Some Christians have assumed that the New Testament church ceased to exist sometime in its early years, but was restored by men like Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone in the 1800s in America.
False teachers surfaced as early as the first century, but apostasy started later on, near the end of the second century and would spread. Paul warned that there would be a “falling away,” 2 Thessalonians 2:3 / 1 Timothy 4:1. Churches did fall away just as Paul said, but this does not mean that every church and every Christian would be swept off their feet by false doctrines.
We would naturally expect Satan to attack God’s people, but there have always been men and women of great faith and courage who have stood firm on God’s Word and opposed Satan’s attacks.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus announced to his disciples, “I will build My church.” Then he added, “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Thousands of faithful Christians have had to suffer death for their defence of the truth. The church has withstood the fiery darts of the Devil and has prevailed. No army has ever been able to destroy it.
Paganism has fought against it and failed. False religions have attempted to destroy it, but it still prevails. Powerful men of great wealth and influence have tried to eliminate it, but failed.
No country has ever caused it to cease. The church has remained alive in every century. Jesus made a solemn promise that the “gates of Hades” (death) would never stop it, including His own death on the cross.
The apostles seemingly gave up hope after the death of Jesus. They thought that a kingdom (earthly) was now out of any possibility. They were unable to understand that the work of Jesus was just about to begin in establishing His spiritual kingdom.
On the day of his ascension to heaven, they still were not sure and asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6. They were still thinking of an earthly kingdom. Not until Pentecost did they finally understand the nature and purpose of the kingdom.
From what we read in Acts and the epistles, we can confirm that the church grew rapidly by the time of the death of the apostle John, who was the last apostle to die.
This was near the end of the first century. There were some who wrote during the second and third centuries who have been called “Church Fathers”, and from what they wrote, it is clear that the church was alive and growing.
However, during the first three hundred years, the Roman Empire was involved in an aggressive effort trying to eliminate Christianity. Christians in some places learned it was better to meet in small groups in order to avoid being detected, captured, and executed. Some were placed in arenas where wild animals were let loose to kill them. This was a popular sporting event for the non-Christians in Rome.
Sharon Turner and English historian, estimates there were 500,000 Christians by the end of the first century, then she jumps to 2,000,000 by the end of the second century.
These numbers would appear to be inflated. Considering all the secrecy involved in finding secret places to worship it would be hard to come up with a correct number of members.
However, we do know the church grew at a rapid rate during the first and second centuries and even on into the third century. As early as the second century, we notice that there were errors that were beginning to creep into the church.
(69-156) An associate of the apostle John called for a restoration of apostolic doctrines. “Therefore, let us forsake the vain doing of the many and their false teachings, and turn unto the word which was delivered unto us from the beginning.” A contemporary, Ignatius, urged Christians to be “inseparable from Jesus Christ and the teachings of the apostles.”
Later on, Polycarp, an associate of the apostle John, was called upon by a governor to renounce Christ before a pagan crowd or be burned at the stake. His reply has become a classic statement. It reads as follows.
“Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?”
Even with the threats of death to Christians, they would not renounce Christ. Such persecutions would become widespread, but because of their strong faith, the church survived. It was just as Jesus said; death would not prevail against the church.
As we enter the third century, Easter is being observed by some. In some churches, the eldership was changed to the rule of a single bishop over each church.
Eventually, “Bishop” became an exclusive title for one man, while “elders” were considered an inferior rank. However, there still were men who opposed any and all false teaching.
Athanasius of Alexandria (293-373 AD) wrote the following.
“Concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the faith, not even a causal statement must be delivered without the Holy Scriptures for this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning, but on demonstration of the Holy Scriptures.”
Thus, there were men who understood and practised the pure doctrine of the New Testament. The apostate churches soon found themselves tied to Rome. Rome soon replaced Jerusalem.
In the early years, Jerusalem was the centre of Christian activity, but by the third century, this would all change, and Rome would replace Jerusalem as the centre of Christianity.
