Objetivos y Supuestos del trabajo

Law of Moses

Law of Moses

The Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15 proves the Laws of Moses are not binding on Gentile believers. They were for Israel alone under the Mosaic dispensation. All of the early church fathers taught the entire Law of Moses has been done away with. Here are just a few quotes:

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Church Fathers Ignatius AD 30-107

Trallians 9 – Christians do not observe the Sabbath, but the Lord's day.

Mathetes AD 130

Epistle to Diognetus 3,4 – Christians do not offer sacrifices, nor abstain from meats, nor observe the Sabbath or new moon festivals, nor become circumcised like the Jews do.

Epistle to Diognetus 5 – Christians follow the customs of their native lands in regard to marriage, food, clothing, and conduct. They marry and have children, but they never have abortions. They obey all the laws of their country.

Justin Martyr AD 110-165

First Apology 13 – Christians do not offer sacrifices of blood or incense but by praise. God is Triune.

First Apology 67 – Christians meet together on Sunday.

Dialogue 10 – Christians live like all other Gentiles, not observing the festivals, Sabbaths, new moon, or the rite of circumcision.

Dialogue 11 – Christ did away with the entire Law of Moses, and circumcision.

Dialogue 19 to 23 – Circumcision, food laws, and Sabbaths were for a teaching. Circumcision began with Abraham and the Sabbath and the rest began with Moses.

Dialogue 43 – Circumcision began with Abraham. The Sabbath, sacrifices, offerings, and feasts began with Moses.

Irenaeus AD 178

Against Heresies 3.15 – Jesus and the Father are the only true God. Jesus gave Moses the dispensation of the Law.

Against Heresies 4.4 – The Law started with Moses and ended with John.

Against Heresies 4.34 – Jesus fulfilled the Law and prophets, then did away with the Mosaic law, and gave a new covenant.

Against Heresies 5.8 – In the dispensation of Law, the clean animals represented spiritual man and the unclean animals represented the carnal man.

Against Heresies 5.17 – “He has destroyed the handwriting” of our debt, and “fastened it to the cross;”

Tertullian AD 190-210

Against Marcion 1.20 – Paul in Galatians means the Law given by God, then fulfilled and done away with in Christ.

Against Marcion 1.21 – Some disputed about eating idol sacrifices, others about the veiled dress of women, others again about marriage and divorce, and some even about the hope of the resurrection; but about God no one disputed.

Against Marcion 4.12 – Jesus annulled the Sabbath.

Against Marcion 5.2 – Galatians proves the Mosaic Law is fully abolished.

Against Marcion 5.11 – In 1 Corinthians, the veil of Moses refers to the complete doing away with the old dispensation, Christ being Messiah, He abrogated all of Moses’ Law. Heretics try to say the epistle to the Ephesians is the epistle to the Laodeceans.

Jews 1.3 – Circumcision was temporary.

Jews 1.4 – Sabbath was temporary Jews 1.5 – Sacrifices were temporary.

Nations 1.13 – Christians worship on Sunday; this has nothing to do with paganism.

Origen AD 230

Against Celsus 1:22 – The rite of circumcision began with Abraham and was discontinued by Jesus.

Against Celsus 5:47 – The circumcision practiced by the Egyptians is not the same as the circumcision of the Jews.

Against Celsus 5:48 – Christians are forbidden to practice circumcision; and are reminded [by the apostle Paul]: “If you become circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.”

Victorinus, AD 270

Creation of the world 1 – There was a literal seven-day creation, but Jesus abolished the Sabbath.

Lactantius, AD 285

Divine Institutes 4.17 – Jesus abolished circumcision, laws against eating pork, and the Sabbath.

[He agrees with the Epistle of Barnabas on swine’s flesh].

Clement of Alexandria, AD 195

Stromata 4.22 – It is said that we should go to the sacrifices and prayers washed, clean, and bright.

It is said that this external adornment and purification is practiced as a symbol.

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Dispensationalism

Sabbath

Sabbath

The Jews observe the weekly Sabbath from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night.

