Is there anything man can break that God cannot put back together? The whole history of the Israelites is one of a continuing cycle of God-given covenants being broken, followed by prophetic warnings, repentance, and new covenants to replace or fulfill the old. Adam & Eve were thrown out of the Garden with the possibility of renewal. The flood of Noah destroyed the wicked, but the earth was given a chance for renewal. Jesus as Messiah fulfilled the old covenant, the Law of Moses, and gave a new covenant that included a new Church organization based in the Melchizedek priesthood. His infinite atonement brought forth resurrection for all, redemption of sin, and the promise of his continuing spiritual presence (his enabling power). Although the atonement of Christ was infinite and final, His gospel principles and its associated priesthood had to be carried by mortal instruments, men who could die. Indeed, apostasy had set in during the lifetimes of the original Apostles, and then they died in rapid succession with little opportunity to reconstitute the Quorum.
Even the great scientist and theologian Isaac Newton (1733) foresaw the falling away (apostasy) and the need for a restoration:
"For the prophets and apostles have foretold that as Israel often revolted and brake the covenant and upon repentance renewed it, so there should be a falling away among the Christians, soon after the days of the Apostles, and that in the latter days God would … make a new covenant with his people." [Sir Issac Newton (1733). Observations on the prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John (part 1, Chapter 1, last paragraphs)]
The New Testament scripture is clear on these points. A “falling away” and “a restitution of all things” will precede the second coming of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
1 ¶ NOW we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Acts 3:19-21
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
The Apostle Paul’s writings indicated that the primitive Church had a rough beginning. He said the following to the Galatian Church:
Galatians 1:6-8
6 ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Clearly, doctrines were being perverted, and it was the Apostles who were charged with maintaining the integrity of the Church.
Paul, elsewhere, described how the Church will be attacked from the outside (v.29) and from the inside (v. 30):
Acts 20:29-30
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Peter described the development of heresies and false teachers in the Church. They had and will have such success that truth will be seen as evil:
2 Peter 2:1-2
1 ¶ BUT there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
All of these things will appear to be amplified in the last days, according to Paul:
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 ¶ THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Jesus foretold all of these events:
Matthew 24:4-6
4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
The Apostle John foresaw in the last days an angel who would bring the everlasting gospel to all the earth. Based on the previous passages, no wonder it took an angel to help straighten things out.
Revelation 14:6-7
6 ¶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
*****The Ordination and Order of the Church*****Under the Law of Moses the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood was the primary source of authority for organizing the House of Israel and for the performance of its ordinances. Under the new covenant, a higher priesthood authority would become the primary source of authority.
Hebrews 7:11-12
11 ¶ If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
Jesus ordained his twelve disciples as Apostles after the order of Melchizedek.
Mark 3:14-19
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17 And James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him … .
It is fascinating that almost all modern Christian religious organizations see the Apostleship as a defunct office or obsolete. They seem to have lost track of the fact that the Twelve Apostles represented the Twelve tribes of Israel. A primary job of the Twelve was to spread the gospel to the world and reorganize the scattered tribes of Israel in fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Why would the office of Apostle become obsolete if its basic mission and charge were unfinished?
One thing is certain. The original Apostles (save John) died within 70 years after the death & resurrection of Jesus. Although attempts were made to fill vacancies of the Twelve, the Apostles were systematically exterminated faster than they could be replaced.
Below is a rough history of the martyrdom of the original Apostles and three of their replacements or additions. The history is rough because it is based mostly in traditions that could be (and probably are) greatly flawed. The main message, however, is not flawed. Their apostolic leadership did not last much more than 70 years. Although the remaining Church was almost always good intentioned, without apostolic priesthood authority, the Church spiraled further into apostasy.
*****The End of the Quorum Presidency of the Primitive Church*****Peter: was the new name given by Jesus to Simon Bar-Jonah*, who was the brother of the Apostle Andrew. Other names included: Simon Peter, Cephas (Aramaic for stone), and Petros (Greek for pebble). He was the senior Apostle and first presiding officer of the primitive Church after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Roman Emperor Nero ordered him crucified (which by tradition took place upside down). The LDS Bible Dictionary (LDS B.D.) says his death took place “perhaps in 64 or 65” A.D. The Encyclopedia of Mormonism (Vol.2, JOHN THE BELOVED) gives the date as 67 A.D.
