What Is the Mystery of Iniquity?

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed . . . even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9.

The Rise of Tradition in the Early Church

On the basis of an "apostolic tradition" that was manufactured by themselves, the Gnostics corrupted the faith of the early church. Rejecting the true Spirit who alone could guide them, they accepted false doctrines and mysticisms, and forged a new faith that was devoid of historic foundations in the Old Testament, all the while calling it Christianity. Paul, who had met the Greek sophistries while at Athens, warned the believers at Colossae: "beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Colossians 2:8). Christ is the Word of God, and is the source of all the Old Testament truths. To reject any of God’s Word is to reject Christ, the author of that Word.

With so many warnings and cautions, one has to wonder how the early church still managed to apostatize. But if the spirit of iniquity was setting the stage of action while the apostles were alive and able to hold in check to some extent the damage being subtly cultivated among the young faithful members of Christ's church, how much worse would it get when they were gone? Ere long "that man of sin [would] be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

As soon as all the apostles passed from the scene, those erroneous elements already introduced were advanced with a vengeance. Within less than 100 years from the death of John, the last apostle to die, serious errors were widely accepted as truth.

"But when the sacred college of the apostles had suffered death in various forms, and the generation of those who had been deemed worthy to hear the inspired wisdom with their own ears, had passed away, then the league of godless error took rise as a result of the folly of heretical teachers, who, because none of the apostles was still living, attempted henceforth, with bold face, to proclaim, in opposition to the preaching of the truth, the knowledge [gnosis] which is falsely so called." (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, vol. 3, chapter 33).

The earliest Protestant church history, The Magdeburg Centuries, corroborates Eusebius's statement:

"The apostles had hardly died ere the spirit of deception thought it could easily break into the churches as into an empty house left without a guard. . . . It may be conceived that in this second century originated all the heresies which afterward raged in the church." (Jena, 1560, chapter 1, p. 2).

Paul foresaw such and it grieved him terribly to know it was coming. Speaking to the elders at Ephesus he said, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." (Acts 20:29-30). The apostasy was fueled not just by outsiders bringing in error, but by men within the Christian community who compromised on truth in a misguided effort to reach the unsaved. Compromise and additions to the pure Gospel truths taught by Christ and expounded by the apostles in their letters to the churches, caused the church to splinter as people followed their favorite version of the message.

Thus, as Paul told us in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, that "mystery of iniquity" was already working in the early church to corrupt sound doctrine and promote "damnable heresies." And those who fell under the deception did so because they had no love of the truth. Because this new "truth" fed their carnal lusts, they willingly chose to believe a lie so that they could continue to have "pleasure in unrighteousness" and glorify sin.

Christ had John write this warning to the second generation Christians: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Revelation 2:4-5).

In Part II of this study we will examine the further development of this "mystery of iniquity."
See also the article on Gnosticism and the Early Church

[back to page 1 of Part I]

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