apostasy

[MarkHooper]

Was there really an apostasy?

[broach972]

NO

[Charles Sloan]

Was there really an apostasy?

There still is.

[MarkHooper]

 Wow ! I didn't think I would get that much of a variation. I'm skeptical of it because it doesn't fit any known Biblical history. However if I'm correct Jesus said the church will never be in hell thus meaning I think no apostasy.

[James Rondon]

However if I'm correct Jesus said the church will never be in hell

Actually, He said that "the gates of hell [hades] shall not prevail against it". This means that those who belong to Him (His church) would not be left in the grave, or hades. Why? As He also said in another place, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Interestingly enough, the Greek word that is translated, here, as "believeth", is written in a tense that does not refer merely to a moment of mental assent, or a belief at some point in the past. Thus, "apostasy" is not only possible in the personal sense, it is also possible in the general, or overall sense.

[Jimbob]

I'm skeptical of it becuase it doesn't fit any known Biblical history.

This is a curious sentence.  Would you mind defining what it is that you refer to as "Biblical history" (it's a bit confusing since very little of the history of the church is contained the Bible at all).

[MarkHooper]

I'm skeptical of it because it doesn't fit any known Biblical history.

This is a curious sentence.  Would you mind defining what it is that you refer to as "Biblical history" (it's a bit confusing since very little of the history of the church is contained the Bible at all).

Yes Biblical history is simply any history recorded in the Bible. And your right there is little of the history of the church. This means any apostasy understood as so had to take place after the Bible NT was finished. Also this means two things any apostasy had to be recorded as secular history or the Bible prophesied about it. 

[zoonance]

I'm skeptical of it becuase it doesn't fit any known Biblical history.

This is a curious sentence.  Would you mind defining what it is that you refer to as "Biblical history" (it's a bit confusing since very little of the history of the church is contained the Bible at all).

and what little is there has little to do with or application for the mature, now we get it 2007/2008 church... it would seem by some posts.   What is apostasy then?

[Dunamite]

1 John 2:  18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

False teachers are in the church. They were there in the early days when Peter, Paul, James and John warned us. They are here now. Apostasy is real. The only way to protect yourself is to put on the armor of God, as suggested by Paul. We are to be meek, but also wise. Most of us manage to be meek as lambs, but wisdom is not so easy to come by. It comes only from the Holy Spirit. Too many Christians blindly submit.

Blessings,
Dunamite

[MarkHooper]

1 John 2:  18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

and what little is there has little to do with or application for the mature, now we get it 2007/2008 church... it would seem by some posts.   What is apostasy then?

Apostasy in simple terms is just falling away. However apostasy as a story aimed at a particular time in order to make other more modern claims has no merit. The view is back then the  whole church fell away today modern intellectuals or prophets interpret God's will perfectly have restored the truth. For instance the story of denominations is for  debunking it and claim their sect is the true church.

Also apostasy in the backdrop of new testament writings creates big challenges.

[Gillian]

Was there really an apostasy?

There is. Look around you, in the world today.

[ravenlorre]

Was there really an apostasy?

No one outside of a 19th century heresy believes in an apostacy.

blessings

[marc]

Was there really an apostasy?

No one outside of a 19th century heresy believes in an apostacy.

blessings

I don't know.  I doubt many of the people posting here were around in the 19th century--just me and a few others. 

(I always cringe at absolute qualifiers like "no one".)

On another note, some of you greekers can tell me this--what's the word for "church" in the "gates of Hell" passage?  I'm too lazy to look it up.

[MarkHooper]

On another note, some of you greekers can tell me this--what's the word for "church" in the "gates of Hell" passage?  I'm too lazy to look it up.

The word church is from the idea of call to assemble its root concept come from the political gatherings in the Roman times. This also brings up another issue like apostasy in that the transliteration of the word used in the KJV some have speculated it was a conspiracy to modify the word into a place or building. However when Jesus used the word it was used as a symbolic term to describe his spiritual kingdom.