It is a remarkable fact that all the heresies which have arisen in the Christian Church have had a decided tendency to dishonor God and to flatter man. ~ Charles Spurgeon
A study released by LifeWay Research several years ago revealed that evangelicalism is rife with heresy. The study revealed that “Most American evangelicals hold views condemned as heretical by some of the most important councils of the early church.” What exactly do we mean by heresy? To put it simply, in the context of Christianity, heresy is the opposite of orthodoxy. The word is used to describe serious theological errors. Be forewarned: Unrepentant heretics will not enjoy salvation. In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Paul called those who teach falsely deceivers and Satan’s servants:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
As you can see, teaching falsely is that serious.
What unorthodox doctrine or practices should believers be on the lookout for? According to Theopedia:
Heresy is a teaching or practice which denies one or more essentials of the Christian faith, divides Christians, and deserves condemnation. The term is derived from the Greek word hairesis, literally meaning a choice, but referring more specifically to a sect, party or disunion. Luke uses the term in Acts to refer to the sects of the Sadducees (5:17), Pharisees (15:5; 26:5), and even the Christians – called Nazarenes and the Way (24:5,14; 28:22). When Paul uses the term in 1 Corinthians and Galatians, he refers to the divisions which cause strife in the church, while Peter links the term to false prophets and teachers.
The Spiritual Gift of Discernment
How are we to know if a person’s teaching is heretical? One way to know is to follow in the footsteps of the noble-minded Bereans in Acts 17:11 who exercised good judgment and spiritual discernment:
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
The word discernment means “to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine.” As we point out in our Research Paper on Discernment:
Christians who are spiritually discerning are able to properly distinguish between true and false teaching. Those with discernment have wisdom. Moreover, in the Bible we’re told that a true believer possesses the mind of Christ. “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:15-16)
According to Apologetics Index:
Discernment is to identify the true nature of a spirit, doctrine, practice, or group; to distinguish truth from error, extreme error from slight error, the divine from the human and the demonic.
Heresy is,
“…a Greek word signifying (1) a choice, (2) the opinion chosen, and (3) the sect holding the opinion. In the Acts of the Apostles (5:17; 15:5; 24:5, 14 ; 26:5) it denotes a sect, without reference to its character.
Elsewhere, however, in the New Testament it has a different meaning attached to it. Paul ranks “heresies” with crimes and seditions (Gal. 5:20). This word also denotes divisions or schisms in the church (1 Cor. 11:19).
In Titus 3:10 a “heretical person” is one who follows his own self-willed “questions,” and who is to be avoided. Heresies thus came to signify self-chosen doctrines not emanating from God (2 Pet. 2:1). – Source: Heresy, Easton Bible Dictionary
A person who teaches heresy is called a heretic. A church, movement or organization that claims to be Christian, but which nevertheless teaches heresy, is a cult of Christianity. Christians who have not learned discernment easily fall prey to such groups. (Source)
“Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, but its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced…more true than the truth itself. — Irenaeus – Against Heresies, bk 1, vol 1)
Major Heresies
In Heresy And Those Who Fought It, Frank Farrell invites us to look at some of the major heresies which have plagued the church in its long history. “We must be very selective,” urges Farrell, “for even by the fifth century Augustine could list 88 different heresies.”
The deity of Christ was at issue at the Council of Nicaea (325) which condemned Arianism. Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria, rose above the aforementioned heresies in maintaining the preexistence of the Son but fell far short of orthodoxy in teaching that the Son was the first creation of God. The young deacon Athanasius was the leader of the orthodox party, and he would later be exiled five times for his stand as the threat of Arianism waxed and waned with the succession of emperors.
Succeeding church councils would condemn other heresies regarding the person of Christ, including the Nestorians [link below] for dividing Christ into two persons (one divine and one human) and the opposing Monophysites [link below], or Eutychians, for mingling Christ’s two natures into one. The Council of Chalcedon (451) affirmed that Christ is one person with a fully divine nature and a fully human nature. This has remained the normative view of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant churches. The Coptic Church of Egypt, among others, remained Monophysite.
