Church of God News

Happening now: the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Thousands of Eastern Orthodox Christians from around the world participate in the Holy Fire Ceremony in Jerusalem 🇮🇱

We wish all those celebrating Orthodox Easter a meaningful and peaceful… pic.twitter.com/QRYZKqfegR

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 4, 2024

COGwriter

Tomorrow is celebrated as Pascha by the Eastern/Greek Orthodox (which is the Greek word for Passover) and is known as ‘Easter‘ to Protestants and Roman Catholics. The day before (which is today this year) they believe a miracle occurs, which they call ‘Holy Fire.’ Here is something related to it:

May 4, 2024

In an annual ceremony revered by Orthodox Christians as a key part of Easter celebrations, the “Holy Fire” appeared in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on May 4.

Orthodox Christians believe that the “Holy Fire” appears at Easter in the church as a result of a Divine intervention, and regard the event as miraculous.

Occurrences of miraculous flames are recorded in texts dating back to the fourth century CE, though the “Holy Fire” ritual became formalised later. …

Eastern Orthodox Christianity is alone in recognising the validity of the “Holy Fire”.

The event is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church, with a Pope several centuries ago having dismissed it as a fraud and thus heretical. The world’s second-largest group of Christians, Protestants, also do not recognise it as legitimate. https://sofiaglobe.com/2024/05/04/orthodox-easter-2024-holy-fire-appears-at-holy-sepulchre-church-in-jerusalem/

This ceremony was not part of the original Christian faith and is a fraud.

For over a decade, I have denounced this and said it was “not a miracle” (Thiel B. Orthodox Being Misled About “Holy Fire.” COGwriter, April 4, 2010) and back in 2015 I posted:

Eastern/Greek Orthodox … believe that ‘Holy Fire’ arrived again today … of course, real Christians do not believe that the above ceremony is a God-ordained miracle. The Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem should have the integrity to tell people the truth about this, but never does. (Thiel B. Orthodox ‘Holy Fire miracle’. COGwriter, April 11, 2015)

Well, a few years after I posted that, someone wrote a book where he mentions that, privately, various members of the Orthodox clergy admitted that this was a fraud.

His reward for publishing the truth?

He was sued! In late March 2024, he went to court.

Here is some information about that:

Journalist Dimitris Alikakos is the man accused by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of demeaning the tradition by spreading “fake news.” …

In his book, he presents an interview with the skeuophylax Archbishop Isidoros of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in which the latter admits that the “Sleepless Candle”, which he, himself, puts into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the morning of the Holy Saturday, is ignited by him with a lighter.

The former (1984–1988) skeuophylax (chamberlain) Archbishop Nikiforos makes the same acknowledgement, except that he was using matches.

He said he would never accept that the Holy Fire was a miracle. “Miracles happen when God decides, Not when we decide… Such “miracles” are performed by charlatans and magicians, not the Church.

“Our faith cannot be based on scams,” Nikiforos said. https://greekreporter.com/2024/03/21/holy-fire-jerusalem-miracle-or-scam/

Greek investigative journalist Dimitris Alikakos published a book titled Redemption—The Case of the Holy Fire in 2019. In it, he claims the holy fire springs up not from a miraculous beam of light but from a man with a lighter. Some of his journalistic methods were deceptive. But among other testimonies, he managed to obtain a video, now on the Internet, of Archbishop Isidoros, custodian and abbot of the holy sepulchre, stating how the candle gets lit. Alikakos asked Isidoros: “You go in, light [the fire] over the Holy Sepulchre, and leave [it] to be found lit by the patriarch. Is it so or not?” The answer? “So it is.” Later in the interview, Isidoros admitted, “It’s not a miracle.”

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem took Alikakos to court on March 20. According to Balkan Insight, the lawsuit claims, “As a result of the book’s publication, many Orthodox believers have increasingly doubted their priests.”

“The plaintiffs have tried to hide the truth,” Alikakos told the media. “I feel great joy and satisfaction that their video testimonies were heard in court today, where they confess that the holy fire lights up naturally,” as opposed to supernaturally. (Zekic MS. Playing With Fake Fire. Philadelphia Trumpet, May-June 2024)

Consider that the Orthodox priests also teach that theirs is the original faith, which it is not, hence they should be doubted (for details see the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? and/or the article: Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God).

Consider also the following from decades ago:

Mystery of Jerusalem’s Holy Fire comes to light

Telegraph, London – April 16, 2001 By Alan Philps in Jerusalem

… one Armenian torch-bearer, Soukias Tchilingirian, felt the truth had to be told. He said: “It’s not a miracle. The Greek priests bring in a lamp – one that has been kept burning for 1,500 years – to produce the Holy Fire. For pilgrims full of faith who come from abroad, it is a fire from Heaven, a true miracle. But not for us. Of course the source of the fire is ancient and symbolic. I heard this from my father and I think he knew the truth.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/1311064/Mystery-of-Jerusalems-Holy-Fire-comes-to-light.html

As it turns out, Dimitris Alikakos was acquitted (not found guilty) on March 29, 2024 :

On Friday, Dimitris Alikakos, a Greek journalist, walked out of court in Athens without the shadow of prosecution for the first time in almost half a decade.

His alleged crime: debunking miracles. …

In 2018, Alikakos traveled to Jerusalem to investigate the ritual, which takes place every year.

“It was never mentioned by the early church, or by the apostolic or later fathers in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th century,” Alikakos’ lawyer, Athanasios Anagnostopoulos, said. “It was never sanctioned as an article of faith by the ecumenical councils. In fact, it was initially a Frankish belief that emerged in the Middle Ages.”

Alikakos told RNS that it was his own religious background that led him to the Investigation. “My father was an Orthodox priest, and he first talked to me about the fraud of the Holy Fire,” he said. …

The Patriarchate soon opened both criminal and civil cases against Alikakos and his publisher, charging them with defamation, confidentiality violations and personal data violations. They also brought a case against Google in an attempt to have Alikakos’ video removed from YouTube.

At the time, the church claimed that amongst their damages was that the Orthodox faithful would be led to doubt their priests.

The patriarchate as an organization soon backed off the case, but Archbishop Isodoros had kept up the criminal charges against Alikakos until the journalist was finally acquitted of all charges on Friday. … Alikakos said he welcomed the attention the trial brought to his investigation. “The plaintiffs have tried to hide the truth. I feel great joy and satisfaction that their video testimonies were heard in court today, where they confess that the Holy Fire lights up naturally,” …

Though the matter ended in an acquittal, its longevity speaks to the powerful position the Orthodox church still holds in Greece, whose constitution deems it the “prevailing religion” of the modern Greek state.

In recent years, Greek secularists have fought to decouple the church from Greece’s public education system, …

“Essentially, today Greek secular justice decides whether it will sever the ties of our country with the Middle Ages or whether it will continue to blindly face eternally uncontrolled and unscrupulous monstrous fraudsters, as long as the latter wear a ‘rassa,’” said Petros Tatsopoulos, a Greek journalist and former parliamentarian, using the Greek word for cassock. https://religionnews.com/2024/03/29/five-years-after-challenging-miracle-of-holy-fire-greek-journalist-is-acquitted/

Yes, religious fraud is actually one reason that there are secularists.

Here is more information about the history, etc. about the Orthodox fire:

Where and when does the miracle occur?

The ceremony … takes place in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. The date for Pascha is determined anew for every year. It must be a first Sunday after the spring equinox and Jewish Passover. Therefore, most of the time it differs from the date of Catholic and Protestant Easter, which is determined using different criteria. The Holy Fire is the most renowned miracle in the world of Eastern Orthodoxy. It has taken place at the same time, in the same manner, in the same place every single year for centuries. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. It happens in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the holiest place on earth[2], where Christ was crucified, entombed, and where He finally rose from the dead. …

Typically they wait from the afternoon of Holy Friday in anticipation of the miracle on Holy Saturday. Beginning at around 11:00 in the morning the Christian Arabs chant traditional hymns in a loud voice. These chants date back to the Turkish occupation of Jerusalem in the 13th century, a period in which the Christians were not allowed to chant anywhere but in the churches. “We are the Christians, we have been Christians for centuries, and we shall be forever and ever. Amen!” – they chant at the top of their voices accompanied by the sound of drums. The drummers sit on the shoulders of others who dance vigorously around the Holy Ciborium. But at 1:00 pm the chants fade out, and then there is a silence. A tense silence, charged from the anticipation of the great demonstration of God’s power for all to witness. Shortly thereafter, a delegation from the local authorities elbows its way through the crowd. At the time of the Turkish occupation of Palestine they were Muslim Turks; today they are Israelis. Their function is to represent the Romans at the time of Jesus. The Gospels speak of the Romans that went to seal the tomb of Jesus, so that his disciples would not steal his body and claim he had risen. In the same way the Israeli authorities on this Holy Saturday come and seal the tomb with wax. Before they seal the door, they follow a custom to enter the tomb, and to check for any hidden source of fire, which would make a fraud of the miracle. (http://www.holyfire.org/eng/, viewed 04/11/15)

Irrespective of where Jesus was killed, entombed, and rose from the dead, the Bible does not endorse that the possibility that leaders of the Eastern/Greek Orthodox could be involved in regular true miracles from Him. Furthermore, according to the Bible, the Passover is to be observed at night and on the 14th day of the first month of the biblical calendar–Eastern Orthodox scholars know this, but ignore when and how the true Passover is to be observed.

Of course, real Christians do not believe that the ‘Holy Fire’ ceremony is a God-ordained miracle. The Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem should have the integrity to publicly admit the truth about this, but as his court attempts show, that it not what he wanted done. The Bible itself warns about deceivers and forms of deception (2 Timothy 3:13).

In 2013, Wikipedia had the following statements:

Holy Fire

The Holy Fire (Greek Ἃγιον Φῶς, “Holy Light“) is described by Christians as a miracle that occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter.

Description

Orthodox tradition holds that the Holy Fire is a miracle that happens annually on the day preceding Orthodox Easter, in which a blue light emanates either from the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or from the slab believed to be the “Stone of Anointing” upon which Jesus’ body was prepared for burial, which eventually forms a column containing a form of fire, from which candles are lit, which are then used to light the candles of the clergy and pilgrims in attendance. Pilgrims and clergy claim that the Holy Fire does not burn them.

The Holy Fire is brought to certain Orthodox countries, such as in Georgia, Greece, Russia, Belarus, Cyprus, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Macedonia, every year by special flights, being received with honors by state leaders at the respective airports.

History

The Holy Fire is first mentioned by the pilgrim Bernard the Monk, in 870 AD.[5] A detailed description of this phenomenon is contained in the travelogue of the Russian hegumen Daniil (Daniel), who was present at the ceremony in 1106 AD…

Criticism

As with all alleged miracles, many question the validity of the Holy Fire, noting, for instance, that cold-handed pilgrims generally withstand the fire for the same very brief periods of time as can be achieved with any fire.

Criticism dates at least to the days of Islamic rule of Jerusalem, but the pilgrims were never stopped, because of the significant revenue they brought to local governments even at the end of the first millennium. When the apparently uninitiated Crusaders took over the Orthodox clergy in charge of the fire, it failed to appear, increasing the skepticism among Western Christians. But feeling the lack of pilgrim revenues, Baldwin I of Jerusalem reinstated the Orthodox priests in charge, and the fire, as well as the stream of revenues, returned.

In 1238, Pope Gregory IX denounced the Holy Fire as a fraud and forbade Franciscans from participating in the ceremony.

The Ottoman traveller, Evliya Celebi, claimed that a hidden zinc jar of naphtha was dripped down a chain by a hidden monk…

Dobrokhotov and other critics, including Russian Orthodox researcher Nikolay Uspensky,Dr. Aleksandr Musin of Sorbonne, and some Old Believers quote excerpts from the diaries of Bishop Porphyrius (Uspensky) (1804–1885) which told that the clergy in Jerusalem knew that the Holy Fire was fraudulent. (Holy Fire. Wikipedia, May 5, 2013)

So, this ‘holy fire’ event supposedly began over eight centuries after the resurrection of Jesus. Hence, it is certainly not an original Christian practice, and I (and many others) have long asserted that it is NOT a miracle from God.

Why is there any importance of this at this Church of God News page?

Now, despite the hoax of ‘Holy Fire,’ the Bible warns that someone will come with signs and lying wonders to mislead the world:

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)

Notice that almost all will be deceived by the coming signs.

Furthermore, notice that “fire from heaven” will be one of those signs:

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. (Revelation 13:11-14)

Yes, someone will be able to bring real fire down from heaven (through demonic assistance–cf. Revelation 16:14)–this and certain other signs will NOT be faked.

By historically believing in “holy fire” many Orthodox have unknowingly been setting themselves up to accept the signs and lying wonders that the Bible warns about. The acceptance of signs and lying wonders over the truth of the Bible is part of Satan’s Plan. All, including the non-Orthodox, need to understand that signs and wonders are NOT of themselves proof that something is of God, including the annual ritual of “holy fire.”

So, when reports come out about this prophecy in Revelation 13:13 being fulfilled, please realize that just because fire is shown, does not mean that God caused it nor that the religion that the beast will be promoting is the true one.

Yet, at least partially because of that deception, most of humanity will, for a time, accept a compromised religion that IS NOT “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

DO NOT FALL FOR IT!

Anyway, God HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDING HOLY FIRE ON THESE ORTHODOX ANNUAL SATURDAYS. Those who believe that He did are deceived.

Of course, even if you are not Eastern Orthodox, you need to consider whether or not you believe and practice the original faith that is laid out in the Bible (see Continuing History of the Church of God), and even if you somewhat do, if you are supporting the truest Christian church (see Where is the True Christian Church Today?).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, and Early Heresies and Heretics, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, and Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, and Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins? There is also a detailed YouTube video available titled History of the Christian Passover.
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? Where did Easter come from? What do scholars and the Bible reveal? Here is a link to a video titled Why Easter?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the CCOG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are? Here is a link to a related sermon: Eastern Orthodox 40+ Similar Beliefs to the CCOG.
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? There is also a video: Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui? Here is a link to a short animation: Which Church would Jesus Choose?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

COGwriter

In his May 2024 newsletter, Mike Gendron has the following:

Why Are Protestants Becoming Catholics?

In our 33 years of proclaiming the Gospel to Catholics, we have observed a very troubling trend. Protestants, who once embraced the Gospel of grace, are departing from the faith to join the Catholic Church. The most scandalous defection occurs when Protestants marry Catholics. Four out of five times, in these mixed marriages, the protestant converts to Catholicism. Such dreadful apostasy is described by the apostle John this way. “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). The false converts who departed from the church were giving evidence of their unregenerate condition. This disturbing apostasy is not only a departure from the church of the apostles, but also a departure from the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel. As these defections continue, let us consider five apparent causes.

Unity Accords Between Catholics and Evangelicals

The pope’s ecumenical agenda is seducing Evangelical leaders to join hands with Catholics to reverse the Reformation and reunite all Christians together. This ecumenical unity movement is slamming the professing church like a tidal wave and many Evangelicals are being deceived into believing the Catholic Church is a Christian denomination made up of brothers and sisters in Christ. Many are being deceived by the pro-Catholic prayer app called Hallow that encourages prayers to Mary and guardian angels. Hallow is being promoted by Fox News, Good Morning America and yes, even The View. Celebrities, such as Candace Owen, are becoming Catholic as reported in this video. We need to expose these evil deeds of darkness that dishonor Christ and His Word.The truth must be told! The Roman Catholic Church is an apostate religion. It dogmatically departed from the apostolic faith at the Council of Trent.

Warnings Are Being Withheld or Avoided

Very few Evangelical pastors are alerting and warning their congregations that the false and fatal gospel of the Catholic Church is leading people down the wide road to destruction (Mat. 7:21-23). Very few youth pastors are warning their teenagers of the potential dangers of getting romantically involved with Catholics. It also appears that very few parents are warning their children about dating Catholics. It is for these reasons we get so many 9-1-1 calls from parents pleading for help because their son or daughter is engaged to a Catholic. Often we find out they never warned them about the powerful indoctrination and stubborn pride that keeps Catholics trapped in the worst kind of religious deception. Perhaps readers of this article will see the importance of sending this newsletter to pastors and parents to warn them of the grave dangers that can arise from remaining silent.

Disobedience to God and His Word

When born-again Christians become united in marriage with Catholics, they are disobeying God. His Word explicitly declares, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14-15). Of course, if neither the Protestant or Catholic has been born again, they are equally yoked and both continue to abide in the kingdom of darkness.

Compromise for the Sake of Peace and Unity

Protestant men who convert to Catholicism for the sake of peace with their Catholic wives do not know the strife and conflict that awaits them. They need to know that God has appointed men to be the spiritual leaders of their homes. He will hold men accountable for leading their family into the idolatrous and deceptive traditions of an apostate religion. Yet, Protestants, who once stood on the truth of God’s Word, are the ones who most often compromise their faith. Catholics, who embrace doctrines of demons, are the ones who refuse to compromise (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Protestants, who are commanded to earnestly contend for the Gospel, are the ones who foolishly give in to the distorted gospel of Catholicism (Gal. 1:6-9). Protestants, who were once sanctified by the truth, are the ones who most often submit to the lies of the Catholic religion.

