It is no secret that since the creation of the world, the church has been faced with many heresies, or as it is strongly known ‘false doctrine’. ..
But what is it and what does the word heresy mean?
This is what a heresy is – an erroneous interpretation taken from biblical texts (or not), but taught to many with absolute truth.
Throughout the history of Christianity, various heresies in our midst have been confronted and abolished.
But, the curious thing is that with the passage of time, old heresies, once condemned by past generations, reappear years or centuries later.
When reflecting on this theme it is impossible not to remember the biblical text of Ecclesiastes 1: 9, read below what it says.
What was will be again, what was done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9
We often exert great effort to overthrow new heresies that arise day after day in our century.
But we cannot forget the heresies that have insisted on invading and destroying our churches for a long time.
Therefore, in this article, we have gathered and compiled a list of the 3 worst types of heresies implanted throughout history in churches.
But first, let’s better understand the term ‘heresy’.
What is heresy according to the bible?
Let us now define the meaning of the term “orthodoxy” that will help us understand what this ‘heresy’ is.
The Dictionary defines orthodoxy as “beliefs considered essential to Christian truth.”
The word comes from two Greek words, orthos and doxa, which literally mean “correct opinion”. Over time, orthodoxy came to refer to “established beliefs or doctrines”.
Simply put, orthodoxy is “correct belief”.
Heresy is the exact opposite!
Merriam-Webster defines heresy as “adherence to a religious opinion contrary to Church dogma [doctrine] or generally accepted beliefs and standards.
Heresies in churches are often not just the result of an interpretive error but are a direct choice to turn against the established doctrines of the faith and follow a different personal view.
Such a view can rise to the damning level of “preaching another gospel” as Paul mentions in Galatians 1:9.
As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!. Galatians 1:9
The 3 Worst Types of Heresies In Churches Today.
We know that every kind of heresy in the church is extremely dangerous and destructive of the Christian faith.
But there are 3 types that are the worst, which easily deceive many Christians to this day.
These are:
1. Heresies about God.
Don’t fall into heresies about God’s brethren!
The whole Bible talks about God – who He is, how He acts, what pleases Him, how we can relate to Him… God is the main character of the Bible.
Denial of the Trinity – Tritheism.
Tritheism is a belief that emphasizes the individuality of each person of the Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
Thus denying that God is one in essence and three in person.
In fact, the Trinity teaches us that God is beyond all human understanding!
Various theologians throughout Church history have been accused of tritheism, especially between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD.
This false doctrine was condemned as heresy at the Third Council of Constantinople in the seventh century.
Jews, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and certain evangelical Protestants often accuse those who believe in the Trinity of being polytheists masquerading as Christians.
The belief that there are two Gods – Dualism.
Dualism is the idea that there are two different deities, one good, and one evil.
This heresy claims that there is a good God – that he is the God of the New Testament and the creator of the spiritual realm, while the God of the Old Testament is the evil creator of the physical world (which they considered satan).
Dualism goes completely and squarely against the Christian principle that there is only one God, the same God who exists in the Old and New Testaments, and who created all things visible and invisible.
2. Heresies about Jesus.
The whole bible only makes sense if read and interpreted through the eyes of Jesus.
If we fall into heresies about Jesus, the whole bible loses its meaning. That’s why he is so attacked…
Denial of the humanity of Jesus – Docetism.
Docetism is the ideology that Jesus’ bodily existence (i.e. Jesus’ human form) was just an appearance without any basis in reality.
They believe Jesus’ humanity was like an optical illusion…
Docetism was debated and rejected at the First Council of Nicea (AD 325) and is unanimously considered heretical by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Evangelical Church, and many Protestant denominations that adhere to the statements of the Early Church councils.
Denial of the divinity of Jesus – Arianism.
The word ‘Aryan’ is derived from the name Arius, who was a Christian elder in Alexandria, Egypt in the third to fourth centuries.
Arianism holds that Jesus (as the Son of God) did not always exist, but was begotten by God the Father at a specific point in time.
This would make Jesus a created creature, distinct from and subordinate to the Father.
In short – this heresy says that Jesus is not God!
Some denominations suggest that Jesus was just a good man, to the point of being adopted as the ‘son of God’…
In the present day, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses are often criticized by most Christians for viewing Jesus in the same way as the fourth-century Aryans.
3. Heresies about the devil.
Below we will see some of the biggest heresies about the devil (even about him there are lies being preached in churches).
But first I want to reveal to you (in a summarized way) the whole biblical truth about him, ok?
The Bible teaches that the devil was created by God but rebelled against the Lord and turned to evil.
The devil wants to be worshipped, even though he is less than God and only does what is bad. He wants to destroy us and uses all kinds of lies and deceit to trap us.
Satan accuses, hurts, brings temptation, pretends to be good, promises advantages… but in the end, he destroys.
When he rose, Jesus defeated the devil. Anyone who accepts Jesus as their savior can resist the devil and live free from his power.
The devil knows this and tries to destroy us, but Jesus protects us. Jesus is stronger than the devil!
That said, here are the heresies:
Is a god – some Gnostic groups.
According to this sect, the devil is a morally correct being. Though evil is equally strong to the good God.
It’s good – some Gnostic groups.
Some heresies teach that the devil is good, that he is fair, punishing the sinner because it is God’s order.
This false doctrine says that the devil wants our good and to do the will of God.