PART ONE
When I was young, God called me into ministry, so I went through Catechism and prepared to enter the priesthood. However, over 50 years ago, I had a radical encounter with Jesus and became Born-Again, which changed everything! I am not a Catholic or Protestant. I am a Born-Again Christian and a member of the Body of Christ, His eternal Bride.
Not too long ago, I was accused of following man-made doctrines and making decisions based on my interpretations and definitions because I consider the Bible alone as the final authority (Sola Scriptura) in my life as a Born-Again Christian. I was told that "according to the Bible, I was not of Christ and did not belong to His Church, but rather I was following a different religion and a different god." I was also told that "Christ didn't come down and give us a Bible. He came down and gave us a church and died for our sins. It is the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) who are the successors to the Apostles, and they gave us the Bible with the table of contents determined by a Catholic council in Rome in AD 382 until Luther took out seven books in the 1500s. The books called the "New Testament" were the books read at the Catholic Eucharist for the first 300 years of Christianity and are still practiced at Catholic masses. The Eucharist is the new covenant, the new Passover. Without the Catholic Eucharist, you don't have the Bible."
When I was young, God called me into ministry, so I went through Catechism and prepared to enter the priesthood. However, over 50 years ago, I had a radical encounter with Jesus and became Born-Again, which changed everything! I am not a Catholic or Protestant. I am a Born-Again Christian and a member of the Body of Christ, His eternal Bride.
Not too long ago, I was accused of following man-made doctrines and making decisions based on my interpretations and definitions because I consider the Bible alone as the final authority (Sola Scriptura) in my life as a Born-Again Christian. I was told that "according to the Bible, I was not of Christ and did not belong to His Church, but rather I was following a different religion and a different god." I was also told that "Christ didn't come down and give us the Bible. He came down and gave us a church and died for our sins. It is the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) who are the successors to the Apostles, and they gave us the Bible with the table of contents determined by a Catholic council in Rome in AD 382 until Luther took out seven books in the 1500s. The books called the "New Testament" were the books read at the Catholic Eucharist for the first 300 years of Christianity and are still practiced at Catholic masses. The Eucharist is the new covenant, the new Passover. Without the Catholic Eucharist, you don't have the Bible."
Words can only mean what the original writer intended them to mean in their grammatical and historical context, which is the foundation of biblical Hermeneutics. This message will address the early Church, the authority and history of the New Testament, and many of the non-biblical beliefs of the RCC. It is important to note that Catholics do not accept the Bible as God’s final Word and use the teachings of church fathers to support their beliefs, which is actually hearsay evidence, so trying to use it as the ultimate source of reference is a bit like pounding salt with a needle – it is an act of futility!
THE EARLY CHURCH
Jesus wasn't the founder of the RCC. Jesus, Joseph, Mary, and their other children were Jews, just as the Apostles, disciples, and early Jesus followers. The Bible calls every Born-Again Christian the Bride of Christ (John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 18:23,19:7; 21:2,22:17).
One of the early Church leaders was Ignatius of Antioch (AD 35-108). He was a student of the Apostle John, and became the bishop (Gk: ‘episkopos’ = superintendent/supervisor, presbyter, overseer, elder, Pastor) of Antioch and proclaimed himself the ‘bearer of God.’ He was ultimately martyred.
There are numerous ‘letters’ purported to have been written by Ignatius. However, a significant number of legitimate Scholars doubt his writings are genuine. However, some believe it is possible that perhaps seven of them are legitimate, including the letter to the Smyrneans where he used the Greek term for the church as being 'universal' and can be translated as 'catholic' (little 'c' - the words 'catholic church' were not used together in his letter in any translation.
Early followers of Jesus were called by many derogatory terms, one of which was ‘Christeans’ that changed to ‘Christian’ and warmly accepted by the Church (Acts 11:26). They were also known as:
- Disciples (Acts 9:26,21:16),
- Brethren (Acts 9:30-32,11:1,14:12,21:17,15:23; 1 Thess 5:25-26; 3 John 1:5; Col 4:15; Eph 6:23;
Gal 4:12,31,6:18; Phil 1:14; James 1:19),
- Saints (1 Cor 16:1, 2 Cor 9:12; Rom 12:134,15:25; Eph 3:18,5:3; Phil 4:21-22)
- The Way (Acts 19:9)
- Nazarenes (Acts 24:5)
- Body of Christ (1 Cor 6:16, 10:16),
No early follower of Jesus was ever referred to as a ‘Catholic,’ nor were they known as ‘Protestants.’ A person would convert to Christianity and not a church. The words ‘Catholic Church’ were never used to describe an official church/organization and the word 'Pope' is not found anywhere in the Bible.
The Church Universal is the Body of Christ, His Bride, and is comprised of all Born-Again Christians and is His ordained institution. Jesus alone is the head of it. It is organized for teaching, worship, fellowship, the administration of communion and baptism, spiritual growth, support, and evangelizing the world. It was built on the teaching (Scriptures) of the Prophets and Apostles found in the Old and New Testaments (Ephesians 2:19-20). The Bible, and not the RCC, is the authoritative source for the proclamation of the Bride of Christ and the norm by which that proclamation is tested. It cannot be changed by any additions, subtractions, or modifications offered by anyone, no matter what position or authority they claim to hold. Once a person attempts to conflate various verses, supplement, supersede, distort, or subtract from the Bible, they enter into heresy.
The Jewish Apostle Paul told the Church at Corinth, Galatia, and Thessalonica that he wrote with authority given to him directly by God to instruct them, and they should not distort or ignore them (1 Corinthians 14:37-38; 2 Corinthians 13:3, 10; Galatians 1:11-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:2,8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, 3:6, 13-18). The Jewish Apostle John wrote in the Book of Revelation that those who read and keep what was written in it would be blessed because it was given to him directly by God and gave a warning that if anyone adds or subtracts to what he wrote, there would be dire consequences for them (Revelation 1:1-3, 9-19, 14:13, 19:9-10, 21:5-7, 22:18-19).
The early Jesus followers continued to go to the Synagogue and followed Mosaic Law and Temple traditions. They practiced circumcision and followed kosher dietary laws. They observed the Jewish holy days and the Sabbath and met in each other's homes on Sunday (aka the Lord's Day). They did not look or operate like the RCC, and the absolute last thing the Apostles would have considered would be patterning their leadership structure to look like that of Rome because it killed Jesus and systematically killed their family and friends.
