Mon., Aug. 5, 2013
by Deacon Robert Banet
My cousin Charlie is reading Church History.
What’s the matter ? Did his television go bad?
You’d be surprised, wise guy. The past can be very interesting.
Okay, if you’re so smart, instruct me.
Well, Charlie came across a false teaching of one of the early Church fathers: Origen, by name.
How can he be a Church father if he was a false teacher?
Good question. Well, the writers themselves are not infallible and ultimately, it’s the Church who decides which of the writings of the ancient writers is part of Church teaching. Origen taught many good things but he was very wrong on one account.
Namely?
He taught that Hell would eventually be emptied.
That’s a pleasant thought.
Pleasant, yes but wrong. Hell is eternal and many go there. Jesus said only a few enter the Kingdom of Heaven and many travel the road to perdition.
You know, come to think of it, I don’t hear much about Hell from the pulpit. In fact, on the Internet not too long ago, there was a post about some theologians saying that eventually Hell would be emptied.
Yes. That news made the rounds for a while. It is a very serious perversion of Church teaching. In effect, it says to us, no matter what you do in life, you will eventually end up in Heaven.
Yeah, I can see that. And if that’s the case, why bother with the Church at all?
Yes again. Why bother to get out of bed on Sunday morning?
Exactly. So I can see what you’re saying; reading Church History can alert you to the way some teachers taught wrong and caused great damage.
Well, it sounds like the old saying.
What’s that?
Old heresies never die; they just fade away.
Yeah, and appear the next year.