| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Doug" |
| Date: |
21 Jan 2008 09:21:37 PM |
| Object: |
Pagan philosophy distorts the gospel |
The terrors of infernal torment of the unsaved were introduced into the
church from paganism, in the early centuries of the Christian era.
William Tyndale, (1494 – 1536) the early reformer and scholar who first
translated the Bible to English, said the church's teaching of an immortal
soul undermined the gospel. He said, "And ye, in putting them (the dead) in
heaven, hell and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul
prove the resurrection....if the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be
not in as good a case as the angels be? And then what cause is there of a
resurrection.... The true faith puteth forth the resurrection, which we be
warned to look for every hour. The heathen philosophers, denying that, did
put that the souls did ever live. And the pope joineth the spiritual
doctrine of Christ and the fleshy doctrine of philosophers together: things
so contrary that they cannot agree....And because the fleshy-minded pope
consenteth unto heathen doctrine, therefore he corrupteth the Scripture to
establish it."
In the above quote, Tyndale said the doctrine of "souls that ever live" came
from heathen philosophers. He also said, "They have ordained that no man
shall look on the Scripture, until he be noselled in heathen learning eight
or nine years and armed with false principles, with which he is clean shut
out of the understanding of the Scripture."
Ancient pagan writers admit the concept of infernal torment was a
superstition invented in order to control the masses. This occurred in
ancient Rome. By the adoption of those false doctrines and promoting
superstition the church gained considerable power. At the same time, its
mission to be the light of the world was compromised. The gospel was
obscured, as foretold by the prophet Joel.
Joel's prophecy that "the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come" [Joel 2:31]
was cited by the Apostle Peter, as recorded in Acts 2:20. The sun
represents the gospel, and the darkness which obscures the gospel was the
adoption of the pagan ideas such as the doctrine of the immortality of the
soul, and unending infernal torment of unbelievers. This occurred early in
the church's history, and fulfilled Joel's prophecy.
In the quote below, Polybius shows why the idea of infernal torments came
about.
Polybius [Histories VI,56].
But among all the useful institutions, that demonstrate the superior
excellence of the Roman government, the most considerable perhaps is the
opinion which the people are taught to hold concerning the gods: and that,
which other men regard as an object of disgrace, appears in my judgment to
be the very thing by which this republic chiefly is sustained. I mean,
superstition: which is impressed with all it terrors; and influences both
the private actions of the citizens, and the public administration also of
the state, in a degree that can scarcely be exceeded. This may appear
astonishing to many. To me it is evident, that this contrivance was at
first adopted for the sake of the multitude. For if it were possible that a
state could be composed of wise men only, there would be no need, perhaps,
of any such invention. But as the people universally are fickle and
inconstant, filled with irregular desires, too precipitate in their
passions, and prone to violence; there is no way left to restrain them, but
by the dread of things unseen, and by the pageantry of terrifying fiction.
The ancients, therefore, acted not absurdedly, nor without good reason,
when they inculcated the notions concerning the gods, and the belief of
infernal punishments; but much more those of the present age are to be
charged with rashness and absurdity, in endeavoring to extirpate these
opinions. For, not to mention effects that flow from such an institution,
if, among the Greeks, for example, a single talent only be entrusted to
those who have the management of any of the public money; though they give
ten written sureties, with as many seals and twice as many witnesses, they
are unable to discharge the trusts reposed in them with integrity. But the
Romans, on the other hand, who in the course of their magistracies, and in
embassies, disperse the greatest sums, are prevailed on by the single
obligation of an oath to perform their duties with inviolable honesty. And
as, in other states, a man is rarely found whose hands are pure from public
robbery; so, among the Romans, it is no less rare to discover one that is
tainted with this crime. But all things are subject to decay and change.
This is a truth so evident, and so demonstrated by the perpetual and the
necessary force of nature, that it needs no other proof.
The historian Livy in Hist., I 19 says Numa Pompilius, the second king of
Rome, invented the fear of the gods, as "a most efficacious means of
governing an ignorant and barbarous populace."
Doug
http://vinyl2.sentex.ca/~tcc/OP/
http://www.tentmaker.org/books/OriginandHistory.html
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| User: "Nancy Rudins" |
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| Title: Re: Pagan philosophy distorts the gospel |
21 Jan 2008 10:18:18 PM |
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Doug wrote:
The terrors of infernal torment of the unsaved were introduced into the
church from paganism, in the early centuries of the Christian era.
William Tyndale, (1494 – 1536) the early reformer and scholar who first
translated the Bible to English, said the church's teaching of an immortal
soul undermined the gospel. He said, "And ye, in putting them (the dead) in
heaven, hell and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul
prove the resurrection....if the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be
not in as good a case as the angels be? And then what cause is there of a
resurrection.... The true faith puteth forth the resurrection, which we be
warned to look for every hour. The heathen philosophers, denying that, did
put that the souls did ever live. And the pope joineth the spiritual
doctrine of Christ and the fleshy doctrine of philosophers together: things
so contrary that they cannot agree....And because the fleshy-minded pope
consenteth unto heathen doctrine, therefore he corrupteth the Scripture to
establish it."
In the above quote, Tyndale said the doctrine of "souls that ever live" came
from heathen philosophers. He also said, "They have ordained that no man
shall look on the Scripture, until he be noselled in heathen learning eight
or nine years and armed with false principles, with which he is clean shut
out of the understanding of the Scripture."
Ancient pagan writers admit the concept of infernal torment was a
superstition invented in order to control the masses. This occurred in
ancient Rome. By the adoption of those false doctrines and promoting
superstition the church gained considerable power. At the same time, its
mission to be the light of the world was compromised. The gospel was
obscured, as foretold by the prophet Joel.
It's the same lie that Satan used with Eve: "Ye shall not surely die."
Gen 3:4.
Kind regards,
Nancy
--
E = F-flat
Musician's Theory of Relativity
Nancy Rudins
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| User: "Doug" |
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| Title: Re: Pagan philosophy distorts the gospel |
22 Jan 2008 06:00:44 AM |
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On January 21, 2008 11:18 pm, Nancy Rudins <nrudins@ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote:
Doug wrote:
The terrors of infernal torment of the unsaved were introduced into the
church from paganism, in the early centuries of the Christian era.
William Tyndale, (1494 – 1536) the early reformer and scholar who first
translated the Bible to English, said the church's teaching of an
immortal soul undermined the gospel. He said, "And ye, in putting them
(the dead) in heaven, hell and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith
Christ and Paul prove the resurrection....if the souls be in heaven, tell
me why they be not in as good a case as the angels be? And then what
cause is there of a resurrection.... The true faith puteth forth the
resurrection, which we be warned to look for every hour. The heathen
philosophers, denying that, did put that the souls did ever live. And the
pope joineth the spiritual doctrine of Christ and the fleshy doctrine of
philosophers together: things so contrary that they cannot agree....And
because the fleshy-minded pope consenteth unto heathen doctrine,
therefore he corrupteth the Scripture to establish it."
In the above quote, Tyndale said the doctrine of "souls that ever live"
came from heathen philosophers. He also said, "They have ordained that no
man shall look on the Scripture, until he be noselled in heathen learning
eight or nine years and armed with false principles, with which he is
clean shut out of the understanding of the Scripture."
Ancient pagan writers admit the concept of infernal torment was a
superstition invented in order to control the masses. This occurred in
ancient Rome. By the adoption of those false doctrines and promoting
superstition the church gained considerable power. At the same time, its
mission to be the light of the world was compromised. The gospel was
obscured, as foretold by the prophet Joel.
It's the same lie that Satan used with Eve: "Ye shall not surely die."
Gen 3:4.
Yes, that is indeed a great lie that has deceived many. Tyndale understood
how crucial this is to get right. Death exists because of sin; that is why
Christ died for us. Those who believe the gospel have died in Christ, which
is what baptism pictures. Paul explains this, "Therefore we are buried with
him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life." [Romans 6:4]
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ makes little sense to those who
are deceived by the immortal soul doctrine of Homer, Plato and other pagan
writers. Why would man even need a saviour, if he is born with an immortal
soul?
Doug
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