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Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
II Thessalonians 2:1-3But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
II Peter 2:1-2Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
II Thessalonians 2:3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
II Timothy 4:3For 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.
Acts 20:29-30
These are just a few of the passages in which the New Testament church was repeatedly warned of an apostasy or falling away. In order to maintain their theory of a continuous, uninterrupted succession from the Roman Catholic church, Evangelicals maintain that any apostasy was only "partial." Supposedly, the Roman Catholic church only needed reforming, and the New Testament church did not need to be restored.
But if we are supposed to establish everything by the word of God, where does the Bible indicate that any apostasy would only be "partial"? Those who believe in the "partial" apostasy theory never provide scriptural evidence to support their view. Did any Reformers actually claim that God directed them to reform the Catholic church? No. Did they claim to be taught by God, by revelation as Peter was? No, they did not.