As we read Scripture, we might come across certain words that refer to heresies. These were cults, separatists, and Jews who insisted that a person had to obey the Mosaic law while proclaiming Christ as their Savior. When we look at some of these, even after two millennium, some of their influences still exists in today’s theology of false teachers. Let us refer to a few of them.
GNOSTICS – this heresy is refuted in the books of Colossians and 1 John. According to them Christ was an emanation from God but lower than God. They taught that he only seemed to appear. They are mentioned in the Apocryphon of John, the Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Philip all of which have been rejected as legitimate biblical texts. One of their doctrines said that there is a spark of the divine implanted in man at his creation. This is a belief that is propagated today by such televangelists as Kenneth Copeland in which he says that we all are little gods. According to them, this divine spark when released results in self-awareness. They see Christ as the illuminator rather than the suffering Savior. They teach that salvation is by knowledge. The practices were based on the belief that the body was essentially evil. One sect of this cult is named the Simonians that has been presumably traced back to Simon of Samaria in Acts 8.
NICOLAITANS – this heresy is mentioned by Jesus in Revelation 2: 14, 15. This group is believed to be in connection with Balaam of the Old Testament that practiced eating meat sacrificed to idols and fornication. They are considered lovers of pleasure and a corrupter of the person’s own flesh. They lived lives of unrestrained indulgence. This group has been discussed for 200 years later by church leaders as people who only believe salvation was of the spirit while it did not matter what an individual did in the body ignoring the 10 Commandments.
LIBERTINES – as mentioned in Acts 6:9 as the synagogue of the libertines who joined with other groups to challenge Stephen and ultimately stoned him to death. Some translations refer to them as the synagogue of the freedmen. They were people that was captured by the Romans and later released. Sometimes this term is used in theology for those who put no check on the indulgence of fleshly lusts and reject all standards of morality. Even so, in their debate with Stephen, they accused him of blasphemy against God and Moses, denouncing the temple and the law. They are an example today of those people who do not “practice what they preach.”
EPICURIANS – these were the philosophers who confronted Paul in Athens as he tried to witness to them about Christ. Their origin dates back to the teachings of Epicurus (341-270 BC). This group of people taught that supreme good pleasure or happiness was the pleasures of the mind during the entire life not the momentary indulgence of instincts. The founders refuted providence, miracles, prophecy, and immorality. The founder repudiated astrology teachings of religion. Paul’s familiarity with this group is likely evident because he quoted in 1 Corinthians 15: 33 a man named Menander who was a writer and friend of Epicurus.
MOLECH – this is the name of the deity worship by the Ammonites using human sacrifice as mentioned in 2 Kings 23:10 Jeremiah 32:35. King Solomon built a sanctuary for this deity as mentioned in 1 Kings 11. Naturally, this is an idolatrous worship practiced by other nations and eventually polluted the theology of Israel. It is very sad to notice in the Old Testament that there were those who threw their children into fires as part of the sacrifice to a false god. Even more unfortunate is that this eventually became widespread in Israel even though specifically forbidden in the book of Leviticus.
There are other cults and heresies mentioned in the Bible. However, we don’t have enough room in this blog to cite them all. These that I have listed are the ones that you are more likely to come across in the Scriptures as you read. Take note that as far back as these heresies existed their influence still translates to today’s false religions. The importance of mentioning these cults is so that we have a better understanding as we read the Scriptures. Also, by knowing what they taught we can more likely detect the heresies that are being propagated today by false preachers and teachers and televangelists.
Christian Writer 