Isang Tanong Isang sagot by Pastor Ed Lapiz (Question and Answer)

Q - Possible po ba talaga na mayrong church today na may direct, unbroken link to the historical Jesus? And if yes, tama bang isiping sila lang ang tunay na church of God?
A - 1. A certain group's organizational, generational, direct, unbroken, uniterrupted link to the historical Jesus through two thousand years of history is very highly improbable. It is too fantastic to claim or prove. There had been so much historical, political, cultural and doctrinal divisions, abortions, interruptions; many of them violent and complicated to allow such an uninterrupted existence.

2. Even if a congregation had such a link organizationally (and that is really nearly impossible), an intact, pure, faithful and uninterrupted connection to Jesus in terms of teaching, doctrine, pholosophy, method and style would be as nearly impossible because of the changes in leadership, personalities, social and political realities, etc and the long and widespread unavailability of Scriptures to the people.
IN fact, even in the very lifetime of Jesus, his very own disciples did not always agree with one another.
And each of those disciples, plus many others outside their circles, taught their own distinct followers who taught other followers too --- each of them calling themselves THE TRUE, LEGITIMATE CHURCH! (Never mind if many of them apparently competed and quarreled among themselves.)

Right after the time of JESUS on earth, as early as in the time of first-generation leaders like Peter, James, Paul and many others, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ONLY ONE TRUE CHURCH. There had been many churches, independent/autonomous from one another. THERE WAS NEVER ONE CHRISTIANITY; THERE WERE MANY CHRISTIANITIES.
The disciples thought that they were an exclusive group --- the only true church---but Jesus corrected them and taught them to accept and be tolerant of other believers outside of their group:
Luke 9:49-50 (NIV)
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Yang "One True Church" na yan ang sanhi ng napakaraming digmaan, patayan, siraan,labanan at pagmamataasan ng maraming secta ---- all of which are certainly most UN-Jesus!
The MOST IMPORTANT LINK TO JESUS would be THE SPIRITUAL LINK , not a fantastic "direct" generational, organizational one. CONNECT, LINK AND BE FAITHFUL TO JESUS' CENTRAL TEACHING ON LOVE, kindness, compassion and godliness and you would be in the company of TRUE believers.