This topic is too important not to discuss. A U.S. Senator sent a tweet on Easter Sunday that some called ‘heresy.’ That is a major accusation. Heresy is not simply an incorrect religious belief; rather, it is a belief so contrary to core doctrine that to believe it is to depart from Christianity.[1] The reason this is particularly concerning is that the Senator who sent the tweet is also a pastor.
Christians need to recognize and reject heresy.
NEWS
Senator Raphael Warnock is not only a new senator; he is also the Senior Pastor of New Ebenezer Baptist Church.[2] He made national headlines on Monday… but not in a good way. On Easter Sunday, he posted the following tweet:
“The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves."[3]
Whoa! There are serious theological issues with that tweet and it drew immediate and sharp criticism.
Jenna Ellis, former President Trump attorney, had a strong counter against Sen. Warnock’s tweet:
“This is a false gospel and heresy. We cannot save ourselves. The absolute truth and only meaning of Easter that matters is the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we must accept Him as Lord and Savior. Read Romans, “Reverend” Warnock. You are a false teacher.”[4]
Joy Reid, an MSNBC host, responded to Ms. Ellis’s tweet, defending Senator Warnock. Her tweet included the following:
“Madame, I’m gonna take @ReverendWarnock’s take, as a pastor and a scholar on the Word over yours, if you don’t mind.”[5]
But Jenna Ellis was not alone in opposing Sen. Warnock. There were multiple counters, including former NFL player Ben Watson, a devout Christian:
“Easter is not a story for moral motivation toward good works. The resurrection reveals our INABILITY to save ourselves in this life or the next, proving Jesus alone holds that power. Urging people to help others need not come at the expense of doctrine. To do so is heresy.”[6]
Notice that both tweets that countered Sen. Warnock mention the word ‘heresy.’ Again, this is a serious accusation. I will come back to this in a minute, but first I want say something about Joy Reid’s tweet.
My sense is that Ms. Reid was defending Sen. Warnock due to political allegiance; but what she tweeted is also dangerous. Unfortunately we cannot simply trust everything a pastor says. While I believe the majority of Christian pastors are good shepherds who teach spiritual truth, there are some who deviate from teaching the Bible and are in error.
Here is my question for Joy Reid: If Sen. Warnock’s tweet was accurate, why would he take it down? Frankly, he owes an explanation regarding what he meant and why he took it down? Does he recognize it was wrong? If so, he should say so publicly and correct the message.
If followers of Christ don’t know the Bible they may fail to recognize false teaching, including heresy.
RELIGION
Christians can have various beliefs, and some may not be quite right; but heresy is far more serious. It crosses a line. A person holding a belief that is considered heretical means he or she is no longer adhering to Christianity. According to an article from Crosswalk.com: “Heresy is the choice to abandon the widely accepted teaching on an essential doctrine and embrace one’s own view.”[7]
Let’s go back to Senator Warnock’s tweet. There are two aspects of the tweet that have serious problems.
The first sentence of the tweet states that Easter transcends the resurrection of Jesus. I don’t know why a Christian Pastor would say this. It’s simply wrong. Easter is a Christian holiday that literally is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection is essential; consider the words of the Apostle Paul:
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17 CSB)
Paul is saying that if Jesus was not resurrected, then our faith is useless. I mention this verse because it emphasizes the importance of the resurrection. It is essential! While Senator Warnock didn’t reject the resurrection, his tweet seemed to diminish the importance of resurrection – that is spiritually dangerous.
Sen. Warnock’s second sentence says whether you are Christian or not, you can save yourselves by helping others. It seems to me he is suggesting that one can achieve salvation (go-to-heaven) by being a good person. That perspective is clearly heretical – contrary to core Christian doctrine.
Someone, like Joy Reid, may say, ‘But he is a pastor.’
How do we know who is right? We must go to the Bible.
1. The Apostle Paul provided very clear guidance that salvation is not based on doing good deeds, but rather accepting the Lordship of Jesus and believing the resurrection:
if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 CSB)
2. Additionally, the Apostle Paul explicitly stated that a person cannot be saved by good works:
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift- not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 CSB)
3. Finally, Paul had strong words against any person who shared religious teaching that was contrary to core Christian doctrine.
As we have said before, I now say again: if anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him! (Galatians 1:9 CSB)
The first two verses clearly refute the second sentence of Sen. Warnock’s tweet, and the third verse demonstrates the seriousness of false teaching.
Was it appropriate to publically rebuke Sen. Warnock? It was not only appropriate, it was necessary. Although we must to respect people and try to correct them privately if we can, in this situation it was a public tweet with false ideas, so it was appropriate to respond publically. Christians have an obligation to stand for spiritual truth (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Consider why this topic is so important. We are talking about the eternal destination of our soul. There literally is nothing more important. The Bible must be our source for spiritual truth; and, there are good reasons to believe the Bible is historically reliable and its content is true & divinely inspired by God.
Summary Point:
Christians need to be accurate about core doctrine (see How to go to heaven).
[1]Greg Koukl of Stand-to-Reason summarizes key terms, including heresy. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1449644581797763 [2]https://www.foxnews.com/politics/warnock-deletes-easter-tweet-amid-backlash [3]https://www.foxnews.com/politics/warnock-deletes-easter-tweet-amid-backlash [4]https://twitter.com/JennaEllisEsq?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor [5]https://www.foxnews.com/politics/warnock-deletes-easter-tweet-amid-backlash [6]https://twitter.com/BenjaminSWatson?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor [7]https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/4-heresies-still-alive-in-the-church.html
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