The Great Commission,.....the end of the age – Done!

[APAK]

Most today, especially those taught by the ‘churches,’ hold to a destructive doctrine that says we are still working on the Great Commission (GC) of spreading the gospel throughout the world till the end of the age. Of what age, I ask?​

They missed this deadline nearly 2000 years ago. The Gospel has been spread throughout the world, and the end of the age arrived and went, and Christ did ‘return.’ He returned to all nations to receive his spirit within every new believer by his Father, along with the Spirit of God, of truth.

And as part of this 'return' at the end of that age, he established and ran the Kingdom for his Father, and it is still in work and in effect today, through his believing human vessels, until the final age of the earth and the people upon it. He will then ‘return’ with the raising up of his elected of God into the invisible mature Kingdom of God, with its return to his Father.

The end of the age that Jesus was referring to as he spoke to his apostles was predicated on three things: the completion of preaching the gospel to all nation, planting the spirit of Christ and his God to those that believed, and the sacking of Jerusalem along with the destruction of the Temple, in 70 AD. It was the end of the Israelites known as the 12 national tribes of God, and now they are no more.

They now became the new members of all the nations, known to themselves and all people; as 'gentiles,' as others of the other nations of the planet.

It’s unfortunate however, that several of them kept to their OT roots, in vain, and of obstinance by converting many people to their form of Babylonian Judaism over the next centuries. They would become the bane and the evil force of future generations upon the earth, as they are still the same today, those especially of power and influence.

Let’s review the Great Commission once more.

Who was the target audience of Christ’s teaching? The Jews and Judeans in general, not the other outside tribes and nations! And surely not the folks of today and tomorrow.

Who were present on the day of Pentecost? Representatives of the Jews from other nations, not non-Jews of the nations! They were there to be given the gift of foreign languages to break down language barriers, and then to go back and preach in their respective countries, and some were also chosen from Judea to represent some of other countries or nations.

(Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

(Act 2:5) Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem devout men, Jews from every nation under heaven.

These men all heard the gospel, literally representing all nations in the known world!

The beginning of the GC began that very day, after Christ’s ascension to heaven. It was already being preached to all nations when the King of his Father’s Kingdom began to reign in Heaven.

The GC ended when each nation of the known world at that time received the gospel. It was completed before the destruction of Jerusalem, in 70 AD.

Scripture also agrees with this assessment. David, Ezekiel and Paul and others wrote about it.

(Psa 19:4) Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun,

(Rom 1:8) " First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. "

(Rom 10:16) " But they did not all obey the glad tidings. For Isaiah said: Lord, who has believed our report? "

(Rom 10:17) " So belief comes of hearing, and hearing by the word of God. "

(Rom 10:18) " But I say: Did they not hear? Yes, truly, their sound went out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. "

(Rom 11:25) "Brothers, I would not have you ignorant of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles is made up. "

It says in simple language, until the gospel was preached in all (the full number) of the nations and to those who claimed salvation, those who believed, including those who were of the obsolete national Israelites. They were some of the ones whose veils of spiritual blindness and hardened hearts were lifted who became ‘gentile’ national Christians as any person.

(Rom 16:25) " Now to him that is able to establish you according to the gospel I preach, which is the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept in silence through times eternal "

(Rom 16:26) " but now is manifested, and in accordance with the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known to all the nations to obedience of faith: "

Now Paul was speaking these words in the 40-60 AD time range.

(Col 1:5) We thank God because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.

(Col 1:6) That Gospel is come to you, even as it has also come to all the world, bearing fruit and increasing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.

(Col 1:23) If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to all creation under heaven. Of which I Paul was made a servant,

(1Th 1:8) For from you has sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we do not need to say anything about you.

‘And then the end will come,’ a reference to the end of those living, of their present age. And again, the target audience were those living at the time of Christ, not 21st Century people.

Concerning the end of the age Judeans would have the mindset of the end of Torah, and the beginning of the ‘church’ or congregation age of Christ. And all this was of course prophesied in Matthew, Chapter 24.

(Mat 24:2) But he answered and said to them: Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you. There shall not be left here one stone upon another, which shall not be thrown down.

(Mat 24:3) And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us, when shall these things be? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

(Mat 24:14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations- and then shall the end come.

(Mat 24:32) Now from the fig tree learn her parable. When her branch has become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

(Mat 24:33) Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near- at the doors.

(Mat 24:34) Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass away until all these things are accomplished.

(Mat 24:35) Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

(Dan 9:24) Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

(Dan 9:25) Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.

(Dan 9:26) After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined.

(Dan 9:27) He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come desolation even to the full end, and the wrath that is determined shall be poured out on the one who makes desolate.

There is no more Jewish priesthood because Jesus is now our High Priest.!

And we as believers are citizens of the Kingdom, the children of the New Jerusalem!

And indeed it was all done, the preaching of the gospel to all nations, the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, the Kingdom established, with the end of that age - nearly 2000 years ago!

