認識我們的歷史─啟示錄

正如我們所談到的，教會在信仰上最大的跌落是從羅馬帝國讓基督教成為國教開始。這把一群沒有道德、自私又野心勃勃的人帶到教會。他們覬覦教會裡的領導位置，認為這是最容易快速得著財富和權力的道路。很快地，教會從面對持續逼迫卻充滿活力與大能將信仰傳到世界各地，轉變成國家的政治人質。

看見在此時教會所跌入的陷阱，造成許多人思想教會不應該與國家扯上關係，但情況並非如此。神將大使命頒給教會，是呼召『門訓萬國』而不單是個人。倘若我們不在他們中間，要如何來做呢？在生命道路兩旁各有一條壕溝，那些對其中一邊壕溝過度反應的人，往往會跌入另一邊的極端。生命道路通常就在兩個極端之間，這對教會和國家的關係也是如此。我們被呼召成為『在』世上的鹽和光，而不『屬』世界。

毫無疑問，在中古世紀教會大滑跌期間，在制度化教會的裡面和外面皆有許多偉大的基督徒。這些人當中許多是屬於『安提帕』或反教宗運動的一份子，這是主用祂的話來吩咐教會的。即便如此，對聖經的接觸管道已從教會生活中被挪移─在教會權柄中，教條被高舉為比聖經更高的權柄─教會和西方世界跌入可怕的黑暗。在此期間，凡是以聖經為依據而持守使徒信仰的人遭到逼迫，甚至比在羅馬帝國統治下更為嚴重。

我們不會深入談到教會在此階段有多可怕與敵基督，但歷史學家一般同意此時大約有5千萬被視為異端而殉道的人，哈雷聖經手冊（Halley’s Bible Handbook）證實了此數目。教宗被視為聖經中所有歸給基督的頭銜，甚至被高舉為『地上的神』。一個人被稱為異端的首要方式，在於他是否效忠教宗，尊崇他如同『神的羔羊』。

雖然教宗不被視為一個世俗權柄，但他卻統治西方，決定誰可以擁有世俗權柄。在『基督教歐洲』，凡是擁有王位的人必須爬行一個斜坡至教宗的寶座，親吻他的戒指，在他們登基前領受他的祝福。以此方式，『淫婦』教會應驗了聖經預言，說她『管轄地上眾王』（參考啟示錄17:18）。

在啟示錄中，此淫婦教會稱所謂的智慧等同『那女人所坐的七座山』（參考啟示錄17:9）。羅馬被建造在七座山丘上，全世界都知道這城市如同『坐在七座山的城市』。很有可能那些活在大墮落幾世紀前的初代教會，視羅馬為『大罪人』或『行毀壞可憎者』的寶座    ，從他們的寫作上可以看見此。

我們隨手可讀這些寫作，書名叫做『初代教父』（The Early Church Fathers），還有一直是世界最暢銷書的聖經。然而，在印刷機發明前，書籍很稀少，聖經也是一樣。甚至連識字的人都不多，無知和迷信掌管群眾。雖然君王擁有絕對的權柄，但他們倚賴教會的背書來獲得並維持權柄。可以想像，君王賜給教會權柄的恩寵何其大。

在西方文明國家，教會腐敗持續度過此漫漫屬靈長夜，偶爾有教宗與教會領袖試圖帶來改革，但每次向前一步似乎又被下一世代倒退二步。同時，數百萬的人受到逼迫，往往因拒絕臣服於教會而被當作異端處死。折磨的手段反而讓人覺得納粹看起來比較憐憫，有一本經典書籍『福克斯殉道者名錄』（Foxe's Book of Martyrs），詳細談到此。

在此期間，在羅馬天主教流行之地很可能是世界目睹教會最大的敗壞。這全都在神賜給約翰的啟示錄中預言到，當他看到這些啟示時就已經揭開序幕。當啟示錄眾所皆知時，對那些在黑暗歷史期間受苦的人是很大的安慰。

這使所發生的事都有其原因，倘若我們忘記此，不瞭解發生的原因，我們將會持續犯同樣的錯誤，直到一個能夠瞭解的世代興起。教會今日繼續犯許多同樣的錯誤，儘管以不同方式呈現，也比較輕微。同樣腐敗的靈在教會中仍有很大的影響，這即是何以我們需要更多檢視此時期的教義和常規，可能會很痛苦。然而，持續行這些事只會引至更多的痛苦。 

