APOSTASY IN THE
FIRST CENTURY CHURCH
(1 Timothy 4:1-7)
INTRODUCTION:
1. The Lords' church in every generation has had to fight against error.
a. The apostles stood against the Judaizers and others.
b. Approximately 100 hundred years ago the church of Christ in America fought generally against the influence of modernism and liberalism, and specifically instrumental music in worship.
c. Early last century the church faced the error of premillinnialism.
d. For the past several years the AD 70 error, the discipling method of evangelism, errors on grace, marriage/divorce/remarriage, and instruments of music etc have plagued the church.
2. In every generation there have been some, and at times, many who have accepted the error.
3. On the other hand there always seems to be those who courageously stand against error.
a. Men who know and love the truth.
b. Men with a genuine concern for the souls of others.
c. Men with the courage to speak the truth as it is, without regard to the reaction of those opposed.
4. Such apostasy is not without warning, nor is it without precedent in the New Testament.
DISCUSSION:
I. NEW TESTAMENT WARNINGS.
A. Beware of wolves (Matt. 7:13-23)!
1. Only those who will go through the strait gate can be saved.
a. The strait way is hard to find.
b. False prophets make it harder to find.
2. They will act in a deceptive manner.
a. By their fruits they can be known.
b. Not everyone that professes faith in Christ is truly following Him.
B. Beware of dogs (Phil. 3:2)!
1. The reference is to the Judaizers.
2. They behave like dogs in their ferocious attitude.
a. Ill.- door-knocking dog in TN.
b. Ill.- newspaper dog in MN.
3. They are evil workers.
C. Beware of philosophy (Col. 2:8)!
1. Philosophy claims to be a search for truth.
2. Christians already have truth (John 8:32; John 17:17).
3. Many preachers have been destroyed by philosophy.
D. Beware of the error of the wicked (2 Pet. 3:17)!
1. Those who are steadfast can be led astray.
2. We must be ever vigilant.
II. FIRST CENTURY ERRORS.
A. The anti-christs (1 John 2:18-22).
1. The "last time" included the first century.
2. During such time the "anti-christs" (plural) were in the first century.
3. The anti-christs denied that Christ came in the flesh (1 Jno. 4:3, 4; 2 Jno 7)
B. The Judaizers (Gal. 1:6-9; 2:4, 5; 5:1-4).
1. By mixing the Old with the New they preached a different gospel.
2. Paul did not compromise even for an hour with them.
3. Those who accept the error are fallen from grace.
C. The Nicolaitans (Rev. 2;15, 16).
1. Unsure of the specifics of the error.
2. The Lord hated it!
D. Doctrine of Jezebel (Rev. 2:20).
1. Perhaps a mixture of paganism with Christianity.
2. Condemned for a mixture of religious error with truth.
E. Denial of second coming (2 Pet. 3:3ff).
1. Peter addresses the error and clearly refutes it.
2. Peter identifies the error as a way of questioning the honesty and authority of God.
F. Errors concerning grace (Rom. 6:1; Jude 3, 4).
1. Nothing new under the sun.
2. Sin more, so that you receive more grace.
3. Jude takes time out from more pleasant doctrines to deal with error.
a. We must be balanced in our preaching speaking both on those pleasant Biblical subjects and on those not so pleasant.
b. Sometimes our brethren want their ears tickled instead.
Note: The Bible uses terms to refer to specific groups of false teachers or false doctrines. It is not wrong for us to refer to those in error as "liberals," or use any other appropriate designation.
III. NEW TESTAMENT PROPHECIES.
A. The man of sin (2 Thess. 2:1-17).
1. The Lord would not come till he came.
a. He will be with us until the Lord returns.
b. He will exalt himself as God.
2. His coming is with lying wonders.
a. Those who do not love the truth are deceived.
b. They shall be damned.
3. I believe this to be a reference to the Roman Catholic Pope.
a. He puts himself in God's place.
b. He uses lying wonders to deceive.
1) ill- Family with sick boy at airport.
c. This is a prophecy of an apostasy that was yet to come when it was written in the first century.
B. Departures from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1-7).
1. When we give heed to false doctrine we depart from the faith.
2. Specific departures are here predicted.
a. Forbidding to marry (priesthood, pope).
b. Commanding to abstain from meats (all you can eat fish fry Fridays).
c. These were fulfilled in the Roman Catholic Church.
3. The way to combat the error is to remember the truth.
a. A good minister reminds brethren of the truth.
b. To avoid error we must be nourished with sound doctrine.
c. We need to refuse to accept foolish doctrines.
C. No sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:1-5).
1. Preach the truth all the time whether it is popular or not.
2. Reprove (negative preaching), rebuke (negative preaching), and exhort (positive preaching).
3. Must continue to preach the truth because some won't like it.
a. Didn't say change it to fit society.
b. Didn't say find out what the people want and give it to them.
c. Didn't say don't offend anybody.
d. Did say preach it even when they don't want it.
IV. AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON SPECIFIC DEPARTURES.
(This information is from "The Eternal Kingdom," by F. W. Mattox)
A. Forces behind the departure.
1. "Externally, Greek philosophy made its impression o the minds of Christian thinkers, and before long Christians found themselves using philosophical terminology to explain Christian concepts. This continued until revealed truth lost its unique position, and instead of Christianity's being understood and defended upon the basis of miracle, revelation, and inspiration, it was watered down with human rationalism."
2. Internally Judaism was a major problem.
3. The pride of men contributed to many errors.
B. Departures in organization.
1. By 150 most churches were ruled by one man called a bishop who was over the other elders, called presbyters.
a. This was pushed by Ignatius of Antioch.
b. By 150 synods of the bishops began to meet.
2. In 190 Victor of Rome claimed to be "universal bishop" but most churches just ignored him.
a. First strong pope was Gregory 1 (590-604).
3. 150 saw the development of the priesthood.
C. Departures in Doctrine.
1. Gnosticism.
a. One great God, seven lesser.
b. "Dualism"- matter is evil, spirit is good, hence the doctrine of the anti-christs which said Christ did not come in the flesh.
c. Marriage and eating looked upon as evil.
2. Neoplatanism.
a. God is a force.
b. Meditation upon art, nature, love etc is the way to merge with this force.
3. Ebionites.
a. Jesus was just a man and the physical son of Joseph.
b. The Law of Moses still binding.
4. Monarchianism.
a. Denied the divinity of Christ.
5. Premillinnialism.
a. Began early in the second century.
b. Was a transfer of the Jewish hope of a physical kingdom to the second coming of Christ.
6. Original sin and infant baptism.
a. Pushed by Tertullian (160-220).
b. Infant baptism common by 450.
7. Observance of Easter.
a. Began early among some.
b. Solidified as a regular practice by 325.
8. Sprinkling.
a. First known case was Novation in 251.
9. Lord's Supper.
a. Mass established (540-604).
b. Transubstantiation, John of Damascus (700-750).
10. Singing.
a. Early writers show no instruments or choirs.
b. By 5th century choirs established, and instruments occasionally used.
CONCLUSION:
1. What greater weapon than error and the resulting denominationalism can our adversary have (1 Pet. 5:8)?
a. Error divides brethren and damns souls.
b. Denominationalism. gives false hope, causing confusion, and damns souls to hell.
2. There were warnings of error, battles with error, and predictions of error in the first century.
3. Those warning remain just as true today.
a. Avoid error with knowledge and strength (Hosea 4:6).
b. Stand firm and fast against Satan's soldiers who would seek to change the Lord's church in the 21st century into yet another denomination.