The New Testament teaches that Jesus was sent to Jews, the Apostles (Greek apostolos, sent ones) were sent to the world, and later Paul corroborates that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentile). Claiming Jesus founded the RCC creates disharmony and requires Olympian apologetics to reconcile.
Jesus told the Disciples, "if I do not go away, the 'parakletos' (Gk = advocate, intercessor, comforter, helper) will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). His final instructions to them were for them to wait for power from the Holy Spirit, because at that point, "… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8).
It was on the Jewish holiday of Pentecost that all the Disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, who is THE only Vicar (Latin 'vicarius' = proxy) of Jesus and not any human. At that moment in time, the New Covenant Church Universal (Gk: 'ekklesia'), the Bride of Christ, was founded and could perform the duties of its office to preach, teach, evangelize, and administer the sacraments. Prior to the day of Pentecost, no New Covenant Church could perform its office duties.
The early Church was all-embracing of everything in the Bible, which is the definition of 'catholic.' For the first 280 years of Church history, the Roman Empire banned Christianity, and Christians were horribly persecuted. There was no official organized 'church,' just the Bride of Christ, THE Church.
THE FIRST ORGANIZED CHURCH
It is commonly believed that the Coptic Church of Egypt is the earliest established organized church in the world, starting sometime between AD 42-50. According to Eusebius of Caesarea, as well as Coptic traditions, the Apostle Mark was the founder and first bishop of the Church of Alexandria, even before the Church of Rome was established (See Eusebius, HE 2.16.1).
It was not until AD 313 that the Roman Emperor Constantine decided to provide religious tolerance with the Edict of Milan, lifting the ban on Christianity. Constantine called the Council of Nicea in AD 325 in an attempt to unify Christianity as a religion that could unite the fracturing Roman Empire. Constantine did not fully embrace the Christian faith. He continued many pagan beliefs and practices, including turning the Temples of the dozens of false Roman goddesses and gods into Christian churches while keeping their statues, which facilitated the Christian churches to become a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism, which is why many attribute this to the worship of Mary, the Saints, and prayer to them.
Constantine was instrumental in the compromise of Christianity with pagan religions. Instead of presenting the saving message of the Gospel, the ever-expanding RCC compromised and incorporated pagan beliefs in the Church to make itself attractive to the lost people of the Roman Empire. As a result, the RCC became the dominant religion in the world for centuries.
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
THE BIBLE IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY
The foundation of Christianity is the Bible, and it is the absolute perfect revelation of Jesus Christ, as well as the absolute and final authority in the life of the Born-Again Christian. It is the only infallible, inerrant, inspired, and dependable source for humankind to know God's voice. His Word sustains everything in the Cosmos and has the answers to all eternal questions. The focus of all Scripture is ultimately on Jesus. It is the blueprint of Heaven and the only reliable source of truth for all moral and spiritual information by which humans can successfully live each day and build a foundation for any endeavor. In its original text, the Bible is the all-inclusive, inerrant, divinely inspired word of God (See Psalm 19:7;119:142,160, Proverbs 30:5-6, Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 4:4;24:35; John 10:35;14:16-17;23-26;21:25; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 3:15-16).
"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5-6 ESV)
Jesus accepted the full authority of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-18). He said the religious leaders were in error because they did not know the Scriptures nor the power of God and constantly criticized and rebuked them for corrupting the basis of truth by equating their traditions with God's Word and making ineffectual (Matthew 22:29; Mark 7:13).
Jesus consistently referred to the authority of the Scriptures. He said, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished,” and “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17 ESV). He told the Disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” and prayed, “Your word is truth” (John 16:13, 17:17 ESV).
After the resurrection, Jesus walked along the road to Emmaus and spoke with two confused and disheartened disciples who didn’t recognize Him at first, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27 ESV). Once again, Jesus confirmed that the Scripture is authoritative and can be trusted.
The Apostle Peter confirmed the divine authority of Scripture, “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21 ESV).
The Apostle Paul also referred to the authority of the Scriptures, “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another” (1 Corinthians 4:6 ESV).
The Bible alone is inspired, the ultimate authority, and is the final judge of Tradition. The 12 Apostles knew that what they spoke about the Gospel was by the Holy Spirit and not by their wisdom or traditions (1 Corinthians 2:13). Peter made it very clear and declared by the power of the Holy Spirit that the purity of the God's written Word must be maintained as the final source of interpretation.
"And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:19-21 ESV)
Scripture can only be understood correctly through the uncorrupted illumination of the Holy Spirit, who bears witness to it (See John 14:16-17,26; 1 John 5:6 – also Proverbs 1:23).
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)
Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27 ESV). He used the words "It is written (Gk: 'graphó') whenever He declared the will of God (Matthew 21:14;26:234; Mark 7:65,11:17; Luke 2:23,19:46; John 8:17,12:14). The phrase means to be exclusively transcribed and not hearsay. The Bible says His Word is absolutely sufficient in itself (Psalm 119:160). Jesus prayed for every future Born-Again Christian in His high holy prayer: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17 ESV - also Psalm 119:142).
The focus of all Scripture in the Bible alone is ultimately on Jesus. The writers of the New Testament constantly appealed to the Scriptures alone as their base of authority in declaring what was and was not actual Biblical teaching (Matthew 21:42; John 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:10-12, 2:2; 2 Peter 1:17-19; Acts 17:11).
The Bible is breathed out by God in written form and is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Jesus said, "the Scripture cannot be broken," and in His very last commandment in the book of Revelation, warned not to add to nor take away from His Word (John 10:35; Revelation 22:18-19). To appeal to a tradition or the esoteric ramblings of a fallen human being as the divine authority is unsupported in God's Word.
"Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." (John 14:23-24 ESV)
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35 ESV)
The Bible teaches that Jesus, the Christ, is 100% fully God and 100% fully human. He was sent to save humanity from the bondage to sin. He was born of a virgin, died for our sins, physically rose from the dead, and will one day return to judge the world and deliver His people.
