Gnosticism in the Modern Era

Gnosticism is a divers system of spiritual beliefs that incorporated pagan, Greek, and Christian ideals to formulate its own system.  Each Gnostic teacher added or changed the Gnostic beliefs to fit their own individualized ideals.   The first mentions of some of these Gnostic ideals were developed from the 2nd to 4th century AD.  The Church exposed these ideals as unorthodox and unchristian but sadly, even today, we can still see some of the ideals being taught.  There are a few primary teachers that developed ideals that are familiar still today: Marcion of Sinope, Valentinus,  Theodotus of Byzantium, Arius of Alexandar, Pelagiu, Cerinthus, Menander, Sabellius, Basilides, and Montanus.  There are other early Gnostic teachers but their forms of Gnosticism are far more separated from orthodoxy Christianity.  These same teachings influence modern religions and movements such as the Word of Faith movement, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, and Islam.

The Gnostic Doctrine of God

•  God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament (Marcion of Sinope 120AD)  
• God did not create the universe, but a lesser being created it (Cerinthus 120AD; Valentinus 140AD; Basilides 125AD; Arius of Alexandar 320AD)
• Dualism/Manichaeism
• Arianism
• Jehovah’s Witnesses 
• The world was created by angels (Menander 2nd Century; Cerinthus 120AD)
• Menanderism
• Jehovah’s Witnesses
• Denies God The Father as creator
• God is one being that reveals himself chronologically in three modes through history (Sabellius 210AD; Paul of Samosata 250AD)
• Modalism/Monarchianism (Sabellianism)
• Oneness Pentecostalism  
• Denies The Triune God
• God is not sovereign and is limited by Man’s free will (Pelagius 5th century AD)
• Semi-Pelagianism 
• Word of Faith movement
• Arianism
• Denies God’s sovereignty and omniscience.

The Gnostic Doctrine of Jesus 

• Jesus was not actually physical but only appeared to be (Marcion of Sinope 120AD; Valentinus 140AD)
• Docetism
• Islam (the crucifixion)
• Jesus did not actually physically die on the cross and thus did not physical resurrect from the dead. 
• Jesus did not actually have a physical body, thus was not the incarnate God.  
• Denies Jesus’ physical death and resurrection.
• Jesus was just a created human until baptism where he was then granted supernatural powers and then adopted by God (Cerinthus 120AD; Theodotus of Byzantium 190AD; Paul of Samosata 250AD; Arius of Alexandar 320AD)
• Jesus is not the eternal Son of God
• Jesus is not God incarnate
• Adoptionism
• Word of Faith movement
• Arianism
• Jehovah’s Witnesses 
• Subordinationism
• Islam
• Christ left Jesus at the crusifixtion (Cerinthus 120AD)
• Word of Faith movement   
• Denies Jesus’ eternal existence
• Denies Jesus’ divinity as God the Son.
• Denies the Triune God

The Gnostic Doctrine of The Bible

• Only selected portions of the Bible are true (Marcion of Sinope 120AD; Cerinthus 120AD)
• Jehovah’s Witnesses
• Islam 
• True knowledge of God only comes through secret revelations  (Valentinus 140AD; Basilides 125AD)
• Word of Faith movement 
• Extra biblical prophetic revelations (Basilides 125AD; Montanus 177AD)
• Montanism
• Word of Faith movement  
• Divine revelations from Angels (Cerinthus 120AD)
• Word of Faith movement 
• Islam
• Mormonism

The Church exposing Gnosticism

As exposed above, these modern teachings are not new.  Despite the modern continuation of Gnostic teachings, the church addressed and exposed these teachings as heresy a long time ago.   You can read the early writings of the church teachers bellow at: https://www.ccel.org/fathers.html.

