From Newsgroup: alt.bible

Apostasy and apostates. What the Bible teaches.

Apostasy is abandoning the true worship of God and a rebelling against
God's teachings as set forth in His inspired word, the Holy Bible .

As the founder of Christianity, Jesus established only one true
religion, not an interfaith movement. (Eph 4:5)

The first apostate was Satan. (John 8:44)

God predicted that an apostasy would occur within the Christian
congregation. At 1 Tim 4:1 it says,

" However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later
periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention
to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons,"

And 2 Thess 2:3,

" Let no one seduce YOU in any manner, because it will not come unless
the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the
son of destruction. "

Also Jesus parable of the wheat and the weeds at Mt 13:24-30;36-43.
Jesus defined the "wheat" as true Christians, but the "weeds" as false
or apostate Christians. Both would be existing together for a time.

Thus if false teachings can arise within the Christian congreation,
how can the promoters of these teachings (apostates) be recognized?

There are several ways.

(1) They want others to follow them, thus causing sectarian divisions.

---Acts 20:30, " and from among YOU yourselves men will rise and speak
twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves"

---2 Pe 2:1, "However, there also came to be false prophets among the
people, as there will also be false teachers among YOU. These very
ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the
owner that bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. "

(2) They claim to be Christian, but ignore some of the basic teachings
of Jesus.

---Luke 6:46, " "Why, then, do YOU call me 'Lord! Lord!' but do not do
the things I say?"

---Mt 28:19,20, "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have
commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the
conclusion of the system of things.""

---Mt 24:14, " And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in
all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the
end will come."

(3) They also speak against those who are trying to follow all of
Jesus' teachings.

---2 Ti 2:16-18, "But shun empty speeches that violate what is holy;
for they will advance to more and more ungodliness, 17 and their word
will spread like gangrene. Hy+me+nae'us and Phi+le'tus are of that
number. 18 These very [men] have deviated from the truth, saying that
the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the
faith of some."

---Jude 8, " In like manner, notwithstanding, these men, too,
indulging in dreams, are defiling the flesh and disregarding lordship
and speaking abusively of glorious ones."

(4) They set up a counterfit Christian religion and claim to have
"ministers of righteousness".

---2 Cor 11:13-15, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no
wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of
light. 15 It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep
transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end
shall be according to their works."

Should a Christian avoid apostates and their literature? Or should
they try to talk to them to lead them back to the true religion?

---2 John 9,10, "Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the
teaching of the Christ does not have God. He that does remain in this
teaching is the one that has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone
comes to YOU and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into
YOUR homes or say a greeting to him"

---Ro 16:17,18, "Now I exhort YOU, brothers, to keep your eye on those
who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the
teaching that YOU have learned, and avoid them. 18 For men of that
sort are slaves, not of our Lord Christ, but of their own bellies; and
by smooth talk and complimentary speech they seduce the hearts of
guileless ones"

---Prov 11:9, " By [his] mouth the one who is an apostate brings his
fellowman to ruin, but by knowledge are the righteous rescued."

---He 6:4-6, " For it is impossible as regards those who have once for
all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and
who have become partakers of holy spirit, 5 and who have tasted the
fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, 6 but who
have fallen away, to revive them again to repentance, because they
impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public
shame."

The Book of Job shows how serious it is. Job 13:16,

"He would also be my salvation,
For before him no apostate will come in."

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.bible

Which is why you shouldn't invite Satan's Witnesses into your homes.
They deny the teaching about and by Christ. He claimed to be God. The
Bible says He is God. Only God could atone for our sins. By denying
Jesus is God, Satan's Witnesses deny the doctrine of and about Christ,
and seek to undermine the way of salvation through faith in Him.

Further, they promote a false way of salvation, claiming it would not be
just for God to send people to a conscious, eternal hell, telling people
they can reject Christ without experiencing conscious eternal torment,
and telling people their own physical death atones for their sins based
on nothing but self-evident contradictions to what Romans 6 plainly
teaches, which would leave no reason to trust in Christ's atonement for
our sins. They clearly deny and contradict the teaching of and about
Jesus Christ, and promote a false, soul-damning gospel. Therefore, don't invite them into your homes or bid them God speed.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2