Table of Contents
Meaning of heretics
A heretic is a person who believes and practices false doctrines. One bizarre thing about heretics is that they still think they are Christians and identify themselves as such. Concerning heretics, we are going to look at entities such as prophets, teachers, priests, pastors, denominations, ministries, fellowships, etc. who profess to be Christians yet have veered away from the truth in deeds and doctrine and are misleading others to follow in their footsteps. All such entities are called heretics and their false teachings and false deeds are called heresies. All heretics are inevitably apostates.
Examples of heretics in the Bible
It was foretold long ago to warn us about heretics before they began to rear their ugly heads in the church. A couple of days before His arrest, while sitting on the Mount of Olives, in response to His disciples’ inquiry, Jesus began to teach and predict signs of the end of time. He said,
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many (Mt 24:10-11).
The word offended was translated from the Greek word
Just as Jesus Himself mentioned, this apostasy would happen amid persecution and false teachings composed by heretics such as false prophets, false teachers, and all sorts of false Christians. These heretics would deceive many and lead them into apostasy. Examples of heretics who cropped up in the first century AD, whose records are found in the Bible are:
1. The Jewish heretics in Antioch
It was not long after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension that this prophecy of His began to materialize in the church. Luke, a colleague of Paul, who was a witness, wrote the account of the very first attempt of false teachers to make a daring incursion into the church in Antioch to deceive, mislead, and confuse the Christians there. He wrote,
1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren (in Antioch), “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. (Acts 15:1, 2)
Antioch – Syrian Antioch – was an urban center and a cradle of Christianity at the time. According to the Bible, the name ‘Christian’ originated there. The population was predominately Greek. Since most of them were Greeks, it stands to reason that most Christian converts were idolatrous Greeks who had converted to Christianity and were neither circumcised nor knew such thing as circumcision.
Very long before then, God made a covenant with Abraham that He would be the God of Abraham and his descendants. As a sign of this everlasting covenant, God gave to Abraham and to his descendants to practice circumcision. Hence from the days of Abraham to that time, the Israelites practiced circumcision, whereas the Gentiles did not practice it.
Since Christianity began in Jerusalem and among the Jews, and since most prominent Christians at the time were Jews by descent, it became tempting for some Jews to try to infuse their customs and traditions into Christianity and impose them on the Gentiles who had converted to Christianity to observe, with the deception that they were not saved yet until they have kept the Jewish traditions.
According to Acts 15:1,2, some men having defective doctrine came from the region of Judea to the city of Antioch to teach the Christians there that the uncircumcised believers have to be circumcised before they can be saved. Today, we know better – we know they are in error, for we have the Bible at our disposal for reference; and verses such as John 3:16, John 3:36, etc, absolutely falsify their teaching and denounce them as nothing more than heretics and apostates.
However, at the time of this happening, the Bible was not yet compiled for reference making. Now because most of these believers were Greeks and uncircumcised, this teaching stirred no small confusion in their ranks, and most of them might have begun to doubt their salvation. The confusion got to where Paul, Barnabas, and other Christians had to be sent by the church to the apostles in Jerusalem, who resolved the matter that circumcision has nothing to do with their salvation. Thus it happened that the first attempt of heretics to undermine the faith and deceive Christians into apostasy was not that successful, though, in fact, they were successful at sparking confusion and theological argument in the church in Antioch.
2. The Nicholaitans
Though the first attempt proved futile, subsequent ones had success. With time, heretics and apostates arose at different times and places all over the Christian communities and they undermined the faith sore. Within the first century, another heretic group arose in the church called the Nicolaitans. Several of the early church fathers mentioned this group in their writings; however, Isidore of Seville, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Epiphanius, and Theodoret, linked this group to Deacon Nicolas (Acts 6:5), holding that he was the author of the sect and the heresy thereof.
- Isidore of Seville wrote, “The Nicolaites (Nicolaitans) are so called from Nicolas, deacon of the church of Jerusalem, who, along with Stephen and the others, was ordained by Peter.
- Irenaeus added, “They (Nicolaitans) lead lives of unrestrained indulgence … teaching it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.”
- Victorinus of Pettau held that the error of the Nicolaitans was that they ate things offered to idols.