Ignorance of Catholicism’s False and Fatal Gospel

There are many Christians who are unaware of how many Catholic traditions stand opposed to God’s Gospel. However, ignorance and lack of discernment is no excuse. No one should ever join a religion that rejects these glorious truths:

• the inspired Word of God as the supreme authority for faith and truth (2 Tim. 3:16)
• the perfect, all-sufficient and finished work of Christ’s redemption (John 19:30; Heb. 7:25)
• the Gospel of grace and its promise of eternal life (1 John 5:13; 1 Cor. 15:1-4)
• the glorious promise that there is no condemnation for those in Christ (Rom. 8:1)
• the Lord Jesus Christ as the one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5)

There are many more biblical doctrines that are rejected by the Roman Catholic Church that can be found in our Gospel tract Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition.

When this ministry first started, our mission was to equip and encourage the Body of Christ to effectively and faithfully evangelize Roman Catholics throughout the world. Now there is another equally important mission. We must also educate Evangelicals about Catholicism’s heresies and urge them to oppose the pope’s agenda for ecumenical unity by earnestly contending for the Gospel. May God help us fight the good fight of faith and remain sanctified by the truth of His Word!

Why are Protestants becoming Greco-Roman Catholics? Here is a partial list:

1) The Protestant religion is also highly based on tradition. For proof, check out our free online book: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.

2) There are sometimes, particularly in Europe, political, personal, and/or career benefits to do so.

3) Protestants do not fully understand nor teach the full gospel. More on the gospel can be found in our free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

4) Protestants never had the “faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), so many do not see compromising with the Roman Catholics as anything worse.

5) An ecumenical deception is prophesied, which will worsen, for those like the Protestants, that do not have the love of the truth (cf.2 Thessalonians 2:8-11).

Mike Gendron also went into more doctrinal warnings:

Scripture Proves Eucharist Is a False Christ

Catholics are taught that the Lord Jesus returns to the earth every day to continue His work of redemption on altars around the world. The Catechism teaches the Eucharist contains “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” Catholic priest John O’Brien describes it this way: “When the priest announces the words of consecration, he reaches up into the heavens, brings Christ down from His throne, and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the Victim for the sins of man. It is a power greater than that of saints and angels. The priest speaks and Christ, the eternal and omnipotent God, bows his head in humble obedience to the priest’s command.”

According to God’s Word, the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is utterly and completely false and those who worship it are committing the most serious sin of idolatry. The Lord Jesus warned, “If anyone says to you, ‘behold here is the Christ’ do not believe him.” (Mat. 24:23). We know Jesus does not return everyday because God’s Word says He “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin” (Heb. 9:28). He will not return until “immediately after the tribulation” (Mat. 24:29-30). And yes, He will return in a body, not a wafer, “the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Plenary Indulgence for Worship of Eucharist

A decree approved by Pope Francis declares that a plenary indulgence will be granted to those who participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage between May 17 and July 16, 2024. It will also be granted to the elderly, infirm, and all those who cannot leave their homes for a serious reason and who participate in spirit. Catholics may also apply this indulgence to the souls of the faithful departed in Purgatory. According to the Catholic Church, a plenary indulgence is the remission of all the temporal punishment due to sin.

This deceptive hoax created by the Catholic Church can be traced back to the first lie of Satan. In the Garden of Eden, the devil promised Eve “You surely will not die” if you break God’s command (Gen. 3:4). In the same way, the Catholic clergy deceives its people with the doctrine of demons that “venial sins” do not cause death, only temporal punishment. Catholics are instructed to accept the temporal punishment of sin as a grace. This lie led to the lie of indulgences which is said to remit the temporal punishment for venial sin.

We plead with Catholics to turn to the true Christ as their all-sufficient Savior! He cancels the certificate of debt for all sins to those who repent and believe His Gospel of grace (Col. 2:13-14)

We plead with all who claim to be Christian “to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

That faith did NOT:

1) Include a round Eucharistic host. For details, check out the articles: Marcus, the Marcosians, & Mithraism: Developers of the Greco-Roman Eucharist? and Early Christianity and the Eucharist?

2) Include idolatry. For details, check out the article: What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons?

3) Observe Passover more than once per year. The repeated Eucharist is supposed to be related to Jesus’ and Passover. See also: Passover and the Early Church and Early Christianity and the Eucharist?

4) Teach purgatory or plenary indulgences. or details, check out the article: Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory?

5) Teach that tradition was above or equal to scripture. For details, check out the article: Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings

Although Greco-Roman Catholics claim to have preserved the original Christian faith, their scholars realize that they changed it. That is documented in the book Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church.

We also put out related sermons.

Here are a list of all the sermons directly tied to the Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church book:

1. Original Catholic Church of God?
2. Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover
3. What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?
4. Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy
5. Early Heresies and Heretics
6. Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats
7. Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?
8. The Godhead
9. Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession
10. Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List
11. Holy Mother Church and Heresies
12. Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs

This book and the available sermons are intended to help us to instruct many and answer many who have a professing Christian background:

33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; (Daniel 11:33, NKJV)

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. (1 Peter 3:15-16, KJV)

So, yes, this information is important for you to know, presuming you wish to be one who understands and obeys God’s word.

If you missed any of the sermons, or wish to re-watch any, hopefully the list will make that easier for you.

Many with a Worldwide Church of God, or other Church of God background, may be surprised to learn who the true Christian leaders said the original catholic church was.

If you are interested in church history and what happened with the original church, you may also wish to read the book, which is available free online at the following link: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church.

The Continuing Church of God is NOT Greco-Roman Catholic, but neither is it Protestant. For some of the reasons why we are NOT Protestant, check out the free online book, Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs.
Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 160 different languages there.

Catholic rendition of ‘Mary’

COGwriter

In a May newsletter, Mike Gendron had the following:

Another Mary, Quite Contrary

Catholics not only worship another Jesus and believe another gospel, they also embrace another Mary. In 1854, Pope Pius IX established the immaculate conception of Mary as an infallible dogma, which states Mary was preserved from inheriting original sin. The dogma encourages all Catholics: “to venerate, invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin. And since she has been appointed by God to be the Queen of heaven and earth, and is exalted above all the choirs of angels and saints, and even stands at the right hand of her only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner. What she asks, she obtains. Her pleas can never be unheard.”

This heretical dogma has established Mary as a co-redeemer with Christ and co-mediator with Him. This makes her another way to approach God. She replaces the Holy Spirit in bestowing aid and comfort to believers. In effect, she has been given many divine attributes, including Mother of the eternal Son of God. Scripture has very little to say about Mary. When she appears with the other believers on the day of Pentecost, she’s not an object of worship or even a leader in the early church. There are no occasions of anyone ever praying to her, honoring her, or venerating her. Peter preached that it is Jesus who is at the right hand of God, not Mary at Christ’s right hand, as the papal dogma declares (Acts 2:33). She is never mentioned in any presentation of the Gospel. Jesus Christ alone is our Redeemer, Deliverer, Mediator and Advocate. He alone is to be worshiped, adored, honored and praised, now and throughout all eternity! May Catholics repent of their distortion of Mary and put their trust in Jesus, the only sinless Mediator!

May is a month that the Church of Rome dedicates to their version of Mary. A version that differs from what the Bible teaches. A version that needs to be warned against.

Here is some information:

For Mary’s month of May, Pope Francis has recommended the “simple and effective” prayer of the rosary.

At his weekly General Audience this morning, May 3, 2017, Francis gave pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square this advice: “At the beginning of May, let us invoke the heavenly intercession of Mary, Mother of Jesus.”

During his greetings to Polish pilgrims, the Pope invited the crowd to applaud the Virgin Mary “Queen of Poland” on the day of the national holiday.

While to young people, Francis urged, “learn to pray with the simple and effective prayer of the rosary,” to sick people, he encouraged, “may the Blessed Virgin be your support in the trial of suffering.” 05/03/17 https://zenit.org/articles/for-marys-month-of-may-pope-suggests-simple-effective-prayer-of-rosary/

Of course, only Jesus is our intercessor/mediator:

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5, NKJV).

For there is one God, one also mediator of God and men, man Christ JESUS (1 Timothy 2:5, RNT).

Thus any others who claim to be a mediator clearly contradict the Bible (from both the Roman Catholic and Protestant translations) and CANNOT BE OF GOD.

The so-called ‘Lady of Fatima,’ which showed itself to three young children in Portugal on May 13, 1917 (which Pope Francis wants to celebrate on May 13, 2017), urged people to pray the rosary. Few seem to realize the origin of the rosary. The rosary is not mentioned in the Bible but was added because of a “private Catholic prophecy” to the Catholic church over 1000 years after it was founded (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.9).

Some feel that the rosary either came from St. Dominic or later Dominicans as the result of an apparition:

Some histories of the rosary claim this tradition, too, originated with Saint Dominic. One legend holds that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Dominic in the church of Prouille, in 1208, and gave the rosary to him. However, other sources dispute this attribution and suggest that its roots were in the preaching of Alan de Rupe between 1470-1475. (Saint Dominic. New World Encyclopedia. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Saint_Dominic viewed 06/29/11 )

Here is information from The Catholic Encyclopedia on the development of the rosary:

Impressed by this conspiracy of silence, the Bollandists, on trying to trace to its source the origin of the current tradition, found that all the clues converged upon one point, the preaching of the Dominican Alan de Rupe about the years 1470-75. He undoubtedly was the one who first suggested the idea that the devotion of “Our Lady’s Psalter” (a hundred and fifty Hail Mary’s) was instituted or revived by St. Dominic. Alan was a very earnest and devout man, but, as the highest authorities admit, he was full of delusions, and based his revelations on the imaginary testimony of writers that never existed (see Quetif and Echard, “Scriptores O.P.”, 1, 849).

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to suggest three videos on our YouTube channel called Bible New Prophecy which explains some of the risks associated with Marianism:

Photo from Temple Institute Newsletter April 26, 2024

COGwriter

Israel365News reported the following:

April 26, 2024

On Thursday, the third intermediary day of Passover, Levites gathered in Jerusalem to reenact their musical role in the Temple. A group of about two dozen Levites gathered in the Old City to practice their singing while wearing garments designed for use by the Temple musicians in the Third Temple. …

The Levites also blew silver trumpets that had been prepared for use in the Third Temple. …

In the Bible, the tribe of Levi included Moses and Aaron. Kohanim (priests) are descendants of Aaron and his descendants became a subset of the tribe of Levi. The other members of the tribe were chosen by God to forfeit their portions of land in Israel and to serve in the Temple. The Levites performed various functions in the Temple …

The Gaon of Vilna (an 18th-century Torah sage) said that the Temple music would be the last secret to be revealed before the Messiah. https://israel365news.com/389687/levites-tune-up-for-the-third-temple/

Another item Jews think is necessary for the Messiah to come is having an acceptable red heifer. Some Jews claim that the Messiah will sacrifice a red heifer–but that is NOT something Jesus will do upon His return (cf. Hebrews 9:11-14).

Jews, of course, should accept Jesus. Related to proof from the Hebrew scriptures as well as Jewish traditions, the Continuing Church of God put out this sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:12:35

Jesus for Jews?

Since there are at least 200 scriptures in the Hebrew Bible that Jesus fulfilled, why do most Jews not accept Jesus as the prophesied Messiah? Is the claim in the Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906 that “there appears to be no evidence of any Jewish conception of a Messiah suffering through and for his people” true or misleading? What do Jewish writings, including those in the Babylonian Talmud (Mishnah and Gemara) and various Targums reveal? What about the Dead Sea Scrolls? Was the timing of Jesus’ arrival and death consistent with any Jewish writings or records? Do any Jewish writings point to Jesus miraculously healing the sick? Do ancient Jewish writings tell of the Messiah who would offer Himself to take away the sins of Israel? Do Jewish writings tell of Messiah son of Joseph dying to later be resurrected? Do any Jewish writings point to Messiah son of David coming in the clouds, like 1 Thessalonians 4 does? Are there Jewish writings claimed to be related to the archangel Gabriel which tells of a resurrection after three days? If the Jews believed the Old Testament and certain of their writings, shouldn’t they accept Jesus as the prophesied Messiah? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters.

Here is a link to our sermon: Jesus for Jews?

Getting back to red heifer matters, certain Jews believe that a red heifer must be sacrificed before daily sacrifices can be started.

Let me state that we know that the daily sacrifices will be re-implemented by certain Jews as the prophet Daniel was inspired to write numerous times that they would be stopped:

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering … (Daniel 9:27)

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.  (Daniel 12:11)

So, we see that after a deal is made, 3 1/2 years later, sacrifices will be stopped. By who? Well, the “he” above was called a “prince” in Daniel 9:26 and will become the King of the North Beast leader as discussed in Daniel 11:31,40. Since those that wait the 1335 days are then blessed–this looks to be a reference to Jesus returning and establishing the Kingdom of God a little less than four years after the daily sacrifices are stopped by the Beast.

Since the sacrifices will be stopped, they must start. And that is something that the Temple Institute and Sanhedrin are working towards.

The fact is that certain Jews (and others) have put a lot of time and money into red heifer projects.

In its newsletter today, the Temple Institute had the photograph shown at the beginning of this post.

Notice that the photograph includes red heifers, someone dressed in a type of Levitical garb, and the words TERUMAH 2024. What is terumah? Wikipedia states:

Terumah, Terumoh, Terimuh, or Trumah (תְּרוּמָה‎—Hebrew for “gift” or “offering, the twelfth word and first distinctive word in the parashah) is the nineteenth weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה‎, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the Book of Exodus. The parashah tells of God’s instructions to make the Tabernacle and its furnishings. The parashah constitutes Exodus 25:1–27:19. (Terumah. Wikipedia, accessed 04/26/24)

So, is this photograph a possible hint of offering a red heifer in 2024?

The Temple Institute in its newsletter and the related linked video (which I watched today) did not say anything about when a red heifer may be sacrificed.

However, the Temple Institute told a Roman Catholic source that its sacrifice of a red heifer is NOT imminent:

In Jerusalem, the “red heifer” worries religious and political leaders

Rumors of a potential sacrifice of a red cow, necessary for the construction of a third Jewish temple in Jerusalem, have stirred up the internet and religious leaders.

April 25, 2024

They are carefully raised, sheltered behind thick fences and under the watch of surveillance cameras in the Jewish settlement of Shiloh, in occupied West Bank. Five red cows, seemingly harmless at first glance – yet Israeli columnist David Landau referred to them as a “four-legged bomb” back in 2015.

For some Messianic Jews, a very small minority, the ashes of this animal mixed with “living water” are essential for the purification of the site where the third Jewish Temple is to be erected: on the Temple Mount (the Esplanade of the Mosques) in Jerusalem, in place of the Dome of the Rock, the third-holiest site in Islam. This notion is enough to provoke the anger of Muslims, for whom this place is sacred.

The massacres of October 7, referred to as “Al-Aqsa Flood” by Hamas, made the defense of the holy site a part of its rhetoric and unexpectedly brought the red heifer back into the spotlight. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida mentioned the cows in a statement justifying the attacks on the occasion of the 100th day of war in Gaza: the “aggression reached its peak against Al-Aqsa” with “the arrival of the red cows as the implementation of a detestable religious myth intended to aggress the sentiments of an entire nation.” …

Five “red angus” heifers were finally imported from Texas through evangelical Christians in 2022. Since then, they have been growing under close surveillance in the settlement of Shiloh, a significant site in Judaism before the creation of the first Temple. …

Since Abu Obeida’s speech in January, rumors of their imminent sacrifice have spread on the internet, fueled by supporters of the third Temple. A press conference about the red heifer was held in Shiloh on March 27, with one of the presentations showing what the altar for the ceremony could look like. …

Contacted by La Croix, the Temple Institute denied the imminent celebration of the ceremony. “We still need preparation and rabbinical support,” explained Yitzhak Reuven, director of their international department. As minority sectarians, supporters of the third Temple are far from unanimous: Orthodox scholars reject any attempt to build the Temple before the coming of the Messiah. https://international.la-croix.com/world/in-jerusalem-the-red-heifer-worries-religious-and-political-leaders

Yet, despite the not claim of not being imminent, there are several reasons to consider that a sacrifice of a red heifer could be soon. In addition to the possible hint in the photograph at the beginning of this post, there is also the fact that the available red heifers are the correct age for sacrifice. Also, it may be that the Temple Institute will not pre-announce the red heifer sacrifice in order to stop protests and possible governmental interference.

Now, notice also the following from another Roman Catholic source related to the red heifer matter (note that “during Passover” would mean between Monday of this week and Monday of next week as most Jews count it):

April 25, 2024

The parah adumah, or red heifer, is in the news these days.

Some Jews and dispensationalist Christians are working to revive an ancient ceremony that they see as a prophecy of the restoration of the Temple and the coming of the Messiah. Many Muslims see this as a threat to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which stands on the Temple Mount. In Catholic tradition, the red heifer ceremony has meaning in that Jesus performed it in his passion and through it revealed the character of God and the nature of God’s salvific work, which flows through the heart of nature.

Now, the internet is buzzing with rumors that the ceremony of the red heifer could happen again at the Mount of Olives this April during Passover.

In scripture, the ceremony is found in Numbers 19. …

A red heifer — a female cow that has not borne a calf — is sacrificed to the east of the tabernacle outside the camp. Her blood is sprinkled seven times toward the tabernacle before she is burned in her entirety, with red cloth, hyssop and cedar tossed into the fire. The heifer’s ashes are gathered, mixed with spring water, and sprinkled on the people to make clean those made impure by contact with death. https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/viewpoints/red-heifer-ceremony-god-purifies-people-through-earth

The above mentioned that the red heifer is to be killed on the Mount of Olives.

The following altar was recently reported by CBS to be expected to be used in order to kill a red heifer on it:

Massive white ‘altar’ from CBS video (via Michael Snyder)

So, a sacrificial altar for a red heifer is out there (more on that is in the post: MS: A “Massive Altar” For The Red Heifer Sacrifice Has Been Constructed In Israel).

