In the Book of Acts (Acts 20:29), the Apostle Paul warned that, after he departed, “grievous wolves” would come and not spare the flock (the earthly Church). This book reveals the identity and character of those “wolves”. Also revealed is the nature of the new dispensational truth that Jesus foretold would come with the Comforter.
The Comforter, which was holy spirit, did come and with it came the “All Truth.” This revelation was eventually written down by Paul in his nine Church Epistles.
The Scriptures were then sealed around 70 C.E., with John’s final book –The Revelation of Jesus Christ. However Jesus’s prophecy concerning the extra “all-truth” (John 16:13) was interpreted by the Roman Orthodoxy to suggest that further “revelation” (doctrinal truth beyond what is revealed in the Canon) could be incorporated into their church doctrine at a whim.
This additional “guidance” came in the form of insurgent apocryphal writings concerning the 1) Trinity 2) establishment of ecclesiastic hierarchy 3) sacraments 4) various other traditions. The Orthodoxy has held these worthless “gems” in high esteem whereby they have superseded the authority of the Scriptures themselves.
The apocryphal writings (from the Greek word apocrypha, meaning “hidden away” or “secret” writings ) are mostly uninspired, haphazard, disjointed, aesthetically challenged, and marginally accepted literature of the “Apostolic Fathers”, the later “Church Fathers”, counterfeit Apostles and even some writings that are legendary or fabricated. Later post-Nicene theological hacks such as Athanasius, Zwingli, Calvin and many others presumed to have had special revealed knowledge; and they used their literature to “righteously” suppress and oppress the citizenry in their sphere. Together with other “iconic fathers of the faith”, they have constructed the “leaning tower” of Orthodoxy that we have today (mostly based on the original Nicene Council).
Therefore, after almost 2000 years, what the “grievous wolves” have given those who would follow Christ is oppression, enslavement, ignorance, prolonged doctrinal error, unfulfilled lives, false hope and, in many cases, death. In short they, historically, have given them religion at the barrel of a gun.
The damage is now done due to the flock’s habitual belief in the error presented to them. No coercion is needed anymore because there are few who would question an 1800 year old tradition.
This book is a polemic-- a colorful argument against what has been handed to us as Christianity. To illustrate my contentions, a history of pertinent events is presented along with criticism of Orthodox premises, a review of Proto-Orthodox (seminal Orthodoxy), apocryphal literature (and other influences) and three fictional allegories illustrating the Orthodox church in its various stages; from the pure Pauline charismatic church to a projection of what the final Orthodox abomination might look like using current trends and the existing political climate.
The term orthodox, from the Greek orthodoxos or having the right opinion, is typically used to mean “following the accepted religious faith”. The opposite terms are heterodox, “a different opinion”; or heresy, “another choice”--both designate a divergence from the Orthodox position. For a brief and fleeting moment, with the Apostle Paul’s ministry, there was a pureness in this “right” opinion, but Paul’s holy orthodoxy was quickly replaced by the Orthodoxy of Confusion based on the Nicene principles. The first allegory in this book, called The Creed of the Soothsayer represents that pure orthodoxy of Paul.
Today, the terms orthodox and orthodoxy are usually understood to refer to the Eastern Orthodox Churches and rarely does one hear of the Roman Catholic Church (or Protestant churches for that matter) being called by that name. In reality, however, the Roman Catholic Church was the very first Nicene Orthodox Church. Throughout history any church that adhered strictly to the Nicene Council’s decision concerning the Trinity is part of that Orthodox tradition (including most Christian denominations starting with the Catholics and going all the way to the Fundamental Baptists). In this book, Orthodox and Orthodoxy refers to those and any group that practices Trinitarianism as defined by the Nicene Creed (see appendix 1).
This book is designed to entertain, inform and possibly lead believers to a richer and more truthful and powerful Christian walk; and hopefully lighten the burden on those believers in Christ who have been subjected to devised traditions originating even long before the Nicene Council.
Pete Lounsbury