The injection of modern Western hyper-literalism (MWHL) in our interpretation of these pertinent scripture is a travesty of the truth of God. It had made us blind to the truth of things to come, and what has already come and gone.

 

[APAK]

Some history of the deviant, rebellious, Christian religious orders and churches that emerged in the 2nd century AD, and deliberately defied scripture regarding the evangelization of nations of the 1st Century. It was set to take on a new human rebellious religious force of human conquest, using, with God and his scripture on their side, as their excuse, as they made the claim, over the next centuries.

The Roman Catholic church primarily focused on establishing and consolidating its religious-political and economic influence and presence in the Mediterranean world, as it concurrently considered itself as an instrument in God’s hands to prepare all people for the final encounter with the Lord, in Parousia, or His second coming in glory. So, they established their church as the primary means of possessing the Kingdom of God on earth, and with the installation of sinful men or hierarchy of clergy, and even popes as Christ representatives or vicars of Christ on earth.

The RCC developed an extensive evangelist program over the centuries, where the gospel and the RCC of their own Kingdom inheritance, forced many to capitulate to it under the threat of even death.

This type of evangelism went on for over 1600 years. They spread their own Kingdom church on earth and caused so much death and despair in the nations in its wake.

One notable example is the forced conversions of converted Khazarian 'Jews' and Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition, which took place from the 15th to the 17th centuries. During this period, many of these types of Jews and Muslims were forced to convert to Catholicism, often under the threat of persecution or violence. This was particularly true in Spain and Portugal, where the Inquisition was most active.

Another example is the forced conversions of pagans and heretics during the Middle Ages. The Church often used coercion and force to convert people to Catholicism, particularly in areas where the Church was seeking to expand its influence. This was often done through the use of missionaries, who would travel to distant lands and convert people to Catholicism through a combination of persuasion, coercion, and force.

There have also been instances where the Church has used force to convert people to Catholicism in more recent times. For example, during the colonial era, many indigenous peoples were forced to convert to Catholicism by European colonizers. Similarly, during the 19th and 20th centuries, many people were forced to convert to Catholicism in areas where the Church was seeking to expand its influence and political clout.

Other ‘Christian’ movements, such as the Protestant Reformation, emphasized the need for individual spiritual renewal and the spread of Christianity to new regions and cultures. It did however do the same type of coercive measures and methods of evangelism as the RCC used, although in a ‘kinder and more gentle’ way.

Incidentally, the ‘Great Commission’ (GC) term was coined in 17th century and turned the entire view of scripture and Jesus’ words on its head completely. On the heels of the age of discovery, evangelizing missionaries capitalized on their national government’s political-economic and miliary prowess embarking in seagoing adventures on the high seas, as they plundered and invaded other countries, of their precious resources and wealth and destroying many cultures and lifestyles.

Baron Justinian von Welz, a 17th-century Lutheran nobleman, is believed to have coined the term “Great Commission” and argued that the words in Matthew 28 meant that all Christians were required to spread the faith, not just Jesus’ closest disciples and those present on the Day of Pentecost. This suggests that Welz viewed the Great Commission as an ongoing commandment for all Christians, rather than a one-time event. And this is dead wrong! It is one thing to share the gospel with someone for their salvation, and it’s another to mimic and attempt to replicate in a selfish way, what was performed in the 1st century for a deliberate design purpose of God.

Additionally, Hudson Taylor, an Englishman who founded the China Inland Mission in 1866, is believed to have used the idea of the Great Commission to justify Christian missionary efforts. Taylor’s quote, “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered, but it is a command to be obeyed,” implies that he viewed the Great Commission as a continuous obligation for Christians to spread the faith.

Today, in the 21st century, the reason for evangelism beside its nearly conjured up 2000 year standing extra-scriptural view that the world still needs evangelized with the gospel, has lost its appeal and purpose in true meaning. So has this so-called ‘great commission’ finally ended?

Is there still a sense of urgency for spreading the gospels to every nation, again, and again for every generation, as many sense the ‘return’ of Christ, very soon? I think this is futile, in attempt to please God through our own collective human efforts. The Spirit of holiness, within us, each and every believer, act as an instrument of God’s purpose that causes each one, personally, to lead others to the gospel and salvation, and not through our own collective national, community or denominational will and pride.

When Christ ‘returns’ it will be in might and for destruction, as it is the time of harvesting his elect out of this earth into immortality, into the kingdom of his Father. There shall be no special rewards for any self-induced efforts in order to please God, through false non-spirit driven methods and works. These works will surely be 'burned up.'

‘Churches’ need to re-evaluate their scripture-based missions again, and if they are truly led by the Spirit or rather themselves, for other selfish benefits and not for the true work of Christ. And the great commission ended, with that particular age, of the words spoken by Christ, after he said 'it is finished.' Done now, for over 2000 years.

