Apostasy: After the death of the Apostles

Lets make things clearer.

What the INC believe is that the church that was established by Christ in the 1st century that is, the Church of Christ or Christian Church, (the became "Catholic Church") was fallen to apostasy, meaning:

"Definition: 1- Turning or falling away from true gospel teachings as individuals or as a people." source: about.com

because of creating/formulating/adding/subtracting and so on to what is written in the Scriptures. And if the Catholic Church have doctrines that is not from the bible and not from the faith of the 1st century Christians, then it is indeed fallen away from the TRUE GOSPEL that is called APOSTASY.

But, sadly, many Catholics cannot accept that FACT. Because as they say, their church is the continuation of the church in the 1st century, what happened is apostolic succession, and so Christ has a promise.

Questions:
1.What apostolic succession? Does the doctrines of the Catholic Church "APOSTOLIC"? Meaning, FROM THE APOSTLES?
2. What promise? Did Christ said, whatever happened in his church it will never apostatized even if he and the apostles died?

A Catholic, named Ryan have asked us this in my post when and how apostasy occurred?:

"When has the so called Church APOSTASY became UNIVERSAL, COMPLETE and DEFINITIVE?"

FACTS:
1. Apostasy is a prophecy from the bible.
2. The INC teaches about Apostasy not his so called "Church Apostasy".
3. It is not the INC, the only Christian religion in the world believe that the church that was established by Christ had fallen to Apostasy.

The Apostasy occurred in Christ's church (that became "Catholic Church") is called Great Apostasy.

"The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to describe a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Papacy which allowed the traditional Roman mysteries and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus and idol worship back into the church, and that in their opinion not representative of the faith founded by Jesus and his twelve Apostles: in short, that the church has fallen into apostasy." source: wikipedia

for more, click here.



Understanding Mt. 16:18
Catholic church's evidence of "Christ's promise":

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Mat. 16:18

But, what "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" mean?

“…. and death itself will not have any power over it.” Contemporary English bible

“….and the power of death will not be able to defeat it.” New century version

“…. and the forces of Hades will not overpower it.“Holman Christian standard bible

“….The power of death will not destroy it.” Worldwide English

"The word katiscuvsousin occurs only three times in the New Testament (Matt 16:18; Luke 21:36, 23:23), and it is derived from katiscuvw, which means “to win a victory over.” In other words, the power of death will not win a victory over the church. It makes sense that the antecedent for aujth'" refers to ejkklhsiva rather than pevtra since “church” is closer in proximity. Therefore, the church, as an eschatological community, will never die or come to an end." source: bible.org
The death that will not overcome the "church" is the death that is the full payment of sin, which is the second death in the lake of fire (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14). It is from that death, that members (of Christ's church) are spared or saved on Judgment day. What Christ is saying is that there is resurrection of life:

"Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." john 5:28-29

There are two kinds of resurrection: One that is to life and the other is to condemnation. Those who are included in the first resurrection of the dead are the fortunate ones who will be raised from the dead at the return of Christ and meet him in the air. Those who are still alive will no longer taste the first death, for they shall be caught up together with the ones resurrected first:

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." I thess. 4:16-17

But where will we end up?

In the Holy City where we will have a life that is glorious:

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Rev. 21:1-4

Notice that in Holy City, there will be no more death. The ones can hope for this are the members (of Christ's church). So considering that the church of Christ will not be overcome by death, is it any wonder that we, members, give such great value to the Church? (Pasugo July 2011)


After the death of the Apostles
Again, what the INC believe is that the 1st century church of christ (the church that was established by christ) is the true church, and the faith of the 1st century christians is what should we believe, not the teachings/doctrines/dogmas and so on that the latter administration or those who took over the church after the apostles CREATED/FORMULATED.

Again, i will post about the prophecy concerning Apostasy:

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will come, except there come a falling away first…” II thess 2:3

“…for it will not come until after the great apostasy…” (II thess 2:3 twentieth century new testament)

Wait, what's this? On twentieth century new testament it says about the GREAT APOSTASY, hmmmm...

