Evidence of Early Apostasy in the New Testament
The foregoing passages demonstrate that Jesus and his Apostles knew that the Church which they headed would come to an end shortly after their generation. But perhaps even more striking than the prophecies of apostasy is the evidence of apostasy actually taking place as the New Testament was being written. In the writings of the Apostles we have ample evidence that as the Christian church grew so also did the cancerous elements within it that finally led to its death. The New Testament not only foretold the death of the Church, but it also recorded it as it happened. In fact, the end of the New Testament essentially heralds the end of the Church.
In order to demonstrate that fact, let us examine in chronological order several issues from the New Testament epistles. It will become apparent that as the first century progressed, the doctrinal and behavioral problems against which the Apostles struggled became increasingly severe. In the earliest letters, written midway through the first century, the Apostles had to contend with relatively harmless issues of doctrinal misunderstanding. But by the time the last letters were written at the end of the century, the heresies were so malignant that the Apostles could no longer hold back the tide of apostasy.
1 and 2 Thessalonians (ca. A.D. 50–51)
In the Thessalonian letters, the doctrinal problems to which Paul had to address himself were corrected fairly easily. In both letters, misunderstandings concerning Jesus’ second coming are evident. In 1 Thessalonians, the problem was the belief that those who were alive when the second coming took place would have an advantage over those who had died previously. (See 1 Thes. 4:13–17.) In the second letter, Paul refuted the idea that the “day of Christ” was “at hand” (2 Thes. 2:2) by prophesying of the apostasy that would precede that day (see 2 Thes. 2:3–4).
We can assume that a belief such as that which Paul countered in 2 Thessalonians could have grave implications for the Church. Without examining the hypothetical possibilities, we could conclude that without Paul’s corrective letter the Thessalonian Saints may have developed greater problems. The Church was fortunate that Paul, by virtue of his apostolic priesthood authority and divinely endowed spiritual gifts, could speak the Lord’s word to ensure the integrity of the Church. One might ask, what happens to the Church when such men are no longer in it?
James (ca. mid-50s A.D.)
In the letter of James, it is clear that the Apostle was contending against incorrect ideas concerning the nature of faith in relation to Christian works. His corrective words include “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26.) An underemphasis of the works of the gospel is perhaps not the kind of problem that would bring all of Christianity to ruin, and James gave us no hint that he expected wholesale apostasy because of it. Yet those who were guilty of disregarding the importance of works had a “dead” religion, to use James’s word, and a “dead” religion certainly has no power to save. Perhaps without James’s letter more serious problems could have developed.
1 Corinthians (ca. A.D. 56)
If 1 Corinthians is a realistic indicator, the church at Corinth developed serious problems in doctrine and behavior not long after it was founded. In chapters 1 to 4 [1 Cor. 1–4], for example, Paul wrote concerning factions or divisions that had developed in the Corinthian church around various authorities. The mere thought that some may have been focusing their allegiance on him rather than on Christ was so offensive to Paul that he considered himself fortunate that he had not baptized more of them into the Church, “lest any should say that I had baptized in my own name.” (See 1 Cor. 1:10–16.) It can be argued that giving allegiance to one church leader over others is, in lesser degrees, not the stuff from which apostasy immediately develops. It is clear, however, that if left uncorrected it could bring more serious problems of allegiance and doctrine into the Church.
In chapter 5, Paul reprimanded the Corinthian Saints in the strongest of terms for allowing a case of incest to go uncorrected. He commanded in the name of the Lord that the guilty party be excommunicated. Paul said, “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” (1 Cor. 5:6), speaking of the damaging potential of allowing a moral problem as serious as incest to remain unpurged. It should be recalled that a few years later Paul prophesied that the abandonment of true religion would be accompanied by the acceptance of degenerate standards of moral behavior. (See 2 Tim. 3:1–4.)