At the time the Book of Revelations was being written, the Nicolaitans were a formidable force bent on teaching false doctrines in the church and their deeds and doctrines were widespread, leading many astray into apostasy. They were a real problem to the point that they drew the attention of Heaven. In a letter Jesus personally dictated to John to be sent to the church at Pergamos, Jesus rebuked the church for the fault that there were some Christians there who had embraced the false doctrines of the Nicholaitans. In these words Jesus rebuked them,
14 But I have a few things against thee, … 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. (Re 2:14, Re 2:15)
Still, in the Book of Revelations, Jesus expressed his pleasure by commending the church in Ephesus for the reason that they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Simultaneously, He denounced the Nicolaitans that He hated their deeds. In these words, Jesus addressed the Ephesians: “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:6)
3. The Balaamites
At about the same time as the Nicolaitans, there was another group of heretics and apostates whom the Bible described as people who held to the teachings of Balaam – hence, Balamites. Balaam was a prophet who was hired by Barak, a king, to come and curse the Israelites. When he realized he could not curse the Israelites for the Lord’s blessing was upon them, Balaam sought to bring destruction to Israel in another way. Balaam was a prophet, and no doubt knew both the Lord’s standards of morality, as well as His jealousy about worshiping any other god. He used this knowledge to try to turn God against the Israelites by putting a stumbling block in the way of the Israelites to make them commit immorality and apostasy.
He set Israel up; he set the Moabite women as a stumbling block in the way of the Israelites to entice the Israelites. By Balaam’s advice, the Moabite women went out to the Israelites; and then offered the men sexual favors if only they would worship their god Baal Peor with them. Israel fell, committing immorality and apostasy. The anger of the Lord did burn against them as Balaam had intended; a plague of the Lord overtook them and twenty-four thousand lives were destroyed. Later, Israel also avenged itself on Balaam by executing him.
Balaam was executed centuries ago, but his evil deed of making others stumble has outlived him up to this day. In the first century, another version of Balaam resurfaced in the church as a group of heretics who by their teachings put a stumbling block in the way of others to lead them into the sin of immorality and apostasy. These Balaamites were a real problem in the church at the time the Book of Revelation was being written. Like the Nicolaitans, they also drew many followers to themselves.
Heaven disliked the teachings of the Balaamites. In a letter sent from Jesus to the church in Pergamos, Jesus rebuked the church because there were Balaamites there. In these words, He addressed them: “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” (Revelation 2:14)
4. Jezebel of Thyatira
While other people are remembered for their good deeds; there are many others too who are remembered for their evil deeds. The name Jezebel identifies with evil; for that to be true, then the person who bore the name really did some evil things. Jezebel was a Zidonian princess and a queen to Ahab of Israel. She influenced her husband to commit bloody acts and injustice. Also, She had many prophets of her time executed; and those prophets who survived her purge went into hiding.
Furthermore, she perpetuated the worship of her native god, Baal, and successfully misled Israel to serve Baal. She died shamefully at the hands of Jehu. Though dead for many centuries, Jezebel was reenacted in the Christian age by a heretic and apostate woman who arose in the church at Thyatira. She, like all heretics, was misleading Christians with her teachings and also seducing the men to commit fornication with her. Jesus reacted against her wickedness.
In the Book of Revelations, Jesus expressed his displeasure in a letter to Thyatira, rebuking the church for allowing this heretic to teach and mislead other Christians into the sin of fornication and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. In these words, He addressed them,
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Re 2:20
In the Bible, at the time the book of Revelation was being written, there were, at least, three formidable heretics and apostates in the church. They were a problem that had to be dealt with. However, since everyone looked on while they continued to operate and mislead, Jesus Christ Himself had to come and prompt the church to deal with them.
Other heretics in history
Some heretics who were not mentioned in the Bible but whose names are worth mentioning so far as heresy is concerned are:
1. Paul of Samosata
Paul of Samosata – he is so-called because he was born in Samosata, an ancient city in Turkey. In AD 260, he was elected bishop of Antioch. Today we count him as a heretic because, along the line, he took a theological position that was contrary to biblical teachings; this aroused strong opposition in the church at the time. Paul of Samosata taught that Jesus was born a mere man just like us. However, he struggled hard to overcome sin to become holy, righteous, and perfect. This moral excellence exalted him to unite with God. Hence, Jesus was seen not as God-become-man but as man-become-God.
Many Bible teachings falsify Paul of Samosata’s theological position. Jesus did not attain divinity through good deeds. He is the eternal Word of God who became flesh – John 1:1-3. Right from birth, Jesus was fully Divine and fully man: And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
2. Arius, the heretic
Arius was a Christian presbyter and priest in Baucalis in Alexandria, Egypt. He gained a lot of attention in his day due to his heretic teaching about Christology, i.e., the nature of the relationship between Jesus and God. Never was a heretic so popular and influential. He disputed the divinity of Jesus and taught that Jesus is not equal to the Father, Jesus is a created being, He has not existed from eternity, and he is not the true word of God. By the time anyone could take action to stop Arius, Arius’s doctrine had spilled over from Alexandria to become a major theological problem and had sparked no small disturbance in the entire Church, for, in consequence of his teaching, the Church was divided over disagreements on Christology.
Arius was not alone; as it was the aim of all heretics, he was able to make a significant number of followers of both the clergy and the laity. As of the time of the first council of Nicaea, Arius had managed to sway twenty-two bishops to his side; some prominent names belonging to these twenty-two who rallied behind Arius were Eusebius of Nicomedia, Theonas and Secundus, Theognis of Nicaea, Eusebius of Nicomedia and Maris of Chalcedon and sixteen others.
At the time Arius was 57 years old, Christianity was legalized and made a state religion in the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine I and Emperor Licinius. Emperor Constantine I sought to resolve theological differences within the church and unify it. Emperor Constantine I, in AD 325, took the first-time step: he called a council of high-ranking members of the clergy from all parts of the empire to resolve this issue on Christology. The council was attended by Bishops representing the various dioceses of the empire, except Roman Britain. Emperor Constantine I himself presided over the council and even took part in its discussions. At the First Council of Nicaea, twenty-two bishops, led by Eusebius of Nicomedia, came as supporters of Arius. Those who upheld the faith that Jesus Christ was co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father were led by the priest Alexander. After about two months of debating Alexander and his party won and Arius was defeated.
Following his defeat, Arius was denounced as a heretic, and his teachings were denounced as false. The emperor ruled against Arius that he should not go on teaching his false doctrines. In addition to that, all the writings of Arius found were destroyed by fire. By so doing, not only has he been stopped from teaching heresy, but nothing will be left in remembrance of him.
Though the council denounced Arius as a blasphemous heretic and took action to put an end to him and his work of deception, the battle was far from over. It is worth mentioning that before any action was taken to suppress Arius, Arius had successfully contaminated multitudes and had swayed the clergy and the laity alike into accepting heresies to become heretics and apostates like himself. Nero might have persecuted Christians for a time, but his fist of persecution and the terror he breathed on Christians died with him. However, Arius’ false teachings outlived him for hundreds of years. Arius by his heretic teachings shook the church to the core and sowed a seed of discord and division in the church for about five centuries. Needless to say, his disciples furthered his theology and intensified the deception, leading many into apostasy. Even today Arius is not dead yet; shadows of his heretic teachings linger in Christendom.
What to do
Remember when Jesus was in the wilderness, fasting for forty days and forty nights; afterward, the devil came to tempt Him; and Jesus responded to his three attempts:
When the devil came and said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”, Jesus responded, “It is written, “’Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” When the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.”, Jesus responded, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'” When the devil said to Him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”, Jesus responded, “
Now do not forget who the devil is; he is the first apostate – the first person to turn away from God; he is a liar and the father of all lies. In light of this, he is the father and the source of all heresies, false teachings, and all heretics. Now when the devil, the first apostate and chief heretic himself, tempted our Lord Jesus, the Lord, though had the power to destroy the devil, depended on the word of God, the Scriptures, and quoted the Scriptures to defeat him. Having done that, He has made the precept and shown the way by which His disciples can also defeat the devil who works deception through heretics and apostates.
Conclusion
It is far from over; there is no end to heretics and heresies. As the day of His second advent keeps approaching, more heretics arise. Heretics and apostates – false preachers, false teachers, false prophets, false Christians – are all around you. Some of them may be your friends, your parents, your neighbors, etc. Heretics and apostates, more often than not, would like to share their heresies with others by one-on-one communication or via the television, radio, internet, books, etc. You cannot avoid heretics and their false doctrines – I mean, you would often hear their false doctrines. However, the only way to fend yourself from becoming their victim is to know the Scriptures for yourself so that no one can deceive you. That is what the Holy Spirit has been teaching us to do all this while. It is written –
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:14)