Founders of the all Gentile Church

Many religious customs within the Christian churches are based on the council of “early post-apostolic writers,” like Ignatius, Marcion, and Tertullian. Regardless of how much a person may choose to agree or disagree with some of their conclusions, the fact of the matter is these men have shaped Christianity into what it is today. There are some very basic themes threaded throughout their writings and those of their contemporaries which provide insight about the spirit in which they wrote. One of the most common threads, as you are about to see, is that the Gentile church founders severely opposed Jewish culture and law, as do most Christian pastors today. Most church founders appear to have been utterly unable to distinguish between Rabbinical Tradition (halakha) and Torah observance as taught by Y’hoshua and the Shlichim. For the sake of brevity we’ll look at three of the most influential founders of what is now referred to as the “Christian” church.

Ignatius of Antioch 35-107 CE (AD)

Ignatius was considered as an “auditor” and “disciple” of John, although he never met John personally nor studied under him. Ignatius, in fact, pioneered the Greek-based Christian religion. He was very instrumental in the assimilation of paganism into early Christianity, as you will see, and he packaged Christianity for a Greco-Roman Hellenic culture. Ignatius saw Jewish followers of Y’hoshua as nothing but legalists and Judaizers. He despised the observance of Shabbat in favor of the Ishtar sunrise “Lord’s day” Sun-Day. Theologians claim that, “it is scarcely possible to exaggerate the importance of the Ignatian letters to modern Christian institutions.” Ignatius promoted the “infallibility of the church” and the “universal church.” If there ever was a hierarchy loving “Christian” politician with a Hellenistic autocratic mindset, it was Ignatius who taught that deacons, presbyters and bishops were a separate category of people infused with Jesus-like authority to be lords over people. He even gave himself the nickname Theophoros (the God-bearer). Ignatius taught that “without the bishop’s supervision, no baptism of love feasts are permitted” and he believed Mary to be the eternal virgin mother of God. Below are a few samples from his writings:

In his letter to the Magnesians Ignatius writes:

4:2 even as some persons have the bishop’s name on their lips, but in everything act apart from him.

4:3 Such men appear to me not to keep a good conscience, forasmuch as they do not assemble themselves together lawfully according to commandment. (i.e. the commandment of “the hierarchy”)

8:1 be not seduced by strange doctrines nor by antiquated fables, which are profitless.

8:2 For if even unto this day we live after the manner of Judaism, we avow that we have not received grace: (Ignatius taught that grace was invented in the “New Testament” and wasn’t present in “Judaism”)

9:1 if then those who had walked in ancient practices attaining unto newness of hope, no longer observing Sabbaths but fashioning their lives after the Lord’s day. (Y’hoshua kept the Seventh Day Shabbat according to his Father YHWH’s Commandment, as did Paul; so then which “Lord” would Ignatius be referring?)

10:5 therefore put away the vile leaven which hath waxed stale and sour, and betake yourselves to the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. (Evidently Ignatius was ignorant of the fact that “leaven” represents sin, so in reality he promoted a new sin under the label of “Jesus Christ”

10:7 It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and to practice Judaism. (Ignatius projected his anti Torah image of “Jesus” upon the Jewish Mashiyach; he is a forefather of “replacement theology” and utterly incapable of discerning between Torah and religious traditions.)

10:8 For Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity, wherein {every tongue} believed and {was gathered together} unto God. (Y’hoshua and his disciples were in fact a sect of Judaism; Ignatius was instrumental in fashioning a sect of Greek based “Christianity.”)

Ignatius to the Philadelphians:

6:1 But if any one propound Judaism unto you, hear him not:

6:2 for it is better to hear Christianity from a man who is circumcised than Judaism from one uncircumcised.

6:3 But if either the one or the other speak not concerning Jesus Christ, I look on them as tombstones and graves of the dead, whereon are inscribed only the names of men.

6:4 Shun ye therefore the wicked arts and plottings of the prince of this world, lest haply ye be crushed by his devices, and wax weak in your love. (To make such a statement Ignatius was obviously up against “uncircumcised” Gentiles who kept Torah and the circumcised Jews who followed Y’hoshua; both could potentially have been followers of the original Netzari Faith)

Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans:

6:9 because they allow not that the eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which flesh suffered for our sins, and which the Father of His goodness raised up. (Ignatius teaches that the eucharist and “flesh” of Jesus is “holy,” and cannot distinguish between the nephesh, neshama and Ruach haKodash; therefore, he maintains his pagan ideology and simply projects it onto Mashiyach.)

