Historical Church Series -The Early Heretics: Introduction

Hello again, my friends, I hope this post finds you all doing well. Today I want to start a new series, which is going to be in tandem with a new series on Tuesdays, Lord willing. What I’d like to do is go thru the basic Biblical doctrines of the faith held by Christians throughout church history. Not secondary issues, where we can disagree and yet still have fellowship with one another, but the primary issues that separate believers from heretics. In the series on Tuesdays I’m going to be setting those doctrines side by side with modern examples of cults or heretics. To match this, on Friday’s I’m going to be listing the historical heretics that were opposed uniformly by the church. I think, by the end of these two series, we’ll all agree that there is nothing new under the sun.

What brought this about is the new city we’ve moved to. It’s the most religiously minded area we’ve ever seen. I’ve rarely met new people here that didn’t recommend their church to us. We see in every town we go to that there are churches on every corner, that’s not new. But what is unique is that, come Sunday, those parking lots are full here. No one is out shopping or garage selling, few cars are seen parked in front of homes or apartments, I’ve never seen anything like it. In the majority of business’ we’ve been to we’ve been greeted by Christian music playing, gospel tracts set up on tables, Scripture or crosses hung on the walls, and even a verse mixed into the conversation by workers. As such, along side many different denominations, prosperity churches, and an impressive community of reformed churches, are the cults.

From where we live we can see the golden figure atop a Mormon temple, daily reminding me of the lost laboring under works righteous systems. It’s brought me to refresh my understanding of each cult, how they differ from Christianity, and how best to share the Gospel with them. In my research I have seen such a stark similarity to the heretics of old that I wonder if founders for these cults were reading heretical writings when creating the new religions. I’ve certainly seen the men we’ll be discussing on Friday often quoted by members of these cults when debating Christians. If we, as believers, are unaware of these men and what they stood for, we won’t know how to answer them.

My purpose for these two concurrent series is to edify and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to share the Gospel with the lost. My purpose is not to raise up our beliefs as if we ourselves are so much better than anyone else. We’re not. Most of us came out of these false religions, and we all know that we owe our salvation to God alone. Through Christ we have been saved, by grace not by works, we have nothing in our wretched hearts to boast about. If we boast, it will be in the Lord, His kindness, His grace and mercy poured out on us. That while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, should be sufficient to remove any pride we might feel. I hope to write humbly, with all humility, about the doctrines which we hold, and the men who have attempted to subvert them.

I pray this topic will be a blessing to you all, dear ones. Please pray for me, as I approach this topic, full of sorrow and broken-heartedness. The lost, the lost, that God would give me a heart which continuously cries out for the lost! How many do we pass, brothers and sisters? How many do we see, marching their way rebelliously to eternity? Let them do so, as Spurgeon said, with us holding on to their knees! Desperately trying to get them to turn around. As always, beloved brethren, be good Berean’s and study to show yourselves approved.