THE CHURCH IN CURRENT TIMES THREATENED BY APOSTASY

For
Gisela Arena de Pereira
Madelin Parra de Chiquito

In partial compliance with the requirements of Study and Research Methods

Professor: Elizabeth de Pastrán

Pentecostal Evangelistic Seminar of the Assemblies of God of Venezuela.

Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

March 2021
 CONTENT

INTRODUCTION 1

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2

1.1 The church and its purpose. 3

1.2 The threat that the church faces 4

1.3 Characterize apostasy 7

1.4 Apostasy movements in the present day 8

1.5 The work of the Holy Spirit 8

2. Analysis of the information 10

3. Proposal 12

CONCLUSION 14

BIBLIOGRAPHY 16

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 Introduction

For an evangelical Christian who evidently reads the Bible and seeks to do so

the will of the father, it must be apparent to him that the events seen in the environment,

they point out that the time of the coming of Christ is near, and with it as indicated by the

the apostasy will come first1prophesied by Paul; it is known that it must be fulfilled,

however, one must try not to be affected by this. The church as the center of life

The Christian must, therefore, be alert to these strange movements that are

occurring and that will continue to occur in the end times.

Therefore, it is important to know and identify this huge problem that besieges

the evangelical church, to which every believer is exposed; the church must maintain a

constant teaching to the people of God, their eyes must remain open, to some they are

it makes it easier than for others, but as the body of Christ, we must warn one another.

The church threatened by apostasy will be studied, how apostasy represents

a threat to the church today? The topic will be developed in three sections: the

first, the church, origins and purpose, apostasy, characteristics and movements of

apostasy, the works of the Holy Spirit; the second is the analysis of information; and by

finally, the third section presents a very simple proposal.

For this, a documentary research will be conducted using in addition to the

bible, books of theological, biblical and systematic formation, manual of doctrine,

12 Thessalonians 2:3 (RVR60)

1
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Bible dictionaries, YouTube sermons, and different related websites.

theme, which is presented below after its selection and preparation.

Theoretical framework

It can be said that the church is experiencing growth in terms of numbers, but

not in terms of training, and it is because of this that it is becoming an easy target for all trends

of apostasy and doctrines of demons that have emerged since around 1960 and

they come silently penetrating into the church in recent times. The Lord Jesus at

to give the gift of teaching, he wanted the Holy Scriptures to be taught in all areas.

from the church, with the sole purpose of building up the body of Christ

1.1. The church

The church arose in the heart of God, not as a physical place for meetings,

but as a spiritual sphere to heal, encourage, help others, love one's brothers

and among all to form or make possible the creation of the body of Christ. It is evident then

that the church was founded by Jesus himself while he was among us, indeed in

In the first century between the years twenty-six and thirty, Jesus, gathered with his disciples, founded

the church as evidenced in the biblical text of Saint Matthew chapter sixteen, verse

eighteen. "And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the

the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

Furthermore, Jesus not only founded the church based on his doctrine and teachings, but

which also shielded her against any ambush from the enemy, 'the gates of hell' or

hell understood as demons that inhabit there, will not succeed in any of their attacks

2
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to the church. In addition to being founded on the foundation of the apostles2the era

Apostolic authority ceased with the death of the twelve apostles, since God chose only twelve of them.

among his many disciples3Then arises the post-apostolic period with the disciples of

One of the most famous was Polycarp of Smyrna:

Polycarp of Smyrna (69 - c. 155) is considered by the church as a father

apostolic and knowledgeable in life of some of the apostles. He was bishop of the
city of Smyrna, allegedly consecrated by John the Evangelist,
John the Apostle or John the Presbyter. However, it is not known for certain.
which of these three characters was disciple, but most likely it was
with Saint John the Apostle. There are few data about his life. Only we have
the record of his martyrdom left as an evangelizing example for the first ones
Christians. He was burned alive in the year 155 of the Christian era, during the reign
of Emperor Antoninus Pius. His life and his martyrdom are an example for the
continuators of the apostolic tradition.4

1.2 Purpose of the church.

According to the manual of Christian doctrines and practices (2010, p.58), the church

it has five main purposes:

Worship: considering different biblical passages2it can be said that the church

it was destined for the praise of the glory of the grace of the Lord, and that the

worship is a sign of worship to God.

Service: based on the statement of Jesus Christ 'love your neighbor as yourself'

same5, the idea is based on which the church must serve the

2Ephesians 2:20 (RVR60)

3Luke 6:13
4Bernardo Campos, Apostles Today? (Salem, USA: Karigma Publishing, 2017), 30.

5Matthew 22:39.
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community in which it is located.

Evangelism: it is the command of the Lord, it is inseparable from the church, since without it

new members would not come to it.

Communion: essential for the functioning of the body of Christ,

represented by their initiation with baptism.

Discipleship: lasts a lifetime, allowing the believer to acquire principles.

of his new life in Christ.

1.3 The threats that the church faces.

It becomes evident that the church develops in a social and cultural environment that,

Although it varies geographically, a kind of cycle occurs that repeats the conditions.

from one church to another, for this reason Juan Sánchez (2017 p.13) is considered, where he mentions

seven dangers that the church faces, and it is considered of great importance to highlight, since

They are based on the book of Revelation, which are:

Orthodoxy without love, forgetting the first love.

Fear of suffering, not defending the faith due to fear of the consequences.

To compromise, to accept constant cultural changes in order not to politicize the church.

Tolerance often leads to accepting behaviors or situations that

they are against the word and put the church at risk.

A good reputation, the reputation with Christ is what the church must uphold,

not the reputation that the world can give him.

Doubting herself, the church must take pleasure in faithfulness to the word and not

of external success that causes her to doubt the power of God.

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Self-sufficiency, one of the greatest risks faced by large congregations,

or those that are located in economically stable places is to believe that they can

to do something without the intervention of God.

1.4 Apostasy

Apostasy means 'abandonment of the faith'6It is important to mention that "according to

its etymology, in Greek, apostasy is desertion, rebellion, abandonment, withdrawal, separation

from that which has been approached before. Thus, in the biblical context it means:

cutting the saving relationship of one with Christ or distancing oneself from the vital union with Him and the

true faith in Him.7”

Similarly, Víctor Pino (n.d.) defines an apostate as one who believes and accepts

the Word slightly accepts everything it has heard for a while, but does not put it

in practice. While Pablo defines apostates as people who listened to the

Gospel of the grace of God, but they did not receive the love of the truth to be saved8,

They heard how those who were once enlightened; while in the book of the

Hebrews says: 'But that which produces thorns and thistles is rejected, is near to being.'

cursed, and her end is to be burned9.

6
Illustrated Theological Dictionary. First edition, s.v. 'apostasy'.

7Victor Pino. "The faithful church against current apostasy." n.p.

Unable to access external links.(last access February 21, 2021).

82 Thessalonians 2:10

9But if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
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Moreover, Paul warns about this manifestation in the latter times,

and he does so not only in the first letter to Timothy chapter four, verse one; but also

it also serves as a sign for the coming of Christ, and based on what is lived in the

world, in these times, everything indicates that we are in those pasture times of which he

He speaks in those two pastoral letters. The point is that the apostate does not sufficiently love the

truth in order to persist in it, with firm and deep convictions.

1.5 Characterize apostasy.

Now let us biblically look at the characteristics of the apostates:

They are people who have known God, but have turned their backs on Him, returning to the

darkness (Hebrews chapter six, verses four to six).

They are religious, but without piety and do not believe in its effectiveness (second letter to Timothy)

chapter three, verse three)

They are in the church, but deny God, which will bring them condemnation.

four)

They do not respect authority (Jude verse four)

They are murmurers (Jude sixteen).

They make divisions (Judas nineteen).

They promise freedom to their followers, but in reality what they do is put them in

servitude (second epistle of Peter chapter two, verse nineteen).

They have no love for the brothers (second letter to Timothy chapter three, verse).

1.6 Movements of apostasy in the present.

It is no secret to anyone the divisions that the evangelical church has suffered in the
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current events, and that mainly attract the attention of the unconfessed, especially due to the

external differences, being the most noticeable, for this reason it is brought up the

movements of apostasy, of which Pino (n.d.) mentions four as practices

inside the church of Christ:

Syncretism of the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church: it is the

compendium of different religious denominations (ecumenical movement)

located in different parts of the world, have joined seeking the

unity among Christians, and that also seeks to eliminate doctrinal differences,

causing the main foundations of the evangelical church to be lost.

Churches and homosexual pastors: Currently, the legalization of unions

homosexual civilians has reached the evangelical churches, causing the

formation of anti-Biblical churches with homosexual pastors.

The charismatic movement of faith: recognized Christian theologians question this

movement, considering it as spiritism disguised as Christianity, since

based on visualizations, confessions, inner healing, etc.

Religious mercantilism: in the sixteenth century it was known as the sale of

indulgences, today like the theology of prosperity, where they invite the believer

to sow a 'seed', to achieve financial multiplication.

American reconstructionism: In the ideological aspect, it is necessary to mention the

reconstructionist vision that accompanies neo-Pentecostal movements and

charismatic. Certain branches of the Apostolic Prophetic Movement–with

some exceptions - are heirs of this line of thought. The

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Reconstructionism is a political theology whose fundamental proposal is the

reconstruction of the Theocracy in modern society. Reconstructionism is

a political theology born in the United States in the 1960s, but acquired

strength in our Latin American countries from the 1980s. The essence of

their methodology consisted of replacing the pessimistic view of pre-eschatology

millenarianism that prevailed in evangelical sectors, for a more optimistic vision

of earthly realities, starting from a post-millennial perspective.10

Apostasy in praise music: it is common today to find a diversity of

genres in music that accompany services in churches, especially

in the directed, to the young, Wilfredo Morales (2015, p.51), mentions that the

different melodies that exist today are the work of man and not of God, and that

It is necessary for each one to investigate in the word, that, of what is created by man

It pleases God, thus explains how the worship of our creator has been distorted,

indicating that the lyrics are not what makes the music Christina, but rather it is music

created by Christians. It also explains that a Christian worship conducted under the

word standards, it would not be appropriate to accompany it with a cumbia, because

example. One must go to the origin of the various genres used by music, and it

he will understand that he has human expressions, that idolatry and immorality are

linked in these.

1.7. The work of the Holy Spirit.

The most important day for humanity was Pentecost.

10Fields,78.
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At that moment, the church was filled with power and glory; from that moment, the work began.

Holy Spirit, is evidenced in the book of Acts of the Apostles chapter two, verse one,

when all were filled with the Holy Spirit in the upper room, so that they could

to bear witness to Jesus with courage.

The Spirit of God acts in believers, through gifts and ministries.

who distributes, equips them for the work, for the building up of the body of Christ, all are

called to exercise a ministry within the church, that is, they were called to serve,

to carry out a work or a task within the body of Christ, as a minister of God. In

The letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans chapter eleven, verse twenty-nine is mentioned.

that these gifts and their calling are irrevocable

For the considerations presented, it can be said that the Holy Spirit is the

executive power of God, which is through Him that God sustains His work, that is a person

as real as oneself, that's why one should never underestimate its power. That is to say

that the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of each believer is fundamental. Francis

Lacueva (1998, p. 614) points out five indications of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the

heart of man:

There is conviction that Jesus Christ is a sufficient and essential personal savior, already

who is the Holy Spirit that convinces us of sin and grants faith to be able to believe in

the salvation given by Christ.

There is a living faith in Jesus; it helps the sinner understand the sacrifice of the cross and value it.

his redemptive work.

There is always holiness of conduct; the Holy Spirit transforms the hard heart into a
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heart that delights in the law of God.

One will always find the habit of fervent personal prayer; He leads us to

calling on God helps us to pray as we should.

There will always be love and respect for the word of God; the Holy Spirit leads us to have

desires to study the word fervently.

2. Analysis and comparison of data

It is important for Christians of the time to understand the threat of apostasy in

the present, called last days in the bible, difficult times, where the believer

doubt and the one who has not yet believed is undecided about whether what is preached in this time is

the truth of God or the whims of the man at the head of an organization.

In fact, they not only need to understand it but also to protect the pure doctrine.

holy of Christ without contaminations, each church must conduct a deep review on

the warning that the apostle Paul gives us in the first letter to Timothy chapter four, verse

one since there is much at stake, nothing more and nothing less than salvation, when

we study the gospels exegetically, we can see that Jesus during his

ministry confronted bad religious practices, rituals, and customs that were far from

They distanced the believer from God by imposing practices that they themselves could not uphold.

rightly called them "hypocritical Pharisees".

At this time, it is very common to see churches full of people empty of spirit.

saint, churches where there is no preaching about sin, repentance, forgiveness, peace, the
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holiness among many themes that our life in Christ demands, it is common to see

brothers sinning without their pastors or leaders admonishing them for fear that they will leave

from the church, but this didn't happen overnight, this was formed slowly,

they entered subtly into the church. It is essential for every believer to seek the fullness of the

Spirit of God, since this allows us to face the trials boldly, that we ...

they are present at all times.

On one occasion, a pastor preached a message titled: 'Apostasy has arrived;'

but my foundation is in Christ,” clearly exposing and in the face of ever-increasing advancements

elders, that although apostasy may come, our faith and doctrinal foundation must be Christ, for

on the other side and in the same dynamic of seeing the healthy aspects of our doctrine, Rev. Eliodoro

Mora often warned in many seminars, workshops, and sermons about the dizzying

advances in the world of the so-called G12, of the neo-apostles and of the doctrines of the

prosperity without any biblical foundation.

