The History of Heresy

In part By Phil Johnson at Grace to You

 

While the great services that Dr. John MacArthur has provided to the church and large as a part of his ministry is the institution of his radio and television ministries at Grace to You.  For many years, a large part of Grace to You was a gentleman named Phil Johnson (he has since moved on to larger responsibilities on Dr. MacArthur’s staff), who has a particular talent for systematizing and laying out complicated theological and doctrinal issues for those who are unacquainted with them.

Some time ago he produced a chart that had to do with the development and progression of doctrinal and theological heresy.  He laid out his chart in five columns:

·    The date the heresy first arose

·    The heart of the doctrinal and/or theological error

·    The chief historical proponents

·    The character(s) involved

·    The modern parallels

The First Great Heresy - The Judaizers

The first great mercy to arise was that of the Judaizers.  It arose during the 1st century.  As the time of its arising was so very close to the death of Christ it makes good sense that this error was an Soteriological error, adding works to grace as grounds of justification.  We saw the beginning of this error in the New Testament itself, as Paul rebuked Legalism in the book of Galatians.  History also tells us that a group of former Pharisees in the Jerusalem church continued to seek to impose the law and legal observances.  That was the essence and the character involved in this heresy.  It was legalistic, blending OT Judaism with Christian ideas.  Grace is OK; what you must obey!  Modern parallels would be 7th-day Adventism, 7^th Day Baptists, Roman Catholicism,

A “Sneaky” Heresy - Gnosticism

The Second Great Hersey Arose in the 2nd century - that of the Gnostics.  The Gnostics were mystical, believing in secret revealed knowledge that one got from other, initiated, learned “Wisemen”.  This heresy was also basically Christological, that is, concerned with Christ, and denied the reality of the incarnation.  There were actually quite a number of early heretics who were involved in Gnosticism.  They sought a blending Greek and Roman (and other) paganism with Christian ideas.  In our modern day, we see Gnosticism in most new-age religions, in Mormonism, and in the “tolerant” and accepting philosophy of the age.  Everything is OK because everyone has knowledge.

A 3^rd Heresy - Yet Another Attack On Christ

This attack came from the Arians in the 4th century (the 300’s).  As we noted, it too was Christological, denying the deity of Christ.  Arius, a bishop in the church along with several other bishops launched an attack that said that Christ was not God in the sense that the Father was God.  Modern parallels here would be Unitarians, who cheerfully deny the full deity of Christ and declare the trinity of fallacy; and cults like the Jehovah's witnesses speak of our Lord as an angelic being instead of the God of the universe.

A 4^th Heresy - Shifting To Man & Salvation

In the fourth century the Pelagians (followers of the Monk - Pelagius and a lesser one named Coelestius) began to deny the truth that man was completely fallen.  They asserted that, as a result of the fall, man, especially with regard to his will, had only been damaged.  Thus, they said, he was left, as a prima fascia part of his nature, with the ability to choose between good and evil.  Thus, this heresy was Soteriological, denying the primacy and sufficiency of divine grace.  It makes salvation, not Theocentric (God-centered or Christ-centered; but Anthropocentric.  They essentially denied Biblical human fallenness, elevating free will above divine sovereignty; making the sinner responsible for his/her own salvation.  One can argue otherwise all they want, what is the linchpin is man’s choice, then it is man who determines who gets to heaven and who does not.  That is simply not what the Bible says.  Modern proponents would be Charles Finney from the 19^th century and his theological heirs (virtually all modern Baptists); some Youth With A Mission literature; “Moral Government Theology”

The 5^th Great Heresy - Man’s Intellect

The 5^th great heresy was put forth by the followers of Laelius and Faustus Sozzini who profess themselves to be followers of Christ in the 16th century.  The error of the Socinians is a combination of an Soteriological/ Christological error.  It is Rationalistic, absorbing the worst elements of all of the heresies.  It appeals to the mind, and to the pride of man asking man to think his way to heaven rather than imploring him to humble himself before a God who offers mercy and grace undeserved.  The modern extensions of this 16th century nonsense Unitarianism and all forms of theological liberalism, what we know today as “Open Theism” and even what we call the “Emergent Church” shows an alarming trend in this direction.

  

Sadly, we live in a time when we see more and more embracing these errors.  Whether this is because we are approaching the time of the end or because we live in a time when information is so much more readily available to all people I am not certain.  I suspect it is a bit of a mixture of both.

We must be careful to remember that those who espouse such terrible doctrine and theology and put it forth for consumption by God’s Church are not nearly “making a mistake”.  Now, surely, it is possible to be wrong about what the scripture says, and to teach that “wrong” to others.  But there is a BIG difference between teaching that and teaching heresy.

Those who teach heresy are NOT simply teaching of difference of opinion.  We MUST remember that they are not other sheep.  The Scripture tells us that they are wolves in sheep’s clothing.  Understand the implication of that statement.  Among others, that means they had killed sheep and taken their fleece in order that they might look like their prey so as to better hunt further.  It implies that their intention is, indeed, to hunt further.  It indicates that their actions are deliberate and purposeful.

These folks are not simply innocently in error.  They are what the Bible says they are.  And we must do as the Bible tells us to do.  We must avoid them, and leave them to God with which to deal.