The fifth century also saw the conflict between Augustine of Hippo and the British monk Pelagius [Pelagianism link below] in the anthropological and soteriological areas of sin and grace. This was mainly a Latin, not a Greek, controversy. Pelagius denied original sin and man’s need of redemption. The heresy was condemned at two North African synods in 416 and at the Council of Ephesus in 431. (Source)
What were the early penalties for heresy? Farrell reveals that those accused of heresy had their property confiscated, people were banished, even killed. With the rapidly growing power of the apostate Roman Catholic [link below] papacy during the Middle Ages, “heresy became defined as disobedience to the pope in the area of doctrine.”
Defining Essentials Verses Nonessentials
CARM (Christian Apologetics Research Ministry) defines doctrines which separate Christian from non-Christian. In CARM’s view:
It would make no sense to persecute anyone over a doctrine that is not essential to the faith. Such nonessentials, in my opinion, would include the baptism of infants, pre-trib or post-trib rapture, worship on Saturday or Sunday, musical instruments in the church, the charismatic gifts, worship styles, dress codes, etc. These kinds of subjects do not affect one’s salvation. Unfortunately, the disagreements that arise around these subjects result in denominational fragmentation.
Essentials of the faith would include who God is, who Jesus is, salvation by grace, and Jesus’ resurrection. From these subjects, we have derived doctrines known as the Trinity and the hypostatic union (Jesus’ two natures: God and man). The Bible tells us that these doctrines concerning God, Christ, salvation, and resurrection are essential to the faith. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that Christians know their faith and know how to defend it against the doctrines that compromise the essentials.
CARM lists the following Heresies:
- Adoptionism – God granted Jesus powers and then adopted him as a Son.
- Albigenses – Reincarnation and two gods: one good and other evil.
- Apollinarianism – Jesus’ divine will overshadowed and replaced the human.
- Arianism – Jesus was a lesser, created being.
- Docetism – Jesus was divine but only seemed to be human.
- Donatism – Validity of sacraments depends on character of the minister.
- Eutychianism – Jesus finite human nature is swallowed up in His infinite divine nature.
- Gnosticism – Dualism of good and bad and special knowledge for salvation.
- Kenosis – Jesus gave up some divine attributes while on earth.
- Marcionism – An evil God of the O.T., good God of the N.T. 11, books in the Canon
- Modalism – God is one person in three modes.
- Monarchianism – God is one person.
- Monophysitism – Jesus had only one nature: divine.
- Nestorianism – Jesus was two persons.
- Patripassionism – The Father suffered on the cross.
- Pelagianism – Man is unaffected by the fall and can keep all of God’s laws.
- Semi-Pelagianism – Man and God cooperate to achieve man’s salvation.
- Socinianism – Denial of the Trinity. Jesus is a deified man.
- Subordinationism – The Son is lesser than the Father in essence and or attributes.
- Tritheism – The Trinity is really three separate gods.
Modern Day Heresies/False Teaching
- Contemplative Prayer
- Emergent/Emerging Church
- Free Masonry
- Hebrew Roots
- Holy Laughter and the Toronto Movement
- International Church of Christ
- International House of Prayer
- Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Jesus Calling book
- Liberal Agenda – Christianity and liberalism
- Mormonism
- New Age Spirituality
- New Apostolic Reformation
- Pietism
- Progressive (Social Justice) “Christianity”
- Purpose Driven/Seeker
- Roman Catholicism
- Scientology
- Seventh Day Adventists
- Social Justice
- Spiritual Formation
- Ultra Dispensationalism – Hyper Dispensationalism
- Unification Church – Moonies
- Word of Faith
Christian clergy who inflicts any sort of false teaching on Christ’s sheep should not be thought of as shepherds. These men should be called what they actually are: Apostates, false teachers, “frauds, phonies, and money grubbing religious quacks.” Mark and avoid (Rom 16:17-18).