Today, I also watched a short Islamic “news” video related to the red heifers which basically kept showing the Dome of the Rock being blown up, while also declaring “Islam is right.”

The Temple Institute wants the area known as the Temple Mount to be cleared of all Islamic structures in order for it to construct a temple as they believe that Muslim structures are where their temple needs to be. Here is some information from two webpages of the Temple Institute related to that:

In our own times, the commandment of the red heifer takes on more and more significance. For without it, the Divine service of the Holy Temple cannot be resumed. There is a spiritual renaissance today in Israel; after almost 2,000 years, Israel is clearly moving towards the time when the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah – the prophesied Third Temple – will be rebuilt. https://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer-introduction/ accessed 03/11/24

Geo-politically, the Temple Mount has to be cleared of the Dome of the Rock and the mosques which are presently located upon it before the physical rebuilding of the Holy Temple can begin. Many scenarios can be imagined which would accomplish this, the most promising, and not necessarily the most far-fetched, would entail Moslem recognition of the Mount as the intended location for the rebuilt Temple. With the acquiescence of the Moslem world the Moslem structures currently on the Mount would be disassembled and reassembled elsewhere. …

As for the ashes of the red heifer, while these are essential, the possibility to temporarily proceed with the Divine service at the Holy Temple, when the majority of the nation of Israel is ritually impure, as is the case today, exists according to Torah. This is in order to assist the nation to begin, or continue, the service, even during extreme situations.

In short, it is not “technical” issues that are holding up the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, as these can be worked out. What is need is the will of the people of Israel, and the nations, to do what is necessary and build the house of G-d. https://templeinstitute.org/frequently-asked-questions/ accessed 03/17/24

So, yes, having a Temple Institute-connected group sacrificing a red heifer could well be perceived as a sign that the Jews intend to remove those Islamic structures. This red heifer sacrifice then would seem to enrage certain Muslims and could result in an expanded war. The sacrifice of a red heifer could also be perceived as a another reason by the government of Iran for it to launch an attack against Israel.

Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah raised concerns about red heifer ramifications prior to Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack as the following shows:

Hamas has repeatedly described its war on Israel not in secular Western categories, such as resistance to colonialism, but as an attempt to defend Al-Aqsa, which Muslim tradition holds was the site of its Prophet Mohamed’s night journey.

Similarly, this past August, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called on Muslims throughout the world to defend Al-Aqsa. Hamas has labeled its Oct. 7 assault on Israel the “Al-Aqsa Wave,” a term resonant not of Palestinian nationalism but of rescuing an Islamic holy site from depredation and destruction by infidels.

This focus on Al-Aqsa has extended to red heifers. Upon the arrival of the five heifers from Texas, Hezbollah and Hamas issued warnings that this meant that the expected assault on Al-Aqsa would soon occur. Following the Temple Institute’s September 2023 announcement of the birth of its candidate heifer, the Islamist-oriented Middle East Monitor carried the headline, “Israel’s red cow will blow up the region.”

The Palestine News Network also highlighted the heifers. In an interview for the Hamas television channel, named “Al-Aqsa,” Dr. Ahmad Shihab said that bringing red heifers to Jerusalem shows that “the fascist Israeli government encourages the settlers to continue harming al-Aqsa mosque.”

A senior Palestinian source in touch with the political leadership of Hamas was asked by Middle East Eye: “Why did the attack take place when it did?”

He replied, “The trigger for the 7 October attack was Hamas’s concern that far-right Jews intended to sacrifice an animal at the site of al-Aqsa Mosque, thus laying the ground for the demolition of the Dome on the Rock shrine and the building of the Third Temple.” 11/13/23 https://www.hudson.org/religious-freedom/unblemished-red-heifers-key-understanding-conflict-middle-east-paul-marshall

In January, a Hamas spokesperson confirmed that the red heifers were a reason it launched its October 7th attack (see I365: Hamas Spokesman: Oct 7 attack launched to stop the red heifers). Let me add that in January 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the statement, “Hamas and its backer Iran” (https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-vows-no-palestinian-state-attacks-israeli-media-denies-blindsiding-gallant/ 01/18/24)–so it would seem that Iran itself could have concerns about the red heifer sacrifice.

The sacrifice of a red heifer may even become a factor in an expanded regional war that could ultimately result in the confirmation of the deal of Daniel 9:27 and the countdown to the start of the Great Tribulation approximately 3 1/2 years later as well as the return of Jesus seven years after the deal is confirmed by someone that the Bible refers to as a prince in Daniel 9:26.

Now, it should be pointed out the Jews do not need a massive temple in order to re-implement animal sacrifices. All they need is an altar and possibly a tent, which they have.

We have a video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to that:

14:58

Temple Institute, Heifers, Hamas, and a Tent

In March 2024, the Temple Institute recently pointed out that how God blessed the Sabbath, He also blessed the construction of a tent tabernacle. They pointed out progress from the ancient Israelites. Should Christians be making spiritual progress each year before Passover? The Temple institute has stated that the area called ‘the Temple Mount’ needs to be cleared of Muslim mosques, etc. so that a ‘third temple’ can be built. It also claims that it has four thriving red heifers, one of which it want to sacrifice before the implementation of regular animal sacrifices. Has Hamas claimed that the existence and possible use of a red heifer was a factor in its attack in Israel on October 7, 2023? Does the Temple Institute believe it must have a massive temple in order for sacrifices to resume? Or is having a priesthood, an altar, and a tent enough? What does the Sanhedrin say about that? Did Ezra write that animal sacrifices were made after the first temple was destroyed, but before the second temple was started? Is that believed by numerous modern Jewish rabbis and scholars? Does the Bible teach that regular animal sacrifices will be resumed? Could there be any relationship to the stopping of them and the return of Jesus? Is the day of Jesus coming getting much closer? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Temple Institute, Heifers, Hamas, and a Tent.

Some believe that a red heifer sacrifice could happen between now and Pentecost, which is June 16th in 2024 (see also ‘Red Heifers could be ready for the Temple by Passover’ or Pentecost?).

We will see.

But what we know for sure is that the objectives of the Temple Institute and many Muslims are in serious conflict.

Such conflict may well be a factor in regional war coming soon.

The red heifer matter remains something to “Watch” as Jesus indicated in Mark 13:37.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation. A short video is also available titled Trump’s Deal of the Century and Daniel 9 27? Here is a link to something related in the Spanish language: Estados Árabes emiratos unidos y el tratado de paz en el medio este.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There are also two related videos: Iran In Prophecy and Iran and Israel Conflict.
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to two sermons The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work and God’s Temple in Prophecy. And here is a version of the latter one in the Spanish: El templo de Dios en profecía.
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to three related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World and 5 Red Heifers and Year 5783?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.

Today’s cover: Columbia rabbi warns Jewish students to go home, don’t come back to campus because of ‘extreme antisemitism’ https://t.co/9QMeAnUZ01 pic.twitter.com/iSTYXBNesP

— New York Post (@nypost) April 22, 2024

COGwriter

Regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware that I believe that the USA is no longer what it once was.

In addition to its promotion of immorality, warring tendencies, and censorship, many are no longer safe, even at college campuses.

There is a lot of anti-Semitism around the world, and this includes the USA which has long called itself, “The land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Notice the following:

Columbia Classes Go Virtual Before Passover Amid Protests

April 22, 2024
Anti-Israel demonstrations have forced Columbia University to announce that all classes Monday, the day Passover begins, will be virtual.

Columbia President Minouche Shafik said in a statement the decision was made to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.”

On-campus demonstrations against Israel entered their sixth day Monday.

Passover, a major Jewish holiday, is set to begin Monday evening. Jewish student organizations increased security for their Passover events and services.

“Over the past days, there have been too many examples of intimidating and harassing behavior on our campus,” Shafik said in her statement. “Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken. https://www.newsmax.com/us/columbia-university-palestinian/2024/04/22/id/1161913/

While Passover was last evening, many Jews observe it tonight, which is the 15th not 14th of Nisan/Abib, even though their scholars know Passover is the 14th.

Even the Jewish Encyclopedia admits that the Bible shows that Passover is on the 14th:

Lev. xxiii., however, seems to distinguish between Passover, which is set for the fourteenth day of the month, and the Festival of Unleavened Bread; ἑορτή τῶν ἀζύμων, Luke xxii. 1; Josephus, “B. J.” ii. 1, § 3), appointed for the fifteenth day. Passover. (Passover. Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906)

Yet, most ‘observant Jews’ keep the 15th as Passover. Sadly, most people-whether or not Jewish–observe traditions of men above what the word of God clearly says. For example, Greco-Roman Catholics and Protestants keep Passover the wrong day (a Sunday), the wrong time (in the morning, even though it is an evening event according to scripture) and for the wrong purpose (the New Testament says it is to be a remembrance of Jesus’ death, not resurrection. And yes, Greco-Roman Catholic and Protestant scholars all know that Easter is supposed to be Passover.

That said, notice also the following related to Jews at Columbia University:

Rabbi urges Jewish students to leave Colombia campus, warns that school, NYPD cannot guarantee safety

April 21, 2024

The Orthodox rabbi at Columbia University and Barnard College has sent a message recommending Jewish students leave campus and go home, as anti-Israel agitators have continued an “encampment” on campus, …

Participants were caught on camera espousing full-on support for terrorism and supporting violence toward Jewish students, according to Fox News.

Rabbi Elie Buechler, who leads the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at Columbia and Barnard, advised over 290 students in a WhatsApp message to return home until it is safe for them to be on campus again, the Forward reported.

“It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved,” Buechler wrote.

He noted: “It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus. No one should have to endure this level of hatred, let alone at school.” …

Columbia’s turmoil, seen in ongoing demonstrations against the war in Gaza since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, has intensified in recent days.

Students and local activist groups gathered on and off the campus over the weekend to protest the administration’s authorization of a police crackdown on students who had pitched tents — they call it the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” — on Columbia’s lawn and the suspension of three students for their involvement in the protests.

More than 100 people were arrested on April 18, including Isra Hirsi, the daughter of a Democratic House of Representatives Ilhan Omar, a Somali American, who is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in the U.S. Congress. https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/rabbi-urges-jewish-students-to-leave-colombia-campus-warns-that-school-nypd-cannot-guarantee-safety/61102.htm

Notice that even though government authorities know the dangers, it is not believed that they will successfully intervene. Speaking of government figures, I saw Ilhan Omar state that she was proud of her daughter protesting and getting arrested.

The Bible teaches

8 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)

But there are people who hold hateful grudges.

Jews have been subject to this for centuries.

Emperor Constantine as well as the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther were major antisemites. And many who followed them are, as well as many within the Islamic community (like Ilhan Omar).

Related to Christians and Passover, according to Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18, after the Roman Emperor Constantine supported the change of Passover from the biblical date to a Sunday, he said:

Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way.

Of course, Jesus did not indicate that Jews were detestable (He was a Jew) nor did He ever changed the date of Passover. But apparently Constantine felt otherwise. And the Sunday observance is now known as Easter (a related article of interest may be Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter?).

As far as Passover persecution for Christians goes, Emperor Theodosius (who was the one who forced the trinity on the Eastern Orthodox) decreed the death penalty for those who continued to keep Passover on the biblical date.

Apparently Columbia University is concerned about a different type of Passover persecution.

As far as other ‘persecutions’ go, notice the following report related to Hamas and Adolf Hitler:

April 8, 2024

While speaking in the General Assembly, Erdan held up a World War II-era photo of Haj Amin Al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, speaking with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler.

Al-Husseini, whom Erdan described as “one of the founding fathers of Palestinian nationalism,” was an enthusiastic Nazi supporter whose anti-Semitism was well documented. The Grand Mufti had pleaded with Hitler for assistance in getting rid of the British Mandate and the Jewish immigrants coming to the Holy Land – requests that were ultimately turned down.

Erdan said the Palestinians’ goal of annihilating the Jews was clear long before the establishment of the U.N. or the State of Israel in the years following World War II.

“And from then until today, the root of this conflict has not changed. It is not a political conflict or about partitioning land,” Erdan said. “It is solely about the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews.”

Erdan accused the U.N. of committing itself to “reinforcing modern-day Nazi Jihadists [by] considering forcing the establishment of a Palestinian terror state.” …

The Palestinians’ fresh bid for U.N. membership comes as the war between Israel and Hamas that began on Oct. 7 nears its sixth month and the unresolved decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains in the spotlight after years on the back burner. https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-un-ambassador-meeting-palestinian-statehood-holds-up-picture-hitler-grand-mufti

Notice something from one of Hamas’ earlier official founding documents:

‘Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.’ ….

The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of Moslem Brotherhood in Palestine. Moslem Brotherhood Movement is a universal organization which constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times. It is characterised by its deep understanding, accurate comprehension and its complete embrace of all Islamic concepts of all aspects of life, culture, creed, politics, economics, education, society, justice and judgement, the spreading of Islam, education, art, information, science of the occult and conversion to Islam. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp

So, clearly Hamas wants Israel to be destroyed and claims ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

It is not just physical, ethnic Jews that are at risk–spiritual ones are as well (cf. Romans 2:28-29; John 15:20; see also The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions).

Notice also the following:

PA: “On Saturday, we murder the Jews; On Sunday, we murder the Christians”

December 15, 2023

Nadia Matar, the co-chair of the Sovereignty Movement (Ribonut.co.il), visited the Israel365 office this week with a shockingly uncharacteristic display; a Palestinian flag.

An outspoken advocate for Jewish sovereignty in the Biblical heartland, Matar rejects any attempts to establish an unprecedented “Palestinian state” in Judea and Samaria. When pressed, she explained the display:

“This was waived by the Palestinian Authority in the early 90s when the agreements were signed in Bethlehem,” Matar explained. “The PA was hosting a pastor from South Africa and they displayed this flag as he spoke. He obviously didn’t know Arabic, and didn’t know what was waving above his head.”

The flag was a Palestinian flag with Arabic writing. Matar read the Arabic writing:

“yawm alsabt niqtal alyahudu. fi ‘ayaam al’ahada. sawf niqtal almasihiiyn”

Matar then translated:

“On Saturdays, we will murder the Jews,” she said. “On Sundays, we will murder the Christians.”

Matar explained her understanding of the message in the context of the current war:

“People have to understand that the war here in Israel is not about Gaza,” she said. “It is not about the settlements. It is a war by the Islamo-fascists who have a clear plan. They want to first destroy and kill the ‘Saturday people’, the Jews, and then go on to kill the Sunday people, the Christians in Europe and America. The people in Europe and America need to understand that we are in this together. It is the Western Judeo-Christian world that is being attacked in stages.”

“They want a Palestinian state in order to destroy the entirety of Israel. But they also want a Palestinian state in order to continue on to Europe and America, to turn them into dhimmi; servants of a Mulsim caliphate.”

“So anyone who still wants a Palestinian state has to rethink what the Palestinians really want,” Matar said. “You have to be against the Palestinian state and in favor of Israeli sovereignty because that’s the only answer, the only hope of the Western world.” Matar coined a phrase that parodied the genocidal motto that is part of the Hamas charter: https://www.israel365news.com/380752/pa-on-saturday-we-murder-the-jews-on-sunday-we-murder-the-christians/

Yes, many want Jews gone and some of them also want Christians gone.

There was a poem many years ago by Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

It is not just Jews that are hated or will be in the future. Throughout history, true Christians have sometimes been called “Jews” and have been subject to persecution supposedly directed towards Jews. True Christians also had to suffer through the so-called Inquisition (see The Spanish Inquisition), which utilized torture against those that had Church of God beliefs–and more is expected in the future (see Persecutions by Church and State). Protestant leaders, including Martin Luther, have also promoted antisemitism and Church of God persecution (see The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong) as have various ones who were Eastern Orthodox (see John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Antisemite).

Real Christians have always been on the side of being persecuted and have never been on the side of the persecutors. And this will be true again in the future.

People should not be antisemitic. People should not hate others.

It is not just certain Muslims who hate Jews–many who claim Christ still hold anti-Semitic views, and some take direct anti-Semitic actions.

Sadly, we will see persecution greatly increase before Jesus returns (cf. Daniel 7:25; 11:30-35; see also Persecutions by Church and State)–this will affect Philadelphian Christians.

All the faithful will be subject to persecution and being betrayed by professing believers (Matthew 24:9-13, Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16-18; Daniel 11:32-35).

The underlying antisemitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for this, especially when the time comes when the Beast’s government mandates it (Revelation 13:15-17).

This will happen in Europe according to Revelation 13.

In the past, Christians were persecuted because they:

• Claimed Christianity
• Kept Passover on the 14th
• Refused to eat unclean meat
• Would work on Sunday
• Had false accusations railed against them
• Were binitarian
• Kept the Sabbath
• Kept the Fall Holy Days
• Were not trinitarian
• Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist
• Having and teaching from the Bible
• Rejected papal authority
• Did not accept idols
• Had different teachings than the Church of Rome
• Had writings Rome did not like
• Rejected Roman sacraments
• Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry
• Considered Rome to be the prophesied Babylon
• Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away
• Had practices that Rome considered Jewish
• Refused to baptize infants
• Did not participate in carnal warfare
• Teaching the millennium
• Taught the Kingdom of God
• Baptized adults

In the future, according to Catholic teachings, they will also be persecuted for:

• Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary
• Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)
• Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon
• Not wearing crosses as a mark (cf. Revelation 13:16-17; see also Mark of the Beast)
• Keeping the biblical Sabbath in accordance with the commandments
• Possessing/advocating writings that disagree with the Church of Rome
• Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again.

