The Gates of Hell?

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I don't believe we'd see a continuous, visible, historically identifiable church. Christ's church is Spiritual. I'd expect to see men within the historic visible, apostate, church persecuted for those very definable doctrines of Apostolic Pentecost. I'd also expect to see many divergent groups of various sizes coalescing around those very definable doctrines of Apostolic Pentecost. They would hold true doctrine, and maintain it until destroyed. But more would reemerge in very generation. Some might form close knit alliances to survive persecution. They would have also preserved and translated their Scriptures, maybe having a couple unique translations in competition with that of the Reformers. They would have even countered the Reformers during the Reformation, pleading that they embrace truth. We'd see this pattern of splinter groups, and maybe a couple older, more enduring groups, alive and well all the way up until the 1900's. The movement in the US would have been supported by them and would have beened welcomed among their number.

Not a single century would have passed without a solid witness of truth from many groups, holding Apostolic doctrine.

Wow, are you bipolar.

Or should I ask how many people use your account?

Ndavid you were right

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Wow, are you bipolar.

Or should I ask how many people use your account?

Ndavid you were right

Seriously, God's Word doesn't return void. If I saw a solid church witness throughout history, I'd weep tears of joy. I'd also repent and preach it the way you do.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Seriously, God's Word doesn't return void. If I saw a solid church witness throughout history, I'd weep tears of joy. I'd also repent and preach it the way you do.

So, history would negate the Biblical witness for you.

Eastern Orthodoxy awaits you for baptism.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

So, history would negate the Biblical witness for you.

Eastern Orthodoxy awaits you for baptism.

They make too much noise as they walk pictures to church. Not my style.

The history would only validate that God didn't drop the ball for nearly 2000 years.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

They make too much noise as they walk pictures to church. Not my style.

The history would only validate that God didn't drop the ball for nearly 2000 years.

History is always questionable. The reason being is that Christian history rarely has an objective view. Why, because it is Christians throughout history silence all opposition. Being a historian takes detective work, and following leads to primary sources, which in Christianity must start with its holy book, the Bible. Therefore the Bible is the greatest historical reference available. Your personal inability to find Hazelwood Missouri in the Bible still doesn't make the Apostolic Pentecostal message null and void. The Bible backs up the Apostolic message. You can't see that, well get behind groups like the Sedevacantists, The Coptic Church, and Eastern Orthodox church, because they don't see it either, yet they won't swallow your opinions based on nothing more than gut feelings.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

History is always questionable. The reason being is that Christian history rarely has an objective view. Why, because it is Christians throughout history silence all opposition. Being a historian takes detective work, and following leads to primary sources, which in Christianity must start with its holy book, the Bible. Therefore the Bible is the greatest historical reference available. Your personal inability to find Hazelwood Missouri in the Bible still doesn't make the Apostolic Pentecostal message null and void. The Bible backs up the Apostolic message. You can't see that, well get behind groups like the Sedevacantists, The Coptic Church, and Eastern Orthodox church, because they don't see it either, yet they won't swallow your opinions based on nothing more than gut feelings.

Agreed, history is rarely objective.

Let's slow down, no straw men, no attacks. I promise, my questions are not a setup. I'm just looking for information.

Let's both agree on Act 2:38 as the full Gospel, and stop there with no additional thoughts.

Do you at least believe that there was a church, no matter how small or historically invisible, that held the truth?

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Agreed, history is rarely objective.

Let's slow down, no straw men, no attacks. I promise, my questions are not a setup. I'm just looking for information.

Let's both agree on Act 2:38 as the full Gospel, and stop there with no additional thoughts.

Do you at least believe that there was a church, no matter how small or historically invisible, that held the truth?

Look, nothing springs up out of the ether. Meaning that we may think we invented the wheel, but we soon find out others had it long before we did. The Bible is our history book, while we may want to pat ourselves on the back for being Apostolic Pentecostals thinking we were the only ones to baptize in Jesus name and be filled with the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues, others did it also. Why, because they had the same instruction manual. MeMaw's cheesy corn bake is handed down through the generations and taste the same because everyone followed her recipe. Yet, some added to it, while others subtracted from it, but there was always a small group who followed the recipe to the t and never wavered. Same thing with the Bible.
Hence we can trace our lineage right back to the Bible. I had to go back and forth with Sedevacantists and Eastern Orthodox over "where did your group come from?" that is how they debate, and that is where they start. To defend you must first show where you get your belief from, and ask them to show their belief right from the historical primary source. If they can't produce the information out of those pages, then they are not the people of the book. Period.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Seriously, God's Word doesn't return void. If I saw a solid church witness throughout history, I'd weep tears of joy. I'd also repent and preach it the way you do.

If you SAW a "solid church witness THROUGHOUT HISTORY"? You'd preach it the way THAT GROUP preached it, right?

The closest you'll get is this:

https://www.patriarchate.org