What is heresy?

[for_his_glory]

There are only two spirits that operate as one is a false Jezebel spirit that teaches error (heresies) from mans doctrine (carnal logical mind) then you have the spirit of truth that is the Holy Spirit that teaches us all things God wants us to learn, John 14:26. 1John 4:1-4 teaches us how to discern which spirit is speaking to us.

2Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Rev 2:20 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.

You might want to look up Jezebel in 1Kings 16:31, 32; 18:4-13; 19:1, 2; 21:1-22 to understand what this spirit is that dwells in many churches.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Relax, my friend, I'm not suggesting that creeds or confessions replace the Bible.

However, the OP expressed concern over damnable heresy, and I'm suggesting to him the Nicene Creed as a simple way of remembering the essentials of the Faith and having peace of mind. Everything in the Bible is important and we strive to understand it all, but not everything is essential to Salvation. In other words, no one risks eternal damnation by being in error on the fine points of the TULIP, but the Trinity is kind of an important doctrine.

Let's not make Salvation hard. Stick to the Nicene Creed and we can argue all the other points.

But the Nicene does make salvation harder than it is and with the required baptism, it preaches legalism. That last line in your favored Creed, written by the Catholics, I believe, makes baptism a requirement or you go to Hell and that is not true. By this standard, created by some man, the convert on his or her death bed are going to Hell because they cannot get to a baptismal. WEre I lost today and to convert tonight, i would go to Hell because I can no longer get out of my bed? That is what you are saying when you suggest a person adhere to the Creed that is not one hundred true to the scriptures.

Stay with the Word of God and "forget" the empty words of men. Sorry, but it matters.

 

[antipasta]

You're really overthinking this, th1. The inclusion of baptism in the creed does not refer to baptism by water, it refers to spiritual baptism, ie. Regeneration.

Consider 1 Peter 3:21

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Also consider Acts 2:38, from which the statement in the creed is almost directly taken:

And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

So, this particular creed is quite orthodox and useful. Hold to it, and you are in no danger of damnable heresy.

 

[jocor]

So, this particular creed is quite orthodox and useful. Hold to it, and you are in no danger of damnable heresy.

The Nicene Creed has several unscriptural portions in it. I will be starting a new thread about that topic.

 

[th1b.taylor]

You're really overthinking this, th1. The inclusion of baptism in the creed does not refer to baptism by water, it refers to spiritual baptism, ie. Regeneration.

Consider 1 Peter 3:21

Also consider Acts 2:38, from which the statement in the creed is almost directly taken:

So, this particular creed is quite orthodox and useful. Hold to it, and you are in no danger of damnable heresy.

No, agreed, not the creed but except you cease to handle the Word of God as a beginner, the folks you try to help will be. The manner we handle the Word of God has never been a light matter but you seek to make light of it. At least thirty-five years before I converted, when i heard men or/and women speak of baptism, I knew what they spoke of when they spoke of baptism and it had nothing to do with Spiritual Matters and up to the time I met and was baptized by Brother Richard Clarke of Mississippi, nobody, Christian nor Lost Man spoke of the Spiritual implications of the Acts or for that matter, any of the Text of scripture.

How can a lost man, possibly know? God explained it to us, the Bible is a mystery to any man except he or she be indwelt of the Holy Spirit. No lost man will ever have that guidance except he cross that divide and except you begin to handle the Word more carefully, explaining as I am trying to have a self proclaiming Christian to see the truth.

You are presenting yourself as an indwelt man of the Most High God as am I, is one of us wrong? I cannot open the Word of God without God speaking to me, I cannot sit in the bathroom and think without the Holy Spirit helping me to pray or/and to meditate on the Word of God, I am saved because the Spirit of God sooths my soul when I need it and is offended when he usess my eyes and sees teaching that is wrong but is presented as the Gospel and brother, the creed is not the Gospel and that last sentence was not presented by God for the edification of the lost man nor for the saints.

You are reading into the statement what is not said and absolutely what violates general kowledge and the person you were giving it to is seeking the spiritual comfort of the Holy
spirit. That is a matter of great concern to God, remember, he who causes the least of these to stumble...?

 

[th1b.taylor]

The Nicene Creed has several unscriptural portions in it. I will be starting a new thread about that topic.

Thank you Jocor.

 

[antipasta]

Call me crazy, but I have a definite feeling that some of my Protestant cousins are not down with creeds and confessions. 2

It's okay, I still look forward to seeing you in Heaven.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Call me crazy, but I have a definite feeling that some of my Protestant cousins are not down with creeds and confessions. 2

It's okay, I still look forward to seeing you in Heaven.

Okay, just please treat the word of God with the gravity due it... it is life or eternal death.

 

[Wrg1405]

1. First of all let's be very clear that only those who have been born again are Christians, and that the New Birth comes by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and turning from our sins and idols (John 1:12,13; Acts 3:19). Water baptism DOES NOT save. So a genuine Christian is one who has been born of God, born of the Spirit, born from above, born again.

2. Whoever shares the Gospel with children or adults cannot avoid teaching them that the day they get saved (or shortly thereafter), they must be baptized because that is Christ's command (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:47).

3. After a person has been shown from Scripture what water baptism means for the believer, that person must obey Christ as commanded (Acts 10:44-48).

4. If a person refuses to be baptized as a believer, and claims that he or she is a genuine Christian, then they are simply deceiving themselves. They are already disobedient to God and Christ.

5. If a person goes around teaching others that water baptism is not a necessity for a believer and has not been commanded by Christ, then that is heresy. Why is it heresy? Because it clearly subverts and controverts the explicit teaching and commandment of Christ and the apostles.

I agree with you in that we should encourage and teach others to be baptised. This I have done with others that I have spoken to who have not been baptised. In fact to me there seems to be a deeper spiritual element to baptism. This may sound silly but to me when I was baptised that seems to have been a marker point in my life. Whenever I struggle or have doubts I always seem to come back that point. I always come back to Jesus and the indentification that I proclaimed on that day.

However with my children we have never told them to get baptised, we have discussed baptism with them and it's significance. They all professed faith in Jesus at an early age however we felt it right for them to make the decision because of the faith they claim as their own. I'm not sure that if a child at the age of 6 asks Jesus into their life we should then tell them to get baptised. Open to correction.

As for a Christian who refuses to get baptised, rather than question they are a Christian or not we need to get to the bottom of why they will not get baptised. My nephew would not get baptised because he felt he we too sinful and that he felt that he needed be perfect to get baptised. So we got the root of the issue, worked it through then he got baptised.

I even came across someone who was so frightened of talking in public. There seems to be a pressure to give a testimony when one gets baptised in front of the whole church. This caused great panic. I just said "You don't have give a testimony as expected, all you need to say is "I believe in Jesus that is why I'm getting baptised"

That they did.