Just as it is unhelpful to label as heretical any opinion we happen to disagree with, so it is unhealthy to dismiss the spiritual threat of heresy altogether. The Lord Jesus hates error in His church and it pleases Him when false teachings are resisted. But what kinds of error are significant enough to be called heresy? In the following updated extract, George Gillespie explores what Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 11:19 when he wrote about the “heresies among you.” He lists six features which co-occur to make an error so bad as to be classified as heresy.

The apostle says (1 Corinthians 11:19), “There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.”

By “heresies” here some understand no more but divisions and sects, and conceive that heresies in point of opinion or doctrine, are not meant here. If so, then the very divisions and sects themselves will expose who are “approved,” and who not, before it comes to heretical opinions. Sectaries are not approved, and these who are indeed approved, are none of theirs, but those who keep themselves unspotted, and free from them. So the word “heretic” in Titus 3:10 is understood as an “author of sects,” for example. Sometimes the word “heresy” is used in the New Testament for a sect, yet we may note that it is used only for the kind of sect which either was in reality, or was esteemed to be, of some heretical opinion (e.g., Acts 5:17; 15:5; 24:5; 26:5; 28:22).

The apostle uses the word “heresy” twice in his epistles, and in both places he makes some distinction between heresies, and divisions, or strifes and variance (1 Cor. 11:18–19; Gal. 5:20). For not every division, strife, or variance, is heresy.

Therefore in the text which I now speak to, 1 Corinthians 11:19, I understand “heresy” to be somewhat more than division. The Arabic translation of this verse repeats the word “schisms” out of the preceding verse, reading “for there must arise schisms and heresies among you …” It seems that those who take the word “heresies” to mean only divisions do not observe the flow of the apostle’s argument, for after he has spoken of their schismatic divisions, contrary to the rule of love, he adds, “for there must also be heresies among you.” He is saying in effect, “I partly believe it, that there are divisions among you, for there must be not only schisms, but, worse than that, there must be heresies also!”

So, what is heresy? I answer with two things that are not heresy, before giving six positive identifications.

Two things which are not heresy

Not every unscriptural error is a heresy

Heresy is to be understood neither so broadly as to include every error which may be confuted by Scripture (even if perhaps that error is maintained too tenaciously), nor so narrowly that it includes only errors which are destructive to some fundamental article of the Christian faith, if a “fundamental article” means a truth without which, if you do not know and believe it, it is impossible to get salvation.

When Peter Martyr Vermigli defines heresy, he makes no mention of a fundamental error, but speaks of an error “contrary to the Scriptures.” Likewise Calvin understands heretics to be those who make a division in the church by false doctrines. Walaeus [a Dutch theologian who contributed to the Canons of Dort] says that heretical churches err either in the foundation, or in some other things built upon the foundation. When Peter speaks of the heresies which take away the very foundation, Jesus Christ, he thinks it too little to call them simply heresies, but he calls them “damnable heresies.”

But you might understand fundamental truths to be all the chief and substantial principles of Christianity — not meaning only the first rudiments, or ABC of a catechism, which we first of all put to new beginners, but I mean all such truths as are commonly put in the confessions of faith, and in the fuller and larger catechisms of the Reformed churches, or all such truths as all and every one who lives in a true Christian Reformed church are commanded and required to learn and know, as they expect in the ordinary dispensation of God to be saved — in this sense, I may agree that heresy is always contrary to some fundamental truth.

It is one thing to dispute about the absolute sovereign power of God, and what are the truths, which, if someone doesn’t believe them, it is absolutely and altogether impossible that they can be saved. I don’t really think this is a question which Scripture provides an answer for, and I don’t know what edification there is in canvassing it. I’m only sure it is a question much abused.

It is another thing to dispute what are the truths which, in a church where the gospel is truly preached, all and every one who has come to years of knowledge and discretion and who has the means and opportunities to learn, ought to know and (according to the revealed will and ordinary dispensation of God) must learn, as they desire or expect to have a true fellowship with Christ in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, or to be accepted of God, and saved eternally.

Something can be heresy without being condemned (yet) by the church

We must not think that no one is a heretic but one who has been formally admonished by the church, and then continues pertinaciously in his error. For when it says in Titus 3:10, “a man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject,” it implies that he is a heretic before such admonition.

