For appreciation, the emperor rewarded the Church with heavy amount in bonds, revenues and properties that made it richer than other religious traditions in Rome.
The post – Constantine era of Christianity witnessed the consolidation of the movement as successive Pope began to assert monarchical power as held by emperors. For instance, Pope Leo I (440 – 461) appropriated the pagan title of “Pontifix Maximum” that were formally used by emperors for himself, a title that endure till moment.
As the emperor of Rome relocated to Constantinople, the Pope became the most influential religious and political personage in the West and thereby exercised power in that order and the St. Peter’s Church became accorded with the primacy among other churches. Then the Pope became the Most prominent Christian that continued with the acts of apostolic fathers, church fathers and the ecumenical councils that made departures from the principles laid by Yahoshea Meshiyach and his apostles.
By the establishment of the Christendom and its papacy, the Christian Bishops that were formerly marked for arrests, torture and execution began to receive tax exemptions, gifts from the imperial treasury, prestige, and influence at court and their churches gained new wealth, power and prominence as summarized by Elaine Pagels, a professor of religion.
The Assemblies of Yahoshea Meshiyach became referred to the Church of Jesus Christ and there became wild gulf between the religious principles of both movements. While Yahosheanism was a Hebrew project, the Christendom became a Roman occupation that made friends with Roman emperors and empire that executed Yahoshea and his followers.
The church began to define orthodoxy based on Roman traditions while religious traditions that claimed their root from Hebrew religious tradition were referred to as the heretics whom it prosecuted, tortured and executed through the power of state at its reach.
EARLY CONTROVERSIES:
The Yahoshea’s ministry was of Hebrew religious background. The movement observed all doctrinal practices of the Second Temple Yahudaism but differed on its adoption of Yahoshea as the “Awaited Meshiaych”.
This belief was never accepted by other forms of Hebrew religious tradition. This claim was the main allegation that prompted the arrest and execution of Yahoshea Meshiyach and since his apostles held to such belief, they were persecuted by their Hebrew kinsmen.
Yahosheans were persecuted by the larger Roman Community as they were accused by Emperor Nero in 64 AD for causing the “Great Fire of Rome”. As Yahosheans refused to give worship to the local deities and Emperors of Rome, they became exposed to charges of trison and punishment by execution.
The Roman persecution to Yahosheans caused the faithful to stick to underground worship that tarried to the 4th century when the movement was legalized as “Christianity”.
Another major controversy that rocked the early Yahosheanism was the scriptural accounted disputes over the application of Hebrew religious laws and rites in the newly found faith. One of such argument was based on the need for Gentile Yahosheans to indulge in circumcision before acceptance to the faith.
This argument was resolved in the Council of Yerusalem that non-Hebrew Yahosheans will not be forced to circumcise before acceptance.
Another controversy was based on argument of “Non-Hebrew Yahoheans” on maltreatment especially during sharing of foods. This was equally settled by appointment of “Deacons” that were meant to oversee the welfare aspect of the ministry.
The early assembly leadership of the movement were headed by brethren at the movement’s centre at the city of Yerusalem. The centre was called the “House of Mirriam” or later as the “St. Mark Monastery”. Many of the apostles lived at the Yahoshean community area while some of Yahoshea’s relatives lived at Nazareth during the first century.
The ministry accorded special privilege to the relations of Yahoshea and such prompted the leadership role of Yames at the Assembly headquarter in Yerusalem. Yames was a biological relation to Yahoshea Meshiyach who equally followed him in his ministry.
Apostles like Peter and Paul equally played leadership roles in the early age of Yahosheanism. The Assembly at Yerusalem acted as the coordinator to all activities of the movement and equally oversee the activities of other outer-stations that were established later.
The leadership role of the Yerusalem assembly helped to perpertuate the Hebrew related culture of the movement and transmitted same to other stations. The station of Yerusalem stood its ground to sustain the proper doctrines of the movement as put in place by Yahoshea Meshiyach and such gave the Hebrew Yahosheans edge above the non-Hebrew Yahosheans.
This leadership of the Yahosheans at Yerusalem ensured that the assembly lived in its normal garb of Hebrew religious continuity. They remained committed to worship of Yahweh alone through Yahoshea Meshiyach. They kept Sabbath rest and observed all religious holidays of the Hebrew nation.
Yahoshea Meshiyach was a Hebrew and called his first set of disciples from his Hebrew Kinsmen. All of the twelve apostles were Hebrews and they observed some of the Hebrew ordained religious practices. The major difference was the belief of Yahoshea as the Hebrew Messiah that distinguished the faith from mainstream Hebrew religious body.
The early Yahosheans held the Hebrew scriptures as sacred and authoritative. After the death of Yahoshea Meshiyach, the followers developed some religious texts that gave rise to the New Testament. This set of scriptures were used along the Hebrew scriptures by Yahosheans of the first century C.E.
Yahosheanism continued other religious practices of the Hebrew practices as Baptism, Liturgical worship, scriptural reading as done in synagogues, use of sacred music in hymn, and prayer, religious calendar and other practices.
Meshiyach Yahzitere Yahmarabhi
(+234) 7066195260
Email: okohmeshiyach@yahoo.com
