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Presented, December 3, 2006

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT CHURCHES? (4)

From One to Many Denominations

                Today we continue our study of the History of the Apostasy of the church which has led to the hundreds of different churches today.  In our study, my intent has been to give considerable time to examining what the church actually ought to be, while at the same time noting how various apostasies have violated those principles.  We have established clearly that the church/kingdom was established on Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2.  We have noted various prophecies concerning the church, its development in its infancy and the ensuring apostasy that led to the beginning of the organizational structure that is now the Roman Catholic Church.

                In our last lesson we addressed the organization of the New Testament church and then noted how that simple pattern of autonomy, independence and local oversight deteriorated to eventually, Boniface III declared himself “Universal Bishop” in 606 A.D.

This lesson addresses the subject of Biblical unity as taught within the New Testament church.  We want to also pick up at the point of the Catholic Church and notice how in time this led to the development of denominationalism.

I.                     Two Churches

a.        One point of observation as we begin this study today.  When Pope Boniface III declared himself “Universal Bishop” there was not a complete consensus.  The declaration of Boniface III was opposed by the Bishop of Constantinople which began a rift between the offices in these two cities that would eventually lead to a total division in 1054 A.D. when Michael Cerularius of Contantinople and Pope Leo IX of Rome excommunicated each other (www.Wikipedia.com, East-west schism).  The result was the Greek Orthodox Church.
NOTE: In 622 A.D., the other three Metropolitans (Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexander were sacked by Muslims) paving the way for Rome and Constantinople to wrestle and dispute their sources of power. (Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, http://www.bible.ca/history/philip-schaff/3_ch05.htm)

b.       Note the differences between the organization of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches

c.        Thus we have the first organizational division completed.  But the division was NOT over what God’s word actually says but over doctrinal differences of men.  For, as we have seen, the organizational structure of BOTH churches is NOT the simple pattern we find in the Bible.

This leads us to consider another point from God’s word about the church.  We want to address the subject of doctrinal unity within the Lord’s body.   What we will see in this is that there is only ONE pattern in God’s word that applies to ALL churches that call themselves the church of Christ.

II.                   God’s Word and Unity

a.        John 17:20-21 – Note the unity Jesus prayed for.  John 17:20-21 where Jesus prayed for ALL His disciples, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You.”

b.       Ephesians 4:1-6 – there is ONE body.  Note how this comes after Paul calls for unity among these brethren (within the local congregation).

c.        1 Corinthians 1:10-13.  Notice the admonition of Paul here.  Let all of you speak the same thing (this is addressed to the church at Corinth).  But Paul also makes a point about following after men.  We should NOT put our trust in men and their teachings.  Don’t say, “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos” or even “I am of Jesus” (if used in this light - This shows one can profess to follow Jesus and still be wrong Matt. 7:21).

d.       Were there different doctrines among the churches of the 1^st century?
Paul taught the same thing taught in every church – 1 Corinthians 4:17.  
Read this to the church at Laodicea – Colossians 4:17.  The same message was circulated to congregations.  It was not different doctrines being taught in different places.
Galatians 1:2 was written to “the churches of Galatia.”  Same message to all of them.
Consider also Revelation 2 & 3, where there are 7 individual messages to 7 congregations.  But at the end of EACH of these messages we read, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22)   The same spirit revealed a singular message to every church.
ONE might ask, “Wouldn’t this actually call for a centralized organization to determine what should be taught?”  NO! We have the completed word of God.  That is sufficient (2 Tim. 3:17, Jude 3, 2 Pet 1:3, etc.).  The only thing a centralized organization can do is dictate the precepts of men! 
Correspondence with multiple congregations happened in the first century with apostles and other inspired men corresponding directly with churches (not one church usurping authority over another in any way).  As we noted last week, every epistle we have was written by men to churches, not one church to another.  (NOTE: The church in Jerusalem did send a letter to the church at Antioch as recorded in Acts 15, but it was written to clarify false doctrines that supposedly had come from there.  In other words, it was not a creed, but addressing and clearing up an issue that involved both churches.)

III.                 The Dark Ages

a.        What is the dark ages?
According to Wikipedia.com, the dark ages were a period of time from 476 to 1000 AD.  Its name is derived from the lack of knowledge of literature and works from that period.   It is also known But over the past several decades we have uncovered considerable information about the age and determined it was not as “dark”
According to Gary Eubanks, “Church History: A Biblical view” it was a period that lasted from 600-1500 A.D.  It could also be called the Middle ages.  During this time, as the Catholic Church developed in the west (and the Greek Orthodox Church in the east) we find that the church gains considerable influence with civil powers.  This influence led to a number of things including military actions, crusades, inquisitions, indulgences, more human philosophies and religious corruption, especially within the papacy.  It was also a time in which as a rule the common people were kept ignorant and dependent totally upon the Catholic priesthood (in a way this is why it could be called the “dark ages”).

b.       Several False doctrines were taught and developed during this period including:
Use of Holy Water – 120 A.D.
Infant Baptism – AD 157
The Latin Mass – 394 AD
Purgatory – AD 593
Kissing the Pope’s Toe – AD 709
Transubstantiation – AD 1000
Celibacy – AD 1015
Indulgences – AD 1192
Sprinkling – AD 1311
According to Gene Taylor, “A study of Church History, Lesson 4. 

c.        Corruption in the leadership of the Catholic Church led to many reformers.  The reformers where men who in studying the word of God saw errors being taught and/or practiced.  Many of them were the result of outright corruption and greed among these leaders.

                                                   i.      What is a reformer?  One who sets out to improve or amend something that is wrong.  Many of the reformers were leaders in the Catholic Church who saw corruptions and sought to correct them.  While their efforts were certainly noble and to be commended, most of them did NOT seek to completely restore the church of the Bible, but simply to reform it and make it better in certain areas.  It was this movement that led to many of the denominations that exist today.

                                                  ii.      One of the earliest known reformers was John Wycliffe (ca. 1324-1384).  (NOTE: He actually lived about 100 years before what is commonly referred to as the Reform movement.)   I mention him because he was an English theologian who strongly opposed clerical wealth and interference in civil government. He emphasized Scriptures as the ONLY law of the church.  As a result of this he was determined to give the English people a Bible in their own tongue.  For this effort he was strongly resisted and condemned by church leaders.  He wrote numerous books and tracts which in latter years were more and more attacks against the papacy.  In his last year he practically equated the papacy with the antichrist.   When he died, on December 31, 1384, of a stroke, church councils ordered his books burned and his remains as well. But his bones were not burned until 1429.

                                                iii.      Another early reformer was John Huss (1369-1415).  He was a Czechoslovakian religious thinker who in time disagreed with the crusades of the pope and indulgences.  As a result of this he was eventually excommunicated and burned at the stake.

IV.                Why consider examples such as these? 

a.        Because they show where apostasy will eventually lead.  If we do not learn from the past we are doomed to repeat it.  Because of religious ignorance and self-seeking men who desire power (see 3 John 9-10) will rise.  In time, if they go unchecked we can see where it will lead.

b.       We also see the difficulty involved in correcting error on a large scale.  The fact is that many are satisfied to go along with whatever someone else tells them.  It is easier than change.  But that does NOT make it right.

c.        How do we prevent this from happening?  The answer is to NEVER compromise!  WE must as Paul told Timothy, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words.” (2 Timothy 1:13)

In our next lesson, we want to examine the reformation movement and notice the emergence of denominationalism.  It is my hope that in this study we will be better equipped to answer the question that prompted this study.  Why are the so many different churches?