With Constantine as the emperor, the Roman Empire adopted and controlled Christianity. Later, this would be reversed, and the apostate church would control European governments. Some might ask how Rome became the centre for the apostate churches and how Rome acquired so much power.
Rome was the capital city of the Roman Empire. It sent ambassadors, governors and officials to all parts of the empire. The church in Rome had the backing of the Roman Emperor. Paul was executed in Rome, and maybe Peter. Some historians do not think Peter ever went to Rome.
Then there was Paul’s letter to the Romans, in which, in its introduction, he expresses his deep desire to be in Rome. He already knows a number of the Christians who were already there. The church was in Rome long before Paul arrived.
Over time, the church in Rome began to consider itself superior to other churches. They conceived they had the right to make demands of other churches as to what they were to practice.
Only the doctrines approved by them were recognised as the true faith. However, this did not stop loyal churches from being faithful to the doctrine of Christ and carrying the gospel into the entire world. The earliest record of Christianity’s arrival in Britain is the year 37, although some historians date it later. Bishop Ussher says it was in 37.
The gospel had spread to Britain because brethren with Palestinian roots were among the first to evangelise the southern part of Europe. During the fourth century, the Celtic church evangelised extensively in Europe.
As far as we can tell, the Celtic Church preached the pure gospel. Some British historians say that Joseph of Arimathea came from France to Britain with eleven missionaries.
About the same time, the apostle Simon was preaching across the North coast of Africa. He then crossed by boat to Britain. It is believed that Joseph of Arimathea came to Britain before Paul came to Rome. The British boast that they were the first country to accept Christianity.
What may be a surprise to many, “Saint Patrick” was not the one who planted Christianity in Ireland. This is only a tradition. Patrick was a member of the Celtic Church whose origin goes back to a much earlier time.
The church was planted in Ireland around A.D. 61. Patrick established numerous congregations in Britain and Ireland, baptising believers by immersion and establishing elders in the churches. He denied purgatory and taught that the Lord’s Supper was a memorial.
The true Patrick was taken prisoner in 379 to Ireland. He was never under the authority of a Pope. He never had any connection with the Catholic Church. The Celtic Church that Patrick laboured for never called themselves the “Catholic Church.”
The early Celtic church was opposed to the Catholic Church. However, Ireland would be taken over and forced into submission to Rome decades later. Ireland became Roman Catholic around 1154.
The Roman Emperor Constantine, on May 22, 337, established Christianity as the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. When the Nicene Creed came into existence, it would completely change the nature of the church. It resulted in the state ruling over the church by a Roman dictator.
During the latter part of the fourth century, churches would be rocked by the doctrines of Saint Augustine (354-430), who played a significant part in the development of the Catholic Church’s doctrine.
He did more to formulate Catholic doctrine than any other man. His doctrines concerning original sin, infant baptism and predestination have misled thousands. His doctrines still persist today.
During the third century, a separation took first place over the prevailing corruption taking place within the Roman Church. We are very interested in one group in the third century called the Novatians.
They called themselves “Puritans”. They opposed the early Catholic Church. In fact, from this time onward, groups were beginning to separate from Rome.
The Novatians identified themselves as the Church of Christ, springing up in different places in Europe and especially England. They sought a return to the pure apostolic gospel. They baptised believers for the remission of sins.
They opposed the doctrine of transubstantiation and infant baptism using the Bible as their only authority. They flourished for two hundred years, opposing Catholic doctrine under constant persecution from Rome.
As we move on into the Dark Ages (476–1000), we are in a time frame when widespread ignorance and poverty spread over Europe; we do not have as much information about the church.
What was written was primarily written by Catholic writers who opposed the truth. However, we have no doubt as to the existence of the church, as Jesus said that the “Gates of Hades” would not prevail against it, Matthew 16:18.
Even today, it is not unusual to find a church in some remote part of the world. Many Churches of Christ have been discovered that had no one to guide them. They took the New Testament and discovered for themselves the New Testament church.
Two missionaries to Germany after World War II met Dr Hans Grimm of Germany, who had been preaching for the Churches of Christ for fifty years in Germany and had never heard that the church existed in America. Men, by accident, have come across churches that started on their own without any influence from the outside.
As we move on into the Middle Ages (1000– 450), two names begin to appear. They were the “Waldensians” and “Lollards.” Both of these names were derogatory (nicknames) given to those who opposed the Catholic Church.
The Waldensians were probably named after a man named Waldo, who spoke out against Catholic doctrine and was a strong leader at that time in Europe. In time, they would suffer severely from Rome and its allies.
Hundreds of these people would be burned at the stake. They identified themselves as the Church of Christ. They baptised only believers for the remission of sins. They strongly opposed infant baptism.
They considered the Bible as their only source of authority. Some of these churches would continue up until the time of the Reformation. They were successful in keeping the Bible alive in English.
Members of Churches of Christ were given derogatory names such as Waldensians, Lollards and Anabaptists. The same thing has happened to members of churches of Christ today who have been labelled Campbellites due to the work of restoration by Thomas and Alexander Campbell.
Two men whose names should be noted are John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, who were among the first to translate the Bible into English. Later on, the K.J.V. would be based to a great extent on these earlier translations. The Catholic Church tried to keep the Bible in Latin, which the common man could not read.
Rome tried to get rid of the English translation by Tyndale and Wycliffe when they were printed, but failed in their attempt. In the beginning, these Bibles were smuggled into England. Thus, it was difficult for the Roman Church to eradicate them.
Wycliffe was born in 1320. With the assistance of some of his students, he undertook the translation of the Bible from Latin into English. It was completed in 1382. The common people were greatly influenced by John Wycliffe because he had translated the Bible into English, the only language they knew.
He came from a Lollard background and was associated with the Church of Christ. His teaching on baptism was that it was for believers by immersion, whereby the blood of Christ takes away the sins of those who repent.
Wycliffe died in 1384. His followers were so hated by the Roman Church that forty-three years later, on October 8, 1427, his body was exhumed, burned, and his ashes strewn on the River Swift.
Tyndale is the second name we should notice. He is looked upon as the father of the English Bible. His translation of the New Testament was completed in 1526. As a result, Tyndale was imprisoned in 1536. He was strangled and burned at the stake. The Lollards admired Tyndale and were very devoted to his translation.
Later, the Lollards were called “Anabaptists,” another derogatory name given to them because they insisted that anyone who had only been baptised as an infant needed to be baptised again by immersion for the remission of their sins because infants were not capable of believing, or of repenting.
The common people could not read Latin; thus, Tyndale’s translation gave the Bible to them in their own language of English. Believing the Catholic Church to be corrupt, they looked to Scripture as the basis for their beliefs.
By the 1500s, there were a number of books produced and widely circulated by leading brethren (many of them preachers). They suffered severe punishment for what they wrote and preached.
Even the average member felt the punishment of the Catholic Church, and later, when the Church of England was in power, they discovered they were spied on and reported to church authorities. They were tortured and put to death by being burned alive.
Sisman, in his book, states that no less than 200,000 died of this kind of torture. Of this number, 80% were women. Thousands died of starvation while in prison. More Anabaptists were burned under Henry VIII than at any other period of time. Others had their noses and ears cut off. They were forced to meet secretly in homes, barns, fields, and even caves.
The charge brought against these faithful brethren was their denial of infant baptism and their opposition to the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, which the Catholic Church considered was an act of heresy and blasphemy. Burnings would cease by 1612.
It is amazing that religious people who you would think were civilised people would resort to burning the supposed enemies of the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
It is a fact that the Catholic Church shed more innocent blood than any other institution on earth. The Church of England was also guilty of the same evil. The words of the apostle Paul could very well describe the sufferings of the Christians of that day.
In the Black Mountains of Wales, small groups were able to keep the faith with little interference from the Catholic Church or the Church of England (whichever was in power at the time) as they met in secret places.
One group built a meeting place that looked like a barn with a watering trough, which was used for baptisms. Another group met for worship in a cave in the side of a mountain. Some withheld singing for fear a spy would hear them and report where they were meeting.
Finally, in England, the Act of Toleration was passed on the 24th of May 1689, granting freedom of worship to all “nonconformists.” This was a name given to those who rejected the Church of England and its doctrine.
However, it was too late for hundreds of persecuted people who had already fled to America to escape punishment. What may surprise you is that the Mayflower in 1620 also brought along with other passengers members of the Bell Alley and Southwark churches of Christ in London. The majority of the passengers were Puritans (Calvinists) and were opposed to the church of Christ.
Within a few years after arriving in America, a church of Christ independent from other churches had been established in New England. This was two hundred years before the Campbells. Later, this church fell into Calvinism and became Baptist.
The predominant doctrine in the 1600s was Calvinism, but it still allowed for evangelism to be practised, which is odd since evangelism would not be necessary if our lives are already predetermined and cannot be changed. This seeming contradiction would later lead to a division within the Baptist Church.
It was John Calvin (1509–1564) who introduced Augustine’s doctrine into the Protestant churches. Believer’s baptism and congregational autonomy had no place in Calvin’s scheme. Later on, these people would be known as Baptists.
A man by the name of Wm Kiffin was a member of a Church of Christ that met near the Tower of London. He was baptised in 1639. Later, he became one of the prime agents for spreading Calvinism into the Church of Christ in the latter part of the 17th century. Many members of the church were carried away with Calvin’s doctrine and left the church.
These congregations called themselves the Baptist Church, and the members were called Baptists. However, not everyone was won over to Calvinism. Those opposed to Calvinism were still called the Church of Christ, and the members still called themselves Christians.
Today’s Baptists, who seek their origin, have claimed, incorrectly, that it was this group who reintroduced baptism by immersion for believers. The truth is that this group learned of believers’ baptism by immersion from the non-Calvinistic churches of Christ. In time, the Baptists would divide over Calvin’s teaching of predestination.
One group became known as Particular Baptists, which accepted Calvinistic doctrine. The other group would become known as Armenians or General Baptists. They were also known as Free-Will Baptists and baptised for the remission of sins. Some Baptist churches still baptise for the remission of sins today.
Living in America, we have been blessed in that the framers of our Constitution provided us with the freedom of speech and religion. This has given each of us a freedom that the Lord’s church did not have for over fifteen hundred years. God has richly blessed us.
The Lord’s church has suffered persecution for hundreds of years, but it is still in existence and marches forward. Even today, there are areas where persecution still prevails. It is primarily in Muslim countries.
One final historical note: the Baptists have argued that the Church of Christ did not exist before the Baptists and Alexander Campbell. Many Baptists say that John Smyth started the Baptist Church. Smyth was a former priest in the Church of England, but left it.
Persecution was severe at that time. He became a hunted man and fled with others to Holland, where there was religious tolerance. He applied for membership with the Mennonite Church but died in Holland in 1612 before it was approved.
He established no lasting church. His close friend and colleague, Thomas Helwys, who remained in England, established a Church of Christ in London. Neither one established the Baptist Church, which came into being three decades later.
Most students of the Restoration Movement in North America are aware of the contributions of James O’Kelly, Barton W. Stone, Thomas and Alexander Campbell made toward restoring the New Testament Church in the 1800s. Probably few are aware that a restoration movement also took place in England beginning in the 1700s, which was widespread.
Many Churches of Christ were established in England and had their own church buildings to meet in. For the first time, they did not have to fear punishment from the Catholic Church or the Church of England. Some of these old buildings where they worshipped still stand, but are not usable.
There is also strong evidence that a restoration movement began in Russia in the 1800s. A brother who knew of what had happened in America came over from Russia and asked that some brethren return with him to Russia and help in the movement that was taking place there, but no one stepped forward.
When Communism came into power, the church was severely persecuted. One report says one hundred elders were lined up and shot to death. Executing the leaders would lead to the demise of the church. Since the early 90s, new churches have been established. Unknown at the time, we know now that churches existed across the southern part of Russia and other eastern countries.
