Has there ALWAYS been a true church?

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

I read Ancient Champions of Oneness decades ago. It was interesting. What was proved I think was there were always Oneness believers. If there is more proof now that there were always those who believed in it and taught baptism into the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit with tongues that's really good.

HOWEVER please don't make the mistake of thinking that Oneness and Acts 2:38 is synonomous with being the true Church.

The true Church agrees with all the foundation doctrine taught through the Apostles. One could teach those things like Oneness Churches do and still not be the true Church.

I can accept the idea a genuine church being deficient in certain areas. The Corinthians, Galatians, and most of the seven churches in Revelation had serious problems with their doctrines and practices. There seems to be a basic minimum which would qualify an assembly as being an authentic God-planted ekklesia. If they fail to grow they are subject to being cut off, it seems.

Just thinking out loud here but doesn't the great commission at least imply that a genuine assembly is started by a genuine assembly? Like begets like and all that? How could a heresy give birth to truth? How could a pseudo ekklesia produce a true one?