Separation of Church 5 Post Apostolic

The Separation of Church and Faith
How Did We Get FROM THERE: SCRIPTURE?
To here: church traditions?
5. Post-Apostolic
Philo of Alexandria, ca. 20 BC – AD 50,
Hellenized Jewish Secular Philosopher
ALLEGORIZED The Law, Prophets and Writings
Reduced all characters and events to: ‘symbolism’
Stoic Gnosticism was contemporary to Apostles
Suetonius (ca. AD 69 – 122)
Divus Claudius 25
“Since the Jews constantly made disturbances
at the instigation of Chrestus,
he expelled them from Rome.” [AD 49]
Acts 18:2
“And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,
because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave
Rome.”
AD 38
Alexandria Pogrom, Ghetto
(Philo went as emissary to Rome)
AD 66-70
The Jewish War
AD 115-117 Kito’s Rebellion of the Diaspora
AD 132-135 Bar Kochba War
Tacitus (ca. AD 56-120)
Annals 15.44.5-10;
“… Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures
on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace.
Christus, from whom the name had its origin,
suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius
at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus,
and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment,
again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil,
but even in Rome ... Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths.
Hegesippus (ca. 110 – 180 AD)
 “in every city, the state of affairs is in accordance with
the teaching of The Law and of The Prophets and of The Lord...”
“… not as yet corrupted by worthless teaching”
 “various opinions in the matter of circumcision among the children of Israel,
held by those who were opposed to the Tribe of Judah and to Christ”
 “There still survived of the kindred of the Lord the grandsons of Judas,
who according to the flesh was called his brother” [Matt 13:55-56; Mk 6:3
]
 “continued in the Apostles’ doctrine”
Hegesippus (ca. 110 – 180 AD)
 first record of the Apostle John being exiled to Patmos
during the reign of Domitian, 81-96 AD.
 Lists the first fifteen Jewish pastors of Jerusalem until the Bar Kochba
War,
aka the Second Jewish War, 132-135 AD:
Jacob (brother of Jesus), Simeon (cousin of Jesus),
Justus, Zacchaeus, Tobias, Benjamin, John, Mathias,
Philp, Seneca, Justus, Levi, Ephraim, Joseph, Jude
Ignatius Bishop of Antioch
Earliest POST CANON author to stress and defend:
 Virgin Birth
 Triune Nature
 Deity of Jesus
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch
“… ye are subject to the bishop as to Jesus Christ…”
…
“… let all reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ,
and the bishop as Jesus Christ …
…
…
“Take care to do all things in harmony with God,
with the bishop presiding in the place of God”
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch:
Established the clergy as a separate priesthood mediating at an altar
“He that is within the altar is pure …
he who does anything apart from the bishop, and presbytery, and deacons,
such a man is not pure in his conscience.”
The clergy was presented as “pure” – infallible …
It became a ‘sin’ to contradict the clergy
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch: first to describe the ordinance of
Messiah’s Passover, the Lord’s Supper as:
sacramental Eucharist, "the medicine of immortality"
Ironically, the true meaning of the related Greek word used in Scripture:
G#2168 εὐχαριστέω yoo-khar-is-teh'-o … verb: to give thanks
Matt 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:16-19
The Catholic Encyclopedia, lists the Catholic doctrines FOUND in the Letters of Ignatius:

those who separate themselves from The Church cut themselves off from God

the hierarchy of The Church was instituted by Christ

the order of the episcopacy superior by Divine authority to that of the priesthood

the infallibility of The Church

the doctrine of the Eucharist, which word we find for the first time
applied to the Blessed Sacrament, just as…
for the first time the phrase "Catholic Church" used to designate all Christians
“He, moreover, denounces in principle the Protestant doctrine
of private judgment in matters of religion”
“Neither do the Judaizing heresies escape his vigorous condemnation.”
The Epistle of BARNABUS (ca. AD 100-131)
 first mention of “eighth day theology”
Barnabas 15:9
“Wherefore also we keep the eighth day for rejoicing,
in the which also Jesus rose from the dead ...”
The Epistle of BARNABUS 4:6-8 (ca. AD 100-131)
“I ask you this one thing besides, as being one of yourselves …
not to liken yourselves to certain persons who pile up sin upon sin,
saying that our covenant remains to them also.
Ours it is…”
The Epistle of BARNABUS 4:6-8 (ca. AD 100-131)
“but they lost it in this way for ever …
And Moses understood, and threw the two tables from his hands;
and their covenant was broken in pieces,
that the covenant of the beloved Jesus might be sealed unto our hearts ...”
Jer. 31:31
‘“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will make a NEW COVENANT
WITH the HOUSE OF ISRAEL and
WITH the HOUSE OF JUDAH,”’
JUSTIN, ca. 100-165 AD
 aka: Saint Justin, Justin from Samaria, Justin Martyr
 pagan philosopher who embraced gentile Christianity
 held onto much pagan philosophy;
 is considered Roman Christianity's ‘first apologist’
JUSTIN, ca. 100-165 AD
“… the food that our flesh and blood assimilates for its nourishment
becomes the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus
by the power of his own words contained in the prayer of thanksgiving.”
Justin, ca. 100-165 AD
Dialogue with Trypho the Jew. 35
“For it is not possible for the seed of Jacob
to leave an entrance for the descendants of Jacob,
or for [God] to have accepted the very same persons
whom He had reproached with unfitness for the inheritance,
and promise it to them again;”
References to judgment for Israel: interpreted as judgment on the Jews
–
References to blessings for Israel: interpreted as blessings on the gentile
church
As ALLEGORY REPLACED God’s Word:
Israel’s BIBLICAL HISTORY became meaningless …
Israel’s BIBLICAL FUTURE became meaningless …
Jeremiah 29:11
“‘For I know the plans that I have for
you,’
declares the LORD,
‘plans for Shalom and not for calamity
to give you a future and a Hope’”
Justin, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew. 16, 19
“For the circumcision … which is from Abraham, was given for a SIGN;
THAT YOU MAY BE SEPARATED from other nations, and FROM US;
and THAT YOU ALONE MAY SUFFER that which you now JUSTLY SUFFER …
For YOU ARE NOT RECOGNIZED AMONG THE REST OF MEN …
Therefore, to you alone THIS CIRCUMCISION WAS NECESSARY,
in order that THE PEOPLE MAY BE NO PEOPLE,
AND THE NATION NO NATION…”
Acts 16:3
“Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him,
and he took him and circumcised him”
(Gal 2:3-5 compare gentile Titus, NOT circumcised)
Acts 18:18 “Paul … had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow”
Acts 21:26 “Paul… purified himself along with them
and went into the Temple”
Romans 11:17-19
“… you … were grafted in among the others
… do not be arrogant toward the branches.
… remember it is not you who support the
root,
but the root that supports you.”
NOTE: Paul quotes full context of Habakkuk 2:4
Dual theme addressing “faith” AND “arrogance”
“Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him
But, the righteous will live by his faith”
“The church does not have an independent existence or genesis on its own,
as if it had no roots or history before the fulfillment of Pentecost.
If it did, it would be devoid of all association, root or previous
foundation.
The body of believing Jews, which believing gentiles are also grafted into,
is what Paul is referring to in Galatians 6:16 as “the Israel of God”
(Kaiser, Walter C. The Promise-Plan of God, Grand Rapids; Zondervan,
1978. p. 283)
Justin, First Apology ch 67
“But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly,
because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the
darkness and matter, made the world;
... For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn;
and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun,
having appeared to His apostles and disciples,
He taught them these things…”
Acts 20:7
“On the first day of the week we came together to break
bread.
Paul spoke to the people and
because he intended to leave the next day,
kept on talking until midnight.”
1 Cor 16:2
“On the first day of every week,
each one of you should set aside a sum of money
in keeping with his income,
saving it up, so that when I come
no collections will have to be made.”
Colossians 2:8
“See to it that no one takes you captive
through philosophy and empty deception,
according to the tradition of men”
Next week:
100’s – 200’s AD
Post-Apostolic – Ante-Nicene
Melito, Hippolytus, Cyprian, Origen