His Choice, Not ours [part 5]

Published in Pasugo, June 2005

The Origin of So-called Christian Churches
(fifth of six parts) His Choice, Not ours


WAS CHRISTIANITY restored to its undefiled form upon the rise of Protestantism following the Reformation of 1517?

For Protestants, the answer to this question is, understandably, a “yes.” Protestants acknowledge that apostasy indeed took place within the Church after the death of the apostles, as forewarned by our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles (Matt. 24:11; Acts 20:28-30; II Pet. 2:1). In fact, the very essence of Reformation was to lead men “back to the beliefs and practices of the apostolic age” (The Story of the Church, p. 120), from which the Catholic Church has gradually departed over the centuries. Protestants would like to believe that they have succeeded in restoring Christianity to its pure and undefiled form. The late Dr. Henry H. Halley, a Protestant minister, wrote:

“The Protestant Church, though it is a long way from perfection, in spite of its cross-currents and weaknesses, beyond any doubt whatever, represents the Purest Form of Christianity in the world today; and probably the purest the church has known since the first three centuries.” (Halley’s Bible Handbook, p. 794)

Just how true is this contention? Is Protestantism truly a return to pristine Christianity? Or, is it but a failed attempt at restoration which eventually became part of the process of the great apostasy forewarned in the Bible? These are the issues to be addressed as we continue our study of Church history in the light of biblical prophecies.

The apostate Church:
‘mother of harlots’
There is more to be told about the prophesied apostasy of the Church in addition to what were already revealed in the pronouncements of our Lord Jesus Christ, Apostle Peter, and Apostle Paul that we have discussed so far. Apostle John had other meaningful revelations concerning what would happen to the Church as it apostatized after the death of the apostles. One such prophecy referred to the apostate Church as an unchaste woman, the “great harlot” who “sits on many waters” and on whose “forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev. 17:1, 5 New King James Version).

We know that the harlot or whore mentioned in this prophecy does not refer to a literal woman because she is said to be sitting on “many waters,” which signify “nations, peoples, races, and languages” (Rev. 17:15, Today’s English Version). What, then, does the “harlot” in the prophecy symbolize? It is the Church after her having apostatized as contrasted with the Church of Christ during the time of the apostles, being likened to a chaste virgin or a pure woman (II Cor. 11:2).

Aside from “sitting on many waters” or embracing nations, peoples, races, and languages (or, being universal in scope), the apostate Church can also be identified by the name she bears - she is called by the name “Babylon,” which, according to the New American Bible, is the code name for “Rome” (I Pet. 5:13, footnote). Which church bears the name of Babylon or Rome and “sits on many nations and peoples” or is universal in scope? She is, as her name obviously indicates, the Roman Catholic Church. This is affirmed by The Catholic Catechism, Part II, which states:

“… The Church is called Roman Catholic because its chief ruler is the lawful bishop of Rome …

“The word ‘Catholic’ means ‘universal’ or ‘extending all over the world’.” (p. 146)

Apostle John’s vision of “the great harlot” in Revelation 17, therefore, confirms that there was indeed an apostasy after the death of the apostles, which gave rise to the Roman Catholic Church.

However, this is not the only truth that we should understand about the apostasy that took place within the Church. Going back to verse 5 of the said chapter in Revelation, it was foretold that the prophesied “great harlot” would become the “mother of harlots.” Therefore, she would have offsprings that are likewise “harlots” or false churches.

Who are the offsprings of the prophesied great harlot in Revelation 17? In the book, Religion in the United States, author Benson Y. Landis writes:

“The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States is one of the eighteen independent religious bodies that grew out of the Church of England … The principal characteristics of the Protestant Episcopal Church have thus been derived from the Church of England, which in 1534, after a long process of separation, became independent of the Roman Catholic Church …” (p. 60)

Indeed, the Roman Catholic Church gave birth to other churches. From her sprung in 1534 the Church of England, which bore 18 independent religious bodies that later brought forth the tens of thousands of Protestant sects and denominations that are in the world today.

Weeds sown by the enemy
That many other false churches would rise out of the Church that had gone apostate following the death of the apostles was forewarned by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In one of His parables, Christ pronounced:

“ … The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” (Matt. 13:24-25, English Standard Version)

The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man or Christ, whereas the good seed are the children of the Kingdom (Matt. 13:37-38). That which Christ “sowed” or built is the Church of Christ, the flock to which He promised to give the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:18; Luke 12:32; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). As proven, in the previous parts of this series, Christ built not many churches but only one, thus the parable mentions the sower as planting “good seed” and not “seeds”, as though there were many.

What are many are the tares or the bad seeds which, according to the parable, would be sown not by Christ but by “his enemy,” who is the devil (Matt. 13:39), and this would happen “while his men were sleeping.” What Christ meant here by “sleep” is death (John 11:11-14). Therefore, the sowing of evil seeds and their sprouting into weeds would happen after the death of Christ’s men or His apostles (Acts 20:29-30, 25; II Tim. 4:6).

Evil seed was sown after the death of the apostles and this gave rise to the apostate Church that espouses two of what the Apostle Paul calls “doctrines of devils” (I Tim 4:1-3), namely, forbidding to marry (celibacy) and commanding to abstain from meats (observed during the Lenten season).

