Here are 10 Heresies related to the birth of Christ at Christmas. Just like counterfeit money, it’s best to know the real thing so that you can spot the fake bills. It’s the same way with your faith in Christ.

So here are 10 theological counterfeits. Print them out and memorize them:

1. Universalism teaches that Christ was born in Bethlehem to save all humans and all demons. Origen allegedly taught this doctrine. But the Nicene Creed reads “for us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. Christ was born to redeem only humans.
2. Ebionism teaches that Joseph is the natural father of Jesus. The Nicene Creed refutes this with:”conceived of the Holy Spirit.”
3. Arianism teaches that Jesus not fully God, but only the first and best creature of God. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ if fully God and fully man.
4. Docetism teaches that Jesus only appeared to have a real physical body. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ is fully God and fully man. As Christ says, “Hand and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones.”
5. Valentinianism taught that Holy Spirit deposited the Christ Child in her womb and that Mary was the a surrogate mother, but not truly Christ’s genetic mother. The Apostle Paul refutes this when he writes, “God sent His Son, made of a woman.”
6. Apollinarianism wrongly teaches that Christ did not have a human soul. They taught that the divine nature replaced the soul of Christ. This is false because Christ in the Gospels says, “Now my soul is troubled.”
7. Nestorianism teaches that Jesus is two “persons” – Jesus the human son of Mary and Jesus the divine Son of God. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ is one person with two natures: divine nature and human nature.
8. Monophysitism teaches that Jesus is fully God but not fully man. The Catholic Church teaches that Christ has two natures: divine nature and human nature.
9. Monothelitism teaches that Jesus has only one will. The Catholic Church teaches that Christ has two wills: a divine will and a human will belonging to His human soul.
10. Iconoclasm teaches that images are idolatrous. On the contrary, the Catholic Church defends the use of Christian (not pagan) images since Christ became visible through the incarnation.

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