There Shall be The Church(Analyzing the Fall of the Church and Her Hope of Glory)

There Shall be The Church
(Analyzing the Fall of the Church and Her Hope of Glory)

By
Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu (Pastor)

Copyright 2019 Pastor Nwoko S. Ikechukwu
All right reserved

Apart from citations for research works and other official references, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieved system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the author.

Dedication
This book is dedicated to God, and my beloved wife Nwoko Obusor Stella (My Joy), and my lovely parents- Mrs. Nwoko O Florence and my late father Mr. Nowoko O Isaac to the glory of God.

Acknowledgment
Every good and perfect gift comes from God Almighty (Jesus Christ); hence I want to, first of all, pour out my grateful and thanksgiving heart to the Lord God Almighty for His wonderful gift in my life which is indisputably unmerited.

I want to give a special thanks to my friend and colleague Mr. Godwin (Evangelist) who motivated me to write this book, I was formerly writing this book as an article to be published on my blog www.nallwritingbooks.wordpress.com, but when he heard about it he said to me, Pastor Nwoko, you must turn this to a book, people need to have this vital information. I also acknowledge him for writing the foreword of this book. I want to acknowledge my beloved wife Nwoko Obusor Stella (My Joy), and my lovely mother Mrs Nwoko O. Florence. Many thanks to my lovely children Divinefavour Chinomso and Divinetreasure Chiamaka. Gracious acknowledgment to my mentor Rev Dr B. A. Esemikose, and his wife, Reverend (Mrs) Rachael Esemikose for their spiritual support. I will not forget to acknowledge all my older siblings, and especially our last born who is my lovely younger sister. I want to also acknowledge all those I referred from/to their work, to you all I remain grateful, God bless you.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the Church and as many that will read this book, remain blessed.
Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu (Pastor)
2019.

Table of Content
I. Title Page
II. Dedication
III. Acknowledgment
IV. Foreword
V. Table of Content
VI. Preface
Chapter One
I. The Origin of Corruption in the Church
II. Origin of the Early Church
III. The Origin of the Roman Catholic Church
Chapter Two
False Doctrines in the Church
The Doctrine of Indulgence
The Doctrine of Transubstantiation
Exaltation of the Pope
Rosaries and/or Honoring (Worship of) Mary
Worship of Saints
Chapter Three
False Doctrines in the Church Continues
Water Baptism by Sprinkling
Infant Baptism
Penance
Chapter Four
Reactions of the People before the Reformation Era
Chapter Five
Reformation Era
I. The Man John Wycliffe the Father of Reformation
Chapter Six
The Wonderful Fifteenth Century Revival of Learning
Chapter Seven
Martin Luther and his Contribution to Reformation
Chapter Eight
The Man Tyndale and his Effort in Realizing Reformation
Chapter Nine
The Origin of Protestantism
Chapter Ten
I. The Origin of Churches in Nigeria
II. History of Churches in Nigeria
Chapter Eleven
There Shall be The Church
Chapter Twelve
Why we have the Poor Among Us
Chapter Thirteen
Brief Exposition on Rapture and the End of the Age.

Foreword
In There Shall be the Church, Pastor Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu has taken time with the help of the Holy Spirit to establish facts and figures about the Origin of the Roman Catholic Church. Readers will find it interesting, the chronological assemblage of chapters, and the information therein.

The false doctrines that were introduced in the Church by the pagan converts to win the reputation of the Church papacy, such doctrines like the Observation of Indulgence, Transubstantiation, Exaltation of the Pope, Rosaries and/or honoring (worship of) Mary, Worship of the Saints, etc. which were not Biblical Revelation 22 verses 8 to 9. He concisely pinned down the leadership of the Roman Empire from Augustus Caesar the first, 27 BC to Constantine who declared Christianity as a State Religion in 313 AD, from where we have the Roman- meaning the Roman State, and Catholic- meaning Universal, that is, Christianity is the official religion that should be practiced throughout the Roman states, not a Church or denomination yet.

Pastor Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu also explained the origin of the early Church and the persecution of the Church mostly by the Roman government before the advent of the Roman Catholic Church. He unveiled the corruption in the Church and quest for the truth that led to the emergence of the Protestant and Pentecostal churches. He further explained the Reformation era by godly men of repute, the like of John Wycliffe, King Alfred, Martin Luther, Tyndale, etc. to expose the false doctrines in the Church of the Roman Catholic, and to make the Bible accessible to all people both great and small thereby pressing a stop codon to the era of one-man privileged to reading the Bible only on behalf of others.

The young Pastor, Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu also explained the history and the origin of churches in Nigeria.
Finally, he opined that, since corruption, politics and other evil vices have come to stay in the Church with the effort to subverting the truth and upholding ungodly worship, the hope of many kingdom-minded persons in the Church which is yet to be established by Jesus Christ which shall be devoid of evil practices.

Readers of this piece shall find it very useful for their spiritual growth, by carefully comparing it with the real teaching of the Bible. However, the exposed truth is not meant for discrimination and separation, it rather avails genuine Christians the opportunity to abstain from any unbiblical doctrines. According to Apostle Paul in First Corinthians 3 verses 11 to 15, For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- it is the fire that must approve it on the Day of Judgment. It is, however, very disheartening that false doctrines have become one of the materials used by many in this 21st Century Church for the building of the Church of Jesus Christ.

I recommend this book to our generation pastors, intending pastors, and the entire Christendom. The Bible says, My people, perish for the want of knowledge don't be one of them.

You can also find a copy of his book titled, Exegesis on Eschatological Truth.

Uambe Godwin
Evangelist Commissioned by God through Jesus Christ.
B Sc, M Sc.

Preface
On the Day of Pentecost, the Church was inaugurated, and the first of its kind was established in Jerusalem with a total number of 3120 members. Daily she grew in number, power, and strength. So perfect she was that the presence and the glory of God rained down in and through her. The power of God through and/or the name of His Christ was made real in the Church. People with all manners of afflictions, problems, or troubles found freedom, relief, and total deliverance, joy, hope, and peace in the Church. The Church made the hungry to be fed, the thirst to be unthirsty, the poor to be rich or no more in want, and the fearful to be bold- so perfect she was.

Though bad/evil spirits fought her vehemently, she stood. The spirit of fraud came, and the Holy Spirit took care of it by eliminating the host of this fraud spirit (Acts 5). The spirit of murmuring struck, intending to bring hatred, division and/or disunity but the Holy Spirit through the apostles took care of it by inspiring the Church to choose seven men who were of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, to become deacons of the Church, who will take charge of the daily distributions or welfare of the Church (Acts 6 verses 1 to 6). The spirits of persecution, trials, and temptations hit, but the early Church prevailed through the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of Christ that gives endurance (Acts 5, 7, and 8).

Later, however, sin and/or corruption managed to find its way into the Church. Through men and practices that have the form of godliness but denied the power thereof, the Church was corrupted. At her corruption, the division entered and break out started. In its divisions and breakouts, in search of The Truth, more internal divisions and corruption came. Her beauty gone, glory fading away like green leaves and grass under the sun, and the power, truth, and reality in great jeopardy and under serious question. This notwithstanding, there shall be The Church, so perfect she will be that sin and corruption cannot and will not affect her. Division cannot know her and in glorious victory, she will forever fly, first at the Caught of the Saints in the Promised Kingdom of Christ, here on earth at the millennial reign of Christ and His Saints, and will forever be in the New Jerusalem. It shall be The Church of the saints from all walks of life, in The Holy City and Christ shall be her Bishop (Head), and the saints her incorruptible members.

There Shall be The Church is a book that analyzes the beauty of the early Church, the fall of the present Church starting from the Roman Catholic era, and her hope of glory. It is a book of thirteen chapters. Chapter One deals with The Origin of Corruption in the Church, Origin of the Early Church, and The Origin of the Roman Catholic Church. Chapter Two discusses the False Doctrines in the Church, which include: The Doctrine of Indulgence, The Doctrine of Transubstantiation, Exaltation of the Pope, Rosaries and/or Honoring (Worship of) Mary and the Worship of Saints. Chapter Three is the continuation of chapter two, discussing further, Water Baptism by Sprinkling, Infant Water Baptism, and Penance. Chapter Four explains the Reactions of the People before the Reformation Era. Chapter Five treated the Reformation Era proper and The Man John Wycliffe the Father of the Reformation. Chapter Six deals with The Wonderful Fifteenth Century Revival of Learning. Chapter Seven discusses Martin Luther and his Contribution to Reformation. Chapter Eight talks about The Man Tyndale and his Effort in Realizing Reformation. Chapter Nine narrates The Origin of Protestantism. Chapter Ten accounts, The Origin of Churches in Nigeria, and the History of Churches in Nigeria. Chapter Eleven is an exposition on There Shall be The Church, Chapter Twelve discussed Why we have the Poor among us, and chapter thirteen, the last chapter makes another exposition on Rapture and the End of the Age.

It is my earnest desire and prayer that this book will appeal to the minds of the Church and its members to return to the point and/or the path of the Truth and to their first love for Christ, the owner, and head of the Church.
Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu (Pastor)
BA., B.Th. 2019.

Chapter One
The Origin of Corruption in the Church
Often, I have come across arguments affirming that the Roman Catholic Church is the only Church in existence from the beginning of the Church Age or Era. Some even proposed that it was the only Church in the early Church or apostolic era and the only true Church, which Christ Himself established. But the truth is that Roman Catholic as a Church or denomination has an origin, which was about 361 years after the apostolic era and was by no means the only Church or denomination during and after the apostolic era. Roman Catholic Church as a denomination erupted some years later, after Emperor Constantine declared Christianity State Religion (Catholic, that is Universal) in 313 AD, against the former declaration of Christianity as Religio Illicita (illegal or unaccepted religion), and stopped the killing of Christians in Roman states. Roman Catholic became a Church late 300s AD. and assumed dominance early 400s AD., but the early Church has been since 29 AD., about 40 days after Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven on this same 29 AD.

I. Origin of the Early Church
The Church was born at the coming or birth of Jesus Christ and was officially inaugurated on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost is a festival celebrated by the Jews by birth and by conversion (Proselyte). It is celebrated about eight weeks after Passover. It is a fest to thank God for a successful last agricultural and/or harvest year and to ask for a better one the next year.

After the disciples of Christ, including the apostles, 120 in all, were filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit, Peter was empowered by the Holy Spirit with power and boldness, which enabled him to minister the gospel of Christ to the crowd that had gathered to find out why each of them could hear each of the 120 who were all Galileans speak in their different languages, praising God in their dialects (Acts chapter 2). After this powerful, Holy Spirit oriented and epoch-making message of Peter, about 3000 men repented, turned to Christ, and were baptized. It was these 120 disciples with the 3000 repented members that the first early Church was established at Jerusalem in 29 AD. From Jerusalem, churches were taken to order parts of the then world, like Judea, Samarian, and afterward outside Israel to the Gentile nations or cities. Apostle John established the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos or Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodiceans. Some believers in Christ who ran away from Jerusalem during the persecution of Christians starting from 38 AD, chairman by Saul, went to Antioch and other parts of the world and established the Church of Antioch and other churches. After the Church of Antioch was established, Barnabas was sent to them, and Barnabas traveled to Tarsus of Cilicia and brought Saul, who had repented and was then Paul to Antioch to pastor the Church with him. From Antioch of Syria, God separated unto Himself Barnabas and Paul to their missionary journeys starting from 46 to 52 AD. Through these missionary journeys, Paul and Barnabas were able to establish several churches, e.g. Church in Corinthians, Rome, etc. One common thing then is that churches were named after the place the Church was located. Unlike today that churches (denominations) have names based on the interest or vision of the founder, group, or set that own, attend, or organized the Church. Such as Assemblies of God Church, Deeper Life Bible Church, Church of Christ, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Roman Catholic Church, etc.

II. The Origin of the Roman Catholic Church
Before we have the Roman Catholic Church, we have a Roman state or empire. After the death of Augustus Caesar I, the first Emperor of Rome and the most powerful as of 27 BC, the Roman empire was divided into various empires or states, these states also include the nations captured by Rome. Various Roman citizens of high status were in charge and/or emperors of each of these states. One was ruled by the father of Constantine, whose name was Flavius Valerius Constantius, who was a Roman Army officer of Illyrian origins. From an army officer, Constantius became Caesar, the deputy emperor in the west of the Roman state, in 293 AD.

Before Flavius, Emperor Nero, who became emperor in 54 AD, a tyrant and one of those that tormented Christians have lived. He killed so many Christians including Apostle Peter in 67 AD. It was said that he burnt Christians alive as they are being tied on poles at night so that those working in his garden at night could see light. This was about AD 64 when Christianity has been declared Religio Illicita. After Nero, three other emperors succeeded him but reigned for just two years. After they came number two emperor known as Emperor Vespasian. His reign was prosperous, and it was him that ordered the siege of Jerusalem and granted his son Titus the power or the go-ahead in destroying the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. After Vespasian, his son Titus became the next emperor. Titus led the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of its temple in AD 70. After Titus, came emperor Domitian, he was one of the most tyrant and wicked emperors recorded in the history of Roman emperors. He was more tyrant than Nero. He carried out the most brutal persecution, torment, and killing of Christians during his reign as emperor of Rome. he was the brother of emperor Titus and reigned for fifteen years. He started reigning in 81 AD. He was the emperor that ordered the arrest of Apostle John. When John was brought to him, he claimed to have examined John, found him guilty, he, therefore, condemned John to be killed by being put into a cauldron of flaming oil, but after a few hours, John came out of the boiling oil unhurt. Domitian then banished John to the island of Patmos, where the worst of criminals were sent to labor in the mines. After him, came another emperor, who was very less tyrant than he was. This emperor was Nerva, he canceled the edicts of Domitian over John and other Christians, and John was released and he returned to Ephesus, where he had been a bishop, and ended his days at the age of 100. Apostle John was a key person and the leader of about 90 men canons that did the gathering of the Bible, Old, and New Testaments, and who also ascertain which of the writing was inspired by God and worthy to be accepted as Bible- the word of God.

During the time of emperor Nerva, the killing of Christians was at its minimum. But after Nerva, came emperor Marcus Aurelius, another tyrant who carried out fierce persecution among Christians.

Back to emperor Flavius Valerius Constantius. In 305, Constantius rose to the rank of Augustus, senior western emperor. When he became emperor of the western Roman state or region (empire) he stopped in his region (west) the persecution and killing of Christians that has been going on in Roman states, including nations captured by Rome now under Roman territory. The persecution of Christians has been going on even before the time of emperor Nero in 64 AD, this was during the time that Christianity has been declared Religio Illicita in Rome. In 306 Constantius died and his son, Constantine the Great or Constantine I, became the next emperor of the western Roman state. The vision of Constantine was to unite the entire Roman states as one, under one emperor (himself), as it was in the beginning, especially during the time of Julius Caesar I, the first dictator of Rome, and Augustus the first Emperor of Rome. Constantine was successful in his civil wars, but his war of the Milvian Bridge with emperor Maxentius was a tough one.

Emperor Maxentius was believed to be a diabolic emperor, who used his demonic power for war and in protecting his territory, and it was difficult, close to impossible for emperor Constantine to defeat him. It was not only the diabolic nature of Maxentius that made it difficult to be defeated by Constantine, but also because of the location of the battle- Milvian Bridge. While emperor Constantine was wondering how best to defeat Maxentius, he fell asleep (some say he saw it as a vision while awake) and saw a cross or the sun overlain by the figure of a cross in the sky with the words: IN HOC SIGNO VINCES, which when translated is IN THIS SIGN DIVIDE AND CONQUER OR PREVAIL. The next day, he ordered his men to paint crosses on their shields and he commanded that a cross should be constructed and a symbol of the sun should be designed on the front of the meeting point of the cross. This became the origin of the cross called the Processional Cross, that the Roman Catholic Church carries during their service procession. When he won the battle, he believed that it was through the help of Christain God, therefore, the declaration of Christianity as the state religion in 313 AD, from where we have Roman, meaning Roman state, Catholic, meaning Universal, that is, Christianity is the official religion that should be practiced throughout the Roman states; hence, Roman Catholic, but it was not Church or denomination yet. Churches were still retaining their names based on where the churches were located, like the Church in Rome, or Roman Church, the Corinthian Church, Church of Ephesus, etc. but all under the name and umbrella of Christianity ruled or governed by the apostles in the apostolic era, apostolic fathers (direct disciples of the 12 apostles) and by the Church fathers after the apostolic era. It was this unity in the Church that made it very possible for the papacy to take over and control the entire Church or Christendom during the Roman Catholic Church era, in 410 AD.

Constantine also declared himself a Christian and made official, most of the things Christians were doing and were persecuted for. Such as refusing to work on Sunday, and observing it as The Day of the Lord (Matthew 28 verses 1 to 6, Mark 16 verses 1 to 6), because the Lord Jesus resurrected on Sunday morning and Apostle John called it the day of the Lord, and while worshiping on this day of the Lord in the Island of Patmos where he was banished for the gospel, he received the revelations from Christ that led to his writing the Book of Revelation (Revelation chapter one), their refusal to partake in pagan practices like the worship of Roman emperors, etc. Constantine indeed declared Christianity, but whether or not he had an actual encounter with Christ to have a change of life is still under debate to date. Since the number one man and the most powerful man in the state has identified with Christianity, other Roman pagans of high status began to confess and join Christianity, not because most among them repented actually, but because they needed a favor from their Emperor, Emperor Constantine. With this, most Roman pagans began to take over the Church and later rise to prominent positions in the Church, especially the Church of or in Rome. This gave birth to or led to the formation of the Papacy. And in so doing, they began to introduce strange doctrines and practices in the Church, but will tactically make them look Christianized and/or Biblical.

Chapter Two

False Doctrines in the Church
Some of these false doctrines that were introduced in the Church by Roman Catholic are an indulgence, transubstantiation, exaltation of the Pope, rosary prayer, honoring (worship of) Mary, worship of saints, water baptism by sprinkling, infant baptism, penance, etc. Let's briefly look at each of these doctrines.

I. The Doctrine of Indulgence: The doctrine of Indulgence was the major doctrinee that aids the building of the largest cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Constantinople, which is presently in Turkey. And what most Catholic priests used in raising money either to build a Church or to solve other personal or Church needs.

In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (Latin: indulgentia, from indulgeō, 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and all of the saints".

Inscription on the Archbasilica of the Saint John Lateran in Rome reads: "Indulgentia plenaria perpetua quotidiana toties quoties pro vivis et defunctis (English translation is) "Perpetual everyday plenary indulgence on every occasion for the living and the dead."

According to the Apostolic Benediction and Plenary Indulgence Parchment, the recipient of an indulgence must perform an action to receive it. This is most often the saying (once, or many times) of a specified prayer, but may also include the visiting of a particular place or the performance of specific good works.

Indulgences were introduced to allow for the remission of the severe penances of the early Church and granted at the intercession of Christians awaiting martyrdom or at least imprisoned for the faith. The Church teaches that indulgences draw on the treasury of merit accumulated by Christ's superabundantly meritorious sacrifice on the cross and the virtues and penances of the saints. They are granted for specific good works and prayers in proportion to the devotion with which those good works are performed or prayers recited (Dayirmiter: The Doctrine of Indulgence, Wikipedia, 2016. Page 1 and 2).

Also, Indulgence is a doctrine that promotes the theory of purgatory. Here they propagate that when one dies as a sinner, he goes to purgatory, a place of temporal punishment, but if his beloved ones on earth should pay for mass for/or absolution and the Pope or the authority in charge conducts mass or absolution on behalf of this dead in purgatory, God will translate the soul of the person from purgatory to Paradise. With this, the papacy deceived people into paying money to conduct translation mass for their dead ones believed to be in purgatory. To achieve this, the papal or papacy instill fear in the minds of the people by creating mental fearful pictures on how terrible the pain, punishment, and suffering in purgatory is, and how their loved ones are suffering there. Then they told them the need and the importance to pay for this mass that is capable of translating the souls of their loved ones from this purgatory and its unbearable pain and suffering to Paradise where they would be cared for. This message made a lot of people, including sinners and pagans, to join the Roman Catholic and paid heavily for this mass. For the wealthy who could pay a huge amount of money, there is the Special Mass to be conducted for them by the Pope himself or a high ranked papal for quick translation of the souls of their loved ones, believed to be in purgatory to Paradise. The Bible, on the contrary, teaches that It is appointed unto man to die once and after that judgment follows (Hebrews 9 verse 27). If one dies as a sinner without repentance, he/she goes to hell or hellfire, where he/she is being tormented, waiting for the last resurrection to be thrown into the Lake of fire, the Second Death (Revelation 20 verses 14 to 15).

II. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation: This doctrine is based on magnifying the Pope and/or the papacy as supernatural beings, who are powerful and very close to God, and infallible. Transubstantiation is a doctrine that holds that the bread for the Eucharist (Holy Communion) turns to the body of Christ (no longer bread as a symbol representing the body of Christ) as soon as the Pope or the priest prays over it. And the wine turns to the blood of Christ (no longer as a symbol representing the blood of Christ) as soon as the Pope or priest prays over it.

III. Exaltation of the Pope: Politics in the secular world gradually crept into the Church as pagans who were Roman citizens, vast in the knowledge of politics and its games began to confess Christianity and joined the Christian Church, mostly in Rome. With their political skim, they were able to rise to high positions in the Church and eventually took over the Church, starting from Rome. The peak of this was to exalt the office and the person of the Pope, to rank with that of Christ. To this, there came a theory that claims that apostle Peter is Christ on earth since Christ handed the Church over to him before ascending back to heaven. The theory also claims that the Pope represents Peter on earth, and therefore, the Pope is Christ on earth, since he is Peter and represents Christ on earth. As Christ on earth, the Pope is infallible, holy and his words are final. The Roman Catholic Church agrees that Scripture teaches that Christ is the head of the Church, but it added that the Pope is the visible head of the whole Church.

According to Roman Catholic doctrine,
"…The Roman pontiff (pope) is the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole Church, and father and teacher of all Christian people. To him, in blessed Peter, full power has been given by our Lord Jesus Christ to tend, rule, and govern the universal Church." These teachings, however, are not in the Bible. Christ did not give the Pope or any other person such power, authority, or position.
The exaltation of the Pope, which is in line with his absolute dominion, started mainly during the time of Pope Sylvester to whom there was a claim that he cured Emperor Constantine of his leprosy and baptized him, and as a Thank you to the Pope, Emperor Constantine gave him dominion over the entire world. This made the office of the Pope very vibrant, admiring, and contesting, to the point that politicking, killing, diabolism, and other corruption entered the church, which by now has become the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope rose to the point of determining who becomes king or the next king, mostly in France, England, and Italy. The Pope has the right to excommunicate members of the Church, including the kings, this made the people or congregation fear the Pope and try to please them. Once excommunicated, the Church and its congregation will have nothing to do with you, and it is believed that the soul of the person excommunicated will rot forever in hell. Since no one wants such havoc, the Pope was then feared, respected, and almost worshiped like God or Christ. The office of the Pope entered the head of some Popes that they do as they pleased and became corrupted and immoral. For example, Pope John XIII (937 to 964), was named the worst Pope in history (even the notorious Borgia Pope Alexander VI did not beat him). It is said that on every possible occasion he evoked demons, committed several acts of adultery, and during mass, he likes drinking a toast to the devil.

Learned members of the Church among the papal or papacy contested for and did lots of things for the office of the Pope. Some bribe, others killed through poison, diabolism, or assassination in other to gain the office of the Pope. For instance, Pope Gregory VI (1046), was accused and was made to resign for bribing his way into the office of the Pope by buying over the papacy. If the current Pope dies or is disabled by health and there is a need for another Pope, that period becomes a high tensed and dangerous period. There is this story of a man who later became one of the worst Pope ever. According to the story, when the Pope he was serving became old, sick, and could not see very well, every night, while he lies down in his bed, this man will through a rope he connected through the ceiling to the ear of the sick old Pope and speak as though it was God that was speaking, instructing the old sick Pope to hand over to him as the next Pope. The story has it that he turns out to become one of the most corrupt popes. Roman Catholic teaches that the Pope and the Bishops are the successors of the apostles. They have by the divine institution has taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that whoever despises them despises Christ and him who sent Christ (Second Vatican Council 404).

IV. Rosaries and/or Honoring (worship of) Mary: As wrong doctrines, fetish practices, immorality, and other kinds of corruption entered the Church, it hinders the activeness and the free flow of the Spirit of God, and as such, the protection of the Pope and the papacy by the Holy Spirit was no longer guaranteed. The Pope and/or the papacy, therefore, needed to protect themselves by any means. As a result, paganism was introduced into the Roman Catholic Church, but in disguise and making it sound Christianized and Biblical. One of the paganism practices was the introduction of the honoring (worship) of Mary as the queen of heaven. This has origin with the Greeco-Rome practice of the worship of Hera who was believed to be the wife of Zeus (the almighty god of Greek mythology) and the queen of heaven. This was a means to seek and gain spiritual powers by the papacy, especially the Pope for self-protection. This was in addition to the religious military personnel used by the Roman Catholic to protect the papacy, especially the Pope, called Knights. In the Roman Catholic era, knights were formed to defend Christianity against external religiopolitical aggressions. They carry out a crusade to protect Jerusalem. They were formerly known as Soldiers of the Cross. Later the soldiers that protect the kings of Christian nations, like England, France, Italy were called Knights.

However, Knights later became a powerful group in the Roman Catholic Church, who wielded lots of power and were very influential, not only in the Roman Catholic Church alone but in the saccular and political world as well. They are like a cult and many have accused this group of being a secret cult, which operates with diabolic powers. Most times, they determine the stay of priests and bishops in Roman Catholic churches.

The worship of Mary as the mother of God, Queen of Heaven was made a doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church in 431 AD at the Council held at Ephesus. It was a man called Saint Ambrose who lived in Rome before going to Milan as its bishop, that venerated (set as special, to be honored and/or prayed to) Mary as an example of Christian life and is credited with starting a Marian cult of virginity in the 4th century. In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared Mary Immaculate (without sin, perfect, just like Christ or God), thus giving her the position of a mediator, against the Bible- For there is no other mediator between God and man, but Christ Jesus (first Timothy 2 verses 5 to 6). Mary is addressed as "O Most Holy", the same title the Bible gave God, in other words, (even though the Catholic Church may deny this) Mary is God (goddess), and God is worshiped, this is why Roman Catholic Church worshiped Mary (though they claim it is an honor). To make this real, some Roman Catholic papacy and members were positioned in different parts of the world with one and/or similar news that Mary appeared to them, to either bless them, give an important message, warn those who do not believe and prayed to or through her, etc.

The appearance of Mary which aimed at authenticating her worship as Queen of Heaven was not heard of in the Church until 1830. When the papacy instigated people from various places where Roman Catholic churches were very active to claim to have seen or had Mary appear to them. These places include Paris, France, Knock, Ireland, Fatima, Portugal, Beauraing, Belgium and the notable of them all is in Europe. This appearance, however, did not occur at once, Mary appeared in all these places at different times. In some parts of France, she appeared 1830, 1840, and 1858 respectively. To knock and Ireland, she appeared in 1879, to Fatima and Portugal she appeared in 1917, in Beauraing, and Belgium she appeared in 1932, while in Banneux Belgium, she appeared in 1933.

According to the Roman Catholic, Mary in her appearances to these places, called the Roman Catholic to repentance, to perform acts of penance, and to pray the rosary for the conversion of sinners and peace in the world. She also asked Catholics to give themselves to greater devotion to herself under the title of her immaculate heart and her immaculate conception (James G. McCarthy: The Gospel According to Rome, 1995 page 184).

The claim of these appearances was man-made, it was to make the Church accept the worship of Mary which was referred to as honoring Mary. The appearances claimed to make it look authentic. Though the name of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, which the Roman Catholic referred to as "the mother of God" (the truth, however, is that, just as Christ's human nature has no father, so is His divine nature has no mother: James G. McCarthy: The Gospel According to Rome, 1995 page 191), was to make the Church accept rosary, honoring (worship) of Mary as a part of Christian faith and/or practice. But in reality, the so-called worship or honoring Mary was the introduction of the worship of Hera, the Roman pagan's Queen of Heaven, Queen of the gods, and the wife of Zeus believed by the Greek and adopted by the Romans to be the supreme ruler of all (Greek) gods and husband to Hera. Hera was also believed to be the goddess of marriage and birth. Knowing that directly adopting the worship of Hera to the Church will not be accepted, the name of an important person in the history of the Church or Christianity- Mary the mother of Jesus was used instead of Hera so that the Church will be convinced to accept it.

The Roman Catholic Church claims that they do not worship Mary, but "Honor her". Let's assume we agree with this illusion, however, can anyone explain what it means to make an image of Mary, kneel before and pray to the image in Mary's name, sing songs and dance before the image, songs composed for Mary and in Mary's name? Build a temple or house for the image, which is called "Marian Cult" or "Mary's Shrine?" These acts are the typical definition of what worship is. Hence, if all these are done for Mary or in the name of Mary by the Roman Catholic Church, then claiming that they do not worship Mary is a clear lie and heretical deception.

Mary giving birth to Jesus was not a right or merit, but a favor. In other words, Mary was not chosen to be the mother of Jesus because it was her right or because she merited it, but she was only favored to be the mother of Jesus. Hence, the angel said, "Hail (greeting), thou that are highly favored, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women"

In the Jewish tradition, virginity is a must for the women who are not married, it was so serious that the ladies have a virgin gown or robe that they wear (second Samuel 13 verse 18). A woman who is raped in the Jewish tradition must alert the people by tearing her virgin gown. The man who raped her must be forced to marry her or face death. If a woman should marry and her husband discovers that she has lost her virginity before marrying him, and reports her to the Sanhedrin (An assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every major city in Israel. The assembly of seventy-one judges sitting in Jerusalem, and also the ruling body of the Jews), she will be stoned to death. This was why when Amnon raped her step-sister Tamar, she put ashes on her head and tore the virgin robe she was wearing, and put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went (second Samuel 13 verse 19). This was to justify herself and let the people know she was raped against her will. Had Amnon not being the son of David who was the king then, and a brother to Tamar, he would have been forced to marry her, or face death.

Again, when Joseph the fiancé of Mary discovered that Mary was pregnant, knowing that he had not slept with her, he resolved to secretly disengage her not wanting to report her to the Sanhedrin to avoid her death. Because of the serious punishment attached to women losing their virginity before marriage, lots of women in the Jewish tradition were virgins. Hence, Mary was not the only virgin in the land and her virginity was not unlikely. Among the great number of women who were virgins, and those who were, not just because of the fear of death but because they loved God, Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. Hence, "You are favored and blessed among women". In other words, among women who are like you (virgins and God-loving), you have been blessed, chosen, and/or favored to be the womb through which Jesus the savior of the world would pass through to take up the flesh in order to become a man (human being).

After giving birth to Jesus, Mary had the full pleasure of married life (including sexually) with her husband Joseph. She also had the full joy of her motherhood by giving birth to sons and daughters after Jesus was born (Matthew 13 verses 55 to 56; Mark 6 verse 3). If Mary should be worshiped or honored somebody like Jephthah's daughter, who was dedicated (sacrificed) to God and lived a virgin all the days of her life (Judges 11) should also be worshiped or honored. Mary, Jephthah's daughter, Esther, and Deborah, Ruth, and others like them should be used as a good example for Christian women and should not be objects of worship or the so-called honor.

V. Worship of Saints: This is the Roman Catholic dogma of praying to saints or praying to God through them. But the truth is that one worships directly or indirectly what he/she prays to or through. Worship of saints is the idea of praying to or through saints and/or saints worship, which was introduced by the Roman Catholic Church. This was the Roman idea of worshiping their emperors, pray to them and see them as divine and infallible. Though it was said that the worship of emperors was actually the worship of the state of Rome itself, which was being represented or personified in her emperors. This was one of the things Christians refused to do (worship of emperors and/or Roman state) and one of the reasons they were persecuted before Constantine stopped the killing/persecution of Christians in 313 AD. Since the Roman Catholic Church leaders (papacy) were the same Roman pagan citizens, who confessed Christ without having an encounter with Him (having a form of godliness but denying the power {Christ} thereof [second Timothy 3 verse 5]), they brought into the Church the same paganism practices they were used to as pagans, but in a Christianized manner. So that instead of using the names of Roman emperors considered to be divine, the names of the apostles, known and unknown angels, historically Roman Catholic male, and female believed to be saints and or immaculate were used, so that the Church will not suspect or question this teaching.

