Early Signs of the Apostasy

The two remaining messages are those to Smyrna (Rev. 2:8–11) and Laodicea (Rev. 3:14–22). The Saints in Smyrna were praised, and no faults were mentioned concerning the church. But a tragic fate awaited them. They would be imprisoned and suffer martyrdom. They were admonished not to fear what was coming and to be “faithful unto death.” In so doing, they would receive a “crown of life” and would “not be hurt of the second death.” In contrast, the Lord’s word to Laodicea was that the church there was spiritually “wretched,” “miserable,” “poor,” “blind,” and “naked.” Because of its indifference to the things of God, he would spit it out of his mouth.

If the messages to the seven churches of Asia paint a fair picture of the overall status of early Christianity, one cannot avoid the conclusion that the prophecies of apostasy were then being fulfilled. Of the seven churches, only two were not condemned, and one of those was to suffer martyrdom. One church was ready to die because of its sins; another was to be spit out of God’s mouth. Of the rest, all were guilty of serious error, and each was told in strong terms that if it did not repent it would be rejected.

1 and 2 John (ca. A.D. 98)

John’s letters are the latest writings of the New Testament. The view that they provide of the Church at the end of the century is a tragic one. John told his readers that the last hours of the Church had come, as prophesied, and that the powers of apostasy were among them in force:

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 Jn. 2:18; italics added.) 19

Continuing, John stated that the antichrists had come from among the Saints: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.” (1 Jn. 2:19.)

Later in his letter, John warned his readers further about apostate influences among them: “Many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 Jn. 4:1.) John clearly was writing about false prophets within Christianity. Recall that in his letter from Patmos to the Ephesians he made mention of false apostles who had been discovered and repelled. (Rev. 2:2.)

Next, John gave the means by which his readers could test a person or prophet to see if he were of God:

“Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1 Jn. 4:2–3.)

The belief that Jesus had not really come in the flesh but had only appeared to do so is called docetism. 20 This belief was based on the gnostic view that it would be impossible for a divine being such as Christ to be associated with matter, since matter was evil. Docetism denied, therefore, the humanity of Christ, his physical suffering, his physical death, and his physical resurrection; he only seemed to have a physical body.

John denounced as deceivers and antichrist those “who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” (see 1 Jn. 2:22–26; 2 Jn. 1:7) and pleaded with the Saints to hold fast to true doctrines: “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.” (1 Jn. 2:24.)

3 John (ca. A.D. 98)

John’s third letter focuses on apostasy. In it he made reference to one Diotrephes, a local Church leader who, as John put it, “loveth to have the preeminence” among the Saints. (3 Jn. 1:9.) In his capacity as an Apostle, John had written to him, but Diotrephes would not receive him. Neither would he receive “the brethren,” and he would not let his congregation do so either. In fact, he excommunicated those who would. (3 Jn. 1:10.)

This was apostasy by any definition. It was rebellion against divinely instituted authority. John promised to deal with the offending leader when he could, but if Diotrephes did not recognize John’s authority, no doubt he would not have responded to his discipline either. Hence, by the third generation of Christian history, not only doctrinal apostasy was taking place, but some were in open rebellion against priesthood authority. With their rejection of John, they severed the final legitimate link of doctrinal and priesthood authority between Christ and the church that bore his name.

The End of the Apostolic Era

The New Testament does not preserve for us a complete history of the Christian church of the first century A.D. We possess in addition to the Gospels only the twenty-eight chapters of the book of Acts—most of which is not a history of the Church but a history of the career of one Apostle—and less than two dozen letters. These documents give us only a faint view of the seventy-year period which they span. There are major gaps in our knowledge of the activities of the Apostles, their lives, their teachings, and their deaths.

We do know that in the early years following the resurrection of Jesus the Apostles added additional members to their number as vacancies required. 21 Eventually, however, the succession ended. By A.D. 95 only John remained, as far as we know. When John left his public ministry, apostleship ceased. Had it been God’s will, others certainly could have been chosen. But clearly it was not. The apostasy did not happen because the Apostles were gone; the Apostles were taken because the apostasy had occurred. 22

When Jesus sent his Special Witnesses into the world, he commanded them to bear testimony of him. They did this in two significant ways. First, they traveled far, preaching the gospel and bearing witness of Jesus wherever they went. Second, they left their testimony in the form of the records that we call collectively the New Testament. This record, preserved for all generations, is the written testimony of those who were commissioned to be “witnesses unto [Christ] … unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Apostles were kept on earth long enough to fulfill the divine command. They did not fail.