Jesus said that His followers would sometimes have to flee:

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes (Matthew 10:23).

Severe persecution is expected to occur against the Sabbath-keeping Philadelphian Christians just prior to the time the true Church is to flee (please see the article There is a Place of Protection for the Philadelphians):

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. (Matthew 24:9-20)

And then will come the Great Tribulation:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand (Matthew 24:21-25).

It may well be that Philadelphian Christians in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere may decide that they need to flee to the tiny nation of Israel prior to the start of the Great Tribulation. And that may be why Jesus made comments about fleeing Judea (watch also What is the Fate of Christians in Europe and Elsewhere?).

Jesus indicates that the end time persecution may be the biggest test of faith for believers. Notice:

7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-8)

The Bible and the facts of history have revealed persecutions for the people of God. While false Christians have also been persecuted, true Christians have never been the persecutors as true Christians “do not imitate what is evil” (3 John 11). Those who really want to know what happened to the true Church of God should begin with the The History of Early Christianity page.

The Bible shows that end time persecution will come (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:17).

The underlying anti-Semitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for this, especially when the time comes when the Beast’s government mandates it (Revelation 13:15-17).

Papal title ‘Patriarch of the West,’ dropped by #PopeBenedict, reappears in 2024 #Vatican yearbook https://t.co/b7CVizEo3u @Cindy_Wooden

— Thomas Reese, S.J. (@ThomasReeseSJ) April 12, 2024

COGwriter

The Vatican surprised many by re-instituting a title for its pontifex maximus:

April 10, 2024

Pope Francis has revived the papal title Patriarch of the West, bringing back the style which has fallen in and out of usage over the centuries and was most recently dropped by Benedict XVI in 2006.

In the 2024 edition of the Annuario Pontificio, the Vatican’s annual statistical yearbook, Patriarch of the West once again appears in the litany of formal papal dignities listed at the opening.

It’s an historical title, though sometimes controversial, which was in continuous use for more than a century after it was first introduced into the annuario by Pius IX in 1863. Before that, the style was used more or less at the pope’s pleasure, after being first coined by Theodore I in the seventh century. …

Historically speaking, the council (now dicastery) explained, “the ancient Patriarchates of the East, fixed by the Councils of Constantinople (381) and Chalcedon (451), were related to a fairly clearly circumscribed territory, when the territory of the See of the Bishop of Rome remained vague.”

“Within the imperial ecclesiastical system of Justinian, alongside the four Eastern Patriarchates (Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem), the Pope was understood as Patriarch of the West.” …

As regards the perennially thorny issue of papal primacy and ecumenical relations, the council’s statement noted that “without using the title of ‘Patriarch of the West,’ the Fourth Council of Constantinople (869–70), the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) and the Council of Florence (1439), listed the Pope as the first of the then five Patriarchs.” …

It could be that as Pope Francis is encouraging increased synodality in the life of the Church — both theoretical and practical — he has decided that the traditional patriarchal title is a useful expression of how he sees papal hierarchical leadership functioning in an increasingly synodal Church. https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/why-is-pope-francis-embracing-the

Well, the most obvious reason Francis again is using the ‘Patriarch of the West’ title is that he apparently feels it will help him with his ecumenical and interfaith agendas.

The Lutherans also are pushing an ecumenical and interfaith agenda. And now they want to push for a universal adoption of an Eastern Orthodox holiday. Here is something from the Lutheran World Federation:

Ecumenical efforts to introduce a Christian Feast of Creation

2 April 2024

A seminar in Assisi asks whether a Feast of Creation could become a pivotal part of the church’s liturgical calendar alongside the celebrations of Christmas and Easter …

Could the celebration of a ‘Feast of Creation’ become a pivotal point of the liturgical calendar in all the Christian churches? Could that celebration of God’s creation be seen as significant as the other great feasts of Christmas and Easter? Could Christians learn from each other’s traditions to find a clearer understanding of the ties between the biblical account of creation and the current environmental crisis?

Those questions were at the heart of a recent ecumenical seminar held in the Umbrian hill town of Assisi. The 14 to 16 March meeting was organized by the Roman Catholic church’s Laudato Sì Research Institute, in partnership with LWF, the World Council of Churches, the World Methodist Council, the Anglican Communion and the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

Entitled ‘The Feast of Creation and the Mystery of Creation: Ecumenism, Theology, Liturgy and Signs of the Times in Dialogue’, it brought together church leaders, liturgists, scholars, scientists and other experts to explore the history of Christian engagement with the creation story, described in the book of Genesis, in the context of the growing climate justice movement. …

Assistant General Secretary Prof. Dr Dirk Lange, who represented LWF at the event, said it marked a moment to “dig deeper, together with Catholic, Orthodox and Reformed sisters and brothers, into the ways our churches have developed – or sometimes also failed to foster – a theology of creation.”

Attention to creation, he continued “has been an important component of Lutheran theological and liturgical tradition, but never creation without the cross – or without incarnation.” These three foundations of the Christian faith – creation, incarnation, cross and resurrection – are “the Trinitarian truth that we confess in the Nicene Creed,” he said, recalling Martin Luther’s saying that “the wood of the manger is also the wood of the cross.” …

The Orthodox church has an ancient tradition of celebrating 1 September as the day when God created the Earth, a tradition that was revived in recent decades to include both thanksgiving for that gift of creation, as well as prayers for the protection of all of creation. …

Many Christian churches worldwide have now begun to mark a Feast of Creation on 1 September, as well as a month-long Season of Creation, which runs until 4 October, the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. …

Looking ahead to next year’s anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which defined the Creed that is used by most churches today, Lange noted how a Feast of Creation can help to expand and deepen “our Trinitarian spirituality.” https://lutheranworld.org/news/ecumenical-efforts-introduce-christian-feast-creation

There are several points to make about the above.

First of all, Christmas and Easter are not Christian holidays, but are days celebrated like the pagans of Rome and Europe anciently did. They were adopted by the Greco-Roman churches as well as their Protestant daughters.

Second of all, September 1 is an interesting date for the Creation. September actually means the seventh month–even though it is now the ninth month of the Roman calendar. Yet, by being the ninth month of that calendar, it normally overlaps at least part of the seventh month of the biblical calendar. The seventh month of the biblical calendar is called Ethanim (1 Kings 8:2) in the Bible.

But the Jews most commonly call the seventh month Tishrei. Tishrei stems from the Akkadian word tašrītu which means “beginning.” The Jews consider that the creation of Adam and Eve happened on the first day of the seventh month.

The Jews call that day Rosh Hashana, meaning in Hebrew the “Beginning of the Year,” of more literally, “Head of the Year.” That name is not biblical, but a name that the Jews later attached to that date:

“Rosh Hashana, which literally means head of the year” {it was} “not called Rosh Hashanah until Talmudic times” (Kramer, Amy J. Rosh Hashana Origins. Copyright © 1998-1999 Everything Jewish, Inc. http://www.everythingjewish.com/RoshH/RH_origins.htm 9/16/04).

That said, it may be that part of the reason that the Eastern Orthodox Catholics picked the first day of the month called the seventh month is because Jewish tradition points to the first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar as being when Adam and Eve were created.

This could perhaps point to not only an ecumenical, but also an interfaith, move by the Lutherans.

Getting back to the Lutheran report, it is interesting that it brought up crosses which early Christians did not use (see What is the Origin of the Cross as a Claimed ‘Christian’ Symbol?). The cross is being used as an ecumenical symbol (watch be Beware of the ‘Ecumenical Cross’) and because of its origins it can be an interfaith symbol for some (watch The Chrislam Cross and the Interfaith Movement).

The report mentioned next year’s anniversary of the Council of Nicea.

This is a big deal to many and may result in more ecumenical unity, which is what many Greco-Roman Catholic and Protestant leaders want (see The ‘Third Council of Nicea’ is expected to increase unity and heal the Greco-Roman schism). A decade ago, we put out the following video:

Why mention those creeds?

Because the earliest creeds were NOT trinitarian.

The so-called “Trinitarian truth that we confess in the Nicene Creed” is 1) not true and 2) not part of the original faith.

That creed came out in 380 A.D. and Emperor Theodophilus actually removed Demophilus, the Patriarch of Constantinople, from his position because Demophilus would not accept its trinitarian message.

The LWF is part of the World Council of Churches (WCC). A group that does NOT ALLOW NON-TRINITARIAN CHURCHES TO BE PART OF IT.

While the Vatican is not officially a part of the World Council of Churches, it works with the WCC and shares many of its goals.

Consider that back in 2021, Pope Francis blasted those who feel that they hold to the true Christian faith:

Pope Francis: You Can Recognize False Christians by Their ‘Inflexibility’

June 25, 2021

ROME — Pope Francis warned … against Christians who are overly attached to tradition and “disturb communities” through their inflexibility.

There is no shortage of preachers today who, especially through the new means of communication, “disturb communities,” the pope said during his weekly General Audience. “They present themselves …, as true ‘keepers of the truth’ — so they call themselves — on the best way to be Christians.”

This sort of people “strongly affirm that the true Christianity is the one they adhere to, often identified with certain forms of the past, and that the solution to the crises of today is to go back so as not to lose the genuineness of the faith,” Francis said.

As he has done on numerous occasions, the pope warned against conservative Christians …

the pontiff said. “But how can we recognise these people? For example, one of the traces of this way of proceeding is inflexibility.” https://www.sgtreport.com/2021/06/pope-francis-you-can-recognize-false-christians-by-their-inflexibility/

Inflexibility?

Well, in the case of the Continuing Church of God, we believe along with Jesus, that “scripture cannot be set aside” (John 10:35, NJB)–hence are inflexible on that–Rome should be as well.

Furthermore, notice how the Roman Catholic New Jerusalem Bible translates the last portion of Jude 3:

3 … I felt that I must write to you encouraging you to fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people. (Jude 3, NJB)

True Christians hold to, and advocate for, the original Christian faith.

Pope Francis and the WCC are not doing that. It is the Vatican and the WCC that are inflexible as they will not fully accept the word of God to support original Christianity over their agendas.

The Roman Catholic LifeSiteNews reported:

June 25, 2021

Pope Francis used his general audience this week to denigrate online preachers who are “rigid” … Drawing from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, the Pope seemed to be accusing conservative and traditionalist Catholics of being in league with the Evil One … https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-denigrates-rigid-preachers-living-in-the-past-while-his-silence-on-persecuted-christians-is-deafening

In his talk, Pope Francis actually also warned against having Judeo-Christian views on things such as what he referred to as the Mosaic law–even though Roman Catholic scholars know that the first fifteen bishops of Jerusalem held to those beliefs.

The late French Cardinal Jean-Guenole-Marie Danielou wrote that church history has generally been mistaught by downplaying the fact that the Romans considered Christianity a Jewish sect, and not a new religion. Cardinal Danielou specifically wrote that not properly teaching the truth about the ‘Jewishness’ of early Christianity has led to a “false picture of Christian history” (Daniélou J, Cardinal. The Theology of Jewish Christianity. Translated by John A. Baker. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1964, p. 2).

As far as Galatians goes, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

⁸ But even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven preaches to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let God’s curse be on him. (Galatians 1:8, NJB)

So, Paul is warning against changing from the original gospel. We in the CCOG teach that original gospel and history shows that early Christians taught that same gospel. For details, see our free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Regarding history, Pope Francis stated:

The Church is not afraid of history, rather, loves it and would like to love it more and better, as God loves it! (Grogan C. Vatican to open WWII secret archives of Pope Pius XII. Catholic News Agency, March 4, 2019)

Were early Christians rigid and inflexible?

History shows that on biblical doctrines they were.

The Bible warns against compromise with those who do not hold the true original faith:

¹⁴ Do not harness yourselves in an uneven team with unbelievers; how can uprightness and law-breaking be partners, or what can light and darkness have in common?

¹⁵ How can Christ come to an agreement with Beliar and what sharing can there be between a believer and an unbeliever?

¹⁶ The temple of God cannot compromise with false gods, and that is what we are — the temple of the living God. We have God’s word for it: I shall fix my home among them and live among them; I will be their God and they will be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16, NJB)

Polycarp, who was appointed by the apostles to lead the Churches of God in Asia, warned also against changing to what the multitude wants:

Polycarp in his letter To the Philippians . . . invites his recipients to abandon the vanity of the multitude and their false doctrines (τάς ψευδιδασκαλίας), to return to the word that was transmitted from the beginning … (Monroy MS. The Church of Smyrna: History and Theology of a Primitive Christian Community. Peter Lang edition, 2015)

By warning about “the vanity of the multitude,” Polycarp was admonishing the Church of God to be separate from those who would not stay faithful to the original faith of the scriptures and the apostles. And a distance, a separation, occurred throughout history.

A separation based on an inflexible adherence to scripture.

And if there is a conflict between what religious leaders and the Bible teaches, the faithful should be like the original apostles:

Peter and the apostles answering, said: We ought to obey God, rather than men. (Acts 5:29, DRB)

So, yes, true Christians are to be rigid and inflexible when it comes to the word of God and obeying God.

But as far as being rigid goes, there is hypocrisy with Rome and the WCC. Consider that in December 2020, the Vatican released something called the Ecumenical Vademecum.

Sadly, its Vademecum, does NOT fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people. Instead, it is more on how to take ecumenical steps to reach out to other faiths and schmooze with them to get them to agree that they are close enough to Rome that they should basically consider themselves a culturally different fellowship, which is in basically full communion with Rome. Using the media in an ecumenical way along with joint prayer with other trinitarians was some of what the document advocates.

Here are some direct quotes from that Vademecum:

Firstly, ecumenism is not premised on compromise as if unity should be achieved at the expense of truth. … Though all revealed truths are believed with the same divine faith, their significance depends on their relation to the saving mysteries of the Trinity and salvation in Christ, the source of all Christian doctrines. By weighing truths rather than simply enumerating them, Catholics gain a more accurate understanding of the unity that exists among Christians. … Because we share a real communion as brothers and sisters in Christ, Catholics not only can, but indeed must, seek out opportunities to pray with other Christians. Accessed 12/05/20 http://www.christianunity.va/content/dam/unitacristiani/Documentazione%20generale/2020Vademecum/Vademecum-EN.pdf

Well, the sun-worshipping Emperor Constantine was a trinitarian. He called the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. and presided over it as a ‘lay bishop,’ despite not even being baptized. Yet, even then, only 10-15% of the bishops who attended were trinitarian. But Emperor Constantine’s push of it was a factor in more adopting it over the next few decades.

The acceptance of the Greco-Roman trinity was a doctrine officially pushed by Emperor Theodosius. This is a tradition that Pope Francis is inflexible on!

In an Imperial decree in 380, Emperor Theodosius declared that the “Catholic Church” was the official religion of the Roman Empire (Theodosian Code XVI.1.2. Cited in Bettenson H, ed., Documents of the Christian Church, London: Oxford University Press, 1943, p. 31). Theodosius also issued an Imperial decree that said any who would not embrace his trinitarian definition of the Godhead were prohibited to use the term “catholic,” and he also labelled such persons as “foolish madmen” and “heretics” (ibid).

His trinity became the official Greco-Roman position in the Council of Constantinople that Emperor Theodosius convened in 381 A.D. Clearly it was not part of the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people.

In the 21st century we see that those who compromised on the nature of the Godhead are those that Rome expects will be in unity with it–hence that eliminates groups like the Continuing Church of God as we hold to the original faith on matters, including the nature of the Godhead (see the free online books Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? and Continuing History of the Church of God and Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism).

JANE LE ROYER (d. 1798) SISTER MARY OF THE NATIVITY

“When the time of the reign of Antichrist is near, a false religion will appear which be opposed to the unity of God and His Church. (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp.127,128)

From her vision, nun Royer says a false religion will “appear” that is “opposed to the unity of God and His Church.”

What is the “unity of God” according to Roman Catholic sources?

Well, the idea of Christ willing ecumenical unity as found in the Vademecum is one. And, the trinity is the other per The Catholic Encyclopedia:

Thus we protect the Divine Trinity, and the holy avowal of the monarchy [unity of God].” (Lebreton, Jules. “The Logos.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910.

So, Roman Catholic writings are worried about a church that sounds like the Continuing Church of God.

The Greco-Roman trinitarian doctrine is not scriptural and was not part of the early Christian faith.

Yet that trinity is the basis for the type unity Rome is pushing for.

That is certainly an unbiblical and improper unity.

Furthermore, last century, the trinitarian position was adopted as a membership rule by the World Council of Churches (WCC Approves a Trinitarian Basis, Christianity Today, December 22, 1961), and that INFLEXIBLE requirement has remained in effect in the 21^st century (Thomas TK. “WCC, Basis of,” in Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement, 2nd ed., ed. Nicholas Lossky et al. Geneva: WCC Publications and Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002: 1238–1239).

Thus, since the CCOG does not accept the 381 trinitarian adoption, it would not even be a target of the ecumenical efforts of the Vatican nor the WCC.

Furthermore, notice the following warnings about improper unity:

15 How can Christ come to an agreement with Beliar and what sharing can there be between a believer and an unbeliever?

16 The temple of God cannot compromise with false gods, and that is what we are — the temple of the living God. We have God’s word for it: I shall fix my home among them and live among them; I will be their God and they will be my people.

