New Warhorn Media post by Tim Bayly:
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I’m going to ask a really dumb question here: at one point does a difference over a point of theology become heretical, by which I mean: that the person holding a particular belief cannot therefore be counted a Christian?
To explain: we acknowledge differences between Reformed thinking and what we can loosely refer to as “Arminianism” but neither outlook would normally refer to the other as being heretical. Ditto for questions over believers’-baptism. We do point out errors such as:
- paedocommunion
- CS Lewis, on e.g. his views on the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture
- old-earth creationism
There are then any number of things we would refer to as gross error, if not heretical. What I am wanting to work out is: where do we draw the line, and why?
For several years, I’ve been thinking over this question almost constantly, and just this morning it was Mary Lee’s and my discussion on the way to and home from worship. The discussion was spawned by a communication from a close relative which, apropos to nothing, included the statement concerning her husband’s daughter, “his daughter, who is a pastor, said etc.” The mention of this sin was entirely extraneous, and it’s my perception this is normal/common when she talks about her husband’s daughter.
So how serious is this? Serious enough to respond with warning that this is a sinful condition her stepdaughter is in, and sin should be hidden (or at least some effort expended to keep it so)? Should the parading of women pastors in casual conversation be treated and elicit responses like fornication, adultery, sodomy, theft, gossip, greed, use of contraceptives, etc.; or rather, saying “shit” or not waiting for the hostess to take the first bite or saying “human” to avoid God’s name “man” or “adam” for our race, or getting snarky here?
I don’t mention this to stake a position on your question, but to agree it is exceedingly important today when the most fundamental laws of God are being trimmed or outright defied by Christians of the most conservative commitments. However, I’ve said since I was young that feminism is a heresy, and that its attack and rebellion is not against the authority of man, but the authority of God the Father Almighty.
We have refused to oppose this terrible evil and now have a whirlwind of sexual rebellion no one would ever have predicted when I was a teenager. Ever ever. And we have complementarianism to thank for this to no little degree. Damn complementariansim, I say.
Others’ thoughts? Love,
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I miss Fr. Bill.
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I think heresy deals less with what you have to believe and more what you can’t deny. Do you absolutely need to believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian? Not sure St Mark seemed to think so… but you can’t deny it. Do you need to believe in male headship? Well you can’t deny the Fatherhood of God. Do you need to understand and defend a full view of penal substitutionary atonement to be saved? I don’t think so…but you can’t deny that Jesus came to offer his life in the place of sinners.
That seems to me to get us closer to what heresy involves… not a full list of what one must believe to be orthodox, but what one can’t deny and still be in the fold of the Saviour.
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This is an interesting idea, and I’ve never thought of it on those terms. I think you would have to have Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 as a list of what you have to believe though.
15 Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
This is the starting point (not a full list) , then go to what you can’t deny. At least, so it seems to me.
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