Throughout church history, various heresies have emerged that distort core biblical truths. Surprisingly, some of these ancient errors still have a stronghold in modern times. Here are four persistent heresies that continue to influence contemporary Christian thought:
The Heresy of Judaizers: This belief suggests that good deeds or efforts contribute to salvation, echoing the false teaching confronted by Paul in Galatians. It implies that faith in Christ alone is not sufficient for salvation.
Docetism/Gnosticism: These heresies deny the true humanity of Christ, asserting that He only appeared to be human. While Gnosticism has evolved, the tendency to undervalue the physical world and focus solely on the spiritual persists today in various forms.
Prosperity Gospel: This modern heresy promises health, wealth, and success as signs of God’s favor, neglecting the biblical teaching that believers will face trials and suffering in this life.
Pelagianism: This heresy claims that humans can initiate their own salvation, contradicting the biblical teaching that salvation is solely by God’s grace.
What other modern-day heresies have you encountered, and how do they challenge the teachings of Scripture?
Read more about these heresies and their implications:
Modalism teaches that God is one in essence but manifests in different modes or roles over time—first as the Father, then as Jesus, and now as the Holy Spirit. This doctrine denies the orthodox Christian belief in the Trinity, which affirms that God is one being who exists eternally and simultaneously as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This view struggles to align with Scripture, as passages like John 1:1-3 show that Jesus (the Word) was with God and was God from the beginning, indicating distinct yet unified existence. Similarly, John 16:7-15 and Acts 7:54-56 describe interactions between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, demonstrating their distinctiveness and eternal coexistence. Orthodox Christianity maintains that each person of the Trinity is distinct, yet fully God, refuting the modalistic idea that God merely shifts forms.
For those interested in a deeper dive on this subject, check out this article.
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Pelagianism
[/quote]. Has been hurled at those of Armenian theological offshoots-but I do not see that as true of those of Wesleyan persuasion.
Trinitarianism has been slowly dying over the past thirty years.
Name it claim it heresy has died down from its heyday in the 1980s -1990s. But thanks to those modern heretics, the televangelists, it still exists.
The newest heresy is the melding of politics with evangelical Christianity, complete with a political candidate pictured in place of Christ in biblical scenes along with scripture.
I’ve encountered a few modern-day heresies that deeply concern me, especially the way they can lead some believers astray.
One that stands out to me is the notion of “Relativism”, the idea that truth is subjective and varies from person to person. This belief challenges the very foundation of scripture, as Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
When people start to believe that their interpretation of truth is just as valid as the Biblical account, it undermines God’s authority and sovereignty. It leads them to confusion about core beliefs, too.
The Bible presents a worldview that emphasizes absolute truth, as seen in verses like (John 17:17), where Jesus prays to the Father, “Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth.”
This counters the relativistic perspective by affirming that God’s Word is a reliable foundation for understanding truth and morality.
Relativism not only asserts that truth and morality are subjective but also contradicts another Biblical principle regarding reliance on human understanding.
(Proverbs 3:5-6) This scripture shows the importance of seeking divine guidance rather than relying on our subjective interpretations, too.
It ties into replacing Jesus with the Bible. A lot of Christians worship scripture as if it were part of the Trinity- which would make it the quadrilateral, I suppose
Heresy is a loaded term. One Christian’s heresy is another Christian’s core doctrine. I really don’t think it’s useful to speak in terms of heresy. Legitimate questions for any teaching are the extent of biblical support, the history and tradition of the teaching, and whether the tradition makes sense in the context of basic Christian theology. By this standard, there can be very different understandings without either of them being heretical.
To take a favorite example, I’ve studied the Trinity extensively. I don’t believe that either a Trinitarian or non-Trinitarian position is heretical. The latter is outside the mainstream, but a solid biblical, historical and theological case can be made for it.
