Page Summary: Biblical studies on heresies and sects, heresy, orthodoxy, adoptionism, albigenses, antinomianism, apollinarianism, arianism, arianism, audianism, bogomils, Catharism, Circumcisers, Docetism, donatism, ebionite, encratite, euchites, eutychianism, gallicanism, gnosticism, iconoclsm, jansenism, judiazers, kenosis, lollard, lollardism, luciferians, Mandaeism, Manichaeism, Marcionism, modalism, monarchianism, monophysitism, monothelitism, montanism, neo-platonism, nestorianism, ophites, patripassianism, sabellianism, semi-plegianism, socianianism, tritheism, waldensians,

David Cox's Library of Religious Works Main Page
38 Heresies and Sects

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38.00 General Works on Heretics and Heresies <go to top>ç

GENERAL WORKS ON HERESIES

Geisler, Norman - How to Approach Bible Difficulties (a) 216K (14 pages)
Machen, J Gresham - The Virgin Birth (b) 2.8MB (640 pgs).
Martin, Walter - Essential Christianity  (b) 483K (137 pages)
Martin, Walter - Kingdom of the Cults  (b) 2.7MB (808 pages)
McCallum - The Canonicity Question (a) 55K (5 pages) 16 Bibliology
Wace - A Dictionary of Christian Biography (sects&Heresies) (b) 9.5MB (2063 pages)
Wylie, J.A. - Papacy, History, Dogmas  (b) (I) 1.5MB (330 pages)

Also consult general works on church history
Robertson, J C - Sketches of Church History (b) 680k (83 pages) E-Sword
·Schaff, Philip - v1 Apostolic Christianity. A.D. 1-100  (b) 4MB (602 pages)
·Schaff, Philip - v2 Ante-Nicene Christianity. A.D. 100-325  (b) 3MB (609 pages)
·Schaff, Philip - v3 Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity. A.D. 311-600.  (b) 3MB (658 pages)
·Schaff, Philip - v4 Mediaeval Christianity. A.D. 590-1073  (b) 2MB (507 pages)
·Schaff, Philip - v5 The Middle Ages. A.D. 1049-1294  (b) 1.7MB (492 pages)
·Schaff, Philip - v6 The Middle Ages. A.D. 1294-1517  (b) 1.6MB (450 pages)
·Schaff, Philip - v7 Modern Christianity. The German Reformation  (b) 2MB (447 pages)
·Schaff, Philip - v8 Modern Christianity. The Swiss Reformation  (b) 2.4MB (552 pages)

GENERAL WEBSITES ON HERESIES

Sites:
Doctrine and Heresies in the Early Church,
Heresies Occult and New Age Movement,
Heresies then and Now (with Refutations),
A Biblical Guide to Orthodoxy and Heresy (Good general definitions of Orthodoxy and Heresy),

EXTRA TO CHALLENGE YOUR THINKING

Viola, Frank A - Rethinking the Wine Skin, The Practice of the New Testament Church  (b) 647K (105 pages)  (Takes position modern clergy is unbiblical, churches should not have pastors nor clergy.)

Zaspel - Altar Call Harmful or Helpful  (a) 180K (16 pages) (See also 37.03 34.08) (Altar calls are unbiblical.)

38.01 Definitions: Heresy and Orthodoxy <go to top>

What is a Heresy and from who's point of view - Please note that "heresies" are described here not necessarily from a personal point of view of the author, David Cox (which is fundamental Baptist), but from a historical point of view as to others who recognize some group or movement as a "heresy" or "heretic". For example, Iconoclasts are icon smashers which the Roman Catholic Church sees as a heresy, but I personally would consider a return to biblical Christianity. In some cases, the identification of a "heresy" is purely informative, and is for understanding how others deal with an issue, such as the Catholics seeing Protestantism as a heresy. Some Baptists reject the terminology of "Protestant" for themselves complaining that to be a Protestant is to be leaving the Catholic Church in "protest", which means you accept having once been part of the Catholic church. (Protestantism is not included here as a heresy by the way.) The issue in Protestantism is that the Catholic church claims to have its roots all the way back into the New Testament, but the doctrines and practices of the Catholic church today is not anything like what was in the New Testament and the early years of the church. Evil ministers sought to gain influence and control over Christians (this is the same as the New Testament) and these men put forth defenses, false doctrine, and invented practices and doctrines to support their control structures. This is the origin of the Catholic church, and it has a mutual "history" which New Testament Christianity, but Catholicism is not NT Christianity but any means. Catholicism is itself a break away heresy from true Christianity, and this can be seen by Paul's great doctrinal theses in his epistle to Romans and Galatians, where he defended justification by faith without works, which the Catholic church does not and has not in the past believed in.

38.02 Where did (all) Heresies Originate? <go to top>

Where all heresies originate from - We should clarify a point here before starting on the heresies. All heresies come from the same source, error from the revealed Word of God. Someone once said, "Say what the Bible says, no more, no less, no changes." This is the wisest advice every given to keep people from heresies. Changing what the Bible clearly says is where heresies come from. But they also come from speculation on what the Bible has not said. In most of these heresies, there is a central point which is beneficial to all Christians, and that is that heresies causes us to go back to the Bible to find out what the Bible really says. Refutation of heresy falls into two categories, #1 expositing clear Scripture verses that contradict the claims of a false belief or practice. #2 admission that the Bible is silent on a point and we should be also. At times a supposed heresy or even in a real heresy, clear points of the Bible are made that maybe do not contradict the heresy, but by way of explaining issues, we are all benefited from these clarifications.