17 Get away from them, purify yourselves, says the Lord. Do not touch anything unclean, and then I shall welcome you. (2 Corinthians 6:15-17, NJB)

True Christians will not be part of what the Church of Rome is pushing. Notice what the Apostle John was inspired to write:

5 They are from the world, and therefore the world inspires what they say, and listens to them. 6 We are from God; whoever recognises God listens to us; anyone who is not from God refuses to listen to us. This is how we can distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood. (1 John 4:5-6, NJB)

Many world leaders have endorsed the ecumenical and interfaith agendas that the Vatican has been pushing. We in the Continuing Church of God do not.

The WCC clearly has goals (e.g. The ‘Unpardonable Sin’ and ‘Climate Change’? and A different false gospel is taking hold: ‘Minister of climate change urges Earth’s salvation’) consistent with those of Pope Francis (see Pope Francis continues to press his climate change ‘gospel’ and Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God?) and the United Nations (watch UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order and Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III?).

Ecumenism is a false gospel.

Notice also the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

9:31

A Different False Gospel

While there have been a variety of false gospels since at least the time of Simon Magus and the Gnostics, there is a relatively new one being pushed by major leaders of the world’s churches. Essentially, leaders are teaching that ‘climate change’ is related to salvation, the unpardonable sin, and something called the ‘social gospel.’ This is being pushed by leaders including Pope Francis of the Church of Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Olav Tveit of the World Council of Churches. Is this a false gospel consistent with Galatians 1:6-11? Are these angels of light or something else (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 )? While it is good to not pollute, will the ecumenical climate change agenda work according to the Bible? Dr. Thiel address these issues and more.

Here is a link: A Different False Gospel. The Vatican and WCC are promoting several.

The Bible shows that it will take the return of Jesus and the establishment of the millennial Kingdom of God to bring true peace and justice (Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 11:18; see also The Bible, Christians, and the Environment).

The Bible also clearly shows that the ecumenical/inter-faith movement will also end in destruction (Revelation 18 & 19). This is not something that Catholics or the Eastern Orthodox or the Protestants should want (see also Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? and Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!)–yet many of their leaders are promoting this.

This is a false gospel!

The ecumenical and worldly agendas will not bring peace (see also World Council of Churches Peace Plan). Instead it is laying the foundation for the final ‘Babylon’ of Revelation 17 & 18.

In Zechariah, the Bible warns against a coming ‘daughter of Babylon’ and shows that proper unity will not happen until after Jesus returns:

10 Look out! Look out! Flee from the land of the north — Yahweh declares- for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven — Yahweh declares. 11 Look out! Make your escape, Zion, now living with the daughter of Babylon!

12 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, since the Glory commissioned me, about the nations who plundered you, ‘Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye. 13 Now look, I shall wave my hand over them and they will be plundered by those whom they have enslaved.’ Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me! 14 Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion, for now I am coming to live among you -Yahweh declares! 15 And on that day many nations will be converted to Yahweh. Yes, they will become his people, and they will live among you. Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you! 16 Yahweh will take possession of Judah, his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his choice. (Zechariah 2:10-16, NJB)

Notice that the day of unity comes AFTER Christians are to flee from Babylon. The Book of Revelation shows that is for the future:

2 At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird. 3 All the nations have drunk deep of the wine of her prostitution; every king on the earth has prostituted himself with her, and every merchant grown rich through her debauchery.’

4 Another voice spoke from heaven; I heard it say, ‘Come out, my people, away from her, so that you do not share in her crimes and have the same plagues to bear. (Revelation 18:2-4, NJB)

The ecumenical and inter-faith movements that the Vatican, certain Protestants, and certain Eastern Orthodox leaders are promoting are clearly condemned by the Bible and should not be encouraged.

Yes, the time will come when the most faithful Christians will flee per Revelation 12:14-16 (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).

While Jesus did pray for true Christians to be one as He and the Father are one in John 17:21, Jesus DID NOT push for the type of unity that the Vatican is pushing for.

Furthermore, consider that even Roman Catholic translations of the Bible show that the Apostle Paul also taught that true unity of faith would not happen until after Jesus returns:

13 until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and form the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. (Ephesians 4:13, NJB)

Those who believe this unity comes prior to Jesus’ return are in error. Actually, when Jesus returns, He will destroy the unity of nations that are against Him:

11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and voices could be heard shouting in heaven, calling, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ 16 The twenty-four elders, enthroned in the presence of God, prostrated themselves and touched the ground with their foreheads worshipping God 17 with these words, ‘We give thanks to you, Almighty Lord God, He who is, He who was, for assuming your great power and beginning your reign. 18 The nations were in uproar and now the time has come for your retribution, and for the dead to be judged, and for your servants the prophets, for the saints and for those who fear your name, small and great alike, to be rewarded. The time has come to destroy those who are destroying the earth.’ (Revelation 11:15-18, NJB)

19:6 And I heard what seemed to be the voices of a huge crowd, like the sound of the ocean or the great roar of thunder, answering, ‘Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God Almighty has begun;… 19 Then I saw the beast, with all the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to fight the Rider and his army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, together with the false prophet who had worked miracles on the beast’s behalf and by them had deceived those who had accepted branding with the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his statue. These two were hurled alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. 21 All the rest were killed by the sword of the Rider, which came out of his mouth, and all the birds glutted themselves with their flesh… 20:4 Then I saw thrones, where they took their seats, and on them was conferred the power to give judgement. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not accept the brandmark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 19:6,19-21; 20:4, NJB)

Notice that Jesus will have to destroy a world of armies unified against Him. Then He and the saints will reign. That is when there will be proper unity of the faith. Even the NJB, a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible, concurs. The nations will be united AGAINST Jesus.

Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, and others need to be concerned about the type of unity that is actually being promoted.

Trinitarian unity is not biblical, but a compromise.

It is those of the original faith that will be with Jesus, whereas those that have compromised away from it will be His opposers.

The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Here is a link to the video: Vademecum: Rome’s Trinitarian Ecumenical Handbook.

It is a sign of biblical fidelity to hold to the truths of the Bible.

It is not false Christianity to be inflexible to changing “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, OSB).

Yet, people are being condemned by Pope Francis for striving to do so.

Related to that, we produced the following video:

12:37

Pope Francis condemns preachers of truth as inflexible and rigid, but …

On June 21, 2021, Pope Francis, in his General Audience, berates “preachers, especially through the new means of communication” who present themselves “as true ‘guardians of the truth’; strongly affirm that the true Christianity is the one they adhere to, often identified with certain forms of the past.” What did Jesus and Jude teach about scriptural/doctrinal rigidity? Were early Christian saints inflexible regarding the date of Passover and the reliance of scripture? What about Galatians and the gospel? What have Roman Catholic scholars, like the late French Cardinal Jean-Guenole-Marie Danielou, taught about the ‘Jewishness’ of early Christianity? Did the Apostle Paul teach that the faithful were to be flexible or separate from those who did not believe the true faith?

Here is a link to our video: Pope Francis condemns preachers of truth as inflexible and rigid, but …

Anyway, many are pushing for a false ecumenical unity that the Bible opposes.

While acknowledging that God created, an ecumenical holiday is not what the Vatican, WCC, LWF, etc. should be doing.

All should remember the words of Jesus:

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24)

The truth is that the trinitarian ecumenical movement is not intent on worshiping the God of the Bible in spirit and in truth.

NOTE: THE COGWRITER.COM AND CCOG.ORG WEBSITES MAY BE DOWN FOR A TIME TODAY FOR A SOFTWARE UPDATE BEGINNING AT 6:00 PM PDT.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

What Was the Original Apostles’ Creed? What is the Nicene Creed? Did the original apostles write a creed? When was the first creed written? Are the creeds commonly used by the Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholics original? Here is a link to a related video: The Original Apostle’s Creed?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. Two related sermons are available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? and The Godhead and the Trinity. A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
What is the Origin of the Cross as a Claimed ‘Christian’ Symbol? Was the cross used as a venerated symbol by the early Church? Three related YouTube videos would be Beware of the ‘Ecumenical Cross’, The Chrislam Cross and the Interfaith Movement, and Origin of the Cross.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
What is the Unpardonable Sin? What is it? Can you repent of it? Do you know what it is and how to avoid it? Here is a link to a related sermon video The Unpardonable Sin and the Prodigal Son. Here is a link to a shorter video The ‘Unpardonable Sin’ and ‘Climate Change’?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are? Here is a link to a related sermon: Eastern Orthodox 40+ Similar Beliefs to the CCOG.

Photo from Temple Institute’s newsletter of February 2, 2024

COGwriter

In its newsletter today, the Temple Institute had the following today:

Nisan 4, 5784/April 12, 2024 …

2nd Day Nisan – Moshe Prepares The Ashes Of The 1st Red Heifer! According to time honored tradition the ashes of the first red heifer were prepared by Moshe in the wilderness on the second day of Nisan, (today), one day after the inauguration of the Tabernacle. Maimonides writes in his Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Red Heifer: “Nine red heifers were offered from the time that they were commanded to fulfill this mitzvah until the time when the Temple was destroyed a second time…”

So, the red heifer of ancient times was claimed to have been killed on the 2nd of Nisan, which would (this year) have been on Wednesday of this week. Yet, we have seen no reports that a red heifer was sacrificed this week or presumably the Temple Institute would have reported about it.

As most regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware, on September 2022, five red heifer candidates arrived in Israel from the USA. One was disqualified as acceptable for sacrificial use last year (see Temple Institute says one red heifer disqualified, with four remaining viable). Since the Jews believe that there have only been nine qualified red heifers in recorded history, it is almost guaranteed that at least three of the remaining heifers will some day be disqualified. But it also would seem that one will be sacrificed–but the when is unclear.

While this red heifer matter is a BIG DEAL to certain Jews, most Jews in Israel do not care about these red heifers, other than they fear some “extremists” may cause problems with the Muslims by continuing to push for another temple as well as regular animal sacrifices.

Yet, there is a religious block in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government. And if they were to leave his coalition, his government could collapse. They, or a similar future group, could affect the dynamics in Israel to allow the resumption of animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount or some other place some may choose. Yet, no governmental authority is needed for a single sacrifice, such as one red heifer.

Let me state that some with ties to Protestantism believe that the Sanhedrin (which has connections with the Temple Institute) is bringing on ‘Antichrist’ through its sacrifices and desire for another temple (see Sanhedrin Accused of Bringing Anti-Christ). While that is not quite the case, it is true that the resumption of daily sacrifices is prophesied to be stopped by the coming Beast who is in league with the final Antichrist.

Biblically, we know that the sacrifices will be re-implemented by certain Jews as the prophet Daniel was inspired to numerous times that they would be stopped:

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering … (Daniel 9:27)

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.  (Daniel 12:11)

So, we see that after a deal is made, 3 1/2 years later, sacrifices will be stopped. By who? Well, the “he” above was called a “prince” in Daniel 9:26 and will become the King of the North Beast leader as discussed in Daniel 11:31,40.  Since those that wait the 1335 days are then blessed–this looks to be a reference to Jesus returning and establishing the Kingdom of God a little less than four years after the daily sacrifices are stopped by the Beast.

Since the sacrifices will be stopped, they must start. And that is something that the Temple Institute and Sanhedrin are working towards.

The fact is that certain Jews (and others) have put a lot of time and money into red heifer projects.

As far as when a red heifer may be killed, last year  Israel365News had the following:

April 2, 2023

Moriel (Mo) Barelli, the representative from Boneh Israel, was inspired by the level of dual-faith cooperation manifested at the event.

“The theme of the event was redemption and how the red heifers play a major role in that,” Mo told Israel365 News. “It amazed me that when it came to redemption and the Third Temple, we all had so much in common. The people we met were connected to Torah and felt strongly that they wanted to be a part of the prophetic things happening in Israel right now. Of course, Christians and Jews have significant differences but it was very easy to focus on the important things we have in common.”

In September, Boneh Israel succeeded in bringing five red calves that were born in Texas to Israel with the intent of raising them to perform the commandment of the Red Heifer. The red heifers are now between 1 ½ and 2 years old. To replicate the ceremony mentioned in the Bible, they need to be at least two years old.

“The heifers will, God willing, be ready by Pesach next year,” Mo said. “All of the elements necessary, the land and the kohanim, are being made ready in the meantime.”

The flight to Israel and preparations cost over $250,000 dollars. Now that they are in Israel, the heifers will need to be raised until they are at least two years old.

Pesach is a term meaning Passover.

In 2024, Passover will be after sunset April 21st (see also Holy Day Calendar), though most Jews observe it a day later. Pentecost is June 16th. Therefore, it may be that we are close to seeing the sacrifice and burning of a red heifer. But perhaps not.

Some believe that the tenth red heifer already came prior to the destruction of the last temple. Whether it did or not, the Bible simply does not mention ten red heifers. Nor does the fate of the world depend on a red heifer (which the Temple Institute has asserted). And as quoted before, the New Testament is clear that Christians do NOT need the ashes of a heifer for redemption (Hebrews 9:11-15).

Consider, though, that it is possible that if one red heifer is still acceptable to the Temple Institute this year–hence the idea of a  last and tenth one to come according to most Jewish tradition–a red heifer sacrifice (tenth or otherwise) could very well happen in 2024.

Why? Because if one truly is the tenth, the Jews will have a dilemma. How so? The Jews cannot wait for the Messiah to do it (which is what Boneh Israel wants) because that is not something Jesus will do upon His return. Furthermore, as they do not want to have the red heifer be too old nor risk getting somehow disqualified, they may decide one should be killed, just in case (or make up some other reason)–despite their traditions of expecting the Messiah to do it.

Anyway, since the Temple Institute has been waiting for a red heifer for a very long time and believes only one more will exist–it may take steps as opposed to waiting for the Messiah to sacrifice it–and since Jesus is not about to sacrifice a red heifer, then certain Jews may take matters into their own hands. The group also has some political influence and may point to having at least one red heifer as a Divine sign that the Jews can re-implement regular sacrifices.

While Jesus DID NOT specifically mention a ‘red heifer’ as a sign to look for in Matthew 24 (hence not a requirement He laid out), Jesus did refer to the Book of Daniel, which discusses sacrifices being stopped (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). In order for them to be stopped, they first must be started.

If Jews will not resume regular animal sacrifices until there is a red heifer, then looking out for one would seem to be a sign that ties in with end time prophecy.

As far as timing goes, the Bible shows that the stopping of the animal sacrifices occurs just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

We will see if the Jews decide to actually sacrifice a red heifer in 2024–if so, this could set off a major prophetic sequence, and ultimately with Jesus returning and establishing the millennial Kingdom of God.

But what about a massive ‘Third Temple’ in Jerusalem?

Well, that is NOT required for animal sacrifices.

Notice what is recorded in Ezra 3:6:

6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. (Ezra 3:6)

Let me also add that representatives of both the Sanhedrin and the Temple Institute personally told me that they do NOT need a massive temple to resume such sacrifices.

Basically, to re-implement sacrifices, the Sanhedrin needs government permission, an altar, a high priest, various implements, and a tent–and they already have all of those, except legal permission–but with religious parties gaining political influence in Israel, one day they will get permission.

Related to those five red heifers that arrived in Israel in 2022, we put out the following short video:

15:19

5 Red Heifers and Year 5783?

The Temple Institute announced that “5 perfect, unblemished red heifers arrived in Israel from the USA” on September 15, 2022.. Chanan Kupietzky, an Orthodox Jewish teacher, pointed out that last year was 5781 in the Jewish calendar, pointing to the year these red heifers were conceived, 5782 is when they were to arrive in Israel, and that the year beginning sunset September 25, 2022 is supposedly 5783, which is supposed to be the year of red heifer redemption. Is that the correct year anno mundi (year of the earth) or is 5989 to 5992 more in line with history? What about the claimed Shemitah year? Might the appearance of a proper red heifer encourage the Sanhedrin to begin regular animal sacrifices? Might political considerations result in the resumption of animal sacrifices? Does the Bible show that animal sacrifices in Israel will be stopped? Does possibly having a red heifer mean that a massive Jewish temple is about to be rebuilt in Jerusalem? Do Christians need the sacrifice of Jesus or the blood of a red heifer to be purified? How close do we seem to be for Daniel 9:27b to be fulfilled?

Here is a link to our video: 5 Red Heifers and Year 5783?

Related to a Jewish claim about 2024, we put out the following related video:

14:53

Red Heifer Sacrifice Ready April 2024?

In September 2022, five seemingly unblemished red heifers were transported from Texas to Israel by Boneh Israel in conjunction with some Protestants. In March 2023, the Temple Institute declared one of the red heifers disqualified for sacrifice. What is a red heifer? Why are certain Jews so concerned about having one? What does the Bible teach about the ashes of red heifer? Is a red heifer needed for Christians? If animal sacrifices are not needed for Christians, does the Bible prophesy future animal sacrifices? If so, will the stopping of them have anything to do with the countdown for return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God according to the Book of Daniel? Did Moriel Barelli of Boneh Israel say he hopes a red heifer will be available for sacrifice by Passover in 2024, which is April 22? Is the sacrifice of a red heifer, like the Temple Institute and Sanhedrin want, going to usher in the Antichrist? Is there any relationship between daily animal sacrifices and the King of the North Beast power? Does the “fate of the world” rely on a red heifer as the Temple Institute has stated? Will the Messiah sacrifice the ‘tenth red heifer’? If not, might the Jews do it anyway? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these issues.

The red heifer matter is one to prophetically watch (cf. Mark 13:37).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to two sermons The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work and God’s Temple in Prophecy. And here is a version of the latter one in the Spanish: El templo de Dios en profecía.
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to three related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World and 5 Red Heifers and Year 5783?
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.