First Corinthians deals with doctrinal heresies as well, among which were the misuse of the sacrament (1 Cor. 11) and a distorted understanding of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12–14). Yet perhaps the most revealing doctrinal problem at Corinth was the belief of some that there is no resurrection. In chapter 15 Paul established the validity of the doctrine that Jesus rose from the dead and that all people would do likewise, pointing out that Christianity is meaningless if there is no resurrection. (See 1 Cor. 15:14, 17–19.)
To deal with each of these issues at Corinth, Paul wrote decisively and firmly. We have no way of knowing to what degree his letter motivated the Corinthians to reject the false ideas circulating among them, but the issues involved were serious and potentially very damaging.
2 Corinthians (ca. A.D. 57)
In 2 Corinthians Paul reveals much of himself, his problems, and his actions. Among the Corinthians were some who had attacked Paul’s doctrine and his dedication to the work of the Lord. Paul felt the situation was serious enough to warrant a frank defense. And so, in a manner not usually characteristic of Paul, he spoke of his sacrifices in behalf of the gospel—his whippings, imprisonments, stonings, shipwrecks, pain, hunger, and thirst—and of his visions and revelations. (See 2 Cor. 11:23–27; 2 Cor. 12:1–12.) Paul said he was speaking foolishly in doing so (see 2 Cor. 11:21, 23), yet as a representative of the Lord he had an obligation to defend his own integrity and that of his message. If the Corinthian Saints rejected Paul, the messenger who brought them the gospel, what would prevent them from rejecting the message as well?
Galatians (ca. A.D. 58)
In the letter to the Galatians, Paul responded to a movement within the Church that countered his teachings with a Judaized Christianity and attacked him personally. Among the Jewish converts in the Church were those who held that members must observe certain Jewish practices to be saved. It appears from the letter that the success of the anti-Pauline Judaizers was high, which caused Paul a great deal of concern. Paul accused the Saints of turning to what he called “another gospel” under the influence of those who would “pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal. 1:6–7.) Among other things, he accused them of looking back to the Law of Moses for salvation (Gal. 3:1–5), observing Jewish holidays (Gal. 4:10), and accepting circumcision again (Gal. 5:2–4). So emphatic was he with regard to the apostolic authority of his message and its divine origin that he punctuated his rebuke by saying that even if “an angel from heaven” came teaching doctrine different from what he had taught, it should be rejected! (Gal. 1:6–12.)
Colossians (ca. A.D. 61)
In Paul’s epistle to the Colossians, we find the earliest evidence for gnosticism in the early Christian Church. 10 Gnosticism was a false philosophy that had at its focus a belief that spirit was perfect and holy but that matter, and all that was created of it, was entirely evil. This idea held that God was a being of pure spirit and could have nothing to do with man, a creature of matter (and therefore evil); so instead of worshipping God, gnostics revered an extensive hierarchy of lower deities. It is probable that in his letter to the Saints of Colossae, Paul attacked just such a heresy by denouncing what he called the “worshipping of angels.” (Col. 2:18.)
One problem Christian gnostics faced was that Christians believed Jesus Christ to have been both God and man. Because Jesus had a body of matter, his position in the heavenly hierarchies was problematic for gnostics. Paul responded forcefully to this ambivalence regarding the role of Jesus when he emphasized in Colossians 1:16–17 and 2:9–10 [Col. 1:16–17; Col. 2:9–10] His preeminence over all. 11 Note the power of his words as he defined Jesus’ position:
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” (Col. 1:16.)
Paul proclaimed the Savior to be “the head of all principality and power.” (Col. 2:10.) He warned the Colossians to “beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Col. 2:8.) Gnosticism and related heresies were a serious problem for the Church. Such beliefs were so antithetical to the doctrines of Jesus and the Apostles that attempts to merge and reconcile them contributed to the corruption of the original faith. Extra-biblical sources tell us that gnosticism played an important role in the first centuries of Christian history. 12 Whereas the religion of the Apostles did not continue, its gnosticized counterpart did.
1 Timothy and Titus (ca. A.D. 63)
The pastoral epistles give additional evidence that apostate doctrines were widespread in Christianity even while Paul was still alive. A major source of heretical teaching was gnosticism.