You have probably read about the Church Councils that met
back in the days of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, Eusebius, Athanasius, Augustine,
etc. Their votes produced the foundational doctrines of Christianity. The
bishops have continued to meet over the centuries and the English translation
of the report from their most recent meeting -- Synod14 - "Relatio Synodi" of the III Extraordinary General
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the
Context of Evangelization” (5-19 October 2014) – is now online. Take
a moment to glance over it and get a feel for the process that has governed the
Roman Catholic Church since the first meeting in 325 CE – the Council of Nicea. Read the current report at -- http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/18/0770/03044.html
The witnesses, laying their coats at the feet of Saul, were the men that would cast the first stones at Stephen in Acts 7. Why did they all lay their coats at Saul’s feet? The Talmud contains a very interesting account of the act of stoning that may provide the answer. “When the trial was over, they take him [the condemned person] out to be stoned. The place of stoning was at a distance from the court, as it is said, ‘Take out the one who has cursed.’ [i] A man stands at the entrance of the court; in his hand is a signaling flag [Hebrew sudarin = sudar , ‘scarf, sweater’]. A horseman was stationed far away but within sight of him. If one [of the judges] says, ‘I have something [more] to say in his favor,’ he [the signaler] waves the sudarin , and the horseman runs and stops them [from stoning him]. Even if [the condemned person] himself says, ‘I have something to say in my favor,’ they bring him back, even four of five times, only provided that there is some substance to...
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