But that’s not all. As mentioned earlier, from the Catholic Church later arose various sects of Protestantism. Fulfilled thus was the prophecy that tares of weeds (note: plural) would be sown in the field, which is the world (Matt. 13:38). Like their mother church, the Protestant sects and denominations are also sown by the enemy, for they are characterized by divisions and strife:

“But if you have bitter envying or strife in your hearts do not boast and do not lie against the truth. This wisdom does not come from above, but it is earthly, sensual, devilish. For wherever envy and strife are, there is confusion and every sort of evil.” (James 3:14-16, Lamsa Translation)

The Church of Christ during the time of Christ and the apostles was marked by unity, not disharmony. According to God’s will and purpose, the members of the Church were gathered as one body “that there should be no schism” (I Cor. 12:25, NKJV).

Quite the contrary, the Protestant Church, while claiming to be a return to pristine Christianity, is characterized by denominationalism and factionalism, the extent of which has gone so far and wide that one would lose count of the actual number of Protestant sects there are. In the book, Protestantism, edited by J. Leslie Dunstan, this observation was given:

“Protestantism has produced a great number of separate organizations: denominations and sects. No one really knows how many of these varied groups there are; nor would it do any good to attempt to count them because before the task was completed new groups would have formed and some of the existing groups would have disappeared. Such a state of affairs is inherent in Protestant principles.” (p. 235)

With such disunity and disharmony, even Protestant authors have noted, thus:

“Because Protestantism today is marked by division and duplication, today’s churches bear little resemblance to the first century mode.” (Moody Monthly, Sept. 1984, p. 28)

Apostasy perpetuated
Aside from being divided, Protestant churches also observe teachings and practices that, like those upheld by the Catholic Church, do not conform with but vehemently oppose the principles of genuine Christianity. This, Protestant writers also admit. In his book, Evangelical and Roman Catholic Beliefs Compared, Albert J. Sanders objectively noted that through the centuries, “many doctrines contrary to God’s revealed truth” have crept not only into the teachings of the Catholic Church but also into the Evangelical or Protestant Churches (p. 16). One such teaching is the faith-alone concept of salvation:

“Protestant Principles

“Justification by faith in Christ. Man can be saved only by faith in Christ, not by good works. Good works are the outgrowth of faith in Christ.” (20 Centuries of Christianity, p. 32)

A common principle shared by Protestant sects is the belief that “man can be saved only by faith in Christ, not by good works.” But although it is true that faith is important for salvation and that there are works not necessary for salvation, the Bible makes it clear that faith alone is not enough for the sinner to be justified and be saved. To the early Christians, Apostle James emphatically wrote:

“My brothers, what good is it for someone to say that he has faith if his actions do not prove it? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14, TEV)

Clearly, faith must be coupled with works to bring about salvation. Apart from works, one’s faith is but dead and barren or useless (James 2:20). The same apostle stressed:

“Can’t you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.

“You see, then that it is by actions that a person is put right with God, and not by his faith alone.” (James 2:22, 24, TEV)

By embracing the teaching that faith alone can save man, Protestant churches have not returned to but departed farther from the pristine gospel preached by the apostles and upheld by the first-century Church of Christ. This further proves that apostasy was perpetuated, and not abated, upon the rise and outspread of Protestantism following the Reformation that was sparked off in the 16th century.

This does not mean, however, that there is no church today recognized by Christ as His and by God as His people. In one of His prophetic pronouncements, Christ spoke of a flock that would be made up of those whom He calls His other sheep:

“I have other sheep too. They are not in this flock here. I must lead them also. They will listen to my voice. In the future there will be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16, Easy-to-Read Version)

This signifies that God’s policy of election shall, after all, continue. There shall be a people of His choice in the future or in the last days, and they are among those to be saved at the time of harvest or on the day this world shall come to its end. Who they are, where and when they shall come from are what shall be discussed in the next and concluding part of this series.




Note: Summary

· Christ likened the establishment of His Church to the sowing of good seed in the field
· Christ forewarned, however, that tares or weeds would also be sown by the enemy or the devil
· Christ said that this would happen while His men were sleeping or after the death of the apostles
· The apostles likewise forewarned that an apostasy would be revealed after their death
· Such apostasy gave rise to the apostate Church, which Apostle John spoke of as a great harlot
o “who “sits on many waters” or is universal in scope
o … bears the name “Babylon” or “Rome”
o … and would become a mother of harlots or give birth to other false churches…
· False churches, which are sown by the enemy and give heed to evil doctrines
o … characterized by division and strife
o … teaching what is contrary to Christian faith

References

Dunstan, Leslie J., ed. Protestantism. New York, USA: Washington Square Press, Inc., 1961.

Galbreath, Marvin L. 20 Centuries of Christianity. Indiana, USA: Light and Life Press, 1970.

Halley, Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook. Michigan, USA: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965.

Hardon, John A., S.J. The Catholic Catechism, Part II. New York, USA: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1981.

Landis, Benson Y. Religion in the United States. New York, USA: Barnes & Noble, 1965.

Moore, Dr. “The Union that Shouldn’t Be Labor.” Monthly Moody, September, 1984.

Sanders, Albert J., D.D. Evangelical and Roman Catholic Beliefs Compared. Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature Inc., 1974.