When Everyone is a Heretic

Just over a week ago we had the great John MacArthur – Beth Moore kerfuffle. The complementarians and the egalitarians lined up against one another and waged a great war on social media. Many mocked and made jokes of the other. A week later nobody changed their point of view but the church was further divided. The world watched on scratching their heads and Satan just laughed.

Later in the week I saw a well-known pastor take to Instagram to ding four other Christians with whom he had some disagreement with. He implied it was only the immature Christian who would follow them.

Heresy is alive and well

Let me clear, it is important that all Christians do their best to hold onto solid Biblical scholarship. Many have rejected the Bible as God’s word. Heresy is alive and well.

 You could get 100 Reformed Scholars in one room and in that same room 100 Arminian scholars and you would be hard pressed to get them to all agree within their own camp.

Just because you have a theological disagreement it does not automatically make the other person a heretic

Am I a Heretic?

I believe it is OK for women to be pastors. For conversation sake, let’s say that I am wrong. Is it a requirement of my salvation to believe that only men can be pastors? If you view me as a heretic, I would hope that instead of mocking me you would have compassion for my soul and pray for me.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel! – Matthew 23:23-24 (CSB)

Mocking is not a Fruit of the Spirit

Sadly many last week took the time to mock and even make fun of one another. I am not sure how that would benefit anyone.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. – Galatians 5:22-23 (CSB)

I did not see a whole lot of this fruit last week.

In the essentials let us find unity and in the non-essentials let us find grace

Yes, Bible scholarship is important. We are all on the same journey to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-15). If we believe someone has strayed from God’s word, let us have love, peace, patience and kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control regarding them. Let us show them compassion and intercede for them. At the end of the day only the Holy Spirit can change someone’s heart.

When everyone is a heretic, no one is.

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About the Author: Jon Stallings

I am enthusiastic about helping others discover their purpose and grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus. It is great to see their eyes light up at their “Ah Ha!” moment when they discover they were created for something more. My hope is that this blog will help encourage and inspire you along your way. Join the conversation and take the time to share with me your own story. I have been married to my beautiful wife Janice for over 30 years. We currently live in McDonough Georgia with our daughter. Our two boys have left the nest and we have two wonderful grand kids. Of course we cannot forget about our dog Bear.