So here is a question for the Catholics: Is not Protestantism an apostasy from Catholicism—the true from of Christianity? Well, they haven’t “totally renounced Christianity” either—or at least, they wouldn’t say that they have. On the contrary, they claim to be the true form of Christianity, and Catholicism the false version. So how can they be apostates, without having “totally renounced Christianity” (at least on the face of it)?
It depends upon the intent of the person renouncing Christianity. If they do so with full knowledge of what they are doing, then it would be apostacy. Protestantism cannot be the true form of Christianity, in that the fullness of truth does not subsist in the Protestant faith. As to the quote “totally” I would say that one can reject less than all, and still lack the fullness of truth.
How about the Jewish church or religion at the time of Christ? Were they not in a state of apostasy? Did they not, en-mass
, institutionally, as a religious establishment, after witnessing all the evidence, reject Jesus who was their God, and meant everything to them and their religion? Does not that amount to an apostasy, not just of individuals, but of the entire religious establishment? But the Pharisees wouldn’t have said so. They would have said that they had the true form of the religion, and Jesus and His followers were outcasts!
They did not, enmass, reject Jesus. Many did, including those who walked away in John 6, from aspects of Jesus’ teaching, because they could not accept eating the Body of Christ. The position you state supports a problem that many Protestants have today. They have become modern day Pharisees. First century Judaism was not centralized. There were many sects, that were critical of each other. Jesus, in reply to this established the Church in Matt 16.
So it looks like it is possible for a church or religion to claim or pretend to be the real thing, and even act and look like the genuine article, but without actually being such. Jesus explained it to the Jews in this way:
True, it is frequently seen with Protestants. There are those that place their own pride ahead of obedience. It was seen in the Jewish faith, where followers attempted to follow Jewish dietary and cleaning regulations, but forgot why they were doing these things.
The Apostle Paul gave a prophecy about the condition of religion in the last days, which is pretty close to what Jesus said about the Jews. This is how he described it:
2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, * * *5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” means that they look like the real thing, without actually being such. They have the looks, shape, form, and appearance of the genuine article; and make all the claim and pretence to be such; but lack the necessarily divine power and authority that must go with it to be the real thing
OK, so people will show godlessness. I agree. I disagree, however, with your feeble attempt to apply it to the Church. There The Protestant “churches” rejected physical apostolic succession, sacraments, and the Eucharist as celebrated in the Catholic Church, after the Reformation. Therefore, they do not possess apostolic succession, nor do they even claim that their ministers have all been ordained, in an unbroken, physical line back to the apostles, by the laying on of hands. And, except for Lutherans and Anglicans most do not believe they are receiving the real body and blood of Christ in communion. For this reason, the Church calls them
Ecclesial Communities. But these communities
are related to the Catholic Church and Christ.
That of course does not mean that there are no more good, sincere Christians left in the world. There are many in all denominations. But the institutionalized establishment
is not longer a valid one. That is what we mean by the Apostasy.
I agree about your conclusion about Christians, but not that the institutionalized establishment, the Catholic Church, is no longer valid. Jesus promised us that would not happen. Apostacy is only dreamed about in groups such as the Mormons.