Source: http://www.indiagospelassembly.net/history-of-brethren/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 01:53:56+00:00

Document:
A Brief outline of the "Plymouth Brethren"
Acknowledged as the father of modern dispensational premillennialism, Darby is remembered especially for his recalling the church to expectancy for its rapture at the return of the Lord before Daniel’s seventieth week. He interpreted Daniel’s seventy weeks based on world history. To a large degree, his eschatology flows out of his ecclesiology, which underwent a radical change between 1827 to 1831.
As a young parish priest, Darby became disillusioned with the state-church, which took advantage of governmental sanction. His belief that the church as the body of Christ was to be a heavenly people and not court earthly favors, was formulated by 1827. During the same year, an accidental fall from his horse forced him into a lengthy convalescence, which gave him much time alone with God and His Word. Isaiah thirty-two convinced him that there was to be a future economy in which Israel would enjoy earthly blessings, not at all like the present heavenly blessings he was conscious of because of his union with Christ. Dispensational distinctives were taking shape in his thinking.
The Powers Court Conference of 1831-1833 moved Darby from his earlier historical premillennialism to futurist premillennialism. The transaction from the present church dispensation to the millennial kingdom, in which Israel had center stage under Christ’s rule, was supplied by seeing Daniel’s seventieth week as yet future. Before that time the church would be raptured to heavenly glory, while during that time, God would bring into existence a remnant of Israel who would experience deliverance from their enemies at the return of Christ to the earth. By his own testimony, Darby’s dispensational premillennial eschatology was fully formed by 1833.
For Darby, a dispensation is an economy; any order of things that God has arranged on the earth. The primary characteristics of a dispensation include governmental administration, responsibility, and the revelation to fulfill both. Secondary characteristics include testing, failure, and judgment. When a people fail the test to exercise their responsibility given to them by God, judgment falls, thus ending the dispensation. Darby traced eight dispensations as follows: 1) Noah, 2) Abraham, 3) Israel under the Law (prophet), 4) Israel under priesthood, 5) Israel under the kings, 6) Gentiles from Nebuchadnezzer to the Antichrist, 7) the Church, and 8) the millennium or kingdom. Darby saw three “worlds” or ages: from Adam until Noah’s flood, from Noah until the renovation of the heavens and earth by fire at the end of the millennium, and the eternal state. Darby did not think any dispensations existed before the flood; God just left the race to itself. He also believed that the eternal state was not a dispensation. Thus only from Noah through the millennium could dispensations be distinguished.
The rapture occurs before the final time of trial to come upon the earth. The Church must already be with Christ in heaven to be able to appear with Him at His glorious return. The first resurrection of the just coincides with the rapture. Thus all those who have died in faith from both the Old Testament and New Testament eras will be raptured with the living church saints. Although all that have a resurrected body will be related in some way to the New Jerusalem, Darby called only the Church the Bride, so as to give it the chief position among the glorified.
After the rapture, several things transpire in heaven. First, Satan is cast out of heaven to the earth. Then the saints will experience the Judgment Seat of Christ in preparation for the Marriage of the Lamb. The latter event will take place after the judgment of Babylon.
The events on earth after the rapture relate to Daniel’s seventieth week. At times Darby spoke of this seven-year period as entirely future, but at other times, as only three and one-half years remaining for the future (the first three and one-half years being the earthly ministry of Christ). Some future time of trial was necessary after the rapture to prepare a Jewish remnant that would be delivered by their Messiah’s personal return to the earth. During that time, the Beast would arise as the secular head of evil imperial government, and the False Prophet would arise as the Antichrist, the spiritual head of evil religious energy. The Day of the Lord is at the appearing of Christ at the end of the Tribulation period. Armageddon ends the Beast and the Antichrist’s power, and Satan himself will be bound soon after. Next, the land of Israel is cleansed. Then the judgment of the living on earth takes place, to determine who among them will enter the millennial kingdom. After a short time of peace and security in their land, Gog (Russia), whom the Lord will utterly destroy, will attack Israel.
In the millennial kingdom, the land promises given to Abraham will be fulfilled for a restored Israel. Messiah delivers the remnant, which becomes the blessed nation, by destroying all its enemies. Afterward, Israel will occupy the chief place among the nations on earth in the kingdom, just as the Church as the Bride of Christ, will occupy the chief place among those resurrected in the New Jerusalem.
Events after the millennium include the final revolt of Satan, the second resurrection, and the Great White Throne judgment of the unbelieving dead. Darby believed in the eternal conscious punishment of the lost in the lake of fire.
The eternal state will bring an end to Israel’s special position above the nations of the millennial kingdom. But there will eternally be a distinction between the Church and the earthly people in its eternal state format. “The tabernacle of God” (for Darby, meaning the Church in Revelation 21:2-3) would be “with men” (the earth inhabiters without national distinction). Thus the Church will have special distinction in eternity, since “to Him be glory in the Church throughout all ages”(Ephesians 3:21) refers to a relationship that persists forever. Two peoples of God, an earthly and a heavenly, will be eternally distinct, simply because saved humans in natural bodies will be distinguished from the saved who have resurrected bodies in the eternal state.
All denominations in Kerala proudly claim that they are the true descendants of the church established by the apostle Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. Most Christians believe that St. Thomas came to Kerala in 52 A. D. An impartial study of Christianity in Kerala would prove that the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala followed the doctrines and practices similar to the present day Plymouth Brethren movement.
