It is believed by a vast majority of people that there is good in every person and truth in every lie. We live in what is called a pluralistic society. Of the several definitions of that word, the one that is meant by sociologists today is that no one religion, culture or segment of society holds all the truth. Modern Americans adhere to the idea that everyone is right to some degree, and therefore to overly criticize, condemn and ostracize another segment of society is heresy. As ludicrous as it is, it is now heresy to call someone an heretic. And as a result it is now a sin to teach what the Bible teaches – to declare what Jehovah declares. If things continue to digress, it will become a crime to preach the whole counsel of God – the Bible. People will be arrested if they say that God condemns homosexuality. They will be arrested if they teach that abortion is murder. They will be arrested if they proclaim that to deny the deity of Christ is heresy. And in fact, not only will we be arrested, but we may very well be executed. Are you ready for this?
In contrast to this pluralism, I want to point out what the scriptures say about heresy. As I very often do, I looked up the dictionary definition of my key word – “heresy.” The dictionary agreed with my definition, but then added a very interesting comment. “Heresy – An opinion or a doctrine at variance with established RELIGIOUS beliefs.” We might add that “heresy” can relate to any established belief system, like democracy or evolution. But then the dictionary went on – “especially dissension from or denial of Roman Catholic dogma….” This is absolutely true. If you spend time reading most religious history books, when mention is made of “heretics” it is referring to people who believed as we do – it is referring to baptistic people. That is because most early histories were written by Roman Catholic priests and scholars. Anything that wasn’t Roman Catholic doctrine was heresy, even if it was the gospel truth.
My purpose this evening is to show you what the Bible says about those who are true heretics. For example, the Bible is quite clear about what to do with folk who teach that baptism washes away sin. It points out that those who deny the deity of Christ Jesus, are dead wrong and eternally damned. Those who profess to be Christians but who live like the heathen are heathens and should be treated as such. There is an overwhelming abundance of scriptures which deal these heretics. As you shall see, I am not picking out two or three isolated verses and twisting them into a defense of my personal animosity against someone. In fact, I am avoiding scriptures which might be easily looked at in this way. We are not taking any verses out of the Old Testament, which are often pictured as parochial. And for the sake of simplicity and time, I’m not going to bring any scriptures out of the four Gospels. All of these come from the divinely inspired letters of the Apostles.
How should we treat an heretic?
Based upon the doctrine which we have been taught and which the Lord expects us to know, heretics are to be recognized – noted. Who are to be noted? Those who cause divisions and offences contrary to the truth. For example, since the Bible teaches that baptism must be by immersion and for believers only, for someone to come along and teach that sprinkling water on babies is baptism – that is heresy. And that teaching might cause a division among the untaught and newly saved brethren. That false teacher is to be noted and avoided. The word “offences” is “skandalon” (skan’-dal-on) in the Koine Greek, which is descriptive enough in itself, but the literal definition refers to a trap or a snare used to catch unwary animals.
Without specifying any particular heresy, Paul adds that many of these people, spread their heresies for their own fleshly purpose. That is, they have chosen to become heretics in order to fatten their bellies and their bank accounts. Some people become heretics merely for the notoriety. I have known otherwise good preachers, who have accepted and taught really strange opinions, and it appeared to me that their only purpose was to be different from the crowd and to give the appearance of exceptional intelligence. Unfortunately their weirdness didn’t produce the intended results. They merely made themselves out to be fools.
One of the important things to notice before we move on is that these heretics have wiggled their way into the church, giving the appearance of being fellow believers.
Obviously the context is a little different, because it isn’t false doctrine, but false practice which is condemned. There were apparently members of that church who were living sinfully in various open ways. There were drunkards, and we might add drug, addicts today. There were people practicing various sorts of fornication – premarital sex, homosexuality, adultery, and we might add pornography. Other members were ungodly, unethical, immoral and perhaps illegal in their business practices. We might expect this kind of activity among the lost – the people of the world. But the people of God are not to behave this way. And so, if a member was discovered who was living like this, he was to be treated like the lost man that he probably was. “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” Have no fellowship with him – don’t associate with him and don’t even sit down to a friendly meal with him.
