“Orthodox” or “Heretical”?

Actually, when examined according to unbiased historical methods, not one of the traditional “Christian” churches can claim to be the original Christian religion. They all started as offshoots​—sects—​yes, even the one that claims to be the oldest of them all, the Roman Catholic Church!

Historically, several cities could claim precedence over Rome as early centers of Christianity. When Christianity was founded at Pentecost 33 C.E., there was not a single follower of Christ in Rome. The first headquarters of the Christian congregation was unquestionably Jerusalem. True, Jews and proselytes from Rome were present in Jerusalem during Pentecost, and some of them no doubt became Christians and returned to Rome, there to found a Christian congregation. But this was also true of many other places mentioned in the Bible. In fact, sojourners from Rome are mentioned well down the list, being third from last, just before Cretans and Arabians.​—Acts 2:5-11.

In those early days, Rome was not a centrally located headquarters for organizing Christian activities. It was not in Rome but in Syrian Antioch that Jesus’ disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26) And it was from Antioch, not Rome, that the apostle Paul undertook his three missionary journeys. (Acts 13:1-4; 14:26; 15:35, 36; 18:22, 23) True, Paul was most likely executed in Rome. But he was not one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot having been replaced by Matthias. (Acts 1:23-26) In fact, there is absolutely no Biblical proof that any of the 12 apostles went to Rome or died there. The last of the apostles to die was John, probably in or near Ephesus. Their death left the door wide open for apostasy to develop.​—1 John 2:18, 19; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.

As time went by, other cities came into prominence as centers of apostate Christianity. Among these were Alexandria and Carthage, in North Africa, and Byzantium (later to become Constantinople), at the frontier between Asia and Europe. In the West, a rich and powerful church developed in Rome, the capital of the Empire.

With the rise of the apostasy foretold by the apostles, a clergy class developed. Prominent men rose up above the flock and became so-called bishops. These vied for power and became the heads of rival tendencies or sects of apostate Christianity. In early times no single city or bishop clearly dominated the others. But a power struggle developed as to which sect or apostate offshoot of original Biblical Christianity would establish itself as “orthodox,” making the others “heretical.”

All Were Sects at the Start

One of the most recently published works on this subject states: “What was Christian heresy? And, for that matter, what was the Church? . . . [Apostate] Christianity began in confusion, controversy and schism and so it continued. A dominant orthodox Church, with a recognizable ecclesiastical structure, emerged only very gradually. . . . And, as with such struggles, it was not particularly edifying. . . . The central and eastern Mediterranean in the first and second centuries AD swarmed with an infinite multitude of religious ideas, struggling to propagate themselves. . . . From the start, then, there were numerous varieties of Christianity which had little in common. . . . Before the last half of the third century it is inaccurate to speak of a dominant strain of Christianity. So far as we can judge, by the end of the first century, and virtually throughout the second, the majority of Christians believed in varieties of Christian-gnosticism, or belonged to revivalist sects grouped round charismatics. . . . Orthodoxy was merely one of several forms of Christianity during the third century, and may not have become dominant until Eusebius’s time [early 4th century].”​—A History of Christianity, by Paul Johnson.

Such a turn of events had been foretold by the apostle Paul, who wrote: “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”​—2 Timothy 4:3, 4, New International Version.

Some of these apostate teachers became what Christendom’s churches call church fathers. They are generally divided into ante-Nicene and post-Nicene fathers, the turning point being the so-called First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, convened in that city of Asia Minor by pagan Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 C.E.

Efforts to Establish Rome’s Primacy

It is noteworthy that by far the greater number of second- and third-century “fathers” were not based in Rome, and they wrote in Greek, not Latin. Confirming this, the Encyclopædia Britannica states: “Until about 250 most Western Christian leaders were Greek, not Latin, speakers (e.g., Irenaeus and Hippolytus). The main Latin theology came not from Rome but from North Africa (e.g., Tertullian and Cyprian).”

In those early centuries of the apostasy, what cities were the great centers of so-called Christian theology? Not Rome, but Antioch, Alexandria, Carthage, Caesarea, Jerusalem and various cities in Asia Minor. The Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “Though Rome was powerful and venerated in the second century, . . . the break in her literature is complete. Latin literature is thus . . . practically two centuries and a half younger [than the Greek]. Tertullian stands alone, and he became a heretic. Until the middle of the fourth century there had appeared but one Latin Father [Cyprian, of Carthage, North Africa]. . . . From Cyprian (d[ied] 258) to Hilary [died about 367] . . . there was no theology at all.”