Most of the churches mentioned in the New Testament. eventually went out of existence. You can visit New Testament cities today, and very few of them would have an active Church of Christ.
What happened to these churches Paul established? What about the seven churches of Asia? False teaching, wars, plagues, earthquakes, along with aggressive pressure from the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, played a part in their demise.
It only takes a few generations for the church to pass out of existence. God’s main line of defence of the church is His Word and the oversight of faithful elders.
After Paul and Barnabas had reached the end of their missionary trip, they turned around and revisited each of those churches they had established, appointing elders in each church.
Elders must be vigilant, keeping false teaching from taking over in the local congregation where they are overseers. If we have learned anything from the historical information furnished in this paper, it should be that it takes diligent effort to keep the church pure and free. Any compromise of truth can bring an end to the Lord’s church.
The Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20, is explicit in that the Lord expected the gospel to be carried from Jerusalem to all the nations. We have always taken this to mean only the known world at that time (First Century).
No doubt there were some parts of the world that were not inhabited yet, such as Australia, New Zealand and remote islands. But this leaves us with the parts of the earth that were inhabited.
Just how far in the world did the gospel go in that time period? There does not appear to be any time limit set by the Lord. They were to go into the entire world, and the world is a large area. The first part of Acts focuses on the Jerusalem area, but the second half focuses on the work of Paul.
Paul evangelised what is called Asia Minor (Turkey today) and maybe some areas north. He also preached in the southern part of Europe, including Greece, and then on to Rome, where the church already existed. He may have gone to Spain since he had a desire to go there.
We must remember that the other eleven apostles and no doubt a large number of evangelists were preaching at the same time in other parts of the world because the Lord’s command was to go into “all the world.” 2 Peter 5:13 would indicate that Peter was in Babylon with his wife. Paul mentions that Peter took his wife with him on his trips.
Tradition says that the apostle Thomas was in India and died there. From India, there would have been trade routes into China. The remaining apostles were in different parts of the world.
At the end of Paul’s third journey, he returned to Jerusalem, but only James, the Lord’s brother and the elders were present to greet him. This suggests the apostles seem to be missing, indicating they were elsewhere preaching the gospel.
Luke and Paul were inspired by the Holy Spirit when they wrote these words. Thus did “every creature” have the opportunity to hear the gospel?
The implication is that the gospel at that time had reached all parts of the inhabited world, or as Paul said, “The whole world.” Writing to the church in Rome, he said, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” This could include the many populated areas which were outside and beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire.
While many parts of the world may not have been inhabited at that time, such as remote islands like Australia, New Zealand, and other areas, can we take it that when Paul said the “whole world”, he meant every part of the world that was inhabited?
Generally speaking, we have taken the word “world” to mean only the then-known world at that time. Paul even leaves the impression it had been accomplished by the time he wrote to the Philippians. The world was lost in sin, and the only thing that could save it was the blood of Jesus. Thus, all people urgently needed to hear the “Good News.”
The intensity of evangelism in the first century is nothing less than remarkable. It probably was much greater and far more reaching than we can imagine. Tradition tells us that Thomas and Bartholomew carried the gospel to India. There would have been trade routes from India into China.
It could have been reached by boat also. From what Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:13, it seems he, his wife and Mark were in Babylon. Mark, the evangelist, is also credited with the founding of the church in Alexander, Egypt. Then, of course, there was the Ethiopian eunuch.
Tradition says one of the apostles joined him to preach in Ethiopia. There is a strong British tradition that the gospel was brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, who came from France to Britain with eleven missionaries in the year 36 AD.
It is said that the apostle Simon preached Christ along the Northern coast of Africa, then crossed over by boat to Britain. It seems likely that France was evangelised to some extent before Britain. In an article by Dr Hans Grimm, the German preacher whom we mentioned earlier, speaks of the church as existing in Syria, Armenia, Arabia and Portugal.
Philippians 1:23 sounds as if the evangelising of the world had already taken place when Paul wrote his letter to them. The latter part of Paul’s life does not seem to be as evangelistic as before.
