Here is an example of a heretical organization from history.
This organization was regarded as heretical by orthodox (traditional) Christianity in the 16th Century.
Protestantism (16th Century)
Protestant groups display a wide variety of different doctrines. However, virtually all claim to believe
in the teachings of
sola scriptura (“by Scripture alone”—the idea that we must use only the Bible when
forming our theology) and
sola fide (“by faith alone”— the idea that we are justified by faith only).
The great diversity of Protestant doctrines stems from the doctrine of private judgment, which denies
the infallible authority of the Church and claims that each individual is to interpret Scripture for himself.
This idea is rejected in 2 Peter 1:20, where we are told the first rule of Bible interpretation: “First of all you
must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” A significant
feature of this heresy is the attempt to pit the Church “against” the Bible, denying that the magisterium
has any infallible authority to interpret Scripture. This doctrine of private judgment has resulted in thousands
of different Christian denominations and quasi-Christian splinter groups throughout history.
By the way, it is not
sola fide (by faith alone) anyway; it's by grace through faith.
I find it problematic when Bible dictionaries take a word use in the first century with a particular range of meanings, and give it a special novel meaning that goes beyond the common sense of it, when it appears in the Bible. Hairesis was not identifying false doctrine, but in common use, described schools of thought, one could choose between, even within what might be considered a generally orthodox stream. To make hairesis a word that specifies
false doctrines when used in the Bible is to employ a special pleading fallacy, There is no need to overlay the idea of "false doctrine" onto hairesis in the Bible. The texts make perfect sense when it simply encompasses its common usual meaning of one school among several that students may choose join. Heresies or schools or parties become problematic when they become divisive and exclude other schools from membership in the general stream of Christianity unless they are willing to swir=tch their allegiance to your school. This is what Diotrephes was guilty of doing.
3Jo 1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not.
3Jo 1:10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and forbids them that would, and casts
them out of the church.
Paul addresses the same heretical behaviour to the Corinthians.
1 Cor. 3: 3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but
as unto carnal, even
as unto babes in Christ.
2 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: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not
carnal, and walk as men?
4
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own
labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's
work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's
work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's
work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21
Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's;
22
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come;
all are your's;
23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
It is actually heresy to be denouncing and breaking fellowship with other Christians who love and trust Jesus, when the differences are merely doctrinal. That is the divisive "party spirit" rebuked in scripture. It is fine to disagree over the meaning of scripture and to contrast the pros and cons of the different views. But we need to remember that we will be judged for our works, and if we are building with heretick-hunting hay, straw and stubble on the foundation of Christ, rather than works of self-sacrificial and Jesus honouring, church unifying love, our sectarian shrine will become ashes.
1
