Some discussion has taken place as to Constantine. Some believe he invented the catholic church, others that he was a christian etc. while I firmly believe we cannot judge a mans heart as to whether he is a christian or not, we are told we can judge a tree by its fruit and we will do this momentarily.
While I do see the word catholic in the writings of the fathers before Constantine, it is always used as an adjective as to mission and never as a noun as to its name until Constantine. When we see that only the church called catholic was protected and financially supported under Constantine we must understand that he means only the orthodox as opposed to the heterodox, Chiliast, Montanist, Eastern etc. what Constantine invented (more accurately established) was a state church. One that not only had the gospel on its side, but now the governmental authority to enforce it by force whenever necessary. Where once excommunication was the churches only weapon, we see the ascent to confiscation of property, imprisonment, banishment and by the middle ages torture and death to all who did not bow to the Holy Roman Empire.
Now to the fruits of Constantine:
Like his father he was a Neo-Platonic who reverenced the gods of heathenism as mysterious and with powers to be dispensed upon their followers. Chief among these was Apollo, the Sun god who Constantine in AD 308 presented munificent gifts and as late as Ad 321 enjoyed regular consultation of the soothslayers.
He placed his new home, Byzantium, under the protection of the God of the martyrs equally with the heathen goddess of fortune and down to the end of his life he retained the title and the dignity of a Pontifex Maximus or high priest of the heathen hierachy.
His coins bore on the one side the letters of the name of Christ and on the other the figure of the sun god and the inscription Sol Invictus.
The brightest period of his reign is stained with gross crimes, which even the spirit of the age and the policy of an absolute monarch cannot excuse. After the victory he attained supposedly after Gods reassurance and the very year he assembled the council of Nicaea, he ordered the execution of his conquered rival and brother in law, Licinius in breach of a solemn promise of mercy in AD324. Not satisfied with this alone he caused soon afterwards the death of the young Licinius, his nephew a boy of no more than 11 years.
But the worst was the murder of his eldest son, Crispus in 326 whom he thought to be conspiring against him and having an incestuous affair with his step-mother. It is also believed that he had his second wife Fausta killed in AD326.
Even the sign in the sky is questioned by most Christians and historians as a myth or fraud. Not yet being a Christian we are to believe that the words of the Lord to this man are not first repent and be baptized, but rather, by this sign you shall conquer. Equally suspicious is his death bed conversion and baptism with the words let us now cast away all duplicity. How convenient, but he never renounced his position or title of Pontifex Maximus and in fact this same heathen high priestly title was taken by later popes in the highest of blasphemies.
So while we cannot judge a mans heart, we can certainly judge the type of tree he is from his fruit.
Brother John
While I do see the word catholic in the writings of the fathers before Constantine, it is always used as an adjective as to mission and never as a noun as to its name until Constantine. When we see that only the church called catholic was protected and financially supported under Constantine we must understand that he means only the orthodox as opposed to the heterodox, Chiliast, Montanist, Eastern etc. what Constantine invented (more accurately established) was a state church. One that not only had the gospel on its side, but now the governmental authority to enforce it by force whenever necessary. Where once excommunication was the churches only weapon, we see the ascent to confiscation of property, imprisonment, banishment and by the middle ages torture and death to all who did not bow to the Holy Roman Empire.
Now to the fruits of Constantine:
Like his father he was a Neo-Platonic who reverenced the gods of heathenism as mysterious and with powers to be dispensed upon their followers. Chief among these was Apollo, the Sun god who Constantine in AD 308 presented munificent gifts and as late as Ad 321 enjoyed regular consultation of the soothslayers.
He placed his new home, Byzantium, under the protection of the God of the martyrs equally with the heathen goddess of fortune and down to the end of his life he retained the title and the dignity of a Pontifex Maximus or high priest of the heathen hierachy.
His coins bore on the one side the letters of the name of Christ and on the other the figure of the sun god and the inscription Sol Invictus.
The brightest period of his reign is stained with gross crimes, which even the spirit of the age and the policy of an absolute monarch cannot excuse. After the victory he attained supposedly after Gods reassurance and the very year he assembled the council of Nicaea, he ordered the execution of his conquered rival and brother in law, Licinius in breach of a solemn promise of mercy in AD324. Not satisfied with this alone he caused soon afterwards the death of the young Licinius, his nephew a boy of no more than 11 years.
But the worst was the murder of his eldest son, Crispus in 326 whom he thought to be conspiring against him and having an incestuous affair with his step-mother. It is also believed that he had his second wife Fausta killed in AD326.
Even the sign in the sky is questioned by most Christians and historians as a myth or fraud. Not yet being a Christian we are to believe that the words of the Lord to this man are not first repent and be baptized, but rather, by this sign you shall conquer. Equally suspicious is his death bed conversion and baptism with the words let us now cast away all duplicity. How convenient, but he never renounced his position or title of Pontifex Maximus and in fact this same heathen high priestly title was taken by later popes in the highest of blasphemies.
So while we cannot judge a mans heart, we can certainly judge the type of tree he is from his fruit.
Brother John
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16)
