Rev. Dr. Paul Kaiparambadan on 05/30/2010 at 16:43pm
TOTAL APOSTASY? TOTAL LIE!
The Original Church of Jesus has disappeared?
Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church made a surprise finding in 1830. ‘The church Jesus founded in Jerusalem is dead or totally disappeared in the 1st Century itself! It is apostatized!’ So, he formed a new church in America and called it “Church of Jesus Christ” or “Mormon Church,” and claimed that in the last days the original church will reemerge through him. Those who wants to be saved must become a member of the re-emerged church and believe in two Holy Books: The Bible and the Book of Mormons! (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966).
Felix Y. Manalo copied this mental gimmick of Joseph Smith when he proclaimed that the original Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem disappeared in the 1st Century because of apostasy and persecution. But it re-emerged through him in the Philippines on July 27, 1914. That is the true church! Those who want to be saved must believe in the Bible and fundamental teachings of ‘Iglesia Ni Cristo’ or ‘Church Of Christ’. (‘Pandoktrina’ Series 1976-1977). What is the truth? Who says the lie? Let us analyze their claims in the light of the Holy Bible.
The Promise of Jesus Contradicts TOTAL Apostasy
As history proves, from the beginning until now, many false prophets have appeared with contrary views to divide the only one Church established forever. But the Church was always victorious over them, as it was Jesus who is guiding his Church through the Holy Spirit. Many denied what Jesus taught! Some preached that Jesus is only a man. For others, he is only God. Some disbelieved the Holy Spirit, while others questioned the validity of the sacraments. Foreseeing this danger, Jesus even warned his disciples about the works of Satan against the Church he founded. “Many will come in my name to lead you astray” (Matt 24:4). But Jesus always assured the apostles of His eternal presence with the Church. “When two or three are gathered in my name I will be in your midst,” was His word. He is not one who knows how to establish His Church, but does not know how to safeguard it. The Church, He purchased by His blood, was not just for a few days, but for eternity!
Iglesia Ni Cristo tries to make the people in a false doctrine of apostasy by quoting the above passage from the Bible, which really meant against them; by Jesus; “For many will come in my name, saying ‘I am the Christ’ and they will lead many astray” (Matt 24:4-5). This ‘many’ is tactfully interpreted as ‘all’ to prove that the Church, Jesus Himself instituted, failed to survive in history. ‘Many’ will fall away never meant that all will fall away.
Nobody can deny the biblical fact that Jesus instituted His Church upon the apostles in 33AD. Jesus didn’t create thousands of churches as we see now, but only one church, which he called ‘My Church’ upon Simon whom he renamed “Peter, the Rock.” Matt 16:18 says, “You are Peter and on this rock, I will build my Church. The gates of Hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.”
When Jesus instituted the Church, he also assured its protection. “The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” Those who carry the total apostasy theory for their survival, and justify their illegal, fake churches, and making Jesus a liar who made a promise and failed to keep it. On the contrary, Jesus gave His assurance to the apostles; He will be with His Church “even until the end of the world” (matt 28:20) not for few days.
Total Apostasy teaches that Satan is more powerful than Jesus
According to them, when the Christians were persecuted in Rome, Jerusalem and all over the world, the Church ceased to exist; Jesus abandoned His Church. So the enemies of the Church became victorious. Can a Christian believe in this foolishness? Can Jesus, the Good Shepherd, abandon His Church when its members were sacrificing their life for Him? Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The hired man who is no shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong as his own beholds the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them, because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep!” (Matt 10:11-14). Jesus is the good shepherd, not the hired one. The total apostasy in the 1st century is a myth and lie. If anyone accepts this lie, he proclaims that Satan is more powerful that Jesus himself – ‘false prophets are stronger than Christ.’
The Church as the Body of Jesus can never be TOTALLY apostatized
Jesus considered the Church as His own body. When Saul persecuted His Church, Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:4-5).
Those who are compelled to carry the doctrine of total apostasy have to believe that Saul was able to persecute and even kill Jesus, His body, the Church!
The Old Testament Prophecies against Total Apostasy
Isaiah 9:6-7 says “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase if His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forever more.” See? He will uphold His kingdom ‘forever more’ – without end.
In the Book of Daniel, we read a very clear statement against total apostasy. Daniel 7:14 says, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Once more, Daniel 2:44 speaks about this unrealistic myth of total apostasy.
Daniel 2:44 says, “And in the days of those kings, the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring to an end, and it shall stand forever.”
