Should the "early church" of the immediate post-apostolic era be our guide and instructor in matters of doctrine? Many would say, "Yes.", since they were so close to the Apostle's time. And common sense would seem to indicate that to be the logical answer. But, that may not be as logical as it sounds if we consult the scripture in these matters.
Paul was expecting apostasy in the immediate future before the close of his ministry. Speaking to the Ephesian Elders, Paul said, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29,30) Notice that Paul expected apostasy to arise among the very leaders of this church! No doubt many of these men had even been discipled by the Apostle, yet they would turn apostate! No doubt that their "apostolic connection" would only further the force of their false teachings.
At the end of his life, Paul noted that many had turned away from him. In II Timothy 1:15, Paul sadly noted, "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes." May I suggest that this turning away from Paul wasn't just personal, it also represented a departure from his teachings?
Having read a fair amount of early church material, it seems fair to me to suggest that this trend continued after the Apostle's death. The early church writers just did not seem to grasp Pauline doctrine very well. Indeed, Paul was very pessimistic concerning the days that lay ahead. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." (II Timothy 4:2,3) It seems that Paul did not have high hopes for the "successors" of the Apostles and the doctrines that they would proclaim!
The Church simply cannot have a faith founded on the traditions of men. Jesus warned the Pharisees of his day against taking man made traditions as their guide in spiritual matters. The Pharisees had erred greatly in looking to centuries of Rabbinic writings as their source of authority. In Mark 7, Jesus upbraided the religious leaders of his day for their overthrowing of scripture in favor of Rabbinic tradition. "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." (Mark 7:6-9) Sadly, the Christian Church has failed to heed her Master's warnings. Throughout the history of the Church, there has been an accretion of man made doctrines and practices that in many cases prove toxic to the souls of men.
The Church must get back to the New Testament. And specifically, to those New Testament books especially addressed to the body of Christ. There is contained the traditions handed down by Christ himself to his hand-picked, chosen representatives. Paul urged the Thessalonian believers to hold to those traditions received directly from the Apostle himself. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (II Thessalonians 2:15) Note that the traditions to be stood on were those that were received from Paul's writing and teaching. Indeed, Paul identified his Apostolic teaching as commandments having come from the Lord himself. "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." (I Corinthians 14:37) Having been written under divine inspiration, by God's appointed representatives, Scripture is fully sufficient to be the sole source of our appeal in establishing doctrine for the body of Christ. Paul directed Timothy to the scriptures as that source alone sufficient for teaching authority. "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (II Timothy 3:15-17) Certainly, we can build our faith on nought but God's Holy Word. Nothing else will suffice.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
The Lie of the Last Days
I believe the Epistle of I John has an end time aspect. It is a highly prophetic book. I think it is time that we look at it more in that light. The conditions described in I John are the same conditions given by Jesus in Matthew 24, dealing with the Great Tribulation. These conditions include:
False Christs (comp. I John 2:18 and Matt. 24:4,5,23,24),
Anti-Christ (comp. I John 2:18,22; 4:3 and Matt. 24:15,16),
False Prophets (comp. I John 4:1 with Matt. 24:11,24),
Doctrines of Devils (comp. I John 4:3 with I Tim. 4:1).
Given that I John seems to be an end time book, I believe it also gives us a glimpse into the specific deception which will be prevalent in the last days. There is a specific form of deception that was in John's mind when he wrote this epistle. That deception was Gnosticism. In the very opening verse of this epistle, John began a salvo attacking this heresy.
Writing in the second century, Irenaeus described John's conflict with the Gnostic Cerinthus. Irenaeus also described some of the Gnostic teachings of Cerinthus:
Cerinthus asserted that Jesus was born the son of Joseph and Mary according to the normal means of human generation, thus denying the Virgin Birth.
Cerinthus denied that Jesus and the Christ were one and the same. Cerinthus maintained that the Christ descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove at his baptism. Cerinthus also maintained that the Christ left Jesus prior to the crucifixion, and that it was Jesus, not Christ, who suffered on the cross.
Gnostic beliefs also included the following doctrines:
They believed that the material world is evil. Thus, they denied the possibility of the incarnation. Christ could have never come in the flesh according to their doctrines.
They believed that there was a true God, referred to by some Gnostics as "Abraxas". Beneath that supreme deity, there was a hierarchy of lesser gods known as the Pleroma. Christ was one of those beings and his consort was Sophia. Sophia had given birth to an evil being, called the Demiurge, who created the material world. The Demiurge was the Jehovah of the OT according to Gnostic belief. Thus, in the story of the fall in Genesis 3, it was the serpent, not Jehovah, who is the "hero" of the story. In Gnostic belief, Jesus came to declare the true God.
