Heresies

We should understand that the importance of right belief is that it brings freedom to the believer, not bondage to unreasonable demands. Neither does it allow for the belief that this life is to be escaped from. Heresy, however, either panders to sin and indifference towards others, or lays burdens upon us that we were never meant to carry. It is as C. FitzSimons Allison asserts "Cruel."

Reading the history of the early church, when heresies were refuted and the right opinions expressed in formal statements called creeds, it becomes obvious that orthodoxy was a rarely held. It was the exception not the rule. History does not disclose a large, well-established body of orthodox Christians surrounded by a few creative, courageous, and venturesome free thinkers whom the unimaginative and conventional orthodox condemned (as is the popular modern point of view). On the contrary, one can only point to a handful ... whose teaching were within the limits outlined in the councils.1

A warning: However, we should always remember that the creeds did not die for us on the cross. It is however important to understand why it matters to hold a right opinion.

Heresies in Brief
  • Docetism (and Pneumaticism)
    1. Denies Christ's Humanity
    2. Insists that Christ only appeared to suffer etc.
    3. The implication of this is attempts at avoiding the human life, or denying that it matters. This results in escapism, asceticism, or licence.
  • Adoptionism (a.k.a Ebionism)
    also Psilanthropism
    1. Denies Christ's Divinity
    2. On the occasion of his baptism was accepted by God as a son for living a perfect life.
    3. Salvation is achieved by our own efforts, we can live a life perfect enough to be saved. This results in either a sense of hopelessness, or a lowering of the "bar" so that this "perfection" is achievable.
  • Marcionism (Marcion)
    1. The God of the Old Testament, the lawgiver is evil. The God of the New Testament is good
    2. The Creator was evil
    3. Christ was divine; he only appeared to be human
    4. Old Testament rejected. only Paul's Epistles and some of Luke accepted
    5. Positive references to the Old Testament suppressed
    6. Grace is opposite of Law, love the opposite of justice, God and good people are unable to punish
  • Montanism (Montanus)
    1. A contemporary of Marcion
    2. Added his own revelation and those of other ecstatic and charismatic prophets
    3. Claimed to be the incarnation of the Holy Spirit
    4. Gathered a large number of people dedicated to strict asceticism and practice of ecstasy to await the promised second coming
    5. C. FitzSimons Allison says this:

      The enormous contribution of Irenaeus (ca. 130 - ca. 200) is difficult to appreciate from the viewpoint of subsequent centuries. Marcion's brilliance and talents had evoked a large following of people who were only too willing to follow a distortion of Christianity that promised escape from law and entanglements of "this wicked world." Likewise, the claims of Montanus to new and special revelations and self-embodiments of the Holy Spirit were so popular that some towns in Asia were abandoned by almost every Christian, as they gave up spouses and property and followed Montanus in setting up a new city to await the Second Comming. Scarcely a century goes by without several unfortunate examples of new expressions of the ideas of Marcion and Montanus.2
  • Gnosticism
    1. Teaches that there is a supreme, unknowable, God
    2. Salvation is by way of esoteric (secret) knowledge
    3. Characterised by claims to special knowledge held by an elite group only
    4. The elite are on their way to becoming "super-spirits" (Super Apostles??)
    5. Dualism - the spirit is good, the body bad
    6. Word is derived from the Greek word for knowledge
    7. Gnosticism is the most prevalent category of heresy in modern times
  • Manichaeism
    1. A form of Gnosticism
    2. A well organised religion with aspects that pre-date Christianity
    3. Spread from Persia
    4. Founded by Mani, who saw himself the successor to Zoroaster
    5. C. FitzSimons Allison says this:

      Adherents were divided between the elect of perfect and hearers or auditors, a typically Gnostic distinction. The former repudiated darkness by leading lives of celibicy and austerity, teaching and preaching. They were served by the hearers who were laypeople. The latter might marry once, but all sensual pleasures were forbidden and the begetting of children was discouraged. The elect were assured of immediate felicity after death. The hearers hoped to be reborn as the elect. All others were doomed to hell.3
  • Monarchianism - Modalistic
    Includes Patripassianism and Sabellism
    1. Strict monotheism
    2. Taught that the one God expressed himself in three modes
    3. Father, Son and Holy Spirit were only expressions (roles or modes) of the one God, not three distinct persons
    4. Pastoral Implication
      C. FitzSimons Allison says this:

