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EarlyChristianresearcher
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Paul was familiar with the mystery schools of the time, like Mithra, etc., as evident with his comments in 2 Thessalonians 2:7. About a mystery of iniquity already at work. Mithra, the Romans & Greek world had the masonic type mysteries school, were their rituals were similar to early Christians'. This is why early critics, like Celsus, & others, charged that the early Christian borrowed their rituals from the mystery schools. Cases in point, in Greek & Roman stone monuments of marriage, hand clasps are often depicted. Well, in tying the knot, or hand fasting hand clasps are also done in Christian weddings down through the centuries to this day. Paul talks of this in Ephesians 5:31-32, the joining together of the bride and groom in a great mystery. Thousands art works show different types of hand & wrist grips being done in Christian weddings ceremonies down through the centuries, so there's no point, if one was to attempt to, in claiming that historic biblical Christianity "does not" have masonic type hand clasps, when they do. The historical fact is that masonry, freemasonry got a lot of their hand clasping rituals as they were fraternalized further in what Christian Knight Orders did. The Knight Templars, etc. The coronation ceremonies of ascension to the throne of Christian kings. The swearing of oaths on the bible, or holy books, as done by Christian Kings, Queens, Knights, Nobles, Earls, & Barons, have their roots in early Christian mysteries, masses, liturgical dramas. These rituals are full of hand clasping, garment wearings, anointings, washing away of sins in baptism. As noted in the writings of the early to later Christian church fathers, like Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem, his Lectures on the Mysteries, etc. etc. Even the early to later critics knew about and asked about the "secret signs," symbols and tinkle done in hand clasps. This hand clasp was done so that the early Christians would know that they were talking to a fellow Christian, and thus could talk openly, during days of persecutions. The fish symbol was a secret symbol done during the days of persecutions too. Apostates from the early Church admitted that they took oaths, but that they weren't conspiratorial as critics alleged. Instead they were to do no wrong. Oaths, vows have been passed down in historic Christianity, & were fraternalized in masonry, and adopted by the courts, & political swearing in to government positions, like in police force, army, courts, & to become President of the USA. All these have their roots in masonry, which go back into the mystery religions, including Christianity. The garments with symbols on them, are seen all over historic Christian art works too. Even later anti-Christians like T. W. Doane, late 19th century, in his "Bible Myths," charged that the Christians' robes had masonic type symbols in them. White Robes represented having been washed clean in the blood of Christ. White Baptismal robes represented also the resurrection which is why Easter became a favorite time to get baptized and Whitesunday kept these traditions alive. Now the custom of giving new clothing on Easter goes back to these earlier ritualistic traditions. Christ blood is said to take off the spots of sin, for you don't want to have spotted robes on before Christ's judgment, so spotted with sin that they are black (Which is why Satanists & rockers, & Goths like to wear black, it's a reversal of the Whitesunday into Black Sabbath). In Christian art, people are depicted washing their clothing in the blood of Christ as it flows down from the cross. Thus, they are washing away the spots of sins, symbolically, thus having dumped their filthy rags for new clean clothing, having put of the man of sin, and put on the robes of righteousness, as many early Christian fathers write about. These robes were protective too, for numerous art works show naked souls being clothed in them as they ride up into heaven on them, or are clothed in them, before they go into paradise. With protective angels that fight off the demons shooting arrows at them, they are wrapped in the protective blanket as they ascend. Or wrapped in the protective cloak of the Santa Maria, the Virgin Mary, as many art works show this huge cloak that is used to wrap around souls under her arms.
