About Reformation & Change

QUOTE FROM Teri Lee Earl: Generally, two words are used to describe an over-all change coming to the Church, 'restoration' and 'reformation'. Each has its strength and weaknesses in what it portrays or communicates.

Restoration often presumes that there are lost truths or practices that need to be 'restored'. As in the article posted on this site, Restoration of the Church by Arthur Wallis, God does work to 'revive' dead obscured truths, often in conjunction with a revival or spiritual awakening movement.

There are various restoration theories, however, that are in effect, various forms of deception. They tend to be loosely based on scriptures such as Mark 9:12-13 (please cross-reference this with Luke 1:13-17) and Acts 3:21 (please notice the context of verse 20 there, Jesus is the one who "comes to restore all things").

Commonly, these theories of restoration suppose that all expressions of the Church right after the early church have been deprived of 'real' truth and power. To solve this problem, the current movement and its teachers or prophets or apostles have come to save the day. They will now help 'restore' the Church to her former glory. At the very least, they will prophecy or teach that missing something. Perhaps it is that important truth that was previously-not-known-nor-ever-understood before they arrived upon the scene. Perhaps it is something that was lost to the early Church in times past-- until now.

Typically. these types of 'restoration' theories culminate in a fantastic expectation of the current movement, whatever that may be, to finally become the 'true' or 'victorious' Church. In other words, their group are the ones to be 'restored' to either as good as the first century church, or even superior to it.

These restoration theories lend themselves to gross spiritual pride on the part of their leaders and followers. They begin or end with odd heresies and practices that are just as bad or worse than the very things that they had rejected as 'inferior' to themselves. Failing to produce the fantastic expectations they set up, many a person is left disillusioned. It is the wise man who prudently avoids certain restoration theories. END QUOTE

Teri Lee Earl
www.harvestnet.org