01.21. Departures From The Faith
Fundamental Bible Studies
Lesson 21 Topic: Departures From The Faith Suggested Memory Verse: 1 Timothy 4:1
God has given the pattern for His church in the New Testament. God declared through Paul that the scriptures make us perfect and thoroughly furnish us unto every good work, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. He pronounces a curse upon those who would add to His word or subtract from it. Revelation 22:18-19; Galatians 1:6-9. God has forbidden us to teach the doctrines and commandments of men, Matthew 15:9. The New Testament is God’s pattern - - it tells everything God wants us to know, to believe and to do. The early church was guided by the New Testament as we are now. They received it from the inspired men while we receive it from the inspired Book. While the apostles were living there were men who chose to depart from the faith. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work”. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 Various Inventions of Men 1.About A.D.120 Holy Water was introduced into churches.
2. About A.D. 157 the doctrine of penance was introduced. The Bible teaches repentance and prayer for Christians who sin (Acts 8:22) but it does not mention penance.
3. About A.D. 593 purgatory was invented. Hell is mentioned in the Bible and people who will go there cannot get out. Purgatory is an invention of men - a money-making scheme as people pay to get their loved ones prayed from purgatory.
4. Mechanical instruments of music were first introduced into some churches about A.D. 658 though their use did not become general until about the 14th century. The only kind of music in New Testament churches was singing.
Church Government
The New Testament provides for each congregation of Christians to be independent using the New Testament as their only guide. Each congregation selected its own elders - - faithful Christians meeting certain requirements which are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-16 and Titus 1:1-16. Soon men had ONE elder ruling over one church; later over several churches. This system of government, patterned after the Roman Empire, finally resulted in the selection of a universal one man head, the pope. The first pope claiming world-wide power was in A.D. 606.
1.Did Peter allow men to bow down to him? Acts 10:26 _ _ _ _ _ 2.What did Paul do to Peter? Galatians 2:11 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3.What is the authority in the N.T. church today? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4.What did Jesus say about titles? Matthew 23:9 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Sprinkling for Baptism
About A.D. 251 Novation was too ill to be baptized. It was agreed to sprinkle him on condition that if he recovered, he would be immersed. He recovered but refused to be baptized. Pope Stephen II about A.D. 753 agreed that pouring of water on an infant would be counted acceptable baptism. At the council of Ravenna, Italy, in A.D.1311, a Catholic council voted and decreed that “immersion or sprinkling is indifferent.” There is no higher authority for sprinkling than the Catholic church.
1.Where did John baptize? Matthew 3:6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2.Who was in the water when the eunuch was baptized? Acts 8:38 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3.What is baptism declared to be? Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12 _ _ _ _ _ _ How many are there? Ephesians 4:5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Other Changes That Were Made
The list of departures from the faith could almost become endless. Nearly every generation produces new ones. It is our duty to teach the truth and to fight false doctrine. Jude 1:3 1.The Lord’s Supper was corrupted into the mass, a thing not mentioned in the Bible.
2. Human names were substituted for divine names. The names of men were even applied to churches and thus we hear of Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, etc.
3. Man’s authority was substituted for Christ’s authority.
(See Matthew 28:18)
4. Heathen customs and feasts, pageantry and show were substituted for simple New Testament worship.
5. Holy days– Lent, Easter, Christmas, Good Friday, etc., began to be observed instead of a simple meeting of the saints every Lord’s Day.
6. The mourner’s bench, “praying through” and “personal experiences” were substituted for faith, repentance, confession and baptism.