Heresy
Summary
Heresy in Scripture refers to divisive false teaching that departs from apostolic doctrine, threatening the unity and purity of the church and requiring firm response from faithful believers.
☩Old Testament Background
The foundation for dealing with false teaching appears in Deuteronomy, where those who tried to lead Israel to worship other gods faced death. This underscores how seriously God views doctrinal corruption that leads His people astray.
☩New Testament Teaching
The Greek word hairesis originally meant "a choice" or "school of thought" but came to denote divisive false doctrine. Paul includes "heresies" among the works of the flesh. He instructs Titus to warn a divisive person twice, then reject him, for such a person is self-condemned. John warns against receiving those who deny Christ's doctrine.
☩Early Church Struggles
The apostolic church constantly battled false teaching: Judaizers troubled the Galatians; false apostles invaded Corinth; Gnostic tendencies threatened Colossae; Peter and Jude warned against libertines and mockers. Paul himself was falsely accused of heresy while preaching Christ.
Related Verses15 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Heresy," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Heresy," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Heresy," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).