The Editor's Page
A Falling Away

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 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..." (II Th. 2:1-3).

"Preach the word....For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (II Tim. 4:2-4).

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 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 20:28-30).

In the second century, the seeds of apostasy were sown when one elder was raised above the others and called a bishop. The fruit of this small departure is the Catholic Church. During the Restoration Movement, the seeds of apostasy were sown when the missionary society was formed in 1849. This small departure resulted in the formation of The First Christian Church. In the 1950's, a similar departure resulted in another apostasy.

Are the seeds of another apostasy being sown? Some think so. What are the evidences of it?

1. In the last sixteen years, sermon content, particularly in gospel meetings, has changed drastically. It used to be that sermons provided serious Bible study. Enlightening, thought provoking lessons were the order of the day. Truth was defended and error denounced in no uncertain terms. Thankfully, some still preach that way, but in too many places we have the "after dinner" preachers or the "feel good" preachers as some have called them. Members of the church and denominational people are able to hear many, many sermons with little fear of having their thinking disturbed, their false doctrines challenged, or their worldliness called in question. People come feeling good and leave feeling good. It is no wonder that in many places members of the church have a diminishing knowledge of the Bible and a changed concept of what is pleasing to God.

2. We are doctrinally divided. False teaching about the nature of Christ on earth; Romans 14 and fellowship with sin, even false teachers; marriage, divorce, and remarriage; the AD 70 doctrine; and the one covenant doctrine.

Only God sees the future with unerring eye. Yet, the conditions which exist among us, point to a parting of the ways. Are you going to be swept into the soft gospel and extended fellowship? Will you be deceived by the humanizing of Jesus Christ? Or, will you take your stand on the truth?