BACKGROUND TO MY BOOKSHELF ON ScribD.

com By: Mick Rynning For readers of books on my bookshelf, it may help you to know some background on why Ive chosen the books listed here. The short of it is thisvirtually everything taught in the Church today is nothing more than what the Bible calls and warns about as, The Doctrines of Men. Of course, this leads us to ask, Well then how do I know if Im following the doctrines of men? The answer, not surprising to some, is to read the writings of the earliest church fathersthose taught by the Apostles themselves, and thats what you will find on my bookshelf, as well as the writings of later theologians who likewise read and teach along the lines of the Bible as further taught by the early fathers. You can see many of those writings on my bookshelf, which you can download right from here, or below, you will find links where you can also freely download those writings for free. In addition to the links, I also point out a few things that may startle you if youve not really been like a Berean and done your own research. For example, there are people who believe that the gifts of prophecy and tongues have ceased today and, while there are many who do counterfeit false gifts, these gifts are nonetheless still in operation, as shown in the writings of the ANFs. People who deny these gifts because of false prophets, etc., I suppose would also deny Christ because of false christs? The danger to the cessationists, as they're called, is that they may, "have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof? But, that's for God to judge. Another very important doctrine of men that's wrongly believed by almost all of the American "church," is the dispensational pre-tribulation rapture. This doctrine of men was unknown in the church for 1,800 years until it was invented in the 1830s in Scotland. The real problem with that doctrine is that it's teachers say you must interpret all of the Bible and prophecy through the lens (eye-glasses) of their doctrine. It's funny to me that the very people who say there is no new prophecy on doctrine because prophecy has ceased, those very people embrace a doctrine completely unknown in the church for 1,800 years! The last false doctrine of men I think is very important to touch on, and you will see how it's addressed in the ANFs, is part of John Darby's dispensationalism is the idea that Israel and the Church have two separate paths to salvation. As you will see in the ANFs, this is a lie from the pit of hell! Darbyites, as I call them, believe the Jews are going to build a Temple in Jersusalem where they will reinstitute their sacrifices, including sacrifices for sin. This is heresy--Jesus atoned for sins "once and for all," and any sacrifices outside of Him are a not pleasing to God. IN FACT, most Jews are what's called Talmudic Jews--that means they use the Torah (law), but also use the Talmud (written down teachings of the Rabbis)--the Talmud teaches that Jesus is burning in hell in a vat of excrement! For Christians to be doing anything with these Jews other than preaching the Gospel--they align themselves with the very enemies of Christ! If you're wondering about the promises to the Jews--they were made to Abraham (a Gentile and father of the Jews) and to his seed--as taught in the Bible seed, singular, not seeds plural. That Seed is Jesus Christ. In short, all promises to Jews regarding the land, Kingdom, etc. are made to and through Jesus Christ alone. Just want to make you aware because this is 1) what the Bible truly teaches, and 2) what you're going to read in the ANFs. Some Darbyites (dispensationalists) will say the ANFs were anti-Semitic--this is absolute nonsense! Many of the ANFs were Jews, and much of what both Irenaeus and

Hippolytus were battling was the Judaizing of Christians by the Jews, that even St. Paul was battling; hence, his numerous writings about not all Jews are Jews, i.e., only those found in Christ. These are the same ones, Talmudic Jews that Jesus refers to in Revelation as being of the "synogogue of Satan." The Bible teaches, and the ANFs likewise, what is known as Classic Historic Pre-Millennialism, not to be confused with today's version of historical (instead of historic) version. At any rate, the ANFs teach that Jesus is returning in the future, but only after the Abomination of Desolation, the antichrist is revealed in the Temple, the persecution and martyrdom of the saints, and rapture of the church by Jesus, BEFORE He pours out the wrath of God on the world. Of course, this means that that the ANFs were post-trib (rapture after Satan's wrath during last 3.5 years of final 7 years, and that the last 3.5 years is actually the Great Tribulation, after which Jesus will reign in Jerusalem for 1,000 years. I share this not to convince you; rather, to merely prepare you that this is part of what you'll read in ALL of the ANFs--this is what the Bible teaches and anything else to the contrary is nothing more than false doctrines of men, e.g., Origen and Augustine who basically invented a-Millennialism (no 1,000 year reign of Christ), Jesuits who invented Preterism (virtually all Bible prophecy, including Revelation has already happened in history), and of course pre-trib rapture doctrine (Edward Irving and John Darby in 1830s). Now many in the church say, "What's the problem? If someone wants to believe in a pre-trib rapture, what's the big deal?" Here's the problem--the Darbyites think they're going to see Jesus and be raptured before antichrist appears. The Bible teaches (as do the ANFs) that antichrist will appear, followed by Great Tribulation . . . and then Jesus appears. So, the problem is thus: If antichrist appears first, showing himself to be Jesus (the false christ), it's very likely that the Darbyites are going to follow and worship antichrist, thinking he's Jesus! That's the danger. Pre-trib rapture doctrine invented by Edward Irving and hijacked and "improved" on by John Darby is a lie straight from the pit of hell that will be a part of the Great Deception and apostasy. But, don't take my word for it--pray, read the ANFs, comparing them against Scripture, and decide for yourself. This is why so many people are caught in the traps of false teachings, be it Word of Faith, Jehovah's Witness, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventist, ecumenism, contemplative prayer/labyrinths/yoga/spiritism, etc., etc. They don't ever read, let alone study, their Bibles and therefore have no knowledge of what's true and false--they end up just following other "good people" into the pit of hell. And when the Master Deceiver appears, and claims to be Jesus Christ, they will be damned in their lazy ignorance of the truth! But then, one can always listen to false teacher Dr. Jimmy DeYoung on his radio show or on Brannon Howse's Worldview Weekend, where he teaches that people can take the Mark of the Beast, repent of it before they die, and still go to heaven--God forbid! As God Himself says, Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. The writings of the early church fathers, formally called The Ante-Nicene Fathers (ANFs), are very important in terms of what the early church taught before Rome's ecclesiastical ascendancy (attempted hijacking of the true Church), i.e., before the Council of Nicea. As my focus is on the return of Jesus in the end-times, as well as the false teaching/teachers warns us about regarding the end-times, I focus more on the ANFs, but do refer to The Apostolic Fathers (writings before ANFs based on Apostles' teachings), such as Polycarp, as well, and links to their writings are included below.

While their writings are not inerrant as are the Holy Spirit writings of the Apostles, it's important to note that the ANFs were in a direct line of students from the Apostles themselves. For example, St. John of Revelation taught his student Polycarp, who taught Irenaeus, who taught Hippolytus. I am particularly fond of both Irenaeus and Hippolytus because they were front line fighters/writers against the heresies that St. Paul mentions in his epistles, and they continued the fight through writing various epistles/letters to all sorts of heretical groups, much of which we see in the church today, albeit today's heresies are just repackaged and renamed versions of ancient heresies--as Scripture tells us, "There is nothing new under the sun." However, I want to point out that I stop referring to the ANFs at Origen--his mysticism, theology, etc. laid much of the groundwork for and was often quoted by Roman Catholic doctrines of Augustine. Certainly not required, but strongly encouraged, I recommend the following two books be read in conjunction with ANF writings----they have much to say about who the ANFs were, their lives, backgrounds, and focus of their ministry and writings. I believe it's much easier to understand what someone has written if we know more about them, their life and ministry. So, if you're starting with Volume 1 of ANFs, I'd read the section on Irenaeus and Justin Martyr in Primers before actually tackling Vol 1. Just a recommendation. http://books.google.com/books/about/Early_Christian_Literature_Primers_The_a.html?id=h0RW AAAAMAAJ http://books.google.com/books?id=rkRWAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:tkXNyuB BpjUC&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LyV_Uaq1D5SI9gTQnYDADQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q& f=false http://cdn.plough.com/~/media/Files/Plough/ebooks/pdfs/e/earlychristiansEN.pdf Here are the links to the ANFs--there are 10 volumes in all, but I refer to only about half of those, particularly those of Irenaeus and Hippolytus. On that note, I recommend your reading start with Volume 1. If you can read Adobe PDF files, I recommend those files to download simply for ease of opening and reading: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf02.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf04.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf06.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf07.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf08.html http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf09.html

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf10.html http://books.google.com/books?id=MN0vAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA7&dq=didache&hl=en&sa=X&ei= QbV_UaGUJoe09QShvYD4Ag&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false Additional books on the ANFs, their doctrines and writings, i.e., background and analysis: http://books.google.com/books?id=MN0vAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA7&dq=didache&hl=en&sa=X&ei= QbV_UaGUJoe09QShvYD4Ag&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=D8pDAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=a+critical+history+ of+christian+literature+and+doctrine+donaldson&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bLt_UZeJAZSK9ATPoHoCw&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=a%20critical%20history%20of%20christian%20lit erature%20and%20doctrine%20donaldson&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=_LwOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Sir+ James+Donaldson%22+critical&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xLx_UfXlGYi49QTn9oGYCg&ved=0CDsQ6AE wAg Okay, that should give you some solid reading material for sometime to come. No need to sift through the various writings of modern writers, trying to determine which doctrine of men they're writing from, e.g., Calvin, Wesley, ecumenical, dispensational, etc., etc. Blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ upon you as you seek to know and love Him more fully, as well as loving His sheep! In His love and truth,

Mick