We have defined "apostasy" from our own understanding of that term. It simply means in the Greek "to depart" or "to separate from."
So, we have heard sermons from our church upbringing where "apostasy" was used and put in some scriptures here and there and we come up with a doctrine. Now the "meaning" of apostasy has taken on a whole life within itself.
It is used 16 times in scripture and all the meanings are the same "To separate or to depart" "stand separate from" - "withdraw from".
Here is an example of it being used.
1 Timothy 6:5 (KJV)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
The truth is all of us in some form are standing apart from some things that Christ has done for us. None of us are manifesting Christ to His fullness.
We can know that we have the peace of Christ but we withdraw or depart from believing in that because our mind cannot get around the natural circumstances.
The famous scripture that is used from those believe we lose salvation is 1 Tim. 4:1 - but let's look and see what it is really saying "in context".
They usually love to just quote the part about seducing spirits and doctrines of devils ( which they usually apply to something they don't believe in but some one else might ).
Let's see what Paul was actually saying "departing from the faith actually is".
1 Timothy 4:1-5 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away ( apostesontai - this is the word - apostasy ) from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
[SUP]2 [/SUP] by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
[SUP]3 [/SUP] men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
[SUP]4 [/SUP] For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;
[SUP]5 [/SUP] for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
What is going to cause this "falling away" ( apostasy )...people who forbid others to marry...and not to eat certain foods...why is this departing from the faith?...it's in verse 3, 4 and 5.
verse 3 = which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. It's in knowing who you are in Christ - who is the truth and the faith.
This not marrying and not eating certain foods to keep yourself "separated" from others is a form of self-effort and reliance on a D.I.Y. self-righteousness/holiness mindset.
This is "departing from the faith - apostasy"....... people creating their own righteousness/holiness through their works of the flesh by self-effort when we are to believe on Christ's work on the cross and resurrection for all things.
It has the "appearance " of good but it denies the power to effect real transformation by the Holy Spirit ...which is Christ in us and His life. The Holy Spirit reveals the things of Christ and His work and this is what transforms us.
.. man-made religion denying the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we see that the word "apostasy" is not what some try to make it into.
There are many warnings in scripture about living your own ways and thoughts contrary to God such as depending on the flesh for life instead of walking by the spirit and they should be heeded if you want His life to be manifested in us.
Let's build believers up in Christ and feed them the proper nutrients of proclaiming the love and grace of our Lord for them and these will give them the proper foundation in Christ and then the warnings will be applied in context of Christ's finished work on the cross and not on a works-based, fear-based belief system which only nullifies the very grace of God needed for us to live in this earth.
Bruce,
The Greek rendering does not bear you out on this one.
2 Thess 2.3 and its uses of Apostasy or
apostasia in the original Greek means defection/rebellion and it is from the Greek root word
apostasion which means divorce. A divorce is not simple separation as many teachers suggest it means. Divorce is final. All the Greek root words related to this never say the word separate, neither does vines. All the transliteration words relating to Apostasy in the Greek are clear, a willful rebellious defection and divorce from something.
We could say the word apostasy means to fall away through rebellious defection.
Likewise the term fall away in 1 Tim 4.1 is related to the words above and is
aphistēmi it carries even a more direct meaning that also includes to tall away from pistis, or faith. It also means to cut oneself from something....again the word separate is not used anywhere.
If you study out the word fall away from 1 Tim 4.1 you will see that it is also related to the Greek word
piptō. This is the word that Jesus used in Luke 10.18 when he described Satan
"fall" from heaven. This word means to lose a position of authority due to rebellious defection.
The Greek word for separation found in Romans 8.39 is
chōrizō and means to separate or go away....Now since Paul used this word here, why not use this word in 2 Thess 2.3 and 1 Tim 4.1?
Many Bible teachers and preachers describe the words apostasy and fall away in 2 Thess 2.3 1 Tim 4.1 as
chōrizō
because they have been taught that Romans 8.38-39 is about salvation. However, this is also a false teaching.
Romans 8.38-9 tell us nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus....it doe snot say nothing can separate our salvation from Christ Jesus. Lascivious Grace teaches a damnable heresy here. They suggest the word love here is actually grace and that Jesus own love/grace saved us and this is how it is explained that Romans 8.38-39 are all about eternal security...
Except for a small thing that people ignore or have not studied out...Paul's use of words...
In the Epistle of Romans, Paul used the same word salvation or
sōtēria a total of 5 times.
Romans 1.16
Romans 10.1
Romans 10.10
Romans 11.1
Romans 13.11
If Paul was using the word salvation and wanted us to have the assurance of eternal security in Romans 8, he would have used the word that means that he would have wrote Romans 8.38-39 this way...
[SUP]38 [/SUP]For I am convinced that neither [SUP](
A)[/SUP]death, nor life, nor [SUP](
B)[/SUP]angels, nor principalities, nor [SUP](
C)[/SUP]things present, nor things to come, nor powers, [SUP]39 [/SUP]nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to
separate us from [SUP](D)[/SUP]the salvation of God, which is [SUP](
E)[/SUP]in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Yet he wrote it this way:
[SUP]38 [/SUP]For I am convinced that neither [SUP](
A)[/SUP]death, nor life, nor [SUP](
B)[/SUP]angels, nor principalities, nor [SUP](
C)[/SUP]things present, nor things to come, nor powers, [SUP]39 [/SUP]nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to
separate us from [SUP](D)[/SUP]the love of God, which is [SUP](
E)[/SUP]in Christ Jesus our Lord.
People have to do so terrible destruction and twisting of scripture to suggest the love of God in Christ Jesus really means salvation..
The easy out many give is not only does the love means salvation, but Since Paul was talking about the Jews in Romans 10, 11 then it really is not for gentiles....when you redirect them back to the use of it in Romans 1 and remind them Paul was describing gentiles their heads explode and they drop fellowship with you....this is because the truth outweighs the easy believing grace they are peddling...
Be mindful that
chōrizō is uesd only 12 x in the whole NT and not once is it used in reference to falling away/apostasy.