TRADITIONS
"I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the TRADITIONS just as I passed them on to you.”(1 Corinthians 11:2 ESV – emphasis mine)
“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the TRADITIONS that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 ESV – emphasis mine)
The English word “traditions” is translated from the Greek 'parádosis.' It refers to the Jewish practice of passing down what God had given through His written Word to each generation because there was no such thing as mass-produced publications, so entire books were memorized and shared with people by word of mouth. In context, the word has nothing to do with fallen man-made religious practices.
The Bible says that the Scriptures alone, and not the traditions of men, are divinely inspired. Just as the traditions of the Israelites resulted in people honoring God with their lips, their hearts were far from Him. They worshiped God in vain because they rejected and left the commandments of God to establish their traditions of fallen men and hold to them, making the written Word of God ineffectual (see Mark 7:1-13). Jesus asked the people, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! (Matt 15:3; see also 1-9). Every Born-Again Christian is to actively make sure "that no one takes" them "captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8)
It is the Bible alone that must be used to verify and test the traditions and teachings of the Church and not the other way around. Jesus continually rebuked the Pharisees and called them hypocrites because they made their traditions equal to the written Word of God (Mark 7:6-13). Traditions should support the teaching of the Bible and not those that contradict or transgress "the commands of God" or exceed what they say (Matthew 15:3; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:15).
THE BIBLE TIMELINE
The Bible was written with a consistent theme by about 40 writers over an approximately 1,500-year period in three languages on three continents with no evident contradictions. Its writers were scholars, ranchers, shepherds, and fishermen.
The Bible is comprised of 66 books, of which about 40 scribes wrote over roughly 1,500 years by various individuals as the Holy Spirit moved them in three languages on three continents with no evident contradictions when thoroughly exegeted using the rules of biblical Hermeneutics. Its writers were scholars, ranchers, tax collectors, shepherds, and fishermen. The books themselves fall into different categories, which are determined by their literary structure. There is often some overlap between categories. Prophecy is not restricted to the prophetic books but is found in other historical writing, and much that is within the prophetic books themselves is in the form of poetry (Isaiah is an excellent example of prophecy in poetic form).
The historic church has had the complete written Word "logos/graphe" since before AD 100. Below is the majority consensus of Bible-believing Born-Again Scholars for the timeline in which each book was written.
The Book of Job is considered the oldest book in the Bible. 2000-1500 BC
The stone tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. 1500-1400 BC
The original 39 books were completed. 1400–400 BC
The original 39 books were canonized 400 BC
The Greek Septuagint was produced. 250–200 BC
1. The Old Testament Timeline (BC)
Pentateuch
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers) 1445-1406
Deuteronomy 1406
Joshua 1370
Judges 1085-971
Ruth 1085-971
Samuel 1030-931
Job 1030-931 (Poetic parts of the book date back to 2000)
Proverbs 971-686
Ecclesiastes 940+-
Song of Songs 940+-
Joel 800-700
Amos 792-752
Hosea 782-722
Jonah 745-630
Isaiah 739-686
Micah 733-701
Nahum 663-626
Zephaniah 636-627
Kings 627-574
Habakkuk 626-590
Jeremiah 605-580
Ezekiel 597-573
Lamentations 586
Obadiah 586+-
Daniel 550-530
Haggai 520
Zechariah 520-480
Malachi 515-415+-
Esther 474-450
Chronicles 450-400
Ezra 440 BC
Psalms 440-400+- Oldest Psalm 90
David’s Psalms 1030+-.
Nehemiah 430
2. The New Testament Timeline (AD)
The historic church has had the complete written “logos/graphe” Word since before AD 100. Below is the majority consensus of Bible-believing Born-Again Scholars for the timeline in which each book was written.
James 40-46
1 Thessalonians 50-52
2 Thessalonians 51-53
Galatians 53-56
1 + 2 Corinthians 56-57
Romans and 1 Peter 57-58
Philippians 59
Matthew 35-60
Titus, Philemon, Mark 61
Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, Hebrews 61-63
2 Peter, 2 Timothy, Luke, Jude, Acts 58-67
John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John 63-80
Revelation 89-95
Both the Old (OT) and entire New Testament (NT) could be reconstructed from the writings of the early Church Fathers such as Clement of Rome, who wrote a letter to the church at Corinth in AD 95 that contained numerous OT Scriptures as well as the writings of the Apostles Jesus had hand-picked, that were considered as sacred Scripture.
Irrefutable historical evidence supports that the OT Scriptures comprised of 39 books (not 46) were completed by 400 BC+-. The Jews were convinced that the voice of God had ceased to speak directly through prophetic voices. Therefore, no word from God meant no new Word of God. The Jews recognized God's messengers and accepted their writings as inspired by Him, and by AD 250, there was nearly universal agreement on the Canon of Hebrew Scripture. Jesus often referred to the Old Testament, and there is no evidence that He found fault with the canonicity of any Old Testament book.
The NT Scriptures (27) were compiled into one book in AD 144 by Marcion of Sinope (AD 85-160), the son of the Bishop of Pontus. Some of the books of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27).
- AD 95 - Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight NT books.
- AD 108 - Polycarp, a disciple of John the Apostle, acknowledged 15 books.
- AD 115 - Ignatius of Antioch acknowledged about seven books.
- AD 170-235 - Hippolytus recognized 22 books.
- AD 130-202 - Irenaeus quoted from 24 books of the NT over 1,800 times.
- AD 150 - Justin Martyr wrote a letter known as his first Apology to the Roman Emperor in which he described what happened during a typical Sunday church service. He wrote that the Scriptures of the OT (the writings of the Prophets) and the writings of the NT were read out loud, and then a message (discourse) was preached, songs were sung, and people prayed together. Then, an offering was taken, part of which was used to help those who were sick, as well as for widows and orphans, and all those that were in need (First Apology, 67).
- AD 185-254 - Origen Adamantius, a theologian and scholar, made over 18,000 references to the books in the NT.
THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE
The word ‘Canon’ is used to describe the divinely inspired books in the Bible. The Canon was a process conducted first by Jewish Rabbis and scholars and later by early Christians. This complete list of books is called the ‘Canon,’ which comes from the root word ‘reed’ that was used as a measuring rod, which came to mean ‘standard.’ As applied to Scripture, ‘Canon’ means an officially accepted list of books after a few hundred years of reflection by church leaders.
A book of Scripture belonged in the Canon from the moment God inspired its writing. Putting together the New Testament Canon included the process of the recognition and collection that began in the first centuries of the Christian church.
Marcion of Sinope (later labeled as a heretic by the RCC) is considered by some as the first Christian leader to propose and define a specific canon that continues today. The canon of Marcion included 10 epistles from Paul, as well as a version of Luke that he edited.
The first actual Canon was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in AD 170 and included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and 3 John. It included 22 of the 27 books, including the four biblical gospels as well as the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline Epistles, and most of John's writings, which is over 80% of the New Testament and is considered comprehensive and deemed authoritative by early Christians because the books presented a unified doctrinal core message on the person of Jesus the Christ and His atoning work on the Cross. It omitted several epistles because they were not accepted into the NT until later, which demonstrates that the early church practiced discernment and did not immediately accept any book or letter that claimed to be associated with an Apostle. The existence of the MC demonstrates that, well before the 27-book New Testament canon was officially recognized, early Christians already had access to authoritative documents carrying apostolic authority. It was from these apostolic books and letters that the early Christians derived their central beliefs about the person and atoning work of Jesus Christ.
In AD 363, the Council of Laodicea (CL) included only 30 members from the local Middle East Churches. It is considered a minor convention in historical Christianity. It produced sixty rulings/canons referencing the canon of Scripture and covered a wide range of topics, including such things as prohibited foods during Lent, whether or not to minster to Jews and heretics, condemning astrology, specifying the correct Christian "Sabbath day," and emphasized the importance of modesty. It stated that only the Old Testament (along with one book of the Apocrypha) and 26 books of the New Testament (everything but Revelation) were canonical and to be read in the churches.
The 59th ruling of the CL declared that only canonical books should be read in church. The 60th ruling specified this canon as the traditional 27 books of the New Testament, minus Revelation, and the 39 books of the Old Testament, plus the book of Baruch and its extended ending, the Epistle of Jeremiah. The Council of Hippo (AD 393) and the Council of Carthage (AD 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.
THE DEUTEROCANONICAL BOOKS AND THE APOCRYPHA
The Catholic Bible includes 14 books that are not considered canonical and are considered Deuterocanonical (Second canon), known as the Apocrypha (Those hidden away). These books give insight into the worldview of the Jewish leaders Jesus was dealing with, but they are not inspired. Some of the books are a bit confusing, and none of them stand up to scrutiny because they are not consistent. Some of the books are in direct contradiction with the entirety of Scripture. Every legitimate historical source available substantiates that there was a fixed or closed canon of Scripture before the time of Jesus with well-known limits.
There is no evidence that any Jews, at any time or in any place, accepted the Apocrypha as Holy Scripture, nor were there competing Canons in the First Century, no Greater Alexandrian Canon, no competing Canon from the Sadducees, and no Canonical list exists from Alexandria, Egypt. In addition, Philo of Alexandria had the same Canon as the Palestinian Jews. The prologue to the Sirach that was written in Egypt ignored the Apocrypha, and the original contents of the Septuagint are unknown. Those in Egypt held to the same Canon of Scripture as those in Palestine, which includes all sects of Judaism: Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.
The only church that has a different Canon from Judaism of the Old Testament and the first-century Church is the RCC, even though the historical evidence supports that the Hebrew Canon was established well before the late first century AD, although more likely as early as the fourth century BC because the Jews were convinced that the voice of God had ceased to speak directly through prophetic voices, and therefore, no word from God meant no new Word of God. Jesus often referred to the Old Testament, and there is no evidence that He found fault with the canonicity of any Old Testament book.
In actuality, no early church council decided on the Canon because it was God alone who determined which books belonged in the Bible. The long human process of collecting the books of the Bible was flawed because sinful fallen men are full of ignorance and stubbornness, which are parts of the sin nature, so the Holy Spirit brought the early church to the recognition of the books He had inspired.
It was because of the rise of heretical movements that selected their Scriptures that the church needed to know which books should be revered, read in church services, and applied to life as their source of authority. By the end of the fourth century, in AD 397, the orthodox Canon was definitively settled, accepted, and established at the Council of Carthage, and it was upheld at the Council of Trent in 1545. God chose the 'Canon' by inspiring its writing and supervising each book’s preservation. The church recognized the ‘Canon’ by experience and mutual agreement.
THE LAWS OF CANONICITY
Based on the writings of early Church Fathers about biblical and Church history, there are at least five principle characteristics called the Laws of Canonicity that guided the recognition and collection of authentic and divinely inspired books. The process of recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church. Paul considered Luke's writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18; see also Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul's writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some of the books of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). The New Testament books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John.
1. Was the book written by a prophet of God? If a spokesman of God wrote it, then it was the Word of God.
2. Was the book confirmed by acts of God? Miracles are what separates true Prophets from false ones. Examples of true prophets were Moses, Elijah, John, and Jesus. Miracles are supernatural acts of God that confirm His Word given through a Prophet to the people of God. They are signs that substantiate God’s message.
3. Did its message tell the truth about God? Church fathers essentially used the guiding principle of “If in doubt, throw it out.”
4. Does it come with the power of God? The early (and present) church leaders believed the Word of God was alive, active, and a transforming force for edification and evangelism. If the message of a book/writing did not have the power to change a person, then it was clear that God was not behind its message.
5. Was it accepted by the people of God? When a book/writing was readily received, collected, read, and used by the people of God, it was regarded as canonical.
It was primarily the dramatic increase of heretical movements that church councils played a role in the actual formation of the New Testament Canon because they recognized and acknowledged the inspiration and self-authenticating authority of the 27 New Testament books and limited it to those books.
SIXTY-SIX BOOKS
The Bible is most often considered one book, yet it is a collection of sixty-six books that are the standard of truth by which all other truths are to be judged in the Christian life. The 39 books of the Old Testament form the Bible of Judaism.
The early Christian church followed the practice of Jesus and regarded the Old Testament as authoritative (Matthew 5:17–19; 21:42; 22:29; Mark 10:6–9; 12:29–31). Along with the Old Testament, the church esteemed the words of Jesus with equal authority (1 Corinthians 9:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:15).
