...That is why setting a definition on what "Heresy" is necessary.
Believers go to the only Truth-full source for that definition - the
Holy Bible. Heresy is not about anyone's "opinion" - protestations from the liberal SO (Scholarship Only) crowd and their humanistic dictionaries notwithstanding.
In the New Testament, the English word "heresy" is from an
untranslated Greek word (word #139). It's used nine times; four times it is left untranslated, but the other five times it
is translated. This word is translated as "sect" (i.e., denomination) in Acts 5:17; 15:5; 24:5; 26:5 and 28:22. However, it is left untranslated in Acts 24:14, 1 Corinthians 11:19, Galatians 5:20 and 2 Peter 2:1. Why would it be left untranslated? Well, let's see what some of these verses would say if it
was translated.
1 Corinthians 11:18-19, "For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies [sects, denominations] among you..."
Because it shows that denominations cause divisions! What else does scripture say about sects?
Galatians 5:19-21, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies (sects, denominations), Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Denominations are defined as a work of the flesh! We are told that they who partake of these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Why not? Because denominations cause divisions, and Christ is not divided. Therefore, denominations are not of Christ!
2 Peter 2:1, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies (sects, denominations), even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
This passage says false prophets and false teachers will bring in denominations, and they will deny the Lord. Denominations do deny the Lord by dividing the Lord.
"As a formal Christian
denomination,
Christian universalism originated in the late 18th century with the
Universalist Church of America."
The theory of universalism is a heretical denominational doctrine and thus who espouse it are, by scriptural definition, heretics.
A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. (Titus 3:10-11).
...great care must be taken, or an innocent person could wind up being crucified.
Because of the lateness of the hour, and the prophesied wholesale departure from the historic Gospel of
Jesus Christ, there is much dissension within the ranks of the Christian church in America. This conflict may be boiled down to two basic camps: those that focus on unity in an attempt to reconcile doctrinal differences at virtually any cost, and those that are intensely criticizing the ecumenicism of the former group.
You would criticize me for
naming an individual that has led the church in the wrong direction. Some say that it is unscriptural and unloving to attack individuals by recounting their specific deeds and statements -- or by referring to them with derogatory terms. Others say it is judgmental, and cite scriptures such as "judge not that ye be judged" (Matthew 7:1) and "he that is without sin let him first cast a stone" (John 8:7).
So, whether it was or was not Heretical, the teachings of Jesus, was up to the religious leaders of the time to determine as far as I can tell.
The scriptures however, repeatedly show that the Apostles
did judge in certain circumstances where the criticism was warranted. This judgment occurs both within and without the church. Indeed, beginning with John the Baptist's reproof of King Herod for having his brother's wife (Luke 3: 19), we see a consistent pattern wherein the believer is firmly admonished to stand up and confront the evil before us.
Ephesians tells us to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Ephesians 5:11). The dictionary tells us the word reproof is "an expression of censure or blame: rebuke, reprimand." The word reprove is even stronger: "to disapprove, condemn" (Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary).
Paul states in II Timothy that this reproof is to "be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (II Timothy 4:2). The idea of "out of season" means to do it even when its
inconvenient or seemingly inappropriate; yet the term "longsuffering" modifies this confrontational judgment by tempering it with patience and wisdom. A tall order indeed.
I Corinthians enumerates the acts that will send someone to Hell: "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 6:9). The preceding covers quite a bit of territory.
The parallel to this rather vivid description of
which sins will bar entrance to the kingdom of God is found in Galatians:
"...Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).
In addition to pronouncing judgment on all "which do such things," Paul says the church is qualified to judge among themselves. He writes that "...he that is spiritual judgeth all things" (I Corinthians 2:15). Three chapters later, he writes concerning his judgment relative to a certain matter among the believers in Corinth: "For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed..." (I Corinthians 5:3). He confirms that the Corinthian Christians were authorized to "...judge them that are within" 9 verses later (I Corinthians 5:12).
In the next chapter he points out that because "...
the saints shall judge the world," we are certainly authorized to judge among the church when someone has transgressed against the doctrine of Christ. Paul even rebukes the Corinthians for
not judging when he writes "If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church" (I Corinthians 6:4).
While my opponents would say it's wrong to say a specific person is unsaved, Philippians says that the
Apostle Paul frequently told the church at Philippi about specific individuals that had departed from the faith. He wrote "For many walk, of whom I have told you of and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Philippians 3: 18). Paul is doing precisely what
Jude wrote about when he said we should -- "...earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3).
Ultimately, we see
the offenders are named. The earlier mention of Herod (Luke 3:19) is confirmed by Paul's public rebuke of Demetrius (Acts 19:24), Hymenaeus and Alexander (I Timothy 1 :20), and other parties that are known to the church but are unrecorded in scripture (Romans 16:17). In one instance, Paul even names
Peter as having been at fault (Galatians 2:11) in a theological dispute.
We see the apostates called a "generation of vipers" in Luke 3:7, "hypocrites" in Luke 11:44, "spots in your feasts" in Jude 1: 12, and "whited sepulchres" in Matthew 23 :27 - all extremely derisive terms.
Clearly, the scriptures provide ample justification for pronouncing a righteous judgment on all who would lead others away from the historic gospel of
Jesus Christ. "Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Romans 16:17).