Art depicting the Emperor Constantine and the bishops of the First Council of Nicaea (325) holding the Niceno–Constantinopolitan Creed of 381
(Public domain and from Wikipedia)

COGwriter

The pro-Vatican Zenit.org website posted the following:

Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople: open to celebrating Easter on the same date as Catholics

April 5, 2024

Pope Francis has also expressed his intention to reach an agreement to establish a common date for Easter. In 2015, the pontiff said that the two churches “have to reach an agreement.”

The Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople has expressed his desire for Christians in the East and West to begin celebrating Easter on a “unified date” instead of adhering to separate Lenten calendars. “It is a scandal to celebrate separately the unique event of the one resurrection of the one Lord,” said Patriarch Bartholomew I, who holds the title of “primus inter pares” in Eastern Orthodoxy, as reported by Orthodox Times. The Ecumenical Patriarch made these comments during a homily on March 31, which marked Easter on the Western calendar and the second Sunday of Lent on the Eastern calendar. “We extend a greeting full of love to all Christians around the world who celebrate Holy Easter today,” said Bartholomew during the homily. “We implore the Lord of Glory that the next celebration of Easter will not simply be a random event, but the beginning of a unified date for its observance by both Eastern and Western Christianity.” The Ecumenical Patriarch noted that the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople sent representatives to Christian communities that celebrated Easter on March 31 “to extend our sincere wishes.” He also said that this effort is “particularly significant” because the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 is approaching. That meeting took place at a time when the Eastern and Western Churches were in full communion with each other. https://zenit.org/2024/04/05/orthodox-patriarch-of-constantinople-open-to-celebrating-easter-on-the-same-date-as-catholics/

In 325, the sun-worshiping Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicea. The Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholics consider that to have been the “first ecumenical council.” What is now called Easter is, according to the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholics, supposed to be Passover.

Passover was always kept on the 14th of Nisan by the Jews. But is also was by those who claimed to be faithful to the practices of the Apostle John and the Bible.

Although there were condemnations from Roman bishops Victor and Hippolytus in the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries, even many of those with a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox background, continued to keep Passover on the 14th of Nisan until at least sometime into the fourth century.

However, Emperor Constantine did not like that at all. He convened the famous Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. to decide on a universal date:

…the emperor…convened a council of 318 bishops…in the city of Nicea…They passed certain ecclesiastical canons at the council besides, and at the same time decreed in regard to the Passover that there must be one unanimous concord on the celebration of God’s holy and supremely excellent day. For it was variously observed by people… (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 1,1 and 1,3. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp.471-472). A Sunday date was selected, instead of Nisan 14 (which can fall on any day of the week).

Notice what Constantine declared about this:

The commemoration of the most sacred paschal feast being then debated, it was unanimously decided, that it would be well that it should be everywhere celebrated upon the same day. What can be more fair, or more seemly, than that that festival by which we have received the hope of immortality should be carefully celebrated by all, on plain grounds, with the same order and exactitude? It was, in the first place, declared improper to follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this holy festival, because, their hands having been stained with crime, the minds of these wretched men are necessarily blinded. By rejecting their custom, we establish and hand down to succeeding ages one which is more reasonable, and which has been observed ever since the day of our Lord’s sufferings. Let us, then, have nothing in common with the Jews, who are our adversaries. For we have received from our Saviour another way… (Theodoret of Cyrus. Ecclesiastical History (Book I), Chapter IX. Excerpted from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Volume 3. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. American Edition, 1892. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight).

Actually, the Saviour observed Passover on the 14th of Nisan. It is those who reject the ways of our Saviour who accept the decision of the Roman Emperor over the Bible who do not observe it then. Notice that the first consideration was to not follow the Jews–and they were the ones who followed the Bible. Second, he claimed that people always accepted his Sunday date, but there is absolutely no evidence of this–Sunday Passover was something that second century Romans implemented–there is no proof whatsoever that any observed it on Sunday prior to that, thus Constantine’s second reason is also in error.

According to Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18, a more accurate translation of that last line above from the Roman Emperor Constantine should be:

Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way.

I do not recall Jesus indicating that Jews were detestable (He was a Jew) nor that He ever changed the date of Passover. But apparently Constantine felt otherwise. And the Sunday observance is now known as Easter (a related article of interest may be Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter?).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

1170 At the Council of Nicea in 325, all the Churches agreed that Easter, the Christian Passover, should be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon (14 Nisan) after the vernal equinox (Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 332).

But the idea that “all the Churches agreed” is not true as the bishops from the faithful churches did not attend that Council.

Notice what the Roman Catholic priest and historian Bellarmino Bagatti wrote:

…the inhabitants of Syria, of Cilcia and of Mesopotamia were still celebrating Easter {Passover} with the Jews…

The importance of the matters to be discussed and the great division that existed had led Constantine to bring together a big number of bishops, including confessors of the faith, in order to give the impression that the whole of Christendom was represented.

In fact…the churches of Jewish stock had had no representation…From this we can conclude that no Judaeo-Christian bishop participated in the Council. Either they were not invited or they declined to attend. And so the capitulars had a free hand to establish norms for certain practices without meeting opposition or hearing other view points. Once the road was open future Councils would continue on these lines, thus deepening the breach between the Christians of two-stocks. The point of view of the Judaeo-Christians, devoid of Greek philosophical formation, was that of keeping steadfast to the Testimonia, and therefore not to admit any word foreign to the Bible, including Homoousion (Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Gentiles in Palestine. Nihil obstat: Ignatius Mancini, 1 Februari 1970. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari, 26 Februari 1970. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 28 Februarii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, 1971, pp. 47-48).

So not every church was represented. Nor did everyone accept the decree of the sun-worshipping emperor as the Roman Catholic-supporting Epiphanius noted a few decades after that Council:

The Quartodecimans contentiously keep Passover on one day, once per year…They keep the Passover on whichever day the fourteenth of the month falls…Christ had to be slain on the fourteenth of the month in accordance with the law (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section IV, Verses 1,3;1,6;2,6. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp. 23-25).

The Quartodecimans only kept Passover once per year–not daily like most Roman Catholic priests do–not weekly or monthly like some Catholics/Protestants do. It is of interest to note that Epiphanius recognized that Jesus HAD to be slain on the 14th of the month. It is sad that he and others did not believe they needed to observe it when and how Jesus taught. Strangely he wrote this about the practices of the Greco-Roman church (which we now call Roman and Orthodox Catholics, but he calls “God’s holy church”):

But God’s holy church does not miss the truth in any way in her fixing the date of this mystery. She uses not only the fourteenth day. but also the seven days which recur order of the seven days of the week…And she uses not only the fourteenth day of the lunar month, but the course of the sun as well, to keep us from observing two Passovers in one year and not even one in another. We observe the fourteenth day, then, but we wait until after the equinox and bring the end of our full observance to the sacred Lord’s day (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section IV, Verses 3,1; 3,2; 3,3-4. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp. 25).

Well, the Greco-Roman Catholics most certainly do not observe Passover on the evening of the 14th unless that happens to fall when some observe an evening mass–the equinox argument is not scriptural. And since the “Lord’s Supper” is observed frequently, most practicing Greco-Roman Catholics and Protestants do observe it more than once per year.

Epiphanius even admits that the church used to observe the 14th when he wrote:

Audians…they choose to celebrate the Passover with the Jews–that is they contentiously celebrate the Passover at the same time as the Jews are holding their Festival of Unleavened Bread. And indeed that this used to be the church’s custom (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 8,11; 9,2. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp. 410-411).

We in the Continuing Church of God continue to keep Passover on the original date (see also Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?).

That said, the Eastern Orthodox contend that there were seven ecumenical councils and that an eighth one will come.

The seventh one was the second Council of Nicea of 787.

In 2025, the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholics plan to have what has been called the third Council of Nicea to mark the 1700th anniversary of the first Council of Council.

Here are some reports and comments related to it:

Are you excited for the Third Council of Nicea, /pol/? It’s going to happen in 2025. As a Catholic, I am excited at the prospect of the healing of the Schism. If the Pope and the Patriarchs can find a common ground, we could at last have a One True Church of Jesus Christ, one which has authority over all of Christendom. … It would be glorious. https://4chanarchives.com/board/pol/thread/56761437 viewed 12/02/22

November 18, 2022

In a move that could lead to Catholics and Orthodox celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at the same time, the spiritual leader of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians has confirmed his support for finding a common date to celebrate Easter.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople told media that conversations are underway between Church representatives to come to an agreement …

According to an earlier report by Vatican News, the patriarch supports such a common date to be set for the year 2025, which will mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea.

Previously, Orthodox Archbishop Job Getcha of Telmessos also suggested that 2025 would be a good year to introduce a reform of the calendar.

One council and two calendars

The First Council of Nicea, held in 325, decided that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the beginning of spring, making the earliest possible date for Easter March 22 and the latest possible April 25.

Today, Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate the Easter date instead of the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in 1582 and is used by most of the world. The Julian calendar calculates a slightly longer year and is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.  …

The president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch, has supported the suggestion that Catholics and Orthodox work to agree on a common date to celebrate Easter.

Cardinal Koch said in 2021: “I welcome the move by Archbishop Job of Telmessos” and “I hope that it will meet with a positive response.” …

“This wish is also very dear to Pope Francis and also to the Coptic Pope Tawadros.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252851/why-catholics-and-orthodox-might-once-again-celebrate-easter-on-the-same-date

Pope Francis said Wednesday that the full restoration of communion among all Christians is “an urgent priority in today’s world.”

In a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, the pope expressed gratitude that Catholic and Orthodox Christians are seeking “to achieve full communion that will enable us one day, in God’s time, to gather together at the same eucharistic table.”

“The full restoration of communion among all the believers in Jesus Christ is an irrevocable commitment for every Christian, for the ‘unity of all’ (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) is not only God’s will but an urgent priority in today’s world,” Pope Francis said on Nov. 30. …

Patriarch Bartholomew expressed support earlier this month for finding a common date for Easter, a move that would lead to Catholics and Orthodox celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at the same time.

The patriarch said that conversations are underway between Church representatives to come to an agreement. According to an earlier report by Vatican News, the patriarch supports such a common date to be set for the year 2025, which will mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea. 11/30/22 https://www.aciafrica.org/news/7179/restoration-of-christian-unity-an-urgent-priority-in-todays-world-pope-francis

The third Council of Nicea might be considered to be the eighth ecumenical council by the Eastern Orthodox. As it turns out, one of their saints put forth the following prediction:

Saint Nelios the Myrrh-Gusher (died 1592): During that time the Eighth and last Ecumenical Synod will take place, which will satisfy the contentions of the heretics…(Tzima Otto H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. Verenika Press, Rock City (SC), 2000, p. 111)

By satisfying “heretics”, clearly this council compromises and changes the religion, which will be called “Catholic.”

Yet, some of the Eastern Orthodox look forward to this, but also expect an antipope near then:

Helen Tzima Otto (20^th century): We have been told time and time again through the prophets that the Great Monarch and Papa Angelorum … will convene the 8^th Ecumenical Council, which will reunify all Christians … The Emperor will spend three years waging wars against the non-Christian nations … {later will be} the end time schism of the Roman Catholic Church of the End Times and the rise of an antipope (Tzima Otto, pp. xxv, 103, 122).

Such unity will be dangerous for both the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox. Signs and lying wonders may be a deceptive factor in this occurrence (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9).

Related to the 2025 conference, back in 2014, we put together the following video:

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce our latest video on our Bible New Prophecy YouTube channel:

10:44

3rd Council of Nicea in 2025?

The first ecumenical Council of Nicea was in 325 A.D. The Second Council of Nicea began in 787 A.D. The Roman Catholic Pope Francis and the Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople have called for a meeting between the Orthodox and the Vatican to take place in the year 2025. What was the result of the earlier councils? Does the Bible support this 2025 meeting? What are some of the dangers?

Written information on the first Council of Nicea is included in the post Ecumenical meeting in Nicea planned for 2025: What happened in 325 and what could happen in/by 2025?

It still looks like this third council will take place.

It may well have major prophetic ramifications.

As far as ‘Easter’ goes, we have the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:11:20

Is Easter a Really Christian Holiday?

Did you know that Easter is supposed to be Passover according to the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’? Was this originally observed by Christians on a day other than Sunday? Was Passover originally a resurrection holiday or a commemoration of Christ’s death? In this sermon, Dr. Thiel goes over many amazing historical and biblical facts about Easter and Passover. He cites Jesus’ words about worship. He also quotes the Apostle Paul who warned about combining demonic worship practices with Passover. He cites the Apostle John’s words about not being faithful to what he taught as well as some of what John taught about antichrists. Dr. Thiel addresses “fact checkers” and others who assert that the Babylonian goddess Ishtar is not associated with Easter. He cites the 8th century monk known as the “venerable Bede” who taught that Easter came from Eostre, the pagan goddess of the dawn. Dr. Thiel also discusses Easter eggs, Easter rabbits, and their ties to paganism. This is a sermon to watch if you are interested in worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

Here is a link to our sermon video: Is Easter a Really Christian Holiday?

Some items of related interest may include:

Why Should American Roman Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are? Here is a link to a related sermon: Eastern Orthodox 40+ Similar Beliefs to the CCOG.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? Where did Easter come from? Is Easter supposed to be Passover? What do scholars and the Bible reveal? Here is a link to a related video: Amazing Facts About Easter.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins? There is also a detailed YouTube video available titled History of the Christian Passover.

Carlo Maria Viganò (Wikipedia)

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to the following from the Roman Catholic LifeSiteNews:

‘Servant of Freemasonry’: Viganò rebukes bishop who approved pagan ritual before Mass at cathedral

April 1, 2024

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò issued a stinging rebuke of an American bishop who allowed a pagan ritual to be performed inside his cathedral earlier this month.

“Powers of abomination” – The Chrism Mass, arbitrarily moved to March 19, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, is a compendium of the most abominable liturgical horrors that the conciliar “church” has originated since the beginning.

The shamanic ceremony at the beginning of the… pic.twitter.com/UZUqvSHRp2

— Arcivescovo Carlo Maria Viganò (@CarloMVigano) March 22, 2024

In a X post published last Friday, Viganò condemned the ceremony as a “sacrilegious act.” He referred to the prelate who permitted it as a “squalid official of the ecumenical religion.”

“The shamanic ceremony … constitutes a sacrilegious act that desecrates the Cathedral of the Diocese of Superior (WI) on the very day on which the Holy Chrism is consecrated,” His Excellency declared.

“This makes Bishop (James) Powers, present at the rite, responsible for a very serious sacrilege and for the scandal caused to those present. This is not a Successor of the Apostles, but a servant of Freemasonry.”

Viganò is the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. …

During the ceremony, four women dressed in Native American attire stood around the altar and simultaneously turned to the north, east, south, and west while a person at the pulpit implored help from “the creator” to grant them “strength and courage… to perceive the sacredness of life, of mother earth, and all creation.”

LifeSite reached out to the Superior diocese for clarity on the event. LifeSite wanted to know who the women were, what their religious beliefs are, and what they were saying.

LifeSite also sought an explanation as to how the ritual didn’t violate the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which holds that an altar “must be reserved for divine worship alone, to the absolute exclusion of any profane use.” It also teaches that “sacred places are violated by gravely injurious actions done in them with scandal to the faithful.”

LifeSite was informed by Dan Blank, the director of administrative services, on Monday that diocesan offices had a “snow day” due to bad weather. He said he would confer with those who were copied on the email in order to “determine a reply, if any.” https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/servant-of-freemasonry-vigano-rebukes-bishop-who-approved-pagan-ritual-before-mass-at-cathedral/

Well, this really should not be much of a surprise for LifeSiteNews.

The interfaith agenda is something that both the Vatican and the Freemasons have long been pushing for.

Despite certain condemnations of Freemasonry (see Church of Rome prohibits its members from being Freemasons, but …), the Church of Rome recently had its Archbishop of Milan meet with Freemasons (see NCR: Archbishop of Milan to Take Part in ‘Historic’ Closed-Door Seminar With Italy’s Freemasons). One of its cardinals also called for “permanent dialogue” with the Freemasons this year (see NCR: Cardinal Calls for ‘Permanent’ Dialogue with Freemasons). Related to that, we put out the following video:

14:58

Freemasons and Vatican Officials Seek Cooperation

On February 16, 2024, some high-level clergy of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy met with three Grand Masters of the Freemasons. Since the Vatican has prohibited its members from being Freemasons, why might this be? Are there related ‘globalist’ interests? Do the Freemasons assert that Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti (Brothers All), saying the Church had finally embraced “universal fraternity” is in line with “the great principle of modern Freemasonry”? Are there any biblical reasons to consider that the Church of Rome and the Freemasons may cooperate? What is Freemasonry according to the Freemasons? Could at least one of the kings mentioned in Revelation 17:12 be a Freemason or at least have ties to it? Are there any scriptures that suggest that the Freemasons may betray the Church of Rome? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to the sermonette: Freemasons and Vatican Officials Seek Cooperation.

As far as pagan ceremonies go, related to one in the Vatican in 2019, we put out the following videos:

19:59

Pachamama: Pope Francis declares Black Madonna holiday

An Amazonian synod was held in the Vatican in October 2019 that featured naked female statues called Pachamama. On October 31, 2019, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis declared a new ‘holiday’ for the Black Madonna known as the Lady of Loreto. This is to observed by those who follow that on December 10th each year. What are “Black Madonnas” vs. “black Madonnas”? Are there ties between Black Madonnas and black female “Mother Earth” goddesses? Could the promotion of Black Madonnas and Pachamamas be related to steps towards a one world religion? Did a Catholic archbishop state that Pope Francis is moving “towards an Indistinct Universal religion” and a “worldwide and stateless Pantheon? Should real Christians be part of this? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to our video: Pachamama: Pope Francis declares Black Madonna holiday.

