To Know God: Keep His Commandments

And hereby we do know that we know Him, 

if we keep His commandments. He that saith,

 I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, 

is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso 

keepeth His word, in Him verily is the 

love of God perfected: hereby know we 

that we are in Him.

1John 2:3-4 

   In my studies to prepare for a blog, this blog, I have noticed that these early Church fathers did not write as to their personal theology, rather they spoke accordingly as they were taught by the disciples of Jesus. They admonish us to be faithful, to be obedient, to repent of our sins and to live a life that is reflected of the life of Jesus. In all this they too had to fight heresies and we too today fight those4 same heresies albeit they are often hidden and and veiled. 

     Vincent of Lerins wrote the Commonitory around the year 434 A.D. who was a man well known as one learned in the Holy Scriptures and well informed as to the Church's doctrines, and in this he composed a very powerful treatise as was his purpose to confront herectical sects. In this work he opposed Semi-Pelagianism and gave to us a way to examine what was being taught whether or not it was Orthodox Christianity or heresy. The reason for this is that he held, and we too should do the same, to the Holy Scriptures as the source of all true doctrine, because there were those who in various ways interpreted Scripture. We need a guide for distinguishing between those various interpretations. The now famous formula of St. Vincent of Lerins is: quod ubique, qujod semper, et quod ab omnibus creditum est: That is: what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all men.

     We are admonished in Scripture: Ask your fathers and they will tell you; your elders, and they will speak" (Deuteronomy 32:7); Fit your ear to the words of the wise" (Proverbs 22:17); "My son, forget not these speeches but let your heart keep my words" (Proverbs 3:1). Time as a way of snatching away, and yet we ought to be snatching from it what may advance us toward life eternal. What has been handed down by men of earlier time and entrusted to our keeping, we need to take care to observe their words. 

     A great threat to the early Church was Gnosticism attempting to soil the purity of the Christian faith and this came much from Greek philosophy. It was those philosophers philosophers learned in Greek mythology that wanted a Christianity to be a system of philosophy. Around the year 150 A.D. Gnosticism was at its greatest peak and was a great threat to Christianity and we can see in the writings of Paul that he seems to be fighting an incipient form of Gnosticism when we read his letter to the Colossian Church. Christianity related Gnosticism to Simon Magnus whom Peter had to rebuke severely. Remember, Simon Magnus sought to buy the gifts from Peter and after his rejection became a heretic following after the Gnostic beliefs. Irenaeus in Adversus Haeresis, I:xxiii: 1-5, wrote about this and we can read about this in Acts 8:9-24. 

     What is Gnosticism? It is a belief that sprang from the natural human desire to create a theodicy (this is a vindication of God's justice in tolerating the existence of evil), in other words: to explain the origin of evil. The Gnostics sought a way to create a philosophical system in whi9ch God as a spirit could be freed from association with evil and a way in which man could be related on the spiritual side of his nature to Deity. It sought answers as to the origin of man, and this they did by synthesizing Christianity and Hellenistic philosophy. This was also the way for Neo-Platonism. In their seeking they sought a way to avoid the stigma of the cross. Irenaeus and others who were powerful polemicist with all their skill holding fast to the rule of faith and the writings, which were to become the canon we call the Bible, to be able to overcome this threat to Christianity. If Gnosticism had succeeded, Christianity would have become nothing more than another philosophical mystery religion. 

     I return to Clement of Rome where in chapter 45 it writes about the wicked who are attempting to vex the righteous: "Ye are fond of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation. Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. Observe (Or, “Ye perceive.”) that nothing of an unjust or counterfeit character is written in them. There   Or, (“For.”) you will not find that the righteous were cast off by men who themselves were holy. The righteous were indeed persecuted, but only by the wicked. They were cast into prison, but only by the unholy; they were stoned, but only by transgressors; they were slain, but only by the accursed, and such as had conceived an unrighteous envy against them. Exposed to such sufferings, they endured them gloriously. For what shall we say, brethren? Was Daniel (Dan. vi. 16.) cast into the den of lions by such as feared God? Were Ananias, and Azarias, and Mishael shut up in a furnace (Dan. iii. 20.) of fire by those who observed ⁽Literally, “worshipped.”) the great and glorious worship of the Most High? Far from us be such a thought! Who, then, were they that did such things? The hateful, and those full of all wickedness, were roused to such a pitch of fury, that they inflicted torture on those who served God with a holy and blameless purpose [of heart], not knowing that the Most High is the Defender and Protector of all such as with a pure conscience venerate   (Literally, “serve.”) His all-excellent name; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. But they who with confidence endured [these things] are now heirs of glory and honour, and have been exalted and made illustrious (Or, “lifted up.”) by God in their memorial for ever and ever. Amen."

     We too, must fight those heretical systems of Christianity that are infecting and plaguing men and women who are earnestly seeking Authentic Christian Faith.

To whom then will ye liken Me,

     or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

                     Isaiah 40:25

Consider your faith and change from the inside/out

Richard L. Crumb