The worship, praying to or through Mary, and the so-called saints are all idol worship. They go against the teachings of the Bible, which is the instruction of God that is meant to be a guide on what and what not believers in God or followers of Christ should do. Jesus clearly instructed us to come to the Father through Him. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by Me", Jesus said (John 14 verse 6, Hebrews 10 verses 19 to 22, John 10 verse 9). Jesus also commanded us to ask the Father anything we desire or need in His name. Peter made it clear that there is no other name given among or to men by which they shall be saved, but that name Jesus (Acts 4 verse 12). In the Old Testament, God instructed us not to represent Him with any form of an image. We should not mold images in a form of man, bird, or a beast in heaven or earth and beneath the earth to represent God or as God (Exodus 20 verses 4 to 6). On several occasions, apostles, prophets (saints), and angels refused worship from men, because they were not God, and made it clear that worship was to God alone (Revelation 22 verses 8 to 9, Act 10 verses 25 to 26, Matthew 4 verses 9 to 10), and so many other portions of the Scriptures. As against false doctrine, apostle Paul said, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed, (Galatians 1 verse 8). To this, there is no single place in the Bible Jesus and His apostles commanded the Church or Christians to worship and or pray to Mary, angel or man, whether saints or not.

Chapter Three
False Doctrines in the Church Continues
VI. Water Baptism by Sprinkling: This system of baptism was introduced by the Roman Catholic Church. As men from high status began to join the Church, the papacy agreed that it would be humiliating to subject such ranks or calibers of people in immersed water baptism. With this self-justifying theory, water baptism by sprinkling was introduced. But the papacy fails to understand that a whole Jesus in His person as 100% God even though He was also 100% man subjected Himself underwater baptism by immersion. If Jesus could do that, then who are ordinary men, no matter what level or rank they may think they are, not to subject themselves to water baptism by immersion. Another excuse was that the number of people coming for water baptism was many and to baptize them all in a short period, water baptism by sprinkling was introduced.

Water baptism itself has what it symbolizes to us today. The baptism of John was to wash away sins because the blood of Jesus has not been made available by then. But baptism today does not wash away sins, but the blood of Jesus does; the baptism of water rather is to identify oneself with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When one repents from sins through faith in Christ Jesus, the person is Dead To Sin, and after death, the next thing is burial; therefore, in water baptism, one is baptized when he is a repentant sinner, whose sins is washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. In baptism, therefore, the person is buried in means of immersing him in a body of water, and by that, has identified himself with the burial of Jesus. After a few seconds, he is buried in water, he is being brought out of the water signifying identification with the resurrection of Christ. Since Christ resurrected in a glorious body, that person brought out of water is expected to live in the newness of life. Baptism is like a public declaration one is making, telling the world, "Now look at me I will live for Christ and like Christ henceforth".

Jesus our Lord whom we are His followers went through water baptism by immersion. Not because He was a sinner who needed His sins to be washed away, but because He wanted to fulfill all righteousness, by obeying the Father to the core and to lay a foundation for us today to follow.

VII. Infant Baptism: This is another baptism introduced by the Roman Catholic, which is not Bible originated. Since they believe that water baptism washes away sin, they teach that it is necessary to baptize an infant. When asked if infants are sinners, if they could decide for themselves and if they knew what it means either to commit sin or repent from sin? They claim that children have in them the original sin, which is the sin of Adam and Eve. Then, since they cannot decide for themselves their parents and godparents are there to decide for them. Roman Catholics teach that through the sacrament of baptism, infants are justified. According to Roman Catholic teachings:

1. The infant enters into the life of faith (salvation) through baptism.
2. The faith of the priest, parents, and godparents justifies the infant in baptism.
3. The baptism of a helpless infant expresses the need for free, unmerited grace.
4. Parents would be withholding an essential blessing from their child if they did not baptize him or her shortly after birth.
5. Faith is related to and dependent upon the community of believers. Infant baptism portrays this, for the parents promise to raise the child in the Catholic faith.
6. Faith is not a single decision but a process. Baptism provides strength and illumination for lifelong growth in faith.
7. Catholics renew their profession of Christian faith twice each year as part of the Eucharistic liturgy.

On the contrary, however, the Bible teaches us that one is justified by or through Faith in Christ and not by water baptism. Also the death of Jesus on the cross, has taken care of the Original sin, nobody, either old or young, adult or infant that will be judged or condemned by or because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus said, ... this is the condemnation, the Light (Jesus Christ) has come, but men reject the Light and choose darkness (John 3 verses 18 to 19). One is judged and/or condemned for rejecting Christ as the only Lord and Savior, and His finished work of salvation on the cross, and not the original sin. A child, therefore, cannot reject or accept Christ, hence need no baptism until his/she comes of the age of decision making and of knowing good and evil. If a child at this level of maturity accepts Christ and repents from the sins he/she committed, he/she is forgiven, his/her sins washed away by God with the blood of Jesus, then the person can submit him/herself to water baptism, in order to identify him/herself to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. If actually water baptism justifies, it would have been part of Jesus' ministry. If the water baptism justifies sinners, and Jesus came that through Him we might be justified, He would have baptized His followers by Himself as a mark of justification. But Jesus in His ministry on earth did not baptize anybody. Besides, Jesus did not baptize any infant, He only allowed them unto Himself and blessed them. This is the foundation of the "Child Dedication" (to God through Christ) done in Bible-believing Christian churches today.

Furthermore, salvation is not obtained for one by another person. One's faith in Christ that gives him/her salvation is only for the person and not for another. Salvation is solely individualistic, it is he who believes that shall be saved. The faith of parents, priests, or so-called godparents cannot obtain salvation for any child, not even their child. All we can do as Christian parents, priests or guidance, is to teach and/or bring up our children in the path of God, which is the path of righteousness and holiness so that when they grow up, they may continue on that path and may not depart from it. We can intercede for others through prayers and words of admonition, but cannot obtain salvation or justification for them with our faith. Therefore, a child or even an adult cannot be saved or justified by water baptism, but by faith in Christ. And water baptism does not wash away sins, but the blood of Jesus does. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 26 verses 27 to 28, ...take, drink every one of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for the remission of sins." Also in Revelation 1 verse 5, it is written, "and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" It is the blood of Jesus that remits our sins, and not water baptism.

