Heresy is a belief or teaching that contradicts Scripture and Christian theology.[1][2] More specifically, heresy claims to be Christian while opposing orthodox doctrine[3], and it lacks scriptural support despite presenting itself as truth about God or Christ.[4]
The distinction between erroneous teaching and heresy is crucial. Both are false teachings, but a heresy specifically involves a persistent error concerning a central Christian doctrine.[5] The critical difference lies in response to correction: when confronted with biblical evidence, a heretic refuses correction.[5] Heresy is intentional false teaching arising from a deliberate choice to deviate from revelation in favor of one’s own insights—an intentional or formal preference to deny or compromise a core dogma even when faced with preponderant evidence that the belief is incorrect.[6]
Heresy is not ignorance or later-disproven ideas; it represents wrong answers to the most important questions and indicates a mind closed to correction by the Holy Spirit.[6] By contrast, erroneous teaching may stem from honest misunderstanding or incomplete knowledge, leaving room for growth and correction.
Historically, heresy came to mean false teaching arising within the church and causing division.[3] By the second century, heretics were identified as those whose teachings on fundamental Christian truths deviated so radically from apostolic doctrine as to undercut the basis for Christian existence.[7] Examples include Docetism, the heresy that Christ only appeared to be human,[3] and the Judaizing heresy, which falsely taught that Christians must keep the law of Moses to maintain salvation.[8]
[2] Millard J. Erickson, in The Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 88.
[3] T. A. Noble, “Heresy,” in New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic, ed. Martin Davie et al. (London; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press; InterVarsity Press, 2016), 396–397.
[4] Douglas Mangum, The Lexham Glossary of Theology (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014). [See here.]
[5] Steven P. Mueller, ed., Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess: An Introduction to Doctrinal Theology, Called by the Gospel (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005), 3:17.
[6] Eve Tibbs, A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology: Introducing Beliefs and Practices (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2021), 87.
[7] Timothy George, Galatians, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 30:102.
[8] Robert H. Gundry, “Heresies,” in The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible, ed. Gordon D. Fee and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2011), 710.
No comments:
Post a Comment