Church of God News

Coin Featuring Emperor Constantine and the Pagan Sun Deity Mars Produced 317 A.D.
(Well After Constantine Professed Christ)

COGwriter

COGaIC has an interview between its David Hulme (DH below) and Paula Fredriksen (PF below) who is a Professor of the Appreciation of Scripture at Boston University, currently featured at its Vision website:

DH You’ve noted that the divide between Judaism and Christianity resulted from politics within the Roman Empire and Constantine’s decision in favor of Roman Christianity. Under Constantine the Sabbath was officially changed to Sunday and Christians were told not to confer with rabbis on the dating of Easter. What would Paul have made of that if he were living in that period?

PF We habitually refer to the conversion of Constantine. I think it’s more appropriate to say that under Constantine we have the conversion of Christianity. Christianity under Constantine becomes a form of imperial Roman culture. One Christian denomination is favored with his patronage. They get tax breaks. They get big, beautiful Bible codices copied at public expense. They can use the imperial post for free. They ask Constantine to kick out the leaders of the other Christian denominations in town. So the people who get the worst treatment after Constantine becomes a patron of this one church are other Christians. More Christians are persecuted after the conversion of Constantine than before, because they’re targeted by one particular branch of the church.

Paul’s first reaction to all of this would be that the type of Christianity Constantine is patronizing is very different from what Paul enunciated. The fact that Constantine’s Christianity understands itself as the only one that’s true to what Paul taught wouldn’t help the historical Paul’s shock in seeing how different Constantine’s Christianity was from his own. For one thing, when Constantine’s official biographer, Eusebius, writes about the emperor, he sees the foundation of the Christian Roman Empire as “Isaiah’s peace”—the Messianic peace promised in what we call the Old Testament. When Paul’s thinking about the kingdom of God, he’s certainly not thinking of the Roman emperor as His agent.

The truth is that the apostles kept Passover on the 14 and NOT Sunday (it was not called “Easter” back then and I really wish that David Hulme would not have used that inappropriate term). The true Christians had so many practices that differed from those accepted/enforced by Emperor Constantine that Paul and the others would not have considered Emperor Constantine and his supporters as Christian.

The fact is that Emperor Constantine WAS NOT a true Christian. True Christians do not kill. True Christians are not persecutors. True Christians do not continue to honor pagan deities.

People may be surprised to realize that the predominant idea of the Godhead accepted by over a billion people was because of the pagan Emperor Constantine. Protestant scholar H. Brown noted:

Although Constantine is usually remembered for the steps he took toward making Christianity the established religion of the Roman Empire, it would not be wrong to consider him the one who inaugurated the centuries of trinitarian orthodoxy. It was he who proposed and perhaps even imposed the expression homoousis at the Council of Nicea in 325, and it was he who provided government aid to the orthodox and exerted government pressure against nonconformists (Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, pp. 332-333).

But sadly, almost all the world’s so-called Christians accept non-biblical doctrines endorsed and/or proposed by Emperor Constantine.

But the true Christians never accepted his non-biblical practices or beliefs.

Do you want to obey God or men?

Articles of related interest may include:

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?
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany Since November 2005

COGwriter

The following news item was of interest:

Merkel awarded Charlemagne Prize

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is awarded this year’s Charlemagne Prize in acknowledgment for her contribution to European integration.

PRESS TV, Iran – May 2, 2008

The annual ceremony which is held in the German city of Aachen, close to the Belgian and French border is where the French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Merkel’s qualities.

Sarkozy said, “I imagine that, coming from where you come from, dear Angela, you measure with modesty the road you have traveled. And yet it is yours, this path of hope for all Europeans.”

Sarkozy was referring to Merkel’s origins of being a Protestant from the former Communist East Germany, EuroNews reported.

Merkel won the prize specifically for negotiating an agreement on the EU’s Lisbon reform treaty.

The Charlemagne Prize is named after the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. He was the King of the Franks from 742-814 A.D and gained control of most of Western Europe in 800 A.D by uniting its Christian countries.

The Pope gave him the title of “Holy Roman Emperor”. Charlemagne had a great influence on the European civilization, by establishing a new legal system as well as encouraging art, literature, and education.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=53984&sectionid=351020604

Did you know that the European leadership is intent on establishing a new “Holy Roman Empire”?