1. The last words of Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy are usually taken as referring to Gnosticism, which is described as “Profane novelties of words and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called [antitheseis tes pseudonomou gnoseos — the antitheses of so-called Gnosis] which some professing have erred concerning the faith”. Most probably Paul’s use of the terms pleroma, the æon of this world, the archon of the power of the air, in Ephesians and Colossians, was suggested by the abuse of these terms by the Gnostics. Other allusions to Gnosticism in the New Testament are possible, such as Titus 3:9; 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 John 4:1-3. 
2. The first anti-Gnostic writer was Justin Martyr (d. c. 165). His “Syntagma” (Syntagma kata pason ton gegenemenon aireseon),  substantially contained in the “Libellus adv. omn. haeres.”, usually attached to Tertullian’s “De Praescriptione”; Justin’s anti-Gnostic treatise on the Resurrection (Peri anastaseos) considerable fragments are extant in Methodius’ “Dialogue on the Resurrection” and in John Damascene’s “Sacra Parellela”. Justin’s “Comendium against Marcion”, quoted by Irenæus (IV.6.2 and V.26.2), is possibly identical with his Syntagma”. Immediately after Justin, Miltiades, a Christian philosopher of Asia Minor, is mentioned by Tertullian and Hippolytus (Against the Valentinians 5, and Eusebius, Church History V.28) as having combated the Gnostics and especially the Valentinians.  
3. Theophilus of Antioch (d. c. 185) wrote against the heresy of Hermogenes, and also an excellent treatise against Marcion (kata Markionos Logos). The book against Marcion is probably extant in the “Dialogus de rectâ in Deum fide” of Pseudo-Origen. For Agrippa Castor see BASILIDES. 
4.  Hegesippus, a Palestinian, traveled by way of Corinth to Rome, where he arrived under Anicetus (155-166), to ascertain the sound and orthodox faith from Apostolic tradition. In consequence he wrote five books of Memoirs (Upomnemata) “in a most simple style, giving the tradition of Apostolic doctrine”, becoming “a champion of the truth against the godless heresies” (Eusebius, Church History IV.7 sqq. and IV.21 sqq.).  Rhodon, a disciple of Tatian, Philip, Bishop of Gortyna in Crete, and a certain Modestus wrote against Marcion
5. The greatest anti-Gnostic controversialist of the early Christian Church is Tertullian (b. 169), who practically devoted his life to combating this dreadful sum of all heresies. We need but mention the titles of his anti-Gnostic works: “De Praescriptione haereticorum”; “Adversus Marcionem”; a book “Adversus Valentinianos”; “Scorpiace”; “De Carne Christi”; “De Resurrectione Carnis”; and finally “Adversus Praxeam”.  
6. Irenaeus (Against Heresies I.15.6) and Epiphanius (xxxiv, 11) quote a short poem against the Oriental Valentinians and the conjuror Marcus by “an aged” but unknown author; and Zachaeus, Bishop of Caesarea, is said to have written against the Valentinians and especially Ptolemy.  Beyond all comparison most important is the great anti-Gnostic work of Irenæus, Elegchos kai anatrope tes psudonymou gnoseos, usually called “Adversus Haereses”. It consists of five books, evidently not written at one time; the first three books about A.D. 180; the last two about a dozen years later. Irenæus knew the Gnostics from personal intercourse and from their own writings and gives minute descriptions of their systems, especially of the Valentinians and Barbelo-Gnostics.  A good test of how Irenæus employed his Gnostic sources can be made by comparing the newly found “Evangelium Mariae” with Against Heresies I.24.  Besides his great work, Irenaeus wrote an open letter to the Roman priest Florinus, who thought of joining the Valentinians; and when the unfortunate priest had apostatized, and had become a Gnostic, Irenaeus wrote on his account a treatise “On the Ogdoad”, and also a letter to Pope Victor, begging him to use his authority against him. 
7.  Eusebius (Church History IV.23.4) mentions a letter of Dionysius of Corinth (c. 170) to the Nicomedians, in which he attacks the heresy of Marcion.   
8. Clement of Alexandria (d. c. 215) only indirectly combated Gnosticism by defending the true Christian Gnosis, especially in The Pedagogue I, Stromata II, III, V, and in the so-called eighth book or “Excerpta ex Theodoto”. 
9.  Origen devoted no work exclusively to the refutation of Gnosticism but his four books “On First Principles” (Peri archon), written about the year 230, and preserved to us only in some Greek fragments and a free Latin translation by Rufinus, is practically a refutation of Gnostic dualism, Docetism, and Emanationism. 
10. Amongst anti-Gnostic writers we must finally mention the neo-Platonist Plotinus (d. A.D. 270), who wrote a treatise “Against the Gnostics”.  
11. About the year 300 an unknown Syrian author, often called by the literary pseudonym Adamantius, or “The Man of Steel”, wrote a long dialogue of which the title is lost, but which is usually designated by the words, “De rectâ in Deum fide”. This dialogue, usually divided into five books, contains discussions with representatives of two sects of Marcionism, of Valentinianism, and of Bardesanism. The writer plagiarizes extensively from Theophilus of Antioch and Methodius of Olympus, especially the latter’s anti-Gnostic dialogue “On Free Will” (Peri tou autexousiou). 
12. First Council of Nicaea 325AD (May 20-June 19)  addressed  Arianism, the nature of Christ, and validity of baptism by heretics. 
13. First Council of Constantinople381AD (May-July) addressed Arianism, Apollinarism, Sabellianism, and the Holy Spirit. 
14. Philastrius of Brescia, a few years later (383), gave to the Latin Church what Epiphanius had given to the Greek. He counted and described no fewer than one hundred and twenty-eight heresies, but took the word in a somewhat wide and vague sense. Though dependent on the “Syntagma” of Hippolytus, his account is entirely independent of that of Epiphanius.  Another Latin writer, who probably lived in the middle of the fifth century in Southern Gaul, and who is probably identical with Arnobius the Younger, left a work, commonly called “Praedestinatus”, consisting of three books, in the first of which he describes ninety heresies from Simon Magus to the Praedestinationists.  
15.  Council of Ephesus431 (June 22-July 31) addressed Theotokos, and Pelagianism.
16.  Council of Chalcedon (451) Theodoret wrote a “Compendium of Heretical Fables” which is of considerable value for the history of Gnosticism, because it gives in a very concise and objective way the history of the heresies since the time of Simon Magus.  
17. Council of Orange (529AD) made numerous proclamations against what later would come to be known as semi-Pelagian doctrine.
18.  Third Council of Constantinople680-681AD  (November 7-September 16) addressed Monothelitism, the human and divine wills of Jesu
19. The Belgic Confession (1567AD) addressed the Arminian Controversy 
20. The Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy (1978AD) addressed montanism and the Word of Faith movement.