The Christian Bible adds the additional 27 books of the New Testament. This complete list of books was found acceptable because the church deemed them to be divinely inspired books.
The RCC Bible includes 14 books that are not considered canonical, known as the Apocrypha (Those hidden away). They were included in the Septuagint (the primary translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek) and the Latin Vulgate (Jerome’s 4th-century Bible translation that became the Catholic Church’s official version in 1546). Jesus and the New Testament writers never quoted from the Apocrypha.
The Apocryphal New Testament books, such as the Gospels of Thomas and Judas, were not added to the Canon because they promote a Gnostic (“inward knowing") heretical form of theology and were writings of unknown authorship or doubtful origin and were incompatible with the established First Century writers of the New Testament.
SOLA SCRIPTURA
Sola Scriptura means that God's Word, the Bible, is solely authoritative for the faith and practice of Christianity because it is complete and trustworthy. The RCC Church is strongly against the principles of Sola Scriptura even though they are strongly indicated in the Bible and were used by the early church for hundreds of years. By the early 1500s, there were church schisms over unbiblical, extra-biblical, and anti-biblical doctrines and heresies that were contradictory to the Bible. They included such things as transubstantiation, prayer to Mary and the saints, the immaculate conception, indulgences, and papal authority arising in the church (Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 4:6).
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV).
Sola Scriptura does not nullify the concept of fallen man-made church traditions even though they are not superior in authority to the Bible and have resulted in contradictory practices in numerous churches (See Mark 7:6-9). Sola Scriptura gives the solid foundation on which to base traditions because they play an essential role in clarifying and organizing Christian practices. Traditions are valid only when they conform with Scripture.
Traditions that contradict the Bible are not of God and are not a valid aspect of the Christian faith. The Word of God is the ultimate and only infallible authority. It must be studied and prioritized to become a well-trained Disciple of Jesus rather than the esoteric ramblings of fallen humans. Sola Scriptura is the only basis for faith and practice because it is the only way to avoid personal confirmation bias and opinion from taking authority over what the Bible says.
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,c a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV - also 4:2)
A. The Sufficiency and Authority of Scripture
1. The Bible is the authoritative source for the proclamation of the church and the norm by which that proclamation is tested. It cannot be changed by any additions, subtractions, or modifications offered by anyone, no matter what position or authority they claim to hold. Once a person attempts to conflate various verses, supplement, supersede, distort, or subtract from the Bible, they enter into heresy.
2. The Bible is the absolute perfect revelation of Jesus Christ and the only infallible, inerrant, inspired source of knowledge about Him and the only reliable source to hear His voice.
3. God's Word, the Bible. sustains everything in the Cosmos.
"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs." (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)
The writers of the New Testament lived in poverty and suffered tremendous persecution by the two most influential cultures of the day. They willingly endured political disgrace, beatings, stoning, imprisonment, and execution about the claims of Jesus and what He did while boldly insisting to their last dying breath that they had physically seen Jesus bodily raised from the dead.
4. The writers fully believed that they were recording the very inspired words (Scriptures) of God.
5. The vast majority of New Testament books were written somewhere from AD 50-80.
There were numerous eyewitnesses, and there is no record of anyone alive at the time questioning their accuracy. There were indeed many activities and sayings of Jesus that were not recorded in Scripture. However, the letters and writings that were chosen to be included in the New Testament were required to meet three significant points of criteria.
First, the author had to be an eyewitness to the events they wrote of or directly taught about them by the Apostles.
Second, the writings had to be consistent with church practice and tradition.
Third, each piece of writing had to be already used by the church for teaching and accepted as the divine Word of God (See 2 Timothy 3:14-17).
6. Because the Bible is already inspired, it does not need any fresh revelation to be relevant (John 14:26, 16:12-13).
Dreams, visitations, or prophetic words are not reliable. Only the written Word of God is. Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit is God. The Father is God. All three are ONE. Their Word can be trusted, and it does not need extra-biblical help to be interpreted. The Bible only needs the Bible to do that.
7. The Bible says that "no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of any personal or private or special interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20 NIV).
It must not be used as only a source of inspiration for anecdotal stories in 'feel good' messages or consulted and used merely to support an idea or pet belief. It is the ultimate authority for the Christian and must point directly to the character and work of the Triune God. The Bible warns that there will be ignorant, uneducated, and unstable people who will try and distort the Scriptures by bringing in meaning that forces them to conform to their opinions, thoughts, ideas, and agendas (2 Peter 3:16).
Modern translations and paraphrases of the Scriptures have changed God's Word in such a way that it has watered down the message. There are even some translations that have led people to the belief that Jesus is merely a "son" of God, inferring that He is God's offspring.
8. There is no need to seek God in any other place, including in the traditions of men.
9. The Bible alone is the foundation and center of all teaching and preaching in the life and worship of the Church and within the daily lives of every Christian through reading, study, and sincere contemplation.
Christians need to be continually taught how to become a true Berean and learn how to understand what is written clearly (Acts 17:11). The Bereans were open-minded Jews living in Thessalonica who were willing and eager to examine the Scriptures to see if what the preacher (Apostle Paul) was saying was faithful and aligned with Scripture. They must be encouraged each week from the pulpit to daily read, search, and study the Bible rather than rely on anecdotal stories, testimonials, and extra-biblical sources or expect a fresh direct revelation, dreams, and supernatural words of knowledge or personal prophecies.
Every Born-Again Christian should be hungry for more of Jesus and less of themselves and not have aberrant desire or compulsion to experience something "fresh" from Heaven to "feel" filled with the Holy Spirit. They have already been given "fullness" in Christ.
The Bible alone points us to what God has revealed because He proves Himself to be dependable, always speaks the truth, and never changes His mind or contradicts Himself. The only way to know for sure what God expects of us is to stay faithful to what He has revealed in the Bible alone.
APOSTLES, SUCCESSION, AND PASTOR-TEACHERS
Jesus dwells in every Born-Again Christian, and they have complete access to the fullness of God. He is as He has always been, and as He will always be (See Hebrews 13:8). The supernatural gifts and governmental authority have been given to every Christian to edify and perfect them as needed at any given moment in time. It is up to the individual Disciple to appropriate the gift(s) as the Holy Spirit directs.
Filling the role or ministry duties of an apostle and being in the official office of an Apostle are very different things. The underlying meaning of the word 'apostle' (Gk: ‘apostolos’) is one sent on a mission as an authoritative delegate. Anyone who has served as a church planter, missionary, or proclaimed the Gospel has fulfilled the equipping ministry spiritual gift of an apostle. However, that does not make them an Apostle like the 12 Jesus personally chose.
A person would be hard-pressed not to find the vast majority of Bible scholars throughout history have taught that the office of Apostle was used to build the initial foundation (Gk: 'themelios' = the beginning substruction of a building, wall, or city) of the Church, and is not on-going. The foundation of a building project is laid only once and not continuously. The Church built its foundation on the "faith which was ONCE and for all delivered to the saints." We are to "remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:3,17 NIV – emphasis mine, see also 2 Peter 3:2).
In the New Testament, God, the Father, spoke to God, the Son, Jesus, who spoke to the Apostles who were then moved by God, the Holy Spirit, to speak and write down what they were told, which became the New Testament, and is precisely what God intended to use to complete the building of the final foundation (a noun, not an adjective) of the Church, 'Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone" (2 Peter 1:19-21; Ephesians 2:20; Acts 2:42), which is why the Bible alone is "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). The new life in Christ has been firmly built on the rock-solid foundation of Jesus and cannot be destroyed by the storms of circumstances (Matthew 7:24-27).
The teaching that there are modern-day Apostles is not new to church history. The RCC has continuously taught Apostolic Succession with Peter as ‘supreme’ over the other Apostles and is considered the first Pope, even though it is not found anywhere, directly or indirectly, in the Bible. There have been many protestant fringe groups that have attempted to restore the office, including the Montanists (second century), the Irvingites (the 1830s), and the Apostolic Church (early 1900s). The modern so-called Five-Fold Ministry morphed out of the Latter Rain Movement, which started around 1910, along with the Manifested Sons of God / Joel's Army, Kingdom Now, Word of Faith, Dominionism, the 7-Mountain Mandate, the New Apostolic Reformation, and its latest iteration, the heterodox Apostolic-Prophetic movement.
The name/term for the movement was conjured up by C. Peter Wagner, a self-appointed apostolic 'general,' to describe this loose, informal network of an unadvertised governmental structure that seeks to establish a fourth house within the Church (distinct from Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodox Christianity) that will take dominion of the Earth, under the authority of new apostles and prophets, because God initially gave it to humanity but lost it at the fall.
The restored offices of the Apostle (the highest office) are purported to govern the Church because they have the God-given authority to receive new extra-biblical divine revelation and are commissioned to instruct their followers on how to respond and implement it appropriately, which supposedly started happening in the 1980s. Then the '2nd apostolic age' began in 2001, according to Wagner, who explained how he came up with the name in the book Churchquake!: How the New Apostolic Reformation Is Shaking Up the Church As We Know It (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1999), 34-37.
The teaching of the restored office of Apostle is built upon a false premise (see Ephesians 4:11-16). It correctly reads in Greek as a FOUR-fold ministry, and not FIVE-fold, because the words' pastor' and 'teacher' are separated by the Greek word 'kai," which is conjunctive (meaning even as, even so, also), and links the words "pastor/shepherd/bishop" and "teachers" as a single ongoing office.
The official offices of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Teaching-Pastor were already given - "gave (Gk: 'didomi' – a demonstrated pronoun already granted and bestowed) some (Gk: 'tous' = men – to make a partition or distribute into), on the one hand, as Apostles…" by Jesus to equip the saints (Ephesians 4:7).
After the death of the traitor, Judas Iscariot, Peter was adamantly intent on filling the vacant position with a qualified person and personally deemed it necessary that there must remain 12 Apostles, no more and no less (Acts 1:15-17, 20-22). In a detailed manner, he lays out exactly what the replacement's qualifications must be. For a person to actually become an Apostle, they had to physically (not spiritually) have met one or all of the following requirements:
1. Been an eyewitness and be with Jesus during the whole three years that Jesus was among them (Acts 1:21).
2. Been an eyewitness of Jesus' baptism when the Heavenly Father validated Jesus and His work (Acts 1:22).
3. Directly heard Jesus speak and been an eyewitness to His healings and other miracles (John 17:6; Acts 1:22).
4. Been an eyewitness to Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross (Acts 1:22).
5. Been an eyewitness to Jesus walking, talking, and eating among the disciples again after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 9:1; Matthew 10:1-4; Hebrews 2:3-4).
6. Needed to have been selected and appointed by God directly (Mark 3:14-15, 6:40; Acts 1:24–25; 9:15, Rom 1:1).
7. Their calling was authenticated "by signs and wonders and miracles" (Acts 2:43, 8:6-7; 2 Corinthians 12:12.)
However, the Apostle Peter, in his usual defining impetuousness, proceeded to step out in front of God after being commanded by Jesus to "wait" (Gk: "kathizó' = sit down, to tarry without activity) for the Holy Spirit who will empower them to do His will (Luke 24:49). Peter had previously done the same thing on the Mount of Transfiguration when he offered plans to build three altars, and said "Let's see which of these God has chosen" by using an Old Testament, pre-Pentecost method of hearing from God, rather than from Him through the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:12-26).
Peter also foolhardily told Jesus he would never be killed on the Cross (Acts 1:12-26; Matt 16:23). Jesus responded by calling him satan, which, of course, he was not, but the point being made was that the authoritative will of God takes precedence over feelings and emotions. Even Paul, at one time, had to rebuke Peter for his fleshly reactions (Galatians 2:11-14).
The remaining Apostles also chose not to obey Jesus and wait for the Holy Spirit. It is evident that the Apostles were genuinely sincere in desiring for the Lord to make the final choice between the two men by the casting of lots. They were very familiar with the Priest's use of Urim and Thummim to determine God's will under the Old Covenant, as well as the story of Jonah and the terrified sailors who cast lots for God to show them who was the source of their problems.
The other Apostles joined Peter and fell back on the ways of the Law and Old Covenant and did the equivalent of picking a name out of a hat by choosing a replacement for Judas, who was considered to be numbered among them' (Gk: 'kateerithmeeménos') which means counted or figured as. Yet, Jesus had just commanded them not to do ANYTHING but WAIT for the Holy Spirit, whom He was sent to lead and guide them into all truth, at the Day of Pentecost.