 (摘自喬納 word for the week,Week37, 2016) 

 
Knowing Our History—The Book of Revelation
Week 37, 2016
Rick Joyner

         As we have covered, the biggest falling away from the faith began after the Roman Empire made Christianity the imperial religion. This brought a flood of unsavory and selfishly ambitious people into the church. They sought leadership positions in the church, viewed as the easiest and quickest path to wealth and power. Quickly, the church was transformed from a vitally alive and powerful force spreading faith throughout the world in the face of relentless persecution to little more than a political pawn of the state.

         Seeing the trap the church fell into during this period caused many to think that the church should not have anything to do with the state, but that is not the case. The Great Commission given to the church is a call to “disciple all nations,” not just individuals. How can we do this if we do not engage with them? There is a ditch on either side of the path of life, and those who overreact to the ditch on one side will often fall into the other extreme. The path of life is usually between extremes, and it takes great faith, wisdom, and above all, staying close to the Lord to stay on the path. This is also true in the church’s relationship to the state. We are called to be “in” the world as salt and light, but not “of” it—or not like it in basic ways.

         No doubt there were many great Christians both within and outside the institutional church during the time of the great falling away in the Middle Ages. Many of these were part of the “antipas,” or anti-pope, movement that the Lord commended in His word to the churches. Even so, as access to the Scriptures was removed from church life—and in church authority, dogma was elevated as a higher authority than the Scriptures—the church and the Western world descended into a terrible darkness. During this time, those who held to the apostolic faith based on the Scriptures were persecuted even more viciously than under the Roman Empire.

         We will not go into the detail of how horrible and antichrist the church became in this period, but historians generally agree that about fifty million declared heretics by the church in this time were martyred. Halley’s Bible Handbook corroborates this number. The pope assumed every title attributed to Christ in Scripture and was elevated to be considered, by doctrine, even “God on earth.” Allegiance to the pope, by acknowledging him as “the lamb of God,” was a primary way one was declared a heretic or not.

         The pope was not considered a secular authority, but he dominated the West by determining who could hold secular authority. In “Christian Europe,” those who held the position of king would have to crawl on their knees up a hill to the pope’s throne, kiss his ring, and receive his blessing before they could assume their own throne. In this way, the “harlot” church fulfilled the prophecy that she “reigns over the kings of the earth” (see Revelation 17:18). 

         In Revelation, this harlot church was identified to those “with wisdom” as “seven hills on which the woman sits” (see Revelation 17:9 NIV). Rome was built on seven hills and was known throughout the world as the “city on seven hills.” This is likely how the early church fathers, who lived several centuries before the great falling away, identified Rome as being the seat of the “man of sin,” or the “abomination that desolates,” as seen in their writings.

         We have these writings readily available and known as “The Early Church Fathers.” We also have the Bible compiled and readily available as the bestselling book in the world for centuries. However, before the printing press, books were rare, as were the Scriptures. Even literacy was rare. Ignorance and superstition ruled the masses. The authority of kings was absolute, but they depended on the church’s endorsement to assume and maintain it. As imagined, the favors given by kings to church authorities were great.   

         The corruption of the church continued and deepened throughout this long spiritual night over Western civilization. There were occasional popes and church leaders who tried to bring reform, but for every step forward there seemed to be two taken backward by the next generation. At the same time, millions were persecuted and often executed as heretics for refusing to submit to the church. The methods of torture used made the Nazis look compassionate. The classic book, Foxe's Book of Martyrs, covers this in detail.

         During this time, it is likely that the world witnessed its greatest depravity ever in the lands where the Roman Catholic Church was preeminent. This was all prophesied in the revelation given to John. It unfolded just as he was shown. As the revelation became known, it was a great comfort to those who suffered through this period of our dark history.

         This was allowed to happen for a reason. If we forget this and do not understand the reasons for it, we will keep making the same mistakes until a generation arises that understands. The church continues to make many of the same mistakes today, even if on a much lesser scale and in different ways. The same spirit of corruption still has great influence in the church. This is why we need to examine the doctrines and practices of this period in more detail, as painful as it may be. However, continuing to practice them will lead to much more pain.