Heresy is a teaching that denies the faith once delivered.
There are some who trouble you
and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached,
let him be accursed.
A difference on an open question is not heresy.
Heresy is not every disagreement in the church. Peter warns of false teachers who secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them. Paul writes to the churches of Galatia that some are troubling them and want to distort the gospel of Christ. A gospel contrary to the one preached is accursed, even if an angel brings it. John says every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. Orthodoxy is the faith once for all delivered. Heresy denies that faith.
- The Master denied is Jesus. The contrary gospel in Galatians was Christ plus the yoke. Both are heresy because both move the delivered gospel.
- A reading of the thousand years, or a difference on how grace meets the will, is not this word. Premillennialism, amillennialism, and the grace-system pages describe open questions. They do not define heresy.
- Exegesis keeps the charge honest. A hard text is not a heretic. A denied Christ is. A contrary gospel is.
Another gospel is accursed. Destructive heresies deny the Master. The church warns once and twice, then rejects the one who keeps dividing. Do not spend the word on every open question.
A gospel contrary to the one we preached.
Let him be accursed.
Destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them.
An open question is not heresy.
- Heresy denies the delivered faith. It is not a synonym for disagreement.
- Paul says a contrary gospel is accursed, even from an angel.
- Peter says destructive heresies deny the Master who bought them.
- John says the spirit that will not confess Jesus come in the flesh is not from God.
- Titus says warn the divisive person once and twice, then have nothing more to do with him.
- A millennium view or an Arminian and Calvinist difference is not this charge.
- The Object – The faith once delivered.
- The Gospel – A contrary gospel is accursed.
- The Master – Denied by destructive heresies.
- The Confession – Jesus Christ come in the flesh.
- The Warning – First and second, then reject.
- The Limit – Not every open question.
- Galatians 1:6-9 – “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
- 2 Peter 2:1 – “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”
- 1 John 4:2-3 – “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.”
- Titus 3:10-11 – “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”
- Jude 1:3-4 – “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed… who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:19 – “For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” The word translated factions is the heresy-word. Divisions reveal who is genuine. They are not a good to seek.
Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached, let him be accursed.
False teachers will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them.
Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.
Contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
Heresy denies that faith. A contrary gospel. A denied Christ. Warn once and twice, then reject the divider. Do not use the word for every open question.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.