Probably many viewers have trouble understanding articles in the New Testament Church category in today’s world surrounded by so many different churches and cults.
The New Testament church did start to apostatize towards the second century, because of churches in the city trying to take over small local churches which should remain autonomous (self governing). Also a local church is supposed to be governed by a plurality of bishops, 1 Timothy 3:1-7. What happens invariably in a group of men one wants to be the leader instead of the group coming to a decision on a matter. As noted in the Catholic Church the Pope is the supreme leader.
What also needs to be taken into consideration is there was no printing press until the 15th century, every thing was written on treated animal skins, sheep, calf or goat, or papyrus a paper, made from a reed found along a marsh like wet land along a riverbank, flattened and formed into the poor paper of the day.
Keeping records on the above methods of recording text could also account for the following away of the true church.
Another helpful way of coming to an understanding of the chaos in the Christian church is to go to this web site and see the thousands of church names, as the New Testament only describes one church. The home page of this website only list the countries the churches are in. By clicking on a country the church names are displayed.
Reading the various names of churches on this site increases a viewers understanding of how hidden forces were no doubt involved in creating so many unrealistic ridiculous churches. A short article on the site mentions 40,000 so called Christians churches, incredible. As can easily be seen, the true church, (Church of Christ) can’t Without much difficulty be found.
Evangelist, preachers in their attempts to support a church of their choosing will go off on a Dissertation trying to prove their church is authentic.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about.
To bring your attention to a Charismatic lecturer on the Pentecostal and Assembly of God Churches, Hal Lindsey is noted here. He wrote his first book in 1969, The Late Great Planet Earth. This was his best-known book, published in 54 languages and sold 35 millions copies.
Part 5: The Pentecostal and Assembly of God Churches, Origins and Unscriptural Teachings
History reveals the Pentecostal church was started in 1900 by Charles F. Parham a holiness preacher and the Assembly of God Church was started in 1915 by both Charles Parham and Eudorus Bell along with Pentecostal groups.
Part 4: The Pentecostal and Assembly of God Churches, Origins and Unscriptural Teachings
My daughter Judy and cousin Wayne both have belonged to the unscriptural church, Assembly of God Church for forty plus years with comments from me that they’re unscriptural, with no avail.
Reportedly the Mormon church, a cult, has 15 millions members world wide.
The Church of Christ reportedly world wide has 5 million.
New Testament prediction on the Saved:
Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV)
- 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
- 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Again, The New Testament Church category attempts to explain the reason of the mass confusion.
Articles in The President Set By the Catholic Church category gives the reason where it all started.