Page 502 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

PROPHECY

passes and the coming of Christ draws near (2 Ti. 3:13). power and life. There are large elaborate church
God’s people are warned that the N.T. truth will be buildings, grand ritualistic services, and much activity,
abandoned by those who profess to be Christians. This, but there is often no true supernatural power—no
of course, is exactly what we can see in church history, power for conviction of sin, no power for the new birth,
and the corrupting process is increasing today at a no power for holy living, no power for miraculous
frightening pace. answer to prayer, no power to rebuke the evil of sin and
There are many ways this is prophesied. It is woven apostasy, no power to believe and obey the Word of
into the very fabric of the N.T. As the N.T. progresses, God, no power to discern truth from error.
there is an increasing emphasis upon apostasy. The first 4. Deceit, subtlety, untrustworthiness, political,
epistles deal to various degrees with the problem of treachery (2 Ti. 3:3-4). Paul pictures the apostates
false teaching, but when we come to 2 Timothy, then 2 “creeping” around and deceiving people; they are
Peter, 2 John and Jude, the writers are almost untrustworthy, fierce. This is definitely a characteristic
completely taken up with the theme of apostasy. Finally of apostasy. Those who reject the witness and teachings
in Revelation we find the true churches taken away and of the Holy Spirit follow their own fallen hearts.
the apostate “church” in full bloom, ruling for a brief Jeremiah tells us about this natural heart: “The heart is
period with the beast, the antichrist (Re. 17). deceitful above all things, and desperately
Let us take a brief survey of some of the major wicked...” (Je. 17:9). Apostate Christians cannot be
passages containing church prophecy. Anyone familiar trusted. They imitate the way of their father, the devil,
with the prophecies should not be surprised at the who “through his subtilty beguiled Eve” (2 Co. 11:3). Of
strange, apostate, compromising conditions we find the apostate religious leaders of His day, Jesus said: “Ye
today among Christians. The Holy Spirit of God has are of the your father the devil, and the lusts of your
forewarned that this will be the case as the preparations father ye will do. He was a murderer from the
are made for the creation of the harlot church of the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is
tribulation period. no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
Characteristics of the Last Days—2 Timothy 3-4: his own: for he is the father of it” (Jn. 8:44).
1. Perilous (2 Ti. 3:1). This means times will be In light of these warnings we should not be surprised
difficult, hard, fierce. The reason for the difficulty, as the at the deceit and political maneuverings of leaders of
rest of the chapter reveals, is the widespread apostasy. such apostate groups as the World Council of Churches
This makes life difficult for N.T. Christians. and the Roman Catholic Church. Christians who are
2. Low moral and spiritual standards (2 Ti. 3:2-4). deceived by these evil men have only themselves to
blame, because God has revealed to us the heart
These conditions have always been true of the world in condition of apostates. This is not judging; it is believing
general. In Ge. 6, in the days of Noah before the flood, the Bible! The treacherous way true Christians have
men were described in this way. The difference in 2 Ti. 3 always been treated by the leaders of apostasy is
is that these are conditions among professing Christians, fulfillment of this prophecy. An example is the countless
among those who “have a form of godliness” (2 Ti. 3:5)! multitudes of godly N.T. believers who have been
Those familiar with the low moral and spiritual murdered by the RCC throughout church history.
condition within apostate Christian groups such as the
Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, 5. Increasing in knowledge, but not in truth; much
and the liberal Protestant denominations, understand education, but not subjected to divine revelation (2 Ti.
that Paul’s prophecy has been fulfilled. For example, it is 3:7). There is an impressive amount of learning and
very common now for the large Protestant education among apostate Christians. Schools of higher
denominations to sympathize even with homosexuality. theology are producing men with grand titles and
For instance, in 1983 the United Church of Christ gave degrees who are producing books by the truck-load on
official approval to a report in which it was stated that every sort of theological theory; but this “higher”
sexual orientation is not a moral issue and that learning never results in the simple truth of the Word of
candidates for ordination should not be refused on the God. Rationalistic theologians move from one new
grounds of being homosexual. This official action took hypothesis to another because they have no anchor to
place at their biennial general synod and received an the truth. They have rejected the plain teaching of the
overwhelming vote of approval. Bible; therefore they have no absolute standard for
3. Form of godliness without the power (2 Ti. 3:5). judgment. The humblest born-again Christian who
believes the Bible knows more truth than all the learned
The word “form” could be translated “ritual,” and this is apostate doctors of theology who have rejected the
an apt description of what much of Christianity has testimony of God’s Book. In fulfillment of this prophecy,
become—ritualistic, sacramental, without true spiritual
some groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church, have

502 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity