History of the Church

[Amandine]

I'm sure you get asked this a lot, let's go through one more time now :

I've been reading a lot of information from Messianics that the whole Catholic church (the very beginning here ) unreasonably persecuted Jewish believers and developed doctrines based not on the teachings of the Apostles, but ones that incorporated pagan doctrine (omophagia) and heedlessly ignored biblical traditions. Please give me ample reasons, resources, and etc. to tell me this isn't true!!! I don't want to fall into heresy.
-Catherine

 

[Peter]

Well, let's see. The Catholic church, that being Rome alone, did not come into being, as it were, until about 1054. However, the catholic church (read:universal) has been around since the beginning. Of course it was illegal to be a christian for the first 300 years of the life of the church. These christians didn't have time to be picking on anybody. From history we know that the non-believing Jews developed an oath that was to be said before entering the synagogue. This oath denied Jesus as the Messiah and made it impossible for christians to enter. The NT makes it clear that the disciples continued to go to the synagogue and temple, and were even allowed to partcipate.

I would be interested to know their sources. Are there any listed?

Peace.

Peter

 

[Oblio]

• A Pocket Church History
  
• History of The Orthodox Church - I
  
• History of The Orthodox Church - II
  
• Writings of the Early Church Fathers
  

 

[Amandine]

Peter: I would be interested in learning more about this oath.

Oblio: Good links, the first one especially. The last is outdated or something.

Okay, some websites that shortly give this ideas are:
http://www.messiahharvest.net/html/jewish_roots/histmjs5.html
http://www.shofar.org/shalom/8701_forgotten_history_mj.htm
http://home.att.net/~tnt_robinson/wsb/SeedsOfSep3.htm (this one isn't as good)

Urk..I thought I had some more. Maybe I was just thinking of posts on the MJ board.
-Catherine

 

[Amandine]

http://www.christianforums.com/t61539 Questioning the New Testament writer Paul

MJ's also don't believe in communion as most Christians know it.

Oh man, I'm so screwed...
I'm too easily swayed by convincing arguments. Pray for me, a sinner.
-Catherine

 

[Oblio]

Oblio: Good links, the first one especially. The last is outdated or something.

Ooops, forgot a .org

Writings of the Early Church Fathers

 

[Peter]

The Church’s understanding had been that under the New Covenant the Torah/law of Moses has been done away with. Yeshua said that He did not come to abolish the law but to bring to us it’s fullness (see
Matthew 5:17). Yeshua brought out the heart intent of the law, not just observance of it, empty of meaning. The New testament itself has all kinds of social, legal, moral laws! So really, we are all "under God's directives".

This was taken from the first of the web sites given by cbrickell. The authors' contention that "the church" believes...shows a very Western, Protestant view as to what is true and what is not. The EOC teaches that Jesus fulfills the OT law. He is the only one who completely fulfills all of the Psalms.

It should be noted, however, that the practice of certain rituals, or observance of certain festivals, has been eliminated. We do not observe, per se, Rosh Hashana or Purim or Feast of Tabernacles. The meaning of these feasts has come to pass. We no longer need the type because we have the reality.
As Fr. Alexander Schmemen said, "Christianity is the end of religion." All of the OT feasts were not the reality, they were mere shadows (Heb. 8:5). However, the eucharist, baptism, divine liturgy are real. They are not mere religious observance, they are a way we really commune with God. For we EO, liturgy is not what we WILL be doing in Heaven, it IS entering Heaven itself.

I never heard so much of the OT in church until I became Orthodox. It seems that most of our prayers are based on, or come directly from, the OT. And of course, our style of worship can be found in temple worship and the book of Isaiah.

I would like to point out that my priest's wife grew up in an orthodox Jewish home. She is one of three daughters. Two of the girls are married to Orthodox Christian priests. As she has pointed out to me many times, much of what is done in EO practice reminds her of her upbringing.

It is my full belief that the EO church has faithfully preserved, and practiced, the teachings of our Lord and Savior and is the "fulness of Him who fills all in all." (Eph. 1:23)

There's much more I would like to say, but I'm afraid that if I did I would stray from defending to attacking. I have no wish to do that.

Peace.

Peter

 

[Reader Nilus]

Aly Zadurowicz wrote in: Messianic Jewish History:
Messianic Judaism
1. we are still Jews and 2. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah-for All!

St Paul writes in the Galatians 3: 27-29
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
What Mr. Zadurowicz says goes directly against what St Paul wrote. It must be remembered that St Paul was a student of the great Rabbi Gamaliel, and as St Paul wrote himself in Galatians 1:14, I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. So when St Paul writes there is neither Jew nor Greek, we are not reading someone with a bone to pick with Judaism as such.
Jeff the Finn

 

[Amandine]

Bump...