 

[grafted branch]

Some history of the deviant, rebellious, Christian religious orders and churches that emerged in the 2nd century AD, and deliberately defied scripture regarding the evangelization of nations of the 1st Century. It was set to take on a new human rebellious religious force of human conquest, using, with God and his scripture on their side, as their excuse, as they made the claim, over the next centuries.

The Roman Catholic church primarily focused on establishing and consolidating its religious-political and economic influence and presence in the Mediterranean world, as it concurrently considered itself as an instrument in God’s hands to prepare all people for the final encounter with the Lord, in Parousia, or His second coming in glory. So, they established their church as the primary means of possessing the Kingdom of God on earth, and with the installation of sinful men or hierarchy of clergy, and even popes as Christ representatives or vicars of Christ on earth.

The RCC developed an extensive evangelist program over the centuries, where the gospel and the RCC of their own Kingdom inheritance, forced many to capitulate to it under the threat of even death.

This type of evangelism went on for over 1600 years. They spread their own Kingdom church on earth and caused so much death and despair in the nations in its wake.

One notable example is the forced conversions of converted Khazarian 'Jews' and Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition, which took place from the 15th to the 17th centuries. During this period, many of these types of Jews and Muslims were forced to convert to Catholicism, often under the threat of persecution or violence. This was particularly true in Spain and Portugal, where the Inquisition was most active.

Another example is the forced conversions of pagans and heretics during the Middle Ages. The Church often used coercion and force to convert people to Catholicism, particularly in areas where the Church was seeking to expand its influence. This was often done through the use of missionaries, who would travel to distant lands and convert people to Catholicism through a combination of persuasion, coercion, and force.

There have also been instances where the Church has used force to convert people to Catholicism in more recent times. For example, during the colonial era, many indigenous peoples were forced to convert to Catholicism by European colonizers. Similarly, during the 19th and 20th centuries, many people were forced to convert to Catholicism in areas where the Church was seeking to expand its influence and political clout.

Other ‘Christian’ movements, such as the Protestant Reformation, emphasized the need for individual spiritual renewal and the spread of Christianity to new regions and cultures. It did however do the same type of coercive measures and methods of evangelism as the RCC used, although in a ‘kinder and more gentle’ way.

Incidentally, the ‘Great Commission’ (GC) term was coined in 17th century and turned the entire view of scripture and Jesus’ words on its head completely. On the heels of the age of discovery, evangelizing missionaries capitalized on their national government’s political-economic and miliary prowess embarking in seagoing adventures on the high seas, as they plundered and invaded other countries, of their precious resources and wealth and destroying many cultures and lifestyles.

Baron Justinian von Welz, a 17th-century Lutheran nobleman, is believed to have coined the term “Great Commission” and argued that the words in Matthew 28 meant that all Christians were required to spread the faith, not just Jesus’ closest disciples and those present on the Day of Pentecost. This suggests that Welz viewed the Great Commission as an ongoing commandment for all Christians, rather than a one-time event. And this is dead wrong! It is one thing to share the gospel with someone for their salvation, and it’s another to mimic and attempt to replicate in a selfish way, what was performed in the 1st century for a deliberate design purpose of God.

Additionally, Hudson Taylor, an Englishman who founded the China Inland Mission in 1866, is believed to have used the idea of the Great Commission to justify Christian missionary efforts. Taylor’s quote, “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered, but it is a command to be obeyed,” implies that he viewed the Great Commission as a continuous obligation for Christians to spread the faith.

Today, in the 21st century, the reason for evangelism beside its nearly conjured up 2000 year standing extra-scriptural view that the world still needs evangelized with the gospel, has lost its appeal and purpose in true meaning. So has this so-called ‘great commission’ finally ended?

Is there still a sense of urgency for spreading the gospels to every nation, again, and again for every generation, as many sense the ‘return’ of Christ, very soon? I think this is futile, in attempt to please God through our own collective human efforts. The Spirit of holiness, within us, each and every believer, act as an instrument of God’s purpose that causes each one, personally, to lead others to the gospel and salvation, and not through our own collective national, community or denominational will and pride.

When Christ ‘returns’ it will be in might and for destruction, as it is the time of harvesting his elect out of this earth into immortality, into the kingdom of his Father. There shall be no special rewards for any self-induced efforts in order to please God, through false non-spirit driven methods and works. These works will surely be 'burned up.'

‘Churches’ need to re-evaluate their scripture-based missions again, and if they are truly led by the Spirit or rather themselves, for other selfish benefits and not for the true work of Christ. And the great commission ended, with that particular age, of the words spoken by Christ, after he said 'it is finished.' Done now, for over 2000 years.

I find this very interesting, I certainly don’t think that I’m being lead to be some kind of missionary and your statement fits how I personally see the Spirt leading me “The Spirit of holiness, within us, each and every believer, act as an instrument of God’s purpose that causes each one, personally, to lead others to the gospel and salvation”.

What about communion? In 1 Corinthians 11:26 it says For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. If he came at the end of the age (70 AD), then wouldn’t this be similar to “ the great commission” and be meant only for a specific time period?

