Those in Theological Error

Martin Downes has posted an interesting piece on "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Heretics." While the title is a bit over the top in my opinion, Downes does make a helpful observation concerning the different types of people who are involved in theological error.

"In an unpublished paper given at a B.E.C. conference the late Rev. Robert Sheehan helpfully talked about how in the New Testament there are five kinds of people who are in error, and five different responses to those errors by the apostles. They are:

1. The sincerely ignorant
2. The sincere misinterpreter
3. The temporarily inconsistent
4. The deceived
5. The deceivers"