GUEST
ARTCLE
Apostasy
A Clear and Ever-Present
Danger
The sectarian notion that it
is impossible for a child of God to so sin as to be lost
eternally is widely believed by a host of sincere people.
But the idea is fallacious. It was first vocalized in the
Garden of Eden by Satan, who lied to Eve by telling her
that disobedience to God would not result in death (Genesis
3:4; cf. John 8:44). Human history has demonstrated the
devastating consequences of believing that error. In later
ages, the dogma of the impossibility of apostasy was popularized
by John Calvin (1509-64). It is, however, without biblical
support.
The Potential of Apostasy
That apostasy from the true
faith is possible may be demonstrated in several ways.
(1) An individual disciple
may depart from the truth. Simon, a sorcerer of Samaria,
heard the gospel of Christ, believed it, and was immersed,
just as others in that region had been (Acts 8:12-13).
When he observed that the apostles had the ability to confer
miraculous gifts, he was intrigued by the prospect of possessing
this power for himself; and so he sought to bribe the apostles
into bestowing the gift upon him. He was seriously in error
on this matter, both in disposition (v. 21) and in the
act itself. Accordingly, Peter sternly rebuked the wayward
disciple, warning him that he could “perish” (v. 20), which
is the equivalent of being lost (cf. Luke 13:3). The apostle
urged Simon to pray that he might obtain forgiveness (v.
22).
(2) The Scriptures indicate
that a congregation of God’s people may fall away
from the faith. On his third missionary journey, Paul came
to the city of Ephesus (ca. A.D. 52). There he taught the gospel and baptized a
dozen men. The members of that congregation had been saved
by grace through faith when they were immersed into Christ
(cf. Ephesians 2:8-9; 5:25-26; Acts 19:5; cf. 2:38). Paul
labored in this great city some three years, and the church
prospered (Acts 19:8, 10; 20:31).
Some four decades later, however,
the scene was very different. On the isle of Patmos (ca. A.D. 96), the Lord Jesus Christ,
through the apostle John, dispatched a series of letters
to seven congregations in Asia, one of which was the Ephesian
church (Revelation 2:1-7). To that group Christ presented
this indictment: “You have left your first love” (v. 4,
NASB). “First love” seems to be an allusion to the passionate
love for the Savior that these brethren entertained at
the commencement of their Christian lives (Alford, n.d.;
cf. Jeremiah 2:2).
The Lord promised that unless
they repented and returned to their “first works,” i.e., those of the
earlier days of their discipleship (Danker et al. 2000,
892-893), their “lampstand” would be removed. Since the
lampstand represented the church itself (cf. 1:20), this
was the equivalent of a threat of disinheritance (cf. Numbers
14:12). A church can depart from the faith. (3) A significant movement,
i.e., a conglomerate of churches, can drift from
the truth. In his second epistle to the church in Thessalonica,
Paul warned of the days to come when “the falling away” (Greek apostasia) would occur (2:3). While
the Greeks frequently used this term of political rebellion,
in the New Testament “verbal forms related to apostasia are commonly used in religious
contexts” (cf. Luke 2:37; 8:13; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy
2:19; Hebrews 3:12; see Martin 1995, 233). Clearly, that
is the meaning here.
The notion that this text merely
deals with those who profess Christianity, but really are
not Christians at all, is false. The use of the definite
article, “the” apostasy, is important. It identifies a
specific movement and focuses upon the sum of those digressive
acts which resulted ultimately in the development of modern “Christendom.” The
progress, though occurring in stages, is considered to
be a unified movement (Middleton 1841, 382-383). The entire
church did not defect, but a sizable segment did (cf. Daniel
2:44; 1 Timothy 4:1ff).
(Note: the theory that this
falling away is a movement associated with the rise of
the antichrist
and a rapture at the time of the Lord’s second coming is
without merit.) Some Causes of Apostasy
Inasmuch as it clearly is possible
to depart from the primitive faith, surely this inquiry
is appropriate: what precipitates apostasy? Many causes
might be suggested; only a few may be mentioned here.
(1) Some leave the faith because
of persecution. In one of his parables, Jesus spoke
of the superficial person who endures for a while, but “when
tribulation and persecution arise because of the word,
straightway he stumbles” (Matthew 13:21). The Christian
is charged to be faithful, even if it means the forfeiture
of his life (Revelation 2:10).