The death of Jesus was sometime near 30 A.D. (plus or minus). This means that in 35- 40 years the primitive Church had lost its presiding leader. There is no evidence that the remaining Apostles reconstituted to appoint a successor. If one examines the death dates of the remaining Apostles, one gets the sense that the intensity of persecution simply never allowed a reconstitution.
James Bar-Zebedee: was the brother of the Apostle John (e.g., Matthew 4:21). James the greater functioned as the rough equivalent of a Counselor in the Presidency” to Peter. Scholars often refer to him as “James the greater” to distinguish him from the other Apostle James (“the lesser”) who was junior in seniority. By tradition only, his mother, Salome, was a sister to blessed mother Mary. James death is described in Acts 12:2, documenting his death by sword as ordered by Herod Agrippa I. This means that he probably was beheaded in Jerusalem. The date of his death is usually placed at 44 A.D.
John Bar-Zebedee: was the brother of James the greater. John functioned as the rough equivalent of a Counselor in the Presidency” to Peter. He is the traditional author of the Gospel of John, three Epistles, and Revelations. By tradition only, his mother, Salome, was a sister to blessed mother Mary. He is also known as “John the beloved” because he refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (e.g., John 13: 23). He is called “John, my beloved” by Christ in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 28:6). He was exiled (about 90 A.D) to the Isle of Patmos by the Emperor Domitian. At that time he may have written the Book of Revelations. LDS doctrine indicates that John did not die but was translated to continue the Lord’s work until his second coming (D&C Sec. 7). Restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood in 1829 involved Peter and James, as resurrected beings, and John as a translated being (physical but not subject to death).
*****The End of Other Members of the Original Twelve*****Andrew Bar-Jonah: was the brother of Simon Peter. Little is known about him. Tradition has him crucified on an X-shaped cross during the reign of Emperor Nero between 60 – 68 A.D.
Philip: Tradition says that he was crucified at Heliopolis, Phrygia (Turkey) sometime between 52 – 80 A.D.
Bartholomew: means son of Tolmai. He may have also been called Nathanael. He is said to have been flayed and crucified at Albanopolis, Armenia about 52 A.D., but this date is more uncertain than others.
Matthew Bar-Alphaeus: was probably the author of the Gospel of Matthew. His alternate name, Levi, may have been an indication of his priestly lineage. He was a publican (tax collector). He is a possible brother to James Bar-Alphaeus and Jude. Various traditions have him martyred in India, Ethiopia, or Asia about 60 A.D.
Thomas: also went by Didymus. A current nickname for him is “Doubting Thomas,” as he doubted the resurrection of Jesus until he could touch the wounds in his hands. Various traditions have him crucified or pierced in anywhere from Egypt to India. Death dates range from 72 – 76 A.D.
James Bar-Alphaeus: is called by scholars “James the less” (taken from Mark 15: 40) to distinguish him from James Bar-Zebedee. He was the brother of Jude (Luke 6: 16; Jude 1:1). He may have been a brother to Matthew (having the same last name). Matthew 27: 56 (cf. Mark 15: 40) indicates that his mother was named Mary, and that she was distinct from the “mother of Zebedee’s children,” that is, the mother of James the greater and John. Because John 19: 25 says that the blessed Mother Mary had a sister also named “Mary” (here: Mary II), the wife of Cleophas, scholarly speculations have run amuck. Some say Mary II was a sister or a sister-in-law. Some have proposed Mary II was the mother of James the less, straining the equivalence between Cleophas and Alphaeus. Catholic tradition has turned him into “the brother of Jesus,” or James the Just (see below), insisting that the virgin Mary would not have had additional children besides Jesus. Because tradition thoroughly has confused the different James’s, attaching a particular date and place of death is tenuous at best. However, the most commonly used date is about 60 – 62 A.D.
Thaddaeus: has a wide variety of names, including, Jude, Jude Thaddaeus, Lebbeus Thaddaeus, and Judas the brother of James (Luke 6:16). He was the brother of James Bar-Alphaeus (Jude 1:1). Presumably, he had the same mother and father as James. Tradition claims he was killed in Persia or East India about 52 A.D.
Simon the Canaanite: The name as given in Mark 3:18 and Matthew 10: 4 is a complete mistranslation of the King James Bible (See LDS B.D. under “Canaanite” and “Zelotes”). The KJV translators presumed that the Aramaic word Cananaean or Kananite (Strong’s #2581) referred to a land of origin, such as Canaan, but they were wrong. A Kananite is a zealot, someone with zeal for the Jewish law and an activist against the Roman Empire. Better alternate names include: Simon Zelotes or Simon the Zealot. Little is known about him. Traditions have him martyred in Britain, Samaria, Persia, and Iberia. He was said to have been crucified in 74 A.D.