He seems to be putting more of his efforts into strengthening churches he had already established. This may suggest the probability that the gospel had spread into the entire world during the lifetime of the apostles. Certainly, God would not have asked the early Christians to do something they were incapable of doing.
The original language of England was not English but was Celtic. Sisman says the Celtic Church was the Church of Christ and was in England years before the Catholic Church arrived. Nisbet would not seem to agree that the church was in England this early.
Sisman says that early Celtic Christians found their way to America and left remains and inscriptions cut into stone in New England. This points to a much earlier discovery of America than 1492 by Columbus.
Skeletons of large ships have been discovered that were large enough to carry a large cargo and a large number of passengers at the same time. They date back to Celtic times. One such boat was one hundred and eighty feet long with a beam of forty-five feet. Its cargo bay was forty-four feet deep. This was no small ship.
The first British iron hull ocean-going ship propelled by a propeller was ten feet shorter in length than the old wooden Roman boat. The boat on which Paul travelled to Rome had two hundred and seventy-six people on board, plus a significant amount of cargo.
The ship below is typical of ships that traded in the Mediterranean area. People in the foreground indicate its scale; it’s the hull of a Roman ship recovered from Lake Nemi on the western side of Italy.
It is difficult for us to realise how far-reaching the migration from Babel must have been. It covered approximately the space of time between the dispersion of the people up until the early kingdom of Egypt, which bishop Ussher places around 3000 BC.
It is considered the first and oldest of the kingdoms. Not knowing the time frame for the Babel event, we can only guess that it would be a little less than a thousand years for the dispersion of the people to take place if we lean on Bishop Ussher’s timeline.
It was probably slow and encompassed a larger area than we imagine. The different colours of skin, facial features, plus hundreds of languages and dialects in different parts of the world today, indicate how widespread the migration must have been.
The circumference of the Earth was measured one hundred years before the birth of Christ by a man named Eratosthenes. He was a Greek mathematician, geographer and astronomer. The Bible teaches that the earth is spherical, Isaiah 40:22.
We know that the British taught that the Earth was round, a fact known also to Celtic sailors. It would have been a challenge for seamen to see where they would end up if they sailed westward from Africa or eastward from East Africa. Trade by sea with India had probably been in effect for many years.
An interesting comment from the Old Testament speaks of Solomon having a Navy. Hiram, king of Lebanon, a neighbouring country, also had a Navy. It seems they combined Navies and sent their ships on joint ventures of trading.
The interesting thing is, they would return every three years. The cargo they brought back would indicate they may have been trading in Africa. It would have been possible to cover both the East and West coasts of Africa from North to South.
Three years is a long time, and evidently, this was done every three years. Did some of the ships travel westward during this three-year period? So much depends upon God’s timing.
Jesus came into this world at the exact right time. The Romans had developed a system of roads in the Empire that made transportation easier, quicker and safer.
People were free to pass from one country to another without having to prove who they were. This included crossing borders into any country outside of the Roman Empire. (You did not have to have a Visa.)
Conversing with people would have been in Greek, as Greek was the universal language at that time. Sea navigation was well advanced, even more than we realise. Columbus knew the world was round. What he was looking for was a shorter route to India.
What we are saying is, if the Lord wanted the gospel to be preached in every populated nation in the first century, then it would have happened. Regardless of when it happened, we have nothing but admiration for the zeal of those early evangelists. They are such a wonderful example for us today. Again, everything God wanted to take place was based on His time frame.
Regardless of what you may think about the spread of the gospel and how far it was carried in the first century is not a doctrinal matter but makes for interesting discussion. It is also an example for us that we could do more than what we have been doing.
By comparison, we have so much more capability of carrying the gospel throughout the world than what First Century Christians had. What we must remember and never forget is that the “great commission” still applies to the Lord’s church today.
At the same time, it is assuring to know the Lord has kept his word that “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Matthew 16:18. Remember also that there are those who would bring an end to the church if they could do so. Satan is still our major enemy; thus, we must ever be on the lookout for his attacks.