As we have seen, the Lord knew, and his Apostles knew, that the Saints would turn away from the true faith that had been taught to them. We have seen also that it happened—slowly at first, but with increasing speed in each succeeding decade. And, as we have seen, with the rejection of true religion came the rejection of true authority as well. Concerning this, Elder Mark E. Petersen stated, “But this all had been predicted. The Lord foresaw this apostasy. As he would not perform further miracles before the unbelievers at Capernaum, neither would he leave his anointed Twelve in an apostate group. So John was taken from among men.” 23

With the last Apostle gone from the church, the night of apostasy was upon it; and so it would remain until the dawn of another day—the day of the Restoration.

When I set these up, I would explain this is way Christ set up his church.

1. Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

2. Prophets (Eph. 4:11) Continuous revelation (Amos 3:7)

3. Apostles (Eph. 4:11)

Peter was crucified head down in Rome, 66 A.D.

4. Andrew was stoned to death. He preached until his death.

5. James son of Zebedee, was beheaded in Jerusalem by the sword (Acts 12:1-9)

6. John was banished to the Isle of Patmos 96 A.D. (Rev. 1-9)

7. Phillip was crucified at Heirapole Phrygn, 52 A.D.

8. Bartholomew was beaten, crucified and beheaded by command of a kind, 52 A.D.

9. Thomas was run through by a lance at Corehandal, East Indies, 52 A.D.

10. Matthew was slain by the sword in the city of Ethiopia, about 60 A.D.

11. James, son of Alphaeus, was thrown from the pinnacle, then beaten to death 60 A.D.

12. Thaddaeus was shot to death by arrows, 72 A.D.

13. Simon was crucified in Persia, 74 A.D.

14. Judas Iscariot committed suicide by hanging himself 34 A.D. (Acts 1:18)

15. Men called of God “as was Aaron.

Authority in the Priesthood (Heb. 5:4)

16. A lay clergy (Matthew 10:8)

17. Deacons (Phil 1:1)

18. Teachers (Eph 4:11)

19. Priests (Acts 6:7, Luke 1:8)

20. Bishops (Phil 1:1)

21. Elders (Acts 14:23)

22. Seventies (Luke 10:1)

23. High Priests (Heb 5:1)

24. Evangelists or Patriarchs (Eph. 4:11)

25. Members called Saints (Eph. 2:19)

26. Church named after Christ

(Acts 4:12, Heb 12:23)

27. Belief in a personal godhead

(Heb 1:1-3, Matt. 28:19)

28. Faith (Heb 11:1-6)

29. Repentance (Acts 2:38)

30. Baptism by immersion (Matt 3:16)

31. Gifts of Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38)

Gifts of Holy Spirit (1 Cor:12)

32. Keep Sabbath day holy (Gen 2:2, Exo 20:8)

33. Additional scripture (Ezek 37:16-17)

34. Temples (Rev 7:15)

Sealing power (Matt 16:19, 2 Cor 1:22)

(To double purpose the cups, I taped the biblical reference (i.e. 33. Additional scripture) on one side and religion history on the other (i.e. Baptist church)

Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Founded on the beliefs of William Miller in 1863 as a breakaway group from the Baptist Church

Reason: Sabbath should be on the seventh day

Main Tenet: Observe the Sabbath on Saturday and Christ will return in person in latter-days.

Church of England
(Anglican, Episcopal)

Founded by King Henry VIII in 1534 as a breakaway group from the Roman Catholic Church

Reason: Henry refused to recognize the authority of the pope who would not dissolve his marriage to Catherin of Aragon

Main tenet: Belief in the Nicine Creed (A.D. 325) and Bishops to be independent of Rome

Pentecostal Church

Protestant denomination founded by Charles Fox Parkam in 1901

Reason: Religious revival required before end of the world

Main Tenet: Christians should experience baptism in the Holy Spirit, manifested by speaking in tongues.

Presbyterian Church
(Reformed Church)

Protestant denomination founded on the belief of John Calvin in 1560 as a breakaway group from the Roman Catholic Church

Reason: Congregations should be governed by boards of elders and not a pope

Main tenet: Bible is the final authority and the local lay elders govern the church.

Roman Catholic Church

Founded in 1054 after a split between the Eastern and Western Christian churches

Reason: Acknowledgment by the Western Church of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome

Main Tenet: Belief in the Nicine Creed (A.D. 325) and that the pope is successor of the apostle Peter

Lutheran Church

Protestant denomination founded on the beliefs of Martin Luther in 1526 as a breakaway group from the Roman Catholic Church

Reason: Denied the supremacy of the Pope

Main Tenet: People can be saved only by faith in Jesus Christ…rather than by works

Baptist Church

Protestant denomination founded by Smyth in 1611 as a breakaway group from the Church of England

Reason: opposed baptism of infants

Main tenet: Baptism should be by immersion following voluntary declaration of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior

Methodist Church

Protestant denomination founded by John Wesley in 1784 as a breakaway group from the Church of England

Reason: Anglican clergy opposed Methodist lay preachers

Main Tenet: Live a disciplined Christian life according to the method laid down in the Bible