What Apostasy Is
(MEANING AND DEFINITION OF APOSTASY ACCORDING
TO THE BIBLE)
THE DICTIONARY defines “apostasy” as:
“Apostasy: an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognize a religious faith, abandonment of a previous loyalty and defection.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary)
“Apostasy: a total desertion of or departure from one’s religion, principles, party, cause.” (Dictionary.com)
“Apostasy: the act of giving up your religious or political beliefs and leaving a religion or a political party.” (Cambridge Dictionary)
“Apostasy: someone whose beliefs have changed and who no longer belongs to a religious or political group.” (The Britannica Dictionary)
“Apostasy: renunciation of a religious or political belief.” (Microsoft Encarta Dictionary)
“Apostasy: (/əˈpɒstəsi/; Greek: ἀποστασία, translit. apostasía, lit. “defection, revolt”) is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one’s previous religious beliefs.” (Wikipedia)
Therefore, “apostasy” is a defection of one’s allegiance, a falling away from what one believed in, a renunciation and departure from one’s religion, creed, or political belief or embracing an opinion contrary to one’s previous religious beliefs. Hence, one becomes an “apostate” as soon as he departs from his former belief, whatever it was. What undergoes change is not the person nor his nature but his beliefs.
THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF APOSTASY
The Bible also has a definition for “apostasy.” The Lord Jesus mentioned the following in Matthew 24:9-11:
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time MANY WILL TURN AWAY FROM THE FAITH and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
(Reference: Matthew 24:9-11 NIV, Emphasis Mine)
These words of the Lord Jesus Christ, “will turn away from the faith,” was also mentioned by Apostle Paul in I Timothy 4:1:
“Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”
(Reference: I Tim. 4:1 NLT, Emphasis Mine)
“Turning away from the true faith” is synonymous with “apostasy”:
“But the Spirit speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall APOSTATISE from the faith, giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons.”
(Reference: Darby Bible, Emphasis Mine)
What other translations rendered as “turning away from the faith” is rendered by other translations as “apostasy.” Aside from “turning away from the true faith,” the Bible also used the following words referring to “apostasy”:
“depart from faith” (KJV)
“abandon the faith” (NIV)
“fall away from the faith” (NASB)
“desert the Christian faith” (God’s Word)
“turned away from the faith” (Bible basic English)
“renounce the faith” (NRSV)
Thus, according to the Bible, “apostasy” means “turning away (departing, abandoning, falling away, deserting and renouncing) the faith.”
THE PROCESS OF APOSTASY
Who is an apostate? When is an individual, group, or organization being considered as apostatized? How does one become an apostate? Let us read what is written I Timothy 4:1:
“Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”
(Reference: I Tim. 4:1 New Living Translation, Emphasis Mine)
According to Apostle Paul, “some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” Thus, an “apostate” turns away from the true faith by following “deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” Hence, “apostasy” is following the teachings of the demons instead of following the teachings of God or upholding the true faith.
The “true faith” is what the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles taught. Where can we find the truth taught by the Lord Jesus and His Apostles? What teaches us the truth? This is what apostle Paul said in II Timothy 3:16-17:
“And you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.”
(Reference: II Tim. 3:16-17 TEV, Emphasis Mine)
Not all the things done by Christ and the Apostles were written (cf. Jn. 20:30-31). In fact there were some things that God did not want to be written (cf. Dan. 12:4; Rev. 10:4). The Apostles wrote down what they witnessed (cf. 1 Jn. 1:1-4). All such writings were inspired by God and should be used for doctrine, correction, instruction, and they make man perfect (cf. II Tim. 3:16-17). What were written are enough and nothing should be added to them nor subtracted from them (cf. Rev. 22:18-19). For what is written was written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, we might have eternal life through His name (cf. Jn. 20:30-31). Apostle Paul adds that we must not go beyond what is written:
“Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.”
(Reference: I Corinthians 4:6 NIV, Emphasis Mine)
Thus, departing from the true faith is departing from what the Bible teaches. Hence, apostasy is going beyond what is written in the Bible.
The Bible explicitly says that worship and services rendered to God, but if based on the teachings of men, are fruitless and vain:
“They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”
(Reference: Matthew 15:9 NIV)
The Bible doesn’t approve of men establishing their own way, rules and doctrines:
“For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”
(Reference: Romans 10:2-3 NIV, Emphasis Mine)
Thus, apostasy is also the act of creating or establishing one’s own rules or doctrines, upholding man-made doctrines and teachings. Moreover apostasy is also changing the gospel of Christ or the doctrine written in the Bible.
“I am surprised at you! In no time at all you are deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ, and are accepting another gospel. Actually, there is no ‘other gospel,’ but I say this because there are some people who are upsetting you and trying to change the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to hell!“
(Reference: Galatians 1:6-8 TEV, Emphasis Mine)
Apostle Paul mentioned it in Acts 20:30 as “distorting the truth”:
“Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
(Reference: Acts 20:30 NIV, Emphasis Mine)
Apostle Paul said, “There is no other gospel” but a “distortion of the gospel.” Also, this is what Apostle Peter tells us regarding apostasy:
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”
(Reference: II Peter 2:1-3 NIV, Emphasis Mine)
According to Apostle Peter, apostasy is “bringing the way of truth to disrepute” through “made up stories.”
Hence, an apostate is:
(1) Those that followed the erroneous doctrines (doctrines of demons);
(2) went beyond what is written (taught doctrines not in the Bible or upholding unbiblical doctrines);
(3) invented, established, or created their own (man-made doctrines);
(4) believed in made-up stories (traditions);
(5) changed or distorted the doctrines written in the Bible. Apostle Paul said, “if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to hell!”
Thus, it’s important to note the occurrence of apostasy in the first-century Church of Christ, wherein the doctrines originally taught by Christ and the apostles underwent alteration and distortion. This deviation led to the incorporation and endorsement of demonic doctrines, unbiblical teachings, man-made doctrines, and fabricated made-up stories within the Church.
WHAT APOSTASY REALLY MEANT
The first nation of God was the ancient Israel. According to Apostle Paul:
“The people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.”
(Reference: Romans 9:4 NIV)
However, the Bible explicitly states that the Israelites apostatized:
“I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.”
(Reference: Daniel 9:4-5 NIV, Emphasis Mine)
Did Israel cease to exist? No, they continued to exist until our time. Thus, in terms of existence, from Moses to our time, Israel can boast a 3,500 years continuous history, surpassing the 2,000 years of existence of the Roman Catholic Church. But did Israel remain God’s nation? No, they were replaced by the first-century Church Of Christ:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
(Reference: I Peter 2:9-10 NIV)
From the establishment of the Church Of Christ in the first century, Israel ceased to be God’s nation. Take note that the organization remained, and what ceased is not their existence of Israel, but their status as being God’s nation. Why were they replaced? The Prophet Daniel said, “we have turned away from your commands and laws.”
Thus, apostasy took place in ancient Israel not because the organization was dissolved or ceased to exist but because the organization changed its doctrines and abandoned God’s commandments; hence, they ceased being God’s nation. In like manner, the first-century church of Christ apostatized, which at that time, “MANY WILL TURN AWAY FROM THE FAITH,” which is why Christ stated, “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” and “they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons” These biblical prophecies were undoubtedly fulfilled in the first century Church Of Christ.
IN CONCLUSION
1
The apostasy of the first-century Church Of Christ mentioned by the Bible does not mean that the Church will not continue to exist. The Church or the organization remained, but she was transformed from being the true Church to an apostatized church. So, although the church continued for 2,000 years, but as we know it, not as the Church Of Christ, but as the Roman Catholic Church.
To learn more about the Apostasy or the restoration of the true Church built by Christ you may visit the following links below:
The Apostasy
AFTER THE DEATH of Jesus Christ and His Apostles, the Apostasy took place. Christians were hunted down, persecuted, and killed, causing the church to drift from the original teachings of Christ and His Apostles. False teachings emerged, leading to the contamination of the pure doctrine. With the Apostles no longer around to defend the truth, the Church Of Christ evolved into a different organization ( the Catholic Church), adopting many pagan rituals and deviating from the pristine gospel established by Christ. This era is known as the “Great Apostasy.”
The Third Group of Christ
THE TRUE CHURCH of Christ is Comprised of 3 Groups. Before Christ’s ascension to heaven, He prophesized about His other sheep (the third group of people) or flock that were not part of His flock then. The flock being the Church of Christ (Acts 20:28 Lamsa). Christ said he will call his other sheep “in the future” they will be one flock or Church of Christ:
“I have other sheep too. They are not in this flock here. I must lead them also. They will listen to my voice. IN THE FUTURE there will be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16 Easy-to-Read Version, Emphasis Mine)
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