Hand & wrist clasping, like what the masons do, are also seen in thousands of art work all over historic biblical Christianity, which is where the masons get some of their mysteries from. They were the stone carvers of them, and knew what they looked like. They fraternalized them in their Orders. Google image Christ's descent into limbo, hell, hades, the Anastasis, purgatory. Also: The creation of Adam & Eve. Christ's ascension into heaven. Etc. So did Paul bring in masonry into the church. No, he was taught by the Apostles who learned if from Christ, during the 40 days after his resurrection, when he appeared to them. Christ's world wide trek, where he wanders around the world in different guises, (Matthew 25), also has hand clasping in the art too, Christ as a Pilgrim, Fra Angelico 1440, case in point in many. When Christ resurrects the dead out of Hades, as in thousands of icons, in iconography. The favorite way to depict this is to show Christ lifting up Adam & Eve up out of Coffins, or an open pit, by hand & wrist grasping. (Isa. 42:5-6; Eph. 4:10-14; 1 Peter 3:15-22; 4:5-6, Anna D. Kartsonis, Anastasis, The Making of An Image, (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1986). The gloves that mason use is not new either, earlier cardinals, and bishops are often depicted with gloves on with monial symbols in the middle of the hand, symbolic of Christ's nail wound. These gloves are clasped in different ways, during the kiss of peace, or in paying homage to the religious leader, including before Christian kings. More could be said about this, but here's a start.
Sources:
Ephesians 6:10-19; Rev. 19:7-14; etc. David's Psalms. The Old Testament is filled with washing away of spots on robes, or washing of the blood of sins, the spotless lamb representing the Messiah. Early Church fathers used these types of Christ's atonement in talking about baptism and the garments used in the mysteries as a type of taking off the old man of sin and putting on spotless and clean white garments of purity. Some of the ones who wrote about this are: Clement of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, Lectures on the Mysteries; Gregory of Nyssa, On The Baptism of Christ; etc.
A. S. Garretson, Primitive Christianity And Early Criticism, (Boston: Sherman, French & Company, 1912).
R. Joseph Hoffmann, (translator) Celsus On The True Doctrine, (A Discourse Against the early Christians), (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).
Robert Louis Wilken, The Christians As The Romans Saw Them, (Yale University Press; New Haven and London, 1984).
Stephen Benko, Pagan Rome And The Early Christians, (Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1984).
T. W. Doane, Bible Myth, And Their Parallels In Other Religions, (New York: The Truth Seeker Company, 1882 & 1910).
W. H. C. Frend, Martyrdom & Persecution In The Early Church, (Garden City, New York: Anchor Books Doubleday & Company, 1967).
Colleen McDannell and Bernhard Lang, Heaven: A History, (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988).
Francis Legge, Forerunners And Rivals Of Christianity, (From 330 B.C. TO 330 A.D.), 2 Volumes as 1, (New Hyde Park, New York: University Books, 1964).
Fredk, WM. Hackwood, F.R.S.L., Christ Lore (Being the Legends, Traditions, Myths, Symbols, & Superstitions of The Christian Church), (London: 1902, republished, Detroit: Gale Research Company, Book Tower, 1969).
George Ferguson, Signs & Symbols In Christian Art, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1959).
Goblet D'Alviella, (The Count), The Migration of Symbols, (Westminster, 1894, reproduced by University Books, 1956).
Hanns Swarzenski, Monuments Of Romanesque Art, The Art of Church Treasures in North-Western Europe, (The University of Chicago Press, 1954 and 2nd, Edition, 1967).
Heather Child and Dorothy Colles, 1971, Christian Symbols Ancient & Modern, (Charles Scribner’s Sons, Great Britain).
Henry Ansgar Kelly, The Devil at baptism: Ritual, Theology, and Drama, (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1985).
John P. Lundy, Monumental Christianity, Or the Art and Symbolism of the Primitive Church, (New York: J. W. Bouton, 1875 & 1882).
Darell Thorpe, The Armor of Gods (Protective Skins or Garments in History & Color Symbolism, (Kindle Edition). Also: The Christ in Santa Claus Unmasked, (Kindle Edition); And: Jesus Christ, The World Wide Wounded Wanderer, (Kindle Edition). Upon Them Hath the Light Shine, (Kindle Edition).
