The Shocking history of the early Church!

If the Apostle Paul walked into your church today, would he recognize your faith? The answer might surprise you. Most Christians don't realize how much the church has changed since the first century. The original Christians were a Jewish sect known as the way. They didn't meet in cathedrals, celebrate Christmas, or eat pork. They were Tora observant Jews who worshiped in the temple and taught in the synagogues believing that Yeshua was the Messiah. Over the next few centuries, the faith of the apostles underwent a dramatic transformation, becoming almost unrecognizable as it shifted into a new gentile religion. In this video, we'll explore the theological disputes, political upheavalss, and social pressures that led to this radical change, and why understanding this might be the key to unlocking the true power of the gospel. The night before his crucifixion, Yeshua gathered with his 12 Jewish disciples to celebrate the Passover feast. As they shared the traditional seder meal, he connected the ancient covenant between God and Israel with the new covenant in his own blood. When the hour had come, he sat down and the twel apostles with him. Then he said to them, "With fervent desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Likewise, he also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you." The new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah is a covenant that God makes with Israel and Judah. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. While the new covenant makes no mention of Gentiles, we'll soon see how they were incorporated into this expanded community of believers. In Acts 2, the disciples gathered to celebrate the feast of Shàuote, also known as Pentecost. It was during this Jewish festival that the Holy Spirit was dramatically poured out on them. When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking with other languages. This miraculous event led to thousands of Jews who were gathered in Jerusalem to believe that Yeshua was the long-awaited Messiah. Remarkably, even after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the first followers of Yeshua continued to worship regularly at the temple. They kept the Sabbath and they ate a biblical diet. They also gathered at homes to share meals and prayers, maintaining their identity as a Jewish sect, not a new religion. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Shortly after the explosive growth of the early church, a zealous Pharisee named Paul began aggressively persecuting the followers of Yeshua. But on the road to Damascus, he encountered the resurrected Messiah who dramatically changed the course of his life. In a blinding vision, Yeshua revealed himself to Paul, leading him to repent of his ways and becoming one of the most significant apostles, spreading the good news of the Jewish Messiah throughout the ancient world. And even at the end of his life, when he was arrested and on trial, he confessed that he still followed the Torah and the prophets. But this I confess to you, that according to the way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets. Paul, who was trained as a devout Jewish rabbi, identified as a follower of the way, a Jewish sect that believed Yeshua was the promised Messiah, demonstrating that the earliest Christians saw their faith as the fulfillment of the Hebrew scriptures and not a new religion. Then something revolutionary happened in Acts 10. Peter was given a vision about unclean animals, but he didn't conclude that he could eat a ham sandwich. Peter understood the vision to be about taking the gospel to the Gentiles. So, he went to see a gentile named Cornelius. And Peter saw the Holy Spirit poured out on Cornelius and his whole family. When he returned to Jerusalem, other Jewish believers confronted him about going to the Gentiles. Because up to this point, Christianity was entirely Jewish. But when Peter explained his vision and told them about the Holy Spirit being given to the Gentiles, they praised God and concluded that the Gentiles could also be saved. When they heard these things, they became silent and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life." This was the moment Gentiles started joining the church. Next, we see Paul beginning his ministry to the Gentiles as well. Paul and Barnabas spent a year in Antioch making disciples and preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. This is when the term Christian was first used. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. While in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas preached in the synagogues on the Sabbath. And the Gentiles came to hear the gospel. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Then Paul explained why God was sending them to the Gentiles. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first, but since you rejected it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles." This was great news for the Gentiles. But some of the Jewish believers were concerned about these uncircumcised converts. This came to a head when certain Jewish believers insisted that gentile converts must be circumcised to be saved. And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." Circumcision was the sign that separated Jews from Gentiles. Jews were circumcised and Gentiles were not. These men were saying that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and become Jewish before they could be saved. So the apostles and elders gathered in Jerusalem to address this dispute. After much debate, the Apostle Peter recounted his vision and his experience seeing the Holy Spirit poured out on the uncircumcised Gentile Cornelius. Paul and Barnabas also shared about the many