software Toolworks Encyclopedia

THE ARTICLE ABOVE STATES THAT IT WAS THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH THAT CURTAILED GODDESS WORSHIP IN THE FOURTH CENTURY. IT WAS NOT SO MUCH PERSECUTION AS IT WAS THE ASSIMILATION OF THE PAGAN GODDESS DOCTRINES INTO THE CHURCH IN THE YEAR 431 AD. THE PAGANS NO LONGER HAD ANY REASON TO RESIST JOINING THE CHURCH BECAUSE THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR OLD PRACTICES WITHIN THE CHURCH, BUT UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME.

PURGATORY

PRAYERS TO ANGELS, DEAD SAINTS, AND TO MARY BEGAN IN THE SHORTLY THEREAFTER. LATER THE ADORATION OF SO CALLED "HOLY RELICS" WAS ADDED FOLLOWED BY THE INVENTION OF PURGATORY.

PURGATORY
In Roman Catholicism, purgatory (from the Latin purgare, "to cleanse") is the place or state after death where those who have died in a state of grace but not free from imperfection expiate their remaining sins before entering the visible presence of God and the saints; the damned, on the other hand, go directly to hell. The living are encouraged to offer Masses, prayers, alms, and other acts of piety and devotion on behalf of those in purgatory.

The official Roman Catholic teaching on purgatory was defined at the councils of Lyon (1274) and Ferrara-Florence (1438-45) and reaffirmed at Trent (1545-63). This doctrine was rejected by leaders of the Reformation who taught that persons are freed from sin through faith in Jesus Christ and go straight to heaven. The Orthodox church also rejects the theology of purgatory, although it encourages prayers for the dead in some undefined intermediate state.
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FORBIDDING TO MARRY AND EATING OF MEATS

IN 1079 PRIESTS WERE FORBIDDEN TO MARRY. LATER IT WAS COMMANDED THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT EAT MEAT ON FRIDAYS. GOD KNEW THAT THESE THINGS WOULD HAPPEN AND PREDICTED THEM IN HIS WORD. THE SCRIPTURES CALL THEM "DOCTRINES OF DEVILS."

1 Timothy 4:1-3 KJV Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

FORBIDDING OF THE PRIESTS TO MARRY HAS CAUSED MUCH HARM DOWN THROUGH THE CENTURIES. MANY PRIESTS HAVING NORMAL HUMAN DESIRES HAVE FALLEN INTO VARIOUS SINS SUCH AS FORNICATION, ADULTERY, HOMOSEXUALITY AND CHILD ABUSE, BECAUSE OF THIS FALSE DOCTRINE.

THE TITLE OF "POPE"

Matthew 23:9 NIV And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Pope n. 1. The bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church on earth. 2. Eastern Orthodox Church. The patriarch of Alexandria. 3. The Coptic patriarch of Alexandria. 4. The male head of some non-Christian religions: the Taoist pope. 5. A person considered to have unquestioned authority: [Middle English, from Old English papa, from Late Latin, from Latin, father.
The American Heritage Dictionary, 1992, Houghton-Mifflin Company, New York, NY.

NOT ONLY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH DISOBEYED GOD BY CALLING THE LEADER OF THEIR CHURCH FATHER, PAPA OR POPE, BUT ALSO THE ORTHODOX AND THE COPTIC CHURCHES AND EVEN SOME OF THE PAGAN RELIGIONS.

PRAYER BEADS

PETER THE HERMIT, A FRENCH MONK AND CRUSADE LEADER IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY AFTER CHRIST INTRODUCED THE PAGAN CUSTOM OF USING BEADS TO COUNT PRAYERS INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

PRAYER BEADS
A rosary is a circular string of beads used by Roman Catholics for counting prayers. The term is also applied to the prayer beads used by Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims. In certain cultures, beads serve an additional function involving superstition or magic. Their possession is thought to bring good luck, to ward off evil, or to attract the attention of a deity. When strung together, beads are used in some religions to help the faithful count their prayers.
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CONFESSION TO A PRIEST

THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE THAT WE SHOULD CONFESS OUR SINS TO GOD AND TO ONE ANOTHER, BUT NOWHERE DOES IT STATE THAT WE MUST CONFESS OUR SINS TO AN ORDAINED CLERGYMAN TO BE FORGIVEN. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN A PERSON CONFESSING THEIR SINS TO A PRIEST OR MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, IT IS ONLY WRONG TO REQUIRE THIS AS THE ONLY MEANS OF PROPER CONFESSION.