Hand & wrist clasping, like what the masons do, are also seen in thousands of art work all over historic biblical Christianity, which is where the masons get some of their mysteries from. They were the stone carvers of them, and knew what they looked like. They fraternalized them in their Orders. Google image Christ's descent into limbo, hell, hades, the Anastasis, purgatory. Also: The creation of Adam & Eve. Christ's ascension into heaven. Etc. So did Paul bring in masonry into the church. No, he was taught by the Apostles who learned if from Christ, during the 40 days after his resurrection, when he appeared to them. Christ's world wide trek, where he wanders around the world in different guises, (Matthew 25), also has hand clasping in the art too, Christ as a Pilgrim, Fra Angelico 1440, case in point in many. When Christ resurrects the dead out of Hades, as in thousands of icons, in iconography. The favorite way to depict this is to show Christ lifting up Adam & Eve up out of Coffins, or an open pit, by hand & wrist grasping. (Isa. 42:5-6; Eph. 4:10-14; 1 Peter 3:15-22; 4:5-6, Anna D. Kartsonis, Anastasis, The Making of An Image, (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1986). The gloves that mason use is not new either, earlier cardinals, and bishops are often depicted with gloves on with monial symbols in the middle of the hand, symbolic of Christ's nail wound. These gloves are clasped in different ways, during the kiss of peace, or in paying homage to the religious leader, including before Christian kings. More could be said about this, but here's a start.
Sources:
Ephesians 6:10-19; Rev. 19:7-14; etc. David's Psalms. The Old Testament is filled with washing away of spots on robes, or washing of the blood of sins, the spotless lamb representing the Messiah. Early Church fathers used these types of Christ's atonement in talking about baptism and the garments used in the mysteries as a type of taking off the old man of sin and putting on spotless and clean white garments of purity. Some of the ones who wrote about this are: Clement of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, Lectures on the Mysteries; Gregory of Nyssa, On The Baptism of Christ; etc.
A. S. Garretson, Primitive Christianity And Early Criticism, (Boston: Sherman, French & Company, 1912).
R. Joseph Hoffmann, (translator) Celsus On The True Doctrine, (A Discourse Against the early Christians), (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).
Robert Louis Wilken, The Christians As The Romans Saw Them, (Yale University Press; New Haven and London, 1984).
Stephen Benko, Pagan Rome And The Early Christians, (Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1984).
T. W. Doane, Bible Myth, And Their Parallels In Other Religions, (New York: The Truth Seeker Company, 1882 & 1910).
W. H. C. Frend, Martyrdom & Persecution In The Early Church, (Garden City, New York: Anchor Books Doubleday & Company, 1967).
Colleen McDannell and Bernhard Lang, Heaven: A History, (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988).
Francis Legge, Forerunners And Rivals Of Christianity, (From 330 B.C. TO 330 A.D.), 2 Volumes as 1, (New Hyde Park, New York: University Books, 1964).
Fredk, WM. Hackwood, F.R.S.L., Christ Lore (Being the Legends, Traditions, Myths, Symbols, & Superstitions of The Christian Church), (London: 1902, republished, Detroit: Gale Research Company, Book Tower, 1969).
George Ferguson, Signs & Symbols In Christian Art, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1959).
Goblet D'Alviella, (The Count), The Migration of Symbols, (Westminster, 1894, reproduced by University Books, 1956).
Hanns Swarzenski, Monuments Of Romanesque Art, The Art of Church Treasures in North-Western Europe, (The University of Chicago Press, 1954 and 2nd, Edition, 1967).
Heather Child and Dorothy Colles, 1971, Christian Symbols Ancient & Modern, (Charles Scribner’s Sons, Great Britain).
Henry Ansgar Kelly, The Devil at baptism: Ritual, Theology, and Drama, (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1985).
John P. Lundy, Monumental Christianity, Or the Art and Symbolism of the Primitive Church, (New York: J. W. Bouton, 1875 & 1882).
Darell Thorpe, The Armor of Gods (Protective Skins or Garments in History & Color Symbolism, (Kindle Edition). Also: The Christ in Santa Claus Unmasked, (Kindle Edition); And: Jesus Christ, The World Wide Wounded Wanderer, (Kindle Edition). Upon Them Hath the Light Shine, (Kindle Edition).
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