What is apostasy?
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An agreed-on definition of apostasy and its effects would be great. But there isn’t one. A general definition would be this, from a book containing scholarly articles published in various journals and periodicals.
The definition. Thus, apostasy is a departure from truth previously accepted and it involves the breaking of a professed relationship with God. 1Ryrie, C. C. (2010). Dr. Ryrie’s Articles (p. 58). Logos Bible Software..Characteristics of apostasy include it being a deliberate, conscious renouncing of Christian faith and allegiance to God.
The details of what constitutes apostasy vary, in part because it necessarily ties in with whether or not salvation can be lost.
Please continue to read to learn more about what apostasy is, what it isn’t, and some of the issues that come with various theological beliefs.
Let’s begin with a more technical definition of Apostasy.
Apostasy is generally defined as the deliberate, conscious renunciation of the Christian faith and a total withdrawal of allegiance to God.
Derived from the Greek word apostasis (meaning “defection,” “desertion,” or “rebellion”), it is distinguished from minor doctrinal disagreements, casual doubt, or backsliding.
It implies a complete, intentional abandonment of previously held foundational beliefs.
I mentioned earlier that there are some theology differences that have implications for how we view apostasy. Here’s the biggest one.
Calvinism – Arminianism – Roman Catholicism
The nature, permanence, and possibility of apostasy are heavily debated subjects. Different Christian theological camps view it through the lens of their understanding of salvation and God’s sovereignty. To that end, here’s a table to show the different beliefs.
| Theological System | Can a True Christian Apostatize? | Description & Implications |
| Calvinism / Reformed | No | Believes in the Perseverance of the Saints. A truly regenerate believer cannot permanently fall away. Those who leave the faith were never genuinely saved to begin with (1 John 2:19). |
| Arminianism / Wesleyan | Yes | Emphasizes free will. A genuine believer can freely choose to reject their faith, neglect their salvation, or return to sin, thereby losing their salvation and standing before God. |
| Roman Catholicism | Yes | Defined as the total repudiation of the Christian faith by a baptized person. It is classified as a mortal sin that separates the individual from the Church and salvation unless absolute repentance occurs. |
Analyzing the passages on apostasy
There are a number of passages that each of the above groups use to support their views.
The thing is, if you look carefully, the answer as to whether or not someone who claims to be Christian can commit apostasy is yes. The dispute comes when the question asks if a “true Christian” can commit apostasy.
- The Arminians and the Roman Catholics say yes.
- Calvinists say no, but then quickly add that the person was never a believer in the first place.
And there’s the catch. It’s easy to say someone was never a believer in the first place. But – only God knows if that’s true. Regardless of which of the three camps you’re in, none of them actually know the answer.
The Danger of Certainty vs. The Need for Wisdom
I think that’s OK. We don’t know. Fine. The truth is, we all need to watch out for it, if we’re wise, for the very reason that we don’t know. It all comes down to how to interpret various passages, parables, comments.
For some reason though – probably that Western need to always have one best answer – we insist that we do know. For someone who’s willing to admit we don’t know, the best path is to always be sure we’re on the right path, and that we don’t get so far away that we can be deceived into turning against God. I can’t help but feel it’s the height of arrogance for someone to insist they are saved, no matter what they do. Even Paul wanted to run the race to the end so he wouldn’t be disqualified.
The Rights of an Apostle – 1 Corinthians
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1Co 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Given all of this, the best thing to do is to be aware and be discerning. There are always people trying to take us away from Jesus. And as we inevitably get closer to the End Times, we also need to realize this will get worse, not better. It’s been there since the beginning. Just don’t be another victim.
Footnotes:
- 1Ryrie, C. C. (2010). Dr. Ryrie’s Articles (p. 58). Logos Bible Software. ↩︎
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