Did you know that Catholic prophecies look forward to this, as well as the destruction of the English, the Protestants, and the Muslims?

Saint Cataldus of Tarentino (c. 500): “The Great Monarch will be in war till he is forty years of age….he will assemble great armies and expel tyrants from his empire. He will conquer England and other island empires” (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.30).

St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). “By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers. He will have a great army, and angels will fight at his side. He will be like the sun among the stars. His influence will spread over the whole earth. All in all, there will be on earth twelve Kings, one Emperor, one Pope and a few Princes. They will all lead holy lives.” (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.38)

Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (died 1658). This Sixth Epoch of the Church–‘the time of consolation’–begins with the Holy Pope and the Powerful Emperor, and terminates with the reign of Antichrist. This will be an age of solace, wherein God will console His church after the many mortifications and afflictions she had endured in the Fifth period, for all nations will be brought to the unity of the true Catholic Faith.” (Connor, pp.35-36)

St. Methodius (385). “A day will come when the enemies of Christ will boast…Then a Roman emperor will rise in great fury against them…In the last period Christians will not appreciate the great grace of God who provided a Great Monarch, a long duration of peace, a splendid fertility of the earth…Many men will wonder if the Catholic faith is the true and only saving one and whether the Jews are perhaps correct when they still expect the Messias (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 110).

Desmond A. Birch (a 20th century Roman Catholic writer) “Several private prophecies of canonized Saints specifically state that there will be a latter restoration of the Holy Roman Empire and that there will be at least one last Holy Roman Emperor. The authenticity of the authorship of such prophecies of canonized Saints (e.g., St. Hildegard, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, and St. John Vianney) at least over the last eight hundred years is scholastically unquestionable”. (Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, p.281)

Magdeburg Chronicle. “Of the blood of the Emperor Charles the Great and of the Kings of France shall arise as emperor named Charles, who shall rule in Europe, by whom the decay of the Church shall be reformed and the ancient glory of the Empire restored.’ (Dupont, p.26)

Father Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775): “…At a time when the whole world seems doomed, God will intervene. With His aide a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease and the Turkish empire will end. This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd.” (Conner p.37)

Capuchin Friar (18th century)…”A scion of the Carolingian race, by all considered extinct, will come to Rome and behold and admire the piety and clemency of this Pontiff. who will crown him, and declare him to be the legitimate Emperor of the Romans. He shall destroy the Ottoman Empire and all heresies. With the assistance of God and of the Pope, he will cooperate in the reformation of abuses; he will assume the direction of temporal governments; he will assign a decent pension to the Pope and also the bishops and clergy. And they all will live in peace which shall last till the End of Time.” (Dupont, p.34)

Elizabeth Canori-Mora (19th century).”…All men shall become Catholics, and they shall acknowledge the Pope as Vicar of Jesus Christ.” (Dupont, p.35)

Malachy (12th century) “In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock with among many tribulations; after which the seven-headed city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people”. (Bander, Peter. The Prophecies of St. Malachy. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 96)

Monk Adso (d. 992). “Some of our Teachers say that a King of the Franks will possess the entire Roman Empire. This King will be the greatest and the last of all Monarchs, and after having prosperously governed his kingdom, he will come in the end to Jerusalem and he will lay down his sceptre and his crown upon the Mount of Olives and immediately afterwards, Anti-Christ will come” (Cullerton, p.137).

Notice that the end is predicted to come shortly after this Emperor comes–we in the Living Church of God feel that this Great Monarch/Emperor is the Beast of Revelation and the final King of the North that the prophet Daniel warned about.

And although Angela Merkel is a Protestant, in the end, the Catholic Church will apparently embrace enough of Protestantism that most of the remaining Protestants will embrace it (there are some Catholic prophecies on that. Notice one that warns against this:

Priest Paul Kramer (21st century) “The errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced by that false church, it will be an ecumenical church because the Anti-Pope will be recognized by the world — not by the faithful, but by the world — by the secular world and the secular governments. The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the “church,” and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That “church” will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world. This is how we will get into the time of great persecution such as the world has never seen. (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004.THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08)

(Also see Pope Benedict XVI to Have “Ecumenical” USA Trip.)

The pieces are coming together to unite Europe to fulfill biblical, as well as many Catholic, prophecies.  And the end will come shortly thereafter.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

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”?
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?
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.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Catholic writings indicate this, but what does the Bible show?