 

[APAK]

I find this very interesting, I certainly don’t think that I’m being lead to be some kind of missionary and your statement fits how I personally see the Spirt leading me “The Spirit of holiness, within us, each and every believer, act as an instrument of God’s purpose that causes each one, personally, to lead others to the gospel and salvation”.

What about communion? In 1 Corinthians 11:26 it says For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. If he came at the end of the age (70 AD), then wouldn’t this be similar to “ the great commission” and be meant only for a specific time period?

Yes, we are to continue to communion in Christ as believers today and tomorrow, every day, if that were possible, if our faithful walk permits it. It is on a personal heartfelt level and not commanded by a external body of believers or a congregation ( as the RCC mandated it for example as an ongoing key public ritual. This concept and meaning here of living for Christ and 'going' to the Cross, every day and doing the will of God is not the same as the purposeful continuance of preaching the gospel to the nations as a prime mission directive set in scripture, that was set and performed only in the 1st century however.

This precious communion in Christ is a personal endeavor of our true faith, and our mental attitude in Christ, in doing the will of God and not to be displayed as a public event, every week. It is very private.

We demonstrate within our heart that we are zealous to be even closer to Christ every day, in his spirit; we are eager to continue in a closer walk with him. And we keep coming to Christ in this same humble and teachable heart and will that is pleasing to God. And then his will can also direct us to winning another soul for God and Christ, as it was done then, as a formal conversion process in the 1st century for the end of that age. And thus it continues on today towards the end of this current and different age on a person by person level.

Preaching the word of God for salvation is an ongoing objective in the plan of restoration, although only on a personal request from God to us, or anyone used as an instrument of his purpose.

So, I believe you when you say you are not acting in some formal missionary capacity for evangelism. The Spirit leads you to convert someone...as he does me.

One note that I believe you might want answered aswell..

'Until Christ comes' as used in context of 1 Cor 11: 26b means we can stop communing with Christ by our faith and walk today, when we are actually in our new immortal bodies, of the future, the last age. We have then overcame, and are one with him as the Father is in him, as then God is in all...restoration at last! at the very last age when the Kingdom of God is truly rocking and full of saints.

In the last age of the 1st century Christ returned in (his) spirit with the Spirit of God of truth. When Christ comes again we will also be in this same spirit as Christ, our new reality and state, feeding off the same tree of life.

 

[grafted branch]

Yes, we are to continue to communion in Christ as believers today and tomorrow, every day, if that were possible, if our faithful walk permits it. It is on a personal heartfelt level and not commanded by a external body of believers or a congregation ( as the RCC mandated it for example as an ongoing key public ritual. This concept and meaning here of living for Christ and 'going' to the Cross, every day and doing the will of God is not the same as the purposeful continuance of preaching the gospel to the nations as a prime mission directive set in scripture, that was set and performed only in the 1st century however.

This precious communion in Christ is a personal endeavor of our true faith, and our mental attitude in Christ, in doing the will of God and not to be displayed as a public event, every week. It is very private.

We demonstrate within our heart that we are zealous to be even closer to Christ every day, in his spirit; we are eager to continue in a closer walk with him. And we keep coming to Christ in this same humble and teachable heart and will that is pleasing to God. And then his will can also direct us to winning another soul for God and Christ, as it was done then, as a formal conversion process in the 1st century for the end of that age. And thus it continues on today towards the end of this current and different age on a person by person level.

Preaching the word of God for salvation is an ongoing objective in the plan of restoration, although only on a personal request from God to us, or anyone used as an instrument of his purpose.

So, I believe you when you say you are not acting in some formal missionary capacity for evangelism. The Spirit leads you to convert someone...as he does me.

One note that I believe you might want answered aswell..

'Until Christ comes' as used in context of 1 Cor 11: 26b means we can stop communing with Christ by our faith and walk today, when we are actually in our new immortal bodies, of the future, the last age. We have then overcame, and are one with him as the Father is in him, as then God is in all...restoration at last! at the very last age when the Kingdom of God is truly rocking and full of saints.

In the last age of the 1st century Christ returned in (his) spirit with the Spirit of God of truth. When Christ comes again we will also be in this same spirit as Christ, our new reality and state, feeding off the same tree of life.

Ok, thanks. Something off topic here, I have noticed, since becoming a Christian, that people who are analytical and think more logically tend to be preterist and those who seem to be more emotional or enjoy drama and the hype of things being fulfilled before their eyes, tend to be Premil.

Not that we have to think a certain way to be saved, but have you noticed this?

 

[APAK]

Ok, thanks. Something off topic here, I have noticed, since becoming a Christian, that people who are analytical and think more logically tend to be preterist and those who seem to be more emotional or enjoy drama and the hype of things being fulfilled before their eyes, tend to be Premil.

Not that we have to think a certain way to be saved, but have you noticed this?

