A Heretic, the One Who Denies That Jesus is the Christ
Reading Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1
Verse to Memorize: 2 Peter 2:1
Reference: 1 John 2:22-23 Goal: to help Christians understand that denying the Master who bought them is heresy so that they will not carelessly judge or condemn others for a heresy and not be tempted by heretics As time goes by, unreliable theories are putting the world in chaos and more and more people are being deceived by them for they fail to discern between truth and falsehood. Also, some mistakenly judge or condemn others with speculation or knowledge that they have deemed correct. Even believers in the Lord made various errors.
One such error is the perception of heresy. Many of them do not adopt the definition of heresy specified in the Bible but instead they criticize some churches or believers as heretics just because of discrepancy of trivial parts of religious dogma. At this end time when many kinds of sects are rampant, we must gain a precise understanding on the concept of heresies grounded in the Bible. Only with a correct understanding of heresy is it possible to avoid being misled by the sects while not judging others though their thoughts do not agree with ours.
- 1. Jews brought charges against Paul as a sect ringleader
It happened after Jesus Christ resurrected and ascended into Heaven. In the time of Early Church, there was a young man named Saul (later named Paul). He was a knowledgeable Jewish man. In those days, Judaists, practitioners of the monotheistic religion of Judaism, were still waiting earnestly for their Messiah who would liberate Israel from the oppression under Roman Empire. At that time, the number of those who believed in Jesus as their Savior increased and the Jerusalem Church experienced its great revival. Observing this, Saul could not stand it because he thought that the proclamation about Jesus as the Son of God was blasphemy against the only one true God.
When Deacon Stephen was martyred while he was preaching about the gospel of Jesus Christ, Saul supposed that Stephen deserved death and he arrested and imprisoned the disciples of the Lord Jesus. At about that same time an incident brought significant change in his faith. He was on his way to Damascus with letters from the high priest to seize believers in the Lord Jesus. Then, he heard the voice of the Lord, as written in Acts 9:4-5, saying, "And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." After this incident, he repented and accepted the Lord.
From that point on Saul was totally changed and he laid down his life to preach the gospel to every known corner of the earth while manifesting great spiritual power. He was detained, beaten times without number, and had many near-death experiences, but he still rejoiced and gave thanks. He dedicated himself to leading many souls who were bought with the price of the Lord's blood to the way of salvation. In Acts chapter 24 it describes how he was accused of being a ringleader of a sect. The apostle Paul boldly spoke about his faith to the Roman governor, "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men" (Acts 24:14-16). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online defines heresy as 'dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice' or 'an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards.' In this sense, Jews condemned the apostle Paul as a ringleader of the sect of Jesus Christ.
- 2. A Heretic, as 'One Who Denies that Jesus Is the Christ'
Today, some people condemn other churches as 'heretics' just because they believe in a way that is different from theirs or because they insist on theories that are in opposition or contrary to orthodox tenets, tradition and authority. However, in order to determine whether one is a heretic or not, we must do it based on the Bible. In the New Testament, the word related to heresy or heresies appear five times; 'sect' twice, 'faction' twice, and 'heretical' once. One of them states the precise meaning of heresies.
2 Peter 2:1 reads, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves." Here, the Master who bought them refers to Jesus Christ. Men originally belonged to God and lived in the will of God, but after Adam's disobedience they became sinners and came to belong to the enemy devil and Satan. The God of love had compassion on men who had been seized by death and sent His only begotten Son to the earth. By taking the cross on their behalf, Jesus opened the way to salvation and bought them with His blood as a price. It was God's providence that human beings, who had belonged to the enemy devil and Satan due to sins, would be able to accept Jesus Christ, be forgiven of sins, gain eternal life, and belong to God again.
As explained above, Jesus Christ paid the price with His blood to buy us through the crucifixion. That is why it is written that Jesus Christ is 'the Master who bought them'. So, denying Jesus Christ, who is the Master who bought them, is heresy. For this reason, before Jesus completed His duty on the earth through His crucifixion and resurrection, the word 'heresies' had not been used even once. This is because 'the Master who bought them' itself had not made any sense before Jesus concluded His duty as the Christ. That is why the words 'heresy', 'sect', and 'faction' do not appear in the Old Testament of the Bible and the Four Gospels, either. No one among the scribes and Pharisees who persecuted Jesus called Jesus a heretic. Only after Jesus resurrected and fully accomplished His ministry did the sects appear who denied Jesus Christ, the Master who bought them.
