Two thousand years ago, God came as a man and established a church. It was the Church of God. The Church of God adhered to the truth of the New Covenant Jesus established, and spread out throughout the Roman Empire by the apostles who diligently preached the gospel of the New Covenant. As time passed by, the apostles died and people with various ideas and from backgrounds entered the church, and the original faith began to fade. The Church of God that was established by Jesus and kept the truth of the New Covenant completely disappeared while going through a turbulent history such as secularization following severe persecution.
There are many churches in the world today that claim to believe in Jesus. Among them, which church is the authentic church established by Jesus? Let’s find the answer, focusing on the truth of the New Covenant that the Church of God kept 2,000 years ago, the history of the church, and the prophecies in the Bible.
History of Early Church: Jesus and the Apostolic Age
Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom and established a church (Mt 16:18). The name of the church where the apostles such as Peter, John, and Paul attended was the Church of God (1 Co 1:2; 11:22; Gal 1:13). The main characteristic of the Church of God was to keep the truth of the New Covenant such as the Sabbath1 and the Passover2 which Jesus set examples.
- The Sabbath: Most churches today keep Sunday worship, but Jesus never commanded to keep it. Jesus always worshiped on Saturday, the Sabbath (Lk 4:16). He also taught that the Sabbath is a truth that God’s people must keep until the end of the world (Mt 24:20). The early Church kept the Sabbath as a custom, following the example of Jesus (Ac 17:2).
- The Passover: Jesus established the New Covenant through the Passover, and gave us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life (Mt 26:17–28; Lk 22:14–20; Jn 6:53–54). The early Church kept the Passover of the New Covenant according to the gospel of Christ (1 Co 5:7–8; 11:23–26).
Through the parable of the weeds and the wheat, however, Jesus prophesied that the truth of the New Covenant would disappear.
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away . . . ‘Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” Mt 13:24–30
The enemy sowed weeds on the field where the owner had sown good seed. It means that Satan would fill the world with lawlessness, false doctrines, after Jesus sowed the good seed (Mt 13:36–42). Jesus’ prophecy was exactly fulfilled.
Roman Persecution of Christians and the Division of the Church
After Jesus’ ascension, the gospel of the New Covenant spread beyond Judea into Rome. The faith of Christians, who thoroughly rejected other gods and idols and believed only in Jesus, aroused antipathy from the Romans. Christianity was severely persecuted by the Roman Empire for about 250 years from the time of Emperor Nero up to 313. Many believers were crucified, burned, and were thrown to the wild beasts in the amphitheater just because they did not give up their Christian faith.
Despite all kinds of hardships, the faith of the saints of the early Church did not waver. They firmly kept the truth of the New Covenant, which Jesus taught and set as an example. However, in the second century after the death of the apostles who had been taught directly by Jesus, their faith began to crack. Some began to insist on doctrines that added human opinions to the teachings of Christ. The church was divided into two: the Eastern churches that held onto the truth of the Apostolic Age, and the Western churches that did not obey the laws of God.
In the Roman Empire at that time, Mithraism was prevailing, which considered Sunday as a holy day. The Western churches centering on Rome abandoned the Sabbath and worshiped on Sunday from the 2nd century. On the other hand, the Eastern churches continued to observe the Sabbath until the time of Constantine in the 4th century.
“. . . it has been supposed that their predecessors, the ancient sabbatarians, feeling themselves aggrieved by the edict of Constantine, which strictly enforced the observance of the first day of the week . . . it is certain that the practice of observing Saturday as a festival, was very common in the Eastern churches, at the close of the fourth century . . .” Henry Bannerman, The Modern Sabbath Examined, London: Whittaker, Treacher and Arnot, 2012, p. 274
The Western churches left the teachings of Christ and had the Holy Supper on Sunday after the Passover, that is, the Resurrection Day. The Roman church which was at the center of it even compelled the Eastern churches that had the Holy Supper on the Passover by following the example of Jesus and the apostles, to abandon the Passover and follow their customs. The Eastern churches refused to do so, but they could not prevent the lawlessness made by human opinion from gradually encroaching on the truth of the New Covenant.
“But a difference had arisen between East and West. In Asia the all-important date was the 14th Nisan . . . and then celebrate the Eucharist. In the West, however, the fast was maintained until the Sunday following the 14th Nisan and then only was the paschal Eucharist celebrated . . . In 155 Polycarp argued the question with the Pope Anicetus, but as neither could persuade the other they agreed to differ . . . A more important stage of the controversy took place in 197 at Rome. There the Pope Victor, a man of much more dominating temper than Anicetus, determined to put a stop to all confusion and to compel the whole Church to accept the Dominical rule, i.e. observe the feast on the Sunday.” J.W.C. Wand, A History of the Early Church to A.D. 500, Routledge, 2006, pp. 82–83
Secularization of Christianity and Abolition of the Truth of the New Covenant
The Roman Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which became a great turning point in the church history. Constantine acknowledged Christianity through this edict and carried out policies of advocating and supporting Christians. As the church was exalted in the world, even those who didn’t have correct knowledge about Christianity streamed into the church. The Roman Emperor tried to use Christianity for his political power.
