Category: The Last Days

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(The Great Falling Away, Part 6)

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
— John 1:5, NASB1995

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Darkness Covered the Institutional Church… But Not All Was Lost

While apostasy had taken root through hierarchy, false doctrine, and worldly power, God remained faithful.
Throughout the medieval centuries, a remnant remained—scattered men and women, clinging to Scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit, and often hunted for their faith.

They were not famous. But they were faithful.

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Who Were the Remnant?

The Paulicians (6th–9th c.)

• Rejected the Roman hierarchy and infant baptism
• Held to Scripture alone
• Persecuted relentlessly by the Byzantine Church

The Bogomils & Cathars

• Sought purity and spiritual living
• Rejected the corruption of the clergy
• Often blended with heretical views, yet their rejection of Rome was rooted in conscience and conviction

The Waldensians (12th c.)

• Embraced poverty and itinerant preaching
• Translated and memorized Scripture
• Called heretics for preaching without permission

The Lollards (14th c.)

• Followers of John Wycliffe
• Opposed transubstantiation and papal authority
• Risked death to read and share the Bible in English

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What Marked These Remnant Believers?

1. Scripture Over Systems
   They risked their lives to read and live by the Word—not church tradition.
2. Obedience Over Comfort
   Many were martyred, exiled, or silenced… yet they obeyed the voice of the Shepherd.
3. Spirit-Led Faith Over Institutional Religion
   Though outside the “approved church,” they walked in truth and bore fruit.

“They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony…”
— Revelation 12:11

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The Cost Was High

• Families burned at the stake
• Entire villages slaughtered
• Scriptures confiscated and forbidden
• Truth hidden under Latin, locked behind walls of clerical authority

Yet the light never went out. God always had a witness.

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Application for Today

The remnant remind us that the Church is not a building or a system—it’s a people who follow Christ at all cost.

Ask yourself:

• Would I cling to Scripture if it meant being rejected or hunted?
• Do I value popularity over purity?
• Am I part of the faithful remnant—or just the religious crowd?

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Isaiah 10:20–21

“Now it will come about… that the remnant of Israel… will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.”

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(The Great Falling Away, Part 5)

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:13–14, NASB1995

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From Spiritual Power to Religious Control

By the 4th and 5th centuries, the Church had merged with political power, and that shift required new theological justification. Enter Augustine of Hippo—a brilliant thinker whose teachings would redefine free will, grace, and the Church itself for the next thousand years.

Though sincere, Augustine’s influence laid much of the doctrinal foundation for the Medieval Church—and with it, centuries of spiritual captivity.

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Augustine’s Doctrinal Shifts

1. Free Will Reinterpreted

• Taught that the will of man was enslaved by sin—rendering true choice impossible without God first regenerating the soul.
• Introduced the idea that faith itself is a gift given only to the elect.

2. Grace Became Selective

• God’s grace was seen as irresistible and given only to those unconditionally chosen.
• The call of salvation became exclusive—not an open invitation.

3. Salvation Became Institutional

• Emphasized the visible Church as the only means of grace.
• Sacraments were tied to salvation; baptism regenerated the soul—especially infants.

4. Persecution Justified

• Believed the state could use force to correct heresy, citing the parable of the banquet (Luke 14:23) to “compel them to come in.”
• This thinking laid the groundwork for inquisitions, forced conversions, and doctrinal suppression.

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Councils, Creeds, and Control

Following Augustine’s influence:

• Councils replaced congregational discernment.
• Creeds dictated what could be believed.
• The Roman Church declared itself the one true church—unchallenged and uncorrectable.

The Holy Spirit’s leadership was gradually replaced with hierarchy, formality, and fear.

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The Church Became a Gatekeeper, Not a Servant

Rather than pointing people to Jesus, the Church began standing between God and man, declaring:

• Who could receive grace
• Who could speak truth
• Who could be saved

“You shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces…” — Matthew 23:13

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Application for Today

Ask yourself:

• Have I allowed tradition or theology to override the Word and the Spirit?
• Am I part of a system that controls faith—or fosters it?
• Do I believe God’s grace is available to all—or only a few?

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Scriptural Truth Remains:

“The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…”
— Titus 2:11, NASB1995

(The Great Falling Away, Part 4)

“They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.”
— Titus 1:16, NASB1995

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The Turning Point in Church History

In the first three centuries, the Church grew under persecution—purified, not protected. But in the early 300s, a dramatic shift occurred:

Christianity became legalized, then preferred, and eventually politically empowered—all under the Roman Emperor Constantine.

What looked like a victory for the Gospel… was actually the great acceleration of apostasy.

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The Context of Constantine’s Rise

• Rome was fractured, and civil war loomed.
• Constantine claimed to see a vision: “In this sign, conquer”—a cross with military implications.
• He issued the Edict of Milan in AD 313, granting Christians freedom to worship.
• By AD 325, he presided over the Council of Nicaea to unify Christianity… under imperial control.

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What Changed After Constantine

1. Church and State Became Allies

• Bishops gained political power, prestige, and property.
• Christianity became entangled with empire, no longer separate from the world.

2. Wealth and Buildings Replaced Simplicity

• Lavish basilicas replaced house churches.
• Imperial favor flowed in—but so did compromise.

3. Faith Became a Civic Identity

• People converted for safety, status, and social advantage.
• Persecution of pagans and “heretics” began—not by Rome, but by the Church.

4. Creeds and Councils Replaced the Holy Spirit

• The Nicene Creed established doctrinal boundaries—but was enforced by imperial decree.
• Spirit-led discernment gave way to imperial-backed orthodoxy.

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This Was Not Reformation… It Was Deformation

What began in Acts was Christ-centered, Spirit-led, and world-rejected.
What emerged under Constantine was emperor-approved, politically-entwined, and carnally compromised.

