The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Apostacy or Error?

I had a thought from reading some posts in the other post on infant baptism. Now what exactly makes a church apostate? how about a church just being in error? Do you think a church can be in error but not yet be labeled as apostate? Where does one draw the line? Or is there a line? Just curious about your thoughts here.

I haven't given a lot of thought to your question. But my initial thoughts are: Does the error involve an absolute essential doctrine or not?

For example I am a credo-Baptist, but many on the Highway are paedo-Baptists. It is obvious that one of these positions are in error. However, since this matter is not an essential issue, I have no problem standing in unity with fellow Christians who disagree with me on baptism.

Tom

However, "if" your views on baptism make you deny other essential doctrines of the faith, (i.e. "salvation by grace alone," etc.) what do we then have (apostasy, heresy, mere error, etc.)? ALL doctrine is related and thus getting into the niddy gritty of the what we call less essential doctrines (if there is such a thing) may expose one's overall beliefs, misunderstandings of their beliefs, inconsistencies, errors, etc. "If" someone exalts the inconsistencies of a lesser doctrine to the expense of an essential doctrine, what do we then say?