Yeah, you've got me pegged. Great insight and a keen mind. I see you have knowledge and wisdom...no inflation intended however.;)

 

[grafted branch]

Yeah, you've got me pegged. Great insight and a keen mind. I see you have knowledge and wisdom...no inflation intended however.;)

Yea, I’m definitely an analytical thinker and sometimes when I debate it seems obvious to me that a certain point can’t be true, yet the other person may have no problems with their point being logically impossible.

 

[Jude Thaddeus]

Some history of the deviant, rebellious, Christian religious orders and churches that emerged in the 2nd century AD, and deliberately defied scripture regarding the evangelization of nations of the 1st Century.

You don't name these alleged deviants, and offer no evidence.

It was set to take on a new human rebellious religious force of human conquest, using, with God and his scripture on their side, as their excuse, as they made the claim, over the next centuries.

The Roman Catholic church primarily focused on establishing and consolidating its religious-political and economic influence and presence in the Mediterranean world, as it concurrently considered itself as an instrument in God’s hands to prepare all people for the final encounter with the Lord, in Parousia, or His second coming in glory. So, they established their church as the primary means of possessing the Kingdom of God on earth, and with the installation of sinful men or hierarchy of clergy, and even popes as Christ representatives or vicars of Christ on earth.

The RCC developed an extensive evangelist program over the centuries, where the gospel and the RCC of their own Kingdom inheritance, forced many to capitulate to it under the threat of even death.

This type of evangelism went on for over 1600 years. They spread their own Kingdom church on earth and caused so much death and despair in the nations in its wake.

Hate speech. The Church has never recognized forced conversions as valid. You are forced to blame the CC for the sins of power hungry kings.

One notable example is the forced conversions of converted Khazarian 'Jews' and Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition, which took place from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

All taken from the Black Legend.

Black legend - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Another example is the forced conversions of pagans and heretics during the Middle Ages blah, blah, blah.

Your anti-Catholic narrative is the same as all the made-in-America Bible cults that are less than 200 years old. You don't support your false histories with recent Protestant historians because they are your enemy.

Ask someone today where Western Civilization originated, and he or she might say Greece or Rome. But what is the ultimate source of Western Civilization? Bestselling author and professor Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (who is NOT Catholic) provides the long neglected answer: the Catholic Church. In the new paperback edition of his critically-acclaimed book, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, Woods goes far beyond the familiar tale of monks copying manuscripts and preserving the wisdom of classical antiquity. Gifts such as modern science, free-market economics, art, music, and the idea of human rights come from the Catholic Church, explains Woods. In How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, you’ll learn:

• Why modern science was born in the Catholic Church
• How Catholic priests developed the idea of free-market economics five hundred years before Adam Smith
• How the Catholic Church invented the university
• Why what you know about the Galileo affair is wrong
• How Western law grew out of Church canon law
• How the Church humanized the West by insisting on the sacredness of all human life
  No institution has done more to shape Western civilization than the two-thousand-year-old Catholic Church and in ways that many of us have forgotten or never known. is essential reading for recovering this lost truth.

​

 

[Jude Thaddeus]

The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice​

Anti-Catholicism has a long history in America. And as Philip Jenkins (another non-Catholic) argues in The New Anti-Catholicism, this virulent strain of hatred--once thought dead--is alive and well in our nation, but few people seem to notice, or care.

A statement that is seen as racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, or homophobic can haunt a speaker for years, writes Jenkins, but it is still possible to make hostile and vituperative public statements about Roman Catholicism without fear of serious repercussions.

Jenkins shines a light on anti-Catholic sentiment in American society and illuminates its causes, looking closely at gay and feminist anti-Catholicism, anti-Catholic rhetoric and imagery in the media, and the anti-Catholicism of the academic world. For newspapers and newsmagazines, for television news and in movies, for major book publishers, the Catholic Church has come to provide a grossly stereotyped public villain. Catholic opinions, doctrines, and individual leaders are frequently the butt of harsh satire.

Indeed, the notion that the church is a deadly enemy of women, the idea of Catholic misogyny, is commonly accepted in the news media and in popular culture, says Jenkins. And the (not so) recent pedophile priest scandal, he shows, has revived many ancient anti-Catholic stereotypes.

It was said that with the election of John F. Kennedy, anti-Catholicism in America was dead. This provocative new book corrects that illusion, drawing attention to this important issue.

​

 

[APAK]

Your anti-Catholic narrative is the same as all the made-in-America bible cults that are less than 200 years old. You don't support your false history with recent Protestant historians because they are your enemy.