Despite the centuries of exposing Gnostic ideals as heresy and unorthodox Christianity, modern charismatic evangelical Christian teachers fail to learn what has been exposed and addressed throughout church history.  Instead, through ignorance or willful selfishness, they continue to perpetuate heresy under the false claim of Christianity that corrupts essential truths that impact the salvation of their followers.

Read about the Word of Faith movement |  Are There Apostles Today?  |  When An Angel Teaches A Different Gospel  |  Muhammad, a Prophet of God? |  Jesus and Islam  |  Commonalities of Cults  |  Is The Watchtower organization of God?  |  Who Is Jesus Really?  |  Is God Perfect? Does God Make Mistakes?

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Commonalities of Cults

There are many subgroups of the Christian faith.  These subgroups tailor their teachings and focuses in different ways.  That is exactly how the Body of Christ functions BUT there are some groups that claim to be ‘Christian’ when in fact, they are not.  Some deny being ‘Christian’ but claim to have similar beliefs and ‘more correct’ views than that of orthodox Christianity; but how can you identify a cult?

The Teachings

Cults proclaim a NEW teaching or a more correct teaching revealed by a NEW prophet or writing.  Regardless of the source for their teaching, it is new a part from Christian orthodox.  They may even teaching an old teaching that was NEW in prior history but which is still outside of orthodox Christianity.  New writings are generated by the new prophet or group and followers are obligated to rely on the new writing along with or instead of The Bible.  Essentially, Cults teach that The Bible is not enough, cherry picked sections are only ones correct, or over all incomplete.

• Doubt or discredit the primary source (The Bible) as sole authority
• Generate secondary source(s) of authority to make new/morphed teachings authoritative
• Only approved teachings come from secondary sources.

 

The Rituals

Cults push followers to focus on their works by adhering to certain rituals or even abstaining from certain Christian orthodox acts such as communion and baptism.  Some even morph these acts and teachings of the acts to fit their new or more correct revelations.  Some rituals include financial indebtedness and status gains.  Essentially, they become controlling, isolating, and works based.