Now go to II Corinthians 6:14-18 – “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
To understand the meaning of an “unequal yoke,” we have to begin with a yoke in general. A yoke is an instrument which binds two or more animals together for some sort of task. For example, a yoke of oxen might be a wooden instrument across their shoulders and necks which enable them to pull a plow. An unequal yoke would be when an ox is tied to a pony or a Clydesdale is yoked to a Quarter horse. Christians are not to be yoked to unbelievers, because they are a horse of a different color. You are to come out from among them and to be separate. You are not to touch the unclean thing, because you are an anointed priest unto God. This does not mean that we must not be a good neighbor and even try to befriend that unbeliever, but when it comes to fellowship with him in his sin or in his theological error, come out from among them. There once was a day when Baptists would not join political parties because of this scripture. Should we be a part of an anti-abortion organization which is an arm of the Catholic church? Does the presence of some good, outweigh the direct command of God?
Paul’s letter to the Galatians is all about a very serious heresy. There were people who were following Paul, trying to negate his teaching about free grace. They were attempting to turn the faith of people from the Lord, to ordinances. And apparently they had some degree of success. Even if there was only one negative convert, it was far too many to suit Paul, so he wrote back to the churches of Galatia, dealing with this issue. Turn to Galatians 5 – “I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you.” Without advocating direct action by himself or by the members of the Galatian churches, Paul expressed the emotion that the Holy Spirit laid on his heart. I wish that those heretics which are corrupting souls and sending them to Hell – I wish that they were dead. That doesn’t sound particularly PC, or nice, or sweet, or even Christian. But it was Christian in the sense that it expressed Christ’s attitude towards these heretics. Someday, and I suppose that it could even be today, if you were to express that to an aggressive Roman Catholic priest, you could be arrested and jailed. But it is Biblical nevertheless.
Next we come to Ephesians 5:11 – “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” A thing to keep in mind is that just about every living thing produces fruit of one sort of another. “The unfruitful works of darkness,” are those things which produce evil fruit rather than good fruit. “Darkness” is never used to express anything about the Lord, about righteousness and about truth. “Darkness” refers to sin, ignorance and Satanic things – even the Lake of Fire will be a place of darkness. We are exhorted to have no fellowship with dark and wicked things, but rather to reprove them. The word “fellowship” refers not to mere association with them, but agreement and collusion with them. Do not join with them in their dirty and nefarious work.
II Thessalonians 3:6 – “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” Notice, first, the strength of Paul’s exhortation – in fact it isn’t an exhortation at all, but a command. Secondly, notice that we are talking about brethren separating themselves from other brethren. This whole business is not about two people, or a church and a fallen brother, or sinner. This is all about the Lord and about truth. “Disorderly” is a word which speaks about being out of step. As a former member of a marching band, there is nothing more embarrassing than in a parade or in a competition, to see a fellow band member whose left foot is coming down when everyone else’s right foot was coming down. But in this case, it’s not a matter of embarrassment, it’s all about the glory and will of God. If this brother lives out of step, or believes and practices something which Paul had condemned then we are to withdraw ourselves from him.
And going on in II Thessalonians we come to 3:14-15 – “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” Remember that the standard that we must use in taking note of others, must be the Word of God. And Paul was not the least bit embarrassed to point to his own letters as that standard. He knew fully well that he was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So here is another professing Christian, someone who perhaps we used to consider as a brother. In fact, he probably is a brother in Christ. But he may no longer believe that the Lord Jesus is going to literally return to earth some day soon. He might deny that there is a literal Lake of Fire and that his lost grandmother will spend eternity there. These are the sorts of things taught by Paul in this epistle. But we could refer to anything that Paul ever taught. This man who is now disobedient to the written word – whether doctrinally or practically – is to be treated, not as an enemy, but yet still as a lost man. We should still have a desire for his instruction and restoration, but in the mean time, we are to have no company with him.
II Timothy 3:1-7 – “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” From such people “turn away.”
Titus 3:9-11- “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” This is the only time that the word “heretic” is found in the Bible in either language. It means exactly what you might think that it means. This believer and teacher of false doctrine should be admonished once and again, but if he refuses to see the truth, then you might as well consider him calcified in it – reject him.
II John 10-11 – “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” When I read these words I usually picture the Russellites, aka Jehovah Witnesses, or else the Mormons. These are the people most likely to visit your door, spreading their garbage and poison. But this can apply to any religious huckster to visit your house, like perhaps a TV preacher. If you know that his doctrine is heresy, don’t invite him in in that capacity as a purveyor of false religion. And certainly never be so foolish as to bless him.
There are other scriptures to which we could turn, but I think that these are sufficient. They all point back to what Paul says in our original text – “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” For the glory of the Lord forsake and avoid them. For the sake of your souls and those of your children – avoid them. For the sake of the truth avoid them.