Pummeling Protestants

and other Church history fisticuffs

Here’s some Carolina Reaper level spicy Church history for those who would like to learn more background to my recent sermon on “What is a legitimate Church” from Revelation chapter 2-3.

In my sermon I read:

“Early in the fourth century, the Roman empire's official persecutions were ended by the Edict of Serdica in 311 and the practice of Christianity legalized by the Edict of Milan in 312. By the year 380, Christians had begun to persecute each other.”

These documents lay open and bare some of that deeply divided history. I share it because I believe that “To be a student of church history is to be…recommitted to Mere Christianity.”

1. The Confessions of Dositheus (Eastern Orthodox Church) 1672

http://www.crivoice.org/creeddositheus.html

(Basically the Orthodox Church saying you shouldn’t read a lot of the Bible because your not that smart and you need deep thinkers and approved interpreters to tell you dummies what it means.)

A particularly juicy excerpt:

“Question 1: Should the Divine Scriptures be read in the vulgar tongue [common language] by all Christians?

“No.

Because all Scripture is divinely-inspired and profitable {cf. 2 Timothy 3:16}, we know, and necessarily so, that without [Scripture] it is impossible to be Orthodox at all. Nevertheless they should not be read by all, but only by those who with fitting research have inquired into the deep things of the Spirit, and who know in what manner the Divine Scriptures ought to be searched, and taught, and finally read. But to those who are not so disciplined, or who cannot distinguish, or who understand only literally, or in any other way contrary to Orthodoxy what is contained in the Scriptures, the Catholic Church, knowing by experience the damage that can cause, forbids them to read [Scripture]. Indeed, tt is permitted to every Orthodox to hear the Scriptures, that he may believe with the heart unto righteousness, and confess with the mouth unto salvation {Romans 10:10}. But to read some parts of the Scriptures, and especially of the Old [Testament], is forbidden for these and other similar reasons. For it is the same thing to prohibit undisciplined persons from reading all the Sacred Scriptures, as to require infants to abstain from strong meats.”

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2. The Patriarchal Encyclical of 1895

A Reply to the Papal Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, on Reunion (of east & west churches)

(Basically the Orthodox Church rejecting and renouncing the Roman Catholic Church’s call to reunite with Rome and an unrelenting pummeling of Protestant heresy with lots of wonderful anathemas)

http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/encyc_1895.aspx

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3. Pastoral Statement for Catholics on Biblical Fundamentalism (United States Catholic Conference)

(Basically the Roman Catholic Church going full flamethrower on the home Bible studies of Protestants with extra helpful tips on how to turn around biblically illiterate cradle Catholics and Bible anemic parishes.)

https://files.ecatholic.com/5520/documents/2016/10/Pastoral%20Statement%20For%20Catholics%20On%20Biblical%20Fundamentalism.pdf?t=1475781113000

I know it’s hard to read, but we must be aware of history as it happened and face the truth of where institutions officially stand. A rigorous reading is required.