The Fiction of Total Apostasy questions the Validity of the Bible
In the Gospel, we never see Jesus commanding us to believe in a ‘bible’. There was no Bible at the time of the apostles. The Bible emerged in the 4th century only! Those who use the Bible to support their doctrine of apostasy contradict themselves when history proved that the Bible itself come from a Church that they call “apostatized in the 1st Century.” The Bible was completed and formulated in 397AD by the Council of Catholic Church (For more details; please read ‘Who made the Bible?’)
Poor Knowledge in History
The complete apostasy theory is supported by a poor knowledge of its proponents in the Church history. In the 1st Century itself, the church started to flourish in different parts of the world. The apostles travelled to different countries. The history of the Church in Rome and Jerusalem is blood-stained. In fact, the strong witnessing of the martyrs strengthened the Church more and more. ‘Blood of the martyrs became the seed of Christianity.’ But there were other Churches which grew without fierce persecution. Take the case of the Church in India. In AD 52, St. Thomas the Apostle came to Kerala, S. India and the Church he established there was protected and supported by the kings and the rulers. Until now, that Church, known as St. Thomas Christians, keeps pure Catholic doctrines. There was neither apostasy nor total persecution in the history of that Church. Remember, the history of Church is not exclusive to the Church in Rome and in Jerusalem.
Conclusion
Jesus is not a dead God. He lives and rules through His body – the only Church He instituted here on earth. It is the Holy Spirit that guides the church as promised by our Lord. Evil can never overtake her. The power of Hells’ wolves with sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15) tried their best to kill her always in different forms but mostly political or religious: Ceasar and Nero in Rome, Napoleon in France, Henry VIII in England, Carl Marx and Lenin in Russia, martin Luther in Germany, Mao in China – the list of persecutors goes on. The political powers perished. The anti-Catholic churches were broken into pieces. They all kept but one dream: “destroy Catholicism.” But up to now, she continues to be victorious as ever. She is the greatest moral power in the world. When the Pope speaks, all nations listen – whatever they be Muslims, Hindus, Protestants, Communists or Secularists. “The gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).
But the apostles of apostasy will always appear. They will carry the Bible. Years before, Satan tempted Jesus by quoting the scripture passages three times (Lk 4:1ff). Now he uses the same trick to destroy the mystical body of Jesus! “Quote the Bible, destroy the Catholic faith” is the new policy! So Jesus warned His apostles “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will fall away” (matt 24:4, 10)
Jesus has only one bride! His Church! “Christ loved the church and handed himself over her” (Eph 5:25). Now new preachers are creating new churches, new wives for Jesus! They can never be the bride of Christ. Christ will never divorce his bride for whom he died, with whom he lives! He is, he was, and he will be, faithful to his church, his bride!
Written by:
Rev. Dr. Paul Kaiparambadan
[email protected]
KNOW THE TRUTH Magazine
Alam ba ninyo, na isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit naliwanagan at bumalik sa katoliko si Bro Alfie Angeles galing sa ADD at INC, ay dahil nabasa niya ang Know The Truth Magazine ni Fr. Paul. Kung napanood ninyo ang video sa youtube ni Bro Alfie, diba nasabi niya sa video, na isang araw noon ng INC pa siya, si Ka Ramil Parba daw ministro ng INC, ay nagbigay sa kanila ng Know The Truth Magazine ni Fr. Paul. Para daw aralin nila, at aalamin kung ano ang isasagot nila sa INC sa magazine na iyon ni Fr. Paul. At ng nabasa ni Bro Alfie ang magazine, sabi niya, wala daw siyang nakitang mali. Kaya, doon nag-umpisa ang kaliwanagan ni Bro Alfie sa pananampalatayang katoliko. Kaya, hanggang sa dumating ang panahon na nagpasya na si Bro Alfie na babalik na siya sa katoliko. Sa ngayon, ating nalaman, na pumasok si Bro Alfie ng catholic seminary, dahil, gusto daw niyang maging Pari.
Yang magazine ni Fr. Paul na Know The Truth ay binanggit ni Bro Alfie Angeles sa videong ito sa ibaba:
Daniel 2:44 Good News Translation (GNT)
44 At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever.
Matthew 16:18 Good News Translation (GNT)
18 And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it.
Matthew 7:24-25 Good News Translation (GNT)
24 “So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.
Luke 1:33 Good News Translation (GNT)
33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”