Apostacy

Apostasy means, very simply, a falling away, a digression from what once was. The word apostasy comes directly from the Greek word in the Bible. Some of our English translations will use the word apostasy, while others will use the expression, falling away, and then on other occasions, the word is translated as forsake. And so when we talk about apostasy, we’re talking about forsaking something, and in our context, we’re talking about forsaking the truth. Forsaking the truth and authority of God’s word. Forsaking the way the Bible teaches us to live and conduct ourselves. Forsaking the way the Bible tells us the church is to worship and work and function. Forsaking the pure and true doctrine that is revealed to us in the Word

Now this subject of apostasy relates to talking about Christianity and the New Testament church, because the religious society that we know today in our world, is a product, of apostasy, that is to say, that so much of what we see and know of quote “Christianity” is not what we read of in the Bible, rather, it’s a result of forsaking what is written in the Bible. it is a result of men turning away from the New Testament church, and inventing and forming their own kinds of churches, churches that may in a number of ways resemble the New Testament church, but have nonetheless wandered away from the truth.

Let us understand that apostasy is a serious matter, and what we need to do in our times, is think back beyond and before the apostasy of man, and discover what the truth of God’s word says about Christianity and His church. Let’s consider the warning, and the condemnation of apostasy, as recorded in God’s word. Let’s just think about the New Testament as a whole, and the subject of apostasy. Does the New Testament in fact discuss, or warn of, apostasy? Well if you know much of anything about the Bible, you know the Bible is a book filled with the history of, warnings of, and condemnations of falling away, and forsaking the Lord.

The Old Testament records for us more of a history of Israel falling away from the Lord than it does of Israel being faithful to the Lord. In the New Testament, very quickly after the church was established, apostasy set in. Christians turned away from the truth, and went into error. And thus so much of what we read about in the New Testament is a warning of apostasy. Virtually every book in the New Testament, where the church has come into existence, apostasy is warned about, taught about, and condemned. That means we can start in Acts, and go all the way through to Revelation, and read warnings about apostasy.

Just think of the Bible as a big library, which is literally is, and as we pull out each of the New Testament letters, we find these warnings of apostasy, stated in a variety of ways, often by telling Christians to learn from the mistakes of Israel.

ACTS

Chapter 20:28-31

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

ROMANS

Chapter 9:31-32

but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

1 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 10:11-12

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

2 CORINTHIANS

Chapter 11:3-4

But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

GALATIANS

Chapter 1:6

II am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

EPHESIANS

Chapter 5:6-7

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them;

PHILIPPIANS

Chapter 3:2

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;

COLOSSIANS

Chapter 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

1 THESSALONIANS

Chapter 3:5

For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor should be in vain.

2 THESSALONIANS

Chapter 2:3

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

1 TIMOTHY

Chapter 1:3-4 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

2 TIMOTHY

Chapter 4:3-4

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

TITUS

Chapter 1:13-14

This testimony is true. For this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith, Titus 1:14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

HEBREWS

Chapter 2:1-3

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

JAMES

Chapter 1:14-16

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

1 PETER

Chapter 3:15

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

2 PETER

Chapter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

1 JOHN

Chapter 2:18

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.

2 JOHN

Verses 8-9

Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

3 JOHN

Verses 9-10

I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church.

JUDE

Verse 4

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

REVELATION

Chapter 3:2-3

'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 'Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.

The Bible is concerned about apostasy. Over and over and over again in the New Testament, we find examples of God’s people being threatened from inside and out with digression. Virtually every letter of the New Testament contains warnings and admonishments about forsaking the Lord, and the truth. God’s people have been warned about defecting from the faith from the very start, and those warnings are so very justified, as throughout history there have been many digressions by God’s people into error.

It’s one thing to become a Christian, it’s quite another to faithfully remain a Christian. Let us beware of apostasy, and let us identify apostasy. We must see the difference between truth and error, we must make our plea to the religious world, to return to the Bible, to the truth, and turn away from apostasy.

-Derek Chambers