God commanded Moses to commemorate the seven days of creation by observing a weekly Sabbath.

This was for the Jews alone. The ancient Church fathers taught it was not binding on Christians.

Christians met on Sunday to worship the Lord.

Paul clearly teaches the seven high Sabbaths, or holy days, are no longer enforced, along with the monthly new moon festivals and the weekly Sabbath.

“[Jesus] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us... Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.”

Colossians 2:14,16

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Church Fathers

Ignatius, AD 30-107

Trallians 9 – Christians do not observe the Sabbath, but the Lord's day.

Mathetes, AD 130

Epistle to Diognetus 3,4 – Christians do not offer sacrifices, abstain from meats, observe the Sabbath or new moon festivals, nor become circumcised like the Jews do.

Justin Martyr, AD 110-165

First Apology 67 – Christians meet together on Sunday.

Dialogue 10 - Christians live like all other Gentiles, not observing the festivals, Sabbaths, new moon, or the rite of circumcision.

Dialogue 19 to 23 – Circumcision, food laws, and Sabbaths were for a teaching. Circumcision began with Abraham and the Sabbath and the rest began with Moses.

Dialogue 43 – Circumcision began with Abraham. The Sabbath, sacrifices, offerings, and feasts began with Moses.

Tertullian, AD 190-210

Against Marcion 4.12 – Jesus annulled the Sabbath

Against Marcion 5.2 – Galatians proves the Mosaic Law is fully abolished.

Jews 1.4 – Sabbath was temporary

Nations 1.13 – Christians worship on Sunday; this has nothing to do with paganism.

Victorinus, AD 270

Creation of the world 1 – There was a literal seven days of creation; but Jesus abolished the

Sabbath.

Lactantius, AD 285

Divine Institutes 4.17 – Jesus abolished circumcision, laws against eating pork, and the Sabbath. The Epistle of Barnabas teaches us clearly why these laws were given to the Jews.

Note: some groups will try to say that meeting on the first day of the week is really the Havdalah service on Saturday night. But as we can see, the entire Sabbath from morning services to the evening

“Havdalah” service has been annulled, and no longer observed. In other words, the whole Sabbath day.

So the LORD's day is the first day of the week or Sunday.

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End Times

End Times

The disciples of the apostles taught premillennialism, which means Jesus will return to earth in the future and set up a kingdom that will last for a literal one thousand years as prophesied in Scripture. He will reign from the city of Jerusalem. Prior to this, there will be a seven-year period during which the Antichrist will rule the earth. During these last days the Jews will return and rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.

In the years AD 200-300, a movement arose teaching these doctrines were symbolic of historical events.

We will see that after an event in church history called the Schism of Nepos, the whole church abandoned the teachings of the twelve apostles and adopted what is now called Amillennialism

Some ancient church fathers taught the second coming of Jesus would occur at the end of six thousand years of human history. Here is what the early church fathers said about the end times:

1. There will be a literal one-thousand-year reign of Christ.

2. There will be a literal Antichrist and a tribulation period lasting seven years.

3. The Jews will return to their land and rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.

First let’s look at what the ancient church fathers said about the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth.

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Church Fathers

Papias AD 70-155

Fragment 6 – After the resurrection of the dead, Jesus will personally reign for one thousand years.

I was taught this by the apostle John, himself.

Tertullian AD 190-210

Against Marcion 3.25 – The millennial reign, resurrection, and the New Jerusalem are literal.

Irenaeus AD 178

Against Heresies 5.35 – The Resurrection of the Just takes place after the destruction of the Antichrist and all nations under his rule. Many believers will make it through the Tribulation and replenish the earth. In the Resurrection we will have fellowship and communion with the holy angels, and union with spiritual beings. The new heavens and earth will be created, and then the new Jerusalem will descend. These are all literal things, and Christians who allegorize them are immature.

Notice Ireanaeus’ last quote. Christians who are Amillennialists or Postmillennialists may be true Christians; but they are very immature in their faith. If they can’t understand something so simple as the return of Jesus, what else have they mixed up in their faith?