An study of church history The establishment of

An study of church history – • The establishment of the church. . . • The apostasy. . . • Attempt at reformation. . . • Our effort to restore. . .

Jesus – the head – Ep 1: 22 • The Body of Christ: Eph 1: 22, 23 • All Those IN Christ – Ep. 1: 10, 2: 16; 1 Cor. 12: 12, 13 • Saved Individuals – Acts 2: 47; Rom. 12: 5; Ep. 3: 6; 5: 23

Jesus – the head – Ep 1: 22 • Christians in the same area joining together to do the Lord’s work - Ep. 1: 1; Phili 1: 1; 1 Cor 1: 2 • Submitting to the head in organization, work & worship - Eph. 4: 11; 1 Thes 1: 8; 2: 13, 14; Col 3: 16, 17; John 4: 24

10 Pennies 3 Dimes 2 Nickels 2 Quarters • • Catholic (606) Lutheran (1517) Presbyterian (1560) Baptist (1608) Methodist (1740) Mormon (1830) Pentecostal (1898)

cr ip tu ra l Catholic (606) Lutheran (1517) Presbyterian (1560) Baptist (1608) Methodist (1740) Mormon (1830) Pentecostal (1898) Un s • •

“The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8: 11) • The Bible Alone Christian • Bible + Methodist Discipline Methodist • Bible + Baptist Manual • Bible + Book of Mormon Baptist Mormon Denominationalism necessitates different seeds! Answer:

Birth of Christ 3 -4 BC 18“And Earthly Ministry – 26 -27 AD Death, Burial & Resurrection – 29 -30 AD (3 Years) I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ” (Matthew 16: 18)

Death, Burial & Resurrection – 29 -30 AD (40 Days) Ascension of Christ – Acts 1 Day of Pentecost Acts 2 (10 Days) • First gospel sermon – Acts 2: 14 -39 • Saved added to the church – Acts 2: 41, 47 • They continued steadfastly. . . Acts 2: 42

The day of Pentecost Acts 2 The Samaritans Acts 8: 4 -13 Ethiopian Nobleman Acts 8: 26 -39 Cornelius & his household Acts 10, 11 Saul of Philippians Tarsus Lydia & Jailor Acts 9: 1 -18; 22: 16 Acts 16 Etc. Acts 17 – Thessalonica, Berea Acts 18 – Corinth Acts 19 Ephesus

The church to be subject to Christ – Eph 1: 22, 23 • Jesus commissioned & equipped the apostles: Mat 28: 18, 19; John 16: 13; • The apostles then revealed all truth –Acts 20: 27; Eph 3: 3 -5 • The church was, (and is) to be governed by the Word of God – Luke 8: 11; Eph 4: 11 -16; Jude 1: 3; 2 Tim 3: 16, 17; Col 3: 17

Biblical History: 4 Adam & Eve – Gen 3 4 From Adam to Noah – Gen 6: 7, 12 4 Those delivered from Egypt – Num 14: 1 -4, Heb 3: 16 -19 4 The nation of Israel – * Divided – 928 BC. * Northern 10 tribes fall – 722 BC. * Judah falls – 589 BC. 4 The restoration – 535– 439 BC.

Biblical History: The warnings: 4 Jesus warned of false teachers – Mat 7: 15; 24: 5, 11, 13, 23 -26 4 Paul warned that an apostasy was going to take place – Acts 20: 28 -32; 1 Tim 4: 1 -5; 2 Tim 4: 1 -4; 2 Thes 2: 1 -12 4 Peter mentioned the reality of false teachers – 2 Peter 2: 1 -3 4 As did John – 1 John 2: 18; 4: 1

4 The presence of false teaching – Acts 15; Gal 5: 1 -4; Col 2 4 Division was condemned in the Biblical church at Corinth – 1 Cor 1: 10 -17; History: 4 There were those who possessed The warnings: the “spirit of preeminence” - 3 John 9, 10 The signs: 4 Five of the seven churches of Asia had begun to travel the road of apostasy. – Rev 2, 3

Biblical History: A gradual 4 Presiding Elders departure 4 Elder – Bishop from God’s distinction Word The warnings: The signs: Post Biblical History: 4 Metropolitan Bishops – 4 Diocesan Bishop 4 Arch Bishops – (Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, & Rome) 4 The Pope – (606 AD. )

A gradual departure from God’s Word Step #5 Arch Bishops – Step #6 POPE – Boniface III 606 AD Step #4 Diocesan Bishop Step #3 Metropolitan Bishops – Step #2 Elder – Bishop distinction Step #1 Presiding elder Original Elders Elders

Biblical History: The warnings: The signs: Post Biblical History: 4 Council of Nicea (325 A. D. ) 4 Latin Mass (394 A. D. ) 4 Purgatory (593 A. D. ) 4 Transubstantiation (1000 A. D. ) 4 Celibacy of Priest (1015 A. D. ) 4 Indulgences – (1192 A. D. ) 4 Auricular Confession (1215 A. D. ) 4 Sprinkling (1311 A. D. )

October 31, 1517 nailed his 95 theses to the door of the “All Saints Church” in Whittenberg His goal was to “Change” the traditions of the Catholic church. “Whatever is not against scripture is for scripture, and scripture for it” 1483 -1546 [Handbook of Denominations, pg. 132]

1484 -1531 “What the Bible does not command we may not do, ” Gave up images, crosses, indulgences, observing the mass, and the practice of celibacy, and the use of organs in the church. In 1522, mounted a protest against the fast at Lent, a standard Catholic practice.

Martin Luther – (1517) Church of England (1534) John Smyth Baptist (1608) Joseph Smith Mormon (1830) Over 3, 000 mainline churches Augsburg John Calvin John Wesley Ellen G. White Confession Presbyterian Methodist Adventism (1530) (1560) (1737) (1844)

Three Proposed ways to obtain Most unity: everyone is in agreement that such a state of division is not good! But what can be done about it? Catholicism – Accept the authority of the Roman Catholic Church – even though there is very little resemblance to what we find in the NT. Interdenominationalism – Unity in the absence of following a divine pattern of organization, doctrine, and worship. Restoration – Returning to the divine pattern revealed in the NT – in organization, doctrine, and worship.

“The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8: 11) • The Bible Alone Christian • Bible + Methodist Discipline Methodist • Bible + Baptist Manual • Bible + Book of Mormon Baptist Mormon Denominationalism necessitates different seeds! Answer:

Division exist contrary to the prayer and teaching of Jesus Christ – (John 17: 20, 21; 1 Cor. 1: 10 -13) A Men departed from the scriptures - and brought into existence Catholicism – A Men tried to reform the apostate church which resulted in denominationalism – A Division is not good – but how can we go about restoring the unity for which Jesus prayed for and demands?

Our plea is for a complete return to the pattern revealed in the New Testament: Book Chapter & Verse Everything the scriptures teach Nothing the scriptures do not authorize Call Bible things by Bible names Do Bible things in Bible ways Back to the Bible

You can be a member of the Lord’s church! Not by submitting to the Pope Not by submitting to the doctrines & commandments of men But by submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ – Mark 16: 16