I'm coming in on this at a late stage. Just a question or so to Straw and Evangelist.

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straw said:
Tom,
I just think that 'heretic' is such as strong word to use about little lambs who have gone astray. I favour the idea of restoring such 'in the spirit of meekness' lest we be found commiting a greater sin, and that of passing the weight of eternal damnation on souls that are escaping but caught in something we can clearly see.
It is always the matter of the old 2 x 4 that scatcheth the eyeball and causeth one to poke out the eye of the weaker one in the faith. After all we are in the ministry of saving and restoring, not discouraging and damning.
forgave and we aught to 70 x 7. No?

So Straw, who are the people Paul is talking about when he warns the Ephesian elders with the following words (Acts 20):

28"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

29"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

Is Paul refering to the false teachers as "little lambs gone astray"? No, he is calling them "savage wolves". And is Paul talking about "little lambs gone astray" in 2 Cor. 11:13 - 15? And what about what the Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 2:1-3? Note how Peter says "they will secretly introduce destructive heresies". Also Jude says that false teachers "have secretly slipped in among you". Thus, false teachers do not immediately announce that they reject this or that fundamental doctrine of true Christianity. False teaching introduces error bit by bit, without people realizing that they are slowly being led away from the Truth.