How, then, did the church in Rome succeed in establishing its primacy over the churches in other cities that had been far more prominent in producing “church fathers”? Undoubtedly, one factor was the prestige of being located in the capital of the Empire. It was a rich church that sent financial aid to poorer churches in other cities, and this gave a certain power to its bishop. He began to claim the right to hear appeals against decisions made by local bishops in matters of church discipline.

Additionally, even as pagan Roman Emperor Constantine realized that he could use apostate Christianity to consolidate the declining Empire, so the bishop of Rome saw that paganism could provide popular appeal to his variety of apostate Christianity. The Roman church had adopted the pagan Sunday as the day to celebrate Easter, whereas churches in Eastern cities had been celebrating it on whatever day of the week Nisan 14 of the Jewish calendar fell. Also, whereas several Eastern churches were inclined to follow Arius, who denied the Trinity doctrine, Rome quickly adopted this pagan idea of a triune god.

On both of these matters, Emperor Constantine came out in favor of Rome. This he did by making a Sunday observance law in 321 C.E. and by imposing the Trinity at the Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E. He fused apostate Christianity with the pagan Roman cult and made this “universal” or “catholic” form of worship the state religion.

Then, in 382 C.E., Emperor Gratian issued a constitution granting Damasus, bishop of Rome, the right to hear appeals by other bishops, even those in “more distant regions” of the Empire. Although this decision was contested by Eastern bishops, and even by some in the West, it undoubtedly gave ascendancy to the bishop of Rome. Bishop Damasus accepted the insignia of Pontifex Maximus, a pagan title and office that Emperor Gratian eventually had renounced, considering it unbefitting a Christian! Damasus had no such scruples. According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Pontifex Maximus is still considered to be one of the “most noteworthy of the titles” borne by the pope. In French the pope is still called le souverain pontife, the supreme pontiff.

Schisms, Dissidence and Reformation

Naturally, this claimed supremacy of the bishop of Rome did not go uncontested. The leaders of apostate Christianity in such eastern cities as Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch and especially Constantinople, challenged this usurpation. However, although the religious leaders in these cities were united in their opposition to Rome’s domination, they did not see eye to eye on doctrinal matters. There were rival schools of thought in these and other cities, giving rise to different sects, all claiming to be Christian.

In efforts to heal the growing breach between the rival apostate Christian sects whose headquarters were in Rome and Constantinople and to brand as heretical apostate Christian teachers in other cities, various “Ecumenical (Universal) Church Councils” were organized over the centuries. The first one was held in Nicaea, in 325 C.E., in order to condemn the Arian anti-Trinitarian “heresy.” Others were held in Constantinople (four times), Ephesus, Chalcedon (just opposite Constantinople across the Bosporus), and again in Nicaea. These first seven councils are recognized by both the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Churches. The body of doctrine forged at these councils included the Trinity, belief in Mary as the “mother of God” and other dogmas that have nothing to do with Biblical Christianity. These church councils also condemned various “heresies,” thus contributing to the creation of still further subdivisions (sects) of apostate Christianity.

Interestingly, not one of these “universal” church councils was held in Rome, the city that claimed to be the universal headquarters of Christianity. It was not until 1123 C.E. that the first so-called Ecumenical Council was held in Rome. But by then the “great schism” had taken place between Rome and the Eastern churches, the first split having occurred in 867 C.E., and the final schism in 1054. So, from a strictly historical standpoint, no truly ecumenical or universal council was ever held in Rome.

The Eastern variety of apostate Christianity that broke away from Rome did not unite around some other bishop who claimed to be the vicar of Christ on earth. The Church of Constantinople (also called New Rome) would have liked to become the “Rome” of the Eastern Orthodox religion. But it did not succeed. In time, Eastern Orthodoxy became divided into 15 self-governing national churches that grant merely honorary primacy to the patriarch in Constantinople, modern Istanbul. Moreover, there are several independent eastern churches that recognize neither Rome nor Constantinople. Decidedly, Eastern “Christianity” is a divided house.

After the schism with the East, the Roman Church, while still hoping to bring the Eastern churches back into line, at least reckoned on being the undisputed mistress in her own house​—the West. But her troubles were not over. Dissenters soon began to appear. This was intolerable, and drastic measures were taken against these “heretics.” The Inquisition was instituted, but the dissent continued. In the 16th century a general revolt broke out, first on religious grounds and later on political grounds.

This revolt, called the Reformation, produced a third group of religions also claiming to be Christian. But rather than restoring the original unity and doctrinal truths of Biblical Christianity, Protestantism has produced a crop of divided churches and sects.

