Apostasy in the church – Part 1

By Nick Bibile

What is apostasy? The English word apostasy comes from the Greek word ‘apostasia’ which means standing away from a defection. Departure from one’s faith.

Apostate means one who has forsaken the faith. And apostatize means to abandon the principles of faith.

It is not easy to keep the true faith as the enemy day and night will tempt many to leave the Christian faith as it’s not easy to be a true Christian, as we need to deny our flesh, deny the world, deny the temptations which comes daily into our lives, there is a real spiritual war going on, if you are a true Christian and you feel it and you know it and you are engaged with it daily.

The end of apostle Paul’s ministry he declared, he fought a fight and now his life is coming to an end, finishing the race and most importantly keeping the faith without abandoning.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

So it was apostle Paul’s concern that Timothy also would keep the faith.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

If someone is turning away from the faith into apostasy, we are called to rebuke them, the original word rebuke comes from the French word ‘rebuchier’ to beat or strike back, it means now, to reprove severely. Strongly showing their fault. It has the same meaning as how Jesus rebuked the Pharisees.

But we are living in the age of apostasy Christian leaders doesn’t want to deal with this problem, and easy way to do it is let it go, not to rebuke the apostasy as they don’t have the faith in God to confront the person as we are living in days which we don’t want to hurt anyone. No wonder the church is not holy as it lacks discipline.

Apostle Paul told Titus to rebuke those who will forsake the truth.

Titus 1:13-15 …….Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15

Jude calls all Christians to make a very serious effort to keep the faith.

Jude 1:3  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints