The church of Christ

At Granby, MO

What does the Bible say About Apostasy?

Bible Verses on Apostasy

1. Hymenaeus and Alexander did:
   1 Timothy 1:18-20
   18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
   19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
   20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
2. Demas Did:
   2 Timothy 4:10
   10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
3. Judas Did:
   Matthew 26:14-16
   14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
   15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
   16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
4. Some Galatians did:
   Galatians 5:4-7
   4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
   5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
   6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
   7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
5. Some angels have fallen:
   2 Peter 2:4
   For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
   Jude 6
   And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
6. Simon the sorcerer did:
   Acts 8:19-23
   19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
   20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
   21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
   22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
   23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
7. Ananias and Saphira did:
   Acts 5:3-10
   3 But Peter said, Ananias , why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
   4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
   5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
   6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
   7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
   8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
   9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
   10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
   Israel fell from God:
   Jeremiah 3:12
   Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
8. The prodigal son fell:
   Luke 15:24
   For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
9. Some sheep became lost:
   Luke 15:4
   What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
   Acts 20:29
   For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
10. The disobedient shall be gathered out of the Kingdom and cast into Hell:
    Matthew 13:41-42
    41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
    42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
11. Some are entangled in the world:
    2 Peter 2:20-22
    20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
    21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
    22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
12. Others have and will fall:
    1 Timothy 4:1-3
    1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
    2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
    3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
    Hebrews 3:12
    Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
    2 Timothy 4:4
    And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
13. We must take heed lest we fall:
    1 Corinthians 10:12
    Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
14. Some have trodden Jesus under foot:
    Hebrews 10:29
    Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

1. Satan:
   Luke 22:31
   And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
2. Perversion of scriptures:
   2 Timothy 4:3-4
   3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
   4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
   2 Peter 3:16
   As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
3. False Teachers:
   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.
   2 Timothy 4:3-4
   3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
   4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
4. Persecution and trials:
   Matthew 13:21-22
   21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
   22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
5. Unbelief:
   Hebrews 3:18-19
   18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
   19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
6. Disobedience:
   1 Peter 2:8
   And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient : whereunto also they were appointed.
7. Love of the world:
   1 John 2:15-17
   15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
   16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
   17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
8. A hardened heart:
   John 12:40
   He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart ; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart , and be converted, and I should heal them.
9. Lusting and living after flesh:
   Romans 8:13
   For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
10. Sinning willfully:
    Hebrews 10:26
    For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

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