Protestant
Well-Known Member
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Had I, a Bible-believing Protestant, lived in the second century I most assuredly would have been condemned as a Docetic heretic…..allegedly denying that Christ was a true man composed of literal flesh.
How so? By denying the doctrine of the Real Presence.
You know, that essential damnable doctrine believed by the Roman and Greek Churches which demands I eat the literal flesh, blood, soul and divinity of Christ when I partake of their abominable pagan sacrificial rituals.
One need not wait until the 4th Lateran Council (A.D. 1215) to subscribe to this doctrine of devils whose official designation is Transubstantiation.
Ignatius of Antioch wrote concerning the Docetic heretics in A.D. 110:
“They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes.” [Source: Wikipedia: article, Docetism]
No, I will not bow down to, nor pray to their man-made wafer god…..their false Christ.
Therefore, in their warped, satanic view, I am antichrist and must be dealt with severely.
Furthermore, had I lived during the 8th century, I would have been labeled a Manichean…….also allegedly denying that Christ was a true man composed of literal flesh.
How so? By denying the worship of images.
According to official Roman and Greek doctrine as explained by ‘St.’ John of Damascus, the right to make graven images of Christ, (as well as Mary, and the Saints) is due to the fact that Christ actually walked the Earth in the flesh.
“….it is impossible to make an image of the immeasurable, uncircumscribed, invisible God. You have not seen the likeness of Him, the Scripture says….”
“Of old, God the incorporeal and uncircumscribed was never depicted. Now, however, when God is seen clothed in flesh, and conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see. I do not worship matter; I worship the God of matter, who became matter for my sake, and deigned to inhabit matter, who worked out my salvation through matter. I will not cease from honouring that matter which works my salvation. I venerate it, though not as God.”
Idolaters are quite careful in distinguishing the mode of worship by which they worship their graven images.
“Worship is the symbol of veneration and of honour. Let us understand that there are different degrees of worship. First of all the worship of latria, which we show to God, who alone by nature is worthy of worship.” [Source for St. John: www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/johndamascus-images.asp]
(n.b. The lesser gods are worshipped in the mode called ‘dulia.’
But the Blessed Virgin has her own special mode: ‘hyperdulia.’)
Thus, by denying image worship, according to their warped, satanic definitions, I deny Christ came in the flesh.
Therefore, I am antichrist and must be dealt with severely.
Is the reader beginning to understand how it was that true Christians protesting the Mass and image worship throughout the Church Age were falsely given heretical labels?
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Had I, a Bible-believing Protestant, lived in the second century I most assuredly would have been condemned as a Docetic heretic…..allegedly denying that Christ was a true man composed of literal flesh.
How so? By denying the doctrine of the Real Presence.
You know, that essential damnable doctrine believed by the Roman and Greek Churches which demands I eat the literal flesh, blood, soul and divinity of Christ when I partake of their abominable pagan sacrificial rituals.
One need not wait until the 4th Lateran Council (A.D. 1215) to subscribe to this doctrine of devils whose official designation is Transubstantiation.
Ignatius of Antioch wrote concerning the Docetic heretics in A.D. 110:
“They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes.” [Source: Wikipedia: article, Docetism]
No, I will not bow down to, nor pray to their man-made wafer god…..their false Christ.
Therefore, in their warped, satanic view, I am antichrist and must be dealt with severely.
Furthermore, had I lived during the 8th century, I would have been labeled a Manichean…….also allegedly denying that Christ was a true man composed of literal flesh.
How so? By denying the worship of images.
According to official Roman and Greek doctrine as explained by ‘St.’ John of Damascus, the right to make graven images of Christ, (as well as Mary, and the Saints) is due to the fact that Christ actually walked the Earth in the flesh.
“….it is impossible to make an image of the immeasurable, uncircumscribed, invisible God. You have not seen the likeness of Him, the Scripture says….”
“Of old, God the incorporeal and uncircumscribed was never depicted. Now, however, when God is seen clothed in flesh, and conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see. I do not worship matter; I worship the God of matter, who became matter for my sake, and deigned to inhabit matter, who worked out my salvation through matter. I will not cease from honouring that matter which works my salvation. I venerate it, though not as God.”
Idolaters are quite careful in distinguishing the mode of worship by which they worship their graven images.
“Worship is the symbol of veneration and of honour. Let us understand that there are different degrees of worship. First of all the worship of latria, which we show to God, who alone by nature is worthy of worship.” [Source for St. John: www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/johndamascus-images.asp]
(n.b. The lesser gods are worshipped in the mode called ‘dulia.’
But the Blessed Virgin has her own special mode: ‘hyperdulia.’)
Thus, by denying image worship, according to their warped, satanic definitions, I deny Christ came in the flesh.
Therefore, I am antichrist and must be dealt with severely.
Is the reader beginning to understand how it was that true Christians protesting the Mass and image worship throughout the Church Age were falsely given heretical labels?