When The Train Went Off The Tracks

~Authors Preface: What is now a ripple is soon to become a tsunami that will cover the earth with the knowledge of the Lord. Doors that have been closed through the ages are now beginning to open. Everything that has been hidden is going to be revealed. This is going to be the churches finest hour. No power or authority on earth will stop this. It will leave governments helpless. “Everything that can be shaken will be.” Yet there is a huge wave of impenetrable darkness also building now, waiting for its time. Step into the ripple, be a part of the tsunami. It is time to let Jesus take a bow. We’ve been on the stage long enough.—“He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things. And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers.. Eph.4:10-11

The predominant rule of pastors over the last 500 plus years since the Protestant reformation has run its course and never really got very far from the starting line. Huffing and puffing we have come up short and but for the few that are trying to crawl a bit further failure is more than obvious. The results of such misplaced trust in one office has become abundantly apparent. Our cultures have turned their heads in disappointment. The pastoral driven paradigm of centuries has been found wanting. Yes this thing has a long beard and walks with a cane but neither longevity nor tradition have ever been proof of orthodoxy. No matter how convinced we have been otherwise the whole idea is incredibly ill-conceived and is dying. Facing up to this is practically impossible for us. We are thoroughly vested in the current system and simply can’t imagine anything different. Our justifications and reasonings could fill a book but unfortunately it has little to do with THE BOOK. Oh yes, the pastoral ministry is very much a part of the whole picture, but only a part. But enough of that right now. Let’s return to the original question. What happened to Biblical Apostolic ministry. Remember the Apostle Paul’s statement to the Ephesian elders noted at the end of the last article.

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” Acts 20:28-30

~ Caution: We are now leaving the New Testament and entering the jungle- the post-New Testament apostasy. If more Christians and theologians saw it that way we’d be far better off today, but as it is, we need to discard our bag of popcorn and start carrying a shotgun~ Lions and Tigers and Bears oh no!!

The second and third centuries witnessed the overturn and corruption of every major area of New Testament doctrine and practice. No, they didn’t just try a few items at a time. They launched an assault on the whole New Testament system. Thank you very much. Water baptism became sprinkling, repentance became penance, communion became transubstantiation, faith in God through Christ became faith in the church and its leaders, the authority of scripture was replaced with the authority of church doctrine and then papal creeds, repentance and forgiveness was now through the confessional, works and indulgences, Scripture was taken from the people, prophetic theology was lost etc. etc. and for it all came 900 years of what is historically called the “Dark Ages.” This was one of the fastest turnarounds history could record. From amazing light to near total darkness and the cast of characters leave even less to be desired. Yes my dear reader, the curtain came down on that glorious era of the 1st century and the stage was reset for the very, very cheap flick of the “Dark Ages.” We now enter the era of “clericalism” and the rise of the “prelates.”

Seems strange doesn’t it? A whole new term- prelates– is invented out of nothing as a replacement for the biblical term “Apostles” and practically no one seems to notice the shift. Why not?? -A question I seem to have to ask way to much! Where oh where were the dissenting voices on this? Where are they today? Why does it seem we always give this stuff a pass? C’mon church, these reprobates were going for the jugular and we act like it was a back scratch! So again I say, where are the questions on this? This is a complete change from scripture and practically no one is at least a little alarmed!? You will largely search in vain to find a church history book questioning this departure from the New Testament plan of church government established by Christ ( Eph.4:11 ). Believe me I’ve read a lot of them. Oh yes, there are a few who take note of it and I reference them in this article, but they’re not easy to find. Needless to say, the best ones are the oldest. A little caveat- history was a laborious job in those years. Everything was hand written and anything that didn’t line up with the rising apostate regime during those troubled years was suspect, went underground or was destroyed. It’s a ‘search and then search some more job’ to try and find credible accurate information of what was really going on. So we will cut historians a little slack there but the Scriptures are still the final authority on these matters and what doesn’t line up is still screaming “Wake Up!”

So here we go. We’re going to get a little academic here, look at some historical quotes with sources, and try too piece together the apostasy of that fatal hour. This was where the train went off the tracks and the apostolic office with so much of its teaching was left under the rubble. Probably one of the best places to start is with the following statement,

“Toward the end of the first century and during the second, many learned men came over both from Judaism and paganism to Christianity. These brought with them into the Christian schools of theology their Platonic ideas and phraseology…” (1)

I think it’s appropriate to start with that quote because it captures the shift in thinking from Biblical to philosophical. The apostles kept this at bay when they were alive but now that they were gone it came in like a flood and with it came a complete break from the Apostolic thinking the original church was founded on. Heretics and heresy found mutual ground and an open door to transform the church and its leadership.

