Course Overview
This course traces the true assembly of Yahuah from the first century through today. While mainstream church history focuses on the Roman Catholic and Protestant institutions, we will follow the remnant - those who kept the commandments of Elohim and the testimony of Yahusha (Revelation 12:17).
Lesson 1: The First Century Assembly
Acts 2:42 - "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
The first believers in Yahusha were all Jewish. They did not start a new religion - they believed Yahusha was the promised Messiah of Israel.
| Practice | Scripture | Evidence |
|---|
| Sabbath-keeping | Acts 13:14, 42-44; 17:2 | Paul preached on Sabbath |
| Feast observance | Acts 2:1; 20:6, 16 | Pentecost, Unleavened Bread celebrated |
| Temple worship | Acts 2:46; 3:1 | Believers met daily in Temple |
| Torah observance | Acts 21:20-24 | "Zealous for the law" |
Lesson 2: Persecution Under Rome (64-313 AD)
Revelation 2:10 - "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
- Refused emperor worship
- Called "atheists" - rejected all Roman gods
- Different lifestyle
- Blamed for disasters
Major Persecutions
| Emperor | Dates | Events |
|---|
| Nero | 64-68 AD | First persecution; Peter and Paul martyred |
| Domitian | 81-96 AD | John exiled to Patmos |
| Diocletian | 303-313 AD | "Great Persecution" |
Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69-155 AD)
A disciple of John, when told to curse Christ: "Eighty-six years I have served Him. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Burned at the stake.
Lesson 3: Constantine and Compromise (312-400 AD)
2 Timothy 4:3-4 - "The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine..."
Constantine's Changes to Christianity
- Sunday Law (321 AD): Made Sunday the official rest day, calling it "the venerable day of the Sun"
- Council of Nicaea (325 AD): Separated Easter from Passover
- Church-State Union: Blended church and government
Constantine's Own Words (321 AD)
"On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people rest..."
Notice: He called it the "Day of the Sun" - not the Sabbath!
Lesson 4: The Great Apostasy
2 Thessalonians 2:3 - "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first..."
| Apostolic Practice | Apostate Change |
|---|
| Sabbath (7th day) | Sunday (1st day) |
| Passover | Easter |
| Biblical feasts | Christmas, Lent |
| Scripture authority | Pope + Tradition |
But a Remnant Remained!
Even as the majority fell away, small groups preserved the original faith. Yahuah always preserves a remnant!
Lesson 5: The Church in the Wilderness
Revelation 12:6, 14 - "The woman fled into the wilderness... for a time, and times, and half a time."
| Group | Location | Key Beliefs |
|---|
| Paulicians | Armenia | Rejected icons, infant baptism |
| Bogomils | Bulgaria | Rejected papal authority |
| Waldenses | Alps | Bible authority, missionary zeal |
| Lollards | England | Followers of Wycliffe |
Lesson 6: The Waldenses
Matthew 5:14 - "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."
- Scripture Only: The Bible was their sole authority
- Bible Memorization: Many memorized entire Gospels
- Vernacular Scriptures: Translated Bible into common languages
- Simple Living: Rejected wealth and worldly power
- Sabbath Observance: Many kept the seventh-day Sabbath
Their Motto
"Lux lucet in tenebris" - "Light shines in the darkness"
Lesson 7: The Reformation Era
Habakkuk 2:4 - "The just shall live by his faith."
- Justification by faith alone
- Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura)
- Priesthood of all believers
- Vernacular Bible translations
What Reformers Did NOT Restore
- Sabbath (most kept Sunday)
- Biblical Feasts
- Sacred Names
- Torah Observance
Lesson 8: Sabbath-Keepers Through History
Isaiah 58:13-14 - "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath... and call the sabbath a delight..."
| Group | Time | Evidence |
|---|
| Ethiopian Church | 4th century-present | Keeps Saturday |
| Celtic Christianity | 400s-1100s | Kept Sabbath |
| Waldenses | 1100s-present | Many kept Sabbath |
| Seventh Day Baptists | 1650s-present | Organized Sabbath churches |
Catholic Admission
"The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plenitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her." - Catholic Record, 1923
Lesson 9: The Hebrew Roots Movement
Jeremiah 6:16 - "Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein."
- Torah Observance: The law of Moses is still relevant
- Sabbath: The seventh day is still the Sabbath
- Biblical Feasts: Leviticus 23 feasts, not Christmas/Easter
- Sacred Names: Using Yahuah and Yahusha
- Clean Foods: Following Leviticus 11
Lesson 10: The Remnant Today
Revelation 14:12 - "Here are they that keep the commandments of Elohim, and the faith of Yahusha."
Characteristics of the True Remnant
- Scripture Authority: The Bible is their final authority
- Torah Observance: Keep Sabbath and feasts
- Faith in Messiah: Yahusha is their Savior
- Set-Apart Living: Live differently from the world
- Love for Truth: Continue seeking and growing
Your Part in the Story
Church history is not just about the past - you are part of it! Will you be among those who keep Yahuah's commandments and hold to the faith of Yahusha?
Answer Key
Lesson 1
1. The Sabbath (Saturday) 2. "Zealous for the law" 3. The Way, Nazarenes, Christians
Lesson 2
1. They rejected all Roman gods 2. Nero 3. "86 years I have served Him. How can I blaspheme my King?"
Lesson 3
1. Edict of Milan 2. "The venerable Day of the Sun"