Gnostics maintained that Mary Magdalene had a closer relationship with Jesus than the Twelve. They believed that Jesus had communicated secret doctrine to Mary that he didn't communicate to the Twelve. Thus, Mary had superior enlightenment, and Gnostics identified themselves as the carriers of that secret doctrine. The modern idea that Jesus was married stems from these Gnostic teachings.
Gnostics interpreted Christian doctrine through the lens of Platonic philosophy. A Victorian scholar said that Gnosticism was Platonism run wild.
Gnostics taught that salvation comes from within. God is within the self in Gnostic thought, and salvation is found when you turn inward.
Gnostics held that God was both Mother/Father.
Gnosticism was a philosophy of subjectivism. No Gnostic believer was expected to look at scripture as an objective criteria of truth.
Gnostics emphasized the charismatic gifts, believing that each Gnostic could receive new revelation from God. It is interesting to note the prevalence of "Charismatic" doctrines today.
The Gnostics held an egalitarian view of the sexes. Male leadership was rejected and Gnostic women served as priests, bishops, and prophets.
Gnostics denied the literal interpretation of scripture.
It seems that the trends of the day are moving in these directions. That would be expected since I John is an end time epistle describing the deception of the last days.
False Christs (comp. I John 2:18 and Matt. 24:4,5,23,24),
Anti-Christ (comp. I John 2:18,22; 4:3 and Matt. 24:15,16),
False Prophets (comp. I John 4:1 with Matt. 24:11,24),
Doctrines of Devils (comp. I John 4:3 with I Tim. 4:1).
Given that I John seems to be an end time book, I believe it also gives us a glimpse into the specific deception which will be prevalent in the last days. There is a specific form of deception that was in John's mind when he wrote this epistle. That deception was Gnosticism. In the very opening verse of this epistle, John began a salvo attacking this heresy.
Writing in the second century, Irenaeus described John's conflict with the Gnostic Cerinthus. Irenaeus also described some of the Gnostic teachings of Cerinthus:
Cerinthus asserted that Jesus was born the son of Joseph and Mary according to the normal means of human generation, thus denying the Virgin Birth.
Cerinthus denied that Jesus and the Christ were one and the same. Cerinthus maintained that the Christ descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove at his baptism. Cerinthus also maintained that the Christ left Jesus prior to the crucifixion, and that it was Jesus, not Christ, who suffered on the cross.
Gnostic beliefs also included the following doctrines:
They believed that the material world is evil. Thus, they denied the possibility of the incarnation. Christ could have never come in the flesh according to their doctrines.
They believed that there was a true God, referred to by some Gnostics as "Abraxas". Beneath that supreme deity, there was a hierarchy of lesser gods known as the Pleroma. Christ was one of those beings and his consort was Sophia. Sophia had given birth to an evil being, called the Demiurge, who created the material world. The Demiurge was the Jehovah of the OT according to Gnostic belief. Thus, in the story of the fall in Genesis 3, it was the serpent, not Jehovah, who is the "hero" of the story. In Gnostic belief, Jesus came to declare the true God.
Gnostics maintained that Mary Magdalene had a closer relationship with Jesus than the Twelve. They believed that Jesus had communicated secret doctrine to Mary that he didn't communicate to the Twelve. Thus, Mary had superior enlightenment, and Gnostics identified themselves as the carriers of that secret doctrine. The modern idea that Jesus was married stems from these Gnostic teachings.
Gnostics interpreted Christian doctrine through the lens of Platonic philosophy. A Victorian scholar said that Gnosticism was Platonism run wild.
Gnostics taught that salvation comes from within. God is within the self in Gnostic thought, and salvation is found when you turn inward.
Gnostics held that God was both Mother/Father.
Gnosticism was a philosophy of subjectivism. No Gnostic believer was expected to look at scripture as an objective criteria of truth.
Gnostics emphasized the charismatic gifts, believing that each Gnostic could receive new revelation from God. It is interesting to note the prevalence of "Charismatic" doctrines today.
The Gnostics held an egalitarian view of the sexes. Male leadership was rejected and Gnostic women served as priests, bishops, and prophets.
Gnostics denied the literal interpretation of scripture.
It seems that the trends of the day are moving in these directions. That would be expected since I John is an end time epistle describing the deception of the last days.
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