The Bereans searched the scriptures (which at that time had no "new Testament" to review) to compare Paul's words and statements to see if he could be telling the truth. That is something we should ALL be doing.
It is important to note that the Hebrew Scriptures were the only scripture they had to prove that Jesus was the Christ. (Referred to by Paul in 2 Tim 3:16-17) Jesus and the apostles often quoted from these scriptures to prove to the Jews who the Messiah was prophesied to be.
Jesus even went to deliberate lengths to fulfill prophesy written about him. (Luke 22:36-38)
As for another question you asked, the answer varies. When you say an "organized group," much depends on how you define "organized." It also depends on how close to the resurrection and the time of the Apostles you are asking about.
Yes….we need to step back and see the ways in which the first Christians conducted their worship and how very differently the later apostates turned it into something completely different….
“By the start of the second century C.E., false teachings had begun to muddy the clear waters of Christian truth. Just as inspired prophecy had foretold, after the death of the apostles, certain ones abandoned the truth and turned instead to “myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3, 4, footnote) About 98 C.E., John, the last surviving apostle, warned of such erroneous teachings and of people “who [were] trying to mislead” faithful Christians.—1 John 2:26;4:1, 6.
Soon, men who came to be known as the Apostolic Fathers arrived on the scene. What stand did they take in the face of religious deception? Did they heed the apostle John’s divinely inspired warning?”
History tells the story….
There was a document - the Didache - that sprung up to aid groups in their behaviors and some warnings about who they would listen to. It has been amended from its original contents along the way. That must have served as their "statement of faith" at the time. Were the organized, have bylaws, paid a preacher to teach doctrines? I'd say no as they met in homes and discussed contents of the scriptures that they had at the time. I imagination tells me that they were a more "spiritual" group as their faith during that time seems to have been very strong. It had to in order for them to exist in the fist few hundred years.
“Today, it is difficult to judge just how closely the teachings of the Apostolic Fathers corresponded to Jesus’ teachings. The aim of these men was undoubtedly to preserve or else promote a certain brand of Christianity. They condemned idolatry and loose morals. They held that Jesus is the Son of God and that he was resurrected. However, they were unable to restrain the rising tide of apostasy. On the contrary, some of them added to its swell.
Certain currents of early “Christian” thought actually deviated from the teachings of Christ and his apostles. For example, contrary to the practice instituted by Jesus at the…Last Supper, the author of The Didache advised the passing of the wine before the bread. (Matthew 26:26, 27) This writer also stated that if no body of water was available to perform baptism by immersion, pouring water on the head of the baptism candidate would suffice. (Mark 1:9, 10; Acts 8:36, 38) The same text encouraged Christians to observe such rituals as obligatory fasting twice a week and recitation of the Our Father exactly three times a day.—Matthew 6:5-13; Luke 18:12.
For his part, Ignatius envisioned a new organization of the Christian congregation, with just one bishop presiding “in the place of God.” This bishop would hold authority over many priests. Such inventions opened the way for further waves of unscriptural teaching.—Matthew 23:8, 9.”
(Exerpts from
The Apostolic Fathers -Truly Apostolic? WT)
Can we see the foundations of the RCC being laid?……and all her errant daughters taking along their mother’s dirty laundry….united only in their disunity.
However, history shows us what happened to them and how man took over "the church", deconstructed the existing house churches, made official documents, preached a different gospel, produced a Latin text, etc, etc.
I do believe that God is adjusting "the church" now. I think there is some sifting going on. I have no concrete things to point to except my personal experiences to go by. But, I am living , praying, and watching.
The Bible does not indicate that a mere ‘sifting’ was in order…..it speaks of a complete
separation between the true Christian faith, and “the church” that emerged from it through the adoption of traditions introduced by corrupt men. (Matt 15:7-9) History does indeed show what happened…but only to those not blinded by the devil. (2 Cor 4:3-4) Interestingly, he can only do that to “unbelievers”.
Since all of Christendom bases their “Christian” beliefs on those formulated by the RCC, they have unwittingly accepted the counterfeit as the real thing, and when the real thing emerged and separated from that disgusting substitute, (as it was foretold) it was going to be “hated and persecuted” just as Jesus and his disciples were in the first century. (Matt15:18-21) History repeats because Satan knows how to manipulate human thinking. Today it’s known as the science of “perception management”.
You are welcome…..we need to be on guard because in a world completely controlled by the devil, nothing is as it seems. We see in human responses that there is “nothing new under the sun” as Solomon said. Humans continue to fall into the same traps because Satan knows us well and needs no new tactics.
The other interesting thing is, that again it is the minority who are on the right track, and the majority who are headed for destruction. (Matt 7:13-14) God has always had a faithful minority, whilst the devil has the rest….and he will take the “goats” down into oblivion with him….(Matt 25:31-34; 41; 46)
But again we can have confidence that God will “draw” only those who can see through the counterfeits, and who cannot accept their teachings as truth.….(that inexplicable feeling that something is not right.) (Matt 6:44)
To accept what is not truth, means that they do not
know, and have never known, the God they claim to serve. (John 17:3; Matt 7:21-23)