Six things which concur to make a heresy

Heresy is an error held by someone in the church

Heresy is an error held by some minister or member of a church, by which I mean either a true church or an assembly claiming and professing to be a true church. Both Peter and Paul, where they foretell that heresies are to come (in 2 Peter 2:1 and 1 Corinthians 11:19). they add “among you,” i.e., among you Christians. (See also Acts 20:30: “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.”) Therefore the Scripture does not give the name of heretics to those who are altogether outside the visible church — those are called by the names of heathens or unbelievers, or “they that are without,” or the like.

And held voluntarily

Heresy is an error voluntarily and freely chosen, both in the first invention and broaching of it (which is what heresiarchs do, i.e., the arch-heretics who invent heresies and lead heretical sects), and in the maintaining of it or adhering to it (which is done by all heretics). This I collect from the very name which the Scripture gives to it, for hairesis “heresy” comes from aireomai, “I choose.” Therefore we do not give the name of heretics to Christians who are compelled in time of persecution to profess this or that error, which would perhaps be formally a heresy, if professed voluntarily and without compulsion. They ought indeed to prefer to die, and to endure the greatest torments, before they profess what they know to be an error, but this sin is not properly called heresy.

In this respect, Tertullian thinks that an heretic is said to be “condemned of himself” (Tit. 3:10), because he has of himself chosen that which condemns him. The apostle has just commanded us to reject a heretic. “But if I reject him,” someone might say, “then I will lose him, I destroy his soul.” “No,” says the apostle, “his perdition is of himself, for he has chosen his own ways, and his soul delights in his abominations.” This interpretation is much surer and safer than to say that a heretic is called self-condemned because he goes against his own light, and against the principles received and acknowledged by himself, an interpretation which is accompanied with many dangerous consequences.

And replaces the truth

Heresy is a choosing of error which is accompanied with a rejecting of truth. A heretic puts light for darkness, and darkness for light; good for evil, and evil for good. He chooses error as truth, and refuses truth as error. Those who “give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils,” do also “depart from the faith” (1 Tim. 4:1), “resist the truth” (2 Tim. 3:8), and “turn away their ears from the truth” (2 Tim. 4:4). Their trajectory has a terminus a quo as well as a terminus ad quem (a starting point as well as an endpoint).

And ensnares others

Heresy is an error which is professed and maintained, and which by that means becomes a scandal (stumbling block) and snare to others. For although there may be heresies (just as much as other kinds of sin) lurking and hidden in the thoughts, yet that belongs to God’s judgement only, not to man’s. The heresies which are spoken of in 1 Corinthians 11:19 are certainly known and clearly distinguishing to other people. And heretics are scandalous persons who must be avoided and rejected (Rom. 16:17; Tit. 3:10), which could not be the case if their errors were not known.

And contradicts some chief truth

Heresy is an error which is contradictory to some chief and substantial truth, grounded on, or by necessary consequence drawn from, the Holy Scripture. There was never yet a heretic in the Christian world who contradicted something that is literally there in black and white in Scripture. The most damnable heretic will offer to subscribe to the Scripture instead of a Confession of Faith, yet they will not subscribe to all the truths which necessarily follow from the words of Scripture.

But I do not call heresy every error which is contrary to some consequent truth, grounded upon Scripture. Just as Scripture does not reckon all who sin to be “workers of iniquity,” so it does not reckon not all who err to be heretics. Although no sin and no error is insignificant in its own nature, yet not every sin is a gross and heinous sin, and not every error is heresy. Heresies are mentioned as greater evils than schisms (e.g., 1 Cor. 11:18–19), but this could not be so, if every error was a heresy.

And is divisive

Heresy is an error which is maintained factiously, or contentiously, in a way which involves dividing the church, and drawing away disciples after it. “I may err,” said Augustine, “but I shall not be a heretic.” Heretics are deceivers and seducers who endeavour to pervert others, and to overthrow their faith (2 Tim. 3:13; Acts 20:30; 2 Tim. 2:17–18; Rom. 16:17–19; 2 Pet. 2:2). All known and noted heretics are also schismatics, who make a rupture, and strengthen their own grouping by drawing disciples and followers after them (to the extent that, as we have seen, the word “heresy” is often used for a sect). Heresy as carries schism with it in its bosom. Calvin says that the breaking of church communion and the making of a division is a thing common both to heretics and schismatics, for heretics break one bond of church communion, i.e., consent in doctrine, while schismatics break another, i.e., love, though sometimes they agree in doctrine.

From all these scriptural observations we may make up a description of heresy like this. Heresy is a gross and dangerous error, held voluntarily and maintained divisively, by some person or persons within the visible church, in opposition to some chief or substantial truth or truths grounded on and drawn from the Holy Scripture by necessary consequence.

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