8:2 do ye all follow your bishop, as Jesus Christ followed the Father, and the presbytery as the Apostles;

8:3 and to the deacons pay respect, as to God’s commandment.

8:4 Let no man do aught of things pertaining to the Church apart from the bishop.

8:5 Let that be held a valid eucharist which is under the bishop or one to whom he shall have committed it.

8:6 wheresoever the bishop shall appear, there let the people be;

8:7 even as where Jesus may be, there is the universal Church. (Ignatius is credited for being the first person to mention the “Catholic church,” but notice also how he twists “God’s commandment” to elevate the authority of his hierarchy)

8:8 It is not lawful apart from the bishop either to baptize or to hold a love-feast;

8:9 but whatsoever he shall approve, this is well-pleasing also to God; (Ignatius is one of the biggest heroes of Christo-Paganism because he installed veneration of the hierarchy of man. His followers wear labels such as Pope and Reverend which is high-handed blasphemy as these titles are exclusive to YHWH and his Mashiyach. Every religion has one form of Priesthood or another but, of course, those who are called of Mashiyach are given their authority through Mashiyach, and certainly not according to man’s hierarchy.)

Ignatius to Polycarp:

6:1 Give ye heed to the bishop, that God also may give heed to you.

6:2 I am devoted to those who are subject to the bishop, the presbyters, the deacons.

In this letter Ignatius gives directives to Polycarp who is in the historical record for passionately resisting the Ishtar (Easter) celebration of Gentile Christians. Polycarp made a special trip to Rome to exhort the Church to continue observing Pesach according to Torah! Polycarp and Ignatius appear to be in two very different camps, yet it seems Ignatius is on a letter writing campaign to make himself appear as an authority of the church and install himself as a key element (or perhaps was painted into this caricature by later Catholic theologians). Nevertheless, the writings of Ignatius are one of the earliest deficits to the original teachings of Mashiyach and Paul, regardless as to how his letter may have been manipulated to suit the founders of the Catholic Church. The fact of the matter is that church hierarchy, massive cathedrals, wickedness within church leadership and outright malice against the Torah had to start somewhere, and the evidence clearly points to such men at this time in history.

For those who postulate that the Catholic Church began in the Fourth Century, they’ve obviously not read “Ignatius” who appears to be the quintessential Catholic. Ignatius curried favor by his ostentatious copying of Paul’s style of speech and then morphing himself into the likeness of Paul’s authority within “the Church.” While claiming to be nobody special, Ignatius wrote great swelling letters to the early churches, clearly seaking political hierarchical authority. On this note we must always remember that among the early “post-apostolic founders” one can never assume anything to be true, because each and every account has been twisted, reinvented and rewritten by various theologians to suit their religious ideology. According to Catholic “perjurymen” who slandered and defamed the characters of honorable men of the Bible, Apostle Paul converted and became a Roman Catholic and Peter was the first Pope… As abominable and despicable as the idolatry loving Vatican is, it’s not too difficult to imagine what Peter and Paul would do if they walked into a modern day Catholic church and saw the images and idols covering the walls, or what manner of paganism the “post-apostolic” leaders have invented for themselves.

Marcion 110-160 AD

Marcion coined the terms “Old” and “New” Testament. The son of a bishop from Sinope (on the Black Sea), he was a wealthy ship-owner who made large and welcomed contributions to the Roman churches. For a while, he waited in the wings as a highly respected member of the Christian community; but finally “showed his true colors” during a hearing before Christian leadership in 144 CE (AD). Since the hearing ended with some of Marcion’s theories receiving the “thumbs down,” he aggressively went out on his own, propagating his new concepts of Christianity which rapidly took root throughout the Roman Empire. Using maligned teachings of Paul, who he believed to be the only Apostle who actually understood the teachings of Y’hoshua, Marcion set out to free the Christian church from “false Jewish doctrines.” By the end of the Second Century Marcion was challenging the mainstream Christian Churches and rapidly pushing them into the background with his own popular all-Gentile gospel.

