Transcript Slide 1

A Historical Review of Apostasy
And the Origins of Today’s Denominations
Acts 2:40-42, “And with many other words
he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be
saved from this perverse generation." 41
Then those who gladly received his word
were baptized; and that day about three
thousand souls were added to them. 42
And they continued steadfastly in the
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the
breaking of bread, and in prayers”;
Acts 2:46-47, “So continuing daily
with one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house,
they ate their food with gladness and
simplicity of heart, 47 praising God
and having favor with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved.”
But, men have their own ideas & soon
departed from God’s original plan…
“Apostasy” = drifting
away from the original
standard
1. Immediately after the
est. of the church,
apostasy began
(judaizing) Acts 15:511, but many other
subjects as well
2. How did today’s
religious world get
the way we see it?
In time, man drifted from God’s will in the
type of organization used for the church…
God’s pattern:
1. Each church to be selfruled by leaders from
that church
2. Plurality of elders to
rule over every church
3. Bible to be the
standard for belief,
NOT MAN!
Man’s departure:
1. No congregation to be
self-ruled; all subject
to centralized rule
2. Ultimately, only one
bishop in the main
church ruling all
3. Pope now the ultimate
spiritual authority,
NOT GOD!
Europe – Militant Catholicism
The Historical Figures Who Have
Shaped Religious Beliefs
Augustine – (354AD 430AD) “tolle lege”
(“take up & read”) He
thought this was God’s
grace to him (Romans
13:13 - he must stop his
sinful life) *His beliefs
shaped Cath. doctrine
all the way to the
present day. Original
Sin, Grace Only,
Predestination, etc.
The Error of Augustine’s
Main Doctrines
We are by nature sinners (Eph 2:3; Ps 51:5). We
all have sinned because sin entered the world
through Adam: "Therefore, just as sin entered
the world through one man, and death through
sin, and in this way death came to all men,
because all sinned" (Rom 5:12).
Therefore, we are unable to do God's will (Rom
6:16; 7:14). We were affected by the fall of
Adam, contrary to what Pelagius taught.
Pelagius
The “Pelagian Heresy”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Denied “Original Sin”
(Ezek 18:4)
God expects humans to
direct their own lives by
“free will” if that will is
guided by the Bible (Phil
2:12)
Grace does not interfere
with “free will”
Urged return to Bible as
the only spiritual guide &
authority
Pelagius Excommunicated
At the Hand of Augustine
Augustine remains to this day
the most influential person
in his teachings to the
Catholic Church, other than
the apostle Paul
(“Confessions”)
Inventions in Technology Aided the
Spread of the Protestant Movement
Johannes Gutenberg - German
1398-1468
*Invented moveable type print
& printing press
**Europeans learned method
to make paper from wood &
cloth fiber from China
***First printed copies of the
Bible are placed into the
hands of scholars other than
the Catholic Church
The Reformation Fathers
• Martin Luther
• 1483-1546
• German
• Ulrich Zwingli
• 1484-1531
• Swiss
• John Knox
• 1505-1572
• Scottish
• John Calvin
• 1509-1569
• French
English King Henry VIII
The Reluctant Protestant
Henry Tudor – 1491-1547
*Was declared “Defender of
the Faith” by pope for his
opposition to Luther &
“Protestantism”
• Authorized the first English
language Bible
• Split with Catholic Church
to found the Anglican
Church (Not truly
Protestant)
Renewed Debate in 16th Century
John Calvin – (1509-1569)
Authored all the tenets of
the “TULIP” which are
simply re-digested ancient
Greek philosophies along
with strong influence of
Augustine
James Arminius – (1560 1609) Opposed Calvinism
Bible Only Authority:
a. External testimony of men
b. Arguments in Scriptures
itself
c. The internal witness of God
Calvinism - T.U.L.I.P.
