What is heresy? And who really is a heretic?
A look at Dictionary.com tells us that a “heretic” is someone who “does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.” Or, in a religious sense, “a professed believer who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines prescribed by that church.”
Yet that definition leaves a lot to be desired for anyone can call anybody else a ‘heretic‘ just because they disagree with them. You don’t like somebody because of XZY, you label them a heretic and, bingo, you don’t have to be nice to them.
Sadly enough, this is exactly the type of thing that happens day in and day out throughout Christianity. Each church group has their own doctrines or spin on things and everyone else is a heretic.
Are you in or are you out?
No middle ground. No following Jesus. No mystery of the Spirit. Clearly defined lines.
Yet, as a good friend recently mentioned, the label of heresy was originally reserved for those who were “divisive, who starts arguments thereby advancing his own unique or correct group or party or faction, condemning all others who ‘don’t hold to the Word’ like they do.”
Wow. Talk about redefining heresy.
It is ones who are yelling heresy who are the real heretics.
“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.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:49-50)
Wow! very good and timely
Thank you. I almost didn’t post it, but I’m glad I did as I have received a lot of positive feedback. Thank you Lord.
Always enjoy this stuff, my brother. Keep up the good posts. 🙂
very good! I have been remembering the words of Paul ….”Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace….” and the rest of it is equally quotable and important to this topic. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling,one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all,and in you all.”
The label heretic is necessary for the local church to protect the truth, since the church is the pillar of the truth. Some people choose to go a different way from their own church, a way that flies in the face of the established doctrine of the local church. It becomes the responsibility of the leaders of that local church to deal with the person in question, who is usually not just holding a different doctrine that the local church, but teaching and spreading a doctrine that is considered heretical. In its proper context, judgment of believers within the local church done by leaders of that local church, it is legitimate to identify someone as a heretic. That does not make those doing the identifying, i.e. the body of elders into heretics themselves. They are doing their job, protecting the rest of the flock. It is to be done in love, and there are specific guidelines to follow, but it is necessary and biblical.
@ Mrs W. – You have a good point. The leaders of the church are called to protect the “sound doctrine” of Christ as Paul mentions in his pastoral letters. Part of that job is the correction of false teachers who divide the Body of Christ for their own benefit.
The difficult part is trying to determine what is and is not “sound doctrine.” In reading 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, I get the feeling that false doctrines includes sexual immorality, liars, perjurers, seeking one’s own desire, foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, strivings about the law, and lack of self-control.
Sadly 99% of the times that I have heard the labels “heretic” or “heresy” used have been to describe someone who upheld Jesus Christ as their King – they just had a different (but totally Biblical and historical valid) view of the atonement, the Holy Spirit, the working of church governance, what happens during the Eucharist, baptism (sprinkle or dunk), or the creation of earth.
So in my redefining heresy, I’m asking us all to be careful who and why we call someone a heretic. It could be that we just need to bless that person and send them down the road to another church that fits their views better. If that person happens to be outside of our local church, then I think we should be even more careful about our use of those terms. I may not agree with everything they teach or do, but as long as they are following Jesus and bearing good fruit (i.e. fruits of the Spirit, people’s lives being changed by meeting Jesus), who am I to harm the Lord’s anointed?
really good Josh…I like it!
I think the heresies were the teachings of the Nicolatians, Gnosticism, the Judaizers,those seeking to pervert the grace of God and nullify the divinity of Jesus. The characteristics of these were sensuality,envyings and strife,ungodly gain,self promotion and divisions.
Josh, good thoughts/discussion here. I Linked over here from Mike’s blog. At the bottom of all of this is the issue of authority. Who in the “local church” has the authority to decide what will be considered heresy and what orthodoxy? With Roman Catholics and other groups with obvious (human)authority structures it’s more simple. But for us protestants it’s a tricky question. Those who throw around the H word liberally seem to have a very individualistic understanding of church authority(not to mention hermeneutics and epistemology!). I think that’s what we’ve been seeing and reacting to.