There were 120 disciples with the remaining Apostles, yet only two made the cut for consideration. They were Joseph, called Barsabas, surnamed Justus, and Matthias (Acts 1:23-26). Matthias ended up being picked to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the 12. Many in the Church still consider him to be the only 12th office holder of Apostle. Yet, after that day, there is absolutely zero mention of Matthias from that point on in the Scriptures or history as well.
Some say that James also held the office of Apostle. That would make him the 13th Apostle. Paul did refer to James, who worked beside him, as an apostle like himself; even though he said that he was not worthy of being one, he met the requirements of also being numbered among the 12 (Acts 9:1-19; Galatians 1:19).
Jesus had appeared to James, His brother, by Joseph and Mary, who was doing the work of an Apostle just like Barnabas (1 Corinthians 15:7). James probably wrote the Epistle of James, but he is not one of the 12 Apostles listed as those Jesus personally hand-picked (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3). He became a firm Born-Again Believer and follower of Jesus, as well as the leader of the Jerusalem church (1 Corinthians 9:5; Galatians 2:9).
It has also been said that the disciple Barnabas held the office of Apostle because he was also seen doing the work of an Apostle (Acts 14:4). That would make him the 14th Apostle. Luke describes Barnabas as an individual who was distinct from the 12 Apostles (Acts 4:36; 9:27; 15:2,22).
Barnabas and James were called 'apostles' in the sense that they were working like an Apostle to proclaim the Gospel with Paul (Acts 13:1-3), just like there are those who do the spiritual work of an Apostle today, such as a church planter, missionary, or denominational overseer.
Paul states that Andronicus and Junia were "well known among the apostles" (Romans 16:7). Some have interpreted this to mean they held the office of Apostle, with Junia as the only female Apostle. That would make them the 15th and 16th Apostle. It must be noted that the common name Junia is "Iounian" in Greek and is accusative, which means that 'Junia' could be a woman or 'Junias' could be a man.
Some have called Silas an Apostle because he was referred to as one who was with Timothy and Paul (Thessalonians 1:1, 2:6). That would make him the 17th Apostle. He also performed the functions of an apostle as Paul's companion in his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40).
Timothy is also considered to have held the office of Apostle. That would make him the 18th Apostle. However, he is only called a "brother" when Paul refers to himself as "an apostle of Christ" (2 Corinthians 1:10). Timothy performed many of the functions of an Apostle in the commissioning of Paul in both the first and second books of Timothy. However, Paul refers to him as his "son" in the faith (1 Timothy 1:1-2,18; 2 Timothy 1:2, 2:1).
Apollos has been said to have held the office of Apostle because he was included among "us apostles" along with Paul and Peter. That would make him the 19th Apostle (1 Corinthians 4:9; see also: 4:6, 3:22, and 3:4-6).
The Scriptures say that Jesus "appeared" to more than five hundred disciples at one time who were working to promote the Gospel (Luke 10:1-24). Jesus also sent out 70 to work in the apostolic ministry. The Eastern Church calls them Apostles and not disciples because the meaning of the words is virtually the same (1 Corinthians 15:6). Does that mean there are a total of 589 first-century Apostles?
In the broad usage of the term, an Apostle was a first-century evangelist who bore witness to the resurrection of Christ and an itinerant missionary sent by Him to make disciples of all nations. Being well-known within a circle of leaders and working alongside them does not make a person a fellow leader, just as a staff member of a politician is not the actual chosen/elected politician. It would seem to be pretty clear that God did not select Matthias, James, Barnabas, Andronicus, Junia, Silas, Timothy, Apollos, or the other 570 to be one of the 12 Apostles.
It would also seem logical that the only clear choice by God to hold the office of an Apostle vacated by Judas was Saul of Tarsus, later to be called Paul, who identified himself with the Apostles and humbly said that Jesus personally chose him to be an Apostle (See Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1,9:1-2, 15:9; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:1, 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11; Titus 1:1).
Paul proved his qualification by being the central figure in the propagation of the Gospel, especially to the Gentiles. He wrote more than half the books in the New Testament; He took the Gospel on at least three missionary trips throughout the world. He was stoned, drowned, beaten, imprisoned, starved, hated, and loved. He even raised (through God's power) a young man who fell to his death in a church meeting. In short, Paul made full proof of his apostleship.
PAPAL INFALLIBILITY AND THE FIRST BISHOP OF ROME
Contrary to the Bible, the RCC teaches that Peter was the first Pope, and all those who hold the office of Pope are infallible when they speak from their position of authority on a particular issue or doctrine (i.e., speaking ex-cathedra). That does not mean that everything the Pope says is infallible. However, when the Pope teaches, it is part of the Magisterium (i.e., teaching authority) of the church that God gave it, as well as the church councils and bishops throughout history, to guide them infallibly by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible does not explicitly mention Peter going to or ever being in Rome, and there is no early Christian record of this being the case. There are no 1st-century historical accounts that directly or indirectly mention that Peter was the Bishop of Rome or that he was in authority over the other Apostles and the entire church (Universal Bride of Christ). The claim that Peter founded the church of Rome is in dispute and rests on evidence that is no earlier than the middle or late 2nd century. Nor does it say that he was the first Bishop of Rome (see Acts 15:1-23; Galatians 2:1-14; 1 Peter 5:1-5,13). Jesus gave authority to all the Apostles and the Church (Matthew 18:15-19; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 13:10; Ephesians 2:19-20; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). At the end of the first century, the author of First Clement makes no direct or indirect comment or reference that Peter ever came to Rome. However, he does mention Peter's 'many labours' and comments on Peter's death but does not mention Rome.
The English word "bishop" is commonly translated from the Greek word 'episkopos,' which is a noun that literally means "one who watches over," i.e., overseer. In the New Testament, the "bishop" was essentially synonymous with the "elder" (Gk: 'presbyteros') (Acts 20:17,28)
Peter declared that he was a fellow elder (Gk: 'presbyteros') and, therefore, an overseer who took oversight (Gk: 'episkopeó') and commanded all the elders of the Church to feed the flock of God (1 Peter 5:1-2). The Apostle Paul described that oversight responsibility as a function of all future elders/bishops (Acts 20:17, 28).