Danger of  Systematic Theologies - This clarifies one of the greatest dangers in systematic theology in general. The effort to make a "systematized" presentation of theology (what the Bible teaches) often enters into areas of speculation and logic on and over Scripture and logic and speculation over speculation that results in a false basis. Being in a systematic theology, this logic and speculation tends to want to absorb the character of "thus saith the Lord" from Scriptures when in reality, it is not definitely stated by God. When we put authority in these manmade theological systems, we slowly move off of the authority of God's word. This is seen very evidently in many Calvinists who end up through their Calvinistic theological systems with practices and beliefs that are just clearly not biblical.

• The origin of the word "heresy" - comes from the Greek airesis, to choose, carrying the meaning of a choice of beliefs or faction of dissident believers. The term was popularized by Irenaeus in his tract Contra Haereses (Against Heresies) to describe and discredit his opponents. He described his own position as "orthodox" (from Greek ortho "straight" plus doxa "thinking"). Heresy as a concept is very much a matter of opinion, generally being understand as individuals or a faction of a larger group that takes a different viewpoint on certain doctrinal or conduct related issues, and separates from the main group (to which they are considered "heretics"). For heresy to exist in a group, there must be a basis of established doctrine in the main group, and a group which "breaks" from a doctrinal position or conduct of the main group.
• First "heretics" - From a purist standpoint, Jesus and his disciples could be considered the first heretics of the New Testament age, because they broke with mainline Judaism on many issues. Paul and the Apostles followed this by breaking with the Judaizers. (From a different better viewpoint, the Judaizers were the heretics that broke with the clear teaching of the Old Testament, Jesus, and the Apostles.) In the early post apostolic church, the first heretics were seen in the 2nd century: Marcion, the Montanism (Montano), and the Gnostic Valentinus. Tertullian's "Prescription against Heretics" and Irenaesus' "Against Heresies" (ca 180) were early efforts against heresy.
• Persecutions against Heretics - In the first 3 centuries of the early church, Christianity in general was the outlaw, and Roman government dictated veneration and worship of the Roman emperor and Roman gods. The church had no power to deal with heretics.
• Synonyms of "heretic" - Heretics were also called "fools", "wild dogs", "servants of Satan".

38.03 Ancient Recognized Heresies <go to top>

We differentiate these heresies in church history from other heresies modern and ancient in that these are generally recognized by a large corporate body (usually the church in some sense) as being "heretical".

38.03.01 Adoptionism (2nd Century) <go to top>

God granted Jesus powers and then adopted him as a Son.

• Denies the preexistence of Christ and therefore His deity.
• Teaches that Jesus was tested by God and after passing this test and upon His baptism, He was granted supernatural powers by God and adopted as the Son.
• As a reward for His great accomplishments and perfect character Jesus was raised from the dead and adopted into the Godhead.
• Arose out of attempts of people to understand the two natures of Jesus.
• In the 8th century this heresy was revived in Spain by Elipandus, Archbishop of Toledo, and Felix, bishop of Urgel.
• In 789 Pope Leo III condemned this as heresy.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.02 Albigenses <go to top>

Reincarnation and two gods: one god and other evil.

• Started in middle ages in Albi, Southern France.
• Taught 2 gods: one good (god of light, usually Jesus of NT) and god of darkness and evil (Satan and identified as the "God of the Old Testament").
• Anything material was evil, including the body (presumed to be created by the god Satan).
• The soul, created by the good god, was imprisoned in evil flesh and salvation was only possible through good works and holy living. If good enough, his soul is freed on death, and if not he is reincarnated into another body.
• Hence they denied the resurrection of the body, because being material, it is always evil.
• Believed Jesus was God, but only appeared like a man while on earth.
• Taught the Catholic church was corrupt and to be rejected.
• Asceticism and humility won many converts because of the affluence and depravity of the Catholic clergy of the time.
• There were two types of Albigenses:  believers and Perfects.  Believers were Albigenses who had not taken the initiation rite of being a Perfect.  Perfects denounced all material possession.  They abstained from meat, milk, cheese, eggs, and sexual relations.  To become a Perfect a believer had to go through consolamentum, an initiation rite involving the laying on of hands that was supposed to bring the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Infrequently, suicide was practiced as a way to rid oneself of the evil human body.
• In 1208, Peter de Castelnau, an official representative of the Pope, was murdered by an Albigenses.  Since they had been growing in number, becoming a threat, and would not convert to Christianity, Pope Innocent III ordered them to be wiped out.   The persecution was fierce and the movement was stopped. CARM.ORG

See also these sites:  CARM

38.03.03 Antinomianism <go to top>

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.04 Apollinarianism (c. 350) <go to top>

Jesus divine will overshadowed and replaced the human. Jesus was fully God, but only partially or incompletely man.

• Apollinaris' (c. 350) views of Christ's nature were condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 381.
• Name: Taken from Apollinaris the Younger, bishop of Laodicea in Syria about 361.
• Taught Logos of God (John 1) became the divine nature of Christ, and took the place of the rational human soul of Jesus and that the body of Christ was a glorified form of human nature. Jesus was a man, but he did not have a human mind, only the mind of Christ which was solely divine.
• Taught two natures could not coexist in the single person of Christ, so he lessened the human nature of Christ.
• Apollinarianism was condemned by the Second General Council at Constantinople in 381.
• Denies the true and complete humanity in the person of Jesus which jeopardizes the value of atonement which demands that Jesus be both man and God to truly atone.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.05 Arianism (4th Century) (318 A.D.) <go to top>

Jesus was divine, but a lesser, created being, but yet more than human.

Arius (c.250-336 AD) taught that Christ was a creature made by God. By disguising his heresy using orthodox or near-orthodox terminology, he was able to sow great confusion in the Church. He was able to muster the support of many bishops, while others excommunicated him. Arianism was solemnly condemned in 325 at the First Council of Nicaea, which defined the divinity of Christ, and in 381 at the First Council of Constantinople, which defined the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Arius disagreed with the Bishop of Alexander of Alexandria's idea of the Trinity. Arius thought that Alexander was confusing the Son with the Father, who stressed the divinity of the Logos and also his exact likeness with the Father. Arius argued that Jesus, the Logos, was a "creature" who was "begotten" of the Father, who was "unbegotten." Arius, like Origen, believed that the Father was the only true God. The Nicene Creed was written to respond to Arianism.

Athanasius (c 296-373 AD) later Bishop of Alexandria, was on the other side of the issue argued that the Word (John 1:1-18) became man, the Word did not come into a man. In 325 AD Emperor Constantine ordered a debate to settle the matter. This church council took place in Nicea (in Bithynia). Arius lost the debate, and the view of Athanasius became the view of the church. The doctrine of Homoousios (that Christ was of one or the same substance with the Father) was affirmed. This council produced the Nicene Creed.

Nicene Creed - “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all thingsboth visible and invisible; and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Only begotten of the Father, that is to say, of the substance of the Father, God of God and Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made, both things in heaven and things on earth; who, for us men and for our salvation, came down and was made flesh, was made man, suffered, and rose again on the third day, went up into the heavens, and is to come again to judge both the quick and the dead; and in the Holy Ghost.” 

By some estimates about half of Christendom were Arians at its peak in 4th century, and perhaps because of this Arianism was one of or the greatest threat to Christianity of all these heresies.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.06 Audianism (4th Century) <go to top>

• Name: Audius (or Audaeus).
• Anthropomorphism - Holding that God has human form.
• Quartodecimanism - honoring the death of Christ on the same day as the Jewish Passover.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.07 Bogomils (10th Century) <go to top>

• Time frame: 950 AD to 1396 AD.
• Name: Following the doctrines of the Bogomils.
• Gnostic dualistic sect.
• Taught God had two sons, elder Satanail, and younger Michael. The elder rebelled against the Father and became an evil spirit. The younger, Michael, came to redeem mankind and vanish Satanail. (This is similar to Mormon theology.)
• Rejected any show of pleasure, but did not carry it to the level of asceticism.
• Synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and local Slavonic Church reform movement in Bulgaria.
• Rejected trained priests and instead opting for laymen as their spiritual guides.
• Denied divine birth of Christ.
• Denied personal coexistence of the Son and the Father and the Holy Ghost.
• Denied the validity of sacraments and ceremonies.
• Rejected title theotokos (Mother of God) for Mary.
• Refused all veneration of Mary.
• Jesus' miracles were interpreted in a spiritual sense, not literal.
• Baptism restricted to grown men and women, repudiating infant baptism. Considered the real representation of baptism to be self-abnegation.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.08 Catharism (11th Century) <go to top>

Similar to Gnostics, matter was evil, spirit is good.

Catharism was a complicated mix of non-Christian religions reworked with Christian terminology. The Cathars had many different sects; they had in common a teaching that the world was created by two deities, one evil (so matter, the world, was evil) and another deity that created the spirit and heaven, and we must worship the good deity instead. They associated the evil god with the God of the Old Testament.

The Albigensians formed one of the largest Cathar sects. They took from the Bible's teaching of the dynamic conflict between our "flesh" and our "spirit" and taught that the spirit was created by God, and was good, while the body was created by an evil god, and the spirit must be freed from the body. Having children was one of the greatest evils, since it entailed imprisoning another "spirit" in flesh. Logically, marriage was forbidden, though fornication was permitted. Tremendous fasts and severe mortifications of all kinds were practiced, and their leaders went about in voluntary poverty.

• Docetists - Jesus was spirit, not flesh nor a real human being. He only appeared to be human. Thus they rejected the doctrine of Christ dying on the cross (an impossibility for a spirit being), and His resurrection (also an impossibility).
•  Held that Jesus was an exalted being, but not the same as God the Father.
• Reincarnation - Held that the souls of men were trapped in bodies, and could only be freed by multiple iterations.
• Cathars were considered such a threat in the Middle Ages that both a Crusade and a Papal Inquisition were launched against them. The Albigensian Crusade (named for the French city of Albi, a Cathar stronghold), lasted 20 years and saw astonishing violence, the most famous being in July 22, 1209 when the city Beziers was sacked and 20,000 men, women, and children killed by the crusaders. The Cathars that survived were wiped out by the Papal Inquisition of 1227, finished off by the burning of 215 Cathar leaders at the Castle of Montsegur in 1244. By the beginning of the 14th century the Cathars were extinct.

  See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.09 Circumcisers (1st Century) <go to top>

Jewish rite of Circumcision is necessary for N.T. salvation.

The Circumcision heresy may be summed up in the words of Acts 15:1: "But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’"  Many of the early Christians were Jews, who brought to the Christian faith many of their former practices. They recognized in Jesus the Messiah predicted by the prophets and the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Because circumcision had been required in the Old Testament for membership in God’s covenant, many thought it would also be required for membership in the New Covenant that Christ had come to inaugurate. They believed one must be circumcised and keep the Mosaic law to come to Christ. In other words, one had to become a Jew to become a Christian.