Ask someone today where Western Civilization originated, and he or she might say Greece or Rome. But what is the ultimate source of Western Civilization? Bestselling author and professor Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (who is NOT Catholic) provides the long neglected answer: the Catholic Church. In the new paperback edition of his critically-acclaimed book, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, Woods goes far beyond the familiar tale of monks copying manuscripts and preserving the wisdom of classical antiquity. Gifts such as modern science, free-market economics, art, music, and the idea of human rights come from the Catholic Church, explains Woods. In How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, you’ll learn:

• Why modern science was born in the Catholic Church
• How Catholic priests developed the idea of free-market economics five hundred years before Adam Smith
• How the Catholic Church invented the university
• Why what you know about the Galileo affair is wrong
• How Western law grew out of Church canon law
• How the Church humanized the West by insisting on the sacredness of all human life
  No institution has done more to shape Western civilization than the two-thousand-year-old Catholic Church and in ways that many of us have forgotten or never known. is essential reading for recovering this lost truth.

View attachment 46307​

Hello to the site:

Do you feel you are getting picked as a RCC cultist, Jude? Well I think you really have another agenda here, and you are using this thread to hijack it, to segue into it, it seems to promote RCC-ism, once again, with literature no less. And your point(s) is/are what....? Hoe does this literature you have presented speak to the Commission of evangelism?

Just stick to the thread and the subject matter if you can. And beside, the RCC is not the real source of the so-called Great Commission, especially today, that was completed by the 2nd century. It was of the hearts of minds of men who mainly were heretics and false believers, who were promoting themselves over the word of God. And nothing has changed today.

 

[Behold]

‘And then the end will come,’

There are 2 "ends"., prior to the Millennial Reign..

There is the end of the "Time of the Gentiles"..

There is the "endure to the end", that is Jesus's Matt 24 verse that is referencing the 2nd half of the Trib, that is the Grt Trib.

 

[Michiah-Imla]

The Gospel has been spread throughout the world

Amen!

and the end of the age arrived and went, and Christ did ‘return.’

Uh, you lost me here.

The terrible events prior to Christ’s return have not happened. The son of perdition has not come yet (he comes before Christ).

“…be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…” (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, KJV)

 

[Jude Thaddeus]

Hello to the site:

Do you feel you are getting picked as a RCC cultist, Jude?

First, I am no cultist. Second, you've made picking on Catholics your religion.

Well I think you really have another agenda here, and you are using this thread to hijack it, to segue into it, it seems to promote RCC-ism, once again, with literature no less.

You started with attacking the Church with false histories that cannot be verified by any encyclopedia.

And your point(s) is/are what....? Hoe does this literature you have presented speak to the Commission of evangelism?

How does your hate rant speak to the Commission of evangelism???

Just stick to the thread and the subject matter if you can.

I did that by addressing your absurd unverified anti-Catholic subject matter.

And beside, the RCC is not the real source of the so-called Great Commission, especially today, that was completed by the 2nd century.

Yet you cannot identify a single 2nd century martyr by name. I would be happy to provide a list.

It was of the hearts of minds of men who mainly were heretics and false believers, who were promoting themselves over the word of God.

To commit heresy, one must refuse to be corrected. A person who is ready to be corrected or who is unaware that what he has been saying is against Church teaching is not a heretic. Invincible ignorance and prejudice rules you out as a heretic.

And nothing has changed today.

Because you either have no development of doctrine, or mistakenly think development means change. It doesn't.

 

[Jude Thaddeus]

C. S. Lewis, the famous Anglican writer, once wrote:

The very possibility of progress demands that there should be an unchanging element . . . the positive historical statements made by Christianity have the power . . . of receiving, without intrinsic change, the increasing complexity of meaning which increasing knowledge puts into them.
(God in the Dock, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1970, 44-47)

The Catholic Church, in agreement with Lewis, defines doctrinal development as a growth of depth and clarity in the understanding of the truths of divine revelation. It is important to understand that the substantial or essential truths at the core of each doctrine remain unchanged. Only the subjective grasp of men increases. This increase is the result of the prayerful reflection of the Church, theological study and research (often occasioned by heretical challenges), practical experience, and the collective wisdom of the Church’s bishops and popes, especially when joined in Ecumenical Councils.

Like many Christian doctrines, the idea of doctrinal development is based on much implicit or indirect scriptural evidence. The best indications are perhaps Mt. 5:17, 13:31-2, Jn. 14:26, 16:13, 1 Cor. 2:9-16, Gal. 4:4, Eph. 1:10, 4:12-15. Furthermore, doctrine clearly develops within Scripture (“progressive revelation”). Examples: doctrines of the afterlife, the Trinity, the Messiah (eventually revealed as God the Son), the Holy Spirit (Divine Person in the New Testament), the equality of Jews and Gentiles, bodily resurrection, sacrifice of lambs evolving into the sacrifice of Christ, etc. Not a single doctrine emerges in the Bible complete with no further need of development.

In general, whenever Scripture refers to the increasing knowledge and maturity of Christians and the Church, an idea very similar to doctrinal development is present. Holy Scripture, then, is in no way hostile to development. It is only Protestant presuppositions – not always so “biblical” – which preclude development for fear of “excess.”

