SEMESTER 2
317 – The Perpetuity of the Church
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE: ECCLESIOLOGY II LESSON # 17
THE PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH
INTRODUCTION:
1. By the word perpetuity, I mean the perpetual existence of the church, from its beginning to now.
2. This perpetuity is biblically assured by at least two truths:
i. The promises to the church. (Mat. 16:18
, Mat. 28:20)
a) The gates of hell shall not prevail.
b) Lo, I am with you till the end of the world.
ii. The commission to the church, preach the gospel to every creature. (Mk. 16:15, Mat. 28:20, Lk. 24:47)
a) “Every creature” presupposes continuing posterity.
b) “All nations” presupposes future nations, as well as present ones.
I. IMPLIED AND STATED DENIALS OF PERPETUITY
The identity of the church lies not in the title, but in the perpetuating of doctrine and practice; thus the perpetuity of the church is through implication denied by:
1. The Reformers: The statement for the necessity of basic reform, that is to say restoration of sound doctrine is to assert the temporary cessation of the church.
2. All the late comers: Groups, such as Methodists, Nazarenes, Assemblies of God, Campbellites, Congregationalists, etc., dating their beginning.
3. Mormonism: carries the idea that no church was right until Joseph Smith.
4. The Jehovah’s Witnesses can claim no predecessors.
5. Consider the problems of anyone who considers everyone a heretic.
II. WRONG MANNERS OF PERPETUITY CLAIMED
There are those who claim a perpetuity that cannot indeed be perpetuity.
1. Catholicism: claims to have started with Peter.
i. History will not support antiquity of Catholicism into the first five centuries A.D.
ii. Perpetual doctrinal change forbids the idea of perpetuity.
iii. Catholicism has the history of constant change.
2. The Ecumenical Universalists: This is the name I give to all who define the “true church” as “true believers” within all churches.
i. These “true believers” in a false church do not determine that church’s doctrine or policy.
ii. They do not perpetuate their truth, thus whatever they are, they are not a church.
Conclusion: Though these “true believers” within may hold some form of truth, they are not perpetuating it, and thus could not be perpetuating any kind of “church.”
III. THE TRUE MEANING OF CHURCH PERPETUITY
1. The church that Jesus built did what He built it to do.
2. He preserved it in spite of adversity.
3. By this preservation the church has continued in every age including now.
4. False churches have attacked it, both overtly and covertly.
5. It has often been driven underground but has always continued.
6. It exists today doing essentially what it did in its beginning.
IV. THE LINE OF PERPETUITY
1. In the second century false doctrine separated churches.
2. The true churches came to be known as Montanists.
3. These groups were later known as Novatians, Donatists, Paulicians, Aligenses and Waldenses.
4. As early as the third century the general name Anabaptists was given to these groups.
i. This name criticized their refusal to accept alien emersion.
5. Ultimately the prefix was dropped and they came to be called Baptists.