HISTORY OF TWO

In this series, we see that the teachings of the church, in regards to the two Covenant’s, is not what Holy Scripture is telling us in a whole. How did the teachings of the church get so mixed up on this subject?

"Old" and "New" Testament phrasing was coined just after 144 AD by a man by the name of Marcion of Sinope. Marcion was a son of a bishop and was a wealthy ship-owner who made large contributions to the Roman churches. In 144AD, Marcion was in a hearing before the christian leadership, which ended with some of Marcion's theories receiving the "thumbs down". Therefore, he aggressively went out on his own to promote his new concepts of Christianity; and they rapidly took root throughout the Roman Empire. Marcion’s teachings closely resembled Gnosticism of a good god and a bad god. Marcion believed that Paul was the only Apostle who understood the teaching of Y'shua, so he twisted the teachings of Paul to free the Christian church from "false Jewish doctrines" of a bad god. By the end of the second century, Marcion was rapidly pushing mainstream Christian Churches into the background with his own popular all-Gentile gospel.

The all-Gentile gospel is a major part of the major belief of most denominational doctrine and professing christians today. I have heard much of these beliefs in my talking with people: the Jew is forsaken, the Sabbath is for the Jew, the Ten Commandments is for the Jew, that's the "old" covenant God made a "new" covenant with the gentile, the "old" testament is gone, and so forth.

In every major and important city, Marcionites set up their own churches in competition against the "other christians" and they flourished right into the tenth century. Like most Christian leaders, Marcion was very ignorant of basic Old Testament principles. Some of these principles are purposely looked over, as they are easily seen in Scripture today; yet no one cares to take the time to research the false teaching they've been taught.

Many of Marcion’s beliefs, and teachings, have heavily influenced christian theology today. While not all denominations embrace all of his beliefs, most embrace a portion.

Marcion taught that God broke His own commands because He instructed Moses to fashion a bronze serpent on a pole. He was ignorant to the fact that the bronze serpent on the pole was a visible antidote to the venom of the snake; and a symbol representing Y'shua who would die on the pole.

Marcion taught that the God of the Old Testament could not have been omniscient, otherwise, He would not have asked Adam, "Adam, where are you?" (Genesis 3:9) He failed to see the Mercy of God and how He’s a loving Father who gave Adam and Eve a few moments to compose themselves before having to approach Him.

Marcion's accusations towards YHWH, in most of his teachings, showed a brazen hatred towards the Creator of this Earth. Marcion and pago-christianity invented a false religious belief from which they fashioned their own god for themselves and named him Je-Zeus.

Marcion taught Moses enforced the Jewish Sabbath and Law, but Y’shua freed believers from both. Yet, it is written in the Old Testament that Sabbath was given by God in the beginning, at the creation of the world. In the book of Isaiah, in chapters 56, 58, and 66, it tells of gentiles observing the seventh day Sabbath, through the light of the Messiah. It is written in the "New" Testament that Y'shua and the disciples observed Sabbath and that Paul even brought gentiles into synagogues on Sabbath to learn about the Kingdom of Elohim. It is clear from history that it was the joining of paganism and gentile christianity that changed the worship day from Sabbath, dedicated to worship of the Creator, to a day dedicated to sun worship. When the Messiah proclaimed that He was "Lord also of the Sabbath"; which is to say "Master of the Sabbath", He was proclaiming His authority regarding the way Sabbath was to be observed; He demonstrated this by His life in keeping it, by doing good for all man on this day. He did not do away with the Sabbath but rather resurrected the Sabbath from the clutches of dead religious traditions: He magnified Sabbath (Isaiah 42:21).

Marcion taught the Elohim of the Old Testament was a ruthless God of vengeance, cruelty, and wrath, but Y’shua was full of grace and compassion. He believed and taught this while ignoring that Y'shua and YHWH are one. YHWH sent His Word to become flesh to save all mankind that will accept the covenant made. The "Old" Covenant was shown to be an "example and shadow" of the "New" Covenant. It was a physical practice of what would be spiritually happening. The physical results of obedience and disobedience, in the "Old" Testament, was an example and shadow of the spiritual results of obedience and disobedience in the "New" Testament, through to the end. Marcion's theology divided the "Godhead" against itself, following a very common pagan mindset that the gods are at war with each other. Marcion and the gentile culture viewed the Hebrew (One God) as old and passe'. Marcion's carnal perspective of God left a permanent mark within Christianity that is commonplace; to this very day.

Polycarp, who was a devout follower of the Scriptures, and understood the Scriptures as a whole, referred to Marcion as "the firstborn of the devil". Marcion's Jewish-free, all-gentile, churches became very popular among early gentile christians. Marcion was the major contributor to dispensationalism, supersessionism, and replacement theology - all of which are extremely popular among the vast majority of christians today, and preached in nearly every church.

By replacing the word "Covenant" with "Testament"; Marcion and other pagan theologians wrestled Jeremiah 31:31-34 away from the foundational teachings of Yeshua and the disciples. Most Christians had no access to the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) and would not know that Brit Chadasha means "RENEWED Covenant" and that the Messiah would come to write the Torah (Ten Commandment, Law, Covenant) upon the hearts of those who were sincere about following Him. By replacing the word covenant with testament, Marcion theologically divided Y’shua and his followers away from God the Father and turned him into a self-sustained deity that opposed the "Old Testament". Everyone who has 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 God.

Part 7 - Covenant Terms and Conditions