Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life
Bible Reading Plans
- Plan One: New Testament Only
- Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
- Plan Three: New Testament + History
- Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3
Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.
Extras
Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute
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The One True Church
Chapter 31 – Apostasy in the 1st-Century Church – Prophesied
We’ve seen that the New Testament church, through the apostles’ leadership, was progressing from unrighteousness to righteousness. That is, though converts had previously been living as sinners, they repented and learned from the apostles how to live as saints.
We’ve also seen that this progression to righteousness was not always smooth. There were stumbling blocks to progress – and those obstacles had to be addressed along the way.
There was, however, one blockage to righteousness for the 1st-century church that was greater than all the others. The New Testament church – the one true church – would experience major apostasy as things heated up just before the Lord’s return.
The word “apostasy” means a falling away – specifically, a falling away from faith in the truth that the apostles had preached about Jesus.
Jesus Himself first warned about this apostasy when His disciples asked Him about the end times.
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
Matthew 24:5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
Matthew 24:6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
Matthew 24:7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
Matthew 24:8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
Matthew 24:10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
Matthew 24:11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
Matthew 24:12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
Matthew 24:13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Note that this great apostasy – “many will fall away” – was to occur late in the run-up to the Second Coming. It would be a response to the broader context, which Jesus would go on in this dialogue to call “the great tribulation.”
Matthew 24:21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
Matthew 24:22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
The apostles would echo Jesus’ warning about this apostasy to come many times in their letters. Here’s one example of what Paul said about it.
Acts 20:29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
Acts 20:30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Peter’s second letter was written in anticipation of his imminent death. Like Paul, he’s warning the church of what’s to come.
2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Peter 2:2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
2 Peter 2:3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
A component of the great tribulation was increasing persecution, which meant more apostles and others would be martyred. This was, obviously, disheartening for believers in the church. Many of them would fall away from their faith as the cost to keep it kept increasing.
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