Psalms 32:5 NIV Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

James 5:16 NIV Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

CONFESSION
Since 1215, Roman Catholics have been required to confess their sins annually if they are in serious sin. In the Orthodox Church, confession is usually required before the reception of Communion. Some other Christian churches, such as the Lutheran and the Anglican, provide for individual confession on request, but general confession during public worship, and individual confession directly to God in private, is more characteristic of Protestantism.

Arnold of Brescia, c.1100-1155, was an Italian reformer. After studying at Paris, he became an Augustinian monk. Attacking the worldliness of the church, he advocated radical church reforms, including a life of poverty for the clergy and the abandonment of wealth and temporal power by the church. He also rejected the idea of confession of sins to a priest. In 1139 the Second Lateran Council condemned these views and Pope Innocent II ordered Arnold exiled and his books burned. He was captured by Frederick I and hanged as a political rebel.
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PAPAL INFALLIBILITY

NO HUMAN BEING IN THIS PRESENT WORLD IS INFALLIBLE. NOT EVEN JOHN THE BAPTIST COULD CLAIM THAT DISTINCTION AND JESUS SAID THAT OF THOSE BORN OF WOMEN HE WAS THE BEST THAT THE HUMAN RACE HAD TO OFFER.

Matthew 11:2-3 NIV When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

Matthew 11:11 NIV I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;

NOT EVEN THE JOHN THE BAPTIST UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING ABOUT SPIRITUAL MATTERS, HOW MUCH LESS ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING.

INFALLIBILITY
Pope Pius proclaimed the dogma of the immaculate conception of Mary on Dec. 8, 1854. He summoned the First Vatican Council (1869-70), which endorsed papal infallibility. The first Vatican Council further enhanced the role of the papacy by declaring that the church's infallibility (or inability to err on central issues of the Christian faith) can be exercised personally by the pope in extraordinary circumstances. This teaching of the pope's primacy and infallibility is a major stumbling block to the unification of the Christian churches.
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THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY INTO HEAVEN

THERE ARE NO SCRIPTURES TO JUSTIFY THE TEACHING OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY INTO HEAVEN.

THE ASSUMPTION
In 1950, Pius issued an ex cathedra proclamation defining the dogma of the assumption of Mary. The devotional importance attached to the saints (especially the Virgin Mary) distinguishes Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy from the churches of the Reformation. In the last two centuries the Roman Catholic church has taught as official doctrine that Mary from her conception was kept free of original sin (the immaculate conception) and that at the completion of her life was taken up body and soul into heaven (the assumption).
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THE UNITING OF THE CHURCHES

BOTH THE VATICAN II COUNCIL HELD IN 1962 AND THE 1995 ENCYCLICAL PRODUCED BY JOHN PAUL II HAVE THE SAME PURPOSE, THAT OF PROMOTING CHRISTIAN UNITY. IN THE NEAR FUTURE THE ROMAN CATHOLICS, THE ORTHODOX CHURCHES, AND THE PROTESTANTS WILL BE REUNITED. IT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING IF NEWLY WORDED VERSION OF THE NICENE CREED IS USED AS THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH. LATER ON, OTHER RELIGIONS SUCH AS THE MOSLEMS, HINDUS, BUDDHISTS, AND THE NEW AGE RELIGIONS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN HANDS WITH THE ABOVE MENTIONED GROUP AND FORM A WORLDWIDE RELIGIOUS COALITION THAT WILL BECOME THE GREAT HARLOT OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

Note: The way to tell if your church is becoming a part of the end times harlot is simple. Those churches who deny that Jesus Christ is the ONLY Messiah will be deceived into worshipping Antichrist when he comes upon the scene. Stay with a church that preaches salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross at Calvary 2000 years ago. If your church changes that doctrine it's time to find a new church.