The Canon of Scripture itself is an example of developing doctrine. The New Testament never informs us which books comprise itself, and its Canon (final list of books) took about 360 years to reach its final form (at the Council of Carthage in 397). For instance, the books of Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation were not widely accepted by the Church until 350 A.D.!

And books such as Barnabas and 1 and 2 Clement were considered Scripture by many at the same time (for example, the manuscripts Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus). Of the 27 New Testament books, 14 were not mentioned at all until around 200 A.D., including Acts, 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Colossians.

On what grounds, then, can we receive the Canon today except on the authority of the Church in the 5th century? These facts cause insuperable problems for Protestantism and its guiding principle of “Scripture Alone,” but are not a difficulty in the least for Catholics, who believe in Tradition, Church Authority, and development – all crucial elements in the very human process of selection of the biblical Canon.

It is plain silly (not to mention insufferably arrogant) to assert, as did Luther and especially Calvin, that the knowledge of what books constitute Scripture is attained simply by an intuitive and subjective inkling within each Spirit-filled person. If the early Church had such a difficult time determining what was and was not Scripture, how could Calvin 15 centuries later claim that it was altogether simple for him and every other sincere Christian?!

The Church is called the “Body” of Christ often (e.g., Eph. 1:22-3), and is compared to a seed which grows into a tree (Mt. 13:31-2). Seeds and bodies grow and expand. Yet Protestants tend to see Church and Doctrine as more like a statue, subject to pigeon droppings (i.e., so-called Catholic “corruptions”!). This robs the metaphors of Christ of their essential meaning. It is impossible to claim that no development occurred in Church history, or that it ceased after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 5th century, etc. (all arbitrary human traditions). The Bible is not absolutely clear in every part, and requires the developing wisdom of the Church.

Doctrines agreed upon by all develop, too. The Divinity or Godhood of Christ was only finalized in 325, and the full doctrine of the Trinity in 381. The dogma of the Two Natures of Christ (God and Man) was proclaimed in 451. All accepted by Protestants, Orthodox, and Catholics, so where does that leave APAK?

In a radical fringe minority within a minority. An anti-Protestant.

 

[APAK]

Amen!



Uh, you lost me here.

The terrible events prior to Christ’s return have not happened. The son of perdition has not come yet (he comes before Christ).

“…be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…” (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, KJV)

This should clear it up a bit....You have tied the preaching of the gospel to all the 'known' world, by the disciples and their many thousands of converts in the 1st century, to a future timeline; part of your eschatology I suspect.

 

[APAK]

First, I am no cultist. Second, you've made picking on Catholics your religion.

You started with attacking the Church with false histories that cannot be verified by any encyclopedia.

How does your hate rant speak to the Commission of evangelism???

I did that by addressing your absurd unverified anti-Catholic subject matter.

Yet you cannot identify a single 2nd century martyr by name. I would be happy to provide a list.

To commit heresy, one must refuse to be corrected. A person who is ready to be corrected or who is unaware that what he has been saying is against Church teaching is not a heretic. Invincible ignorance and prejudice rules you out as a heretic.

Because you either have no development of doctrine, or mistakenly think development means change. It doesn't.

You just validated my previous concern, that you came into this thread with a severe RCC bias and grudge, and had zero intention of not adding anything useful to the OP or thread at all.

Bye and good luck with this RCC thing you carry with you.

 

[Jude Thaddeus]

You just validated my previous concern, that you came into this thread with a severe RCC bias and grudge, and had zero intention of not adding anything useful to the OP or thread at all.

Your 2nd OP is loaded with severe anti-Catholic bias and grudge, with disgusting false histories, so I gave you a much needed spanking, but you are too proud to admit you have been proven to be dead wrong.

Bye and good luck with this RCC thing you carry with you.

Bye and good luck with this anti-Protestant thing you carry with you.

 

[Jay Ross]

Most today, especially those taught by the ‘churches,’ hold to a destructive doctrine that says we are still working on the Great Commission (GC) of spreading the gospel throughout the world till the end of the age. Of what age, I ask?

The task is to the end, with respect to time, of the Age of the ages. It is not a spatial requirement that we are to meet, but one of evangelising the people around us until Christ returns to judge all of the people of the earth.

 

[Jude Thaddeus]

The task is to the end, with respect to time, of the Age of the ages. It is not a spatial requirement that we are to meet, but one of evangelising the people around us until Christ returns to judge all of the people of the earth.

I fully agree, as do most Christians. APAK says ‘churches,’ hold to a destructive doctrine.

 

[ScottA]

Most today, especially those taught by the ‘churches,’ hold to a destructive doctrine that says we are still working on the Great Commission (GC) of spreading the gospel throughout the world till the end of the age. Of what age, I ask?​

They missed this deadline nearly 2000 years ago. The Gospel has been spread throughout the world, and the end of the age arrived and went, and Christ did ‘return.’ He returned to all nations to receive his spirit within every new believer by his Father, along with the Spirit of God, of truth.