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness…?”
— 2 Corinthians 6:14

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Apostasy Took on a Robe and Crown

• The Gospel of the Kingdom was replaced by Christendom—a territorial religion.
• Bishops became magistrates, and the Church became a governing institution.
• Constantine was called “Bishop of Bishops”—yet was never baptized until his deathbed.

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Application for Today

We must not confuse institutional success with faithfulness.

Ask yourself:

• Is my church modeled after the Acts church—or after Rome?
• Are we seeking power, comfort, and visibility—or holiness, sacrifice, and truth?
• Would we still follow Jesus if persecution returned?

(The Great Falling Away, Part 3)

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“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
— Colossians 2:8, NASB1995

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What Happens When the Church Marries the World’s Wisdom?

After the death of the apostles, the Church entered a vulnerable season. Persecution raged, heresies spread, and a longing for intellectual respectability crept in.

In an effort to defend the faith, some early apologists turned to the tools of Greek philosophy—but in doing so, they opened the door to a slow, steady erosion of Spirit-led doctrine.

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Greek Philosophies That Influenced Early Christianity

Platonism:

• Taught the material world was inferior to the spiritual
• Encouraged dualism—separating body and soul
• Influenced views on resurrection, sin, and grace

Stoicism:

• Prioritized moralism and logic over Spirit-empowered transformation
• Downplayed emotion and suffering

Gnosticism:

• Denied the goodness of creation and incarnation
• Claimed secret knowledge (“gnosis”) was the path to salvation
• Appealed to pride and elite spirituality

Note: The apostles warned of these teachings in their own lifetimes (see Col. 2:8, 1 John 4:1–3, 2 Peter 2:1)

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Key Figures and Their Influence

🔹 Justin Martyr (AD 100–165)

• A philosopher before converting to Christianity
• Called Plato “a Christian before Christ”
• Sought to merge faith and reason, appealing to Roman thought

🔹 Clement of Alexandria (AD 150–215)

• Praised philosophy as a “schoolmaster” to Christ
• Saw it as a gift from God to the Greeks
• Introduced more allegorical interpretations of Scripture

🔹 Origen (AD 185–254)

• A prolific teacher who deeply allegorized Scripture
• Denied bodily resurrection in its biblical form
• Introduced speculative theology based on Platonic hierarchy

Though sincere, these men shifted the Church’s interpretive method away from plain reading and Spirit-led discernment… toward philosophical abstraction.

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What Changed?

• Scripture was no longer the final authority—reason and tradition gained influence.
• Allegorical interpretation replaced literal exegesis.
• Hierarchical structures began to emerge, shifting authority from the Spirit-led body to a few educated elites.
• Doctrine was redefined to fit philosophical categories—not the Gospel.

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The Seeds of Apostasy Were Taking Root

Paul called this the “mystery of lawlessness already at work” (2 Thess. 2:7). What began subtly would soon blossom—under Constantine—into full-blown institutional religion.

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Application for Today

Many Christians still look to philosophy, psychology, or academic theology as superior guides—rather than the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

We must ask:

• Do I interpret Scripture through the lens of the world—or through the Spirit of Truth?
• Am I being captivated by clever systems or grounded in the simplicity of Christ?
• Have I replaced revelation with speculation?

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Let Scripture Speak for Itself Again

“The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
— Psalm 119:130

(The Great Falling Away, Part 2)

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“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”
— Jude 1:3, NASB1995

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Before the Falling Away — There Was the Pure Seed

Before philosophy invaded theology, before the Church merged with state power, and before councils replaced the guidance of the Holy Spirit—there was the faith once delivered.

That faith was not abstract. It was embodied in a people. It was:

• Christ-centered
• Spirit-led
• Lived out in holiness, simplicity, and love
• Rooted in the commands of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles

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The Apostolic Church (AD 33–100)

The Church born in Acts was not institutional—it was relational, transformational, and missional. Here’s what marked them:

1. Obedience to Christ’s Teachings

They didn’t just believe in Jesus—they obeyed Him.
They lived out Matthew 5–7 daily, turning the other cheek, praying for enemies, sharing everything they had.

2. Led by the Holy Spirit

They waited for the Spirit in Jerusalem.
They were filled with power to preach, heal, and love boldly.
They discerned by the Spirit, not by creeds or councils.

3. Persecuted, Yet Joyful

The Church thrived underground and under fire—not because of strength in numbers, but because of devotion to Christ.

4. Separate from the World

They rejected the politics, systems, and values of Rome.
They called themselves not of this world (John 17:16) and lived like pilgrims awaiting a better Kingdom.

5. Unified in Love and Truth

They met in homes, broke bread, and had all things in common (Acts 2:42–47).
Their unity was not organized by bishops—it was birthed by the Spirit.

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Their War Was Spiritual, Not Political

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh…”
— 2 Corinthians 10:3

The early Church did not fight to gain influence.
They did not seek state protection.
They laid down their lives and overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11).

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Writings from the Early Church (Pre-AD 100)

• Clement of Rome emphasized love and holiness, quoting Scripture continually.
• Ignatius of Antioch wrote of martyrdom and urged unity through Christ, not control.
• The Didache (“The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”) outlined a simple, practical life of obedience and Spirit-filled worship.

None of these promoted systems, power, or philosophical speculation. They echoed the Gospels and Acts.

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Why This Matters

To understand the falling away, we must understand what was first handed down.
The further we get from that foundation, the closer we are to apostasy.

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Application for Today

Ask yourself:

• Am I rooted in Jesus’ teachings or church culture?
• Am I led by the Spirit or popular Christian trends?
• Am I part of a body of believers marked by love, holiness, and obedience?