Terms and Definitions

... Apostasy: apostasia

1) a falling away, defection, apostasy

chiliasm.org

The term Apostasy [apostasia] in the Greek means a falling away, defection, and is the feminine form of the Neuter noun [apostasion] meaning divorce, repudiation, a bill of divorce The etymology of the word is a combination of the preposition "apo" meaning away from and the verb "stasis" meaning to stand. Literally together this means "away from standing". An apostate is one who departs from the faith therefore breaking his covenant relationship with God in which God in turn divorces the individual from being covenanted with Him. We see this concept in a warning that David gives to his son Solomon. 1 Chronicles 28:9 As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. An Apostate is one who has abandoned his faith and no longer abides or remains in Christ. Remaining and abiding in Christ and His teachings requires continued faith throughout our Christian life and is an absolute necessity if one is to to enter into the Kingdom of God. The whole concept of being in Christ which Paul uses throughout his epistles comes from statements that were made by Jesus. John 15:1-8 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire,

and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. Paul also makes it clear when addressing Christians that entering into the Kingdom of God is conditional upon their continuing in faith until the end of their lives. 1 Cor 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to youunless you believed in vain. Romans 11:18-22 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. Colossians 1:21-23 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, Paul describes the process of how a Christian can apostatize from the faith and depart form God in Hebrews Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, There is no mistaking who Paul is addressing when he gives this warning. He is speaking to Christians. Hebrews 3:12-15 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ

if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. Once someone becomes a Christian they are marked as a threat to the Devils kingdom, he will not stop his efforts to deceive them and ruin their soul. This is why sin is so dangerous. Christians need to be warned of its dangers and the consequences of being entangled in it again. In contrast to most Christian teachers today the early Christian teachers properly warned the brethren of such dangers. Barnabas [A.D. 100.] The Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter IV. Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are the called [of God], we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, should thrust us away from the kingdom of the Lord. Once a Christian begins to get entangled in the deceitfulness of sin it causes a hardening of the heart, over time this causes them to be less and less responsive to the Holy Spirits efforts to turn them back (repent). Once the heart becomes calloused and unresponsive by a continual quenching of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit departs from that individual. This is why a Christian who falls away into apostasy falls back to a state of damnation as a reprobate and can no longer repent. The Apostle Peter also addresses this issue. 2 Peter 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, Again there is no mistaking who Peter is addressing in this warning. speaking about Christians. He like Paul is also

2 Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to his own vomit, and, a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire. Paul writes again in Hebrews. Hebrews 6:4-8 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for

those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed,whose end is to be burned. This same falling away is compared to Esau who was unable to repent after selling his birthright. The reason Paul uses Esau as an example is an encouragement for Christians not to forfeit their inheritance by apostatizing thus unable afterwards to repent. Hebrews 12:14-17 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. The root of bitterness in the above verse is drawn specifically from Deuteronomy 29. Deut 29:14-20 I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among themwood and stone and silver and gold); so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart as though the drunkard could be included with the sober. The LORD would not spare him; for then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the LORD would blot out his name from under heaven. Hebrews 10:26-31,38 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, The LORD will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

[Our Literal Translation VS.38] but the just one will live out of faith and if he himself should ever draw back my soul has no pleasure in him This example Paul gives in Hebrews 10 shows the attitude an individual can have that will lead to apostasy. Hebrews 3:12-15 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. Jesus warned of a falling away in the last generation leading up to His return. Matt 24:4-14 [ESV] And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my names sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Paul drawing from Jesus sermon emphasizes this same departure from the faith that will occur prior to Christ's return. 2 Thes 2:1-4 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away [ - apostasia] comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

So in conclusion there are several severe warnings to Christians throughout the New Testament against falling away from the faith that they are currently apart of, this falling away leads to a loosing of the promise of Christ and His inheritance.