In every city of significance Marcionites set up their own churches in defiance (competition with) of the “other Christians” and they flourished right into the Tenth Century. Even today Marcion’s theology, which taught that instruction within the Old and New Testaments could not be reconciled to each other, still plays a very distinguished role within most denominations of Christianity. Like most Christian leaders, Marcion was very ignorant of basic Torah principles. Here’s a sample of his teachings that heavily influenced Christian theology:

1. Marcion taught: Moses’ form of the law was “eye for an eye,” but that Jesus reversed this. BUT: it is written in Torah; “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake” (Exodus 21:23-26). Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth means to render equivalent compensation toward the value of loss, even set the servant or maid free. Eye for an eye does NOT ever suggest physical punishment to avenge the loss; this is NOT what YHWH instructs nor was this ever practiced within the Israel of Elohim. In Marcion’s day Gentiles were an easy pray to his false teachings because, as today, most have very little or no torah consciousness to determine even basik halakha.
2. Marcion taught: Elisha caused bears to devour the little children, but Jesus said, “let the little children come to me.” BUT: It is written in the Tanakh that Elisha cursed the mocking children in the name of YHWH and 42 children were torn apart by two she-bears. The number 42 represents disaster towards those who rebel against YHWH. There were 42,000 Ephraimites slain in Judges 12:6 and 42 relatives of Ahaziah were killed by Jehu in 2 Kings 10:14. According to Revelation 11:2, the Gentiles wreak havoc and do all manner of blasphemy for 42 months. The number 42 can also be remez (hint) that refers to pagan Gentiles forcing people to worship their Jesus god at pain of death. Elisha raised a child from the dead and showed great compassion for children; but Marcion, levied a wicked judgment against YHWH.
3. Marcion taught that: Joshua (Yehoshua) stopped the sun in its path to continue a slaughter of the enemy, but Paul said, “don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.” BUT: Joshua would have no success in “stopping the sun” on his own strength. More people died when YHWH said hailstones down on them, then were slain by Joshua’s armies (Joshua 10:11-13). The hailstones in Joshua 10:11 also remind us of Sodom and Gomorrah, not a popular motif with Marcion and friends who lived in a culture where sodomy was a commonplace. Joshua (Yehoshua) son of Nun and Y’hoshua Mashiyach share the same Hebrew name; Joshua (Yehoshua) is a very powerful type of Mashiyach. YHWH instructed the Israelites to go to war and “destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves (statues)” so His people wouldn’t be tempted to sacrifice unto pagan gods or make molten images (see Sh’mot / Exodus 34:12-17). “And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he gives of his seed unto Molech (Baal), and kill him not: then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech (Baal), from among their people” (Vayikra/Leviticus 20:4-5). Petra, Jordan , retains the ruins of the places where pagans sacrificed the blood and live, beating hearts of their children to a sun deity. YHWH commanded that such wickedness be wiped off the face of the Earth for purposes of His ultimate justice. Those who disapprove of YHWH’s Judgments are both ignorant and rebellious towards the intent of YHWH’s Commandments and His Mashiyach.
4. Marcion taught: The “Old Testament” permitted divorce and polygamy; but the “New Testament” denies both. BUT: It is written that Moshe permitted divorce because of hardness of heart, and most Christians are unaware of the process and/or consequences of seeking release from a marriage covenant. The John 8 fallacy of a woman caught in adultery was inserted into Christian Bibles as a theological proof text that there are no consequences for Christian adulterers. The levels of adultery within the Christian Churches was as uncontrollable in the early days of Gentile Churches as it is today; so the “post-apostolic” founders made it appear that adultery will be forgiven by “Jesus”. In terms of polygamy YHWH referes only to the kings and states in D’varim / Deuteronomy 17:17 that “you shall not multiply wives.”
5. Marcion taught: Moses enforced the Jewish Sabbath and Law, but Jesus freed believers from both. BUT: It is written in Torah that the Shabbat was given by YHWH at the Creation of the world for all eternity. The Tanakh (Isaiah 56, 58, 66) tells of Gentiles observing the Seventh Day Shabbat through the Light of Mashiyach! It is written in the Renewed Covenant that Mashiyach and all the Shlichim observed Shabbat and also brought Gentiles into synagogues on Shabbat to learn about the Kingdom of Elohim. Clearly it was the assimilation of pagan culture into Gentile Christianity that changed worship from Shabbat to Sunday. When Mashiyach proclaimed to be “master” of Shabbat, he was exercising his authority regarding the way Shabbat is to be observed, and he demonstrated this by his life! He did not “do away with Shabbat” – he, in fact, resurrected Shabbat from the clutches of dead religious traditions and magnified Shabbat (see Isaiah 42:21).
6. Marcion taught: God commanded that no work be done on the Sabbath, yet he told the Israelites to carry the ark around Jericho seven times on the Sabbath. BUT: Scripture does not say that the seven days around Jericho began on the first day of the week (Sunday); therefore, one cannot assume that the seventh day at Jericho was a weekly Shabbat. The Israelites had just observed Pesach and therefore the seven-day cycle round Jericho may have started on the first day of Chag haMatzah. On the seventh day of this feast the Israelites defeated the armies of Pharaoh and celebrated the victory; on the seventh day of the same feast Jericho was defeated. YHWH gave the command to march and He pulled down the walls of Jericho. Marcion chose to judge YHWH’s authority and speak evil against the Most High Elohim.
7. Marcion taught: Graven images were prohibited by the 10 Commandments, yet Moses was instructed to fashion a bronze serpent. BUT: the bronze serpent on the pole was the visible antidote to the venom of the snake. Those who looked to the bronze serpent were saved from certain death. Those who looked to the suffering servant on the pole are saved from the bit of the servant Satan. Marcion indicted YHWH for wrongdoing, regardless of that fact that the Israelites weren’t worshipping the bronze serpent; neither did Marcion respect the fact that YHWH’s Word is Sanctified by His Perfection which is revealed in Mashiyach.
8. Marcion taught: The God of the Old Testament could not have been omniscient, otherwise he would not have asked, “Adam where are you?” (Genesis) BUT: It is written that YHWH is an all merciful and loving Father; therefore, He gave Adam and Chavvah a few moments to compose themselves before having to approach Him. They had fallen into transgression and were devastated and ashamed, as illustrated by their nakedness. But, with an apparent brazen hatred towards YHWH, Marcion and Christo-Paganism invented a false religious premise from which they fashioned their own god unto themselves whom they named Je-Zeus.
9. Marcion taught: The God of the Old Testament was a ruthless God of vengeance, cruelty and wrath, but Jesus was full of grace and compassion. BUT: Y’hoshua is the Word or Mind of YHWH who became flesh and dwelled among us; these are ONE, yet Marcion taught that God existed in “persons.” Marcion’s theology divided the “Godhead” against itself, following a very common pagan mindset that the gods are at war with each other. The Gentile culture that birthed Marcion viewed the Hebrew (One God) based faith as old and passé. Marcion’s carnal perspective of YHWH left an indelible mark within Christianity that is commonplace to this very day.
10. Marcion coined the terms Old and New Testament. BUT: It is written that YHWH would bring a Renewed Covenant to His people and therefore the onus was on His people to extend the invitation of the Kingdom of Elohim to the rest of the world. By replacing the word “Covenant” with “Testament” Marcion and othe pagan theologians wrestled Jeremiah 31:31-34 away from the foundational teachings of Y’hoshua and the Schlichim. Most Christians had no access to the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) and would not know that Brit Chadashah means “Renewed Covenant” and that Mashiyach would come to write Torah upon the hearts of his followers. By replacing the word covenant with testament Marcion theologically divided Jesus and his followers away from YHWH the Father and turned him into a self sustained deity that opposed the “Old Testament.” Everyone who ever used the terms “Old and New Testament” can thank Marcion the heretic for implanting such contrary values against the Unified and Eternal Word of the Living Elohim.

Polycarp, who was mentioned earlier, referred to Marcion as “the firstborn of the devil.” But, Marcion’s judenrein (Jew-free) all-Gentile churches became very popular among early Gentile Christians, and one of the largest Christian denominations on Earth. Marcion was inventor and/or the major contributor to dispensationalism, supercessionism, and replacement theology – all of which are extremely popular among the vast majority of Christians today, preached in nearly every church.

Tertullian 155-230 CE (AD)

Tertullian was born into a mainstream Gentile pagan family, but became a devout Christo-pagan. Like Marcion he also found mainstream Christianity intolerable so he set out to make broad sweeping reform. According to Jerome, Tertullian was “distressed by the envy and laxity of the clergy of the Roman church” so he joined with the Montanists (also known as the Cataphrygian Heresy) founded by Montanus. Montanus was formerly following the pagan mother goddess of fertility named Cybele where he learned plenty of things to adapt into Christianity. One of Montanus’ “achievements” was to fall into a trance and prophecy under the influence of the “Holy Ghost,” insisting that his utterances were the voice of the “Holy Ghost.” Modern day “tongue-speaking” Pentecostal or Charismatic denominations apparently have very similar experiences to those of the church of Montanus. As Montanus’ theologies and influence advanced, he was joined by Priscilla and Maximilla, who abandoned their husbands to follow the call of his “prophetic” ministry.