And as part of this 'return' at the end of that age, he established and ran the Kingdom for his Father, and it is still in work and in effect today, through his believing human vessels, until the final age of the earth and the people upon it. He will then ‘return’ with the raising up of his elected of God into the invisible mature Kingdom of God, with its return to his Father.

The end of the age that Jesus was referring to as he spoke to his apostles was predicated on three things: the completion of preaching the gospel to all nation, planting the spirit of Christ and his God to those that believed, and the sacking of Jerusalem along with the destruction of the Temple, in 70 AD. It was the end of the Israelites known as the 12 national tribes of God, and now they are no more.

They now became the new members of all the nations, known to themselves and all people; as 'gentiles,' as others of the other nations of the planet.

It’s unfortunate however, that several of them kept to their OT roots, in vain, and of obstinance by converting many people to their form of Babylonian Judaism over the next centuries. They would become the bane and the evil force of future generations upon the earth, as they are still the same today, those especially of power and influence.

Let’s review the Great Commission once more.

Who was the target audience of Christ’s teaching? The Jews and Judeans in general, not the other outside tribes and nations! And surely not the folks of today and tomorrow.

Who were present on the day of Pentecost? Representatives of the Jews from other nations, not non-Jews of the nations! They were there to be given the gift of foreign languages to break down language barriers, and then to go back and preach in their respective countries, and some were also chosen from Judea to represent some of other countries or nations.

(Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

(Act 2:5) Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem devout men, Jews from every nation under heaven.

These men all heard the gospel, literally representing all nations in the known world!

The beginning of the GC began that very day, after Christ’s ascension to heaven. It was already being preached to all nations when the King of his Father’s Kingdom began to reign in Heaven.

The GC ended when each nation of the known world at that time received the gospel. It was completed before the destruction of Jerusalem, in 70 AD.

Scripture also agrees with this assessment. David, Ezekiel and Paul and others wrote about it.

(Psa 19:4) Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun,

(Rom 1:8) " First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. "

(Rom 10:16) " But they did not all obey the glad tidings. For Isaiah said: Lord, who has believed our report? "

(Rom 10:17) " So belief comes of hearing, and hearing by the word of God. "

(Rom 10:18) " But I say: Did they not hear? Yes, truly, their sound went out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. "

(Rom 11:25) "Brothers, I would not have you ignorant of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles is made up. "

It says in simple language, until the gospel was preached in all (the full number) of the nations and to those who claimed salvation, those who believed, including those who were of the obsolete national Israelites. They were some of the ones whose veils of spiritual blindness and hardened hearts were lifted who became ‘gentile’ national Christians as any person.

(Rom 16:25) " Now to him that is able to establish you according to the gospel I preach, which is the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept in silence through times eternal "

(Rom 16:26) " but now is manifested, and in accordance with the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known to all the nations to obedience of faith: "

Now Paul was speaking these words in the 40-60 AD time range.

(Col 1:5) We thank God because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.

(Col 1:6) That Gospel is come to you, even as it has also come to all the world, bearing fruit and increasing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.

(Col 1:23) If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to all creation under heaven. Of which I Paul was made a servant,

(1Th 1:8) For from you has sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we do not need to say anything about you.

‘And then the end will come,’ a reference to the end of those living, of their present age. And again, the target audience were those living at the time of Christ, not 21st Century people.

Concerning the end of the age Judeans would have the mindset of the end of Torah, and the beginning of the ‘church’ or congregation age of Christ. And all this was of course prophesied in Matthew, Chapter 24.

(Mat 24:2) But he answered and said to them: Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you. There shall not be left here one stone upon another, which shall not be thrown down.

(Mat 24:3) And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us, when shall these things be? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

(Mat 24:14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations- and then shall the end come.

(Mat 24:32) Now from the fig tree learn her parable. When her branch has become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

(Mat 24:33) Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near- at the doors.

(Mat 24:34) Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass away until all these things are accomplished.

(Mat 24:35) Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

(Dan 9:24) Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

(Dan 9:25) Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.

(Dan 9:26) After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined.

(Dan 9:27) He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come desolation even to the full end, and the wrath that is determined shall be poured out on the one who makes desolate.

There is no more Jewish priesthood because Jesus is now our High Priest.!

And we as believers are citizens of the Kingdom, the children of the New Jerusalem!

And indeed it was all done, the preaching of the gospel to all nations, the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, the Kingdom established, with the end of that age - nearly 2000 years ago!

The injection of modern Western hyper-literalism (MWHL) in our interpretation of these pertinent scripture is a travesty of the truth of God. It had made us blind to the truth of things to come, and what has already come and gone.

Yes...and what has ensued since, is the gentile version of that same type of blindness that overcame Israel, causing both the Jews and the gentiles to have rejected the coming of Messiah when He came.

Even so, the spirit of God is poured out upon all flesh, and the finish of the mystery of God that was to come has now come. These are the times that were to come just before the sounding of the seventh angel. Then comes the end.