But God made it clear to Peter in Acts 10 that Gentiles are acceptable to God and may be baptized and become Christians without circumcision. The same teaching was vigorously defended by Paul in his epistles to the Romans and the Galatians—to areas where the Circumcision heresy had spread.

See also these sites:.

38.03.10 Docetism (110 A.D.) <go to top>

Jesus was divine, but only seemed to be human.

Jesus was wholly God, but his humanity and suffering only seemed to be real. The name of this heresy comes from the Greek word dokesis, to seem. Ignatius warned the church of Smyrna of the danger of this new heresy. "Docetist" was first used to identify a particular group in Serapion's condemnation of the Gospel of Peter (c 190). Eusebius reports that Serapion forbade use of the Gospel of Peter on the basis of its docetism (Eusebius, EH VI.xii).

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.11 Donatism (311 A.D.) <go to top>

Validity of sacraments depends on character (personal holiness) of the minister.

Donatism, named after its leader Donatus the Great, was a form of North African Christianity that glorify martyrdom ("the cult of the martyrs"). The Donatist controversy emerged about 311 but its origins were in the times following Diocletian's first edict against Christians (February 303).

The roots of the Donatist schism date back to the 3^rd century.  In c. 250 A.D., Roman Emperor Decius ordered the persecution of Christians.  As a result of this persecution, the Bishop of Rome Fabianus was murdered, and Church Father Origen was jailed. Many Christians (including some priests and bishops) committed apostasy – denying Christ to save themselves from persecution.  After the persecutions ebbed in 251 A.D., the question was asked “Should priests that committed apostasy be allowed back into the church?”

Roman churchman Novatian (c. 200–258 A.D.) argued against admitting those that committed apostasy back into the church.  After losing the election to fill the vacant position of Bishop of Rome in 251 A.D., Novatian and his followers split away from the Catholic Church.   Among their views:  

• Priests who had apostatized in the face of Roman persecution should not be allowed to dispense the sacraments

• Sacraments administered by the unworthy were invalid

• A holy church could not contain unholy members

By 254 A.D., however, when it was clear that Novatian was not receiving support from outside his circle of followers, many of the followers of Novatian had fled, or desired (re)entry into the Catholic Church.  This led the established church to have to confront the issue of whether those that had been baptized by Novatianists could be accepted into the Catholic Church without being rebaptized. 

A great debate was waged between Bishop (254-56 A.D.) Stephen of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage (c. 195–258 A.D.), who argued that baptisms given by schismatics were not real baptisms at all.  Stephen, whose view ultimately prevailed noted that baptism belongs to Christ, not the church, and the standing of the baptizer is not the relevant issue.

A similar situation arose in the early fourth century.  Emperor Diocletian had ordered the persecution of Christians throughout the empire (303 – 306 A.D.), and many Christians (including some bishops and priests) had committed apostasy.  After Constantine came into power, the question of the mid-third century remained – what to do about those that had committed apostasy?  The situation boiled over at Carthage in 311 A.D. when an archdeacon named Caecilianus was ordained by a bishop that was suspected of having committed apostasy during the Diocletian persecution.  In retaliation, the Donatists set up a rival Bishop of Carthage (Majorinus in 311 A.D.; Donatus in 315 A.D.). 

In time, the Donatists became a schismatic sect, claiming that they were the only true Christians.  The Donatists refused to accept baptisms performed in the Catholic Church, claiming they were invalid.  The Donatists also insisted that a baptism performed by an “impure” priest was not valid.

 While Donatism was condemned at the Council of Arles in 314 A.D., it continued to flourish.  Beginning in 393 A.D., St. Augustine, the great theologian of the early Catholic Church, turned his skills of eloquence and logic against the Donatists.  Augustine argued (like Bishop Stephen before him) that baptism is of Christ, not of the baptizer.  Therefore, “reformed” Donatists that wished to return to the Mother Church did not need to be rebaptized.  Among Augustine’s many statements on the topic:

“It is true that Christ’s baptism is holy; and although it may exist among heretics or schismatics, yet it does not belong to the heresy or schism; and therefore even those who come from thence to the Catholic Church herself ought not to be baptized afresh.” (The Seven Books Of Augustin, Bishop Of Hippo, On Baptism, Against The Donatists, p. 780)

The Donatists were banished by emperor Honorius in 412 A.D., and completely disappeared by end of 7th century.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.12 Ebionite (1st Century) <go to top>

Jesus is regarded as just a prophet, and not the Divine Word of God.

Ebionites were originally a first century sect. They emphasized Jewish law and rejected Paul's teachings (following the Judiazers instead of Paul and the apostles). Most considered Christ to be a man, but not God. In later use, the term "Ebionites" means somebody who minimizes the deity of Christ.

See also these sites: 

38.03.13 Encratite (2nd Century) <go to top>

Sexual continence is required for salvation.

The word "Encratite" comes from the Greek enkrateia, meaning "continence." This concept was popular among the Gnostics. Encratites were ascetics who refrained from alcohol, animal products, and sex. Their ascetic practices were not heretertical but rather the theology upon which their continence was based is the heresy.

The name of Tatian (c 120-173 CE) who edited a compilation of the gospels called the Diatesseron is associated with this heresy. Around 172, Tatian became a Gnostic of the Encratite sect. Tatian reinterpreted the story of Adam and Eve and Christian documents such as 1 Cor. 7:3-6 to support his idea that humans must abandon sexual intercourse in order to regain the Spirit of God that had been lost because of Adam and Eve's family. People were to be married to God, not to each other. Modern sects with their celestial marriages (Moon and the Mormons for example) are variations of this same theme.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.14 Euchites <go to top>

The Euchites were a sect that separated from the Christian Eastern (Orthodox) Church in Mesopotamia, and then extended by Asia Minor and Thrace. By the 12th century it had reached Bohemia and Germany. The doctrine of this sect was declared a heresy by both Western and Eastern Christian authorities, and according with a resolution of the Council of Trier (1231) they were persecuted.

