The first century church experienced remarkable growth. Starting in a lightly regarded place in the expansive Roman Empire, within 30 years it had established strong beachheads in most of the great population centers and in many places in between. From a human stand point of view, the church should not enjoyed such success, but God had chosen the right time to send his son (Galatians 4:4), the gospel was the power of God and the church was indwelt by the Holy Spirit. By the time Paul wrote the letters to the colossians, he could say that the gospel had "been proclaimed to every creature under heaven" (Colossians 1:23). As the church moved on into the second and third centuries growth continued, even as the church was frequently persecuted. However, with the passing of the apostles, growth was accompanied by false doctrines. Consider three examples: 1. Different teachings grew up which tried to rob Jesus of his identity as the one and only true son of God. Some began explaining Jesus to be a man who was like God, and strong objection was made to his being deity. Another group, the Gnostics, taught that Jesus was deity but not really a man in the flesh. The Apostle Paul had corrected the first view, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" Colossians 2:9). the Apostle John had addressed the Gnostics in 1 John, "Every Spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that dos not acknowledge Jesus is not from God" (1 John 4:34). Throughout history, groups would rise up and disappear, claiming these same false teachings. In our day there are those ranging from Universalist to the Jehovah's Witness and Mormons. 2. The New Testament had taught that baptism by immersion was for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-7) but it was equally clear that people who sinned after baptism could be forgiven. 1 John 1 and 2 teach that everyone will need forgiveness. The second and third century church's clearly taught that there were three sins that the church could never forgive after baptism,even though they might be forgiven by God (a strange doctrine indeed!). These three were murder, sexual immorality and the denial of the faith. During the two centuries following the Apostles, persecutions of the church came and went. One of the worst came around 250 A.D. with believers being threatened, the tortured until they renounced their faith, and many did. While some survived, still confessing their faith, others were martyred. After the persecutions, Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, devised a plan of penance (works) to restore those who had denied their faith, making it more complicated for those who were guilty of the worst violations. Certainly, no such plan can be found in the New Testament where forgiveness is ever earned. There is no doubt that the church in the first three centuries was under much stress and pressure and they there were some heroic personalities who held to Jesus, but we can see fairly early a trend toward resolving matters with human logic, not with a carefully study of Scripture. Such a trend laid bases for the the coming of the catholic Church. Part two of my series on "Church History in Miniture." next issue thread. Thank you for reading members. God_bless you :) Thomas
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