Gentiles who had come to faith through their ministry. Then James, the leader of the Jerusalem Council, made a landmark declaration. Therefore, I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in synagogues every Sabbath. James recognized that Gentile believers did not need to be circumcised to become saved, because salvation comes by grace through faith, not by keeping the law. However, he did specify that they should abstain from certain practices associated with pagan idolatry. James also noted that the Gentiles would have exposure to the teachings of Moses through the regular reading of the Torah in synagogues every Sabbath. With the Jerusalem Council's decision, Christianity would officially open its doors to the Gentiles. What they didn't know was that Christianity was about to face some major challenges. They didn't realize how difficult it would be to integrate these new Gentile believers into a predominantly Jewish faith. While Jewish Christians continued to observe the Mosaic law, their Gentile counterparts were often unfamiliar with these practices. This led to ongoing struggles over how these two groups should reconcile the differences. For example, when Peter visited Antioch, Paul confronted him for withdrawing from eating with Gentile believers when certain Jews arrived. Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withtood him to his face because he was to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. The issue of circumcision continued to cause division with tempers flaring of both sides. But Paul was uncompromising in his defense of the gentile convert, boldly declaring that the true circumcision was not outward in the flesh, but was a heart transformed by faith in the Messiah. For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law. But if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men, but from God. Paul argued that the circumcision of the heart was the true circumcision. and he emphasized that keeping the commandments of God was more important than the ritual of circumcision itself. Paul concluded that circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Paul's arguments were meant to settle the tensions between Jews and Gentiles, compelling them to see themselves as a unified people of God. Yet, while the Jews struggled to accept these new Gentile believers, the Gentiles struggled to accept their new identity as part of Israel. In his letters, Paul addressed the tension on both sides, arguing that Yeshua died to tear down the wall of separation to create one new man from the two. For he himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in his flesh the emnity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. He compelled the Gentiles to see themselves no longer as foreigners and strangers from Israel, but as fellow citizens with them. Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Paul also warned the Gentile believers not to be arrogant toward the Jewish people, reminding them that they are grafted branches of the same olive tree. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive tree were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. Paul described Israel as the natural branches and the Gentiles as the branches that were grafted in contrary to nature, meaning it was natural for the Jews to come to faith in the Jewish Messiah. But it was unnatural for the Gentiles to fit into this Jewish faith. However, the tension they felt at the beginning was nothing compared to what happened next. In the year 66 AD, Judea was a powder keg waiting for a spark. Rome's grip on Israel had gotten worse. Heavy taxation, corrupt government, and religious tensions pushed Israel to their limits. The spark came when Roman soldiers mocked Jewish worshippers by placing pagan sacrifices near synagogue. Violence erupted, and soon riots spread throughout Jerusalem. In 67 AD, Emperor Nero sent Vespatian with a massive army to put an end to the riots. His strategy was brutal but effective. moved slowly, city by city, crushing resistance, burning towns, and leaving nothing behind but ruins. In 70 AD, Vespatian was now emperor and placed his son Titus in command of the war. Titus marched to Jerusalem with four legions and surrounded the city as Yeshua prophesied. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that his desolation is near. The Roman forces breached Jerusalem's defenses and Roman soldiers set fire to the temple. The flames devoured the sanctuary, and Roman soldiers tore the temple apart, stone by stone, fulfilling Yeshua's prophecy. Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. After the revolt, Rome banned Jews from Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed, ending the sacrificial system and the priesthood. Judaism moved from temple to synagogues and rebbitic Judaism emerged. This is when the book of Hebrews was written and it explains that we have a high priest named Yeshua who ministers in the heavenly tabernacle. So, Christianity could uphold its temple-based theology because the earthly temple was merely a shadow of the heavenly one. Meanwhile, gentile Christians wanting to avoid persecution and political trouble with Rome began distancing themselves from Jews and rejecting Jewish customs and identity. This began the tear between Judaism and Christianity. As the two-face drifted apart, the Jewish followers of Yeshua were increasingly marginalized while gentile Christians embraced a new religious identity separate from their Jewish roots. By the dawn of the second century, church leadership changed drastically. In the days of the apostles, all leaders were Jewish, keeping the Sabbath, feast days, and Torah. However, by the second century, most church leaders were now Gentiles. In 