The Great Apostacy

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aspen

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A myth commonly held by members of 19th century post-Reformation movements like the Latter Day Saints, JWs, Adventists, Armstronism. The Great Apostacy is the belief that Christ's true church disappeared from Earth shortly after Christ's resurrection and was re-establish with a prophet associated with the start of a specific movement.

Despite the fact that there is no historical evidence for this claim, it still persists today and has crept into Comservative Prostestant doctrine. If you believe the Great Apostacy occurred, please provide evidence.
 

Helen

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:D I am coming to the place where I don't believe anything that people tell us is 'history' it seems to have all been rewritten.
The only safe person to believe is the Lord Himself!!
Pulpit preachers, historians, politicians, the Media, the medical realm, the Weather man, ...no one has the truth. :(
 

lforrest

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:D I am coming to the place where I don't believe anything that people tell us is 'history' it seems to have all been rewritten.
The only safe person to believe is the Lord Himself!!
Pulpit preachers, historians, politicians, the Media, the medical realm, the Weather man, ...no one has the truth. :(

You have the gift of cynicism.
 

aspen

“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Apr 25, 2012
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:D I am coming to the place where I don't believe anything that people tell us is 'history' it seems to have all been rewritten.
The only safe person to believe is the Lord Himself!!
Pulpit preachers, historians, politicians, the Media, the medical realm, the Weather man, ...no one has the truth. :(

Yes, truth is under attack, these days
 
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ScottA

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I take the great apostasy of 2 Thessalonians 2 to be referring to the teachings of a someday mass rapture event.
 
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ScottA

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What exactly is The Great Apostasy?
The believing of a lie of strong delusion foretold by the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2 :

The Great Apostasy
2 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
 
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twinc

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A myth commonly held by members of 19th century post-Reformation movements like the Latter Day Saints, JWs, Adventists, Armstronism. The Great Apostacy is the belief that Christ's true church disappeared from Earth shortly after Christ's resurrection and was re-establish with a prophet associated with the start of a specific movement.

Despite the fact that there is no historical evidence for this claim, it still persists today and has crept into Comservative Prostestant doctrine. If you believe the Great Apostacy occurred, please provide evidence.


look around for Peter's faith which has not, cannot and will not fail - twinc
 

pia

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:D I am coming to the place where I don't believe anything that people tell us is 'history' it seems to have all been rewritten.
The only safe person to believe is the Lord Himself!!
Pulpit preachers, historians, politicians, the Media, the medical realm, the Weather man, ...no one has the truth. :(
Amen dear Sister.... But how many will actually bother to ask Him or seek Him for the truth?
 

aspen

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The Great Apostacy that I am speaking of is the doctrine written extensively by people like Ellen White - it is the idea that Christ's church disappeared from Earth between the time of Christ and the prophet (LDS, Adventist, JW, etc)
 

FHII

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The Great Apostacy that I am speaking of is the doctrine written extensively by people like Ellen White - it is the idea that Christ's church disappeared from Earth between the time of Christ and the prophet (LDS, Adventist, JW, etc)
Well, I have to say I'm ignorant of their teachings except for the JW's. They used to come to my door on Saturday morning. I'd tie them in knots. Not because I am so brilliant, but because they aren't used to talking to someone with a foundational knowledge. I at least do have that.

My wife (when she was just my girlfriend) went to Utah and learned a bit about the LDS. She told me what she saw and heard.

I am not real impressed with either of these groups. I see nothing of the message of grace existing in the Mormon Church. And the two JW's that visited me kept speaking of wanting to be a part of the 144,000 in Revelation. Those folks are going to be blessed, but they aren't our blessing as Sons of God.

Furthermore... About this great apostrophy theory... We are God's. The apostrophy means we are His!

Oops. That was "apostasy" ... Sorry. Look. Jesus said he would be with us alway. Overall .... Yes we have moved backwards. Buthe hasn't left us.
 
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ScottA

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The Great Apostacy that I am speaking of is the doctrine written extensively by people like Ellen White - it is the idea that Christ's church disappeared from Earth between the time of Christ and the prophet (LDS, Adventist, JW, etc)
Thanks for clarifying. Definitely a great one indeed.
 

n2thelight

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The Great Apostacy that I am speaking of is the doctrine written extensively by people like Ellen White - it is the idea that Christ's church disappeared from Earth between the time of Christ and the prophet (LDS, Adventist, JW, etc)

It's the same,ie,a falling away from the truth.
 

n2thelight

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Apostasy Defined
The word itself is from the Greek word “apostasia” and is very much like renouncing or disassociating oneself from a particular religion or certain religious beliefs. It is similar to a rejection of beliefs that were once held and accepting different beliefs and might even be a renunciation of the beliefs that were previously held. For example, is someone converts to another religion, they reject or turn away from their beliefs from something they once believed and turn to believing in another, much different religion or it might be a falling away from anything to do with religion. Apostasy can also be considered abandonment or defiance of what was previously held to be true and practiced and rebelling against those same beliefs and practices. Someone or some group who does this are considered an apostate.