Judas Iscariot: is the great traitor of the Bible, having betrayed Jesus in Gethsemane. His death is described as “falling headlong” (Acts 1: 18-19) or suicide by hanging (Matthew 27: 3-10) some short time after the crucifixion of Jesus.
*****The End of the Lives of Other Known Apostles*****Matthias: The case of Matthias is critical because it shows that the primitive Church had full intention of keeping the Quorum of Twelve Apostles operational. When Judas Iscariot died, there was a vacancy to be filled. Read carefully the following:
Acts 1:21-26
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all [men], shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
The remaining Apostles clearly were seeking someone with long-term experience in the Church, and who could testify of the resurrection. Various traditional accounts have him being stoned anywhere between Ethiopia to Colchis from 70 to 80 A.D.
James “the Just”: was the brother of Christ and was designated an Apostle (see. e..g., Galatians 1: 19; and 1 Cor. 15: 7 is a probable reference to him). It is not known when he entered the Quorum, although the Encyclopedia of Mormonism (Vol. 1, “Apostle”) claims he was a member by 54 A.D.
There is no clear-cut objective way to determine how many people named James there were among the early Apostles. There could have been two, three, or four distinct individuals (see LDS B.D.: “James”). Part of the problem is that when James Bar-Zebedee (of “Peter, James, and John” fame) died in Acts 12:2, another person named James immediately took considerable prominence in the leadership. In Acts 12:17 one reads, “Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren.” Acts 21:18 says, “Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.” Whoever this James was, he was central.
Another unsolved problem is related to the names of the brothers of Jesus. Matthew 13:55 says, “is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” Well, we know that James Bar-Alphaeus also had brothers named Judas and Joses and a mother named Mary (e.g., Mark 15: 40). This seems to be more than coincidence, but Joseph not Alphaeus was husband of the blessed mother Mary.
Many possible solutions to the “James-problem” exist, but the best solution seems to be to take the scriptures literally. When Paul says (Galatians 1: 19) that he saw “James the Lord's brother” he meant brother, not cousin, not brother in the gospel or some other permutation.
To James “the Just” the following tradition is best ascribed: His enemies among the Jews tossed him to the ground from the top of the Jerusalem temple. He survived the fall! However, he was stoned and clubbed to death. This may have happened in 60 A.D.
Paul: was also known as Saul prior to his Christian conversion. As a Jew he consented to and witnessed the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr after Christ (Acts 7: 58; 22:20). Shortly after, on the road to Damascus, he had a profound conversion (Acts 9). This may have been the year 34 or 35 A.D. Many years later he became an Apostle. His ordination was not recorded, but it may have been when he was set apart to serve his first missionary journey with Barnabas (Acts 13; see also Gal. 2: 9). It appears to be at this time that his name Saul was changed to the new name of Paul. This would make his apostolic ordination at least 13 years after his conversion (see LDS B.D.: “Paul”). Tradition says that Paul was beheaded by sword on the orders of Nero in about 65 A.D.
*****Conclusions*****Jesus brought a new covenant and reactivated the Melchizedek priesthood to subsume the Levitical priesthood. He called Twelve Apostles to organize Churches across the world. He ordained them to the Melchizedek priesthood. There were clear lines of authority with Peter, James, and John taking the primary roles of leadership after the death of Jesus. It would appear that the Twelve were systematically stalked and murdered. Our Christian heritage was bought with the blood of many Christian martyrs.
The Church endured with some semblance of Apostolic control for about 50 to 70 years. Even during those years the epistles of the Apostles expressed great concern that the purities of the gospel were being polluted.
Attempts were made to replace Apostles after their deaths, but deaths came frequent. Church conferences were held on occasion in Jerusalem, but travel was primitive. After the deaths of the Apostles considerable deviations in practice took place.
There was a great falling away, which necessitated a restitution, as was all foretold.
*****Copyright 2008 S.Faux (Email: foxgoku54 [at] gmail [d0t] com; URL: http://mormoninsights.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information. All other rights reserved.
Please feel free to give my blog site a "Blogged.com" rating and review by
clicking here.
*****