Early Tendency to Form Sects

3, 4. (a) What warning did Jesus give, and what does this mean with regard to true Christianity? (b) What similar warning did Peter give?

³ In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:13-16, Revised Standard Version) No, Jesus Christ did not say that true Christianity would become a broad, easy, universal, or “catholic,” religion, suited to the “many.” It would be a hard, cramped road, found by only the “few.” These “few” were warned that seemingly harmless “false prophets” would try to sidetrack them onto the “easy” way “that leads to destruction.”

⁴ Over 30 years later the apostle Peter wrote: “There also came to be false prophets among the people [of Israel], as there will also be false teachers among you [Christians]. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. Furthermore, many will follow their acts of loose conduct, and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. Also, with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words.”​—2 Peter 2:1-3.

5. When did apostate “wolves” begin to appear, and how did they ‘quietly bring in destructive sects’?

⁵ “The way of the truth,” the way “that leads to life,” is the way of true Christianity. The “false prophets,” or “false teachers,” are the apostate ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ who began to make their presence felt among the early Christians even before the death of Jesus’ apostles. (1 John 2:18, 19; 4:1-3) The apostle Paul also gave warning about such “oppressive wolves.” He identified them as men who would “rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:29, 30) From the second half of the first century onward, these false teachers ‘quietly brought in destructive sects,’ exploiting the early Christians “with counterfeit words.” Because of these apostates, “the way of the truth,” true Christianity, was “spoken of abusively.”

Some Early Sects

6. How does the book of Revelation show that apostate sects had already appeared by the end of the first century, and why were they hated by Christ?

⁶ In the Revelation received by the apostle John about 96 C.E., he records a series of divinely inspired messages reflecting the spiritual conditions then prevailing within the Christian congregations and that could reoccur down through history. Two of these messages reveal the existence of apostate sects that were hated by Christ, the head of the true Christian congregation. Apparently, at least one of these sects tolerated idolatry and fornication.​—Revelation 2:6, 14, 15.

7. How do Paul’s letters show that the fight against sectarianism was already going on in his day?

⁷ Several of the apostle Paul’s letters, written much earlier, indicate that he already had to put up a hard fight against the tendency to form sects. In his first letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul deplored their inclination to follow men, because it resulted in “dissensions” and “divisions.” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 3:1-4) He expressed similar concern in his letters to the Galatians (1:6-9; 5:19-21), to Titus (3:9, 10) and to Timothy.​—1 Timothy 1:3-7; 4:1-3; 6:20, 21; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.

8. What did the Gnostics believe, and why did they cause “the way of the truth” to be “spoken of abusively”?

⁸ Some Bible scholars are of the opinion that in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and, more particularly, in his letter to the Ephesians and to the Colossians, he purposely used certain Greek words (such as gnoʹsis, knowledge, and pleʹro.ma, fullness) in order to refute gnosticism. However that may be, Paul was certainly combating apostate ideas that were later developed by the Gnostic sects. The Gnostics, who flourished during the second century C.E., were dualists, believing that all matter is evil and that spirit is good. They held that salvation comes through mystical “knowledge” (gnoʹsis). Their belief that the fleshly body is evil led them to either of two extremes: asceticism or fleshly indulgence. So-called Christian gnosticism did much to cause “the way of the truth” to be “spoken of abusively.”

9. Name and describe other early sects of apostate Christianity.

⁹ Among other early sects were the Marcionites, the followers of Marcion, the son of an apostate Christian “bishop” in Asia Minor. Marcion believed in two gods, an imperfect “Old Testament” God and a God of love revealed in the “New Testament,” or, rather, in those parts of it that he accepted (some of the writings of Paul and Luke). Another second-century sect was Montanism. Montanus was a “prophet” from Asia Minor who preached the imminent second coming of Christ and the setting up of the New Jerusalem in Pepuza, near the modern city of Ankara, Turkey. He also criticized the increasing power and moral laxity of the clergy class of apostate Christianity. Tertullian became a Montanist. Two other protest movements against moral laxity among so-called Christians and against leniency toward apostates were the third-century Novatians and the fourth-century Donatists. However, both of these schismatic groups accepted the chief doctrinal errors of the older established churches.

“The Man of Lawlessness” Gets Organized

10. Who should be included among the “false teachers” who ‘quietly brought in destructive sects’?

¹⁰ All these sects, and others that have not been mentioned, were varieties of apostate Christianity. But the men who created them were not the only “false teachers” who ‘quietly brought in destructive sects.’ (2 Peter 2:1-3) Peter also foretold that ‘many would follow their acts of loose conduct.’ We have just seen that some of these early sects were created to protest against the loose conduct of the dominant clergy class. So these clergymen should also be numbered among the “false teachers” and their churches considered “destructive sects.”

