The First Sixty Years of Church History saw Changes

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The First Sixty Years of Church History saw
Changes

• The Apostle John lived during that period and
  changes are reflected in his epistles and
  Revelation.

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Departures from the Faith Were Predicted

• Acts 2028-31 draw away disciples
• II Thess. 23-8 Falling away
• I Tim. 41-3 depart from the faith
• II Tim. 41-4 turn away their ears from the
  truth and be turned to fables

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Changes in the Church in the First Century

• Church spread into Gentile World
• Introduced new problems
• -- Circumcision,
• -- Eating in Idols Temple
• -- Eating meat sacrificed to Idols
• -- Fornication
• Most serious Greek Philosophy Colossians 28

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Matter Intrinsically Evil

• Creation not by a Good God
• Resurrection undesirable
• Sin inevitable in human bodies
• Salvation in Knowing (Gnostics)
• Problems regarding Jesus
• -- Son of God could not be in flesh
• -- If in flesh, not the son of God
• Reflected in Revelation, 1 John

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Seven Churches of Asia
Pergamos
Smyrna
Thyatira
Ephesus
Doctrinal Error
Faithful
Immorality
Formalism
Philadelphia
Sardis
Laodicea
Faithful
Rich and Content
PRIDE
Revelation 111
Revelation 2, 3
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Solution Back to the Beginning
Revelation 25

• Back to Jesus Christ 1Jn. 11-2 Col.29
• Back to His Apostles I John 13,4 41,6
• Back to the Old Commands I John 27

This is RESTORATION (Rev. 25)
This is PRIMITIVISM
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Why Go Back to the Beginning?

• The church in the beginning is the only church
  with the stamp of divinity.

• Christianity in the Beginning is the only form
  of Christianity that is defensible.
• The Beginning period was the most successful
  period in the history of the church.

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