TSW ~ E.W. King: "Antiochene facts revealed." ~ TSW

Ancient Antiochene

Mysteries

Part Sixteen

“Antiochene facts revealed.”

By presbyter Eric William King (August 22st 2024)

The true Christian community traces its origins to the Christian community founded in Antioch. This was the Antioch in Syria built in 301 B.C. It became the third largest city in the Roman empire with a population of 500,000 people.

Ancient Antioch basically became the leading center of Christian thought. The term "Antiochene" designates a distinct theological style. The original "followers of the Way" were first called "Christian" in Antioch (Acts 11:26). One of the leading members of the Antiochene Church was St. Barnabas. He was sent to organize the new church (Acts 11:19-25).

Some Cypriote and Cyrenic Jews who had been brought up in Greek communities and who had different perspectives on the world than Palestinian Jews resided in Antioch. The bulk of the Ancient Antiochene Church of God was in fact Gentile. The Greeks that accepted the Gospel were referred to by the Antiochene Christian Jews as “Godfearers”.

Antioch became the center from which many missionaries were trained and sent forth. From Antioch, Apostle Paul started his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3) and returned to it (Acts 14:26. His third journey also started from there.

St. Ignatius of Antioch (3rd Bishop of Antioch) was Bishop there for forty years. He was one of the first to call the "one church" catholic - meaning universal.

The early church of Antioch had prophets and teachers (Acts 13:1-5). Some important people in the early Antiochene Church were:

1 Barnabas “Son of Encouragement” - Jew

2 Simeon (who is called Niger) “black man”

3 Lucius of Cyrene - Greek

4 Manean (member of the court of Harod) - Gentile

5 Saul (Apostle Paul) - Israelite

We see that it was racially diverse.

Antioch was a great business center because of its trading by ships in the Mediterranean Sea - Great business connections and multi-cultural. Now we will cover some history regarding the first Antioch School of Theology and theological development there.

Developing theology in the school involved:

A tendency toward Aristotelian stress on concrete reality, factual historic information and analysis. They favored a historical understanding and factual, literal reading of Scripture (Plainest). They also did not deny the Mysteries of the Scriptures but held many of these sacred teachings for the more mature Christians (Such as the Cabbalistic teachings). Their Soteriological understanding is in agreement with St. Luther’s as expressed in “The Book of Concord”, thus the modern day Antiochene Christians use the Lutheran Orthodox catechism in their teachings.

In Antiochene theology the Original Model predominates (Dual nature/dual will). Though early Antiochene Christians struggled about issues regarding the incarnation and Deity of Messiah, their early appointed Bishops helped clear the path to proper understanding. They also fought against Docetism. The seventh and last true great Bishop of Antioch (before the Alexandrian teachings started to corrupt, and come in) was St. Theophilus. He was the first to use the theological term, “Trinity” (169 – 182 A.D.) showing that the doctrine of the Trinity came from the Ancient Antiochene School. (Not from Roman Catholics)

The Ancient Antiochene Church of God also has the proper understanding between Apophatic and Cataphatic theology from Absolutism. We believe that Cataphatic theology keeps Apophatic theology from subjectivisim.

We also hold to early and latter developmentism of Dispensational Theology. Thus, we believe in seven literal dispensations and numerous “Earth Ages” (Earth Ages before the “first humans” and a final three after the first humans).

We believe that we are “partakers of the Divine Nature” (2^nd Peter 1:4) and that we must be constantly aware of God’s presence in us just as a pregnant woman is aware that a growing and living child dwells within her. (Jeremiah 30:6)

Begin to truly understand the Depth of Ancient Antiochene Christian theology….

We recognize 32 Bishops from the Ancient Antiochene Church but we really only “super trust” the first seven because Bishop Maximus was the 8^th and brought some pagan Alexandrian teachings into the church. After him, most all other early bishops were corrupted by it and in fact brought other heresies in. Here is the list of the first seven:

1-Apostle Peter (Spoken of in Scripture)

2-Evodius – (53-69 A.D.) Protector of the original ‘Q’ document.

3-Ignatius – (70-107 A.D.) He was martyred in the reign of Trajan. His Seven Epistles are unique sources for the Church even today.

4-Heron – (107-127 A.D.) Had some of the early and proper Christian Cabbalah teachings.

5-Cornelius – (127-169 A.D.) Had the proper doctrine of True Israel.

6-Eros – (154-169 A.D.) Known as “Eros of Antioch”.

7-Theophilus – (169-182 A.D.) The last true Greek Bishop.

As time went on, with the help of the Cappadocian Fathers (320-400 A.D.) the true Antiochene Church escaped the neo-Arian heresy.

Regarding one of the last things that Bishop Theophilus (7^th Bishop) left the church was his letters titled “Apology to Autolycus” which contain a series of books defending Christianity that were written to a pagan friend of his.

We are learning Ancient Antiochene facts.

This is most certainly true.

Eric William King (August 22^nd 2024)

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