(2) Others fall away because,
not understanding the permissive will of God (i.e., his
allowance of natural hardships, which are a consequence
of humanity’s initial rebellion), they blame the Creator
for those dire circumstances that sometimes invade their
lives. As a result, they walk away from Providence. One
of the great lessons of the book of Job is that God does
not shield his people, even the best of them, from life’s
tragedies. We must learn to trust our Maker, no matter
what happens to us (Job 13:15).
(3) Many Christian souls have
become victims of false teaching. There are those
who seem to think that false teachers do not exist. But
the Savior warned of this danger (Matthew 7:15) and subsequent
history reveals the devastation of believing error (cf.
1 Timothy 4:1ff; 2 Timothy 4:1ff). In our own day, we have
observed many in the church yielding to the influence of
error. From Nashville to Abilene to Malibu, defection from
the ancient faith is apparent. The expression, “the old
paths,” has become a term subject to ridicule by a new
clan of self-designated sophisticates whose ambition seems
to focus on fashioning a church in their own image, rather
than after the biblical pattern.
(4) There are those who simply wander
away from fidelity in a gradual fashion. The writer
of the book of Hebrews spoke of the distinct possibility
of neglecting one’s salvation, hence, drifting away from
the saved state (2:1-3). In our present environment of
busy activities, it is not difficult to allow life’s
distractions to choke out our passion for serving Christ
(cf. Matthew 13:22) so that we subordinate the interests
of the Lord’s kingdom to a multitude of trivial things
(contrary to Matthew 6:33). For many, worldliness has
an allurement that has drawn them to destruction, much
like the silly fly in Mary Howitt’s famous poem; with
flattery the shallow creature was charmed into the spider’s
deadly web (cf. 2 Timothy 4:10). To employ a metaphor
more in line with biblical imagery, some members of the
church are languishing in a pigpen (cf. Luke 15:15)—and
they no longer even smell the stench!
The Road Home
The homeward road for the wayward
prodigal was long and difficult (Luke 15:17ff), but there
was no substitute. It is a rather curious thing that so
many entertain the illusion that they can stand aloof from
Almighty God for years, and then somehow simply inch back
into divine fellowship, ignoring the sacred prescription
for restoration, e.g., acknowledging their apostasy and
asking for pardon—from God and their kinsmen in Christ.
For these, time is the great healer. Seemingly, in time
the Lord just forgets the misbehavior. They appear to be
unaware that time is quantitative only; it is not qualitative.
For others, serious illness or death seem to be an intrinsically
empowered cleansing process. Is there ever a notable person
who dies but what many do not bequeath to him a destiny
of eternal bliss?
When the child of God goes
astray, there is but one route of return—that of repentance,
acknowledgement of wrong, and the humble petition for Jehovah’s
pardon. This requirement was enunciated forthrightly in
the Old Testament and it is detailed in the New Covenant
as well.
In a communication to Solomon
by night following a warning of severe consequences for
disobedience, Jehovah said:
[I]f
my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their
sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
There are several important
particulars in this powerful passage. (1) God’s people
can drift into wicked ways. (2) They may, however, find
forgiveness for their transgressions. (3) Pardon is conditional
(note the if-then construction in our common translations).
(4) The wayward child of God must humble himself (and what
a difficult chore this is for prideful people). (5) The
digressive is required to turn from (repent of) his evil.
(6) Finally, he must solicit the Lord’s forgiveness in
prayer.
The same concept is set forth
in the New Testament. Those who have departed from God
are obliged to: (1) rekindle the faith (the motive that
fuels obedience) that has diminished in their hearts (cf.
Luke 8:13; Hebrews 3:12); (2) be characterized by a “godly
sorrow” that produces penitent fruit (Matthew 3:8; 2 Corinthians
7:10); (3) confess his wrong—to the degree that such is
known (cf. Acts 19:18; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9); and (4)
petition God for pardon (Matthew 6:12; Acts 8:22). For
a more detailed discussion of this point, see the author’s
tract, God’s Plan of Salvation for His Lost Children (Haun
Publishing Co., Box 3426, Pasadena, TX 77501, Phone 1-800-231-9709).
--Wayne Jackson
Sources/Footnotes
Alford, Henry. n.d. The
New Testament for English Readers. Chicago, IL: Moody.
Danker, F.W. et al. 2000. A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Chicago,
IL: University of Chicago.
Martin, D. Michael. 1995. The
New American Commentary – 1 & 2 Thessalonians.
Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.
Middleton, Thomas B. 1841. The
Doctrine of the Greek Article. London, England: Rivington & Deighton.
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