22:31

Vatican’s Babylonian Amazonian Religion

In front of Pope Francis, on October 4, 2019, the Vatican hosted an Amazonian tree-planting ceremony in where people bowed down to a circle around to semi-naked pagan female images. Vatican News promoted this. Some Catholics are concerned that the Amazonian synod is leading to two Catholic faiths: the traditional one and one that is being called the “Amazonian Religion.” The Vatican has also been promoting an interfaith agenda with the Jews and Muslims with the “Higher Committee of Human Fraternity,” and its first major project, the “Abrahamid Family House” (which is set to open in 2022). Are these good things for Christians? WIll they lead to the rise of Babylonian Beast and Antichrist power? What does the Bible warn about this? Do both the Bible and certain Catholic writings show that the Church of Rome will be betrayed by powers it will align with? Is some type of one world religion being worked on? If so, is the Vatican, World Council of Churches, certain Muslims, and the United Nations involved? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to our video: Vatican’s Babylonian Amazonian Religion.

Yes, Easter, Christmas, and Halloween are pagan.

All who profess Jesus as Saviour should condemn combining pagan worship with biblical ones (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:20-22). Yet, this is something that the Church of Rome as well as her Protestant daughters have done in many ways.

The original catholic church, the original Christian faith, did not do that. Here are some excerpts from our free online book Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?:

Dress, Mithratic, and Other Traditions

The 19^th century Cardinal Newman wrote:

We are told in various ways by Eusebius, that Constantine, in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen, transferred into it the outward ornaments to which they had been accustomed in their own. It is not necessary to go into a subject which the diligence of Protestant writers has made familiar to most of us. The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison, are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church. (ibid, pp. 359-360)

While the use of rings related to marriage greatly predates Emperor Constantine, and even has scriptural support (cf. Genesis 24)—hence are not from paganism, notice that many things associated with various churches came from compromises with paganism, including from an imperial follower of Mithraism.

But these vestiges of paganism were not part of the original catholic faith, nor are they accepted by the CCOG. They are pagan and, in time, became entrenched traditions for the Greco-Romans.

Roman Catholic historian William Durant wrote:

When Christianity conquered Rome the ecclesiastical structure of the pagan church, the title and vestments of the pontifex maximus, the worship of the Great Mother and a multitude of comforting deities, the sense of supersensible presences everywhere and the pageantry of immemorial ceremony, passed like maternal blood into the new religion, and captive Rome captured her conqueror. (Durant W. The Complete Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage, Life of Greece, Caesar and Christ, Age of Faith, Renaissance, Age of Reason Begins, Age of Louis XIV, Age of Voltaire, Rousseau and Revolution, Age of Napoleon, Reformation. Reprint: Simon and Schuster, 2014, last page)

Regarding vestments, The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches:

The liturgical vestments have by no means remained the same from the founding of the Church until the present day. There is as great a difference between the vestments worn at the Holy Sacrifice in the pre-Constantinian period, and even in the following centuries, and those now customary at the services of the Church, … in the … era before Constantine. … priestly dress did not yet differ from the secular costume in form and ornament. The dress of daily life was worn at the offices of the Church. (Braun, Vestments)

Though the modern reverse white collar was reported to have been invented in the 19^th century, something similar was worn by Roman and Eastern Orthodox priests much earlier. Egyptian pagan priests wore some version of collars thousands of years ago (e.g. Jarus O. 2,300-Year-Old Cemetery with Mummy Priests Found in Egypt. LiveScience, February 26, 2018).

A collar and cap were associated with the sun-god Mithras:

Mithra wears the Phrygian cap … Rays of light emerge from Mithra’s head much like a halo. His choke collar is a serpent. (Cooper JD. Mithras: Mysteries and initiation rediscovered. Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1996).

The Bible teaches that Christian men are not to cover their head while praying:

³ And I will have you know, that the head of every man, is Christ: and the head of the woman, is the man: and the head of Christ, is God. ⁴ Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered: … ⁷ The man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God dishonorest his head. (1 Corinthians 11:3-4,7 DRB)

Unlike Greco-Roman clergy, the ministry in the CCOG does not wear the priestly collar nor head coverings when praying. Distinctive clothing for the ministry was not employed by early Christians—they dressed the same as their congregants. The original catholic clergy did not have special sacerdotal vestments.

However, after influence from Emperor Constantine, the Greco-Roman clergy adopted versions of many of the clothing styles that sun-god priests and other members of his court had worn (including versions of the collar and Phrygian cap). It is known that special clerical clothing came from pagans and was adopted because of Emperor Constantine (e.g. Newman, pp. 358-360; De Rosa, Peter. Vicars of Christ. Poolberg Press, Dublin, 2000, pp. 34,45). The clergy of Constantinian Christianity ended up looking very different than that of the original catholic church. …

Why Did the Greco-Roman Catholics Change?

The Apostle Paul told Timothy:

³ The time is sure to come when people will not accept sound teaching, but their ears will be itching for anything new and they will collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; (2 Timothy 4:3, NJB)

This a prophetic warning that improper change was going to happen based on personal tastes, or as the EOB translates “lusts.”

The documented truth is that the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholic churches changed various doctrines that were held by original catholics that they consider to be saints.

Why?

There were different reasons at different times. Loss of love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10; Revelation 2:4), fear (Revelation 21:8, cf. Matthew 21:26), false intellectualism (1 Timothy 6:20-21), worldly philosophy (Colossians 3:8), personal vanity (Romans 1:21-22, James 2:20), lusts (Jude 16-18), financial reasons (1 Timothy 6:10), accepting false documents (2 Thessalonians 2:2), signs & wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12), and political compromise (Revelation 17:1-3) were factors.

Part of the reasons for change, according to then Pope Benedict XVI, were innovations from the 2^nd and 3^rd century Alexandrian allegorists Clement and Origen:

Origen of Alexandria is one of the key people for the development of Christian thought. He draws on the teachings he inherited from Clement of Alexandria, whom we reflected upon last Wednesday, and brings them forward in a totally innovative way, creating an irreversible turn in Christian thought. He was a true teacher; … this “allegoristic” approach … (Benedict XVI. Homily On Origen of Alexandria. Vatican City. Zenit – April 25, 2007).

This “totally innovative way” means they were NOT beliefs of the original catholic church. Making “an irreversible turn in Christian thought” means to no longer contend for the original faith or the literal meaning of scripture. Like Origen, Satan preferred to misinterpret the word of God (see Genesis 3:1-5)—following Origen over scripture does not lead to true doctrine.

Consider that The Catholic Encyclopedia condemns Gnosticism and states that Clement of Alexandria was “infected with Gnosticism” (Arendzen, Marcus). Consider also that The Catholic Encyclopedia states, “St. Eustathius of Antioch … criticized his {Origen’s} allegorism … Origen, frankly recognizing the contradiction of the incompatible elements that he is trying to unify, recoils from the consequences, protests against the logical conclusions” (Ptar F, Origen). It is therefore not contradictory, to exalt Clement and Origen as reliable teachers for changing doctrine?

Jesus did prophesy that blasphemous “a synagogue of Satan” would become a problem during the time of Smyrna, and sadly we see that many in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries accepted the allegorical method of biblical interpretation that seems to have had much of its origins in Alexandria.

Furthermore, notice an additional explanation for why there were changes to the original faith given by the late Roman Catholic Cardinal Newman:

Confiding then in the power of Christianity to resist the infection of evil, and to transmute the very instruments and appendages of demon-worship to evangelical use, … the rulers of the Church from early times were prepared, should the occasion arise, to adopt, to imitate, or to sanctify the existing rites and customs of the population, as well as the philosophy of the educated class.

St. Gregory Thaumaturgus supplies the first instance of this economy. … The bodies of the Martyrs were distributed in different places, and the people assembled and made merry, as the year came round, holding festival in their honour. This indeed was a proof of his great wisdom … for, perceiving that the childish and untrained populace were retained in their idolatrous error by creature comforts, in order that what was of first importance should at any rate be secured to them, viz. that they should look to God in place of their vain rites, he allowed them to be merry, jovial, and gay at the monuments of the holy Martyrs, as if their behaviour would in time undergo a spontaneous change into greater seriousness and strictness, since faith would lead them to it; which has actually been the happy issue in that population, all carnal gratification having turned into a spiritual form of rejoicing.”

There is no reason to suppose that the licence here spoken of passed the limits of harmless though rude festivity; for it is observable that the same reason, the need of holydays for the multitude, is assigned by Origen, St. Gregory’s master, to explain the establishment of the Lord’s Day also, and the Paschal and the Pentecostal festivals, which have never been viewed as unlawful compliances; and, moreover, the people were in fact eventually reclaimed from their gross habits by his indulgent policy, a successful issue which could not have followed an accommodation to what was sinful. (Newman JH, Cardinal. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. J. Toovey, 1845, p. 358).

Cardinal Newman explained pagan items were considered to be an evangelical tool (ibid, p. 358). Please understand that the appeal to “the philosophy of the educated class” means that pagan philosophy (as taught by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and expanded by people like Clement and Origen) was to be accepted.

Furthermore, we see that Gregory Thaumaturgus decided that it would be a good evangelizing tool to be a friend of the world allow pagan and other demonic worship practices. Gregory was a major compromiser whose actions later provided support for others to compromise and change even more from the original catholic faith.

The Apostles James and Paul warned against such:

⁴ Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God.

⁵ Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you? (James 4:4-5, DRB)

²⁰ But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils. ²¹ You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord, and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of devils. (1 Corinthians 10:20-21, DRB)

²⁰ [No], but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. ²¹ You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and also from the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons as well. (1 Corinthians 10:20-21, EOB)

Should you heed the Apostles James and Paul or someone who took steps in opposition to the Bible’s teachings?

Gregory of Neocæsarea was a student of Origen. He also claimed that it was an angel who had been with him since his youth and had him study under Origen (Gregory of Neocæsarea. Oration and Panegyric Addressed to Origen. Translated by S.D.F. Salmond. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886).

Gregory promoted many changed doctrines. He did not stand for the original faith, nor the teachings of the many of the faithful that the Greco-Romans have called “church fathers.” His was NOT the true “Holy Mother Church.”

If those who promulgated the Council of Trent, as well as those who claim to believe it to this day would accept the teachings of the early faithful church leaders, which they call “fathers,” they would be supporting the original catholic faith, such as is taught by the Continuing Church of God. The group that best represents the true Holy Mother Church.

Signs and Lying Wonders

Gregory of Neocæsarea was also known as Gregory Thaumaturgus (thaumaturgus means “wonder-worker”).

Around 238-244 A.D., Gregory (died roughly 270 A.D.) seems to have been the first to have claimed to have seen an apparition of Mary (the possible apparition associated with the Protoevangelicum of James, also called the Gospel of James, is not considered to have really happened according to most Roman Catholic scholars).

This Marian and another apparition (supposedly the Apostle John) allegedly appeared to Gregory before he became a bishop.

Related to Gregory, Roberts and Donaldson reported:

He was believed to have been gifted with a power of working miracles, which he was constantly exercising … the demons were subject to him … he could cast his cloak over a man, and cause his death … he could bring the presiding demons back to their shrine. (Roberts A, Donaldson J. Ante-Nicene Christian Library. Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325. Edited by Alexander Roberts, and James Donaldson. Volume 20: The Works of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius of Alexandria, and Archelaus. Syriac documents attribute. Originally 1871, modern printing by Elibron.com, 2006, p. 3)

Because Gregory’s power over demons and other “wonders” were improperly accepted by many as divine, he had a lot of influence. It seems that Gregory’s enchantments and/or sorceries (cf. Isaiah 47:5-12; Nahum 3:4), along with Imperial persecutions, may have greatly assisted the Greco-Roman faction essentially eliminating the organized faithful dominating in Asia Minor.

Gregory was also a factor in the Marian cults that began to rise up around that time. His writings teach praise and excessive devotion to the “Holy Virgin,” including the blasphemous teaching that Mary “blotted out” Eve’s “transgressions.” He was amongst the earliest Greco-Roman Catholics to promote the expression the “Holy Trinity” and the pagan idea that humans had an immortal soul.

Here are some comments from a Sabbatarian publication in the 19^th century about him:

Gregory Thaumaturgus … proclaimed that the queen of heaven had appeared to him and miraculously instructed him to go forth and preach her worship. He did so with all signs, lying wonders, and magical performances. He used reserve, he spake mysteriously and eloquently; this plan succeeded, all the world went after him; (Babylonianism. Hope of Israel, August 25, 1868, p. 42)

Notice the following from Gregory:

Here, where the mystery of the Holy Trinity was revealed by the archangel to the Holy Virgin according to the gospel (Gregory Thaumaturgus, Homily concerning the Holy Mother of God, Section 35. Translated from the Armenian by F. C. CONYBEARE. The Expositor 5th series vol.3,  1896, p. 173).

We prove, then, that the soul is simple … that what is simple is immortal … If, therefore, the soul is not corrupted by the evil proper to itself, and the evil of the soul is cowardice, intemperance, envy, and the like, and all these things do not despoil it of its powers of life and action, it follows that it is immortal. (Gregory Thaumaturgus. On the Soul, Chapters 5, 6. In. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886)

The gospel never uses the expression trinity, much less “Holy Trinity” nor does it teach that the soul is immortal. To the contrary, in Ezekiel 18:4 the Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible teaches “the soul that sinneth, the same shall die” and again, in Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul that sinneth, the same shall die.” Yet, Gregory put his own interpretation on scripture (in the trinity case, he was referring to Luke 1:35 which was not proof; and for the immortality of the soul case, he did not cite scripture).

Although Tertullian of Carthage and Origen of Alexandria were promoting some type of trinity in the early 3^rd century, Gregory was a major reason that the trinity started to get accepted much outside of Valentian and Montanist circles (Tertullian was a Montanist).

Gregory claimed he was given the following from an apparition of the Apostle John:

There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged. … the same Trinity abideth ever. (St. Gregory of Pontus, the Wonder-Worker: A DECLARATION OF FAITH. Translated by S. Salmond, 1871, p. 6)

Understand that the Apostle John penned five books of the Bible. If GOD wanted him to teach the trinity, would it not have made sense for that to be in any of those writings? The fact that it is not, should cast immediate doubt that this apostle gave the trinitarian message to Gregory.

Additionally, claiming that the Trinity abides forever is a false gospel—a closed Godhead is in conflict with God’s plan according to what early men like Ignatius and Theophilus of Antioch wrote. Additionally, neither the Apostle John nor his successors in Asia Minor had been trinitarians. Furthermore, at the time that Gregory wrote this statement, even most of the Greco-Romans did NOT hold to a trinitarian view of the Godhead.

Now consider that this type of change differs with the original teachings. Such changes were condemned by the Apostle Paul:

⁸ But even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven preaches to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let God’s curse be on him. (Galatians 1:8, NJB)

Just because Gregory claimed to have been guided by an angel to see Origen, plus claimed to have seen and heard Jesus’ mother Mary and the Apostle John, that is not a reason to accept something in conflict with the original faith. Gregory seems to have led a demonically-influenced and/or demonically-possessed life. Many “changes” that the Greco-Romans endorsed allegedly came from angels and apparitions—and most certainly NOT from sacred scripture.

Here is something Gregory wrote related to Mary:

O holy virgin …  She is the ever-blooming paradise of incorruptibility, wherein is planted the tree that giveth life, and that furnisheth to all the fruits of immortality … Thus the holy Virgin, while still in the flesh, maintained the incorruptible life … the holy Virgin has surpassed even the perfection of the patriarchs. (Gregory Thaumaturgus. The Second Homily on the Annunciation to the Holy Virgin Mary)

The claim Mary “maintained the incorruptible life” is in conflct with sacred scripture. The Bible teaches that all, except Jesus (Hebrews 4:15), sinned (Romans 3:23).

Gregory Thaumaturgus greatly influenced theological thought and several widely accepted false doctrines were originated and/or promoted by him. The fact that he reportedly caused the death of enemies by throwing his cloak upon them has not sufficiently diminished his influence–but should have. …

Sadly, many do not realize that some of their cherished, and false, religious doctrines came from one who was either demon possessed or at least influenced by demons. As well as compromises with various pagan beliefs.

Such deception builds upon itself, becomes persecuting, and will worsen:

¹ Know also this, that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times. ² Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked,  … ¹² And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. ¹³ But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse: erring, and driving into error. (2 Timothy 3:1-2,12-13, DRB)

Gregory erred and led others to err with his false teachings, signs, and lying wonders.

Further understand that the Bible warns that in the end times, the loosening of restraints against false signs and lying wonders will deceive all who fail to have the proper love of the truth:

¹ The Spirit clearly says that in the last times, some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons ² through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:1, EOB)

⁷ For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now holdeth, do hold, until he be taken out of the way. ⁸ And then that wicked one shall be revealed whom the Lord Jesus shall kill with the spirit of his mouth; and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, him, ⁹ Whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ And in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying: ¹¹ That all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have consented to iniquity. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-11, DRB)

Yes, there will be worse deception and lying wonders.