Most Bible scholars believe that a group of presbyters probably led the church of Rome until way into the second century. There is no evidence of a ruling Bishop in the first century or that Peter appointed a successor as bishop, and it is highly unlikely that the Christians living in Rome would have ignored this precedent.
Jesus commissioned Peter to become chief minister to the Jews/circumcised and not to uncircumcised Gentiles (Galatians 2:7-8). He was never called the Apostle to the Gentiles. It was Paul who was directly commissioned by Jesus to be the chief Apostle to the Gentiles and not Peter (See Galatians 2:9; 2 Timothy 1:11).
The only sources that mention Peter traveling to Rome are mostly unreliable and extra-biblical, such as Church tradition. The idea that Peter lived and worked in Rome or was crucified upside down carries limited to no legitimate historical weight.
The legend that Peter visited Rome does appear in the non-canonical Acts of Peter, composed around AD 185, which other writers used to support the belief that Peter and Paul were executed in Rome during Nero's persecutions. Still, no sources were given, and the date was wrong.
Peter made one reference to the co-elect in Babylon (Gk: 'Babulón') in his final greetings that have been interpolated to refer to the City of Rome (Note: the word 'church' is not in any Greek manuscript (1 Peter 5:13). There is no historical evidence that at the time when Peter's Epistle was written, the city of Rome was currently known as Babylon. The word 'Rome' is the only word used to describe the city of Rome in the Bible.
The New Testament does talk about the city of Babylon, which was located about 50 miles south of Baghdad along the Euphrates River in present-day Iraq. The Bible says that it will influence all "peoples, multitudes, nations and languages" (Revelation 17:15), promote religious heresy and blasphemy (Revelation 17:3) and that it is a prostitute (see Psalm 106:39; Leviticus 17:7; Judges 2:17), who will kill the true followers of God (Revelation 17:6;18:24), and actively lead people astray into corruption (Revelation 18:23; 19:2). Ultimately Babylon will fall as the result of God's judgment (Revelation 17:17).
Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans and told them that he had been chosen to be their Apostle (See Romans 15:16-18). Paul said he was going to establish the local Body of Christ in Rome. He did so no later than AD 59 (See Romans 1:11). Paul also told them that he would never build upon another man's foundation (See Romans 15:20). When Paul arrived at Rome, the first thing he did was to summon "the chief of the Jews together" (Acts 28:17) to whom he "expounded and testified the kingdom of God" (Acts 28:17,23).
Paul never mentioned Peter among the 28 people he sent greetings to (See Romans 16). He discovered that the Jewish elders in Rome knew very little about Jesus or His teachings (Acts 28:22). When Paul began to explain to them, only a few believed. That seems highly unlikely if Peter, who was a deeply devout Jew and, had not been preaching constantly about Jesus for the 14 years before Paul's arrival.
Paul ultimately became a prisoner and was sent to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. When the Roman Body of Christ heard he was there, they all went to meet him, but there was no mention of Peter being with them (See Acts 28:15).
There is no historical evidence that at the time when Peter's Epistle was written, the city of Rome was currently known as Babylon. The word 'Rome' is the only word used to describe the city of Rome in the Bible.
However, the New Testament does talk about Babylon. The Bible says that it will influence all "peoples, multitudes, nations and languages" (Revelation 17:15 NIV), promote religious heresy and blasphemy, and that it is a prostitute who will kill the true followers of God and actively lead people astray into corruption (Revelation 17:3; Psalm 106:39; Leviticus 17:7; Judges 2:17; Revelation 17:6;17,18:23-24,19:2). Ultimately, Babylon will fall as the result of God's judgment.
The only sources that mention Peter traveling to Rome are mostly unreliable and extra-biblical, such as Church tradition. The idea that Peter lived and worked in Rome or was crucified upside down carries limited to no legitimate historical weight.
It is "Jesus alone" who "is the guarantor of a better Covenant" (Hebrews 7:22-28 ESV). Nowhere in the Bible does it say that any person or church has the authority to keep people from doctrinal errors. There is no 'mother' church. It is the Bible alone that is infallible and tells every Born-Again Christian to go directly to "God and to the word of His grace" (Acts 20:28-32) because "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). It is because of that truth every Christian must "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV - see also Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; Acts 17:10-12, 20:32; 5-17).
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8-9 ESV)
The Holy Spirit was given to every Born-Again Christian at the moment of salvation, to indwell, fill, seal, and guide them into all righteousness (Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 12:14; Ephesians 4:11-16).
Paul wrote many letters to the Christians throughout Asia Minor, in which he mentioned those he saw and were with him in Rome, but never mentioned Peter (See 2 Timothy 4:11). When Paul wrote of his court trial, he said that ALL those in Rome had forsaken him and prayed that God would not hold it against them (See 2 Timothy 4:16). That would have included Peter if he was there. There is no biblical or historical evidence that Simon Peter went to Rome.
PENTECOST
The single event that clearly and definitively separated the Old Covenant from the New Covenant is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, which is the birth of the universal Church, the Bride of Christ, because Jesus came to reside/dwell within those that become Born-Again (1 Corinthians 6:19). As stated previously, Jesus had commanded the Disciples not to do anything but to wait for the promised gift of the Father (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4).
ABSOLUTION
"Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld" (John 20:21-23 ESV).
Jesus did not breathe on all the Apostles because Thomas and the traitor Judas, who committed suicide, were not there, which negates the idea that all future people who are proclaimed an Apostle can forgive sin. There were only 12 people who held the office of Apostle, which, according to the Bible, had been closed since the end of the first century.
The Greek word translated as 'you might forgive' is 'aphiémi' and is in the imperfect three-person plural and means to send away, leave alone, permit. The Greek word for "retain" is 'krateó' which only appears here in the Gospels and is also in the imperfect two-person plural and means to be strong, prevail, to rule, to be powerful, to lay hold of, to place under ones' grasp and continue to hold. These words are plural and indicate community rather than an individual class of people who are given the power to forgive, not what must always or ought to be the case but what generally is.
When exegeting the Bible, the rules of Hermeneutics must be followed because a word can only mean what the original writer intended it to mean in its grammatical and historical context. Then, its meaning must be verified by how it is used throughout Scripture.