Naming Names here
New Apostolic Reformation false teachers here
Emergent/Emergence/Emerging Church false teachers here
The Gospel Coalition is no longer safe. Many “progressive Christians” write for TGC, including its founder, Tim Keller. Here
Whenever a man takes it upon him to make additions to the scriptures, he is likely to end valuing his own additions above Scripture itself. ~ J.C. Ryle
What Does the Bible Say?
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 1 Tim 6:3-5
Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thes 5:19-22
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him. Titus 3:10
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food. Heb 5:12-14
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. 2 Peter 2:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1
Articles
NEW! ‘He Gets Us’ Jesus (Depeche Modalism) Todd Friel explains
NEW! The Heresy of Pietism By Bob DeWaay
NEW! 2 Corinthians 6:14-17…Testing Alcoholics Anonymous according to Scripture By John Lanagan
Heresy presented as mercy By Albert Mohler
IHOPKC Winding Down, Coming to a Close, According to Leaked Recording of IHOP University President
Survey of historical heresies — Churchwatch Central
Christians are being led to the gates of hell by progressive’s Fake Jesus By Marsha West
Christians Have A Choice To Make: Paul Of Tarsus Or Taurus The Bull. Which Will It Be? By Marsha West
What’s Wrong with Jesus Calling?
Heresy of the Day: “Creation Care”
Why Do You Love Your Sin So Much? By Marsha West
Paul’s Warnings to the Galatians Still Speak to Us By Kim Riddlebarger
Heresy and Those Who Fought It By Frank Farrell
Social Justice is Not the Gospel, It’s Heresy — The Dissenter
Antinomianism Is A Serious Error And So Is Nomism By Scott Clark
Dispensationalism, Ultra-dispensationalism, Hyper-dispensationalism. Is there a Difference? By Marsha West
What is the ‘gateway drug’ to heresy? By Elizabeth Prata
The Children of Men: Understanding the Human Origins of Heresy By Ed Dingess
Shockingly, Many Christians Think Nothing of Using Satanic Practices to ‘Experience God in a Powerful Way’ By Marsha West
Sarah Young’s Heretical Book ‘Jesus Calling’ Has sold 40,000,000 Copies — Protestia
Timothy Keller Peddles Heresy — a slew of articles on this false teacher
Video
NEW Widespread LIES About Jesus (That Most Christians Don’t Realize) – Todd Friel
NEW Modalism Heresy Explained by Pastor Chris Rosebrough / Priscilla Shirer, Billy Graham, T.D. Jakes – Doreen Virtue
What’s Wrong With The Bible Project? – WWUTT-Gabe Hughes
Calling Out Every False Teacher by Name – Justin Peters/Reformed Wiki
Millions of False Converts | With Voddie Baucham and Paul Washer, plus Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Steven Furtick – Reformed Wiki
Enneagram Conference – Midwest Christian Outreach
Audio
How do you define heresy? By Robert Godfrey
A Survey of Heresies By Phil Johnson
Copyright June 29, 2022 by Marsha West for Christian Research Network. No one may use any part of this Research Paper without Marsha West’s express permission.
“In the wake of the conservative overturning of Roe v. Wade, Democrats are scrambling to salvage what they can of their religious sacrament of child sacrifice known as abortion. And, God has exposed the Evangelicals’ lies on the acceptability and moral equivalency of both parties—that argument can no longer be made.”
“The courts are supposed to interpret the law, not make law, nor create individual rights. Sadly, this is all lost on our rather misguided leftist friends. They believe that courts should make law rather than issue decisions. Roe is not and has never been the “law of the land” because it cannot be found anywhere in the Constitution and the legislative branch has never passed it and submitted it to the executive branch to become law.”
The group didn’t just admire bin Laden; it wanted to emulate him. Melzer, the DOJ explains, “planned a jihadist attack on his U.S. Army unit in the days leading up to a deployment to Turkey and sent sensitive details about the unit” to O9A. Underscoring the seriousness of this plot is the fact that this information included details of his unit’s “location, movements, and security.” 
“While the public framing was vague, the training wasn’t: It ran in a single direction. Servicemembers reporting on their “extremism” training to members of Congress described sessions in which the military warned them against white nationalism and the dangers of far-right sentiment, but didn’t mention Antifa…hammering the January 6 narrative but deflecting questions about riots and arson in the summer of 2020….” 
“There is no question that the Democrats are using guns and abortion to advance party politics. Instead of respecting citizens who believe that killing the unborn is wrong, Nancy Pelosi and her acolytes demean and defame them.”
(Fox News) An Atlanta suburb is aiming to secede from the Peach State’s capital as 
“It’s satisfying to see that Disney’s creepy propagandizing is causing it financial pain at the box office, here and overseas.”
(Protestia) Jen Hatmaker, the popular I’m-pretending-to-be-a-Christian-but-I’m-actually-a-pagan mommy-blogger and podcaster that is quickly climbing the ranks from “Gadfly False Teacher” to “Arch-Heretic,” has continued to out herself as a vessel of inhabitation for shifty-eyed swine who’d rather not go off a cliff, this time by coming out in support of abortion and “women’s rights.”
Sodom and Gomorrah.
“Once again, the Texas GOP made its stand refreshingly unambiguous and clear. While it may not be the popular position with many moderates and obviously with the woke Left, the party is not backing down from the battle.” 
“More Asians are being admitted, and there’s pressure for more blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians to be admitted too. But if those groups are going to grow, another group has to take the hit. Fortunately for America’s admissions gatekeepers, the decision is easy: just crush the kulaks.”
“Not to rehash the political platform of the left, suffice it to say that those who believe abortion should be expanded, children should be groomed by their teachers in schools, and that the government should steal from the working class to give to the sloth, do not hold the moral high ground. But that was—and still is—the mantra of the Evangelical left, the Moorites.”
“Kennedy prayed with his players for years before anyone complained, but in 2015 the school system placed him on administrative leave following a warning that his prayers violated district policy.”
(Robert Spencer – PJ Media) Roe v. Wade has at long last been overturned, and the Left’s response has been predictable: Leftists are pounding the walls and gnashing their teeth with rage and hatred. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Make Mine a Double) has 
(The Dissenter) Today marks a historic day in America as one of the longest-running blights on the face of this nation has finally been removed. Today, the Supreme Court—much of whom were hand-picked by former President Donald Trump—overturned the infamous Roe v. Wade decision.
(George Grant – Ligonier Ministries) Circumstances change. Laws, courts, and administrations come and go. Elections raise up and cast down the mighty. Popular opinion waxes and wanes. But through it all, the callings and responsibilities of Christians in this poor, fallen world remain the same.
“This is the “woke” house of cards. After traumatizing children with offensive drag performances, drenching them in “born that way” and “transition” advocacy, surveying them repeatedly about “orientation,” offering them homo-obscenity disguised as literature, and conspiring with them to conceal their magic potion identities from parents, experts pretend to be shocked that the most vulnerable kids are sent over the edge.”
“Democrats will soon find no further reason to cover for Biden’s own serial abhorrent personal behavior on matters of financial probity, sex, race, and truthfulness.” 
(The Dissenter) The IF Gathering conference has been a blemish on the Evangelical Church since it started in 2014 hosting people from nearly every aberrant theological sect of Christendom while avoiding any actual gospel content. The annual conference exists to advance the “woke church” movement, the Prosperity Gospel, and charismatic charlatanry into mainstream Evangelicalism and includes speakers ranging on the spectrum from extremely troubling views to rank heretics. 
“So today Canadians were informed by their communist overlords that self defense is dependent on the weapon you decide to pick up while you are under attack…if you choose to pick up a knife, slingshot, hammer or baseball bat you presumably still have the right to fight back against your attacker, who may be armed with a Glock or a Beretta, placing you at a distinct disadvantage. Good luck, serf.”