I have previously detailed the historical importance of living prophets for a true church. Here we have an autobiographical account where Justin recollects that his own conversion to Christianity was set in motion when a certain old man addressed the following words to him in the course of a philosophical conversation:

"A long time ago there lived certain men—much older than any of those so-called philosophers we have been talking about; blessed and righteous men, beloved of God. And they spoke by the Holy Spirit, foretelling those very things which are now coming to pass. They are called prophets. They are the only men who have ever seen the truth of things and told it to men without making any timid concessions to public opinion, without seeking to make an impression on people, and without being in the least influenced by concern for what other people might think of them. But, being filled with the Holy Ghost, they simply reported those things which they had seen and heard. The writings of those men survive to this day, and anyone can derive the greatest benefit from them, and learn from them about the beginnings and endings of things, and all such matters as philosophers are supposed to know. For it was not their wont to build up a case by formal argument, but simply to report the truth as reliable witnesses, without any disputation at all." ( Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 7, in PG 6:492. )

By Justin’s account, when he reported this conversation to a group of philosophy students, at this point of the story they disintegrated into mocking laughing—even for philosophers, it was just too funny for words. But Justin remained unmoved; for he saw clearly that only by revelation from outside and not through the speculation from within could man be freed from his fearful imprisonment within the narrow, dark chamber of his own restricted understanding/experience.

Jesus gave the apostles instructions on how to continue with his work after his departure (e.g., Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:2-3). It is clear that the Church was to carry on and that the leadership of the Twelve would continue that of the Master in both their authority and their service in Christ's name.


But nowhere in the New Testament are there instructions on how to administer the Church after the departure of the Twelve. For example, there are no plans for how to keep calling and setting apart new leaders without the apostles, or for organizing the Church in areas where the gospel would be introduced, or for receiving continuing revelation in behalf of the Church as the apostles had done to meet its ever-changing needs.

The New Testament simply does not foresee the Lord's Church in existence without apostles, nor does it make any preparation for that possibility. That was not because Jesus and the Twelve did not care, or because they anticipated that the apostleship would endure forever. The reason is clear, and it is as simple as it is ominous: Without apostles, there is no Church of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' ministry took place in the early thirties of the first century A.D. The Gospels, which record his ministry, were probably written within a generation of that time. The book of Acts continues Church history until about A.D. 63. James's letter was probably written in the mid fifties, and Peter's two letters were written before his death in about 67. Paul's letters span from the early fifties until about 67. The last of these, 2 Timothy, carries a somber tone with repeated warnings about the growing heresies. So also does Jude's letter, written perhaps a decade later. John's writings, recorded near the end of the century, show unmistakable evidence of the spread of false doctrine and false leaders.

Paul had foretold that apostasy and aberrant behavior would be found in the "latter times" (1 Tim 4:1) Jude stated that they were living in the "last time" when the warning prophecies were being fulfilled (Jude 1:17-19). John stated emphatically concerning his own day—and repeated the phrase for emphasis—"it is the last time" (1 John 2:18) which could be translated more literally, "it is the last hour." These phrases refer to the last days of the Church, not the last days of the world. And they provide significant evidence that inspired leaders knew the Church would come to an end.

After the days of the apostles, and thus after the New Testament ended, a new Christian literature began to develop. The earliest writers of the post-New Testament era are frequently called the Apostolic Fathers, because it was believed that they knew, or knew persons who knew, the apostles themselves. Because of this connection with the generation of the apostles, the works and words of these early writers became authoritative among Christians of later generations.

The earliest of these was a man named Clement, who was the bishop of Rome shortly before the end of the first century. Clement wrote to the church in Corinth in about 96 to urge the Christians there to reject overt acts of recent rebellion The Church of Corinth had committed a coup d'etat, by removing from office their leaders who had been appointed by apostles, installing others in their places.
Clement emphasized, on doctrinal grounds, the importance of sustaining those who had been called by authority. "Christ received His commission from God, and the Apostles theirs from Christ." The apostles, in turn, set apart bishops and others to preside in the congregations.

Providing an impressive witness for the reality of the Apostasy, Clement pointed out the consequences of the Corinthians' rejection of their priesthood leaders: "All righteousness and peace among you is at an end. Everywhere men are renouncing the fear of God; the eye of faith has grown dim, and instead of following the commandments, and living as becomes a citizen of Christ, each one walks after the desires of his own wicked heart."

Clement spoke of the apostles in the past tense and gave no indication that there were any still in the church. Another important document, the Shepherd of Hermas, written perhaps in part quite early in the second century, also acknowledges that the apostles were gone.

The following is the currently true story about an MD who spend many years building his own little empire not because he believes a God who answers prayers but because the work he does gives him praise and profit of men. This is revealed when is confronted with a study that potentially reveals him to be a charlatan. But in truth the cause he is involved with is worthy. He simply reveals this past week that he is not.

"Dr. Koenig began researching the impact of spirituality on mental and physical health. This promise of this work culminates in 1997 with the establishment of Duke's Center for the Study of Religion, Spirituality and Health. In 2005, the Center joined forces with Duke's Divinity School to form the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health. The focus of the new Center was to conduct research, train researchers, create a dialogue between researchers and theologians, and integrate religion/spirituality into the clinical care of patients."

KOENIG's PRACTICE

As you would expect, Koenig and colleagues specifically measure religion or faith practices. What is important to getting funding was that they demonstrate that spirituality can affect physical outcomes like blood pressure, immune functioning, longevity, chronic illness, and use of health services. They claimed they did that. They continue to claim that they do that. Otherwise the money would stop coming in.

Enter stage left, the results of the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications.

THE ARTICLE

Dr. Koenig was not involved in the study. But he was asked to remark on the results given they contradict twenty years of his own research and his professional views.

Would it surprise you to know that Koenig said the results didn't surprise him? It did me.

He said, "There are no scientific grounds to expect a result and there are no real theological grounds to expect a result either....There is no god in either the Christian, Jewish or Moslem scriptures that can be constrained to the point that they can be predicted."

Every theist I know believes in a God who would be inclined to answer a prayer provided it is in His best interest.

What Koenig now remarks strikes me as down right ignorant for a Christian Doctor to say. He said, "Why would God change his plans for a particular person just because they're in a research study?" Science, he said, "is not designed to study the supernatural."

Doc, the study was so constrained as to not have God change his plans. They didn't want Him to change His normal response to prayer. He should have been there answering the prayers of these people OR at least enough of them to show that He was making a significant difference. Your life's work includes the scientific study of the supernatural. You Coward; how could you waffle on God in that way? You think you are saving your own program by distancing science from God while at the same time tomorrow you will be the closeness of God to your patients.

What you should have done for both of us was to evaluate the study with your eyes wide open and determine why God, in fact, did not bring greater health to the patients in the study that had prayers stated earnestly to their benefit.

Fella, in this disappointment there is an opportunity to learn and help your practice. Otherwise, throw your towel in because your practice is bankrupt if a reasonable study cannot provide it a modicum of integrity. You might as well open up a faith healing circus tent and sell snake oil.

There was a day at the end of his ministry when Paul met with the elders of the Church in Asia. It was then that he counseled and warned them with deep feelings about their future:

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over them which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears" (Acts 20:28-31).

Most significantly, Paul warned Church leaders not only to watch out for their flock but also to watch out for themselves. Among those "grievous wolves" that would enter and not spare the flock would be some of those same leaders, who, having been entrusted with the Lord's Church, would speak "perverse things, to draw disciples after them."

History has not left us a full record of the Apostasy. After all, wolves don’t leave too much of what went wrong behind. We do have New Testament prophecies foretelling it (see previous topic) and New Testament examples of its taking place. But when our historical evidence begins again in the next centuries, we see a different church, teaching a different gospel. And we know that despite the warnings and the tears, something both dramatic and tragic has taken place.