      Refuges in roles is a neurotic sanctuary for many people. The apparent safety of exposing oneself only in the functions of parent, lawyer, teacher, boss or breadwinner can insulate us from knowing and being known, from loving and being loved. When a son or daughter discovers, and is discovered by, a parent in a new relationship, in which the roles of child and parent are no longer necessary and two adult people begin to know each other behind those roles, it is a joy difficult to exaggerate . It is a rare analogy of divine love.4
  • Arianism
    1. Arius (ca 256-336) was described as the "Heresiarch" or "chief heretic"
    2. One supreme God with two subordinate gods
    3. Arius assumed that God could in no way be as intimately related to people and to the world asis described in the Hebrew scriptures.
    4. God could not take the form of a man, be born of a woman, or suffer or thirst
    5. Yeshua (Jesus) was neither fully human or fully God
    6. Messiah (Christ) was created and was therefore not pre-existent
  • Apollinarianism
    1. Christ had a human body but not a human mind
    2. Apollinarianism violated the everlastingly valuable Cappadocean axiom: What he (Christ) did not assume he could not redeem. The soteriological question, "How can humanity be saved?", that helped to explain the difference between Arius and Athanasius exposes the ultimate cruelty of Apollinarius' teaching: we are "saved" by "replacement," by destruction. The humanity of Christ is one with God, but not with all of his humanity. Whereas there are two natures, divine and human, before the incarnation, afterwards there is only a divine nature. The mind of Jesus was replaced and therefore lost.5
    3. Pastoral Implications
      The pastoral and practical implications of this teaching are shown in such remarks as "I liked him better before he converted". Something human was perceived to have been lost when someone became a Christian. Much of conventional Christianity today is Apollinarian. "Don't ask questions, just have faith," as if one's mind must be left outside the church. "They built the door so low you can't get your head in." Christianity does not teach that one's mind must be replaced in the process of salvation. Much of the appeal of cults has been, and still is, that they offer to turn or minds off (or over to a group or guru). Never having to use one's mind to think, to question, or to decide makes Apollinarian solutions perennially attractive.6
  • Nestorianism
    1. Accepted the full humanity of Messiah (Christ) but not that he was born of Mary
    2. Historical Note:Weighty evidence has caused modern scholars to raise serious questions as to whether Nestorius was himself actually Nestorian. It is true that his rival, Cyril of Alexandria, was motivated more by rivalry and jealousy over the rising influence of Constantinople than by theological issues. Certainly Cyril, with his persistent Alexandrian Apollinarianism did not deserve to be regarded as "orthodox" as he appeared.7
    3. The Cruelty involved in Nestorianism is the persistent one that belongs to adoptionism, that salvation promised in the work of Christ is reduced to the imperitive to be like him. 8
  • Pelagianism
    1. Teaches that the human will has the power to break the bondage of sin
    2. Characterised by exhortation and scolding
    3. Confidence in the power of the human will leads to confidence that the defeat of sin can be effected by fear.9
    4. The belligerent nature of this heresy produces despair
  • Eutychianism
    1. Accepted a full humanity of Messiah (Christ), but one that was absorbed into divinity
    2. Violated the Second Cappadocian Axiom: Grace never destroys nature
    3. Gospel of destruction: salvation means not the redemption of human nature, but its loss and destruction
    4. This docetic heresy feeds upon the human want to flee from flesh, body, and the claims of social justice.
  • Preterism
    1. Full Preterism believes all prophecy has already been fulfilled.
    2. Partial Preterism believes most prophecy has already been fulfilled
    3. Believes that the real enemies of God are the Jews.
    4. Believes that the Tribulation and Christ's second coming were fulfilled in 70 A.D.
    5. Believes the prophecies of Revelation were fulfilled in 70 AD, even though the book of Revelation was written in or around 90 AD.
    6. Dispossess the Jews of their prophetic heritage and right to a nation.
    7. Provides philosophical and religious support for anti-Semitism
      8. For a comprehensive rebuttal see this extraordinary analysis by Dr. Randall Price, President of the World of The Bible Ministries. He is also a Distinguished Research Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Judaic Studies at Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia).
  • Kingdom Now

    see http://www.gotquestions.org/kingdom-now.html for the full exposition on this heresy.

    1. Believes that God lost control over the world to Satan when Adam and Eve sinned
    2. Believes that as we are the Body of Christ, we are Christ.
    3. Does not believe in the Rapture
    4. Beleives that all prophecies regarding future Israel—both in the Old and New Testaments apply to the Church
    5. Believes the Second Coming of Jesus is in two stages:

      1. First through the flesh of the believers and in particular the flesh of today's apostles and prophets - Super Apostles
      2. Then in person to take over the Kingdom handed to Him by those who have been victorious (emphasis added)

      The ultimate end of this movement will be a cruel and repressive political regime that enforces compliance to it's mantra's. Being preterist this belief system is inherently anti-Semitic.

  1. C. FitzSimons Allison, The Cruelty of Heresy,© 1994 Morehouse Publishing. All rights reserved. Used by permission, pp 103
  2. Ibid, pp 52
  3. Ibid, pp 62
  4. Ibid, pp 78
  5. Ibid, pp 107
  6. Ibid, pp 107-108
  7. Ibid, pp 121
  8. Ibid, pp 125
  9. Ibid, pp 125
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