COGwriter

The following news item suggests support for a 2013 beginning of the Great Tribulation:

A minister who promotes the Old Testament roots of Christianity suggests a rare string of lunar and solar eclipses said to fall on God’s annual holy days seven years from now could herald what’s come to be known as the “Second Coming” of Jesus.

“God wants us to look at the biblical calendar,” says Mark Biltz, pastor of El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, Wash. “The reason we need to be watching is [because] He will signal His appearance. But we have to know what to be watching as well. So we need to be watching the biblical holidays.”

In a video interview on the Prophecy in the News website, Biltz said he’s been studying prophecies that focus on the sun and moon, even going back to the book of Genesis where it states the lights in the sky would be “be for signs, and for seasons.”

“It means a signal, kind of like ‘one if by land, two if by sea.’ It’s like God wants to signal us,” he said. “The Hebrew word implies … not only is it a signal, but it’s a signal for coming.

Biltz adds the word “seasons” implies appointed times for God’s feasts and festivals.

“When we hear the word feast, we think food. But the Hebrew word has nothing to do with food. It has to do with a divine appointment, as if God has a day timer, and He says, ‘OK, I’m gonna mark the day and the time when I’m going to signal My appearance.'”

In the Old Testament, the prophet Joel states, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” (Joel 2:31)

In the New Testament, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light … And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29-30)

Gary Stearman of Prophecy in the News noted, “When we think of the sun being darkened and the moon not giving her light, we usually think of some astronomical catastrophe – perhaps the sun sputtering and the moon being affected by all this. But maybe it’s time to rethink this a little bit and think of it as a natural cycle, the cycle of the eclipses.”

Thus, Biltz began focusing on the precise times of both solar and lunar eclipses, sometimes called “blood moons” since the moon often takes on a bloody color. He logged onto NASA’s eclipse website which provides precision tracking of the celestial events.

He noted a rare phenomenon of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, known as a tetrad.

He says during this century, tetrads occur at least six times, but what’s interesting is that the only string of four consecutive blood moons that coincide with God’s holy days of Passover in the spring and the autumn’s Feast of Tabernacles (also called Succoth) occurs between 2014 and 2015 on today’s Gregorian calendar.

“The fact that it doesn’t happen again in this century I think is very significant,” Biltz explains. “So then I looked at last century, and, believe it or not, the last time that four blood red moons occurred together was in 1967 and 1968 tied to Jerusalem recaptured by Israel.”

He then started to notice a pattern of the tetrads.

“What’s significant to me is that even before 1967, the next time that you had four blood red moons again was right after Israel became a nation in ’48, it happened again in 1949 and 1950 … on Passover and Succoth. You didn’t have any astronomical tetrads in the 1800s, the 1700s, the 1600s. In the 1500s, there were six, but none of those fell on Passover and Succoth.”

When checking the schedule for solar eclipses, Biltz found two – one on the first day of the Hebrew year and the next on the high holy day of Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the seventh Hebrew month. Both of these take place in the 2014-2015 year.

Biltz says, “You have the religious year beginning with the total solar eclipse, two weeks later a total lunar eclipse on Passover, and then the civil year beginning with the solar eclipse followed two weeks later by another total blood red moon on the Feast of Succoth all in 2015.”

“If you think that this is a coincidence, I want you to know that it’s time!” exclaimed Prophecy in the News host J.R. Church. “There are no more of these for the rest of the century.”

The prospect of eclipses pinpointing the time of Jesus’ return is getting mixed reaction in Christian circles…

“When He (Jesus) says you won’t know the day or the hour, He’s telling you it’s the Feast of Trumpets because that was known as the feast where no one knew the day or the hour that it would begin,” said Biltz…

Church stressed despite the information suggesting 2015 could be a pivotal time, “We don’t know that that will be the concluding year of the tribulation period … so we’re not setting a date and saying this is a warning. We’re introducing the possibility of a watch.” (Blood moon eclipses: 2nd Coming in 2015? Minister uses NASA forecasting to study signals of Jesus’ return WorldNetDaily – April 30, 2008. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=63076).

If for some reason, a red moon occurs near the Feast of Trumpets for 2015 (which seems odd as the Feast of Trumpets itself starts with a new moon–but maybe somehow this is possible based upon light reflections), then this could be quite interesting.