Apostle Paul never denied his Master who had bought him from the time that he met Jesus Christ. Rather he gave thanks for the grace of the Lord, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, and overcame every kind of severe suffering and harsh persecution with joy. Until his martyrdom, he glorified the living God by showing great power with which he healed numerous people and even revived the dead. Therefore, if people believe Jesus Christ as the Master who bought them, they could never be heretics. By clearly understanding that heretics are those who deny and oppose the Christ and it is the antichrists who fall under the definition of heresy, we must not be deceived by others, and we must not recklessly condemn those who proclaim the gospel with the power of the Holy Spirit as being a sect.
- 3. We must not condemn others as heretics without great care and through a proper understanding on the definition
1 John 2:22-23 reads, "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also." It means that the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the Father is a liar, an antichrist, and a heretic. Some people express adverse judgment on a church full of the works of the Spirit as heretic or anti-Christ. It happens because of their spiritual ignorance causing them to stand against the will of God.
For instance, some people say that people who cry out in prayer belong to a heretical sect. Others condemn a church as a faction because of the works of speaking in tongues, visions, and prophesy that occur in the church. Still others call a church a sect because they clap in praising or they dance giving praise in beautiful attire during the service. Such things have nothing to do with characteristics of heresy according to the biblical definition of heresy. If you lack caution and call someone a heretic even though he confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and believes the Bible as the Word from God, and professes God the Trinity, this is condemning the Spirit and is standing in opposition to Him. If you comprehend the definition of heresy, you cannot easily condemn or judge others as heretics. In the Early Church time, many people came to believe in Jesus Christ when the apostles repeatedly manifested signs and wonders.
The religious leaders of the Jews felt jealous of them, imprisoned them, and tried to kill them. Gamaliel was a teacher of Jewish law and he was a respectable Pharisee. He committed everything to God without pushing ahead with his own thoughts. He thought if something was not done in the work of God, it would fall upon itself soon enough even if people did not try to destroy it. But if you oppose and interrupt the works of God with an evil heart, it means that you stand against God and it brings you into the judgment of God (Acts 5:38-39). It also means you cannot destroy them. Therefore, if you are a Christian who reveres God you have to distinguish between the Spirit of God and spirits of error, and understand what is heresy based on the Bible.
Mwasi: Yule Anayekana Kwamba Yesu Ndiye Kristo
Usomaji wa Maandiko: 2 Petro 2:1
Mstari wa Kukariri: 2 Petro 2:1
Rejea: 1 Yohana 2:22–23. Lengo: kuwasaidia Wakristo kuelewa kwamba kumkana Bwana aliyewanunua ni uzushi, ili wasiwahukumu au kuwalaumu wengine ovyo kuwa wazushi na wasishawishiwe na wazushi. Kadiri muda unavyopita, nadharia zisizoaminika zinautia ulimwengu katika machafuko, na watu wengi zaidi wanadanganywa kwa sababu hawawezi kutofautisha kweli na uongo. Wengine pia huwahukumu au kuwalaumu watu kimakosa kwa kutegemea mawazo au maarifa yao wenyewe. Hata waumini wa Bwana wamefanya makosa mbalimbali.
Moja ya makosa hayo ni kuelewa vibaya uzushi. Wengi hawafuati ufafanuzi wa uzushi uliotolewa katika Biblia, bali huyakosoa makanisa au waumini fulani kuwa wazushi kwa sababu tu ya tofauti ndogo katika mafundisho ya dini. Katika siku hizi za mwisho, ambapo madhehebu ya kila namna yameenea, tunahitaji kuelewa kwa usahihi maana ya uzushi kulingana na Biblia. Tukiielewa vizuri maana yake, tutaepuka kupotoshwa na madhehebu hayo na pia tutaepuka kuwahukumu wengine kwa sababu mawazo yao hayatufanani.
- 1. Wayahudi walimshtaki Paulo kuwa kiongozi wa dhehebu
Jambo hili lilitokea baada ya Yesu Kristo kufufuka na kupaa Mbinguni. Wakati wa kanisa la kwanza, kulikuwa na kijana Myahudi mwenye elimu aliyeitwa Sauli, ambaye baadaye aliitwa Paulo. Wakati huo, Wayahudi waliokuwa wafuasi wa dini ya Uyahudi ya kumwabudu Mungu mmoja walikuwa bado wakimngoja kwa hamu Masihi ambaye angeikomboa Israeli kutoka katika utawala wa Kirumi. Idadi ya watu waliomwamini Yesu kuwa Mwokozi wao iliongezeka, na kanisa la Yerusalemu likapata uamsho mkubwa. Sauli hakuweza kuvumilia jambo hilo, kwa sababu alifikiri kutangaza kwamba Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu kulikuwa kumkufuru Mungu wa pekee aliye wa kweli.
