heresy – The Fool Who Would Be Holy

A Few Comments on the Overall Process

Ian Johnson August 21, 2022 0 Comments

Most of the currents of modern Western history can ultimately be traced to the well-meaning decisions of Christian leaders in the early centuries to seek political sponsorship. This led to the inversion of the Gospel message, forced exile of “heretics,” the rise of Islam through the influence of exiled “heretics,” and most of the subsequent upheavals in the Western world.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Changed treatment of each other, Compulsory Christianity, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Ethnic Division, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, Heresy, Islam and Christianity, Islam as a Consequence, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Religious violence and persecution, Repentance, Salvation, Social control and statecraft, Through the church, Truth and Falsehood, Wars as consequences, What is sin?

Christendom, Christian politics, Christianity, Christianity and Islam, Christianity and politics, Divisions in the Church, heresy, heretical movements, History of Christianity

CONCLUSION: THE SELFISH FOCUS OF HERETICS

Ian Johnson June 3, 2021 0 Comments

Even a very respectable denomination’s or church organization’s determination that a teaching is “heresy” cannot be taken, without examination, as absolute truth for two reasons. First, a deliberately divisive person’s–a true “heretic’s”– motives are selfish rather than doctrinal and usually well-hidden behind doctrine. Second, such people sometimes take control of even respectable denominations.

Authority Contests, Denominationalism, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults

church organization, Conclusion, denomination, division, False prophets, false teachers, following, heresy, selfish, selfishness

The “Winning” Faction may be Heretical

Ian Johnson May 31, 2021 2 Comments

Because the truth remains true even if no one believes it, it does not depend on human power relationships. Therefore, it is not safe to label people “heretics” because they disagree with us concerning doctrines that were imposed on our ancestors by right of conquest or that disagree with teachings honored by political leadership or majorities today.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Church purpose versus church growth, Denominationalism, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, God's Voice, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults, Truth and Falsehood, Victory

Falsehood, heresy, Political determination, Right Doctrine, Right of conquest, Truth

Tradition May Support an Heresy

Ian Johnson May 24, 2021 1 Comment

Heresy cannot reliably be diagnosed by comparing individuals’ or other groups’ doctrinal positions or practices to the traditions of my own group and calling any that don’t match well “heretical.” Religious tradition, even Christian religious tradition, may support a heresy. Heresy is the division, not the disagreement.

Authority Contests, Disputes about words, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Religious violence and persecution

Church, Church unity, division, heresy, Religion, Religious tradition, separation, Tradition, Traditionalism

The Departure of Organized Christianity from its Roots, Second through Sixth Centuries CE

Ian Johnson December 25, 2020 1 Comment

This is an outline of the second part of my attempt to link early errors of organized Christianity to the state of the modern world–specifically, in this part, by showing the origins and entrance of specific errors before Muhammad which profoundly affected subsequent history. Links will be added as future posts are written.

A God who Speaks, Adoption, Authority Contests, Background Information, Church History, Islamic History and Secular History Interaction, Church purpose versus church growth, Complex unity, Compulsory Christianity, Discipline or Correction, Disputes about words, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Free will, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's sovereignty, God's Voice, Greed, Heresy, Historical Background, Index, Injustice and Lawsuits, Jesus the Son, Leaving Our First Love, Male and female, Marriage, Marriage and Reproduction, Merit, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Peril of Seeking Numbers, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Prophecy, Purpose of the Church, Quarrels, Regeneration, Religious violence and persecution, Replacing Relationship with Morality, Salvation, Sin, Sins versus sin, Site Index Page, Social control and statecraft, Son of Man, The Bible, Through the church, To be in his image, Trinity, Unity, Wars as consequences, What is God's Word, What is sin?

Christian Divisions, Fifth Century Christianity, Fourth Century Christianity, Hellenistic Phiolosophy, heresy, Heresy hunting, Index, Just War Theory, Monotheism, Roman Law, Roman Law and Jurisprudence, Roman Religion, Rome, Second Century Christianity, Sixth Century Christianity, Syncretism, Third Century Christianity

Conclusion: False Brethren Seek to Bring Us into Bondage

Ian Johnson November 3, 2020 0 Comments

The essence of heresy is division in the Body of Christ, and a “heretic” is one who stealthily introduces division into that Body in order to increase his or her own reputation, power or wealth. In that way, they seek to replace Christ as Head of the Body for their own profit.

Authority Contests, Denominationalism, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults

bondage, false christs, false messiahs, False prophets, heresy, submission

Factions–Following Human Leaders–Leads to Heresy

Ian Johnson October 31, 2020 2 Comments

Christ is not divided. But historically Christianity has been divided into groups following human leaders, past or present, ahead of Christ. The solution is an individual one, letting God perfect our unity with our brothers. It cannot be imposed by a human leader or organization.

Authority Contests, Denominationalism, Divisions in the Church, Personality cults

Denminationalism, Divisions in the Church, factions, heresy, human leaders, personalit cults

On the Other Extreme—1 Timothy 4 and Colossians 2

Ian Johnson October 29, 2020 2 Comments

Divisions in the church have been started not only by leaders who taught license to attract followers, but also by leaders who taught extreme asceticism– that God is only pleased by those who keep the strict rules they prescribe.

Authority Contests, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Leaving Our First Love, Peril of Seeking Power, Replacing Relationship with Morality, Social control and statecraft

asceticism, Divisions, extreme ascetic, heresy, heretic, morality, rules, strictness

The Traditional View of the First Timothy, Titus and Second Peter Passages

Ian Johnson October 27, 2020 1 Comment

The traditional view of the heresy passages in 1 Timothy 6, Titus 3 and 2 Peter 2 actually fosters division by requiring us to shun anyone who disagrees with our denomination’s formal doctrinal statements.

Authority Contests, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Through the church

Christian unity, creed, doctrinal statement, heresy, heretic, traditional meaning of heresy

A Disagreement Over Doctrine does Not Necessarily Lead to Heresy—Acts 15

Ian Johnson October 20, 2020 1 Comment

Doctrinal disputes, even over such heavy subjects as our relationship to the Law of Moses, can be settled peacefully within the Church, as shown by the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Through the church

Acts 15, Apostles, circumcision, Council of Jerusalem, Disagreements, doctrinal disagreements, doctrine, heresy, Law of Moses, partisan, partisanship, party, peaceful resolution

Tag Archive: heresy

A Few Comments on the Overall Process

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CONCLUSION: THE SELFISH FOCUS OF HERETICS

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The “Winning” Faction may be Heretical

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Tradition May Support an Heresy

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The Departure of Organized Christianity from its Roots, Second through Sixth Centuries CE

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Conclusion: False Brethren Seek to Bring Us into Bondage

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Factions–Following Human Leaders–Leads to Heresy

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On the Other Extreme—1 Timothy 4 and Colossians 2

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The Traditional View of the First Timothy, Titus and Second Peter Passages

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A Disagreement Over Doctrine does Not Necessarily Lead to Heresy—Acts 15

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Tag Archive: heresy

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