One history notes,

“Before the canon of scripture was closed, many of the errors, both in doctrine and practice, which have since troubled and rent in pieces the professing church, were allowed to spring up. These were detected and exposed by the inspired apostles, in the wisdom and grace of God. If we keep this in mind, we shall not be surprised to meet with many things in the internal history of the church entirely contrary to Scripture…The love of office and pre-eminence in the Church was manifested at an early period, and many observances of mere official invention were added.”(2)

Another notes,

“At the end of the 2nd century, within a little more than one hundred and fifty years after the first preaching of the gospel, it is obvious to remark the changes already introduced into the Christian church. Christianity began already to wear the garb of heathenism. The seeds of most of those errors that afterwards so entirely overran the church, marred its beauty, and tarnished its glory, were already beginning to take root. Ministerial parity, which had undoubtedly existed under the ministry of the apostles, was now beginning to yield to the encroachments of ambition, and that distinction of grades began to be established that ended in the Papal Hierarchy.”(3)

So let’s get this right and make no mistake about it. This is where it all starts. This is where it always starts when the church is on its way off the tracks; selfish ambition. There’s just never enough room for the big heads of power hungry bafoons that bloat their way through the hallways of church history leaving everything of grace and mercy in shambles. Such has been most of the history of the Christian church; trading progress for personal gain, promotion and a big name. Its signature is all over the current system of the church and will remain there until God removes it which He is now in the process of doing- “Whose winnowing fork is in His hand and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor…” Matt.3:12. Let’s add a very unique and interesting quote to those above and then make some more remarks.

“The apostolic fathers, as they are called, such as Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius and Barnabas, were the immediate followers of the inspired apostles. They had listened to their instructions, labored with them in the Gospel, and probably had been familiarly acquainted with them. But, not withstanding the high privileges which they enjoyed as scholars of the apostles, they very soon departed from the doctrines which had been committed to them, especially as to church government.”(4)

Please underline that last statement about three times, “they very soon departed from the doctrines which had been committed to them, especially as to church government.” Now a picture is beginning to take shape. John’s words quoted at the beginning of these articles are starting to come alive-“They went out from us..” But let’s expose something more here that has been flying under the church’s radar far too long. The so-called “church fathers”, as they have affectionately been called for so many years and from so many pulpits, are far from it. The “apostate” fathers would be a more accurate statement with so many of them. Why do we call these guys the “church fathers”? Why does history give them that status? Why has the leadership of the church down through the ages shown them such honor? Sound strange? Something missed the runway here and we haven’t even noticed! These were the guys, the initial culprits, that destroyed New Testament apostolic Christianity and everything it touched. Don’t get me wrong. Some of those who have been included as church fathers down through history were very good people and deserving to be called Christian. But far too many were abject apostates after personal glory and power. We don’t want to miss this point here. It is far too important. The true church fathers were the apostles of the New Testament- no one else, bar-none, case closed- period! I don’t know why anyone would question that. It is not only historical fact it is Biblical fact. Those who came after them were at best good Christian leaders or at worst outright corrupters of the faith. Most of them were the latter. Do yourself a favor dear reader and note this the next time some church leader or pastor sings the praises of those guys. They have no right to such status and have no say on matters of faith outside of scripture. Now back to the issue.

It was these so-called “church fathers” that led the charge away from the teachings of the apostles toward the takeover of the prelates and what is called “clericalism.” As Christianity left the first century several other church offices and positions of various sorts were invented to accommodate power hungry individuals and the massive shift of thinking. Yes, now that Christianity was taking leave of its first century “senses” opportunists were appearing everywhere to get their piece of the pie; cow-pie that is! Note the following,

“Once the Apostles (the original apostles) had died, however, a revolution took place.”(5)

And now note this,

“Arguments were drawn from the Old Testament, and in a short time, Christianity was recast in the mold of Judaism. The distinctions between bishops and presbyters, between a priestly order and the common priesthood of all believers, and the multiplication of church offices, followed rapidly as consequences.”(6)

So this was how it all began dear reader- times ten, as there is so much more that could have been said. Paul’s words, “After my departure grievous wolves shall come in…” could not have been better stated. The carnage of what these “wolves” left behind is still with us including our current subject: the loss of the apostolic office. How so many centuries can go by without the recognition by church history and the church itself as to what we lost during those critical years is mind-boggling. The more one understands the pivotal nature of an apostle’s position in the propagation of the gospel with the power and giftings they bring to the table, the more difficult if is to comprehend the utter apathy that prevails today. Those who will sleep on will sleep on. Fortunately the restoration of this vital office is not really up to man at this point. God himself is beginning to step in for its full restoration. All those who get in the way or try to draw back to a more traditional time will be left behind! Much more to say on this subject next article.

Luther Canon
Sola Scriptura

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References:

(1). Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, & Ecclesiastical Literature;
Rev. John M’Clintock and James Strong pg.553
(2) The Ancient Catholic Church; Robert Rainey pg.150
(3) Sketches of Church history; James Wharey pg.39
(4) Miller’s Church History; Andrew Miller pg.11
(5) The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries; Adolf Harnack pg.66
(6). Miller’s Church History; Andrew Miller pg.150