Suppose you meet someone who accuses us of being a cult and of being heretical. Do not be offended by him or lose your patience. Rather, remain open and ask him to give you all the points and definitions. The more he gives you, the better. Take down all the points and, with others, pray and fellowship concerning them. Perhaps at some time the Lord will give you the opportunity to help that one come to a proper understanding of what heresy is.
Many Christians know that heresy refers to something negative, but not many know the real meaning of heresy. In these days, I have been burdened to put out a tract on the subject of the true meaning of heresy. If you consult a dictionary, you will discover that heresy is an anglicized Greek word—a Greek word brought over into the English language. Do you know what heresy is? To know what heresy is, we must go to the New Testament and understand the meaning and usage of this word in the Greek language. We cannot derive the meaning of the word heresy simply by studying a lexicon. We must know both the meaning of the Greek word and its usage in the New Testament. The Greek word hairesis is used nine times in the New Testament (Acts 5:17; 15:5; 24:5, 14; 26:5; 28:22; 1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2 Pet. 2:1). The adjective form, hairetikos, is found in Titus 3:10. In most of the occurrences of the word hairesis the meaning is “sect.” For example, Acts 5:17 speaks of “the sect (hairesis) of the Sadducees.” In Acts 24:5 Paul was accused of being “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” Here, a small number from the Jewish religion followed Jesus to form another group which was considered by others as a sect. Paul uses the word hairesis strongly in Galatians 5:20, ranking heresy with works of the flesh, such as adultery, fornication, and witchcraft. Immediately before speaking of heresies, Paul mentions “hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions.” Hence, wrath, strife, seditions, and heresies are related to each other. First we have wrath, then strife, and after strife we have seditions. Following these are heresies. This means that if we strive and fight with others, the result will be divisions that issue in sects. Thus, in this verse, Darby translates hairesis as “schools of opinion.” To have a school of opinion means to hold an opinion that causes you to be separated and divided from others and to form into a sect.
The word hairesis is also used in 2 Peter 2:1, which says, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them.” According to this verse, heresy is a teaching that leads you away from the faith in the Lord. Therefore, considering all the nine occurrences of this word in the New Testament, we may say that heresy firstly means the causing of divisions that form sects in the Body of Christ, and secondly it means the holding of a teaching that seduces people and leads them away from the Lord, the Savior. Therefore, to set up a division that issues in a sect and to seduce people away from the Lord are both heresy.
Once we are clear about the meaning of heresy according to the New Testament, we can help others realize that they cannot so lightly accuse us of being heretical. If anyone forms a division that issues in a sect, he is heretical. Furthermore, if anyone does not believe that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God incarnated to be a man, that He was crucified on the cross for our sins, shedding His blood to redeem us, and that He was resurrected and is now in the heavens as well as in us to be our life, then whatever he teaches regarding Christ must also be heretical. We can tell all the opposers that we believe in the Lord Jesus according to the Bible. We hold to all the crucial points: that He is the Son of God, that He became a man, that He died for our sins, that He shed His blood for our redemption, that He was resurrected, that He is now in the heavens, that He is also in us to be our life, and that He is coming back to meet us. Since we believe all this, no one who is fair can condemn us as heretical. It is absolutely unfair to do this. Nevertheless, some may still say, “You damage the person of Christ by teaching that He is the Father as well as the Son.” This brings us back, once again, to the matter of the Trinity.
We say that Christ is the Father and the Spirit because of Isaiah 9:6, 1 Corinthians 15:45, and 2 Corinthians 3:17. We believe whatever the Bible says. Although others may not agree with us, nevertheless it is not fair to condemn us for believing what the Bible says. Therefore, the difference between us and others is not a matter of heresy, but of different interpretations, of different opinions. They follow the traditional teaching concerning the Trinity, and we believe in the pure word of the Bible. Hence, there is a discrepancy. If others say that we are heretical, then how about them? It may turn out that the very ones who accuse us of being heretical are themselves heretical. However, because they are dear brothers, we do not wish to condemn them. In like manner, we ask them not to condemn us. If you fellowship with others in this way, you may be able to help them see that it is neither right nor fair to accuse anyone who believes what the Bible reveals concerning Christ of being heretical. Furthermore, you may need to show them that many fundamental teachers, including some who helped to formulate the orthodox creed at the Council of Nicaea, were condemned, at one time for being modalistic and at another time for being tritheistic. They were condemned because, as they defended the truth against the heresy of tritheism, on occasion they appeared to be modalists; and as they defended the truth against Sabellianism, a form of modalism, they appeared to be following tritheism. However, the whole of Christianity would not condemn these noted teachers as heretics, for they were honest in believing both aspects of the revelation of the Triune God in the Bible.
Now we believe that the Son is the Father and also that the Lord is the Spirit. But we still believe the other side of the Triune God—that all Three of the Godhead exist at the same time, and that among Them there is a real co-inherence for eternity. Although we cannot reconcile these two aspects of the Trinity, we absolutely believe them both. Therefore, it is not fair to accuse us of being heretical. Rather, our opposers are in danger of being heretical because they place too much stress on the side of the three and neglect the side of the one. This brings them to the verge of the heresy of tritheism.
You need to present the matter to the critics in this way. Perhaps, while maintaining a good attitude toward them, you will be able to give them some further education and to clear up the sky concerning the truth. Truth is truth, fact is fact, and falsehood is falsehood. As long as we stand with the Bible and as long as we have a spirit to be one with the Lord, eventually the situation will be cleared up and the sky concerning the truth will be clear. Whether or not others accept the truth is their responsibility. We are not responsible for that. Our burden today is for the Lord’s recovery. Do not be deceived or distracted by the opposers. Take down all their points and fellowship concerning them. Study and learn the truth with them. I believe that we all shall be helped by this and that the Lord will gain more ground for His recovery.
With respect to the church, we have no title. The term “local church” is not our title. When we speak of the church in Anaheim, the church in Los Angeles, and the church in Hong Kong, it is the same as saying the moon in Anaheim, the moon in Los Angeles, and the moon in Hong Kong. The phrase “the moon in Hong Kong” is not the title of the moon; it is simply a description of the moon. Likewise, “the church in Anaheim” is not our title; it is our description. When the moon appears in Taipei, it is called “the moon in Taipei,” and when the moon appears over Paris, it is called “the moon in Paris.” The words “local church” are simply a term describing the nature of the church. Today, we are not standing merely for the universal church, but also for the local church. The nature of the church not only has the universal aspect, but also the local aspect. Therefore, we need to make it clear that the words “local church” are not a title. Never say, “I attend the local church on Ball Road in Anaheim.” To make the words “local church” a title is to turn us into a local church sect and to cause us to become a local church denomination. We do not practice any sectarian church, but the local church. When people ask you to share with them about the church, patiently explain to them that we have no title whatever. We are simply the church. When we are in Anaheim, we are the church in Anaheim; when we are in New York, we are the church in New York; and when we are in Stuttgart, we are the church in Stuttgart. In whatever locality we find ourselves, we are simply the local church there. We have nothing to do with anything denominational.