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        <title>Heresies — Christian Debate</title>
        <link>https://christiandiscourse.net/index.php?p=/</link>
        <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:51:40 +0000</pubDate>
        <language>en</language>
            <description>Heresies — Christian Debate</description>
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        <title>Cult Terms used by JW's (Jehovah's Witnesses)</title>
        <link>https://christiandiscourse.net/index.php?p=/discussion/1002/cult-terms-used-by-jws-jehovahs-witnesses</link>
        <pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2021 15:13:46 +0000</pubDate>
        <category>Apologetics</category>
        <dc:creator>Truth</dc:creator>
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        <description><![CDATA[<h5><strong> What Terminology Is Used by Jehovah’s Witnesses?</strong></h5><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Disfellowshipping or Shunning</strong></p><p>  Punishment for disobedience of Watchtower rules and regulations resulting in excommunication. Baptized members who are disfellowshipped are no longer allowed to talk with current members—including in most cases even family members.</p><p><strong>  Faithful and Wise Servant </strong>(Matthew 24:45)</p><p>  Originally referring to Charles Taze Russell, now referring to the remnant of the 144,000 or “anointed class”/“Little Flock” including the “Governing Body” of Jehovah’s Witnesses.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Faithful and Discreet Slave</strong></p><p>  Another term for the “Faithful and Wise Servant.”</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Great Crowd</strong></p><p>  The great crowd are the non-anointed faithful, including those who survive Armageddon. These are also known as the “other sheep,” and they make up the vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses who will not live in heaven but hope to be able to inhabit the restored “Paradise Earth.”</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Governing Body</strong></p><p>  A group of fewer than 25 men of the anointed class or “Faithful and Discreet Slave” who historically established the Watchtower’s policies and beliefs and direct its publications.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Jehovah</strong></p><p>  The only true name for God. (The Trinity is considered a false doctrine.)</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Kingdom Hall</strong></p><p>  The local meeting place where Jehovah’s Witnesses receive instruction.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  “Little Flock” Anointed Class Heavenly Class</strong></p><p>  The elite group of 144,000 who will live in heaven and reign with Christ. This group is believed to be the Spiritual Israel as the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments are being fulfilled through them.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Memorial Meal</strong></p><p>  One large, annual meeting scheduled at Passover time (Nisan 14 of the Jewish calendar), which is the only time the Lord’s Supper is observed. Only the remnant of the 144,000 “anointed” can partake of the bread and wine—currently fewer than 9,000.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  The Society</strong></p><p>  The informal name Jehovah’s Witnesses use for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WTBS), which is directed by the “Governing Body.”</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  The Truth</strong></p><p>  Knowledge available only to Jehovah’s Witnesses and learned only through The Watchtower.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>  Spiritual Israel</strong></p><p><strong> </strong> All of the 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Heavenly Class, which first began among Jesus’ disciples. That number was completed in the 1930s. The acting president announced that the enlightenment he received from Jehovah was that “other sheep” that were “not of this fold” would be candidates to inherit “Paradise Earth,” provided they remain faithful and “come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation.”</p><p><br /></p><p>- From June Hunt</p>]]>
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        <title>Another look at the Col 2:9</title>
        <link>https://christiandiscourse.net/index.php?p=/discussion/748/another-look-at-the-col-2-9</link>
        <pubDate>Sun, 24 Nov 2019 08:04:05 +0000</pubDate>
        <category>Bible Questions</category>
        <dc:creator>C Mc</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">748@/index.php?p=/discussions</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[<p><strong>CD Users,</strong></p><p>Let me begin by saying, <strong>all anti-Trini­tarians</strong>, it's evidence, <strong>they don't believe in inspiration of the Bible</strong> and that it is God's book to man. This is why we have all the back and forth.  They have issues with the <strong>power of God</strong> and <strong>His prerogatives</strong>. They are trying to <strong>re-define the nature, power and the character of God</strong>. In their view, Christ can't be more than their little pea brains can envision. Christian cannot and should not succumb to their construct of The Eternal One. Christians and the Christian Community should not tolerate blatant blasphemy of <strong>ancient, warmed-over heresies,</strong> in twenty-first Century clothing, within their ranks. They need to be called out. That is:</p><ol><li><strong>Docetism</strong> -- Denied Christ had real physical nature, asserted that He was a mere phantom, flitting across the stage of the world—a transient apparition.