110 AD, Ignatius of Antioch in his letter to the Magnesians urged Christians to no longer observe the Sabbath, but to live in the observance of the Lord's day. Ignatius was urging Christians to stop keeping the Sabbath and instead gather on Sunday, replacing God's commandments with a new tradition not found in scripture. He also said, "If we still go on observing the Jewish law, we admit we have not received grace. It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and to practice Judaism. This was a hard break from the first century faith that once embraced the Sabbath, feast days, and Torah commandments. God's commandments were set aside and new celebrations were introduced, adopting pagan customs. It was during this time that the seeds of replacement theology were sown. Early Christians began to teach that the church had taken the place of Israel and the promises given to Abraham were now exclusive to the Gentile church. And the Jewish people were portrayed as being rejected, cursed, and abandoned by God. This movement, which originated in Jerusalem as a Jewish sect, was now evolving into something entirely different. As the church drifted further from the Torah, its identity continued to transform until it no longer resembled the faith practiced by the disciples of Yeshua. Then in 132 AD, Emperor Hadrien announced his plans to rebuild Jerusalem as a pagan Roman city. A Jewish leader named Simon Baropa rallied an army and drove the Romans out of Judea, briefly reviving hopes of freedom. This caused many Jews to believe that Bararkba was the Messiah sent to free them from Roman oppression. However, Rome struck back with overwhelming force and the slaughter was immense. Barokva was killed and his body was displayed as proof of Rome's victory. Hadrien banned Jews from Jerusalem, rebuilt it as a pagan city, and renamed it Syria Palestinia to erase its Jewish identity. During the revolt, Christians were divided. Many refused to fight, rejecting Baropa as the Messiah, which deepened the growing divide between Judaism and the church. In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine issued the edict of Milan, granting Christians freedom after centuries of persecution. However, this freedom came with a price. Christianity began to adopt the religion and politics of Rome. The Sabbath once again came under attack. In 321 AD, Constantine issued a civil decree saying, "On the venerable day of the sun, let the magistrates and the people residing in cities rest and let all workshops be closed." The phrase venerable day of the sun refers to sun god worship. And from that point on, Sunday rest became a matter of Roman law, not Christian liberty. In 325 AD, Constantine convened the Council of Nika, a gathering of bishops from across the Roman Empire. While the primary purpose was to settle theological disputes about the nature of Christ, the council also addressed the issue of the biblical calendar, the Roman church wanted to distance itself from the Jewish reckoning of time, particularly in the observance of Passover. This decision was deliberate. In a letter to the churches after the council, Constantine declared, "Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd, for we have received from our savior a different way." The biblical Passover was replaced with the Roman festival of Easter, which is tied to the spring equinox and calculated independently of the Jewish calendar. This change symbolized a complete break from the rhythm of God's appointed times. By the end of the century, many forms of Jewish practice, circumcision, Sabbath observance, and feast days, were not simply discouraged, but outlawed. Christians who clung to the old ways were branded as heretics, facing excommunication, or worse. What began in the first century as a Jewish movement was now entirely unrecognizable to its earliest followers. The faith had been rebranded and its Jewish roots deliberately severed in favor of a new Roman identity. Why do you think it's so hard for Jews today to believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah? They're presented with a Jesus who abolished the Torah, changed the Sabbath, ignores the feast days, and eats unclean animals. In their minds, Jesus can't be the Messiah. And they conclude he must be a false prophet because the Bible says, "You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice. You shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. This is why Jews find faith in Jesus to be completely incompatible with Judaism. They believe that if they convert to Christianity, they will have to stop being Jewish. Christians don't make it any easier when they say things like the church replaced Israel and the law was done away with. They are perpetuating the problem and preventing Jews from seeing Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah. In Romans 11, Paul spoke about provoking the Jews to jealousy. But this will only happen when they see Christians keeping the commandments of God, including the Sabbath and feast days. The book of Revelation speaks about the saints in the last days as being people who keep the commandments of God and have faith in Yeshua. Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Paul taught that Yeshua broke down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, creating one new man from the two. We are no longer Gentiles, but we are now sons of Abraham by faith, grafted into Israel by faith in Yeshua. We haven't replaced Israel, we have become part of them. Christianity has lost its identity and it's time for us to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. Let me know if you agree. Do you think Christianity should return to its first century roots? Let me know in the comments below.