The Great Monarch, Books, & the King of the North Beast

Before going further, it should be pointed out that Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox private prophecies (which neither faith says needs to be believed) look forward to a time when a leader (sometimes called the “king” or the “Great Monarch”) that sounds eerily like the above “wicked one” will arrive with signs and wonders. Here is one example of each, from writers in their churches, respectively:

St. Thomas a’Becket (12^th century). St. Thomas says: “A knight shall come from the West. He shall capture Milan, Lombardy, and the three Crowns. He shall then sail to Cyprus and Famagoste and land at Jaffa, and reach Christ’s grave where he will fight. Wars and wonders shall befall till the people believe in Christ toward the end of the world.” (Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, p. 255)

Anonymou Paraphrasis (10^th century): The one true King … is destined to become manifest [be revealed] … by means … of signs … The King will hear the voice and instructions by an Angel appearing to him … (Tzima Otto H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies, H.  The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. Verenika Press, Rock City (SC), 2000, pp. 30- 32)

The Great Monarch … will be made manifest through Signs and Wonders from Heaven. (Tzima Otto H. They’ll have no King but Caesar: King Henry of the Cross: the prophesied royal messiah from the tribe of Judah. Veronikia Press, 2005, p. 119)

The Bible warns about lying signs and wonders associated with false leaders in the end time. Do not let them or apparitions or doctrines of demons deceive you.

Roman Catholic prophecy indicates that a pontiff who does miracles will crown the “Great King” as the final ‘Holy Roman Emperor’:

Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19^th century) … St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and designate a new Pope … At the end, he will have the gift of miracles …. (Birch, pp. 362-363)

… there will be a latter restoration of the Holy Roman Empire and that there will be at least one last Holy Roman Emperor … The Great King will be crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the reigning Pope. (Birch, pp. 281, 555)

The Bible tells of one Beast who is supported by a miracle-performing Beast:

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, emerging from the ground; it had two horns like a lamb, but made a noise like a dragon. ¹² This second beast exercised all the power of the first beast, on its behalf making the world and all its people worship the first beast, whose deadly injury had healed. ¹³ And it worked great miracles, even to calling down fire from heaven onto the earth while people watched. ¹⁴ Through the miracles which it was allowed to do on behalf of the first beast, it was able to lead astray the people of the world and persuade them to put up a statue in honour of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and still lived. (Revelation 13:11-14, NJB)

Signs and lying wonders will affect many. A religious leader doing miracles (the “second beast” above) who supports a political leader (called the “first beast” above) is warned against in the Bible. Yet one sounding just like him is looked forward to in several Greco-Roman private prophecies.

Paganism continues to be utilized by the Church of Rome as an evangelical and interfaith tool.

Archbishop Viganò is correct that it is wrong.

He is also correct that the Vatican is pushing things that the Freemasons are also pushing.

Despite warnings from him and others, the Babylonian/pagan ecumenical and interfaith agenda will move forward.

Particularly, when there are various signs and lying wonders which will be publicly associated with it.

Some items of related interest may include:

Freemasonry and the Destruction of Rome? What is Freemasonry? What about ties to the Illuminati? Could they be involved in the fulfillment of prophecy? Here is a link to a related sermon: Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Roman Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
Is a Great Reset Coming? Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum has proposed a societal change that has been basically endorsed by the Vatican and many world leaders. Does the Bible prophesy a major reset? Here is a link to a related video: Will there be a “Great Reset”?
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Mystery of Iniquity What is the mystery of iniquity? How did it start? How will it end? Two related sermons are also available: The Mystery of Iniquity and The Mystery of Lawlessness.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Gregory the Wonder Worker Also known as Gregory Thaumaturgus, this third century Eastern Orthodox leader was one of the most dangerous heretics and his views have been adopted by many who profess Christ. Here is a link to ta related video: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Signs, and Lying Wonders.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.

Eucharist Host in a Monstrance

COGwriter

April is called ‘the Month of the Holy Eucharist” by Roman Catholics.

Did early Christians use a round eucharistic host?

A careful comparison of what is taught in the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church along with eucharistic practices should make this clear to any truly interested in the truth.

Let’s first start out with two translations of a quote from the Apostle Paul:

1 Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1, Douay-Rheims)

1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1, NKJV)

The Apostle Paul is teaching that Christians are to follow or imitate him as he imitates Christ (the Greek word translated as follow/imitate above is mimetes; the English word mimic comes from it). Thus, all should be careful to carefully follow Jesus and the Apostle Paul in this regard.

Notice what the Apostle John wrote:

6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2:6)

Article 3, under the Seven Sacraments of the Church in the Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses the eucharist. Section II asks and answers the question, What is this Sacrament Called? Several names are listed, including “The Breaking of Bread” (#1329).

It also states the following:

1339 Jesus choose the time of the Passover…And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them…(Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 373)

Now the above is scriptural. Here are some related scriptures:

19 And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the pasch.

26 And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body. (Matthew 26:19,26 Douay-Rheims)

22 And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye. This is my body. (Mark 14:22, Douay-Rheims)

19 And taking bread, he gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me. (Luke 22:19, Douay-Rheims)

Notice, it is very clear that Jesus BROKE the bread on Passover (Pasch means Passover).

The Apostle Paul confirmed that it was the practice of the early Christians to break bread:

16 The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? (1 Corinthians 10:16, Douay-Rheims).

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread.

24 And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. (1 Corinthians 11:23-24, Douay-Rheims)

The Apostle Paul followed Jesus’ practice and broke bread (see also Early Christianity and the Eucharist?).

Catholic Priest and scholar Bagatti admits that the original “Eucharist” was not like the one that is now used by his church:

At first the celebration of the Eucharist or “the breaking of bread” was not associated with the readings and ritual prayers, but with the agape, in imitation of the Supper of the Lord. (Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Circumcision. Nihil obstat: Marcus Adinolfi, 13 Maii 1970. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari, 14 Junii 1970. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 26 Junii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, 1971, p. 114)

By “Supper of the Lord,” Priest Bagatti essentially means the New Testament Passover—which is only an annual event.

Furthermore, notice what The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches in its article “Host”:

… the first Christians … simply used the bread that served as food. It seems that the form differed but little from what it is in our day. The loaves discovered in an oven of a bakery at Pompeii weighed about a pound each. One of these, being perfectly preserved, measured about seven inches in diameter and was creased with seven ridges which facilitated the breaking of the loaf without the aid of a knife. (Leclercq, Henri. “Host.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 28 Feb. 2011 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07489d.htm>)

Notice the article basically says that the practice of the first Christians, which is consistent with the Bible, was to use normal loaves of bread that resemble what is still in use today. And that it was broken. (The article never says where the round host actually came from, other than it was first mentioned in writing in the fourth century by Epiphanius and that earlier paintings in catacombs and bas-reliefs showed something like that. But I should state that the oldest early painting in a catacomb I am aware of has a woman, Priscilla, presiding over the ceremony, so the Church of Rome may wish to be careful about relying on that as they do not allow women to do that. Hence, the earliest picture of the eucharist host did not come from what is practiced in today’s Roman Catholicism–so the question from whence the Catholics adopted it remains.)

Thus, to have a Passover/eucharistic ceremony where the bread is not broken is certainly not imitating Jesus, the Apostle Paul, nor the early Christians. It is a change that the Church of Rome must have gotten outside of the Bible.

Yet, in the eucharistic ceremonies in the Catholic Church, the bread is not broken. Instead, it is a round host that the Catechism of the Catholic Church says can/should be worshipped and adored (CCC #1378, p. 385). Yet, there is no indication that the early Christians or the apostles did anything like that.

They basically taught that it was to be eaten.

Worshipers of sun-gods worshiped round symbols. Early Christians did not.

As far as the word “host”, The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches:

The bread destined to receive Eucharistic Consecration is commonly called the host , and though this term may likewise be applied to the bread and wine of the Sacrifice , it is more especially reserved to the bread.

According to Ovid the word comes from hostis, enemy: “Hostibus a domitis hostia nomen habet”, because the ancients offered their vanquished enemies as victims to the gods. However, it is possible that hostia is derived from hostire, to strike, as found in Pacuvius. (Leclercq, Henri. “Host.”)

The word “host” (or derivatives) do not appear to be a direct translation of any of the original Hebrew or Greek that the Bible was actually written in. Hence, it does not seem to be a biblical term, but instead may have pagan ties according to certain Catholic researchers. Does anyone really think that Jesus wanted to be considered the “host” of pagan militaristic rituals?

Since it did not come from the Bible, the Eucharistic Host is not holy.

Perhaps it should also be mentioned that some Roman Catholic priests, like Nicholas Gruner and Paul Kramer have raised concerns about eucharistic ceremonies in languages other than Latin. Notice the following:

Latin Mass…The truth is — in English, Italian, and Spanish, among others — the vernacular translations of the consecration of the wine makes it of doubtful validity…as has been demonstrated by Father Paul Kramer in his book The Suicide of Altering the Faith in Liturgy (Gruner N. Is Antichrist Coming Next? The Fatima Crusader, 96, Autumn 2010, p. 10).

Now, in case everyone is unaware of this, it should be pointed out that the original apostles spoke Greek (cf. Acts 21:37-39) and other languages, but there is no indication that any of them used Latin in any early Christian ceremony (and even if they did, it certainly was not a widespread, or universal, practice). Even Tertullian, the so-called “father of Latin theology” did not begin to write until around 190 A.D. Latin mass is a CHANGE. Those who are true traditionalists would realize that the original and early Passover services were not done in Latin and there is no valid reason to insist on Latin today. Those who insist on Latin and those who use a round host are absolutely altering the liturgy of the faith of the original Christians.

Cannot those who claim to be Catholic traditionalists see this?

Similarities Between Egyptian and Roman Eucharistic Practices

It has been reported that there were many similarities between ancient pagan Egyptian practices and the Roman eucharist:

The Egyptians celebrated ten great mysteries on ten different nights of the year. The first was the night of the evening meal (literally the last supper), and the laying of offerings on the altar…

The altar or communion-table thus provisioned was the coffin lid. This also was continued in the ritual of Rome, for it is a fact that the earliest Christian altar was a coffin. According to Blunt’s Dictionary of Doctrinal and Historical Theology (p. 16), this was a hollow chest, on the lid or mensa of which the eucharist was celebrated. This, as Egyptian, was the coffin of Osiris that constituted the altar on which the provisions were laid in Sekhem for the eucharistic meal. Hence the resurrection is described as “dawn upon the coffin of Osiris.” Therefore he rose in spirit from the mummy in the coffin, beneath the lid which constituted the table. This was the body supposed to be eaten as the eucharist, which was represented by the provisions that were laid upon the altar for the sacramental meal…The first of the Osirian mysteries is the primary Christian sacrament. “Provisioning the altar ” was continued by the Church of Rome. “The mysteries laid upon the altar” which preceded ” the communion of the body and blood of Christ ” were then eaten in the eucharistic meal (Neale, Rev. J. M., The Liturgies, Introd., p. 33). Thus we see in the camera obscura that the provisions laid on the altar or table represented the flesh and blood of the victim about to be eaten sacramentally. The night of the things that were laid upon the altar is the night of the great sacrifice, with Osiris as the victim. The things laid on the altar for the evening meal represented the body and blood of the Lord. These, as the bread and wine, or flesh and beer, were transelementecl or transubstantiated by the descent of Ra the holy spirit, which quickened and transformed the mummy Osiris into the risen sahu, the unleavened bread into the leavened, the water into wine. Osiris, the sacrifice, was the giver of himself as “the food which never perishes” (Rit, ch. 89).

The Christian liturgies are reckoned to be the “most pure sources of eucharistical doctrine.” And liturgy appears to have been the groundwork of the Egyptian ritual. It is said by one of the priests (Rit., ch. i), “I am he who reciteth the liturgies of the soul who is lord of Tattu “—that is, of Osiris who establishes a soul for ever in conjunction with Ra the holy spirit in the mysteries of Amenta. In one character Osiris was eaten as the Bull of Eternity, who gave his flesh and blood as sustenance for humanity, and who was the divine providence as the provider of food. (Massey G. Ancient Egypt, the light of the world: a work of reclamation and restitution in twelve books, Volume 1. T. F. Unwin, 1907. Original from Princeton University, Digitized Mar 19, 2008, pp. 220-221)

A more recent author reported, somewhat “tongue-in-cheek”:

Of course, average Catholics have no idea their beloved Eucharist is nothing more than an updated version of an ancient Babylonian occult practice. When this religion spread to Egypt, the Egyptians worshipped the sun god, Osiris, and the priests claimed “to have magical powers which enabled [the priests] to change the great Sun God, Osiris, into a wafer.” Because the Eucharist is based upon the ancient worship of the sun, the host is made into the shape of a circle—the shape of the sun…Alberto warns that Catholics are also unaware that the initials on their hosts, IHS, really stand for the Egyptian gods Isis, Hoeb, and Seb. This was the origin of the Catholic practice of the Eucharist, the central act of worship in Roman Catholicism. ..

As this religious system was forming, many Christians realized the real occult nature of the Catholic Church and rejected it. They fled into the hills and took the true copies of the Scriptures with them. When they were caught, they were given the choice to convert or be killed. This is the origin of such groups as the Waldneses and Anabaptists. (Gonzalez D. Steps of Grace. Dog Ear Publishing, 2010, p. 39)

Now, some of the above seems to be his former belief and speculative (and understand that not all who were called Waldneses or Anabaptists were true Christians). Yet it is clear that the round host most certainly did not come from the Bible nor the earliest faithful Christians.

Some may argue that it matters not what ancient pagans did to worship their gods. But notice what the Bible teaches:

2 Destroy all the places in which the nations, that you shall possess, worshipped their gods upon high mountains, and hills, and under every shady tree: 3 Overthrow their altars, and break down their statues, burn their groves with fire, and break their idols in pieces: destroy their names out of those places. 4 You shall not do so to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 12:2-4, Douay-Rheims)

29 When the Lord thy God shall have destroyed before thy face the nations, which then shalt go in to possess, and when thou shalt possess them, and dwell in their land: 30 Beware lest thou imitate them, after they are destroyed at thy coming in, and lest thou seek after their ceremonies, saying: As these nations have worshipped their gods, so will I also worship. 31 Thou shalt not do in like manner to the Lord thy God. For they have done to their gods all the abominations which the Lord abhorreth (Deuteronomy 12:29-31, Douay-Rheims).

So, God does not want altars like the pagans had to be used to worship Him. Nor does He want their practices continued.

And while some have argued that the reason God allowed the pagans to have the practices that they did was so that they would later accept Christ, the reality is that the early Christians did not have a round Eucharistic host that was consecrated over an altar. There is no justification in scripture nor in the earliest traditions of the Christian church for getting away from the practices of Jesus and Paul in this area.

As far as the origin of the initials IHS, The Catholic Encyclopedia offers an alternative explanation:

IHS

A monogram of the name of Jesus Christ. From the third century the names of our Saviour are sometimes shortened, particularly in Christian inscriptions (IH and XP, for Jesus and Christus). In the next century the “sigla” (chi-rho) occurs not only as an abbreviation but also as a symbol . From the beginning, however, in Christian inscriptions the nomina sacra, or names of Jesus Christ, were shortened by contraction, thus IC and XC or IHS and XPS for Iesous Christos. These Greek monograms continued to be used in Latin during the Middle Ages. Eventually the right meaning was lost, and erroneous interpretation of IHS led to the faulty orthography “Jhesus”… Towards the close of the Middle Ages IHS became a symbol , quite like the chi-rho in the Constantinian period. (Maere, René. “IHS.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 28 Feb. 2011 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07649a.htm>)

The familiar monogram I H S was first popularized by St. Bernardine of Siena in the early fifteenth century (Hassett, Maurice. “Monogram of Christ.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 28 Feb. 2011 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10488a.htm>).

Notice the following from another Catholic author (bolding mine):

SAINT BERNADINE OF SIENA 1380-1444…He is especially remembered for his zeal…and he popularized, with the help of St. John Capistrano, a symbol representing the Holy Name. The Gothic letters for the name of Jesus, “IHS,” were set in a blazing sun to whose tongues of fire and spreading rays he attributed mystical significance. For a time the Saint was denounced as a heretic and the symbol regarded as idolatrous…(Cruz JC. The Incorruptibles. Nihil Obstat Henry C. Bezon, November 11, 1974. Imprimatur +Philip M. Hannan, Archbishop of New Orleans, November 19, 1974. TAN Books 1977, p. 127)

IHS…{an} innovation over five hundred years ago. (Cruz, p. 127)

Notice that the IHS and the use of the sun as symbols were innovations, and that the promoter was properly condemned as a heretic when he initially promoted them. Innovations like that were NOT part of the earliest tradition of the Christian church and have pagan elements.

So, the Catholics are not truly clear where IHS came from, they suggest that IHS appeared in Catholicism no earlier than the fourth century, and that for centuries their church did not know the meaning of the abbreviation, it did not become popular until much later, and the one who popularized it was denounced as a heretic promoting idolatry. This, of course, is not proof that IHS did or did not come from Egypt. Yet, the lack of knowing where IHS came from supports the possibility that it likely came from outside of Christianity.

The use of broken bread, without IHS, is still observed by faithful groups in the 21st century like the Continuing Church of God.

Do you follow the practices of the early faithful Christians?

Some articles to assist in your studies may include:

Early Christianity and the Eucharist? What does ‘eucharist’ mean? Did early Christians tie it in with Passover? Should it be a rounded host? Here is a link to a related sermon: Eucharist, Passover, and Easter.
Marcus, the Marcosians, & Mithraism: Developers of the Greco-Roman Eucharist? Marcus was a second century heretic condemned for having a ceremony similar to one still practiced by many who profess Christ. Might he also be in the apostolic succession list of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria? Where did IHS and the host come from?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God? and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups that Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups? A related sermon is also available Christianity: Two groups.
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?