</li><li><strong>Gnosticism</strong> -- Denied that a divine Person could become incarnate, or unite Himself with a human body.</li><li><strong>Docetic Gnostics</strong> -- Maintained that a divine element descended upon Christ at His baptism and departed before the crucifixion, stating the Deity did not suffer on the cross.</li></ol><p>On the other hand, there are those who don't know better, may espoused incorrectly, the truth about God or the Trinity, while in their Christian journey. Wrong is wrong, just the same. Such as:</p><ol><li><strong>Modalism (i.e. Sabellianism, Noetianism and Patripassianism) </strong>...taught that the three persons of the Trinity as different “modes” of the Godhead. Adherents believed that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not distinct personalities, but different modes of God's self-revelation. A typical modalist approach is to regard God as the Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Spirit in sanctification. In other words, God exists as Father, Son and Spirit in different eras, but never as triune. Stemming from Modalism, Patripassianism believed that the Father suffered as the Son.</li><li><strong>Tritheism </strong>...Tritheism confessses the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three independent divine beings; three separate gods who share the 'same substance'. This is a common mistake because of misunderstanding of the use of the term 'persons' in defining the Trinity.</li><li><strong>Arianism</strong> ...taught that the preexistent Christ was the first and greatest of God’s creatures but denied his fully divine status. The Arian controversy was of major importance in the development of Christology during the fourth century and was addressed definitely in the Nicene Creed.</li><li><strong>Docetism .</strong>..taught that Jesus Christ as a purely divine being who only had the “appearance” of being human. Regarding his suffering, some versions taught that Jesus’ divinity abandoned or left him upon the cross while other claimed that he only appeared to suffer (much like he only appeared to be human).</li><li><strong>Ebionitism</strong>...taught that while Jesus was endowed with particular charismatic gifts which distinguished him from other humans but nonetheless regarded Him as a purely human figure.</li><li><strong>Macedonianism</strong>...that that the Holy Spirit is a created being.</li><li><strong>Adoptionism </strong>...taught that Jesus was born totally human and only later was “adopted” – either at his baptism or at his resurrection – by God in a special (i.e. divine) way.</li><li><strong>Partialism</strong> ...taught that Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are components of the one God. This led them to believe that each of the persons of the Trinity is only part God, only becoming fully God when they come together.</li></ol><p>There is a different between "<strong>ignorance</strong> " and the <strong>arrogance</strong>. the Bible makes clear that "<strong><em>the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent (</em></strong><a href="https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Acts-17-30/" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc"><strong>Acts 17:30</strong></a><strong>). When we know better we do better, </strong>in words, deeds, declaration, and proclamation.</p><p>We don't need to debate the Word (Bible). We need to read, believe, accept and proclaim it. <strong>God needs witnesses not lawyers or debaters</strong>. This doesn't rule out the opportunity to give a reason for the hope that's within -- what one experienced in Christ through the Word (Bible).</p><p><strong>“<em>For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily</em>”.  </strong>From the view of a believer who believes in the inspiration of the Bible, <strong>what does this phrase means? CM</strong></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2><strong>SOURCE:</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/Trinitarian%20Heresies.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/Trinitarian%20Heresies.html</a></p>]]>
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        <title>Biblical Cults: Who Are They?</title>
        <link>https://christiandiscourse.net/index.php?p=/discussion/317/biblical-cults-who-are-they</link>
        <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2018 20:36:15 +0000</pubDate>
        <category>Biblical Studies</category>
        <dc:creator>C Mc</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">317@/index.php?p=/discussions</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[<p>The Apostle Paul and the early church dealt with many problems and influences, were there cohesive bodies of people behind and around certain teachings and influences? The question begs to be asked, were their cults in the Bible? What is a cult? Let's not read today's definitions of cults back into the Bible. How did the Bible define them? What groups in the Bible can you identify as cults? What are their teachings and influences on the people of God? Are cults and heresies the same? Were there cults in the Bible with or under other names? Getting a handle on these groups will help one to understand the Bible and its interpretations. CM</p>
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