Question 03: Did, then, the church of God here on earth completely cease to exist during the time...

Question 03: Did, then, the church of God here on earth completely cease to exist during the time that the early ordinance of baptism was no longer observed?

Answer: If the early ordinance of baptism had ceased to exist, then, of course, the church of Christ would also have ceased to exist. Even if there had been souls here and there who lamented the great apostasy, they could not have been called a church. However, we believe, and it can also be shown from the ancient histories, that the early form of baptism as ordained by the ordinance of Christ has never ceased to exist. Consequently, the church has likewise never ceased to exist, even if there were but few members.