1. Total Depravity – Ezek 18:20, Mt 18:3-5
2. Unconditional Election - Acts 10: 34, 35; Jn
3:16
3. Limited Atonement – Heb 2:9, ITim 2: 3-6; Mt
7: 13, 14
4. Irresistible Grace - Rom 1: 16, Eph 3: 3 ff
5. Perseverance of the Saints - ICor 10:12; 2Pt
1: 5-11; Gal 5: 4
The Rise of Cartesian Thought
Rene Descarte – 1596-1650
“Methodological Scepticism”
“Cogito Ergo Sum” = “I
doubt therefore I am”
*Conclusion: Beginning of
the “Age of Reason”
**Rationalism & Deism
now begin to lead in
European thought
***No providential acts
by God
Deism Rises From Cartesian Thought
1. Only one God
2. God has perfect intellectual & moral nature
3. There is no special providence
4. Man has a rational nature which alone can let
him know what is real
5. Universe operates w/o God’s special action
6. All other religious beliefs or practices
conflicting with these tenets are to be
regarded critically & with condescension
Catholicism Is Impetus For Apostasy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Error
Nicolaitans (?)
Augustine
Luther
Calvin
Knox
Zwingli
Henry VIII
Descarte
Truth
1. Christ (in Revelation)
2. Pelagius
3. Arminius
Historical Chain of Events
1. CHURCH OF CHRIST, 34 AD (Origin
Recorded in Acts 2, Jerusalem)
****Departure From God’s Word
Known As Apostasy Begins****
2. Roman Catholic Church, 606 AD (Rome) &
Eastern Orthodox Church
(Constantinople)
3. Lutheran Church, 1529 AD, (Augsburg,
Germany) Martin Luther
4. Reformed Churches, 1530's,(All of
Western Europe) Ulrich Zwingli &
John Calvin
5. Presbyterian, 1530's, (Scotland) John
Knox
6. Ana-Baptists, 1609, (Holland) John
Smyth, Evolved into 27 Major
denominations = Baptist Churches
7. Methodist Church, 1729, (England) John
Wesley
8. Jehovah's Witnesses, 1909, (Brooklyn, NY)
Pastor Charles Taze Russell
9. Church of God, Aug. 19, 1886, (Tennessee)
Richard Spurling
10. Pentacostal & Assemb. of God Churches,
1919, (Hot Springs, Ark.)
11. Adventists, 1820's, (USA) William Miller
12. Disciples of Christ or
Christian Churches,
1820's - 1870's, (USA)
Thomas & Alexander
Campbell
(Campbellites)
After much negotiation between several
denominations the Church of South India
Established – September 1947
Moderator elected at Synod every two years
Bishops oversee each of the 16 dioceses
The Church of Christ Today
1. Mal 3:6, “For I am the
LORD, I change not”
God cannot be pleased
with trends in modern
churches of Christ who
reject Bible Authority
– Many do!
2. We must be committed
to retaining the
original gospel of
Christ w/o drifting –
Acts 2:40-47; 20:7;
1Cor 15:58
We can’t plead ignorance because God
knows we can understand His Word
Eph 5:17, “Therefore do not be unwise, but
understand what the will of the Lord is.”
1Jn 5:13-15, “These things I have written to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life,
and that you may continue to believe in the
name of the Son of God.
Eph 1:18-23, “the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened; that you may know what is
the hope of His calling, what are the riches of
the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19
and what is the exceeding greatness of His
power toward us who believe, according to the
working of His mighty power 20 which He
worked in Christ when He raised Him from the
dead and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly places, 21 far above all principality
and power and might and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this age but
also in that which is to come. 22 And He put
all things under His feet, and gave Him to be
head over all things to the church, 23 which is
His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
How Does One Become A Christian?
Hear the Word (Gospel) – Rom 10:17
Believe the Gospel – Jn 20:30-31
Repent of Sin – Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30
Confess Christ – Mt 10:32; Rom 10:9-10
Be Immersed (Baptized) – Acts 2:38;
22:10-18
6. Be Faithful to Christ – 1Cor 15:58
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3.
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5.
All the Cases of Conversion are in the
Book of Acts & ALL Were Baptized
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10.
The Jews – Acts 2:35-42
The Samaritans – Acts 8:5-12
Simon the Sorcerer – Acts 8:13
Ethiopian Eunuch – Acts 8:26-39
Saul of Tarsus – Acts 22:14-16
Cornelius – Acts 10:23-48
Lydia – Acts 16:11-15
Philippian Jailor – Acts 16:25-34
Crispus & the Corinthians – Acts 18:5-8
Ephesians – Acts 19:1-7
John 14:15, Jesus says…"If you love Me, keep
My commandments.”
Mt 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
And then…2Tim 2:2, “And the things that thou
hast heard of me among many witnesses, the
same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also.”