1) kaoticprofit said : "The word apostasy isn't used in Acts 20:30. The word is used in only two places. Acts 21:21..."
I did not claim the WORD “apostasy” was used, but rather, the individuals who arose among them, teaching distortions and perversions, and, through such distorted teaching, drew disciples to themselves, were part of the mechanism whereby apostasy, schisms, and evolution away from early Christian doctrines occurred.
Apostasy comes from the word divorce. It's a completely abandonment of what you are currently affiliated with and acceptance of another. In other words. If I'm a republican and become a democrat I'm an apostate Republican. That's apostasy. 'Distorted teachings' have two categories, damnable or un-damnable heresies. Even if they crept into the Church teaching damnable heresies like the heretics in 2 Peter who denied Christ had bought them. That still really isn't apostasy. They're just plain old false teachers and false prophets that were thrown out.
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
False teachers or prophets that crept into the church and denied Christ were easily identifiable and excommunicated. These false teachers were not Christians in the first place and were excommunicated because of their unwillingness to repent from teaching damnable heresies. People who WERE true Christians and followed them out the door ARE APOSTATES because they've accepted 'another gospell' of a damnable heresy....just like the passages declare.
In 1 John 2:19-23 the people that left the church were in denial that Jesus was the Christ. Their falseness was easily exposed. A person or a church can only become apostate if they completely abandon Christianity and accept something else. All the other words that people use to describe it imply something else and are not apostasy. Ex. A Jew who converted from Judaism to Christianity is an apostate. A Christian who becomes an atheist is an apostate.
1 John 2:19
They went out from us, (told to leave)
but they were not of us;(not Christians in the first place) for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they
were not all of us.
2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
If a Christian abandons Christ and accepts a false religion and another christ he is an apostate. Other than describing followers of the man of sin, the apostasy of 2 Thes 2. is an event related to the emergence of the anti-Christ and nothing else.
Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
But IF they were NOT teaching damnable heresies
they got a second chance and were allowed to stay in the church, but the apostle told the congregation to avoid them but they were not thrown out.
Titus 3:9-10 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain
. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
There's another passage too but I forgot it.
There were some people that tried infiltration the church from the outside and just followed Paul around to get a following of their own mostly to gain popularity or for financial gain. They weren't too successful either and were more of a nuisance than anything else.
The reformation and those that followed in their footsteps is what caused this misunderstanding of apostasy. The sad thing is, by not distinguishing between Damnable and Un-damnable heresies, and BY associating apostasy with UNRELATED WORDS that just sound like "FALLING AWAY," they've led people to believe the man of sin would come from within the church which is absolutely false.
The apostasy of 2 Thes. 2 has nothing to do with the church whatsoever. That can easily be proven. And un-damnable heresy isn't apostasy!!
Undamnable heresies...
Paul is joyful that Christ is being preached even though He is preached in contention, in error, or with wrong motives...
Phil. 1:13-18 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
Look again at the web definition of apostasy and notice how it implies going from one thing to another...or nothing at all!
1. The act of
abandoning a party or cause.
2. The state of having
rejected your religious beliefs, political party, cause or sports team in favor of opposing beliefs, causes or teams.
3. A defection,
renunciation, disaffiliation,
abandonment or revolt
from a
previous association.
4. (Islamic definition)
Rejection in word or deed of one's
former religion.
And the only false one of the bunch...
5. (Christian definition) To fall away from the truth.
Notice what Baker's dictionary of theology says...(Emphasis is mine)
Apostasy
A word of increasing interest found twice in the NT. (Acts 21:21; 2Thes. 2:3 It comes from the Greek apostasia a late form of apostasis, originally to
desert a post or station in life. It is used of Plutarch of political revolt and is found in the OT in the sense of revolt against the Lord. (Josh. 22:22)
Antiochus Epiphanes enforced an apostasia from Judaism to Hellenism (1 Macc 2:15)
In the AV it is translated "falling away" in relation to the man of sin or antichrist. In this sense the thought is of religious revolt. Cremer states that apostasia is used in the absolute sense of
"passing over to unbelief," thus a dissolution of the "union of God subsisting through Christ." Amdt adds rebellion or abandonment in the religious sense. On the nature of apostasy there are lengthy articles in both the JewEnc and the CE developing an extensive doctrine of apostasy.
In the NT. 2 Thes 2:3 is part of a prophetic passage of apocalyptic character. The falling away invites conjecture
about whom and from what. The event seems future and thus related to antichrist. The implication is that the apostates will welcome the man of sin. (1)
Bakers Dictionary of Theology Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 60-7333 Copyright 1960 by Baker Book House, Sixth Printing, October 1973. (Baker's is now free online)
WIKI says...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Apostasy (Greek απο, apo, "away, apart", στασις, stasis, "standing") is
the formal renunciation of one's religion.
Notice that every one of the following 'apostates'
abandoned one thing and went to another. And it applies to both religion and politics.
Noted apostates
Ambedkar an ex-Hindu who became a Buddhist
Karen Armstrong ex-Roman Catholic nun who became an atheist
Julian the Apostate ex-Christian and Roman emperor
Aurelius Augustine (Augustine of Hippo) Former adherent of Manicheism who converted to Christianity and criticized Manicheism in his book called Confessions, though generally not labelled as an apostate because the term is originally used for people who leave Christianity, not for people who convert to it
Marjoe Gortner ex-Christian
Ayaan Hirsi Ali ex-Muslim
Maria Monk Sometimes considered an apostate, though little evidence exists that she ever belonged to the religion she supposedly fled
Taslima Nasrin born in a Muslim family who became an atheist
Friedrich Nietzsche grew up in a Lutheran family and became a confirmed Christian in his teens but later became a staunch atheist
Salman Rushdie Accused of being an apostate of Islam by Ruhollah Khomeini due to the publication of his book The Satanic Verses
Baruch Spinoza excommunicated from the Jewish community
Ibn Warraq ex-Muslim.
From the word 'except' in verse 3c, to the end of verse 12, the church is not implied in any way. In fact the words
"but we" in verse 13
prove that the church is not part of the apostasy! The word
'but' is a conjunction that
shows distinction and opposition to a previous statement. It opposes persons to persons or things previously mentioned or thought of. The distinction in this passage is between the followers of Christ as opposed to the man of sin and his followers. The church is not implied whatsoever.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 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.
3a Let no man deceive you by any means: 3b for that day shall not come, 3c
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.
Acts 21:21 is the only other place we can go to understand APOSTASIA.
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