In 345 A. D., seventy-two families belonging to seven Jewish clans emigrated to Kodungalloor (Kerala, India) from Mesopotamia (Iran and Iraq) under the leadership of Thomas of Kana. Thomas of Kana came to know that the local Christians had no episcopate priesthood or hierarchical structure. So he imported bishops and deacons, and changed the lives and practices of the Kerala Christians. The historians who support organized churches think that the Indian Christians had no leadership, due to their weakness and opposition from others. However, the truth of the matter is that Kerala Christians had been following the New Testament pattern given in the Bible. Kerala churches were independent and led by local elders only. Child baptism was introduced in India only after the sixth century A. D.
The Brethren movement in England sent missionaries all over the world. In 1833, Anthony Norris Groves, a selfless, dedicated, and saintly man came to Andhrapradesh, India. His disciple, John Arulappan, a native missionary and preacher from Tamil Nadu, came to Kerala and conducted numerous revival meetings. The second wave of great revival started in Kerala by the arrival of Tamil David in 1894. He was an effective preacher, and thousands of people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Another great missionary who established assemblies in the northern part of Kerala was Brother Handley Bird. The distinct work of the Holy Spirit is visible in the formation of the Brethren movement in Kerala.
A Baptist missionary and Bible teacher, J. G. Gregson, visited Kerala in 1896. Mr. Gregson conducted numerous Bible studies and meetings organized by “MARTHOMA” Church. In 1897, he was a speaker of the world renowned “Maramon Convention.” Under the leading of the Holy Spirit, Mr. Gregson started leaning toward the Brethren doctrines, and he is known as one of the founders of the Brethren movement in Travancore, Central Kerala. Another German missionary who worked for the Basal mission in India, studied Scripture thoroughly and accepted the Brethren doctrines and practices. Another pioneer was a Marthoma Vicar, Rev. P. E. Mammen. In March 21, 1899, the first Brethren assembly meeting in Travancore took place at Kumbanad. Brother Mammen was the leader of that assembly.
In 1902, Mr. K. V. Simon (1883-1944) received believer’s baptism and came out of the Marthoma Church. K. V. Simon organized a separatist group called “Malankara Viojethan”assembly. Later, this group merged with the Brethren movement. K. V. Simon was a polyglot, who knew the languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindustani, English, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit, and Syriac. In his mastery of Sanskrit, he can be compared with any great scholar in India. In his native language, which was Malayalam, he was a gifted poet who combined in himself classical grandeur and lyrical flavor. He was a prose writer of rare charm, a composer of soul-stirring Christian hymns, an eloquent and scintilating speaker, an outstanding teacher, and an invincible debater. He also had a profound knowledge of the Hindu Darmasastras, and a remarkable mastery of Christian theology. Above all, Simon was a towering spiritual leader who lived a life of great sacrifice, and had steadfast faith in his Master, for whom he walked with great zeal and devotion. Such chosen instruments of God are rare in life.
J. G. Gregson Handley Bird, V. Nagel, E. H. Noel, Alex Souter, J. M. Davies, Mr. Black, Mr. Fountain, Mr. S. Fox, K. V. Simon, K. G. Kurien, K.G. Thomas, V. T. Mathai, Y. Ezekiel, M. E. Cherian, K. Varghese, Mammen Kurien, T. K. Samuel.
Malayalees can be found on every part of the globe. In the 1950’s, Malayalees migrated to many countries in Africa, Malaysia, and Singapore. In the 1960’s, seeking jobs for the betterment of their families, thousands of people from Kerala migrated to the Middle Eastern countries.
In the 1960’s, there were only a few Malayalees in the USA and Canada. In the beginning of the 1970’s, the influx of Malayalees started. (The majority of the women work in the medical profession.) When this writer came to Houston in 1973, there was only one sister here besides my wife and me. With three other Malayalee Christians, we started an interdenominational prayer group in Malayalam. All Christians from different denominations participated harmoniously. When each denomination increased their numbers, they formed their own churches. In 1975, an Indian Brethren assembly was formed here in Houston. Almost simultaneously, assemblies also began in Dallas and New York.
The Indian culture upholds good, conservative, family values. Combined with the culture and conservative Brethren doctrines, they form a unique blend of Brethren assemblies. The general nature of the Malayalee believer is that they are very conservative. They discourage their children from going to movies, attending dances, wearing ornaments, and dating. They also dress conservatively in stylish clothes, and are well groomed. Usually they do not get outlandish haircuts or try to make themselves look peculiar or obnoxious in any way. (In general, most Indian women love to wear jewelry, and are often seen wearing an exorbitant amount of it on much of their body.) Indian Brethren believers, on the other hand, go to the other extreme, and many do not even wear wedding rings.
The Indian Brethren avoid all holidays, including even birthdays. However, in more recent years, they have become lax in all these areas. They believe that virtually all holidays have been adopted from Catholicism and paganism. They usually do not decorate and set up Christmas trees in their homes. They also abstain from many of the popular rituals of Easter; its debasing of the Christian event with colored eggs, costumed rabbits, etc.
There are currently four assemblies in Houston and in Dallas, and eight assemblies in New York. Indian assemblies are also located in Oklahoma City, Denver, Florida, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Atlanta. Twelve hundred Malayalee Brethren families live in America today.

References: V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V.