Download Tag: WNBS 1964

IN THE ARTICLE “THE EARLY CHURCH IN BRITAIN” OF 30 SEPTEMBER 1992, on pages 6 and 7, the author referred to the report by Frederick Haberman, (Ref 1 p. 141), which tells of the twenty ninth chapter of Acts which is in the Turkish Archives at Istanbul.

Several paragraphs from the twenty ninth chapter of Acts give indications that St. Paul went to Britain. These are quoted below for conveniences:-

“And Paul, full of the blessings of Christ, and abounding in the Spirit, departed out of Rome, determining to go into Spain; for he had a long time purposed to journey thitherwards, and he was minded to go from thence into Britain. For he had heard in Phoenicia that certain of the children of Israel, about the time of the Assyrian captivity, had escaped by sea to the “isles afar off” as spoken by the prophet, and called by the Romans Britain”.

“And they departed out of Spain, and Paul and his company finding a ship in Armorica sailing into Britain, they went therein and passing along the south coast, they reached a port called Raphinus”.

“And on the morrow he came and stood on Mount Lud; and the people thronged at the gate, and assembled in the Broadway, and he preached Christ unto them,and many believed the word and the testimony of Jesus Christ”.

I AM A CHRISTIAN. I MUST ALSO STATE THAT I AM TOLERANT OF OTHER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, and I am committed to the right of people to have and practice whatever religious belief they so choose. Freedom of thought, conscience, belief and speech is fundamental to traditional European communities. I oppose religious intolerance, just as I oppose political tyranny and the suffocating encroachment of world government. Although Europe has suffered from times of political and religious oppression, Western civilization from its classical roots in Greece and Rome to modern Europe has been the most ardent defender of freedom of thought and conscience. It is no accident that the most isolated pocket of ancient Europeans, Iceland, has the longest standing parliament in the world.
I seldom delve into religious matters, as I don’t have the honour of being a pastor or priest. However, policies of the Christian churches are critical to the well-being of European Americans as the overwhelming majority of Europeans are Christian as I am. Organized Christian churches have dramatic influence on our society, especially in America. On some matters, I feel I must speak out both as a Christian and as a European American.

LAODICEA ON THE LYCUS, LOCATED AT THE CROSSROADS OF IMPORTANT TRADE ROUTES, WAS ONCE A PROSPEROUS CITY, famous for its black wool, banking services, and medical achievements. In the times of late antiquity, it had a large Jewish community and a significant congregation of Christians. St. John mentioned Laodicea as one of the Seven Churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation

Geography

Laodicea is situated on a hill between fertile valleys irrigated by the waters of Asopus (tr. Gümüşçay) and Kapros (tr. Başlıçay) streams. They are the tributaries of the Lycus River, now known as Çürüksu Çayı, which flows on the north-eastern side of the hill. This river gave Laodicea its cognomen – ad Lycum – meaning in the River Lycus. It distinguishes this city from other Laodiceas founded by Antiochus II.

Laodicea was founded on an important trade route, leading to this city from Sardis through Philadelphia. In its neighbourhood, there are many important ancient cities. Just 10 km to the north of Laodicea, there is the famous Roman spa of Hierapolis. Colossae, known from the Epistle to the Colossians written by St. Paul, is 14.5 km to the east. The city of Tripolis on the Meander is located on the road to Sardis, 26 km to the north-west of Laodicea.

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1. The Church of Arimathea and its Roman offshoot

JULIUS CAESAR RAIDED BRITAIN IN BC 55 AND BC 54 and then the Islanders were left in peace by the Romans until they came again in AD 43 during the reign of Emperor Claudius, . th is time to conquer Britain.

Joseph of Arimathea arrived in Marseilles about AD 35 with Lazarus, Mary, Magdalene, Martha, her handmaiden Marcella and Maximin, a disciple. From there they travelled to Britain where Joseph preached the Gospel.

The Bible gives us the following information about Joseph of Arimathea. He was a rich man, a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews, a good man and righteous person , a respected member of the Jewish Council (Sanhedrin) who had not consented to the purpose and deed of the Council in condemning Jesus to death. He went to Pilate secretly after the death of Jesus and asked that he might take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him leave to do this. With the help of Nicodemus, who brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, they took the body of Jesus and bound it in cloths with the spices, as was the burial custom of the Jews. The body was placed in the unused tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. The Talmud confirms the eastern tradition that Joseph was the uncle of Mary, the mother of Jesus.(Ref 12).

According to Whitehead (Ref 6), Cornish tradition states that Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy tin merchant shipping tin from the Isles while a resident of Judea.

Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, his sister Mary, who wiped the feet of Jesus with ointment and her hair, and their sister Martha, were loved by Jesus.