Stefano alipouawa kwa ajili ya kuhubiri injili ya Yesu Kristo, Sauli alidhani kwamba alistahili kufa, naye akawakamata na kuwafunga wanafunzi wa Bwana Yesu. Karibu wakati huo huo, tukio moja lilibadilisha sana imani yake. Alikuwa safarini kwenda Dameski akiwa na barua kutoka kwa kuhani mkuu za kuwakamata waumini wa Yesu. Kisha akasikia sauti ya Bwana, kama ilivyoandikwa katika Matendo 9:4–5: “Akaanguka chini, akasikia sauti ikimwambia, Sauli, Sauli, mbona waniudhi? Akasema, U nani, Bwana? Naye akasema, Mimi ni Yesu unayeniudhi.” Baada ya tukio hilo alitubu na kumkubali Bwana.
Tangu wakati huo Sauli alibadilika kabisa na kutoa maisha yake kuhubiri injili kila mahali palipojulikana duniani, akidhihirisha nguvu nyingi za kiroho. Alifungwa, akapigwa mara nyingi na kukaribia kufa mara nyingi, lakini bado alifurahi na kushukuru. Alijitoa kuwaongoza kwenye wokovu watu wengi waliokuwa wamenunuliwa kwa damu ya Bwana. Matendo sura ya 24 inaeleza kwamba alishtakiwa kuwa kiongozi wa dhehebu. Mtume Paulo aliieleza imani yake kwa ujasiri mbele ya liwali wa Kirumi: “Lakini nakuungamia neno hili, ya kuwa kwa kadiri ya Njia ile wanayoiita uzushi, ndivyo ninavyomwabudu Mungu wa baba zetu, nikiyaamini yote yaliyoandikwa katika torati na katika manabii; nikiwa na tumaini kwa Mungu, ambalo hao nao wanalingojea, ya kwamba kutakuwa na ufufuo wa wafu, wenye haki na wasio haki.”
“Kwa sababu hiyo nami mwenyewe najizoeza kuwa na dhamiri isiyo na hatia mbele za Mungu na mbele ya watu sikuzote” (Matendo 24:14–16). Kamusi ya Merriam-Webster hufafanua uzushi kuwa kutokubaliana au kuachana na nadharia, maoni au desturi inayotawala, au maoni, mafundisho au matendo yanayopingana na kweli au imani na viwango vinavyokubaliwa na wengi. Kwa maana hiyo, Wayahudi walimhukumu mtume Paulo kuwa kiongozi wa dhehebu la Yesu Kristo.
- 2. Mwasi wa imani ni yule anayekana kwamba Yesu ndiye Kristo
Leo, watu wengine huyahukumu makanisa kuwa “ya uzushi” kwa sababu tu yanaamini tofauti na wao au yanafuata mafundisho yanayopingana na misingi, desturi na mamlaka ya dini iliyozoeleka. Lakini ili kubaini kama mtu ni mzushi, tunapaswa kutegemea Biblia. Katika Agano Jipya, maneno yanayohusiana na uzushi yanaonekana mara tano: “dhehebu” mara mbili, “faraka” mara mbili na “uzushi” mara moja. Moja ya sehemu hizo hueleza maana sahihi ya uzushi.
2 Petro 2:1 yasema, “Lakini kulikuwa na manabii wa uongo katika wale watu, kama vile kwenu kutakavyokuwako waalimu wa uongo, watakaoingiza kwa siri uzushi wa upotevu, wakimkana hata Bwana aliyewanunua, wakijiletea uharibifu wa haraka.” Bwana aliyewanunua hapa ni Yesu Kristo. Hapo awali wanadamu walikuwa wa Mungu na waliishi kulingana na mapenzi Yake, lakini baada ya Adamu kutotii wakawa wenye dhambi na kuwa mali ya adui Ibilisi na Shetani. Mungu wa upendo aliwahurumia watu waliokuwa wametekwa na mauti na kumtuma duniani Mwana Wake wa pekee. Yesu alibeba msalaba kwa niaba yao, akafungua njia ya wokovu na kuwanunua kwa damu Yake. Huo ulikuwa mpango wa Mungu: wanadamu waliokuwa mali ya adui Ibilisi na Shetani kwa sababu ya dhambi waweze kumkubali Yesu Kristo, kusamehewa dhambi, kupata uzima wa milele na kuwa mali ya Mungu tena.
