I have worked through all these sermons/teachings and have found them very informative and detailed. I am sharing here for you the reader and my hope is you gain better Biblical understanding about false teachings and their origins.
By Phil Johnson
It’s important for Christians to have a grasp of heresies that the church has battled over the centuries, because they often return with new clothing, and the unprepared Christian is likely to fall into these old pits. Phil does an excellent job of looking at some of the major heresies that are revisiting the church today: Socinianism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Gnosticism, and Judaizing. This is an excellent 6 part series that will shore up some weak points in the church today.
Please click on the links to Listen or download :
1. LEGALISM
The relationship of Christianity to the law of Moses has always posed some very difficult problems.
A heretical brand of legalism, practiced by the Judaizers, posed a major and continual threat to the
New Testament church even while Scripture was still being written. The apostles’ war with legalism
permeates the book of Acts and most of the epistles.
2. GNOSTICISM
Gnosticism is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the heresy of the Judaizers. The legalism of
the Judaizers was a synthesis of Pharisaical Judaism and Christianity. Gnosticism was a blend of
pagan philosophy with Christianity. The Judaizers stubbornly clung to the past; the Gnostics radically
broke with the past.
3. ARIANISM
The history of Arianism is a case study in how heresy often arises from within the church. Arianism
spread by quiet infiltration and gained strength through the personal charisma of the false teachers. It
took advantage of a climate of tolerance. It developed to massive proportions before anyone rose up
to oppose it. This is Satan’s favorite tactic, disguising himself as an emissary of light.
4. PELAGIANISM
The next great heresy in the church was Pelagianism. This error returned to the issue of soteriology.
It is a fact of history that every major error that has ever assaulted the Christian faith fits under one or
both of two categories: they are either Christological or soteriological. Other forms of error have
arisen, but all the truly dangerous heresies have attacked on one or both of these two fronts.
5. SOCINIANISM
Socinianism is the culmination of heresy—an amalgamation of all the other heresies—and it is
without a doubt the most widespread of all the heresies in our generation. Modern theological
liberalism is nothing more than a variety of Socinianism.
Also read the written version of these lectures by Phil Johnson. http://gracelifepulpit.media.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/The%20History%20of%20Heresy.pdf
Please visit the Grace Life Pulpit page for more http://www.gracelifepulpit.org/
For the Love of His Truth 