Why God Allows Heretical
Teaching
Miles J. Stanford
Heresy is error which often
results from an aspect of truth being taken out of its context, or its
dispensational setting, and either restricted, or pressed too far.
"For there must be also
heresies among you, that they who are approved may be made manifest among
you" (1 Cor. 11:19).
Heresy is a work of the flesh.
"Idolatry, sorcery.
hatred, strife, jealousy, wrath, factions, seditions, heresies"
(Gal. 5:20).
Peter had to warn the Church from
the very beginning.
"But there are false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among
you, who secretly shall bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them" (2 Peter 2:1).
Paul had to do the same.
"For I know this, that
after my departing (death) shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:29,
30).
John also explained concerning
error.
"They went out from us,
but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt
have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest
that they were not all of us" (1 John 2:19).
Heresies cause us to be like the Bereans, who...
"were more noble than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of
mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so"
(Acts 17:11).
Heretics cause us to learn how to
handle error correctly, and how to share-the truth. Christian character
is formed, and God is glorified.
"The servant of the
Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in
meekness instructing those that oppose them" (2 Tim. 2:24, 25).
"Study to show thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth" (2
Tim. 2:15).
Dr. H.A. Ironside made this
comment regarding error:
It is a definite mercy that in
His wisdom God allowed every possible form of error to arise in the
apostolic era of the church’s history, in order that all might be exposed,
and the truth declared through inspired men, that thus the faith in its
simplicity might be preserved for the generations to come. As a result
of this, Satan has nothing new to offer. Old heresies are redressed
and brought forward as new--conceptions of truth from age to age--but in
this respect, "there is nothing new under the sun." Old errors are
being presented in new terms.
That old warrior, Martin Luther,
wrote, "We little know how good and necessary it is for us to have
adversaries, and for heretics to hold up their heads against us."
"And now, brethren, I commend you to
God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up..."
(Acts 20:32).
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