The first and most vital test in recognizing the kind of church which Christ began is to identify its founder.
from: http://www.ntbt.org/Articles/ChurchBook for PDF.pdf
The following is a list of the larger Protestant Denominations, giving their founder, and date of origin.
This list is compiled from the Bureau of Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
Religious Bodies Vol. II, Title: Separate Denominations, 1926.
Roman Catholic (Present Universal Church) .............. 610
Greek Orthodox......................................................... 1054
Lutheran - Martin Luther............................................ 1530
Episcopal - Henry VIII ............................................... 1530
Presbyterian - John Calvin ........................................ 1541
Congregation - Robert Browne ................................. 1581
Friends ...................................................................... 1624
Church of the Brethren (Dunkards) Alexander Mack 1708
Free Will Baptists - Paul Palmer ............................... 1727
Seventh Day Baptists - John C. Beissel.................... 1728
Methodist - John and Charles Wesley ...................... 1729
United Brethren in Christ - P.W. Otterbein & M. Boehm 1800
Evangelical - Jacob Albright...................................... 1800
Unitarians - W.E. Channing....................................... 1825
Churches of God in North America - John Winebrenner . 1825
Plymouth Brethren - J.N. Darby ................................ 1829
Latter Day Saints - Joseph Smith.............................. 1830
Primitive Baptists - Daniel Parker.............................. 1831
Christian - Alexander Campbell ................................ 1837
Church of Christ - Alexander Campbell..................... 1837
Christadelphians - John Thomas .............................. 1844
Seventh Day Adventists - James White .................... 1845
Spiritualism - Andrew Jackson Davis ........................ 1845
Church of God (New Dunkards) - George Patton ..... 1848
Advent Christian Church - Jonathan Cummings ....... 1852
Salvation Army - William Booth................................. 1865
Church of Christ Scientist - Mary Eddy Baker........... 1879
Church of God - Daniel S. Warner ............................ 1880
Christian and Missionary Alliance - A.B. Simpson .... 1881
Brethren Church........................................................ 1882
Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant.................... 1885
Swedish Evangelical (Free Church).......................... 1888
United Evangelical .................................................... 1894
Church of Christ (Holiness U.S.A.) - C.P. Jones....... 1894
Church of the Nazarine - W.H. Hoople & P.F. Bresse ...... 1907
Churches of God, Holiness - K.H. Burruss................ 1914
*Assemblies of God................................................... 1914
National Council of Churches of Christ ..................... 1907
Four Square Gospel - Aimee Semple McPherson................. 1923
*Pentecostal Churches (under different names)....1914
to present
How can a church which began after Jesus started his church
be considered a New Testament church?
The most obvious answer is that it cannot be a New Testament church!
These churches were started by someone other than the Savior.
To recognize the kind of church(es) which Christ began (or didn't) is to identify its founder...
Discussion in 'Fundamental Baptist Forum' started by Alan Gross, Nov 16, 2020.
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Alan Gross Well-Known Member
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Alan Gross Well-Known Member
The Doctrines of The Bible and The Lord's churches were perverted by her, including everything a church is and does.
They are chronicled in this brief History Notebook, beginning here:
Baptist History Notebook
Chapter 2
JESUS ESTABLISHES HIS CHURCH
[p. 7]
We have observed the persecution of truth, first of Israel and secondly of the church. Satan persecuted the churches of Jesus Christ first by the Jews. This persecution is recorded in the book of Acts. It is also mentioned in some of the Epistles of the New Testament.
Next, Satan used the Roman Empire to persecute the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. There were at least ten severe persecutions beginning with Nero and ending with Diocletian. We will devote space to these in the next chapter. These persecutions resulted in the death of a very large number of Christians.
Satan used the Roman Empire to persecute the Lord's churches while he was establishing a church of his own with which to oppose and persecute the true churches of Jesus Christ. Much of this Baptist History Notebook will deal with the development of Satan's church (the synagogue of Satan) and its persecution of the churches of our Lord.
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1. Church Government Changed
In developing his church Satan began by corrupting the doctrinal teachings of the Lord's church from within. He has his servants in all churches. The first corruption came in his seeking to change the form of church government that Christ gave. His subtility is seen in this.
There was a plurality of elders (preachers) in the early churches. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church" (Acts 20:17). It seems that today we have a scarcity of preachers but not then. These elders were to be equal, one was not to lord it over another. "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder. . . . Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over
[p. 10]
God's heritage (clergy), but being ensamples to the flock" (I Peter 5:1-3). See our Lord's instruction on equality (Matthew 23:1-12).
Early in history Satan led some away from that truth. Diotrephes is an example given in III John 9. We read in Revelation 2:15, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolatians, which thing I hate." Without being positive what this doctrine was, I think the meaning lies in the name. It comes from two Greek words. The first is nikaw which means "to conquer." The second is laos which means "people." So then it means to conquer the people or laity. Thus we have a ruling clergy. Thus developed an episcopal church government in place of a congregational one. What kind of government is this? "Episcopacy, Episcopal." These terms are derived from the Greek episcopos, meaning 'bishop.' They refer accordingly to that system of church government in which the principal officer is the bishop."1
....... con't on from there at http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/hisel.bapt.hst.ntbk.chpt2.html
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Alan Gross Well-Known Member
Yes, me too. -
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Alan Gross Well-Known Member
'legit' or not is even rational. -
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Alan Gross Well-Known Member
There is "one body", as to kind.
From SIMMONS- THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH
2. THE TRUE TIME OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH
In locating, the founding of the church we must find a time when something that answers to the description of the church came into existence.
This rule points us to the time, when, after a night of prayer, Christ selected the twelve disciples.
With this selection, these twelve men, for the first time, became a body.
They had a head-Christ.
They had a treasurer-Judas.
They were supposed to be baptized believers.
They were banded together to carry out Christ's will.
What more than this did they become on the day that their Master uttered the words of Matt. 16:18? -