The Book of Revelation teaches the following:

12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

So while Jesus would not return with a red moon, notice that the red moon appears just before the Day of the Lord begins–possibly as soon as the evening before (and perhaps up to a month or so before, cf. Revelation 8:1).  Notice that a blood moon is also tied into the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament as well:

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. (Joel 2:31)

So if God is intending to use natural phenomena (as opposed to performing a specific and separate miracle, which He certainly could do), then since it is most likely that the Day of the Lord begins on the Feast of Trumpets (as the seven trumpets begin the Day of the Lord, per Revelation 8:2), then the Great Tribulation would begin about 2 1/2 years prior to that.

Notice what NASA has shown:

When four consecutive lunar eclipses are all total eclipses, the group is known as a tetrad. The following tetrads occur during this century:

Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2003 – 2004
Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2014 – 2015
Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2032 – 2033
Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2043 – 2044
Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2050 – 2051
Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2061 – 2062
Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2072 – 2073
Tetrad (Four Consecutive Total Eclipses): 2090 – 2091 (http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEcat/LE2001-2100.html viewed 5/01/08)

Thus, while there are other dates in the 21st century (hence many claims in Prophecy in the News were in error), if the red moon of Revelation 6 is a red moon that somehow appears on Rosh Hoshana in 2015, then the Great Tribulation would be expected to begin around the Spring of 2013.  Yet, other events would have to happen prior to that for that to be possible.

Why possibly 2013?

According to the Bible, the tribulation and the Day of the Lord seem to be for “a time, times, and half a time” (c.f. Daniel 9:27;12:7; Revelation 12:14-17). Nearly all biblical scholars believe that this equals three and 1/2 years.

And also according to the Bible, the Day of the Lord lasts for one year. Notice:

For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion (Isaiah 34:8).

Hence, if the combined time of the tribulation and the Day of the Lord were to end near the Fall of 2016, the Day of the Lord would begin in 2015 (consistent with the claimed tetrad moon that Prophecy in the News mentioned), the Great Tribulation would begin two and one half years earlier. Which brings us near the Spring of 2013.  Yet, if a peace deal to fulfill Daniel 9:27 does not happen prior to June of 2010, this date is premature.

And while the starting point of that calculation is speculative (as I do not believe God will display blood moon near the Fall of 2015 to fulfill Revelation 6:12 as it seems too soon), it is interesting that 2013 is pointed to as a possible start date–and that there is not tetrad for nearly two more decades.  It is important to realize, though, that there are red moons without the tetrad–hence another date is naturally possible–plus I think that Prophecy in the News is wrong about a “natural” red moon appearing on Trumpets in 2015.

But even if this tetrad red moon discussion that Prophecy in the News brought up is wrong and of no direct relevance, it is possible that a red moon or some sign like that may be associated with some part of the Great Tribulation or the Day of the Lord.

UPDATE 10/10/2013  Because many still come to this article years after it was posted and because the Great Tribulation, at this time cannot happen in 2013, I just posted a more complete article about this including whether or not Jesus can return in 2014 or 2105.  To see the article, please click on the following link: Blood Moons and Prophecy.  A related YouTube new video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.

Two articles of possibly related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 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?

COGwriter

Most people who claim to practice Christianity no almost nothing about what happened to the true Church in the second and third centuries.  They also do not seem to realize where the bulk of the early Christians were.

Where Were the Early Christians?

Although there were early Christians in many places, more seemed to be in Jerusalem, Antioch, Asia Minor, Alexandria, Corinth, Rome, Armenia, and with some even into the Celtic areas, India, Africa, and possibly China, the main early location seemed to be Asia Minor. An article of interest may be Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome.

True Christianity was apparently practiced in Jerusalem up until around 135 A.D., its second A.D. fall (which is when it ceased having Jewish bishops and changed practices to avoid imperial persecution–more details are in the article The Ephesus Church Era). By the time it first fell in 70 A.D., apparently many Christians fled to Pella, then some returned later to Jerusalem, while others went to Asia Minor and were later called Nazarenes (please see the article on The Smyrna Church Era). There is an Orthodox Church in Jerusalem which claims it is an original faithful Church, though it has beliefs different from those documented here.

