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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Christians Apostate Same As Anit-Christ? | 1 Tim 4:1 | Immanuelsown | 206436 | ||
bowler, I think the answer lies in (2Pet.2) whole chapter. and Luke (11:24-26) Apostasy: is the formal abandonment or renunciation of one's religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy. In a technical sense, as used sometimes by sociologists without the pejorative connotations of the word, the term refers to renunciation and criticism of, or opposition to one's former religion. One who commits apostasy is an apostate, or one who apostatises. The word derives from Greek, meaning a defection or revolt, from "away, apart", stasis, "standing". Apostasy: is generally not a self definition: very few former believers call themselves apostates and they generally consider this term to be a pejorative. Many religious movements consider it a vice (sin), a corruption of the virtueof piety in the sense that when piety fails, apostasy is the result. Many religious groups and even some states punish apostates. Apostates may be shunned by the members of their former religious group or worse. This may be the official policy of the religious group or may happen spontaneously, due in some sense to psycho-social factors as well. (Wikipedia) In Him Imm |
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2 | Christians Apostate Same As Anit-Christ? | 1 Tim 4:1 | bowler | 206441 | ||
Immanuelsown Thank you for your thoughts Immanuelsown, I appreciate your point of view. I will stop after this but would be more than happy to hear more from you or others on the matter as it does edify me. I am looking at 2 Peter 2 and wondering if Peter is really talking about apostates and those who had the spirit of the Anti-Christ at the same time, that is grouping them together, or is he only talking about those with the spirit of the Anti-Christ? He speaks of those who creep in to the congregation to teach false things, heresies, denying the Christ as being the Christ. He speaks about them sinning immoralities and of reviling angelic majesties. This seems to contrast those whom Paul had described as being fallen away from the faith "apostate" as being not immoral, but forbiding from marriage, forbidding the eating of all foods, and as generally purporting that ascetisim is the way to "Christ". These apostates that Paul was speaking of did not preach another "Christ", they taught that the way to Him was through "denying the body" as Paul put it (see previous branch). This is why I keep seeming to try and make a disctinction between "apostate" and "spirit of the Anti-Christ". An "apostate" can be pulled back from destruction and "renewed to the faith", as those who believe false beliefs about how to make it to Christ and be "saved" (not so sure about this part, see Hebrews chapter 6?)- having less to do with continuing in sin than with "false doctrine" (that is according to one instance of Paul). One instance of Paul describing a sinner who had fallen away, "was apostate" was the man who had his father's wife in bed and lived with her. Paul speaks of "giving him over to Satan for the desctruction of his flesh in order to save his soul" - meaning this "apostate" could be pulled back from total desctruction and would still be "saved". That is two types of being "apostate". People who believe in the real Christ but "fall away". Being one with the spirit of the "Anti-Christ" is to preach another Christ and the fruits of such a person is that they will commit gross immoralities and as John says in I, II, III John they will keep the brethren out of the congregation and will not love their brothers by seeing to their needs and "their deeds are evidence that they are not His", and will try to go from house to house to get "things". But the major emphasis is that they preach another Christ, a false Christ. I do hear you about "apostates" being thrown out of churches. States punish apostates? I thought the church was in authority over what happens to "apostates" in Christianity. Maybe you mean "foreign states of other relgions in other nations". A good question remains - at what point do we say that a "former believer" was ever saved? How could one be "former"? One is either a believer who repented and asked for salvation or they aren't, there is no gray area that gets created because they fall into the next sin and have trouble with it. Once saved always saved, by faith alone, by grace alone, the Sola's. Another good question might then be, is one who fell and never turns around to repent and get back up ever said to have been a "former believer"? Many have no patience for that waiting period, saying it was too long, and decide that person was never saved and then call them "apostate", but you had to believe at first in order to "fall away", not be an unbeliever (former believer?). blessings abound, bowler |
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