Understanding Heresy and Division

From Salt Lake City, Utah. This is HOTM, where we are learning together how to walk as believers in the age of fulfillment. And I'm your host, Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion..

Heresy in the Evangelical Community

This is the short show. Most of you know that some people in the Evangelical Community consider me a heretic. That is a terrifying word to many religious devotees – almost as frightening as Cult or Cult Leader, right? What honest believer in Jesus wants to be in a relationship with a heretic? Nobody. And so the word carries with it a lot of power and when bandied about can ruin the reputation of people.

We find the word HA-HEE-RET-EE-KOS only used once in all of the Apostolic Record. It’s in Titus where Paul is giving Titus instructions on how to govern the church in that age and says in chapter 3 at verse 10:

10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

I can hear the biblical literalists and police officers of the faith right now, can’t you – boldly imposing this single verse on anyone who thinks or teaches things differently than the status quo. In our day, heretic, means someone whose doctrine is considered errant or unorthodox. That in and of itself is humorous because it automatically staunches the desire to seek for truth and contribute to people fearing to go against the grain of established doctrine and practice – something our very Lord and Kind made a ministry of.

The Meaning of Heresy

And as stated, it’s a term that automatically kills fellowship and communication with other believers. Ironically, and this is really an irony – the meaning of the word heretic, as Paul used it here in his letter to Timothy, best means, “a promoter of a sect or separate party.”

In the end this clearly points to people who strive to cause divisions in the body of believers. They are the ones who divide over special points of doctrine from others and refuse to unite with others in the faith over points of opinion and differences! Isn’t that amazing? I am considered heretical because I have some views that are considered unorthodox but with these views I have ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS promoted unity among the faith.

But others, who consider themselves orthodox, come in and playing the role of a real heretic, divide the body up and away from each other! To Paul, a heretic in the faith was a believer who promoted and caused DIVISION. The Greek word is synonymous with schismatic. Rending the body apart. Toward such Paul tells Titus to reject them after they have been warned a first and second time (or twice).

Roman 16:17: Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Encouragement for Unity

We know that division of the bride was a MAJOR focus for Paul and the other apostles and their aim was to do everything possible to keep the bride united and pure amidst all sorts of external and internal circumstances that worked to break her (schitzo) apart. Such divisions and infights were a clear sign of spiritual immaturity and carnality as Paul makes clear in 1st Corinthians 3:2 when he wrote:

I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: which is proven by the fact that there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not then carnal, and walk as men?

From all these factors we can readily see the import of unity in the faith, and possessing the mature to realize and accept that people will can and do have very different opinions over matters but the where such always seek to unite in love, heretics – true heretics in the traditional sense of the word, react to differences among the faith by causing believers to divide, break up, and separate from one another.

This is the bread and butter of our modern-day Pharisees, is it not? Paul adds to the description of such a divider, saying:

11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

Look around carefully and ask aloud, will the real heretics please stand up? as defined by those who are constantly finger pointing, name calling, striving to split believers up.

The Response to Division

However, when they do, and they raise their heads up upon their stiff necks, our response is to love them, believe the best about them, and welcome them into fellowship always – even though they will not ever reciprocate.

Community Engagement

Write thy Commentaries below and we will read them on our Tuesday Nights long show.

Upcoming Interviews

By the way you really want to check out Tomorrow nights interview with Charlie Clark. His story is just beautiful.

See you then, here on Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology..