APOSTASY IN APOSTOLIC TIMES.
By J. E. Kimball
THE pen of inspiration has traced for "our learning" the grievous revolting and rebellion of the Jewish Church from its very inception to the time when she crucified her Lord. Her departure from "the law and the testimony," and her acceptance of the statutes and judgments of the heathen, which "were not good," and by which "she should not live," constitutes the burden of the prophets. Out of the Jewish Church sprang the Christian. The sacred altar fire which was never to go out, now flamed up anew in thousands of hearts. Wonderful the light and glory which was then revealed. The wisdom, purity, and power of Jehovah was with his people. The church was the "fullness of Him that filleth all in all." They served the same Christ as the church had of yore, and then was her offering pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old. Mal. 3:4. But then that former church had apostatized; why not the latter? And the revoltings of the former were written for our instruction. So would God have us understand the failures of the gospel church, that, by escaping the errors of the past, we may fully accomplish the purposes of God. Some have concluded that, because the Spirit was to abide with the church forever, and the gates of hell should not prevail against her, therefore the church could not be characterized by backsliding as of old. But every condition remains the same. A river may be swollen by the snow and rain, then in times of drought be reduced to comparative insignificance, to again become copious by the latter rains. So the church of Christ may vary in conditions; countless throngs may press the gates who are strangers to spiritual things. Works, the test of all discipleship, by which alone God judgeth (1 Peter 1:17), may show the many to be enemies of God, and Christ and Belial seem thus to be conjoined. At such times the precious are called forth and separated from the vile, by the trumpet tones of the true watchman, that God may again be glorified in his people. Christ spoke of times to come when "the love of many should wax cold." And his Spirit forewarned of pastors and overseers who should prove to be "grievous wolves, not sparing the flock." Acts 20:29, 30. They should speak "perverse things," and thus turn away the church "unto fables," bringing them where they would "not endure sound doctrine." 2 Tim. 4:2-4. This change seems to apply to the entire mass of professors. Dreadful corruption was sometime to be witnessed. The Holy Spirit mentions this as a "falling away" from the faith, which scripture, as found in 2 Thess. 2:3, may be rendered, "except that apostasy come first." Thus, before the second advent, this declension must be seen, and the evil omens of its coming were so apparent in the apostles' days that it could be clearly discerned. "Many walk," said Paul, "of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ;" and Jude spake of "certain men crept in unawares, . . . ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness." In works they were denying the faith. They were "abominable," "disobedient," "reprobate." Titus 1:16. James denounced Christians for warring and fighting with each other in consequence of their lusts. He characterized them as "adulteresses," and called upon such to be afflicted, and mourn and weep, to let their laughter be turned to mourning, and their joy to heaviness. At Corinth they reigned as kings in Jubal times, while the apostles were despised as the offscouring of all things. God designed no such disparity as this in his church. Evidently many hearts were becoming united to the world, and separating from Christ. Envious, covetous, lustful, well did the apostle say, "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Phil. 2:21. This was a sad departure from what the church had been a few years previous, when they sold houses and lands, and even gave life itself for the cause of Christ. Schisms, divisions, heresies, began to be apparent everywhere. These are fruits of the flesh. Gal. 5:20. We have only to read carefully the epistles to the Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, to Timothy, and to Titus to satisfy ourselves with reference to the unstable condition of the church in later apostolic times. Mouths had to be stopped, lying lips silenced. Everywhere "false apostles, deceitful workers, transformed themselves into the apostles of Christ." Satan wrought as "an angel of light." In the book of Hebrews the apostle addressed the church which witnessed the grand visitations of Pentecost. From the very first he strongly intimated their departure from God, and in the fifth chapter he stops short in his exposition of the priesthood, to tell them they are "dull of hearing," and adds, "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God." They were in "need of milk," as babes, and could not endure strong meat. We are, therefore, justified in saying that the Scriptures show plainly enough a leavening of worldliness which was already working in apostolic times, corrupting the church. "False apostles," deceitful workers, false doctrines, and many false-hearted professors, mammon enthroned where Christ should be, vain show for his humility, the sacred trust betrayed by many,—what else could Christ say to the church at the close of the first century: "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love?" Rev. 2:4. What but evil and apostasy could be prophesied for the future? This "falling away" resulted, as we shall soon see, in making the church a vile sink of debauchery. As the Eternal One, looking forward, spake of all this, it will be well for us to note its fulfillment, that we be not found following the same track of backsliding, and be wrecked upon the rocks, where the many have fallen.