"heresy"

[Born2BFree]

Brother Paul said Christians are to resist heresy. He never identified himself as an heritic. He said, "...after the way which THEY call heresy...so I worship."

Paul identified a spirit of slander among those who attempted to undermine the truth in Paul's position.

A clear understanding must be shared about the following:

1. An 'argument' is not a knock-down-drag-out brawl.

2. Jesus never was a 'fighting baptist'.

3. Formal argument is a carefully controlled dialog between gentlemen/women.

4. Progress is the goal of a constructive discussion.

5. Polite disagreement among brethren does not mean division. It means "growth".

6. An honest mistake is an honorable thing and worthy of regard.

7. The clearest view of Jesus requires obscuring the SELF.

8. The Love of Jesus is best expressed in the worst of situations.

9. Discipline must begin with self-discipline.

10. Its safe and approved to admit that one is wrong/in error. God takes it from there...

[shammah]

From these scriptures below ; it sounds like the true followers of Christ have a very narrow and faithful path to follow!

You sound like we must ignore the narrow way that leads to life, not to offend those on the wide path!

25Now huge crowds were going along with [Jesus], and He turned and said to them,

26If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [[7] in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters--[yes] and even his own life also--he cannot be My disciple.

27Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.

24Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [[16] cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed [17] life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] [18] life [in the kingdom of God]?

13Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.

14But the gate is narrow (contracted [11] by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.(1)

15Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves.(2)

16You will [12] fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

17Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [[13] worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit.

18A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear [14] excellent fruit [worthy of admiration].

19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

20Therefore, you will [15] fully know them by their fruits.

21Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.

22Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?

23And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].(3)

24So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a [16] sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.

25And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

26And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.

27And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great and complete was the fall of it.

28When Jesus had finished these sayings [the Sermon on the Mount], the crowds were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His teaching,

29For He was teaching as One Who had [and was] authority, and not as [did] the scribes.

I must choose the narrow, hard, path, filled with persecution, and opposition from the enemy that will persecute all true followers!

If they persecuted Him, they will persecute you! If you are of the world the world will love you, but we are not of this world, so the world hates us!

Anyone who loves this world, our their life, or is affraid to stand up for the truth, is not worthy of the Kingdom.

The truth will divide the sheep from the goats, the goats will swallow anything!

Christ will divide the sheep from the goats, and so those true sheep must keep unspotted from the world, and flee from all false doctrine, following all the Word (CHRIST) will divide!

Agape; Ephraim.

Edited October 12, 2004 by shammah

[AnotherTraveler]

He never identified himself as an heritic

Paul did confess that he worshipped after the way that they call heresy. He was setting himself into the bulls eye of their words, allowing the fact that he was of them (the sect referred to as heritics). This occurred as Paul was defending himself, and his life was on the line!

(1 Pet 4:14 KJV) If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

(Acts 28:22 KJV) But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

(Acts 24:13 KJV) Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

(Acts 24:14 KJV) But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

Regarding being a heretic, Paul wrote...

(Titus 3:9 KJV) But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

(Titus 3:10 KJV) A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject;

(Titus 3:11 KJV) Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

I am not authorizing being a heretic, I am saying that the defination of who is and who is not one depends on who is calling someone a heretic.

Edited October 12, 2004 by AnotherTraveler