It is evident then to see and apply what is exposed in this research, it remains for each

who gets more involved in the word of God to know more about his church, about what they are

duties that we have as Christians within the church, and how the church must assume

its role for which it was created, we exposed some characteristics of apostasy, as well as

some major apostate movements, contrary to the teachings of Christ, in addition to

to make the brothers and sisters who will read this work see the marvelous works of the

Holy Spirit, who is the one that alerts us, reproves us, and guides us to all truth.

Finally, José Grau (1973, p.268) mentions a beautiful relationship between the

Spirit, the Bible, and the church, which glimpses an important condition, "Where is the
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Spirit of the Lord, there is the church. But how can we know where it is?

said Spirit? By the word of God. Hence the sign of the true church is the

fidelity that maintains respect for the word.

3. Proposal.

Considering the book of Romans where it mentions 'do not conform to this'

age, but transform yourselves by the renewal of your mind, so that

that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.11And likewise the

the book of Ephesians when it says "enlightening the eyes of your understanding, so that

you know what is the hope to which he has called you, and what are the riches of the glory of his

inheritance in the saints12The authors of this research make the following proposal:

To the shepherd brothers, who dedicate time in their meetings with the body.

ministerial, to the discussion of current news in the religious field, this

in order to stay updated on the main events reported by the media

communication. Verifying participation and understanding of the points

treated by the entire ministerial body.

Likewise, it was recommended to the leaders to include in their presentations of the

word, at least a brief word regarding apostasy.

To the brothers in Christ, do not take this brief but important matter lightly.

information, when it reaches your hands. Your salvation is the one that is in danger.

11Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

121:18
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Many label those who care about maintaining sound doctrine as fanatics.

but it is their salvation that they can lose and ignore these warnings is not it

what is best for you. Take your time and be critical of what you are taught

always trusting in the word of God.

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Conclusion

After having revealed the origin of the church and the threats faced,

that leads her to err and stray from what is established by God, it is understood that the

The solution to this problem is the fervent search for the Holy Spirit, His work in each one.

of the believers, causes a greater closeness to Jesus Christ and with it to God the Father,

but likewise the church must seek this.

Now, based on the previous considerations, a formulated a

Relevant hypothesis, does apostasy represent a threat to the church in the

current events?, to which we can respond after the investigation, Yes!, and it is that

Considering the aforementioned, it is evident that apostasy constitutes a

great threat to the church, because it diverts the church from its foundations, from the

established by God Himself from the beginning and because, although we know that the

apostasy is a sign of the soon coming of Christ, and that it was prophesied, also it

It serves as a warning for those who have believed in Jesus Christ, and to strive not to lose their

salvation.

On the other hand, although there is a great variety and quality of bibliographic sources

on the exposed topic, it would be more interesting to conduct it as fieldwork, to

obtain more recent information, since we know that new ones are being added every day.

doctrines of error, as well as spending more time on research and construction

From the monograph, there is very valuable information, but it is essential to use more.

number of hours for analysis and subsequent incorporation of the data, in order to achieve

thoroughly develop the aspects that were presented.

It would be appropriate to conduct a study on the devotional life of believers, in

some local churches, and thus know what strategy to apply to counteract whatever comes up
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the light. Certainly the Lord is the one who shows us the way, however, He has allowed

that we learn new strategies and if they are used hand in hand, surely the

results will be very favorable.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fields, Bernardo, Apostles Today?.

2017.

Gómez, Edgar; Santamaría, José; Lucena, Nelson and Goncalves, Moisés. Manual of
Christian doctrines and practices. Barquisimeto, Venezuela: Tinta Verde Publishing.
2010.

Gray, José. Course of evangelical theological training (introduction to theology).

Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Clie, 1973.

The Illustrated Theological Dictionary

The Cave, Francisco. Practical Course of Biblical Theology. Spain: Editorial Clie, 1998.

Lozano D, Juan. Believing in Difficult Times. s.l, Editorial Clie, 2017.

Ashamed of the Gospel

Morales, Wilfredo. The music also weeps. Spain: Editorial, Logos, S.L., 2015

Sánchez, Juan. 7 Threats Facing Every Church and Your Role in Overcoming Them. Nashville,
USA: Editorial B&H, 2017.

Pearlman, Myer

Pino, Víctor. The faithful church in front aof the current apostasy.
Unable to access the content of the provided URL.(last access February 21, 2021).