Tertullian, though, while fumbling in all manner of paganism and spiritism also picked up an “anointing” of the “Holy Ghost” and through demonic inspiration, he compartmentalized the “Godhead” and coined the word “Trinity” which, of course, is one of the most cherished doctrines of the Christian Church today. The “persons of the Trinity” doctrine flourished in the hierarchy-based Christian religion, which also views itself as a pyramid structure. Tertullian wrote using puns, wit, sarcasm and a continual pounding of his opponents with invective and platitude; yet he was the architect of the pinnacle doctrine of Christianity, the “persons of the Trinity.” Tertullian theology is very akin to the likes of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz who were the original trinity of Babylon and he inserted the “persons” of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, making him extremely popular among pagan Gentile Christians.

In these “end times” it is imperative to understand that these three men are “pillars of the Church.” Their teachings have influenced every soul who have ever called themselves Christian in the last 1,800 years. These church founders who are venerated by Christendom displayed unfathomable resentment toward the original Netzari Jewish followers of Y’hoshua – not because they happened to be Jews who followed Y’hoshua, but because they “accepted Christ without ceasing to observe the old law.” Certainly there are exceptions, but still today the vast majority of Christianity maintains a very deep-seated, vitriolic anti-Semitism towards Jews and Torah which was planted within the Church by such men as these.

Lest anyone think that the times have changed regarding the “Christian” disdain for the authority of the inerrant Word of YHWH, here’s a quote from the head of the largest Christian institute on Earth:

“The fundamentalist approach is dangerous, for it is attractive to people who look to the Bible for ready answers to the problems of life. It can deceive these people, offering them interpretations that are pious but illusory, instead of telling them that the Bible does not necessarily contain an immediate answer to each and every problem. Without saying as much in so many words, fundamentalism actually invites people to a kind of intellectual suicide. It injects into life a false certitude, for it unwittingly confuses the divine substance of the biblical message with what are in fact its human limitations.” (Quoted from The Interpretation of the Bibles in the Church; Pontifical Biblical Commission, presented on March 18, 1994)

Contrary to the wickedness of religious men YHWH declares: “…man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of YHWH does man live” (D’varim/Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4; Luke 4:4). Our Father in Heaven wants people to look to Him rather than “old time religion” or “the new science” that claims to have all the answers for humanity but is progressively destroying the Earth and setting forth greater and greater immorality.

“…Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which you shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this Torah. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing you shall prolong your days in the land, where you go over Jordan to possess it” (D’varim/Deut 32:46, 47).

Christo-Paganism denotes the assimilation of paganism into Christianity, introduced into the world’s churches by the aforementioned, highly venerated post-apostolic founders of Gentile Christianity. Traditions like erecting images of Mary or Jesus, painting Easter eggs, going to church on Sunday, anti-Semitism, erecting and decorating Christmas trees or dressing up as Santa Claus all originated within paganism and are the exact opposite to the Kingdom of Elohim. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Christians have willfully adopted these forms of paganism as part of their “Christian tradition.” These Church “founders” never met the original Shlichim, nor did they have YHWH’s instructions in righteousness written upon their hearts. In fact, these early Christian philosophers and opportunists had no more first-hand knowledge of Y’hoshua’s or Paul’s teachings than theologians today. But nowadays, by accessing the original Aramaic Writings, we can compare for ourselves the writings of the post-apostolic founders of the modern “Christian gospel” and see that it is very far removed from the original Netzari Faith.

Regardless of the rude, crude and hateful attacks against the Netzari Faith by a multitude of naysayers who are ignorant of the Scriptures, there is a growing number of Jews and Gentiles who are returning to YHWH and living the Faith of Y’hoshua haMashiyach that was once delivered to the righteous. Clearly there is a very stark difference between what the post-apostolic founders of the Gentile Church taught and what the original Shlichim (Sent Ones) of Mashiyach lived and taught, The Netzari movement in our day is a fulfillment of the following prophecy:

“O YHWH, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things where there is no profit. Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is YHWH” (Jeremiah 16:19-21).