The doctrine of the Euchites was very similar to that of the Bogomils and Luciferians. They did not recognise the sacraments of the Christian church, considered Lucifer as the elder son of God, and, based on the idea that the direct descendants of Adam and Eve had to practice it to procreate, admitted incest among their members. Homosexuality was also considered a natural practice among them, and virginity in women had no value to the members of this cult. They were mentioned for the first time in one of Michael Psellus' works, in the 11th century. This extract was taken from the Wikipedia article.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.15 Eutychianism <go to top>

Christ has but one nature, divine.

Named after Eutyches of Constantinople, who with Chrysphius, and Dioscoros tried in 433 to make the 12 Anathemas of Cyril of Alexandria the standard of orthodoxy and "do in" the "inspired man" Christology of Antioch. A goal was to make Alexandria overtake Constantinople in religious power and influence. From Cyril, Eutyches argued that Christ was one nature after the union.

See also these sites: 

38.03.16 Gallicanism <go to top>

Gallicanism is the belief that popular civil authority -- often represented by the monarchs' authority or the State's authority -- over the Catholic Church is comparable to that of the Roman Pope's. Gallicanism, born in the Celtic and Nordic areas of the former Gaul, is a rejection of Ultramontanism akin to Anglicanism. Gallicanism in nuanced, however, in that it downplays the authority of the Roman Pope without denying that ther are some authoritative elements to the office associated with being "primus inter pares" (first among equals). Other terms for the same or similar doctrines include Erastianism, Febronianism and Josephism.

The doctrine originated in France (the term derives from "Gaul"). In the 18th century it spread to the Low Countries, especially the Netherlands, as well. - Taken from Wikipedia's article, see below for more information.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.17 Gnosticism (from before birth of Christ, Gnosticism has been around) <go to top>

(Gnosticism is a fractured belief system with variations running between the different fractions.)

Dualism of good and bad, and special knowledge for salvation.

"Matter is evil!" was the cry of the Gnostics. This idea was borrowed from certain Greek philosophers. It stood against Genesis 1:31 ("And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good") and other scriptures, and because it denies the Incarnation. If matter is evil, then Jesus Christ could not be true God and true man, for Christ is in no way evil. Thus many Gnostics denied the Incarnation, claiming that Christ only appeared to be a man, but that his humanity was an illusion. Some Gnostics, recognizing that the Old Testament taught that God created matter, claimed that the God of the Jews was an evil deity who was distinct from the New Testament God of Jesus Christ. They also proposed belief in many divine beings, known as "aeons," who mediated between man and the ultimate, unreachable God. The lowest of these aeons, the one who had contact with men, was supposed to be Jesus Christ.

• Salvation is through gnosis, or knowledge, not through faith. Christ was a revealer of secret knowledge necessary for salvation. (Modern Masons, lodge systems, and even the Jehovah's Witnesses hold to this point.)
• Belief in a body of secret instructions given by Christ through the apostles, using verses such as Mark 4.33-34, and 1 Cor. 2:6-7 as indicators of the existence of such knowledge.
• Christology - Many Gnostics hold that Christ was a great prophet, but not necessarily divine or deity.
• Dualism - There are two equal and opposite gods or powers in the universe, one evil (being represented by matter, who created the world and is known as Creator), and the other good (being represented by spirit, and who created the spirits and heaven). Evil is the kingdom of darkness, and good is the kingdom of light.
• Reincarnation - Some believed that a person could go through multiple "iterations in an impure physical body", i.e. reincarnation.
• Revealed truth shows up in many different religions.
• All matter was created by the evil god and is evil. Two resulting beliefs came of this: (1) asceticism - denial of the flesh, and (2) antinomianism - since the body is inherently evil, and the soul is pure, it doesn't matter what you do with your body (sex, drugs, alcohol are all okay).
• Some Gnostics believed in different spiritual levels of human beings, some being "higher" having a guarantee of salvation, some being "lower" being utterly condemned without any chance of salvation, and the majority of humanity in between fighting for salvation.
• Some Gnostics also held to Docetism, that Christ was only spirit, and only appeared to have a human body, but really didn't. They conclude that Christ could not have had a body because a body is matter, and Christ could not be sinful matter. See 1 John 4:1-4 and 2 John 1:7 for refutations of this.
• Timeline: Various NT books confront Gnostic beliefs, Valentius (140 AD), Marcion (144 AD), Basilides (175 AD), Irenaesus writes Against Heresies (180 AD), Gnostic sects diminish 450 AD, Paulicians (800s), and Albigensians (1200s).

  See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.18 Iconoclasm (7th & 8th Centuries)  <go to top>

NOTE: This is heresy according to the Catholic church, not to the Protestants which follow Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments!

Icons in religious worship and experience is a sin.

This heresy arose when a group of people known as iconoclasts (literally, "icon smashers") appeared, who claimed that it was sinful to make pictures and statues of Christ and the saints, despite the fact that in the Bible, God had commanded the making of religious statues (Ex. 25:18–20; 1 Chr. 28:18–19), including symbolic representations of Christ (cf. Num. 21:8–9 with John 3:14).

