Acts 24:
[14] But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and prophets:
One of the hindrances to sound Bible study is the use of
man's modern definitions for God's Biblical terms. The word "heresy" is a case
in point. How most people use this word does not line up with how it is
used in the Bible. Generally speaking, most Christians think that heresy is
simply any belief and teaching that is false. But if that is what heresy really
is it would mean that all of us are heretics to some extent because we are not
infallible. We will never be 100% right about everything we believe
until we are glorified. The Bible is infallible but because of our fallibility
it is always possible for us to misinterpret the scripture- regardless of our
sincerity. I think that the words "heresy" and "heretic" are used
entirely too carelessly and frequently.
The first and only mention of the word "heresy" in the
Bible (Acts 24:14) teaches us several important things about
heresy:
• It is a word that religious people love to use against
those who do not follow their religious traditions.
• The apostle Paul worshipped God in a way that was called
heresy by the Christ-rejecting Jews that exalted their traditions above the word
of God.
• Being a genuine Bible-believer that follows Paul (1 Cor.
4:16; 11:1) will make you a heretic in the eyes of religious
people.
The plural word "heresies" is used three times in the Bible
(1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2 Pet. 2:1). The word "heretick" is used just once (Titus
3:10). Studying these references will teach us what heresy really is and how we
are to deal with it.
We need to know what the Bible teaches about heresy so
that we don't go around like religious ignoramuses carelessly accusing everybody
that disagrees with us of heresy. God only gave one religion through Israel and
the Jews corrupted it. The Body of Christ is NOT about religion but a real
relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Col. 2:8-17). All religion today is
of man and holds to traditions of men. Religious people love to
accuse people that disagree with their views of heresy.
Down through history the roman catholic hierarchy has
set up councils in which they have identified what they considered heresy. They
have excommunicated “unrepentant heretics” (which to them means losing any hope
of salvation) and they have murdered thousands of so-called heretics by burning
them at the stake and other forms of torture.
Protestants (groups that came out of the catholic
religion) are labeled as heretics by the catholics but they too have labeled
groups that disagree with their traditional beliefs as heretics. Protestants
have been persecuted by the catholics but they in turn have also persecuted
others.
You may be thinking, "Well, at least the Baptists do not
falsely accuse people of heresy". Sadly, that is not true. There are Baptists
that promote what they call the "Old Time Religion" and hold to traditions that
are not based on the scriptures, rightly divided. Many of them think that only the churches that
are exactly like theirs are TRUE churches. They may
not persecute those that they view as heretics but they certainly label and shun
them.
Our English word heresy is from the French word
heresie. The word literally means "a choice", and by implication a sect,
faction, or belief that one has chosen that is different from that which is
commonly accepted. Thus, heresy can be any school of thought, although it is
usually taken in the bad sense. A heretick is simply one who maintains
heresy.
The same Greek word that is translated "heresy" is also
translated "sect" five times in the KJB. According to Webster's 1828 dictionary, a
sect is "A body or number of persons united in tenets, chiefly in philosophy or
religion, but constituting a distinct party by holding sentiments different than
those of other men." For example, the Saducees were a sect among the Jews
that were united in their tenet that there was no
resurrection.
According to how the word is used in the KJB, heresy is
more than false doctrine. Heresy is holding to a false doctrine to the point of
creating a faction or sect and thereby causing division (2 Pet. 2:1-2).
While I am sure that the devil loves heresy and tempts
people to be heretics, he should not get all the credit for heresies because the
scripture teaches that heresy is a work of the FLESH (Gal. 5:19-21a). Notice how
"heresies" is mentioned between "strife, seditions" and "envyings".
Pride and the possibility of self advancement motivates
those who hold to spurious doctrines to promote their views in an attempt to
draw away disciples unto themselves and thereby forming a sect (Acts 20:28-30).
Heresy, being a work of the flesh, is an ever present
threat to any local church. The church at Corinth had heresies among them and
Paul said that it must be so (1 Cor. 11:17-19). The positive thing about heresy
is that it causes "they which are approved" to be made manifest because they are
the ones who can answer and correct the heresy. Who are the approved (2
Cor. 10:18; 2 Tim. 2:15)?
In the context of 2 Tim. 2:15 we see that rightly
dividing the word of truth will prevent us from heresy and enable us to identify
and deal with heretics (v.16-18).
How are we to deal with heretics?
• Patiently instruct them in meekness (2 Tim.
2:23-26)
• If unrepentant after 2 clear admonitions, reject them
(Titus 3:10-11)
• Mark and avoid them (Rom.
16:17-18)