Antioch was a major city essentially north of Jerusalem. The Bible records that some of the apostles met there. It was in Syria, but the current border puts it in the nation of Turkey. True Christianity was, to some degree, practiced in Antioch apparently throughout the first and second centuries, and perhaps somewhat later than that. The Antiochian Orthodox Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church both claim they are the original faithful Church from Antioch, though both have teachings different from those documented here.

According to the New Testament, true Christianity was practiced throughout many areas of Asia Minor in the first century (this area is now in the country of Turkey). Most (between 15-17) of the 27 books of New Testament were written to or from church leaders in Asia Minor. (Even Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders recognized that Asia Minor had early “apostolic succession“.) What scripture clearly shows, is that although there were Christians in various areas, the focus for the New Testament writers were the churches in Asia Minor. And interestingly, the last book of the Bible is specifically addressed to the churches of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:4,11). The last of the original apostles to die, John, died in Asia Minor and his disciple Polycarp of Smyrna was a major leader there.

According to Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Church of God, and other sources, apostolic Christianity was practiced in Asia Minor in the second century–and those there that were true Christians were sometimes referred to as Smyrnaeans. Asia Minor is north and north-west of Antioch and Jerusalem, and was in the country now called Turkey. There are at least two churches that claim descent from Asia Minor: The Orthodox Church of Constantinople (which does not consider itself to be Protestant as it precedes the Protestant Reformation; and it remains in Constantinople, now called Istanbul) and the Living Church of God (which also does not consider itself Protestant as it precedes the Protestant Reformation; it is now headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina). The Living Church of God considers Polycrates (the late 2nd century Christian who refused to accept the authority of Roman Bishops) to have been an important and faithful leader, but the Orthodox Church is more guarded about that. Also, although the Living Church of God teaches that Polycarp is a successor to the apostles that it traces its history through, the Orthodox Church of Constantinople does not include him in their successor list, nor do any of the other Eastern “Orthodox” churches, even though they acknowledge that Polycarp was a successor to the apostles.

Alexandria is in Egypt, north Africa. It is unknown how long any true Christians were there. Certain ones have made claims that conflict with the biblical record as some claim that the Gospel writer Mark led the Church from there for 20 years (while the Bible shows Mark in different parts of the world during that time). Many non-apostolic practices, such allegorizing scripture, were promoted from this area, from even the first century. The largest Alexandrian church split in the year 451 into the Coptic Church and the Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Both of those groups have many beliefs different from those documented here.

There were (and still are) true Christians in various parts of Africa and elsewhere around the world (for current groups, please see the Living Church of God Congregations page).

According to the New Testament, there was a troubled, but faithful church in Corinth in the first century. It eventually seemed to accept Roman influence.

According to the New Testament, there was a faithful church in Rome in the first century (one New Testament book was addressed to it and several were written from there), but it does not list any who later became known as “Roman bishops” as holding any office of importance there (please see the article What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About the Early Church?). There were also faithful Christians in Rome in the second century, though many heresies affected that area according to Roman Catholic, Living Church of God, and other sources. The Roman Catholic Church claims that it is still the faithful Church, the one that has supremacy over all Christendom, and that it has Apostolic Succession, but it has many beliefs that differ from those documented here (please see Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?). It is of interest to note that even many Roman Catholic scholars have long held that the Churches in Asia Minor in the second century held to the original teachings of the apostles.

Most Protestants come from groups that were affiliated with Martin Luther’s teachings and/or his departure from the Roman Church. And some groups, such as the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim that the true church essentially had to begin again as essentially the Protestant reformation did not go anywhere near far enough.

According to various legends and historical writings, there were true Sabbath-keeping Christians in the Celtic areas of the British and Irish islands from perhaps the late first century until sometime after the Council of Nicea (s0me information is included in the article on The Pergamos Church Era). There is a third century report that the Apostles Thomas and Bartholomew got the gospel to India in the first century (and that perhaps Thomas went to China or Malaysia ); and there are later reports that the church in India remained opposed to the Roman Catholic Church for centuries.

Hippolytus’ third century report on where he believed the original 12 apostles, plus Paul, went to is included in the article The Ephesus Church Era.

The above information, and a whole lot more, is at The History of Early Christianity page.  That page also lists many of the beliefs of the early Christians–beliefs that most who now profess Christ do not realize or understand.