Sometimes . . . Sometimes some Christians are a little too trigger happy dropping the H-Bomb on other believers. Some Christians feel that anyone who disagrees on basically any point of doctrine or practice with them automatically needs to be branded as an Heretic. This is, unfortunately, very egregious and also ironic: egregious because it’s essentially categorizing a fellow Christian saint as worse than an unbeliever, and ironic because those most often shooting the heresy arrows are the ones closest to actually committing heresy themselves (I’ll explain more a little later). As always, we must first go to the Scriptures to understand what heresy actually is, then we will understand who the heretics really are. Hopefully as a result of reading this you will be more reluctant to drop the heresy bomb on fellow Christians…

What is heresy? 

The New Testament idea of heresy has reference to sectarianism (sect, separatist), factions (cliques) or dissensions (disagreements that lead to discord). The term is used mostly in reference to “sects” among Judaism. The Pharisees and Sadducees are both seen as “sects” in the Jewish community. Paul was accused of being “the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5),” which in the beginning the Church was simply seen as a new wing of Judaism. Peter made pretty clear his understanding of heresy when he warned, “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, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” (2 Peter 2:1) In Peter’s mind, heretics are those who sneak into the church, wolves in sheep’s clothing, with selfish ambition, who teach doctrines and encourage practices that damn people to Hell. Paul instructed Titus, “A man that is an heretic (αἱρετικός factious; divisive) after the first and second admonition reject…” (Titus 3:10) Heretics are fake Chrisitians who make it their career to be division-makers or schismatics among the true people of God.

Moving to a more standard, common English usage of the word heresy would be: beliefs or opinions contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine; dissension, non-conformity. This conveys more of the idea I think that most people are working with today. So according to this definition, heresy is a belief or opinion that is contrary to Christian Orthodoxy. Well, how do we know what orthodoxy (or, right doctrine) is? A simple way is to just ask: what are the doctrines & practices which virtually all evangelical, Bible-believing Christians have agreed on historically and are in agreement with today? In answering that question, we will compile a list that looks very similar to this one – Belief that the Bible is the Word of God; God is our Creator; God is Triune; Jesus is fully God and fully Man; the Virgin birth; The Gospel: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Chist; Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; We must be baptized, join the church, observe the Lord’s Supper, and do our best to fulfill the Great Commission as we obey the Great Commandments of loving God with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves…Heretics are people who despise this way of life that I just outlined; they really want to change it, attempt to pull away as many others away from it as they possibly can, and then they draw a circle around their group and call it “orthodoxy.” 

When we combine the Biblical idea with the English understanding we have a pretty clear understanding that heretics are posers, fakers, who are peddling doctrines or practices that, if followed, will cause the hearers to perish. The goal of the heretic is not to unify God’s people, but to intentionally divide them. They like to draw lines and circles in-between God’s people, and force people to choose sides. Examples of genuine heresy would be Roman Catholicism, Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Each of these groups arose from within true Christianity and began saying things like, “Unless you think like us and practice like us, you are not a true Christian. If you continue to hold to the doctrines that have been held by Christians for centuries and centuries (True Orthodoxy), then you are being deceived and will be condemned by God.” This is heresy. The person who you are calling a heretic – are you willing to place them in the same category as these guys? If not, then stop calling them a heretic. How about you just say that you don’t agree with “such and such” that they believe or practice? 

Unlike the cults, here are some examples of things that are NOT heresy, but are commonly labeled as heretical by some Christians…

1. Church or Denominational affiliation – If a fellow Christian or Church is Bible-Believing and Evangelical (meaning, if they hold to the fundamentals of the faith: Christian Orthodoxy as outlined above), but they are not part of the same group as you, then they are NOT heretics. They may have doctrines or practices that are different from yours; they may even have wrong or weak positions, but that does NOT make them heretics.  
2. Bible Versions – If a fellow believer is a Born-Again Christian, who confesses the same Gospel as you, but they use a different Bible version, they are NOT heretics. Even if we said for the sake of argument that their translation of choice is inferior to yours, this still does not make them heretics. What truths are they confessing? 
3. Music or worship style – Let’s just say another Christian or Church has very poor music taste, and it’s even obvious that the emphasis of their corporate worship is sensual and worldly – this is still NOT heresy. 
4. Calvinist/Arminian/Other – Let’s assume that there are some believers who are off in some way on their understanding of the infinite nature of God and the mysterious way in which God brings salvation to us (who among us can say that they have all of this figured out?). If our brother or sister is still confessing the One Triune God and that we must believe in Christ and Christ alone for salvation, then he or she is – guess what – NOT an heretic. 
5. Dispensational/Covenant Theology – Someone may have an errant or weak view of the structure of Scripture, of history and of God’s relationship between Israel and the Church, but these things also do NOT make them an heretic.  
6. Dress – Someone may even just outright dress immodestly, and not at all have a problem with it, but that also does NOT make them an heretic. 
7. The same things could be said for those who hold balanced views of the charismatic gifts/those who do not, to different styles of preaching/evangelism, to those who have different forms of eschatology, etc. etc. etc. 

Christianity is really Big. Scripture describes the Church as a Nation. Within the borders of this nation (within Orthodoxy) is a broad range of beliefs and practices: there are various opinions on non-essential matters. With all of this diversity there are some beliefs and practices that are weak and others that are excellent. We can and should have brotherly, in-house discussions and disagreements on these topics, but at the end of the day we still are obliged by God to embrace one another, lock arms and then with a united spirit fight against anti-Christs and anti-Christianity wherever we find it. 

However… if instead of seeking unity you decide to huddle together in your little clique, draw an iron circle around yourselves and then build huge, fortified walls along those lines, thus boxing out the rest of the Christian Nation; then array yourselves on top of your walls to fire fiery heresy arrows at other Christians (especially those approaching your gates attempting to seek peace); then erect the flag of “Christian Orthodoxy” over your city; and only admit into membership those who submit to your particular rules and customs – – – My friend, YOU are the one playing footsie with Heresy. You are the one drawing lines and causing division; you are the one creating factions: smaller groups within the larger group; you are the one forcing believers to make a choice: “Be a part of this circle and be right with God, or don’t be a part of this circle and don’t be right with God, but you cannot be outside of this circle and be right with God at the same time.” If this is your heart and your practice, you are sipping from the same cup that “Christian” cults are, and it’s making you tipsy.  

If there is another brother who is a Born-Again, Bible-believing, humble, faithful Christian, who is simply trying to love God and serve God according to his conscience, but he disagrees with your particulars; if he dissents from your particularities – and you are labeling him as a heretic – you need to stop. You need to repent, confess that sin to God, and humbly return to your brother and confirm your love to him. You don’t need to agree with him, but you do need to learn how to disagree agreeably. Has Jesus received him? Then you need to receive him. “Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7) We are either for Christ or against Him. So are you really willing to say that such and such a brother is against Christ (an anti-Christ)?