• Self centered rituals- “do this yourself to be good in yourself”
• Materialistic or worldly focus rituals- “give something tangible to get something tangible in return” 
• Pseudo love-  A false sense of loving others that which actually gratifies and justifies the self.
• End goal is deity of the self- “work hard and become a greater self or best self”

Verifiable

Their revelations and teachings tend to be non-verifiable and use circular reasoning to justify them.  A prophet is a prophet because it was revealed to him that he was.  Or the writings are divine because they were written by someone who said his writings are divine.  Some claim that they were given revelations in visions or by angels, and that’s that.  Essentially, the founder and their writings are unverifiable and have to be believed simply based on claim alone.

• Unable to verify or not supported with known history or testable natural phenomena
• Circular justification – “It is true because it is said to be true” 

Morality

Cults typically strive to be ‘good’ and do good.  They attempt to satisfy psychological, emotional, and intellectual issues of their followers.  They make their followers feel accepted and feel as though they have a purpose.  Some even provide financial security and promises of material and spiritual rewards.  But, this begins to fall apart once someone starts to question the groups teachings and wants to leave the group for what ever reason.  Those who question and desire to leave are guilt tripped, become more isolated, and more controlled by the group and its leadership.  The threat of destruction from God or their version of holy judgement is often deployed.  Those who do leave are shunned, and persecuted.  Those who remain in the group are caused to be depend greatly on the group.

• Emotional or materialistic moral justifications – “I feel or have therefore it is or should be” 
• Right and Wrong is defined through the secondary source of authority; which teaches how adherents should think and feel.
• Selective encouragement/ social conditioning- “You did good because you did what the organization/religion approves of; you did bad because you did what the organization/religion does not approve of”
• Decent or questioning the organized religion is a moral absolute evil.

Limit Learning

Cults often limit the source of their followers studies.  The groups that use the bible as part of their system discourage studying the bible alone and require the use of their writings.  This indoctrination allows for the cult to interpret how they want the bible to be interpreted to match their new teachings while at the same time allow the follower to feel as though they are learning what the bible says; even when they are not.  This is another form of manipulation and control.

• Instructed how to think only through secondary sources of authority as primary means to understand.
• Studying sources outside of the secondary authoritative source is discouraged by the organization or religious leaders and approved teachers.  Some may even actively restrict access to outside sources.
• Self teaching and self study is discouraged without the use of approved teachers or materials.
• Isolation is imposed to limit reaching outside sources of information.

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Is The Church Shrinking?

As we see an increase in the ‘non religious’ or ‘unaffiliated’ religious preferences grow in government censuses and religious surveys and the numbers of self identified ‘christians’ get small each year, we tend to think the Church is shrinking.  Even most denominations and nondenominational churches show a slow but steady decline of church membership.  Does all this indicate the Body of Christ, the people group set aside by God himself as first fruits for his Son and The Bride of Christ; shrinking?

To come to truly know the answer we must first understand something about the Church.  There are those who claim to be Christian, and there are those who are Christian. There are those who visibly and outwardly try and do ‘good’ because they claim to be Christian and then there are those who are invisibly saved who outwardly strive to do ‘good’ because they are Christian.  The visible and invisible church.

The Visible Church

The Visible Church consists of every person who claims to follow Christ and tries to do good.  Attending church, volunteering, reading the bible, singing worship songs, even agree to essential elements of the Christian faith.  This includes those who are NOT actually saved.  ANYONE can attend church, volunteer, read the bible, sing worship songs, and agree with essential Christian teachings.  Demons believe in essential Christian teachings and atheists do volunteer work and read religious texts; they may even like the sound of some worship songs.  They may be agnostic, or even do all these things because they actually worship themselves.  There are goats, sheep, and wolves in sheep’s clothing all mixed in with the visible claim of ‘Christian’.

Some in the visible church try to use outward works to change their inward problem.  That is religion and not salvation.

The Invisible Church

The Invisible church only consists of those who God has actually set apart.  Those who are actually born again, spiritually alive, and written in the book of life.  These people are indwelt with the Holy Spirit and produce fruit of the Spirit.  Their absolute heart change is manifested in a visible way.  But only they know for sure, and God knows them for sure.  It is invisible to everyone else; except through the fruit their spirit produces. They have saving faith in the Gospel message.

These people have been changed by God inwardly and it compels them to outwardly worship God.

Who is leaving the church?