VIII. Penance: Penance is another unbiblical doctrine introduced into the Church by Roman Catholics. This came in place as a result of the mistranslation of the Bible into Latin by Saint Jerome; the Vulgate version that became the number one acceptable version by the Roman Catholic Church in 404 AD.

F. M. Boyd noted about Vulgate's Latin version of the Bible that the Greek word for repent signifies to change their mind. The Vulgate translates this word by the expression Poenitentiam agere, which means to do penance. This corruption of the thought has been the source of prolific error in the Roman Catholic Church. Instead of an internal process, it makes repentance an external process.

Luther himself said I believe the Church (Roman Catholic) theologians to be misled by the Latin since to perform penance rather expresses action than a change of feeling, and by no means satisfies the meaning of the Greek.

Penance is the teaching and belief of the Roman Catholic Church insisting that a sinner or believer who falls into sin must after repentance and confession to the priest undergo some physical pain or punishment to obtain proper forgiveness or pardon for his/her sins. Implying that, this pain or injury inflicted on the person by him/herself or by another shows how sorry the person is over the error he/she has committed. It shows true repentance. In the past, penance could be inflicting injury on oneself by flogging (Flagellation), or other means (Mortification of the flesh), etc. But in modern times, it is usually the priest that will recommend the penance the pertinent will carry out. The person may be asked to carry out charity work, such as taking gifts to the motherless babies' home, provide food to the poor, etc.

This, however, is unbiblical, in the sense that we cannot obtain forgiveness from God by inflicting injuries on our body, and cannot by doing good or charity work. What God is interested in is the inner feeling of sincere sorrow of a sinner or a believer who falls into sin over that sin he/she has committed. One's regret and sincere repentance over sin are what makes God forgive and justify. All the external or body pain, punishment, or injury that a sinner or a believer that falls into sin needs to undergo, has been carried out by Jesus Christ. All he needs is to have and show the inner (the spirit man) sorrow of heart and change of the mind. God told Israel, Rend your heart (repentance), not your garment (penance). Return to the LORD your God...(Joel 2 verse 13).

Chapter Four
Reactions of the People before the Reformation Era
Of course, those who knew the truth did not keep quiet. They started speaking against the falling nature of the Church caused by Roman Catholic unbiblical teachings and practices. First, these were nameless churches who were the remnant of the truth of the word of God and the preservation of true Christianity. To silence them, the Roman Catholic Church declared them heretics and demon-possessed and brought back persecution. The same persecution and killing of Christians that Emperor Constantine stops the papacy of Roman Catholic Church brought back against all those who challenge or preach against the Roman Catholic doctrines, which though have the form of Christianity, were however more of paganism; the same ancient Greeco-Roman idol worship of Zeus, Hera, etc., being personified in God-Zeus, Mary-Hera and Saints-other believed gods or dead Roman emperors were reintroduced to the Church.

Those caught were brought before the public and burnt alive. Some were made or forced to confess what they were not so that their death will be justified. These Christians or remnants of true Christianity started hiding in bushes, forests, individual's homes for their worship and started secret evangelism. To silence this, the papacy set and paid spies to spy on any other doctrine, Church, teaching, or religion outside that of the Roman Catholic Church. Roman government or empire was used to forcing and persecuting the Christians to realize what they wanted. Since the leaders of the Church (Roman Catholic) were mainly the same citizens of Rome, with the same pagan heart of brutality and wickedness, they brought the same idea of persecution and brutality to realize total submission to the Pope, papacy, and Catholic Church. The only difference is that the Roman Catholic Church did this wickedness in the name of the Lord (Christ), after which they persuade Mary (queen of heaven) to intercede on their behalf or to forgive them herself.

To keep the people blinded and as religious slaves and to be submissive to the papacy or Roman Catholic, it was highly forbidden to translate the Bible from Hebrew (now Aramaic) and Greek to the common people's language. This was to prevent the people from reading the Bible on their own and in their dilates or current language. The fear was that the people may come to know the truth and question the flaws of the Church and her leaders in this era. Just like Hebrew, the Greek language fades away and the dominant language Latin has also become the language of the learned (clergies) and unknown to the people. These languages were greatly useful in terms of learning and understanding the Bible and its right meaning and the proper interpretation. They became the language of highly learned men, and the learned in those days, especially before and during the early fifteenth century were the papacy and/or clergies and the clerks, which also were among the clergies. The common people were not allowed to be educated, while so many do not have the interest. Even kings mind themselves with matters of the kingdom and throne, not education. In fact, education in Rome during the early Catholic era and its territories was sacred, and was mostly about the knowledge of God; both as viewed by God in the Bible and by men in Roman Catholic doctrine. Therefore, education was forbidden for the common people, only the clergies or papacy were allowed to be educated. These made common people and none clergy people lack the ability to possess and read the Bible. The Bible they read is what the priests, bishops, or Pope tells them the Bible says. So whatever the papacy says is the Bible, it can't be questioned because they are the only men of knowledge, wisdom, able to read and understand the Bible, and close to God like Moses of old and Peter of New Testament. And to worsen it all, in the Church when the people gather for service, the Bible is read to them in Latin, specifically, the Vulgate version, a translation done by Saint Jerome, full of translational errors, and mostly used in Europe for a thousand years. The illiteracy of the people towards the Bible enabled the Church (Roman Catholic) to realize a lot of things, especially in terms of introducing false doctrines, dogmas, and practices in the Church, which were against the Bible.

To buy the full ebook or the full audio of this book, contact Pastor Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu on +2347062816251, or email him at nwokosolo69@gmail.com, God bless you.