"Don't you remember? I told you all this while I was with you. Yet there is something that keeps this from happening now, and you know what it is. At the proper time, then, the Wicked One will appear. The Mysterious Wickedness is already at work, but what is going to happen will not happen until the one who holds it back is taken out of the way." II thess. 2:5-7

You can notice here that in the time of the Apostles, wickedness is ALREADY AT WORK but there is something that KEEPS THAT FROM HAPPENING. and it will not happen UNTIL the one who HOLDS it will be taken out of the way.

Lets proceed if who's referring to this...

"I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them." Acts 20:29-30

This is Apostle Paul, we can see who HOLDS or KEEPS THAT FROM HAPPENING.

What does Apostle Paul "after i leave" mean?

"As for me, the hour has come for me to be sacrificed; the time is here for me to leave this life." II tim. 4:6

What Apostle Paul is referring is his death, that's why whom HOLDS apostasy from happening are the APOSTLES.

"Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition)," (II thess. 2:3 amplified bible)

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Apostle James, son of Zebedee died A.D 44
Apostle Jude died A.D 65
Apostle Paul died A.D 67
Apostle Peter died A.D 67
and the last apostle to die, Apostle John died A.D 100

Just some of the 12 Apostles, all died in the 1st century. Most of the teachings of the Catholic Church only showed up in 2nd century and beyond.

"Doctrine was further refined by a series of influential theologians and teachers, known collectively as the Church Fathers. From the year 100 onward, proto-orthodox teachers like Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus defined Catholic teaching in stark opposition to other things, such as Gnosticism. In the first few centuries of its existence, the Church formed its teachings and traditions into a systematic whole under the influence of theological apologists such as Pope Clement I, Justin Martyr and Augustine of Hippo." source: wikipedia