Those who are internally transformed and made born again; are transformed for all eternity.  Even though they may backslide, they will always be drawn back to repentance and restored.  In other words, the Invisible Church will never lose numbers.  Those who are truly saved in the visible church, may leave temporarily but again, because they are truly saved, they will be drawn back and restored.  That leaves those who, in the visible church, who leave, and never come back; were never actually part of the true Church of God to begin with.  These Carnal Christians eventually lose interest with the Christian Faith and move on to another different life styles and ideologies.  Those are the ones who are leaving the church.

America VS World Wide

Let us not forget America does not represent the whole world.  The church may seem to be shrinking in America, but in China, India, Brazil and other parts of the world it is growing exponentially.  There are probably more true Christians in China than in America.  The True Church is alive and well.

Is “Shrinking” a Bad Thing?

Is it a bad thing it is shrinking in America? No.  The Holy Spirit is essentially weeding out those who are not actually saved.  The Parable of The Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) is awesome with this issue.  Notice that even the servants recognized the Weeds in the Wheat.  Being able to recognize the Weeds from the Wheat is rather simple as well:  Matthew 7:13-29 hits this dead on. The “shrinking” helps expose their fruit.  “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit”.   The shrinking of the American church will help expose those who are not actually part of The Body of Christ so that they can be reached in love and hope of repentance.  Shrinking is just revealing what was already true; those who were never born again and regenerated in the first place.

Why Are People Leaving?

Its simple. Either their idol is their self or their faith was in sinful people.  Regardless, their faith was not in Christ and the Gospel Message.  They would claim to be ‘christian’ so that they felt justified in their sins or they claimed to be Christian so they would feel like they fit in or belong somewhere; without believing in Jesus Christ.  For all these reasons, people lose faith in the church because it is made up of sinners.  Or if they use the church to justify themselves they will get bored or offended and move to something else they feel will justify their lifestyle and sins.  They ultimately leave because they were never regenerated and born again in the first place.  They tried and maintained the ‘christian’ lifestyle but for one reason or another felt like moving on.

Apostasy 

Apostasy means to fall away from the truth.  The truth is the Christian Faith.  “Without Faith It is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).  Faith is the absolute trust in the Gospel Message.  In John 14:6 Jesus clearly states “I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the father except through me“. THEREFORE:  The Christian Faith is the only true faith for salvation and rightness with God by God and through God.  Leaving Christianity for another religion (or unaffiliation or no religious preference or atheism) is committing apostasy.  Apostasy is a fruit produced when there is no faith in Christ.  But it is not just leaving the church, Apostasy is falling away from the truth.  A church that teaches a different gospel, commits apostasy.  Galatians 1:8 states “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!”  It doesn’t matter WHO preaches a different gospel, if it is different than the one proclaimed in scripture, it is apostasy.

Why Do People Stay?

Those who remain in the church understand the church is made up of sinners.  They understand that the church is imperfect.  They also believe in Christ as the only way to God and relief from their sin.  They know God and God has called them.  They have an unwavering hope in Christ and his promise of perfect salvation and eternity with God.  They know the Gospel Message is true and believe it in absolute faith.  That even though they do not like how the church may act throughout history, they know that it is Christ’s and he is in control.

Summery

The Invisible church is made up of all those who are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Visible church is made up of everyone and anyone who claims to be ‘christian’.  As worldly or selfish pleasures mount, the visible church will lose some ‘members’  but that does not mean the true church lost anyone.  As people drop out of going to church and lose their religion, those who are chosen by God may still increase.  Declining church membership can be a good thing; it helps expose those who need to believe in the gospel and helps true believers see their actual brothers in sisters in Christ.

Apostasy WILL grow.  More and more people will reject their once claim of faith in Jesus.  Scripture already warns us of this which is why a shrinking church should not come as a surprise.

We should also not worry because Christ is still head of the church and is God.  The church is moving exactly how God wills it to.  People are coming as God calls them and leave as God allows them.  God is sovereign over the church’s condition.

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Palm Sunday

What is Palm Sunday?  To understand this special and monumental day, we must also understand the history, symbolism, prophecies, and absolute meaning of this event.

The Foretold Event

Zech 9:9; Ps 118:24-26

Prophet Zechariah wrote around 520BC.  In his writings he states the King of Israel is coming humbly on a donkey.  A couple years prior to this event, Jesus’ disciples and other followers believed Jesus to be the Christ and now, here he is coming into the east gate of Jerusalem in the middle of the Passover pilgrimage on a donkey. Given what Jesus has been teaching, what his followers have been proclaiming, the people of Jerusalem knew exactly what was happening because they also knew Zechariah’s prophecy.

