(Continued from Page 1)

9.  313 AD. Constantine
        Now becomes the ruler of the Roman Empire and chooses Christianity as the best of religions and began to
        control the affairs of the Church. God's Word says that Jesus is supposed to be the head and control the
        Church. (Eph.1:22-23, Col.1:18) The Church was declining fast!

          Note: By the beginning of the 3rd.century, Biblical interpretation was greatly influenced by the Catechetical School of Alexandria, which
         had become the great melting pot of Greek philosophy and Judaism. Origen was the chief representative of this School and DID NOT believe
         in the Deity of Christ. (i.e. that Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh) Alexandria was also a theological ferment where "philosophers
         attempted to fuse the doctrine of Christianity with the ideal's of Greek philosophy" Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, 96 / Funk & Wagnalls
                                                Encyclopedia, Vol.1. p.372  (Review Phase 1)

10. By 323 AD. A threatened split in the Christian Church
       This quarrel was over Arius (Arian) and the doctrine of the Godhead (i.e. the trinity). Arius was a priest of   
       Alexandria that denied the Deity of Christ. (That Jesus was God manifest in the flesh John.1:1-14; Matt.1:23;  
        John.5:17-18; 17:1-5 / Isa.42:8, John.7:39; 14:15--26, Acts.2:1) 

                     
       As in the illustration of Samson, the Church was not to "come at no dead body" (Num.6:6, Judges.13:5,
        1Cor.3:17; 6:15-20, James.4:1-4, 2Cor.11:1-3)  Dead meaning, "dead works" (Heb.6:1, Eph.2:1) Our self
       righteousness. He was to remain consecrated to God. Samson did not remain separated, and neither did the
       Church, and now by the 2nd.Century they are being "entangled" with "affairs in this life." (2Tim.2:3-4)

          Note: Not only was the Church forsaking truth, this Arian heresy was corrupting the scribes who were hand copying* the Greek manuscripts.
        They were changing the Greek manuscripts claiming they were correcting them. (Sounds like today!) They were leaving out words that
        proclaimed Jesus as Deity, and the creator of the worlds.
         * The printing press would not be invented until the 14th. century. This left opportunity for a copying scribe to alter God's Word.

        (Compare this time with the Church at Pergamos, (Rev.2:12-17) and the parable of the Fowls of the air lodging 
        in the branches. (Matt.13:31-33) (Review Phase 1)


11. Constantine called for the Council of Nicaea. 325 AD. 
        This was an ecumenical, or worldwide council of Bishops to correct the Arian heresy. (The denial of the Deity of  
        Christ)  The Nicaean Council overwhelmingly condemned the Arian heresy, and drew up the "Nicaean Creed."
        However, like that of Samson's brethren, (Judges.15:9-10) the Church under the hand of Constantine, gave up
        truth to the Philistines. (i.e. the vain deceit, philosophy and traditions of men - Col.2:8, Matt.15:6) This would
        eventually lead the Church to the captivity of the "dark ages" as it did to Samson.

        In spite of the (Nicaean) council's decisions' the problem of Arianism was not solved for some decades. The
        Emperor Constantine II, Constantine's son, supported Arianism, as did Valens, one of his successors. This doctrine
        persisted until at least the 7th.century. Arianism today, is held by Unitarians, Jehovah Witnesses.23  The next 300
        years, all the Bishops in the Roman Catholic Church were Arian in belief.24
       
       "...Constantine, the wolf of paganism openly assumed the sheep's clothing
     of the Christian religion."25

12. 350 AD. Now Christianity is the religion of the state. (Rome)
         Heathens were forced into the Church without being born again. Many heathen preferred to be called Christians
         rather than face the sword. Needless to say, the doctrine of Justification by Faith and the new birth were no
         longer emphasized.

13. By 392 AD. Theodosius
         He went even further when he outlawed heathen worship. It now came under penalty of death for any one to have
         any religious connection other than that of the established Roman Church.  WHAT A TURN AROUND!

                 .
        During the Dark Ages very little translation was attempted...the Word of God was locked up in the Latin tongue which was
          unknown to the common people.  Thompson Chain Ref. Bible. Condensed Encyclopedia, p.181

        Compared this time with The Church at Thyatira, and the Woman Jezebel. (Rev.2:18-29) and the Parable of the Woman hiding
          leaven in the bread. (Matt.13:33)

The Church is now in the "dark ages"
Dark Ages, meaning spiritually dark, no light from God's Word. (Psa.119:130, Prov.6:23) Outwardly man
had built great Cathedrals "which appear beautiful...but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." (Matt.23:27)  The House of God was now a natural building and not the people of God. (John.2:18-20, Matt.16:18; 23:36, 1Cor.3:16-17; 6:19, Eph.2:1-22)      Nevertheless, during the "dark ages" there were individuals "grinding in the (spiritual) prison  house" as Samson was. Just as the Philistines thought they had the upper hand, Satan thought he had finally crushed the Church. (Judges.16:21-23) HE WAS MISTAKEN!

1. There was Nicholas of Lyra (1279 -1340 AD.)
      Spoken of as the bridge between the Middle (Dark) Ages and the Reformation. His work had a profound influence
      on Luther and help "seed" the Reformation.

2. Next was John Wycliffe (1330 -1384 AD.)
      An English theologian and religious reformer whose rejection of the biblical basis of papal power and dispute with
      the doctrine of the transubstantiation of the host anticipated the Protestant Reformation. He was the "morning 
      star" of the Reformation," and recognized scripture as the final authority, not the Catholic Church. Wycliffe also
      translated the Bible from Latin to English.  The Catholic Church (the Church of the spiritual decline and "dark ages")
      response was, "Such a version would  also make it easier for him (Wycliffe) to propagate his teachings."
     The New American Bible, The English Versions of the Bible, p.1452

     Wycliffe declared
     "...that the people had the right to read the Bible and interpret it for 
                      themselves..."
    
    During the "dark ages" the Bible was locked up in the Latin tongue which was unknown to the common people.26
     Only the "educated priests"27 interpreted the Bible for the people.

     Note: Some today still wait for those who have theological degrees to tell them what the Bible means, rather than
     let the Holy Spirit lead them into all truth. (John.16:12-13) Leadership is there not to have "dominion over your faith,"
      (2Cor.1:24, Matt.20:24-28) but to be "helpers of your joy" in understanding what God is teaching YOU! (1John.2:27)

3. After Wycliffe was John (Jan) Hus (1372-1415 AD.) 
      Wycliffe's ideas spread into Bohemia, where Jan (John) Hus widely preached them in powerful sermons and
      was burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church for his Bible based belief's inspired by Wycliffe)
                .


Remember, the Nazarite Vow is a Vow of separation and consecration unto God. (Num.6:1-21) Just as Samson was to be a "Nazarite unto God from the womb," (Judges.13:5) the Church was birthed to be separated unto God. (2Cor.6:14-18) 

The Church is about to come out of the "dark ages"
Samson's hair beginning to grow back  is a picture of the Church beginning to separated from "dead works" and having " faith towards God" (Heb.6:1)  From the end of the 1st.Century until the 15th. Century, the Church like Samson went to sleep (spiritually) on the knees of the harlot Church, (Delilah). This resulted in their consecration and separation (hair) being shaved off and they became "weak like any other man." (Judges.16:17) This gave the "advantage" to Satan (the Philistines) who put out the spiritual eyes of the Church and bound them with spiritual "fetters of brass;" leaving them to "grind in the prison house" of the dark ages. But now, Samson's hair is beginning to "grow again." The Reformation was about to break out! God was about to call a people out unto Himself,  just as He did when He called Israel out of Egypt. Note: It is not coincidental that before the Reformation. God's Word had been placed back into Greek without the corruption of the 2nd. Century. Tyndale had translated this Greek text into English. The printing press had been invented which allowed the Bible to be put in the hands of the common people.

Now "religious texts, once read only by scholars...and educated priesthood, were now available to an ever-widening audience."

The Reformation and Martin Luther (1517 AD)
Just as Samson had seven locks of hair, before it was cut off, (Judges.16:19) God was revealing to Luther the first, of seven principles of the doctrine of Christ. (Heb.6:1-3)  Repentance from dead works and faith towards God. Luther rejected the authority of the Pope and selling of indulgences (temporary pardons) for sin). He preached the "Bible is the sole source of Christian truth and he denied the priests hand any more power that the layman did not have.28

                                            .