See also these sites: 

38.03.19 Jansenism (17th Century) <go to top>

NOTE: This is a heresy which is recognized according to the Catholic church and use the term.

Denial that Christ died for all sinners.

Jansenius, bishop of Ypres, France, initiated this heresy with a paper he wrote on Augustine, which redefined the doctrine of grace. Among other doctrines, his followers denied that Christ died for all men, but claimed that he died only for those who will be finally saved (the elect). This has its representation in modern Calvinism, and Reformed (Presbyterian and Baptist) churches.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.20 Judiazers (From the time of the Apostles)  <go to top>

These were around from the very beginning!

38.03.21 Kenosis <go to top>

Jesus gave up some divine attributes while on earth.

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross," Phil. 2:5-8

• Believes that Jesus gave up some of His divine attributes (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) while he was a man here on here.
• This position is taken from passages such as Mark 13:32 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone" which clearly implies that Jesus did not know the day or hour of his own return to earth. The best understanding here is that Jesus voluntarily cooperated with His humanity and its limitations so that He did not exercise His attribute of omniscience, retaining His divinity, but moving and acting and living completely as a man.
• Danger - implies that Jesus at some point became less than divine, and this would question His ability in his atonement and redemption of mankind. See CARM.ORG excellent presentation of the Hypostatic Union of Jesus explaining the two natures of Jesus.

See also these sites: CARM, also Buntin - The Empty God

38.03.22 Lollardy/Lollardism (late 14th Century) <go to top>

Reaction against corrupt Catholic priests, preferring pious laymen instead.

• Anticlerical beliefs - It demanded reform of the Catholic Church, and taught piety was a requirement for a priest to be a "true" priest and thus to perform the sacraments. (See Donatism.)  They concluded that laymen (that were truly pious) are to be preferred in performing the sacraments rather than corrupt priests.
• Authority for performing the sacraments comes from piety, not official church recognition (priesthood).
• Religious and political movement of the Lollards contemporaneous with the Reformation. Lollardy followed the teachings of John Wyclif in the 1350s. His unofficial (outside of the official church) translation of the Bible is a result of this anticlerical movement and beliefs.
• Believed that their spiritual authority came from the Scriptures instead of from the church.
• Rejection of the priesthood of Rome, the Anglican priesthood, and in general, clergy.
• Rejection of celibacy for ministers of the gospel, saying this induces homosexuality among ministers.
• Rejection of the elements of communion become mystically the body and blood of Christ.
• Rebuked many customs and practices (and artifacts of the church and ministry) as being mere forms of necromancy.
• Separation of all ministers from any kind of political service.
• Rejection of prayers for the dead.
• Association of pilgrimages with idolatry.
• Rejection of auricular confession.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.23 Luciferians <go to top>

Lucifer is good, the light bringer, the overcomer.

Gnostic Luciferians are sects that emphasize the dualism of the universe, associating the image of Lucifer in the root sense of "bringer of the light". This orthodox view has associated Lucifer with "Satan before the fall", and there is even a Bishop Lucifer in the 4th century that attests that the name "Lucifer" was not always associated with an evil concept. Free-masons use this idea of Lucifer, as bringing enlightenment, and this is where the Gnostic element comes forth.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, and here Luciferianism.

38.03.24 Mandaeism (1st Century) <go to top>

• This is a 1st Century form Gnosticism based in the Mandaeans living in areas of modern Iraq and Iran.
• Principally practiced in southern Iraq and Khuzestan.

See also these sites: Wikipedia

38.03.25 Manichaeism (3rd Century) <go to top>

Dualistic religion (matter is evil, spirit is good).

Founded in Persia (Iran) by Syriac speaking Manes (215-275 AD). This is a blend of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.

• All religions are equally valid.
• Dualism - two cosmic kingdoms (equal) of evil and good.
• Accepted Prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Paul, and Mani.
• Docetic - Christ was "a divine being clothed in the semblance of man".
• 5 levels or grades of believers.
• Reincarnation - cycles of life.
• Strict Asceticism.
• Converts: St. Augustine (but repudiated Manichaesim in 384 AD.

See also these sites: Wikipedia

38.03.26 Marcionism <go to top>

Rejection of OT, and differentiation between a superior god of goodness, and a lower god of justice, the latter being the creator of the Jews.

Marcion proposed a canon based on the "Western text". It consisted of only Luke and 10 of Paul's epistles, but in these books that he accepted, he deleted any references to the Old Testament and the Creator God of the Jews. He also made substantial other changes to the few books he accepted.

See also these sites: Wikipedia

38.03.27 Modalism <go to top>

God is one person in three modes.

See Sabellianism

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.28 Monarchianism (3rd Century) <go to top>

God is one person (undivided unity and sovereignty of God).

Dynamic Monarchianism - Jesus was a human who became a God.

Modalistic Monarchianism - The Trinity is one God with different modes of divine action (modalism) rather than distinct persons.

• Timeline: Emphasis on God's monarchia or unity, not three persons (190 AD), Noetus condemned at Rome for Patripassianism (200AD), Council of Antioch condemns Sabellianism (268), by 300s most Monarchianists convert to Arianism.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.29 Monophysitism <go to top>

Jesus had only one nature: divine. He was a God with human attributes, but only had one (mono) dominant nature, the divine.

Monophysitism originated as a reaction to Nestorianism. The Monophysites (led by a man named Eutyches) were horrified by Nestorius’s implication that Christ was two people with two different natures (human and divine). They went to the other extreme, claiming that Christ was one person with only one nature (a fusion of human and divine elements). They are thus known as Monophysites because of their claim that Christ had only one nature (Greek: mono = one; physis = nature). If Christ did not have a fully human nature, then he would not be fully human, and if he did not have a fully divine nature then he was not fully divine.

