Early Christian Heresies The Greek word hairesis, originally meaning “choice,” designates a sect or faction. For example, the Sadducees were a sect within Judaism (Acts 5:17), as were the Pharisees (Acts 15:5). The early believers in Jesus as the Messiah were known as “the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). In each of these verses, the word hairesis denotes nothing more than a sect. After the church grew and developed, any factious group within a local church was called a hairesis—that is, a sect that held opinions contrary to the truths established by the apostles. This is what Paul meant when he warned the Corinthian church that factious sects would develop among them (1 Cor 11:19). Eventually, the word heresy came to connote teaching that deviates from the norm and causes individuals to break away from orthodoxy. Thus, Peter warned Christians about false teachers who would try to deceive believers with their heretical teachings (2 Pet 2:1). In the modern era, this is how the word heresy is usually understood; it is unorthodox teaching that damages the faith of some believers and causes divisive factions within the church. Two heresies were particularly prevalent in...