In an article on the SHIELDS Website, John A. Tvedtnes and Matt Roper responded to one critic's arguments against some of the common texts cited by Latter-day Saints in favour of the Great Apostasy in a paper entitled, "A Bible! A Bible! The canon and Ongoing Revelation":
The Apostasy
Wilson addresses the various New Testament passages that Latter-day Saints have used to show that there would be an apostasy and finds them wanting. He also cites other New Testament passages that he believes provide evidence against an apostasy. We shall examine these here.
Wilson maintains that “Christ promised that His church would never fall into total apostasy: ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Matt. 16:18)” (p. 29). Christ cannot have meant, in this passage, that the Church would never fall. The Greek word rendered “prevail” in the King James Bible is katisxusousin, literally, “be strong against,” and it is often used in the sense of “restrain.” Gates do not attack churches (or anything else) with the intention of destroying them. Gates are not offensive weapons! They are intended to keep people in or keep people out. The gates of hell (Hades in the Greek text) are obviously intended to keep people in, as prisoners. Christ, however, opened those gates when he went into the spirit world to make it possible for the wicked of previous eras to hear the good news of redemption (1 Peter 3:18‑20; 4:6). Christ’s visit to Hades (the realm of the dead) is a common theme in early Christian literature, where we often read that Christ broke down the gates of Hades. The keys he gave to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19 and which came to all the apostles (Matthew 18:18) are the power of sealing people up to everlasting life. They release us from the captivity of the devil, opening the gates of hell for even the dead.
Wilson claims that “the New Testament nowhere predicts a total apostasy” (p. 29). A total apostasy, however, is not required in order that plain and precious truths be lost from sacred writings. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, Paul wrote that Christ would not return to the earth until after a “falling away” (the Greek work is apostasia, from which we get “apostasy”). Wilson objects that “this verse and its context (1:7-2:12) describe apostasy in terms of end-time event, especially the coming of the Antichrist, and there is no indication that it will be universal” (p. 29). To be sure, Christ’s second coming is an “end-time event.” But Paul says that Christ would not return until “there come a falling awayfirst.” He does not say how long before Christ’s return that event would take place, so we need not consign it to the last days. Indeed, Paul noted that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7), indicating that the apostasy he foresaw wasnot an “end-time” event.34
An examination of the full text of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 is revealing: “Let no man deceive you by any means: that day shall not come, except there come a falling away(apostasia) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” In Ephesians 2:21, Paul indicated that the Church is the temple of God. From this, Paul’s meaning in his letter to the Thessalonians is clear. The Lord’s coming will be preceded by a time ofapostasia or rebellion against God in which the evil one will usurp the Church as his own. The temporal structure will apparently remain, but because of rebellion and iniquity it is no longer the Lord’s Church and kingdom. Paul further noted that there was a restraining influence (the original meaning of “let” in 2 Thessalonians 2:7). A restraint on false teaching was the apostles who had the power and authority to correct false doctrine (Ephesians 4). From Paul’s statement, we learn that this restraint would soon be removed or “taken out of the way.”
Paul’s declaration to the Thessalonians is supported by Peter, who declared that, before Christ would return, there would be a “restitution [the Greek word means “restoration”] of all things” (Acts 3:18-21). If nothing had been lost, there would be no need of a restoration. Significantly, Peter also noted that “the end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7), implying that the loss of all things was imminent.
Wilson discounts Paul’s words in Acts 20:30, saying that it does not suggest a universal apostasy. He adds that, from the evidence of “Revelation 2:2 we find that the Ephesian saints heeded the warning of Paul,” having detected the false apostles among them (p. 30). Had he read a few more verses, he would have found the Lord telling the church at Ephesus, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love . . . repent and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, andwill remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:4-5). Since, in John’s vision, “the seven candlesticks . . . are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20), the Lord’s threat is clear: Unless they repent, he will remove the Ephesian church!
Wilson argues that John’s reference to the saints being overcome by the beast (Revelation 13:7) only has reference to events during the last days before the Lord’s second coming (p. 30). While we do not wish to be too dogmatic, there is merit to the argument that the first ten verses of Revelation 13 may refer to the apostasy of early Christians. John foretold that the beast would make war with the saints and overcomethem. We disagree with Wilsons claim that “this passage is not describing apostates, but heroes of the faith” (p. 30). A careful reading of John’s revelation indicates that John uses the word overcome in reference to those who overcome sin and the world and are thereby saved (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7). It refers to salvation, not physical survival, except in Revelation 11:7, where the beast overcomes the two prophets, who are slain. Consequently, when John observes that the worldly kingdoms exemplified by the beast overcome the saints this may refer to apostasy of remnant of the Church who survive with whom the devil makes war (Revelation 12:17). After the beast’s triumph over the saints of the Church he then has power over the all the earth. In chapter 14 an angel from God comes so that the gospel may be preached to all that dwell on the earth. Why would an angel need to come with the gospel and preach it to everybody? As chapter 13 makes clear, it is because the saints of an earlier time had been overcome by the world allowing evil one to usurp the Lord’s kingdom.
Wilson claims that “Christ promised his Apostles that their converts’ faith would endure” (p. 30), citing, as evidence, Jesus’ words to his apostles that he had chosen them to bring forth fruit that their fruit “should remain” (John 15:16). Wilson fails to show how this statement shows that there was no apostasy. The Lord obviously blessed the apostles in their mission and many were saved through their labors, but Jesus also foretold that the time would come when the apostles would be killed. He told them,
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:9-11).
From this passage, we learn that only those who endure the temptations and persecutions of the world faithfully and are not overcome will be saved.
As evidence that there was no apostasy, Wilson notes that, in the early chapters of the book of Revelation, “Christ commended faithful churches at the twilight of the apostolic era” (p. 30). While it is true that the Lord commended the faithful saints of the seven churches, yet a careful reading of chapters 2-3 of Revelation reveals a church struggling against and in some cases apparently losing the battle against worldliness and apostasy. The Lord, through John, used the symbols of candlesticks to represent each of the churches (Revelation 1:20). Christ warns the Ephesians that if they do not repent he would remove their candlestick out of its place (Revelation 2:5). In other words Christ would take away his Church from them. Five of the seven churches are threatened with judgment or destruction. Two churches appear to have been singled out as being especially faithful, the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia (the ones to which Wilson makes reference). The Church at Smyrna is commended, but warned that they will experience tribulation, imprisonment and martyrdom, yet they are to find comfort in the fact that they will thus receive the crown of eternal life and not be hurt by the seconddeath (Revelation 2:10). The Lord speaks of keeping the faithful of Philadelphia “from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10). Wilson cites this passage as evidence against the apostasy, yet the reference to the “hour of temptation” which comes upon “all the world” can just as plausibly be interpreted as a reference to the great apostasy. Wilson assumes that their being kept “from the hour of temptation” must refer to the physical survival of the Philadelphian saints, yet it can just as easily refer to the faithful Philadelphians being taken out of the world through martyrdom before the Apostasy is complete. If the seven churches are typical of other Christian congregations of the time, it is clear that apostasy was a serious problem.
Wilson also cites 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul instructs that his teachings should be committed “to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also,” and adds that “if universal apostasy immediately followed the apostles, either these inspired instructions were inadequate, or the apostles themselves failed to follow them” (p. 30). There seems to be no logic behind this conclusion, except to assume that whenever Paul gave instructions they were always followed—which, from passages cited earlier, we know not to be the case. The apostles and Timothy may have done everything in the power to teach the truth and still have people reject it.35 Even Jesus could not convince everybody. This is not because there was something wrong with the message or with the messenger, but simply because people knowing better often choose evil anyway. In a passage not cited by Wilson, Paul also warns that the time will come when they would no longer listen to Timothy’s counsel and teachings, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
As evidence that there was no total apostasy, Wilson notes that “Matthew 24:4-5, 10-13 says that “‘many will be deceived . . .’ Many, but not all” (p. 29). Similarly, “1 Timothy 4:1-3 predicts that ‘in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,’ but not all,” while “2 Peter 2:1-3 predicts that ‘many,’ but not all, will follow the pernicious ways of false prophets to come” (p. 30). While his point regarding these scriptures is well-taken, they actually contradict one of his earlier assumptions, i.e., that Latter-day Saints are wrong in proposing a “very early dating for the New Testament Scriptures,” for “it requires us to believe that the spiritual condition of the Christian community and its leadership in the very shadow of the apostles was so bankrupt that major extractions could be made from their writings, undetected, or unchallenged . . . One can only label such a radical view of events an ‘instant apostasy’” (p. 29). Indeed, the apostasy was already under way in the time of the apostles, as noted earlier.
Footnotes for the Above:
34. Paul made a number of statements indicating that apostasy was already a problem in his day. To the Galatians he wrote, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7). To Timothy, he lamented, "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me" (2 Timothy 1:15). This seems to have fulfilled the prophetic warning he issued to the elders of Ephesus: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30).
35. Perhaps we should ask Mr. Wilson if people such as Jimmy Swaggert and Jim Bakker were "faithful men . . . able to teach others also." If so, how did they fall? Could the same thing have happened to Christians of Paul's day?
