318 – Recorded Historicity of Church Perpetuity

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: ECCLESIOLOGY II LESSON # 18

INTRODUCTION:

III: YOU ARE 13 STEPS FROM JORDAN.

i. It may be merely my ignorance.
ii. I rather think it is because we have neither command nor pattern for it.

3. I believe totally in church perpetuity on the authority of divine promise.
4. But perpetuity and record of perpetuity are not the same thing.

I. SUCH RECORDS ARE NOT COMMANDED

1. I mean records that show that church X came from church I which came from church V.
2. Such records are not bad or hurtful, no Scripture forbids them.
3. They seem practical to me for many reasons.

i. We have them in as far as they have been furnished to us.
ii. We have records of all our mission work and make some available to subsequent churches.

4. The point is that Scripture does not command the church to make and keep such records.

II. THE BIBLE DOES NOT REVEAL THE KEEPING OF SUCH RECORDS.

1. We do have the record and pattern of a church being the resulting ministry of another church. Read carefully Acts 11:19-30

i. This shows Antioch (as well as others) being the outgrowth and concern of the church at Jerusalem.
ii. Paul then went out to the Gentiles, from Antioch, founding churches and always reporting back. (Acts 13:1-4

, Acts 14:26-27

, Acts 18:20-22

)

2. In all of this, however, we do not have the recording of any extended church lineage.

III. NO SUCH ANCIENT RECORDS AVAILABLE

1. Church history provides amazing detail as to doctrinal stand, martyrdom, persecution, etc.
2. Yet, I have never seen an ancient pedigree.
3. I have seen some modern ones which claim recorded lineage, but not authentication. The steps get longer and the prints less clear.
4. Most of the old churches, in which we can find records provide very poor and sketchy records.

IV. THIS DOES NOT CONDEMN THEIR USAGE

1. I do not criticize good and complete records for our church posterity.
2. To the contrary, I recommend the use of, and the keeping of, such records.
3. The day of universalism and ecumenicalism in which we live, makes them very practical.
4. I commend older churches who have kept good records as far as they were able.

V. ULTIMATE EVIDENCE IS PRODUCT

1. Mere records of names of churches spawning churches, would prove nothing within itself.
2. To truly establish perpetuity of sound churches this way, would require tons of written records.
3. Not only names but all doctrines and practices would have to be multiplied and passed down. Disciplinary practices would need to be recorded.
4. On the other hand, the law of creation does a wonderful job proving perpetuity.

III: When I see a man, I know he came from Adam, and that some man has always existed since Adam.

5. When a church is truly Baptistic in its doctrine, principles, and practices and when this coincides with New Testament doctrine, this is the great evidence of that church’s authority and origin.
6. That also is the only humanly sustained evidence of the New Testament Church’s perpetuity.
7. No doubt the perpetuity could be established in heaven.
8. But I fear the claim of an accurate and detailed pedigree is a false one.

Berean Baptist Church