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Its History and Character.
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The Falling Away
Lesson 5.—Sabbath, February 1, 1896.
The Falling Away
Review Questions.—(a) What is meant by “fear God”? (b) What is giving glory to God? (c) What must always be included in truest worship?
1. What was the church of Christ in the apostolic age declared to be? Ans.—The temple of God.
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” Eph. 2:19-22. See also 2 Cor. 6:16.
2. Who was the head of the church?
“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” Eph. 1:22, 23.
3. By what other relation is the union between Christ and his church symbolized?
“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Rom. 7:4.
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Cor. 11:2.
4. By what means was the work of the church to be promoted or built up?
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” Acts 20:32. See also 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.
5. What was the result of the use of this means?
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:41, 42, 46, 47. See also chapters 4:4, 32; 5:14-16.
6. As long as the church was fed upon the pure word of God, who was her leader?
“To him [Christ] the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice.” John 10:3, 4.
7. What was thus manifested to the world?
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:26, 27.
8. What did the apostle declare would take place?
“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. See note 1.
9. What does the apostle term this turning away from Christ to men?
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” 2 Thess. 2:7.
10. How does the apostle speak of the full development of this power?
“Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Verses 3, 4.
11. Why was the mystery of iniquity not fully revealed in the apostle’s day?
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” Verse 7. See note 2.
12. In what was shown the first evidence of falling away? Ans.—Following men instead of Christ. See Acts 20:30.
13. To what did this lead?
Ans.—Following men instead of Christ led to the adoption of heathen ceremonies and customs, advocated by so-called philosophers and wise men. Says Mosheim, “There is good reason to suppose that Christian bishops multiplied rites for the sake of rendering the Jews and the pagans more friendly to them.”
The half-converted pagans were allowed, “at the sepulchers of the martyrs on their feast days, to dance, to use sports, to indulge conviviality, and to do all the things that the worshipers of idols were accustomed to do in their temples on festival days.” “The Christians . . . not only applied the terms used in the pagan mysteries to Christian institutions, particularly baptism and the Lord’s Supper, but they gradually introduced also the [pagan] rites which were designated by those terms. . . . A large part, therefore, of the Christian observances and institutions, even in this century, had the aspect of the pagan mysteries.”—Murdock’s Translation, book 1, century 2, part 2, chap. 4, sections 2 (with footnote) and 5.
14. What was the most widely prevalent heathen worship?
Ans.—SUN WORSHIP.—“The oldest, the most widespread, and the most enduring of all the forms of idolatry known to man, viz., sun-worship.”—Talbot W. Chambers, D.D., in Old Testament Student, January, 1886.
15. What day was especially devoted to sun worship?
Ans.—The great day dedicated to this worship was the first day of the week—Sunday. See Webster, Worcester, Century, or Standard Dictionary.
16. How early was the tendency to adopt heathen customs manifested on the part of the professed church? Ans.—It was manifested in the apostle’s day. See note 3.
17. In respect to what and by whom was the arrogancy of the mystery of iniquity first manifested?
Ans.—The first arrogant claim of which we have record was made by Victor, bishop of Rome (A.D. 193-202), in behalf of Sunday. Rome had begun to celebrate the Passover, or the heathen feast of Easter, on Sunday, and “Victor, bishop of Rome, thought it necessary that the Asiatic Christians should be compelled by laws and decrees to follow the rule adopted” by the Western Church. He, therefore, wrote them an “imperious letter,” admonishing them to follow the example of other Christians in keeping Easter, to which they replied with spirit, “that they would not depart from the holy institutions of their ancestors.” Victor, therefore, in wrath “excluded them from his communion and from that of his church (Rome).”—Id.
18. In thus turning to the word of men instead of the word of God, what did the church do? Ans.—It erected another standard than the word, and finally set up creeds and decrees of councils as the rule of faith.
19. In what did this result? Ans.—In erecting as standards the dead creeds of men, inevitable confusion and strife resulted.
20. By what term in the Scriptures is this confusion characterized? Ans.—Babylon, confusion. Rev. 14:8.
21. To what did the adoption of worldly standards lead?
Ans.—When worldly standards were erected by the church, she could no longer plead God’s word and power, and, therefore, she turned to the world to obtain power.
22. When was this union of the church with the state formed? Ans.—In the reign of Constantine, A.D. 313-337.
23. What is said of the bishops at that time?
Ans.—“Worldly-minded bishops, instead of caring for the salvation of their flocks, were often but too much inclined to travel about, and entangle themselves in worldly concerns.” “This theocratical theory of government was already the prevailing one in the time of Constantine; and . . . the bishops voluntarily made themselves dependent on him by their disputes, and by the determination to use the power of the state for the furtherance of their aims.”—Neander’s History of the Christian Religion and Church, vol. 2, sec. 2, part 1, division 1, par. 3. The outcome of all this was foretold in 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.
24. To what did this man-made theocracy inevitably lead? Ans.—To deifying man and putting him in the place of God.
25. What did the apostle predict concerning this?
“Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.
