How to
become an Ancient Antiochene Christian
The
Ancient Antiochene Church of God (AACG) is a remnant of the First Church
and has the original mysteries of the Christian Faith.
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Welcome!
If you have studied Ancient Antiochene Christianity here
and believe that God is calling you into His church, we accept you. There are
no fines, fees, or forms to fill out. We do not charge any money to become a
free and true Christian. So, we will explain to you who we are as the “remnant”
church of God and we invite you to consider us.
First, we are certainly not a “liberal church” by how today’s
world defines “liberalism”. We are morally conservative. We reject “same sex”
marriage as being a legitimate Christian marriage. We believe that God’s
marriage is between a biological male and biological female.
Second, we do not believe that “all religions point to God”. We believe in one apostolic
and catholic (universal) faith, the true faith “once delivered”.
We are not a “denomination” or “non-denomination”. We
believe that God’s true church is a family and spiritual hospital. We also have
a message for this “fallen world”, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The fallen world
is full of sin and "God haters", this is the sad fact. Our Christian faith carefully studies God’s
scientific laws along with His moral and unchanging (static) revealed Truth’s.
We believe in a proper initiatic process to becoming a true
Christian. Our knowledge of Christianity has been handed down through the
ancient Church of God - as God has used Christian patriarchs and matriarchs
along with His holy word for over 2000 years. Unlike the fallen Roman Church
and Greek Orthodox Church, we believe in what God’s word truly teaches –
baptism doesn’t cost, salvation is free. We do not believe that one must attend
several classes before accepting Christ or before becoming baptized. If the
person has heard the true gospel message of salvation and realizes that the
Holy Spirit is calling him or her, then the person may get baptized immediately.
Following baptism, we encourage one to become a true Catechumen.
A Catechumen is one who begins to understand his or her faith more personally
and properly. The new Christian does this by studying the Bible. We also
encourage study of the “Book of Concord”. This book is a testimony to
the true first Christian faith and holds to proper doctrine.
We accept Christians who have become properly baptized by
the “water and the Word”. If you have already become baptized in a
traditional Protestant church through the institution of God’s holy word
by water – we accept you. It is now important for you to become truly educated
in the Ancient Antiochene Church of God which includes getting knowledge of the
true history of your Christian faith as we teach it.
We believe (as did the early and first church) in infant
baptism. In this case, the Christian parent raises the child with the Word
of God in a holy household. The child is taught the Catechism as he or she
grows up. We start main Catechism studies at age eight. We must stress here
that if a person has truly accepted Jesus Christ as their true Savior and
Messiah they are saved and can have salvation assurance. Becoming
an educated child of God through Catechism is the process of true Christian
maturity, not salvation. True salvation is free.
Jesus commands us: “Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, (first) baptizing them in the name of the Father and the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, (second) and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19)
We disagree with the fallen Roman Church on the issue of
baptism. They teach a person cannot be baptized before Catechism if they are an
adult. That is not Biblical.
After receiving the basic and important knowledge of true
Christianity through personal study of the Protestant Catechism one may partake
of the sacrament of Holy Communion (also known as the “Eucharist” – meal of
thanksgiving). We usually allow the child’s first communion at age eight. By
this time, they should have a decent understanding of the sacrament if they
were raised Christian.
We believe in doctrinal integrity. We believe
that there is truly only ONE true Christian Church. Jesus stated that He would
build “His church”. It belongs to Him, not human denominations or
non-denominations.
The entire Christian’s life is a growing process. The entire
Christian’s life is a rigorous initiation process in the sense that God is
raising us up through each trial of life. Jesus Christ did not demand specifics
of the catechumenate process. The early apostles formed the traditional
way (2nd Thessalonians 2:15) that we accept based on
Scripture understandings and early practices of Christ’s true church.
We teach, as does Scripture, that the Holy Sacraments are
only for converted and true believers of the Christian faith. No person should
take Holy Communion without first being a true baptized Christian. St. Justin
Martyr stated: “We call this food Eucharist, and no one else is permitted to
partake of it, except one who believes our teachings to be true, and who has
been washed (baptized) with the washing that is for the remission of sins.”
Sadly, the Roman Church has made the process of salvation a
“work” instead of the free gift that God intended it to be. We use the word “mystery”
like Apostle Paul taught. For us, the true “Christian church” is a “mystery” to
the fallen world (Ephesians 3:9-11). The true sacraments are also called
“mysteries”. These are not mysteries to the true Christian, because the true
Christian is living out the understanding of the mysteries of the Gospel. They
are a mystery to the fallen world who does not truly understand because they
have rejected God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
We also believe in visiting the sick and anointing them with
oil and prayer. Chrismation is from the ancient
Greek word “chrismatis”. This word simply means “anointing”. A person
may receive a special blessing from a fellow Christian through oil anointing at
any time in his or her life. Sometimes the pastor or bishop may anoint a
Christian with oil after baptism or completing Catechism class. Christians can
bless each other and pray for healing using oil this way. Chrismation is also
given to bless spiritual gifts that a person may have.
Note: Fake churches are charging people money to get baptized and that is blasphemy. (Acts 8:20, Matthew 10:8) Please study these issues out for yourself.
You may become a True Antiochene
Christian Right Now!
Today,
the Ancient Antiochene Church of God practices all these things the same way.
We accept those Christians who have been baptized correctly by “the water
& the Word”, if they were baptized in a basic Protestant believing
church. It is the “water” mixed with the institution of the Holy Word that
makes the true baptism, not the minister or church denomination.