Kama ilivyoelezwa, Yesu Kristo alilipa gharama ya kutununua kwa damu Yake alipokufa msalabani. Ndiyo maana anaitwa “Bwana aliyewanunua.” Kwa hiyo, kumkana Yesu Kristo, Bwana aliyewanunua, ni uzushi. Kabla Yesu hajamaliza kazi Yake duniani kupitia kusulubiwa na kufufuka, neno “uzushi” halikutumika hata mara moja. Hii ni kwa sababu maana ya “Bwana aliyewanunua” haikuwa imetimia kabla Yesu hajamaliza kazi Yake kama Kristo. Ndiyo maana maneno “uzushi,” “dhehebu” na “faraka” hayaonekani katika Agano la Kale wala Injili nne. Waandishi na Mafarisayo waliomtesa Yesu hawakumwita mzushi. Ni baada tu ya Yesu kufufuka na kutimiza huduma Yake ndipo yalipotokea madhehebu yaliyomkana Yesu Kristo, Bwana aliyewanunua.
Mtume Paulo hakumkana Bwana aliyemnunua tangu alipokutana na Yesu Kristo. Badala yake, alishukuru kwa neema ya Bwana, akahubiri injili ya Yesu Kristo, na akavumilia kwa furaha mateso makali na dhuluma za kila namna. Hadi alipouawa kwa ajili ya imani, alimtukuza Mungu aliye hai kwa kuonyesha nguvu nyingi, kuponya watu wengi na hata kufufua wafu. Kwa hiyo, watu wanaomwamini Yesu Kristo kuwa Bwana aliyewanunua hawawezi kuwa wazushi. Tukielewa wazi kwamba wazushi ni wale wanaomkana na kumpinga Kristo na kwamba wapinga Kristo ndio wanaoingia katika ufafanuzi wa uzushi, hatutadanganywa wala kuwahukumu ovyo wale wanaohubiri injili kwa nguvu za Roho Mtakatifu kuwa washiriki wa dhehebu.
- 3. Tusiwahukumu wengine kuwa wazushi bila tahadhari na ufahamu sahihi
1 Yohana 2:22–23 yasema, “Ni nani aliye mwongo ila yeye akanaye ya kuwa Yesu ni Kristo? Huyo ndiye mpinga Kristo, yeye amkanaye Baba na Mwana. Kila amkanaye Mwana, hanaye Baba; amkiriye Mwana anaye Baba pia.” Hii inamaanisha kwamba anayekana kuwa Yesu ndiye Kristo na Mwana wa Baba ni mwongo, mpinga Kristo na mzushi. Wengine huliita kanisa lililojaa kazi za Roho “la uzushi” au “la mpinga Kristo.” Hufanya hivyo kwa ujinga wa kiroho unaowafanya wapinge mapenzi ya Mungu.
Kwa mfano, wengine husema kwamba wanaomlilia Mungu katika maombi ni wa dhehebu la uzushi. Wengine hulihukumu kanisa kuwa dhehebu kwa sababu lugha, maono na unabii hutokea humo. Wengine huliita kanisa dhehebu kwa sababu waumini hupiga makofi wanaposifu au huimba sifa kwa kucheza wakiwa wamevaa mavazi mazuri. Mambo hayo hayahusiani na sifa za uzushi kulingana na ufafanuzi wa Biblia. Ukiwa mwepesi kumwita mtu mzushi ingawa anakiri kwamba Yesu Kristo alikuja katika mwili, anaamini Biblia kuwa Neno la Mungu na kukiri Mungu wa Utatu, unamhukumu Roho na kumpinga. Ukiuelewa ufafanuzi wa uzushi, hutawahukumu wengine kirahisi kuwa wazushi.
Wakati wa kanisa la kwanza, watu wengi walimwamini Yesu Kristo mitume walipodhihirisha ishara na maajabu mara kwa mara. Viongozi wa dini ya Kiyahudi wakawaonea wivu, wakawafunga na kujaribu kuwaua. Gamalieli alikuwa mwalimu wa sheria ya Kiyahudi na Farisayo mwenye kuheshimiwa. Alilikabidhi jambo hilo kwa Mungu badala ya kusukuma mbele mawazo yake mwenyewe. Alifikiri kwamba ikiwa jambo halikutoka kwa Mungu, lingejiharibu lenyewe baada ya muda hata kama watu hawakujaribu kuliharibu. Lakini kumpinga na kuzuia kazi ya Mungu kwa moyo mwovu ni kumpinga Mungu na huleta hukumu Yake (Matendo 5:38–39); pia haiwezekani kuiteketeza kazi Yake. Kwa hiyo, ikiwa wewe ni Mkristo anayemheshimu Mungu, tofautisha Roho wa Mungu na roho za upotovu, na uelewe maana ya uzushi kulingana na Biblia.