This was popular in Palestine, Egypt, and Antioch. The fourth council of Chalcedon declared this to be heresy in 451. Descendents of this group still exist today in the Oriental Orthodox Church (Coptic Church of Egypt, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Syrian Orthodox Church, Armenian Orthodox Church, and the Malankara or Indian Orthodox Church).

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.30Monothelitism (7th Century) <go to top>

Jesus' acts expressed one divine-human energia instead of two cooperating wills.

A Christology proposed by the patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria in an attempt to unify the Eastern Church which had been split by the monophysite controversy. The Maronite Church of Syria today still holds this view.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.31 Montanism (2nd Century) <go to top>

Revival of tongues, healings, prophecies, miracles, and a strict moral code. Use of women in prophecy and preaching.

Montanus began his career (156 AD) innocently enough through preaching a return to penance and fervor. His movement also emphasized the continuance of miraculous gifts, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy. However, he also claimed that his teachings were above those of the New Testament, being new revelation, and soon he began to teach Christ’s imminent return in his home town in Phrygia, in Asia minor (modern Turkey). Montano wanted a return to a simpler Christianity, and highly emphasized ascetic focuses (fasting, celibacy, and separation from the world).

He questioned the rising power of the church hierarchy, and supposedly returned view of sole authority of the word of God, as God had spoken through the prophets (considering himself to be a prophet). There were also statements that Montanus himself either was, or at least specially spoke for, the Paraclete that Jesus had promised would come (in reality, the Holy Spirit). Two women, Priscilla an Maximilla were also leaders with Montanus who interpreted Montanus' prophecies while he was speaking in tongues while in ecstasy. Spread to Asia Minor, Antioch, Syria, and Rome. In the East, the Book of Revelation was initially rejected because they claimed it was tainted by Montanism. In the West the book of Hebrews likewise fell under disfavor. Other church leaders of his day excommunicated him (190 AD), but his movement left a focus on the Holy Spirit over Christ that is reincarnated today in the Pentecostal Charismatic Movements. His sect died out by the 4th century, and Tertullian was one of his more notable followers.

• Timeline: Montanus begins prophesying (157 AD), develops ecstatic and ascetic practices (170 AD), condemned by church councils in Asia Minor (190 AD), Tertullian converts to Montanism (207), Montanism dies out (400 AD).

MacArthur, John - Charismatic Chaos (b) 694K (195 pages) 

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.32 Neo-Platonism (1st Century) <go to top>

Form of Gnosticism, material is evil, spirit is good.

Proponent: Philo of Alexandria.

Beliefs:

• God is indefinable, and has no contact with carnal (material) substance.
• One Supreme force called the logos (Greek "word" of Juan 1:1) created the material world.
• Humans strive for freedom from the prison of the material (their bodies).
• Reincarnation is possible for those not released at death.

38.03.33 Nestorianism (5th Century) (related to Catholicism) <go to top>

Confusion over whether Jesus was two persons distinct persons, or one person with two distinct natures.

• Founded by two men: Theodoren (died 428 AD, the Bishop of Mopsuesta in 392 AD), and Nestorius (died 440?, Patriarch of Constantinople 428 AD).
• Believed there were two separate natures in Christ. Christ was a "Man who became God" rather than "God who became Man." As such Jesus of Nazareth (a man) and the Word (God) were united.
• Nestorius rejected the Catholic term "Mary, Mother of God."

This "heresy" about the person of Christ was initiated by Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, who denied the Catholic doctrine that Mary is Theotokos (Greek: "God-bearer" or, less literally, "Mother of God"). Nestorius claimed that she only bore Christ’s human nature in her womb, and proposed the alternative title Christotokos ("Christ-bearer" or "Mother of Christ") which became known as the Antiochine "two-nature" Christology.

• Nestorius viewed Christ as a prophet and teacher inspired by the indwelling Logos (much as modern Christianity views any man of God being influenced by the Holy Spirit).
• Nestorius declared Christ to be the first "perfect man."
• The Catholic Church declared these views heretical at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) and the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), and later created a Creed which stated: "We confess one and the same Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in godhead, the same perfect in manhood, truly God and truly man, the same rational soul and body."

Cyril of Alexandria first attacked his doctrines in a letter in 428, and in his third letter to Nestorius (430). Cyril attacked Nestorius' Christology and demanded that he agree with Cyril's 12 Anathemas, which condemned the Antiochine two nature theology. Nestorius agreed that the Word of God suffered in the flesh (not that only the human part of Jesus suffered).

Politics were heavily involved in the Council of Ephesus in 431. Nestorius' strongest supporters, John of Antioch and other Syrians were delayed because of weather. Nestorius himself was given military protection for fear of his safety from the monks related to Memnon, bishop of Ephesus (strong supporters of Cyril). Nestorius' views were misrepresented and he was accused that Christ was only a human being, and was summarily excommunicated. Four days later the Syrians arrived and condemned Cyril and Memnon. Then the Roman delegates of Pope Celestine arrived and deposed John of Antioch. In 435 Nestorius was exiled to the Egyptian desert.