Jude’s Warning of Apostasy
Jude wrote that he “found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3) because “certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). If someone denies that Jesus Christ is Lord, it is a departure from “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” and is considered to be an apostasy.

Paul’s Warning of Apostasy
Paul saw it happening in his day and in one of his last letters he said “the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Tim 4:1-2) and certainly any teaching from demonic forces must be an apostasy from what the true faith is which Paul said would happen “in later times.” Some would teach a prohibition on marriage while others a prohibition on certain foods (1 Tim 4:3) both of which is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ, thus showing that these who teach such things are apostates.


Peter’s Warning
Peter saw a lot of apostasy that would be coming too writing that “just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (1 Pet 2:1-3). So they exploit people with “false words” and blaspheme “the way of truth” but they will come to destruction and then condemnation.

The Apostasy of the Angels of Light
In the very last letter that Paul wrote he told Timothy that “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim 4:3-4). Anything that is taught as a “man-pleaser” or to tickle the ears, must be considered apostasy for anything taken away from or added to the gospel makes it another gospel entirely and one that is altogether different and isn’t really a gospel at all (Gal 1:7). There are certainly a lot of apostate teachers and preachers out there today. Paul would identify “such men [as] false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds” (2 Cor 11:13-15). An apostate teacher or preacher is disguised “as an angel of light” meaning they look like they’re teaching the gospel but they’re really apostates and what they teach is actually apostasy or the doctrine of demons.


Guarding Against Apostate Teachings

One of the best ways to discern apostasy from the real gospel is to be consistently in the Word of God and why the author of Hebrews wrote that “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Heb 5:13-14) so if someone is not growing in biblical knowledge (lives on milk) rather than knowing more biblical knowledge (on solid food) their powers of discernment are not trained by constant practice in the Word and thus, cannot “distinguish good from evil” teachings by apostates.



Professing or Possessing
A lot of people profess to know and teach the truth but if it varies any at all from what the Bible teaches, then mark this; they are apostates. That is according to what the Bible teaches and not based upon my own opinion. Paul tells Titus to “rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth” (Titus 1:13-14) because “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16). Anyone can profess but not all possess true faith in Jesus Christ and certainly not all teach it.

Conclusion
The Bible warns us that “in the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2 Tim 3:1) and many will have “the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:5). The best way to avoid apostasy and reject the teachings of apostates is to be reading the Word of God, study the Word of God, and listen to good expository biblical teachings in church, at Sunday school or in a local Bible study. The best way to identify the counterfeit is to know the genuine article.

What Is Apostasy? A Biblical Definition of Apostasy

 

breathofdesire

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A myth commonly held by members of 19th century post-Reformation movements like the Latter Day Saints, JWs, Adventists, Armstronism. The Great Apostacy is the belief that Christ's true church disappeared from Earth shortly after Christ's resurrection and was re-establish with a prophet associated with the start of a specific movement.

Despite the fact that there is no historical evidence for this claim, it still persists today and has crept into Comservative Prostestant doctrine. If you believe the Great Apostacy occurred, please provide evidence.
The Mormons also believe in the apostasy

Here is a link to that information.

Great Apostasy - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion - MormonWiki
 

pia

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@aspen Surely we have been seeing a great falling away taking place right before our eyes ? Jeez a lot of places you can't even mention Jesus' name anymore, and just yesterday I saw on the Australian news that people are puzzled because the shops have removed the word Christmas from the boxes of fake Christmas trees....My issue is not whether or not trees are a Christian thing, but what that sort of thinking and hiding it away means for believers and the newest generation, brought up with almost zero reminders of what Jesus has done for us... :(
 
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aspen

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@aspen Surely we have been seeing a great falling away taking place right before our eyes ? Jeez a lot of places you can't even mention Jesus' name anymore, and just yesterday I saw on the Australian news that people are puzzled because the shops have removed the word Christmas from the boxes of fake Christmas trees....My issue is not whether or not trees are a Christian thing, but what that sort of thinking and hiding it away means for believers and the newest generation, brought up with almost zero reminders of what Jesus has done for us... :(

This is not what I am talking about
 

Job

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My issue is not whether or not trees are a Christian thing, but what that sort of thinking and hiding it away means for believers and the newest generation, brought up with almost zero reminders of what Jesus has done for us... :(


Christmas is a commercial enterprise. It has nothing to do with God.

o