Growth of Counterfeit Movement Parallels True Church

Not long after the establishment of the New Testament Church at Jerusalem in AD 31, men motivated by a different spirit than that given to the disciples on Pentecost began to infiltrate and influence the Church. The result is well-known to honest historians. The German historian Johann Lorenz von Mosheim wrote of the early Church: “Christian churches had scarcely been gathered and organized, when here and there men rose up, who, not being contented with the simplicity and purity of that religion which the apostles taught, sought out new inventions, and fashioned religion according to their own liking” (Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 1).

Author Jesse Hurlbut called this period after the time covered by the book of Acts “The Age of Shadows.” He wrote, “...of all periods in the [Church’s] history, it is the one about which we know the least…For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 AD with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul” (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 33).

A study of first-century history confirms that a corrupted form of Christianity appeared on the scene shortly after the start of the New Testament Church on Pentecost AD 31, brought by agents such as Simon Magus (the word magus means “magician” or “sorcerer”)—then the leader of the Babylonian Mystery religion in Samaria.

Simon Magus can be considered the founder of the heretical movement in the New Testament age. Ironically, many who rejected this man unwittingly followed his practices. Among them were Justin Martyr, Jerome and other writers of the second and following centuries.

Simon’s first contact with God’s Church is found in Acts 8:1-40 “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, this man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done…” (Ac 8:9-13).

After Simon was baptized, he witnessed the Holy Spirit being given with the laying on of the apostles’ hands. Showing his true motivation, Simon offered money for this power (Ac 8:18-19).

Starting with other Samaritans, Simon Magus later managed to attract a large following in Rome. Many there considered him a god, erecting a statue to him on the Tiber River. Much of his success could be attributed to his magic demonstrations, such as demon-assisted levitation (Ecclesiastical History). These supernatural parlor tricks later earned him several audiences with Nero (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, vol. 25, p. 129).

Two Simons

It is the confusion of two different “Simons” that has given rise to one of the very greatest frauds of all history. Catholics have always claimed the apostle Peter (Simon Peter) was the first Roman bishop, and was martyred and buried in Rome. But Peter’s commission was to serve those called to God’s Church among the tribes of Israel that had been scattered after being taken into captivity—those of the “circumcision” (Gal. 2:7-8). In neither his nor Paul’s letters is there any indication that Peter was ever in Rome. Even if he were brought there for execution, the fact remains that he never served there. (There are at least 10 solid biblical PROOFS of this, and they are carefully listed in my book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!) Halley’s Bible Handbook labels the claim that Simon Peter was the first pope, “Fiction pure and simple” (p. 768).

Now notice these facts from history in Alexander Hislop’s The Two Babylons (emphasis mine): “The keys that the Pope bore were the keys of a ‘Peter’ well known to the Pagans initiated in the Chaldean Mysteries. That Peter the apostle was ever Bishop of Rome has been proved again and again to be an arrant fable. That he ever even set foot in Rome is at the best highly doubtful. His visit to that city rests on no better authority than that of a writer at the end of the second century or beginning of the third…it can be shown to be by no means doubtful that before the Christian era, and downwards, there was a ‘Peter’ at Rome, who occupied the highest place in the Pagan priesthood. The priest who explained the Mysteries to the initiated was sometimes called by a Greek term, the Hierophant; but in primitive Chaldee, the real language of the Mysteries, his title, as pronounced without the points, was ‘Peter’—i.e., ‘the interpreter’” (p. 208).

One such person of great “distinction” who bore the title of “Peter” at Rome was, in fact, Simon Magus! The title of “Peter” or “Pater” or “Patre” was one of religious primacy. Thus, Simon Magus carried the title Simon “Peter.” “Papa,” “Father” and “Pope” are derived from the word Pater, from which come our words paternal and patriarch. (Notice Jesus’ command in Matthew 23:9 pertaining to such titles: “And call no man your father upon the earth: for One is your Father, which is in heaven.” This verse forbids “Father” as a religious title, as was practiced in the Babylonian Mystery religion. We might add, never mind the blasphemous “Holy Father,” which is solely the role of God the Father.)

