Body: | Apostate church organization: From 606 AD to the present time: "Monarchy"
This was a departure from the simple bible blueprint of a group of equal
elders (presbyters) governing only within their own local church.
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by the apostles!
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organized exactly as the Bible says
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John Paul II
Catholic, Bishop of Rome, Pope
Click to View Introduction
Click to View Graphical Mouse Rollover of gradual change of organization over time
Click to View 4 Competing views of organization
Click to View Outline: 33-150 AD
Click to View Outline: 150-250 AD
Click to View Outline: 250-451 AD
Click to View Outline: 451-588 AD
Click to View Outline: 588-606 AD
Click to View Catholic organization today
Click to View Orthodox organization today
Click to View True Bible organization today
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Bartholomew
Orthodox, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
From 606 AD to the present time:
622 AD: Muslims change the church in 622 AD leaving only Rome and
Constantinople as world powers. This is the way it has been to this very
day.
622 AD: The Muslims wipe out Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria
leaving Rome and Constantinople as the two dominant centers of power in the
church.
"The patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria were
distracted and weakened in the course of the fifth and sixth centuries by
the tedious monophysite controversies, and subsequently, after the year
622, were reduced to but a shadow by the Mohammedan [Muslims, Islam]
conquests." (Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church)
In this way, the devil created the political environment for the
great split of 1054 AD by removing all other authorities, except these two.
Today: The current organizational status of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic
churches:
There are really 15 popes that rule the world today. One in Rome and 14
Autocephalous churches. The West is governed by Rome and the East is
governed by 14 Autocephalous churches. The bishop of Constantinople is
called the "Ecumenical Patriarch" who is "first among 13 other equals".
Although the 14 Autocephalous patriarchs are all considered equal, each one
rules his own territory with total monarchal control just like the Pope in
Rome does. So if you add Rome to the list of 14 Autocephalous patriarchs
you have 15 different popes who are all equal with each other. Although
there are both philosophical and functional differences in the way Rome and
the 14 Autocephalous patriarchs rule their churches, the functional end
result is basically the same. You have 15 monarchs and it is merely a
difference of management style. King Arthur was still the sole monarch and
commander of the Knights of the Round Table, but his management style of
first among equals, may in fact be inspired by the Eastern churches. The 14
Autocephalous churches tend to organize from the bottom up, whereas Rome
tends to organize from the top down. The 14 "Popes" of the 14 Autocephalous
churches will appoint leaders who are put forward by the grassroots and
with their approval, whereas Rome just picks without input, the leaders it
wants. In the end though, you have 15 equal monarchs, each of whom rule
their territories. The Pope of Rome is just one among 15 but for reasons of
pride, refuses to humble itself in the face of reality.
In the 6th century, when the Constantinople (Orthodox) and Roman
Catholic churches went their separate paths of organization. They evolved
differently. The Orthodox has retained the 6th century a 5 tiered, multi
level organization.
The Roman Catholic church has only three levels: Pope, Bishops,
Priests, and has actually simplified its organization since the 6th
century. Rome took powers away from the Metropolitans and gave them to the
Pope. The distinct powers of the offices of Bishops and Archbishops, was
united and down graded. Now the titles are merely indicate how large the
city they live in is. Bishops are from smaller cities, Archbishops are from
larger cities. Cardinals have no powers, and are like Canadian cabinet
members chosen from the pool of elected Members of Parliament. (MPs)
The Eastern Greek Orthodox church organization today:
Click to View Orthodox organization today
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Organization and Hierarchy of Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, centered at Constantinople
Orthodox Creed
Orthodox Catechism
Orthodox Hierarchy today is a church that divides the geography of
the world up under the control of 14 "Patriarchs" of which Constantinople
is considered the top authority or "first among equals". Click to View
Orthodox organization today
Alexandria calls their man "His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of
Alexandria".
None of the rest call their men popes. But the fact remains, the 14
Patriarchs function exactly like the pope of Rome, within their own
territories. One Patriarch cannot interfere with another, not even the
"ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople".
It is clear, that the Orthodox is an almost perfect representation
of the government of the church at its stage of development between 381-606
AD. Today, the Orthodox rightly criticize the Roman Catholic organization
of departing from this organization that was clearly legislated in a number
of ecumenical councils. Click to View Catholic organization today.
Christians, of course, reject all these historic ecumenical councils as
apostasy and call the church back to her historic roots of 1st century
Christianity that you can clearly read for yourself in the Bible blueprint.
While the Eastern Greek Orthodox church calls the Roman Catholic
church back to the organization of 381 AD, Christians call them both back
to the organization of the church you read about in the Bible and was
maintained from 30 - 150 AD.
Eastern Greek Orthodox organizational titles: There are only 5 levels of
government in the Orthodox church. These 7titles do not all directly
correspond to the 5 levels:
Position
Title
Number
Ecumenical Patriarch
His All Holiness
One in the world
Patriarch
His Beatitude
13 in the world
Metropolitan or Archbishop
His Eminence
Territorial leaders of country, region or city
Bishop
His Grace
Territorial leaders of region or city
Archpriest, Pastor
Very Reverend
Pulpit preacher
Protopresbyter
Right Reverend
Pulpit preacher
Pastor
Reverend Father
Pulpit preacher
(Click on graphic for high resolution)
Click to View
The Roman Catholic church organization today:
Click to View Catholic organization today
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Roman Catholic Organization today:
1 Pope
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2946 Bishops/Dioceses (Mother churches over parishes)
Click to View
219,583 Priests/Parishes (Local churches)
As you can see, there are only three levels of government in the
Roman Catholic church, whereas the Orthodox has 5, which they borrowed from
the period of 381 - 606 AD.
The Roman Catholic church actually developed from the simple Bible
pattern of organization 30 - 150 AD with a single level of government (a
plurality of bishops, also called elders within each autonomous local
church) , to the complex 5 tier organization seen in the period of 381 -
606 AD, then later simplified itself to a 3 tier organization that consists
of 1. Pope, 2. diocesan bishops and 3. local parish priests.
The Orthodox church can rightly claim that the Roman Catholic church
has contradicted, ignored and changed several the historic ecumenical
councils. Christians, of course, reject all these historic ecumenical
councils as apostasy and call the church back to her historic roots of 1st
century Christianity that you can clearly read for yourself in the Bible
blueprint.
While the Eastern Greek Orthodox church calls the Roman Catholic
church back to the organization of 381 AD, Christians call them both back
to the organization of the church you read about in the Bible and was
maintained from 30 - 150 AD
(Click on graphic for high resolution)
Click to View
(Click on graphic for high resolution)
Conclusion: History Repeats Itself!
What is most interesting, is that history has repeated itself. The Old
Testament has a period immediately following entering the promised land,
where there was no king. Then they demanded a King which made God angry.
God took away their king saying, "I gave you a king in My anger, and took
him away in My wrath." (Hosea 13:1) This shows that God was never happy
when the had kings. In the New Testament period, we have no centralization
until 606 AD, when the first universal church "king" (pope) took power.
Then during the restoration things were restored back to the way God
originally intended. Search for a local congregation of the simple new
Testament church that is organized exactly as the Bible says!
Period
No King or centralization
King with centralization
Restored back to no king without centralization
Old Testament
Joshua - Judges
Kings
Ezra Nehemiah
New Testament
33-606 AD
606- 1500AD
Reformation Restoration 1500- present
Click to View Learn from the Bible Blueprint, how the church was organized
by the apostles!
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organized exactly as the Bible says
by Steve Rudd
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