APOSTASY WITHIN THE CHURCH Within every generation of God’s people, there have been those who have apostatized and divided God’s people.  Apostasy is an abandonment of what one has voluntarily professed: a total desertion or departure from one's faith, principles, or party, especially the renunciation of a religious faith. Christians today are those who seek to practice and keep the patterns of belief, teaching, and worshiping as they were in the first-century church when the Holy Spirit-inspired apostles and prophets gave us what we call the New Testament.  Today most religious groups who call themselves Christians believe the “original faith” has evolved, as if God made some mistakes originally and now with His enlightenment He does things more the way man wants things done.  I don’t think so!  God was right.  God is right, and God will always be right.  God is not fickle and insecure like you and me.  He knows what is right and states it, and that settles it! Apostasy comes about when people start thinking and acting outside the word of God.  As individuals and congregations, Christians need a “thus saith the Lord” to speak with power, authority, and boldness regarding what is right before our Lord.  In his second letter, Peter devotes the entire second chapter to addressing false teachers.  Consider, now, the opening verses of that chapter.  “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2 Pet. 2:1-3).  False teachers did arise during the times of the apostles.  Some, including Hymanaeus and Alexander, did reject the faith having their faith shipwrecked (1 Tim. 1:19-20). Paul admonishes the elders of the Ephesian congregation (Ac. 20:17) reminding them that he has not shunned to declare to them the whole counsel of God.  Paul challenges these elders, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.  Therefore watch, and remember…” (Acts 17:28-31).  We read of strong willed men like Diotrephes who loved to have the preeminence among brethren and would not receive fellowship with even the apostle John (3 John 9).  In the Revelation we read of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6), whom the apostle hates.  There are those who function as a synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9).  Some were holding the doctrine of Balaam (Rev. 2:14).  Some were giving heed to the beguiling teaching of a female Jezebel (Rev. 2:20).   Because of this, it is no surprise to us regarding the increasing apostasy that continued to take place in the second century after the apostles had died out.  Almost immediately, the sincere doctrines and commands of uninspired men became so called “church authority.”  The religious system and pattern of the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman government were coming into the church.  It was assumed (not authorized) that there should be a universal church authority and succession.  This did not develop in the second century but in latter centuries and was then presumed to exist in the second century.  Such things as papal succession are not found documented until some time after the second century.  The words of Isaiah and the words of our Lord had relevancy in their generation.   Do they have any relevancy today?  “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  And IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP Me, Teaching as DOCTRINES the COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you HOLD THE TRADITION OF MEN … All too well you REJECT THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD that YOU MAY KEEP YOUR TRADITION.” (Mark 7:6-9).  According to Jesus, These religious folks were “making the word of God of NO EFFECT through their tradition which they have handed down.  And many such things they do.”  (Mark 7:13).   We live in a time like Isaiah, and Jesus and these words are either unknown or ignored or not applied to religion.   The Holy Spirit expressly says that in the end times some will depart from THE FAITH in that they will give allegiance to deceiving spirits and doctrines, which are promoted by the devil.  These will openly speak lies and be hypocritical before God and have a closed mind.  (1 Tim. 4:1-2).  These will want teachers to tell them what they want to hear.  In doing this they will turn their ears away from the truth, and they will give themselves over to fables (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  These do “not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason, GOD will send them a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did NOT BELIEVE THE TRUTH but had pleasure in what God calls unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Men and brethren, we had better take a stand; and that stand had better be with our God and His preserved and inspired word.