Expert: Scott Talbot - 6/8/2006

Question

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Followup To

Question -
Does the early belief of Manichaeism remain heretical in the eyes of contemporary western Christians? Are the tenets of Pelagianism still considered unacceptable?
Thank You
D. F. Rhodes

Answer -
Hi, Dean. It's good to hear from you.

Yes, Manichaeism and Pelagianism were heresy when they originated, and they're still heresy now. Manichaeism denies God's purity and omnipotence, and Pelagianism holds erroneous views as to the nature of man's sinfulness and the nature of Christ's deity. Both are fabrications of someone's overactive imagination and are replete with false notions.

Truth is absolute. There is one "truth," and God is the source of that truth. All theories and ideas must be measured by God's standard of truth, and God has revealed truth to us through the Bible.

Truth will always be truth. Heresy will always be heresy. Time does not change that. And it's not a matter of what contemporary western Christians think that makes something true. It's what God says that matters.

I'm curious as to why you ask.

Scott

It seems that every Christian ‘sect’ is convinced, and persuasively argues that, their definition of the Truth, is True, and the Truth. Is each one correct, and each Christian Truth IS handed down by God, or are some mistaken, and some people follow the wrong path?
If so, how?


Answer
Dean,

This is a very important topic, and I'm glad you brought it up.

Just because someone believes something is true does not make it true. At one time, scientists believed the earth was flat. While they were entitled to their opinion, their firm belief did not make it so.

The same principles apply when it comes to our beliefs about God. We all have the freedom to believe whatever we want, but believing it does not make it true. And we cannot say that one is correct for believing a particular way--whether he is an atheist, an agnostic, a member of a sect or cult, or even a self-labelled Christian.

Our beliefs must be founded on truth. The problem with many religious views is that they contradict one another, so they cannot all be right. If one person believes that 2 + 2 = 4, and another believes 2 + 2 = 5, they cannot both be right. Likewise, if one believes that Jesus Christ is the perfect God-man who died on our behalf to serve the sentence for our sins, and another believes that He was just another prophet, a good teacher, a mere man, who simply set a good example for us to follow, they cannot both be right.

God has given us all the information we need to determine truth. He has revealed Himself to us in creation, through the Bible, and through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. While we may sometimes struggle to understand the truth God has laid out for us, it is still that truth that must form the bedrock of all that we believe and do. God has given us truth. Our job is to discover, understand, and apply it to our lives.

While we man make this our goal and strive to do so, we, as fallible human beings, may sometimes have difficulty grasping God's truth. However, God has promised us in Hebrews 11:6 that He "rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Through the help of the Holy Spirit, He will grant us understanding of His truth. (See I Corinthians 2:6-16.)

Scott