11. What new class was beginning to lift itself up, and how had Paul foretold this?

¹¹ As already noted, all these apostate sects were contending for supremacy. Each sought to be considered the one and only “orthodox,” “apostolic” and “catholic (universal)” church and, in turn, treated the others as mere heretical sects. At the same time, within the larger, more powerful churches, a clergy class was endeavoring to lift itself up above the rest of the flock. Speaking of this apostasy and the emergence of a dominating clergy class, the apostle Paul wrote: “Let no one seduce you in any manner, because [the day of Jehovah] will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called ‘god’ or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god.”​—2 Thessalonians 2:2-4.a

12. (a) What is “the man of lawlessness,” and when was this “man” fully revealed? (b) What steps led to the full development of the clergy class? (c) Describe the hierarchy system.

¹² This apostasy was “already at work” in Paul’s day. However, it became fully revealed only after the death of Jesus’ true apostles, when the “restraint” of their presence was removed. (2 Thessalonians 2:6, 7) Little by little, a clergy class began to appear. In the early second century C.E., Ignatius, “bishop” of Antioch, wrote about a three-grade hierarchy of bishops, presbyters (priests) and deacons. “The man of lawlessness” was beginning to take shape. But the “church father” who really got the clergy class organized into a hierarchy system was Cyprian, “bishop” of Carthage, North Africa, who died in 258 C.E. The authoritative Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique states that Cyprian outlined a monarchical seven-grade hierarchy, the supreme position being occupied by the bishop. Under him were priests, deacons, subdeacons, acolytes (servers), lectors (readers) and exorcists. An eighth grade​—porter, or doorkeeper—​was later added in the Western, Latin, or Roman, Church, whereas the Eastern, or Greek, Church settled for a five-grade hierarchy. Thus, by the third century C.E. the composite “man of lawlessness,” the apostate Christian clergy class, was fully “revealed.” It has continued on down through the centuries in all the churches and sects of Christendom that have a special ministry or clerical class.

“Destructive Sects” at the Time of the End

13. In what two ways do the sects of Christendom prove to be “destructive”?

¹³ In the original Greek, Peter’s expression “destructive sects” literally means “sects of destruction.” This expression is doubly significant. The sects and churches of Christendom have proved to be destructive of pure Christianity, “the way of the truth.” They are also “sects of destruction” in that their false teachers are “bringing speedy destruction upon themselves” and upon those who “follow their acts of loose conduct.” Peter adds: “But as for them [the false teachers], the judgment from of old is not moving slowly, and the destruction of them is not slumbering.” (2 Peter 2:1-3) Such “speedy destruction” will come upon them at the fast-approaching “great tribulation.”​—Matthew 24:21.

14. When will “the man of lawlessness” be destroyed, and what will such destruction prove?

¹⁴ Showing that the composite “man of lawlessness” would not be destroyed until the time of Christ’s “presence,” the apostle Paul wrote: “The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence [pa.rou.sías].” (2 Thessalonians 2:8) Yes, the destruction of the clerical “man of lawlessness” class, along with the rest of Satan’s Babylonian religious empire, will come as a remarkable “manifestation” of Christ’s “presence,” or Parousia, proving to friend and enemy alike that the Lord Jesus is invisibly present and that the foretold “great tribulation” has begun.

A Warning to True Christians

15. What warning for Christians is contained in Jesus’ illustration of the wheat and the weeds?

¹⁵ Jesus’ illustration of the wheat and the weeds showed that the churches and sects of the “weeds,” or apostate Christians, would be allowed to grow throughout the centuries. Only at “the conclusion of the system of things” would a clear distinction be made between these sham Christians and the true “sons of the kingdom,” the “wheat.” (Matthew 13:24-30, 37-40) However, Jesus’ parable also contains a warning to true Christians, whether they be anointed “sons of the kingdom” or their companions. Jesus stated: “The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness, and they will pitch them into the fiery furnace. There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be.”​—Matthew 13:41, 42.

16. (a) What separating work has continued since 1919? (b) What further warning did the apostles give, and what comment did Jude add?

¹⁶ The “wheat” has been separated from the “weeds” in the religious field since 1919. However, this does not mean that since then the angels of the Son of man have not continued to “collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness.” Jude reminds us that “the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” gave the following warning: “In the last time there will be ridiculers, proceeding according to their own desires for ungodly things.” And Jude added: “These are the ones that make separations [cause divisions, Today’s English Version].”​—Jude 17-19.