The Rest of the Story
I recieved an e-mail from a fellow blogger who is studying Torah himself. He had a question or a curiosity I said I'd answer on my blog. He is curious as to church history. Our church history as we know it, comes from Eusebius (Ecclesiastical Church History) and the early church fathers. Do we really know the "rest of the story?" Many believe that Constantine is a hero of our faith. He established Christianity in a pagan empire. Do we know what he did to establish it? I was shocked when I found out what really happened. Eusebius firmly believed that the church had replaced the Jews and had become the new Israel. Early church fathers such as Origen, Eusebius, Justin Martyr, Ignatius Bishop of Antioch, John Chrysotom, St. Augustine, etc, had a jewish prejudice. They were anti-semites. They blamed the Jews for the death of our Messiah saying that you put your Messiah to death and now you must suffer the consequences. John Calvin said, "Their (the Jews) rotten and unbending stiffneckedness deserves that they be oppressed and unendingly and without measure or end and that they die in their misery without the pity of anyone." In the mind of the early church fathers, the Jews had committed the unforgivable sin and they were no longer worthy to be called God's chosen people.
Constantine held a council made up of 318 bishops called the council of Nicea. At the council of Nicea, they decided on two main issues. The first concerned the heretical writings of Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria. The second was in respect to the proper keeping of Easter because some were celebrating in the manner of the Jews. In other words, they were celebrating the Passover. While others were celebrating in the manner of fellow christians. Constantine replaced all of the Biblical holy days with pagan holidays. Passover was replaced with Easter. Easter would be celebrated on an ecclesiastical Sunday rather than the date of the fourteenth of Nisan given in God's biblical calendar. Constantine went on to say,
"...it seemed to everyone a most unworthy thing that we should follow the custom of the Jews of this most holy solemnity, who, - polluted wretches! - having stained their hands with a nefarious crime are justly blinded in their minds. It is fit, therefore, that rejecting the practice of this people, we should perpetuate to all future ages the celebration of this rite, Easter in a more legitimate order...Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews...In pursuing this course with a unanimous consent, let us withdraw ourselves...from that most odious fellowship."
Thus Rome axed God's holy feast day, Passover. The rest of the holy days were soon to follow. It was soon heresy to practice them upon the threat of death.There is so much more to this historical story. I will cover the rest at an appropriate time. History is still repeating itself today.
Sources:
Gruber, Dan. "The Church and the Jews."
Catholicism 1
Catholicism 2
posted by Matt @ 1:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Sources Matt. Where are your sources? If you are going to advocate some kind of historical revisionism, you need to cite your sources. And they better be trustworthy sources.
While I think it is contemptable that Anti-Semitism was practiced by the Church fathers, (especially because ff Jesus hadn't died, we would be lost in our sin forever; if anything we ought to be thankful that he allowed the Jews to have him crucified) I think it is very unfair to condemn the practice of a holiday which celebrates the death and resurrection of Christ. Passover, while not irrelevant, is no longer the focal point of the faith. Jesus Christ is the focus and the central point of the faith. Without him we have nothing. Without passover and with Christ, there is still everything we need. If you could pick one celebration, the celebration of the Jewish passover, or the celebration of the death and the resurrection of Christ, (without which our faith is futile) which one would you pick?
My faith requires the resurrection of Christ to me worth anything at all. Does it matter that a few of the Church Fathers may have been anti-semitic? Not really. I do not have to participate in their anti-semitism; just because something begins in anti-semitism does not taint the whole celebration. What matters is that Christ remains the focus of my faith. Thus, I will continue to celebrate Easter, because it serves as a reminder of the sacrifice that God made for me. If I celebrate passover, it will not be because it is required of me or because it is important, it will be because it is sometimes helpful to remember and understand the traditions from whence my faith came.
Here are a couple of sources for you:
Dan Gruber, "The Church and the Jews"
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11044a.htm
Matt,
I was still waking up when I read it - I want to apologize for claiming that you were advocating historical revisionism, thats a pretty bold claim, and one that I can't support. I don't know enough about the early church fathers to make that claim.
But thanks for the sources, I'll check them out.
Hello Matt and all,
I pose to you and others that the context and meaning of these ancient texts have been lost on those confused by the assertions of religious leaders and founders. Ancient wisdom has been purposely recast and obfuscated into religion and mysticism. Consequently, the interpretations presented about the sources and meaning of these texts and the philosophy and cosmology of ancient Hebrew sages is completely wrong. Before you scoff and write me off, you should understand that I speak from personal experience...
Understanding the Fatal Flaws in Judeo-Christian-Islamic Prophecy
Remember the saying that "the truth will set you (and others) free?" How does "opening one's eyes to the truth" relate to "making the blind see again" or "shining the light" or "illuminating a subject?" Notice the inherent symbolism associated with this supposed New Testament "miracle?"
As certain world leaders strive to instigate a fabricated "battle of Armageddon," it is vital to understand and spread the truth about these ancient texts to help bring about an end to such abominable evil. You can never expect philosophies based on lies and great error to lead to peace and harmony. How many more millennia of terrible proof is necessary before humanity finally gets a clue that most have been utterly deceived by the very concept of religion.
Without it, Bush, the Neo-Cons, and their cohorts could never have gained and retained political power by manipulating an already deluded and susceptible constituency. Likewise, their thinly veiled partners in crime, Bin Laden and his ilk, could never have succeeded in their roles in this centuries-old Vatican-led grand deception.
We are all trapped by a web of deception formed by money, religion, and politics. The great evils that bedevil us all will never cease until humanity finally awakens, shakes off these strong delusions, and forges a new path to the future.
Here is Wisdom...
Peace...
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