The Event

Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19

The residents and pilgrims recognize the importance of this event.  They gathered tree branches and used their own cloaks and placed them on the road leading up to the Temple.  They sung hymns proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.  The Pharisees were quick to demand Jesus to rebuke his disciples for declaring him to be the Christ whom was prophesied about this very event.  Jesus actually turned and rebuked them, the religious leaders! (Matthew 21:15-16) And even stated that judgement is coming to Jerusalem (Luke 19:40) which came in 70AD.  

The crowed knew Jesus was the coming King and Messiah to save them.  What everyone failed to see was that their salvation in this event was spiritual and not political or from the grip of Roman rule.  Even though Jesus told them he will establish is earthly kingdom later, this salvation was of a greater importance (Luke 19:11-12).  Not a whole lot has changed in the minds of man.  Some carnal Christians still believe Jesus has brought salvation for superficial and monetary gain.

What were the crowds saying?

The crowd was singing Ps 118:24-26 (Matt 21:9) in acknowledgment of Jesus being the Chris and Messiah.  The crowds openly declared Jesus the Son of David, from God.  They cried out Hosanna which is a plea for deliverance and salvation.  Thus they declared that Jesus is coming from God to give them salvation.  But their understanding from salvation was of a worldly sense.  Salvation from the rule of Rome. By declaring Jesus to be the Son of David is acknowledging Jesus as who was foretold in 2 Samuel 7:12–16.  This is a Messianic title and more than just a genealogical statement.  Ironically, the crowds singing Hosanna a week later chanted ‘crucify him’ when they realized he was not physically freeing them from Roman rule (Matt 27:22-23). 

What does the Palm branches mean, and why place cloaks on the ground?

Palm branches were symbolic of being triumphant and victorious. To place them on the ground before the triumphant ruler is like showing respect and paying homage to someone honorable and worthy.  In the same sense with the Palm branches, cloaks showed homage to royalty dating back to 2 Kings 9:13.  

Words and Deeds

We see by the crowd’s words and deeds, at this moment, understood Jesus as their triumphant king making his way into the hub of Israel and publicly acknowledging his royalty, coming from God as foretold by the prophets.  But Jesus already knew where their hearts were.  As he made is way to the city, he wept, knowing the judgement that was coming (Luke 19:41-44).

Where they got it wrong

All this excitement and joy came from a place of blindness and worldly thinking.  They were excited and ready to follow Jesus into a successful revolt against the Roman empire. He transcended the current political parties and they could tell there was something bigger about him.  They were ready to follow him into battle.  They failed to see the greater and deeper aspect of their need of salvation.  They felt there need only went as deep as their status and physical well being under Roman rule.  They were spiritually blind to their greatest need; spiritual salvation.  So, after realizing there would be no revolt and with the pressure of the religious leaders and Roman authority, they quickly turned on Jesus to maintain their safety and keep Rome from coming in and crushing them.  They had Jesus crucified a week later.

Apostasy

They went from being diehard supporters of Jesus in word and deed, to flat out denial and rejection of him in 7 days.  All because he did not fit their desires and their imposed expectations.  This happens in the church today.  People ‘come to Jesus’ expecting health, wealth, and happiness but only to find life is still hard.  They confuse their emotional high with deeper truth.  People then either invent their own version of Jesus or they just flat out reject him and move on.

The Glory of this event

Jesus fulfilled the prophecies perfectly.  He made his presence known; knowing that this level of spot light will compel the crowd, religious leaders, and the Roman authority to follow God’s plan which is the absolute eternal salvation through his death on the cross; exactly how it was planned from before the creation of the world.  

Church History

Palm Sunday begins what is known as Passion Week.  The Palm Sunday celebrations begin in Jerusalem churches around the 3rd century.  When public celebrations become more safe in the Roman empire, the public remembrance and celebration spread to the eastern empire around the 4th century.  As the church become more culturally diverse, different ways of celebrating Palm Sunday emerged in the 6th and 7th century.  It become more defined and official by the western church in the 8th century and is currently celebrated world wide.
 
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