200 AD	Immersion of infants who are dying, but considered sinless. (Tertullian V.12)
250 AD	North Africa region is first to practice infant baptism and reduced the age of baptism from minors to all newborns. This is opposed by other regions.
257 AD	Baptism by sprinkling for adults instead of immersion first used as an exception for those on sick beds, but it caused great dispute.
300 AD	Prayers for the dead
320 AD	Special dress code of the clergy in worship
325 AD	At the general council of Nice, 325, it was proposed indeed, probably by the Western bishop Hosius, to forbid entirely the marriage of priests; but the motion met with strong opposition, and was rejected.
325 AD	The date for Easter was set.
379 AD	Praying to Mary & Saints. (prayers of Ephraim Syrus)
385 AD	In the West, the first prohibition of clerical marriage, which laid claim to universal ecclesiastical authority, proceeded in 385 from the Roman church in the form of a decretal letter of the bishop Siricius to Himerius, bishop of Tarragona in Spain.
389 AD	Mariolatry begins with Gregory Nazianzen, who mentions in a eulogy, how Justina had besought the virgin Mary to protect her virginity.
400 AD	Impossibility of apostasy or once saved always saved, (Augustine XII.9)
416 AD	Infant baptism by immersion commanded of all infants (Council Of Mela, Austin was the principal director)
430 AD	Exhalation of Virgin Mary: "Mother of God" first applied by the Council of Ephesus
502 AD	Special dress code of the Clergy all the time.
500 AD	The "Habit" of Nuns (Black gowns with white tunics)
519 AD	Lent
526 AD	Extreme Unction
593 AD	The Doctrine of Purgatory popularized from the Apocrypha by Gregory the Great
600 AD	First use of Latin in worship (Gregory I)
Beginning of the Orthodox/Roman Catholic church as we know it today in its present organization.
607 AD	First Pope: Boniface III is the first person to take the title of "universal Bishop" by decree of Emperor Phocas.
608 AD	Pope Boniface IV. turns the Pantheon in Rome into a temple of Mary ad martyres: the pagan Olympus into a Christian heaven of gods.
670 AD	Instrumental music: first organ by Pope Vitalian
709 AD	Kissing of Pope Constantine’s feet
753 AD	Baptism by sprinkling for those on sick beds officially accepted.
787 AD	Worship of icons and statue approved (2nd council of Nicea)
787 AD	Rome (Latin) and Constantinople (Greek) part ways and begin the drift towards complete split, resulting in two denominations emerging in 1054 AD.
965 AD	Baptism of bells instituted by Pope John XIII
850 AD	Burning of Holy Candles
995 AD	Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV
998 AD	Good Friday: fish only and the eating-red meat forbidden
1009 AD	Holy water
1022 AD	Penance
1054 AD	Roman Catholic church breaks away from the Orthodox church
1054 AD	Roman Catholics officially embrace instrumental music, Orthodox reject instrumental music down to the present time.
1079 AD	Celibacy enforced for priests, bishops, presbyters (Pope Gregory VII)
1090 AD	Rosary beads: invented by Peter the Hermit
1095 AD	Instrumental music
1190 AD	Sale of Indulgences or "tickets to sin" (punishment of sin removed)
1215 AD	Transubstantiation by Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council
1215 AD	Auricular Confession of sins to priests instituted by Pope Innocent III, (Lateran Council)
1215 AD	Mass a Sacrifice of Christ
1217 AD	Adoration and Elevation of Host: ie. communion bread (Pope Honrius III)
1230 AD	Ringing bells at Mass
1251 AD	The Scapular, the brown cloak worn by monks invented by Simon Stock
1268 AD	Priestly power of absolution
1311 AD	Baptism by sprinkling accepted as the universal standard instead of immersion for all, not just the sick. (Council of Ravenna)
1414 AD	Laity no longer offered Lord's cup at communion (Council of Constance)
1439 AD	Purgatory a dogma by the Council of Florence (see 593 AD)
1439 AD	Doctrine of Seven Sacraments affirmed
1480 AD	The Inquisition (of Spain)
1495 AD	Papal control of marriage rights
1534 AD	Order of Jesuits founded by Loyola
1545 AD	Man-made tradition of church made equal to Bible (Council of Trent)
1545 AD	Apocryphal books added to Bible (Council of Trent)
1546 AD	Justification by human works of merit
1546 AD	Mass universally said in Latin (see 600 AD)
1547 AD	Confirmation
1560 AD	Personal opinions of Pope Pius IV imposed as the official creed
1864 AD	Syllabus Errorum [Syllabus of Errors] proclaimed that "Catholic countries" could not tolerate other religions, (no freedom of religion), conscience, separation of church and State condemned, asserted the Pope's temporal authority over all civil rulers (Ratified by Pope Pius IX and Vatican Council) condemned
1870 AD	Infallibility of Pope (Vatican council)
1908 AD	All Catholics should be christened into the church
1930 AD	Public Schools condemned by Pope Pius XII (see 1864 AD)
1950 AD	Sinners prayer, invented by Billy Sunday and made popular by Billy Graham. (Some Catholics now use this)
1950 AD	Assumption of the body of the Virgin Mary into heaven shortly after her death. (Pope Pius XII)
1954 AD	Immaculate conception of Mary proclaimed by Pope Pius XII
1995 AD	The use of girls in the traditional alter boy duties
1996 AD	Catholics can believe in Evolution (Pope John Paul II)

source: bible.ca


You can also look on my post Still the original church?


Apostasy of the 1st century church of Christ
Let's go back on the argument of a Catholic named Ryan,

"When has the so called Church APOSTASY became UNIVERSAL, COMPLETE and DEFINITIVE?"

He accused us of not answering his simple question even though the comments on that post reached 200+ comments! Look here.

First of all, he wanted us to answer him by giving an exact date or year when this happened, about "universal, complete and definitive apostasy" of the church, where i already answered about this in my post. I said, the apostasy happened AFTER THE DEATH OF THE APOSTLES.

But still, he complained that his question still unanswered. I said to him: why do you wanted us to answer "WHEN THE CHURCH APOSTASY became universal, complete and definitive" if we dont have that doctrine in the first place?

I already confirmed in that post:

"Walang IISANG petsa ang pagtalikod ng Iglesia Katolika. Bawat pagbabago sa aral ay PAGTALIKOD."(There is no exact date on Catholic church's apostasy. Every changes in the teaching is apostasy.) Pasugo issue march-april 1980

Just look again the contents above (Catholic doctrines), how can we determine the exact date or year when it happened if in the first place, changes/adding of doctrines does not occurred in just 1 day or 1 year?

I asked him these questions for his argument end(but he is afraid to answer until now!):

1.Kung ipinag utos ba ng papa sa roma o mga emperador doon na sumamba sa rebulto at larawan, ang utos ba na yon ay sa simbahan lang sa roma??? (If the Pope or Emperor in Rome will command to worship idols and images, is that command only for the church in Rome?)

2. Hindi ba iyon pambuong kautusan ibg sabhin para sa lahat ng katoliko sa buong mundo? (Is it not for the catholics in the world?)

3. Kung mag kaka isa kayo na sambahin ang rebulto at larawan(dahil ito ay naging credo na) ang susunod ba nito ay yung mga nag utos lang? (emperador o ang papa) o ang buong katoliko sa buong mundo? (If catholics will be united in worshiping idols and images because it is in the creed for example, the ones who will follow this command is only the emperor or pope, OR the catholics in the world?)

4. Ang church ay pwede ring tumukoy sa members,dba, ang apostasy ay ang pagtalikod sa tunay na aral,dba, kung ipinag utos na halimbawa na sambahin ang rebulto at larawan, at ang lahat ng myembro ay sumunod dito,at sapagkat itoy taliwas sa utos ng dyos, hindi pa rin ba ito pwedeng sabihin na "the church(members) had fallen to apostasy?" (the word "church" can also refer to "members", right?, Apostasy means turning away from the true gospel, right?, If it is commanded to worship idols and images, and the whole members will follow to this, and because it contradicts God's commandment, is it not right to say "that the church (members) had fallen to apostasy"?)

5. Nung 2nd centry wala na si kristo, wala ng apostol,(sa pagkakaalam ko) at ang mga lider na nito ay ang mga sumunod nakung sino-sino, church fathers, at emerador, ibig sabihin sila na ang may hawak sa CHURCH, kung mag uutos sila ng mga doktrina na hindi naman galing sa mga apostol at kay kristo,at ang iba pay labag sa utos na nasa bibliya, hindi pa rin ba natin pwedeng sabihing "the CHURCH has fallen to apostasy?" (apostasy means being lead way from the TRUE FAITH.) (In the 2nd century, Christ and Apostles had already died, and the next administration who took over the church [church fathers, emperors and etc.] If they will command us to follow a doctrine that is not from the Apostles and Christ, and others even violates teachings from the bible, is it still not right to say "that the church had fallen to apostasy"?)

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He avoided these questions, why? Because it answers his question about his so called CHURCH APOSTASY that became universal and so on...

I also made a challenge for him, a challenge that i asked to catholic defenders (like Catholic defender2000, and A priest Fr. Abe) and to others but still no one CAN DO:

"If the Catholic CHurch is still the original church based on doctrines,list atleast 10 or 5 main doctrines and/or traditions of the church with the date IT BEGAN?"

How about you, CAN YOU???^^



Strict teachings from the BIBLE

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." Revelation 22:18-19

"It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!" Mat. 15:9

So, worshiping God is useless if youre following a teaching not of God, but from humans. And if a church teaches doctrines that are not from the bible, and especially violates commandments of God therefore you will receive not blessings, but punishment from God!