The Restoration of the New Testament Church
by Al Penner
More and more today, there is talk about a “Restoration.” Many people have never heard of this biblical concept, so it seems like some new age fad. If there is a need for a Restoration, why? Restoration is not a new concept, it’s a biblical one. If you can recall, John the Baptist was the forerunner for Christ. In other words it was his responsibility to prepare the world for his arrival. It has been estimated that there was about 1395 years from the time of Moses to Christ. Since the time Moses came off of Mount Sinai, to the introduction of Christ, many changes had taken place within the church. The church had become polluted by the established religious leaders and so John the Baptist’s mission was to restore the ways of the righteous Church, which was kept by Moses, Jeremiah, Hezekiah, Isaiah and other patriarchs of old.
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. Matthew 17:11
Today, in the 21st century, we find ourselves in the same boat as the Church of the New Testament era. It is unbelievably a difficult pill to swallow for most, but the doctrinal teachings that was given by Christ to his disciples is a far different teaching that we find today given by most places of worship. Think about this, Christ spent all of his days mentoring and teaching his main 12 disciples (Apostles). He taught all of his disciples the same thing. Surely he didn’t teach that they must observe the seventh day Sabbath as well as the first day of the week (Sunday); or to choose between Hanukkah and Christmas. Upon his departure, he commanded his Apostles to:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: Matthew 28:19-20
So the question arises, how did we get so many different religions and religious denominations? Where did all of the different teachings come from? When Christ left, there was One Lord, one faith, one baptism,( Ephesians 4:5) so believe me when I say, the creation of religions, denominations, and various teachings was not authorized!
Restoration means to bring back something that once existed. The New Testament church must be restored, for it is the Church that was started by the Father and purified by the son.
When people and groups spring up proclaiming to be apart of this “Restoration,” it is important to evaluate what they are saying and then determine whether or not the restoration principles that they are teaching can be found in the Bible. One of the biggest proponents of this movement is the Latter Day Saints Church (LDS). The following is an excerpt from their website regarding their leader and their church being the true restoration:
“God Restored Christ’s Church through Joseph Smith?”
“He (Joseph Smith) described his experience: “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all 
description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17). In his vision, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches. Although many good people at that time believed in Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, they didn’t have the fullness of the truth or the authority to baptize and perform other saving ordinances. This vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth, which God authorized to be established 10-years later by a wiser, heaven-tutored Joseph Smith, once again allowing everyone to receive the joy and blessings that comes with living it.
https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/restoration
One of the first things that should strike a chord with readers is that Latter Day Saints (LDS) was never a Church in the Bible. How then can they be the restored Church? Remember, restored means to bring something back to its original state. The first thing to be restored would have been the name of his people or the name of the true Church.
LDS does not credit Joseph Smith with being a restorer of the true Church of the New Testament, but the FOUNDER of the Latter Day Saints.
“Joseph Smith formally organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830. (https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/joseph-smith)
When you are promoted as the FOUNDER that makes you the person who is responsible for starting something. This means that it started with you. I thought that God established his Church?
Another Book?
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:- 2 John 8-10
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 2 Corinthians 11:4
From the Mormon website:
“The Book of Mormon is another witness that Jesus Christ really lived, that He was and is God’s Son. It contains the writings of ancient prophets. One of these, Lehi, lived in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. God commanded Lehi to lead a small group of people to the American continent. There they became a great civilization.” (Where is this story found within the scriptures?)
“God continued to call prophets among these people. The Book of Mormon is a collection of the writings of their prophets and record keepers. It is named after Mormon, one of the last of these ancient prophets.” (https://www.mormon.org/faq/what-is-book-of-mormon)
Why was another book written or did God forget to leave us all of his instructions after the last pages of Revelation? The book of Mormon was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith. Not only did Moses warn us not to add to the Bible or diminish ought from it, the last chapter in the book of Revelation said the following:
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. – Revelation 22:18-19
There are many more religious organizations such as the Apostolic Faith denomination that teaches that they are restoring the ways of the Apostles, but they too have deceived millions in their teachings. (SEE https://restorationmagazine.info/?p=56)
