Greetings,
I've just started listening to this series again, a series i listened to a couple of years ago. It is the western church history in 30 different parts. Below is the article i wrote years ago and the links, in case you might like to know a little bit too. Original article here:
http://dubroom.org/articles/036.htmOne Love,
Messian Dread
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2000 Years of Western Church History in 40 Hours
In 30 lectures, a man called Steve Gregg takes the listener through 2000 years of western church history.
To overstand the situation of "Christianity Today", it is important to know the history of the western church.
I have just spent some days listening to 40 hours of audio material. 40 Hours containing a brief history of the western church from the days of Yesus to the 20th Century.
It was very interesting to hear about the church reformers, the popes, the hermits, the missionairies and all of that. To hear how Yesus and the Apostles founded the church.
In 30 lectures, a man called Steve Gregg takes the listener through 2000 years of western church history.
Western Church History?
Yes.
Steve Gregg, in his lectures, admit how he has a focus on the western church. He acknowledges how the church is surely not limited to Europe, and he admits how he himself doesn't have an expertise on it, too.
But that doesn't matter. Because the history of the western church is an important aspect of the history of babylon, and especially babylon christianity. In Babylon, you see the babylon church, the antichrist church, and the true church as well.
What is the church?
A group of people who simply knew themselves to be saved by Yesus. They came together in groups. And there were no political games. This was impossible, for didn't Yesus say: "Who-ever among you wants to be the biggest, let him be the most humble"?
Everyone who was looking for power by-passed the church. Besides, there was a tremendous persecution on all believers in the Messiah.
You can read in the bible, that the Holy Spirit of JAH Rastafari convinced people about the Truth that Yesus Kristos is the Divine Lord and Saviour.
Allready in the Bible you can read how there were differences in opinnion, and how they were solved. In the times of the apostles, this wasn't too difficult. The New Testament is filled with stories and teachings from the apostles themselves.
Churches were not really being led. Not even the apostles took positions of authority. Rather, when you closely check the writings, they were humble servants of Yesus Kristos. When they "planted churches" (as some call it today), they put tremendous effort in teaching and sharing JAH RASTAFARI message.
There was no system of "pastors" and "popes", there was no "christian industry". It was clear: YESUS KRISTOS is the HEAD. His HOLY SPIRIT added people to the church. His HOLY SPIRIT provided people with gifts and "functions", each one after their talents and charsimatic gifts.
Paulus and other apostles "appointed" elders. These elders were all humble people. They loved Yesus Kristos so much, and most of them were on the way just a little bit longer. In the local congregations these elders were being treated as brethren, not "persons of authority". They were the kind of guys that you recognize today as "Humble Lions"...
But then, when the apostles were dead, politricks started to enter. The letters and books that now form the New Testament became law-books.
Paulus warned for this, when he said that THE LETTER KILLS and WE ARE CALLED TO BE FREE.
But problems came. False teachings!
Even in the days of the apostles, there were allready false teachings. Gnostiscism, for example. Comparable with the new age teachings of today. John wrote about it and said that every spirit that denies Yesus Kristos to come in the Flesh is of antichrist. Or Hymeneisn, the fore-runner of a false doctrine we today know under the name "preterism". the book II Timothy speaks about it.
After the apostles were gone, the New Testament was being seen as the canon, and rightfully so. But the apostles made it clear, in the Bible, that they applied certain principals rather than their own "position of authority" in order to solve problems.
One of the first "rules" that came into the church after the days of the apostles, was a "rule" that "bishops" should allways be present whenever a teaching was tought, a baptism performed et ceterea. Possibly this could be good, in the sense that there was maybe a situation in which it was better when a bishop (or elder, which is the same thing) was present, but it became a rule.
This process continues until today and it results in what we know as "Christianity" or rather X-IANITY.
Throughout the whole 2000 years of western church history, you see how the "official church" becomes a body of political power. It starts with the right doctrine but, "authority" comes looking around the corner.
People stand up and claim to be persons of authority, whom "all have to obey". More often than not, these persons of authority are related or at least connected to with the "powers-that-be".
They might even speak about Yesus Kristos and so on, they might even lead people to the real Kristos Yesus. But because they sit on the SEAT OF JAH RASTAFARI, the "church" and even the "truth" become tools of enslavement.
Listening to the 40 hours of western church history, you see this pattern, this principal. It is obvious and clear.
The whole 2000 years is one big line, a pattern. The church changes from a true congregation of believers in Yesus Kristos into a religious prison that keeps the people under control of the "powers-that-be".
It starts with persons claiming authority, persons claiming things reserved for Yesus Kristos alone. Then this "authority" is being abused. Ofcourse! Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
There is only One Person Who can handle His Authority without abusing it, and that Person is the MOST HIGH, YESUS KRISTOS, RAS CHURCH!
So, throughout the ages, there is also an underground church, a Spiritual Body of Believers. People who love Yesus Kristos and who fellowship with others who love Him, too. Some of them tried to "reform" the "official church", others silently departed from it and simply trod their own trod with the Lord.
The pattern, from congregation to corruption, is the big history of the western church. And it is a pricipal too. It happens all the time.
So everytime the underground church, as I call this spiritual congregation that we name "the Body of Kristos", goes mainstream so to speak, gets organized, starts to deal with "authority", you'll see the corruption.
Today, the western church has been corrupted until such a great extend, that it is crucial to speak about leaving the Christian Industrial Complex that it has become. 2000 years in 40 hours speak volumes....
Download the MP3's01. Introduction02. The Very Beginning03. Passing the Torch04. Persecution & Ecclesiastical Development05. Early Heresies06. The Canon of Scripture07. Early Theologians08. Rome's Truce with the Church09. Defining Orthodoxy10. Augustine's Influence & Contemporaries11. How Rome Became Papal12. Principal of the Middle Ages Part 113. Principal of the Middle Ages Part 214. Principal of the Middle Ages Part 315. The Persecuted Non-conformistsPart 116. The Persecuted Non-conformistsPart 217. Beginnings of the Reformation (Luther)18. The Rise of the Radical reformation19. The Spread of Anabaptism Part 120. The Spread of Anabaptism Part 221. The Life and Legacy of John Calvin22. Reform in France & England23. Reformation & Counter Reformation24. From Reform to Reason 1550-165025. Enlightenment & EnrichmentPart 126. Enlightenment & EnrichmentPart 227. Revivals of the 19th Century28.The Birth of Modern Mission29. Liberalism & Fundamentalism30. Developments in the 20th Century 
