Biblical Teaching on Heresy

Heresy is a teaching contrary to the truth revealed in the Bible. It is commonly a false belief or a false teaching against the orthodox teaching of the Church. The word heresy occurs only once in the New Testament (2 Peter 2:1). The Greek word for heresy is ‘hairesis’ denoting ‘choice’. The false teachers chose to create factions. So the word ‘heresy’ is used in the Bible to refer to false prophets, who deny Christ. Here are the ABCD’s of the biblical teaching on heresy in 2 Peter 2:1-3.

• Advocators of heresy: They are false prophets and false teachers. “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you…”

• Belief of heretics: They deny the deity of Jesus Christ. “…Who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them…”

• Consequence of heresy: It brings on them swift destruction. “…who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…(which) bring on themselves swift destruction…

• Decisive methods of heretics: They secretly inject their ideas and use deceptive words. “…there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies… By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words…”