In this situation, the church was rapidly secularized and the truth of the New Covenant disappeared. When Constantine issued the Sunday Legislation in 321, not only the Western churches but also the Eastern churches abandoned the Sabbath and worshiped on Sunday. Passover was abolished in 325 at the Council of Nicaea that was convened by Constantine. The Passover was determined to be kept on Easter as the Roman church insisted. In addition, the Roman church changed December 25, the birthday of the sun god Mithra, to Jesus’ birthday.
In this way, Roman Catholicism, which abandoned the truth of the New Covenant and accepted the customs of sun god worship, became the state religion of the Roman Empire in 392. The saints who tried to follow the teachings of Christ hid themselves in the mountains or in the desert to keep the truth; however, the vein of truth was cut off in the end.
Church History of the Middle Ages: The Age of the Papacy (The Dark Ages)
As the Roman Empire weakened, the Germanic tribes from the North entered the Roman Empire and established their own kingdoms there. They converted to Roman Catholicism after a series of afflictions, and the pope became their spiritual leader in many European countries. The head of the Roman Catholic Church, who changed the truth of the New Covenant into false doctrines, had the absolute power. That’s when the Dark Ages, that is, Age of the Papacy came, and there was no truth.
Some pointed out the errors of the Roman Catholic Church at the time, but they were ignored. The Roman Catholic Church established the Inquisition to get rid of those who pointed out their corruption, and maintained their power. Many were branded as heretics and cruelly tortured and executed.
“The Inquisition, called the ‘Holy Office’, was instituted by Pope Innocent III, and perfected under the second following Pope, Gregory IX. . . . Think of Monks and Priests, in holy garments, directing, with Heartless Cruelty and Inhuman Brutality, the work of Torturing and Burning alive Innocent Men and Women, and doing it in the Name of Christ, by the direct order of the ‘Vicar of Christ’. The INQUISITION was the MOST INFAMOUS and DEVILISH Thing in Human History. It was devised by Popes, and used by them for 500 years, to Maintain their Power.” Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook, Zondervan Publishing House, 1962, p. 883
History of the Incomplete Reformation
As the Roman Catholic Church’s corruption such as the sale of indulgences reached its peak, the flames of the Reformation finally ignited in Europe. In 1517, Martin Luther posted The 95 Theses on the front door of the Wittenburg Castle Church in Germany, and after this, the Reformation began in earnest. Many reformers, including Zwingli and Calvin, worked hard for the Reformation.
Thus, in the 16th century, many reformers appeared to point out the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, trying to follow the teachings of the Bible. As a result, diverse Protestant churches such as Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist Churches appeared. However, they just cried out for the reformation of faith without restoring the truth of the New Covenant such as the Passover. The Protestant churches still followed the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church such as Sunday worship.
Although numerous religious reformers rose and many scholars studied the Bible, no one was able to restore the truth of the New Covenant. The authority of the Roman Catholic Church collapsed, but the false doctrines such as Sunday worship and Christmas made by the Roman Catholic Church are still prosperous. This means that not only the Reformation of the 16th century but also subsequent reforms of many other religious leaders were incomplete.
The Last Complete Reformation: Restoration of the New Covenant and the Church of God
God declares the end from the beginning, and controls world history. The same goes for the church history. Although it seems that false doctrines temporarily prevail and Satan gains power, God will break the power of Satan and set the saints free from lawlessness. The Bible foretells the appearance of the Second Coming Jesus, the Christ who will accomplish all these works.
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. Da 7:21–22
“This horn” is the “little horn” mentioned in Daniel 7:25. The little horn changed God’s set times and laws, waged war against the saints, and defeated them: it is the power that opposes God. Thankfully, it was prophesied that the “Ancient of Days” would come and pronounce judgment in favor of the saints. It means that God will come to this earth, destroy all false doctrines, and lead the saints to the truth.
“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Lk 18:7–8
Jesus said that He would not find faith on the earth when He comes a second time. As He foretold through the parable of the weeds and wheat, it was because the truth of the New Covenant disappeared by Satan and the world was filled with lawlessness. In this situation, if He comes and judges the world right away, no one can be saved. Therefore, the second coming of Jesus is not as a Judge, but as a Savior. He comes a second time before the Last Judgment and restores all the truth of the New Covenant, so that the saints are freed from the chain of lawlessness. This is the complete reformation which God fulfills in this age.
The book of Revelation also prophesied that Jesus, the Root of David, would come again to open the Bible that is sealed (Rev 5:1–5; 22:16). In other words, Second Coming Christ will bring back the truth of the New Covenant that no one can keep because of Satan’s hindrance. That is why the Bible said Christ would appear a second time for the salvation of His people.
[S]o Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Heb 9:28
It is Christ Ahnsahnghong who fulfilled all these prophecies in the Bible. Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong restored all the truth of the New Covenant such as the Sabbath and the Passover that the early Church kept, and rebuilt the Church of God. Today, the only church that keeps the truth of the times of Jesus and the apostles, not the false doctrines planted by Satan, is the Church of God established by Christ Ahnsahnghong. Therefore, the Church of God is the church that has accomplished the complete Reformation, and is the authentic church that has the promise of salvation.
