RESTORING THE APOSTOLIC FAITH

Lecture Objectives:

Many sincere efforts to reform the apostate church resulted in the starting of new churches, called denominations. These fell short of going back to the original standard of the Bible, the word of God. Then, in many lands there arose efforts to RESTORE the pattern of the New Testament.

References:

A fountain may give forth pure water. As it divides into streams, they may become contaminated. The nearer to the source, the purer the stream will be. So, the New Testament is the fountain of truth, coming from Jesus who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 16.6).

Questions for Focus:

Many Old Testament examples show us how restoration was needed and how it was accomplished. God gave them the law, God's people sinned. They began to worship idols, and were taken away from the home land into captivity more than one time. Each time they needed to be restored to the pattern God had given them, His holy word.

1. JOSIAH - AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF RESTORATION
   1. Among Old Testament examples of restoration we find the work of Josiah to be notable. When Josiah became king, the law of God was found. It was found in the house of God, which had fallen into decay because of the way God's people had perverted the worship. As Josiah read, he saw that his people, Israel, had not kept the word of God. Learning what God wanted in worship, here are things he did to restore the worship God desired.
   2. He broke down all idols and images - see 2 Chronicles 34.1-7.
   3. He purified the land and the temple - see Chronicles 34.8,10.
   4. He renewed the covenant to follow the true God - see 2 Chronicles 34.31.
   5. He restored the Passover feast - see 2 Chronicles 25.1.
   6. He provided pure priests and Levites - see 2 Chronicles 15.2-3.
   7. He had the Ark of the Covenant restored to its place in the temple - 2 Chronicles 35.3.
   8. He restored the sacrifices which the Law of Moses required - 2 Chronicles 35.16-20.
2. KING HEZEKIAH - ANOTHER RESTORER
   1. Even before the time of Josiah, also a period when Israel had left the ways of the Lord, King Hezekiah began to reign. The details of the restoration he brought about are given in 2 Chronicles, Chapters 29-31. Here is a summary: "And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and faithful before Jehovah his God, and in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered" (2 Chronicles 31.20-21).
   2. Restoration of the music God wanted in worship. Since all the evils brought in by wicked kings before him had caused God's appointed worship to fall into disuse, Hezekiah restored all the aspects of worship the Lord had prescribed. One of those is spelled out for us in these words: "And he set the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the command of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets" (2 Chronicles 29.25).
   3. Music in New Testament worship is quite different. There could not be acceptable worship under the Law of Moses with the instruments of music which God commanded through his prophets. What music does God want in worship in the New Testament? His commands through his apostles are also plain: "And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit speaking one to another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5.19-20). About fourteen passages in the New Testament talk of singing in worship. None speaks of instrumental music in the worship of the church. Examples, when Jesus and the apostles "had sung an hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives" (Matthew 26.30). "...I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Corinthians 14.15). The Old Testament required animal sacrifices; the New Covenant points out our sacrifice, "Christ the Lamb of God." The Old Testament required many feasts; the feast of the tabernacles; the feast of the Passover. In the New Testament we find the Lord's supper. In a similar way, the instruments of music under the Law of Moses give to such teachings as "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3.16).
      1. As Josiah did, we must remove all idols and images that corrupt the worship of God. Our Lord Jesus said, "God is a spirit and they that worship His must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4.23).
      2. To purify the temple of God now his own worshippers must return to the New Testament pattern for our instruction and examples. Paul said to the church in Corinth, "For this cause I have sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church" (1 Corinthian 4.17). This shows that the doctrines taught and the practices followed were meant to be the same in every local congregation of believers. When different denominations were begun long after the days of the apostles, each denomination would adopt its own creed and its own forms of worship. Peter said this about the writings of Paul: "And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation." He added that Paul had written the same things in all his letters. Some of those writings were wrested (twisted) by those who were unlearned and unstable, who also misused the "other scriptures" - not only those of Paul. This is explained in 2 Peter 3.15-17. The second chapter of 2 Peter warned against false teachers who had arisen within the church and led many astray. The last part of his letter warns his readers, "Ye, therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall your own steadfastness" (2 Peter 3.17).
3. CONCLUSION
   1. What have we learned in this lesson:
      1. That the reformation failed. It did not restore the apostate church to the New Testament standard.
      2. That many sincere efforts to restore the church resulted only in beginning new denominational churches.
      3. That many Old Testament examples show how Israel was restored when it went away from the law of God.
      4. That restoration is appropriate today, and is done by going back to the New Testament, "The perfect law of liberty" (James 1.25).
      5. May the Father give His blessing in many cities and many lands where those who love the Word are working to restore New Testament worship.