To me one of the biggest heresy is committed by the church. Calling abortion murder is amazing, but stating that the Bible calls it murder is just untrue. I understand that most Christian’s believe that abortion is murder and their opinion is supported by the Bible. We can all agree that abortion isn’t discussed in the Bible. We can also agree that murder is discussed in the Bible. I think we are asking the wrong question. The real question is when does life begin? The Bible speaks to this in Genesis 2:7, very clearly. Having been to thousands of deliveries the 1st breath of a child is critical. The entire blood flow of a baby is reversed. That’s why in Gen 2:7 it is called the breath of life. So without the breath of life, no life. If there is no life then no murder no murder no sin, etc.
Finally why do we Christian’s want to impose our “Laws” on non Christians. Seems like there are a few verses in the Bible on that subject.
The answer to this question hinges on the definition of life, for which there is no philosophical or scientific consensus. The abortion discussion has traditionally focused on viability, meaning the ability to survive outside the womb - but this threshold has been considerably lowered by medical technology. There is life in some sense (cell division, etc.) from the moment of conception. The zygote is at least an “incipient” human being, distinct from the mother. An early stage abortion is very different from the mother getting her hair cut or toenails clipped. So the issue actually is quite complicated, with nuances and room for different views. I agree the “Abortion is murder!” mantra is overly simplistic and isn’t a mandatory Christian position.
Job 31:15, Did not he who made me in the womb make him?** And did not one fashion us in the womb? 15 For God created both me and my servants. He created us both in the womb
Luke 1:15, For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.
Colossians 1:16: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him”.
Philippians 4:8 encourages believers to think on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.
For this very sensitive subject that was brought up concerning abortion, I’m choosing to allow God’s word to speak to our hearts and for our Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God in us, to guide our understanding and conversation on matters we don’t have clear guidance on in God’s Word. God for his own reasons has chosen, not to provide much instruction on this issue, so, the more, we should lean on him for his understanding to help us make righteous choices that glorifies him and him alone. Sometimes in our walk of faith there is uncertainty, and each person will have to account for choices and decisions they make in this life. May we all walk according to his will and his plan, may God bless each and everyone of us.
You have to leave The Oneness form of Modalism out of this list. Which believes all 3 Titles of God “Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit)” are not progressive through time but Simultaneously all at once. Also:
Answer straightly how to work the Trinity doctrine into these passages in a truthful Biblical way?
Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.”
Isaiah 43:11, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour”.
Isaiah 44:6, “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
Isaiah 45:5, “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.”
Isaiah 45:21-22, “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
Deuteronomy 4:35, “Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.”
Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”
1 Kings 8:60, “That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.”
2 Samuel 7:22, “Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”
1 Chronicles 17:20, “O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”
Hosea 13:4, “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me .”
Mark 12:29, “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.”
Mark 12:32, “And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he.”
John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
Romans 3:30, “Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.”
1 Corinthians 8:4, “As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.”
1 Corinthians 8:6, “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”
Galatians 3:20, “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.”
Ephesians 4:6, “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
In light of these powerful, singular declarations of God’s oneness throughout Scripture, I would ask plainly: how does the doctrine of the Trinity fit within these passages in a truthful and biblically consistent way? When Trinitarians claim that “the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father,” we find ourselves grappling with verses like Isaiah 43:11, where God states, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me, there is no savior.” Here, we see a very clear, direct statement that the LORD alone is both God and Savior, with none beside Him—neither other beings nor separate persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Each of these passages affirms in different ways that there is no God but one and that He alone fills every role, title (Father, Son and Holy Ghost as Titles not Persons), and power ascribed to God. Jesus Himself echoed the oneness of God in Mark 12:29, directly affirming the Shema: “The Lord our God is one Lord.” How, then, do we reconcile this profound oneness with the concept of three distinct persons, each fully God yet described as distinct? Would a true understanding of God’s oneness allow for any separation between the Father and the Son? These Scriptures insist on the absolute singularity of God’s identity, authority, and glory, leaving no room for division or differentiation within His essence. I ask this not in a contentious spirit but in sincere pursuit of clarity, as these foundational texts repeatedly and emphatically affirm God’s absolute oneness, without the indication of internal distinctions. How can these statements of God’s indivisible nature align with the idea of three distinct persons without compromising their clear declaration? How do you make a Strict Monotheistic God Separate Persons (Plural) and still maintain One God? A physical impossibility.