Orthodox Catholic theologians rejected Nestorius’ theory claiming that it would fracture Christ into two separate persons (one human and one divine, joined in a sort of loose unity), only one of whom was in her womb. The Church reacted in 431 with the Council of Ephesus, officially defining that Mary can be properly referred to as the Mother of God, not in the sense that she is older than God or the source of God, but in the sense that the person she carried in her womb was, in fact, God incarnate ("in the flesh"). There is still a small Nestorian based church in Iran with a New Testament canon of only 22 books instead of 27.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.34 Ophites <go to top>

• Ophites is a blanket term for gnostic sects in Syria and Egypt around 100 AD.
• Great importance is given to the serpent in the Adam and Eve passage of Genesis, and connecting the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil to the gnosis. Contrary to viewing the serpent as evil in the story, they view him as the hero, and they identify the figure represented as "God" in this story as being the evil demiurge of Gnosticism.
• They see the serpent's desire to grant Adam and Eve knowledge as good, and God's restriction on partaking of the tree of knowledge as being evil.
• People who wrote against them: Hippolytus (Philosoph. v.), Irenaeus (Against Heresies i), Origen (Contra Celsum vi. 25 seq.) and Epiphanius of Salamis (Panarion, xxvi).

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.35 Patripassianism <go to top>

The Father suffered on the cross.

• Denial of the trinity (one God in three persons).
• Belief that God the Father and God the Son are simply different aspects of the single person of God. Because of this, they assert that the Father suffered on the Cross.
• Closely related to Sabellianism.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.36 Pelagianism (5th Century) <go to top>

Man is unaffected by the fall and can keep all of God's laws.

Pelagius, a British monk, (c 354 AD - after 418 AD) was horrified by the seeming lack of piety and purity in Christians in Rome c. 380 AD. He felt this laxness was a direct result of the belief in the doctrine of Grace, that stated humans on their own are incapable of purity, and can only be saved by God's grace. Pelaguis denied predestination, original sin, and the doctrine of saved only by grace. Pelaguis held that we become sinful only through the bad example of the sinful community into which we are born. Thus humans have a free will to choose to live sinless lives (although he still held to the baptism of babies). Conversely, he denied that we inherit righteousness as a result of Christ’s death on the cross and said that we become personally righteous by instruction and imitation in the Christian community, following the example of Christ. Pelagius stated that man is born morally neutral and can achieve heaven under his own powers. According to him, God’s grace is not truly necessary, but merely makes easier an otherwise difficult task.

• Main Opponent: St. Augustine of Hippo who wrote 13 works and letters against Pelaguis.
• Pelaguis was excommunicated in 418 AD. Pelagianism was declared a heresy at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD.

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

38.03.37 Sabellianism (early 3rd Century) Modalism <go to top>

Jesus and the Father are not distinct persons, but God moving between his "offices" of Father and Son.

• The Sabellianists taught that Jesus Christ and God the Father were not distinct persons, but two aspects or offices of one person.
• The three persons of the Trinity exist only in God’s relation to man, not in objective reality.
• Chief Opponent: Tertullian (who labeled the movement Patripassianism).
• Modern representations of these believers can be seen in the Jehovah's Witnesses as well as in the Pentecostal Oneness movement, and Jesus Only movements. The Jesus Only does not believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven (though they may agree to that), but rather the movement is based on One Person of God in Jesus.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.38 Semi-Pelagianism (5th Century) <go to top>

Man can gain grace in God's sight without God's help.

After Augustine refuted the teachings of Pelagius, some tried a modified version of his system. This, too, ended in heresy by claiming that humans can reach out to God under their own power, without God’s grace; that once a person has entered a state of grace, one can retain it through one’s efforts, without further grace from God; and that natural human effort alone can give one some claim to receiving grace, though not strictly merit it. This is the position of the modern Holiness movement which began under the Wesleys, and has its modern representations in the Wesleyian and Methodist churches. These movements are the "mother movement" from which modern day Pentecostalism has come.

See also these sites: Wikipedia,

38.03.39 Socinianism (Psilanthropism) <go to top>

Denial of the Trinity. Jesus is a deified man.

• Denies the divine nature of Jesus.
• "Socinianism" comes from the followers of Laelius Socinus (died 1562 in Zürich).
• "Psilanthropism" comes from Greek, psilo (merely, only) and anthropos (man, human being).

See also these sites: Wikipedia, CARM

Wardlaw, Ralph (1779-1853) Discourses on Principal Points of Socinian Controversy flipbook (1815)

38.03.40 Tritheism <go to top>

The Trinity is really three separate gods.

See also these sites: CARM

38.03.41 Waldensians <go to top>

• Belief in poverty and austerity.
• Founded in 1173, probably by Peter Waldo (Valdes or Vaudes).
• Believed in public preaching, and a literal interpretation of Scriptures.
• Declared heretical and persecuted by the Roman Catholic church during the 12th and 13th centuries.

See also these sites: Wikipedia

38.04 Modern Doctrinal Heresies

Note that I am working on these in connection with other sections of the library. I will slowly add entries under this general heading and renumber them to keep them alphabetical.

38.04.01 Universalism

Universalism is a belief that hell (as a place of punishment for sin) is either temporary, or non-existent. This belief system generally holds that either everybody will reach heaven and God's grace one day (some versions sooner than other), or it denies the entire proposition of the Bible of hell, a punitive place of eternal suffering for those who do not know Jesus Christ.

Go here to see a more complete study.

38.05 Heresies by Doctrine

Doctrine of God and Christ

McDowell & Larson - Jesus, A Biblical Defense of His Deity (b)  319K (88 pgs).
McDowell, Josh - Evidence that demands a verdict (b)  688K (127 pgs).

Doctrine of Salvation

38.06 Modern Heretical Sects

38.07 False Non-Christian Religions

38.08 False Religious Type Practices

since Jan 2006