Here is some history to help us in understanding God's work of recovery to maintain His testimony in the world. Mostly, men prefer their own ideas of God's intention, but this seems to be in accord with the sound studies of the actual history from the Middle Ages.
A Brief Overview Of Revival
That good recovery of church truth in the early 1800's is a precious work of God even as the revival of the gospel truth in circa 1500. The gospel was set forth again in a public way through a number of faithful saints in a reformation effort in the Middle Ages for the religious world. God's Word had been lost after the Apostolic period, with careless regard for the truth by those who had the responsibility to hold it and maintain it. The whole church suffered by this neglect of unfaithful men.
We can see church condition after the apostolic time to have descended into darkness, and a scattering of believers in Christ for years into homes and secret places; and that for faithfulness and fellowship, to avoid persecution by the organized hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Religion of Popery. The RCR predominated in all government with religious leaders, who mixed Judaism with the Christian testimony and their own ordinances, and controlled all religious thought by force throughout the Middle Ages --- from about 500 A.D. to the 1500's.
Most people were illiterate at this time, and then a few educated priests from the RCR studied the holy Scriptures, and began to teach that the RCR was in error ---and then had to run for their lives. This resulted in religious police seeking them out and much persecution (see Foxe's Book Of Martyrs; Miller’s Church History; etc.). One of the principal voices among the RC priests was Martin Luther, who was bold to post his 95 word thesis on the door of a prominent church building, essentially stating to the Pope: "justification by faith", and not by religious works and rituals. This, as most Christians know today, brought on the Protestant Reformation movement.
The believers who rallied to this opening of the Word of God became the various major denominations we know today, as independent and following their own interpretations. The Word was hand written until printing was established in the 1500’s and began to circulate. Numerous denominated sects rose up, and yet following the religious practices they had learned in one thousand years of oppression under the RCR; yet, thankfully the gospel message was embraced.
In the early 1800's after the gospel message was thriving, God began to recover church truth as many saints were moved to leave the established and organized religious denominations with their hierarchy, rituals, and innovations. That is when the so-called "brethren movement" was formed ---1827, with such believers as J. N. Darby, J. G. Bellett, G. V. Wigram, W. Kelly, C. H. Mackintosh, who held firmly to the Scripture and expression of the truth of "one body in Christ". Such faith was not well understood, nor in practice anywhere in the world.
Some believers have left this fellowship over time and refer to their own local Christian gathering by various names to distinguish themselves from other believers in Christ, which is a denial of the truth of the "one body" (Rom.12 and 1 Cor.12; etc.). The name "Plymouth Brethren" arose, which was a loose and open denominated fellowship at Plymouth, England, and took that name when they stood apart from that universal testimony which God recovered in 1827 in Ireland and then England, and they are fairly well known and popular in the world; but, the original testimony continued in simplicity and holding firmly to the Word. A so-called “Exclusive Brethren” group also separated and formed later. Some of us have continued to withstand Satan’s work of divisions and uphold that intent of God for the universal church, and see the true testimony as in Acts 2 and the Epistles.
One can read some of the history around this movement, which does not take any name nor recognize organization not given in the Word of God (see the web site at biblecounsel.homestead.com). It speaks of the need for a sound scriptural fellowship, recognizing the priesthood of all believers in the world as God intended for unity of the faith. Serious seekers may read more on this also by books and literature from Bible Truth Publishers in Addison, IL. -RLD
A Brief Overview Of Revival
Recovery Of Church Truth
The Watch Of God Over His Saints To Preserve Them And His Word
By R. L. DeWitt, 5/10
The Watch Of God Over His Saints To Preserve Them And His Word
By R. L. DeWitt, 5/10
That good recovery of church truth in the early 1800's is a precious work of God even as the revival of the gospel truth in circa 1500. The gospel was set forth again in a public way through a number of faithful saints in a reformation effort in the Middle Ages for the religious world. God's Word had been lost after the Apostolic period, with careless regard for the truth by those who had the responsibility to hold it and maintain it. The whole church suffered by this neglect of unfaithful men.
We can see church condition after the apostolic time to have descended into darkness, and a scattering of believers in Christ for years into homes and secret places; and that for faithfulness and fellowship, to avoid persecution by the organized hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Religion of Popery. The RCR predominated in all government with religious leaders, who mixed Judaism with the Christian testimony and their own ordinances, and controlled all religious thought by force throughout the Middle Ages --- from about 500 A.D. to the 1500's.
Most people were illiterate at this time, and then a few educated priests from the RCR studied the holy Scriptures, and began to teach that the RCR was in error ---and then had to run for their lives. This resulted in religious police seeking them out and much persecution (see Foxe's Book Of Martyrs; Miller’s Church History; etc.). One of the principal voices among the RC priests was Martin Luther, who was bold to post his 95 word thesis on the door of a prominent church building, essentially stating to the Pope: "justification by faith", and not by religious works and rituals. This, as most Christians know today, brought on the Protestant Reformation movement.
The believers who rallied to this opening of the Word of God became the various major denominations we know today, as independent and following their own interpretations. The Word was hand written until printing was established in the 1500’s and began to circulate. Numerous denominated sects rose up, and yet following the religious practices they had learned in one thousand years of oppression under the RCR; yet, thankfully the gospel message was embraced.
In the early 1800's after the gospel message was thriving, God began to recover church truth as many saints were moved to leave the established and organized religious denominations with their hierarchy, rituals, and innovations. That is when the so-called "brethren movement" was formed ---1827, with such believers as J. N. Darby, J. G. Bellett, G. V. Wigram, W. Kelly, C. H. Mackintosh, who held firmly to the Scripture and expression of the truth of "one body in Christ". Such faith was not well understood, nor in practice anywhere in the world.
Some believers have left this fellowship over time and refer to their own local Christian gathering by various names to distinguish themselves from other believers in Christ, which is a denial of the truth of the "one body" (Rom.12 and 1 Cor.12; etc.). The name "Plymouth Brethren" arose, which was a loose and open denominated fellowship at Plymouth, England, and took that name when they stood apart from that universal testimony which God recovered in 1827 in Ireland and then England, and they are fairly well known and popular in the world; but, the original testimony continued in simplicity and holding firmly to the Word. A so-called “Exclusive Brethren” group also separated and formed later. Some of us have continued to withstand Satan’s work of divisions and uphold that intent of God for the universal church, and see the true testimony as in Acts 2 and the Epistles.
One can read some of the history around this movement, which does not take any name nor recognize organization not given in the Word of God (see the web site at biblecounsel.homestead.com). It speaks of the need for a sound scriptural fellowship, recognizing the priesthood of all believers in the world as God intended for unity of the faith. Serious seekers may read more on this also by books and literature from Bible Truth Publishers in Addison, IL. -RLD
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