It should be said that crediting Simon Magus as the founder of today’s universal church system would not be fully accurate. He died around AD 68. It took nearly three centuries for that system to amass power and evolve, through all the stages of modifying and counterfeiting doctrine, into the form recognized today. Simon Magus’ successors were equally zealous in sowing the seeds of heresy to counter the true apostles’ work. His followers included Menander, Nicholas, Cerinthus and Marcion. (To learn much more, again, I urge you to read Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!)

By the beginning of the second century, churches advocating a hybrid Christianity—mixing the name and some few teachings of Christ with rank Babylonish paganism—were gaining strength. Although it would take another two centuries before they would be given substantial authority, their mission accelerated during the 100s AD.

The emerging counterfeit church substituted the true doctrines taught by Jesus and the apostles with false teachings from the Babylon Mystery religion. Alexander Hislop also wrote that there are very few of the current practices of this counterfeit church system that cannot be directly traced to the pagan mystery rituals of Babylon. The doctrines of God’s Sabbath and Holy Days were dismissed as “Judaizing.” The popular pagan ideas of the immortal soul, “going to heaven,” and “burning in hell” were adopted. The doctrine of the millennial rule of the kingdom of God was gradually phased out. The unbiblical trinity concept was gradually accepted. Idolatry (including image and Mary worship) became acceptable, and the Second Commandment was effectively rejected.

Notice again in Matthew 24:1-51 that the many are deceived, not the few: “For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Mt 24:5). Both the “manys” here—ministers and lay members—represent the overwhelming majority, as demonstrated by history. By the middle of the second century, the true followers of Christ were a small minority! The counterfeit movement openly denounced those who remained loyal to the teachings of the original apostles. Leaders such as John’s successor, Polycarp, and Polycarp’s disciple, Polycrates, were among the very few holding to the full truth in the Greco-Roman world.

The Time of Constantine

In the early 300s, during the time of the most severe persecution against all professing Christians, the Roman armies declared their favorite general, Constantine, to be Caesar. He had claimed victory after subduing the opposition in the Battle of Milvian Bridge outside Rome.

Prior to that battle, he was said to have had a vision of the first two letters of the name of Christ—chi (X) and rho (P) in Greek—and to have heard a voice say, “By this sign you will conquer.” Constantine believed that the meaning of the letters was symbolic of Christ and therefore felt indebted to Christianity for his victory, despite being a devout sun-worshipper.

One of Constantine’s first acts as emperor was to issue the Edict of Toleration in AD 311. It legalized Christianity in the empire, ending 10 years of severe persecution against the true Church. However, the edict sped up false Christianity’s rise to prominence. The Roman leader saw this new religion as a potential means of unifying the empire. Yet its practice in the Western empire was quite different from that in the east and from other sects in North Africa. So Constantine took measures to standardize his newfound ally—counterfeit Christianity.

Constantine convened the ecumenical Council of Nicea in AD 325 to resolve doctrinal differences between various Christian divisions. Before this, again, as a former sun-worshipper, he had naturally already decreed that Sunday—the day of the sun—would be kept throughout the empire. The Council of Nicea went further, in effect outlawing the practice of true Christianity. But the unscriptural teachings of the emerging counterfeit church were now decreed as part of the new state religion. As its protector, Constantine forced everyone, pagan or Christian, into either conformity or exile.

Prior to Constantine, the professing Christian church—founded by Simon Magus—had suffered persecution by the state, alongside the small true Church. But now in their elevated position of power, the “persecuted” became the “persecutors.” This counterfeit false church’s goal had now been achieved, and it now vengefully pursued the true people of God.

Persecution Foretold

Jesus’ admonition of “then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted [tortured], and shall kill you” (Matt. 24:9) began very early (in type), with 11 of the 12 original apostles being martyred. But the book of Acts reports many others were included.

Daniel 7:1-28 gives a prophetic picture of one of the horns (the false church) of what is “the fourth beast” (the Roman Empire). This system “made war with the saints,” “prevailed against them,” “spoke great words against the Most High,” and was to “wear out the saints of the Most High.” This “little horn” is the same counterfeit movement whose rise to power has been documented from Church history. As we proceed, it will become evident how deadly this “little horn speaking great things” would become regarding the true Church, and for the whole world. To learn more about this “little horn” and the “fourth Beast” described in Daniel 7:1-28, read our thorough booklet Who or What Is the Beast of Revelation?