If one comes from another church to claim faith as a true
Ancient Antiochene Christian, we welcome he or she. We ask that they read the “Book
of Concord” with their Bible off and on. This helps them to understand some
of the most important history of their true Christian faith along with proper
doctrine. Study using this AACG BLOG every week. The true Christian
should also learn the Apostles Creed. By reading about the Patristic
Period of the church - along with learning the Catechism [found in the
“Book of Concord”], this is accepted in place of having to take an official
Catechism Class. A Christian can find all that they need to know on our AACG
BLOG to become a true Antiochene Christian. It is difficult for Christians
today to find a church that is teaching the catechism correctly. If one has
already attended (from past experience) a catechism class then this is great!
He or she can help and teach others.
If you cannot attend a Protestant Catechism class that is
okay. You may teach yourself by reading it along with the rest of the writings
found in “The Book of Concord”. (We have a link to it here on our BLOG)
Again, to become a true Christian there are no fines, fees,
or forms that one must fill out. The true Church of God is not denominated. It
is not a denomination or non-denomination. There are no
membership fees. True Christianity is completely free.
So, in this short paper we have outlined for you how the
early and original Christian church did things and still does. The early church
understood the importance of proper doctrine. People were admitted to
the Christian Mysteries by way of another Christian. The motive of the person
wanting true salvation is important. We have outlined for you what the three
basic initiations are. Here they are with a basic explanation;
1- Neophyte (This first initiation has to do with a
person’s “ears”, faith comes through “hearing” – some form of understanding the
Gospel. A Christian studying before baptism or Catechism is a Neophyte – some
wait for years to get water baptized but they should not wait.)
2-Catechumen (A Christian who has studied the
Catechism after baptism – the person also demonstrates some participation in
the church. Learns about the true history of the Christian faith.)
3-Faithful (An adult Christian moving into spiritual
maturity. A Faithful understands the true Christian faith well and protects the
true faith from false doctrine. Many of the Faithful are also part of “the
John Class”.)
Sadly, many Christians today simply have been baptized but
have never gone beyond the understanding of being reconciled and justified
through Jesus Christ. They never “grow up” in their faith. They remain
spiritual “milk drinkers”. We have modern “pastors” in the fallen
churches telling people: “It’s okay if you don’t want to be baptized, your
still Christian.” The nominal churches have brought the “world” into the church
and have turned it into a business.
Others have studied many different spiritual paths and have
much knowledge regarding spirituality and religion but they have never gotten
serious about their own sinful nature. Some who started out trying to be
Christian have become dissatisfied because of all the fake Roman Christianity &
much of the false American Christianity today (fallen denominationalism).
We understand that many modern Christians today have not a
clue about how the original church worked and many people get offended by the
word “initiation”. The facts are the facts. The true Church of
God is a school for God’s children. God’s true people are a family. The true
Christian grows into his or her theogenesis.
For those young and old adult baptized Christians who have
studied here off and on for a year, we consider you “a Faithful” - a
disciplined Christian. We have posted many important Christian talks and
lectures on our AACG BLOG. We urge all Christians to learn from our
online ministries. We also ask Christians to find a healthy church and to share
the Gospel when and where they can.
We do not believe in “casting our pearls before swine” so we
are prayful regarding who we share the true Gospel with. We must allow the Holy
Spirit to lead us. Our Truth is very sacred. Apostle Paul stated:
“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards
of the mysteries of God.” (1st Corinthians 4:1)
And Jesus Christ tells us; “To you it has been given to know
the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside
[“those outside” means not true Christians], all things come in parables.”
(Mark 4:11)
St. Gregory of Nazianzen stated: “you have heard as much of the
Mystery as we are allowed to speak openly in the ears of all; the rest will
be communicated to you in private; and that you must retain within yourself…Our
mysteries are not to be made known to strangers.”
We guard many things that God has given us with a “faithful
silence”. In ending this important article, we must stress that true
salvation comes to all those who love the Lord and become baptized into the
family of God. A Christian must only know Jesus the Christ and love Him with
all their heart, mind, body, and soul to be saved. All the Christian knowledge
that we have to share is for Christians to study and grow into maturity. Having
this knowledge does not save you, accepting Jesus Christ as your true Savior
saves you.
We are saved by grace through faith
alone in the person of Jesus Christ.
If you have been a Christian for a long time but haven’t
been active, we urge you to awake from the Laodicean condition [spiritual
laziness] and begin to truly study with us here. Simply spend ten minutes a
day, five days a week [total of 50 minutes a week] reading and learning from
our lecture studies - using your Bible. You will begin to notice a remarkable
difference in just one week. People have gotten closer to our Lord through this
kind of discipline. If you do this in conjunction with practicing the “Silent
Walks” along with time spent meditating on the Word of God in your Home
Sanctum you will find a magnificent spiritual rest in Jesus Christ our
Lord.
We hope to keep helping our fellow Christians no matter
where they might be. We realize that true and ancient Christianity is very
different from most “American” Christian understandings. Please pray about what
you learn and study for yourself. We accept all true Christians as our brothers
and sisters in Christ. Please continue to study with us here at “The
Shepherds Way & Nugget of Truth”.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
AACG (From talks given on July 27th and August 4th
of 2026)
Note: Sadly, many in the fallen denominations are
teaching that water baptism is not important. They also let anybody partake of
the Lord’s Supper in their churches without “testing the spirit”. The
Sacraments are commandments for the Christian church only and are to be held
with humility and great sacredness.
