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Apostasy and heresy...

Discussion in '2004 Archive' started by Carolyn Dee, Oct 13, 2004.

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  1. Carolyn Dee

    Carolyn Dee New Member

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    Apostasy and heresy...what are the differences? They both define pretty closely: as denouncing and falling away from the truth. Are they indeed interchangeable? [​IMG]
     
    #1 Carolyn Dee, Oct 13, 2004
  2. natters

    natters New Member

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    I don't think they're quite the same thing. Apostasy is a falling away from the truth, heresy is in opposition to the truth. For example: if an unsaved person teaches a false doctrine, that's heresy. If a saved person believes a true doctrine, but then changes their mind and begins teaching that false doctrine, that's apostasy. Apostasy is the falling away from the truth, heresy is falsehood and can be the result of apostasy or not.
     
    #2 natters, Oct 13, 2004
  3. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    Natters, that is a very interesting post. You made some good points.

    I always think of heresy as a false teaching within the church that denies or downgrades one of the essentials of the faith, whether taught by a saved person or not. I would say a heresy has to have some relationship to the truth but are flawed in some way or are twisting the truth.

    In other words, Hinduism is not a heresy -- it's another religion. But word-faith teachings are heresy. Gwen Shamblin's teachings are heresy. The Mormon and JW teachings, insofar as they claim to be Christian or to use the Bible, are heretical (and beyond heretical).
     
    #3 Marcia, Oct 13, 2004
  4. BillyMac

    BillyMac New Member

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    Word-faith teachings??? What are they??? The teachings that is not the person who teaches that.(This may be off topic - send me a PM).
     
    #4 BillyMac, Oct 13, 2004
  5. Watchman

    Watchman New Member

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    Tune into the Trinity Broadcasting Network (a.k.a. The Blasphemy Network) and there you are! Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, etc.
    The apologetics index here on the web can fill you in.
     
    #5 Watchman, Oct 13, 2004
  6. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    BillyMac, I PM'd you.
     
    #6 Marcia, Oct 13, 2004
  7. Psalm116

    Psalm116 New Member

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    Where is the apologetics index????? Can someone explain (1) Word-faith teachings, and (2) what to watch out for on TBN?? I have tuned in there a few times.
     
    #7 Psalm116, Oct 25, 2004
  8. rsr

    rsr <b> 7,000 posts club</b>
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    Faith:
    Baptist
    To borrow from Dennis Finnan, major characteristics include:

    The human mind and tongue contain a supernatural ability or power;

    Every Word-Faith believer is actually a god or a potential god;

    God gives his anointed teachers special revelations that reveal His ongoing teachings;

    All sickness, poverty and lack of success is not God's will for His followers;

    Spirit guides are here to serve followers' requests and guide them into all new truth; and

    Spiritual experiences and manifestations are to be trusted more than biblical teachings of the Bible and historic Christianity.

    (One must be careful not to paint with an overly broad brush, because not all share these traits. A prosperity gospel and reliance on new revelation, however are hallmarks of all that I've seen.)

    A couple of good links to the Trinity Foundation:

    http://www.trinityfi.org/trinity/investi.html

    http://www.trinityfi.org/trinity/question.html

    From the LA Times:

    http://www.trinityfi.org/press/latimes05.html

    From John Ankerberg:

    http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/new-age/NA1100W3.htm
     
    #8 rsr, Oct 25, 2004
  9. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    This is the general link to apologetics index, which has a wealth of info (over 13,000 pages of info), including news items relating to religion:
    http://www.apologeticsindex.org/

    Clicking on the menu at left on "The A-Z index" will allow you to search under names, religions, or groups. Here is the link on Word Faith (scroll about 2/3 the way down)
    http://www.apologeticsindex.org/w00.html#wordf

    TBN has mostly bad stuff on it, very little good stuff. Paul and Jan Crouch regularly endorse Oneness teachers (anti-Trinitarians) as well as the leading health-and-wealth and WF teachers. The Crouches also claimed that the Bible Code shows that the Bible has their name in it! I recall watching one time when they had Della Reese on (from "Touched By An Angel"). Reese is the minister in a Unity type church (non-Christian) and yet the interveiwer was pleased as punch to have her there and the audience kept applauding everything she said. As a former New Ager, I can tell you that what she was saying would gladden the heart of New Agers. Even I, knowing the heretics TBN has given platforms to, was surprised at their acceptance of Della Reese.
     
    #9 Marcia, Oct 25, 2004
  10. GeneMBridges

    GeneMBridges New Member

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    Apostasy and backsliding are similar but not the same:

    Derived from James Boyce's Abstract of Systematic Theology:

    Apostasy is defined as embracing all 3 of these:

    a. A gradual, sometimes even radical, moral falling way/decay. (This can even become outright antinominianism). b. a falling away from core evangelical doctrine, an outright repudiation of the gospel, and c. a loss of spirituality of mind (no internal conviction of sin AT ALL...in fact, the apostate will say, "I have no sin in me," while all the while sinning. ALL THREE OF THESE CONSTITUTE APOSTASY.

    Backsliding may be constituted by one, sometimes two of the above, usually the first one, but never all three.

    All Christians can backslide.


    From R.B.C. Howell:

    It is, secondly, necessary that you discriminate carefully, between backsliding, and apostasy. The former is the act of turning back from God; the latter is the forsaking, or the renouncing of the religion of Christ. Backsliding consists either in the relinquishment of evangelical doctrine; or in the loss of spirituality of mind; or in the gradual departure from correct morals. All these evils are embraced in apostasy. The backslider commits transgressions, but returns to his allegiance, and obtains forgiveness, and acceptance. The apostate continues; dies in his sins; and "so eternally perishes." We teach that none of the true children of God--he believing, the pardoned, the regenerated, the sanctified--become apostate, but to backsliding, of every character and degree, all, it is but too evident, even the best, and most devoted, are constantly, and painfully liable.


    What does all this mean?

    If you believe Christians can apostacize then you believe one can lose their salvation.

    If you believe Christians can not apostacize, then you believe that those that do apostacize were not saved from the start, e.g., they professed Christ only and did not know Him at all.
     
    #10 GeneMBridges, Oct 25, 2004
  11. Psalm116

    Psalm116 New Member

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    rsr and Marcia,

    Thank you so much for your replies and links! I really appreciate it!
     
    #11 Psalm116, Oct 26, 2004
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