Eureka!

One of the most intriguing passages on heresy in the Bible is Peter's "just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them..." For decades, I have puzzled over this, specifically, how they could "secretly" deny the Master, bec. after all (went my thinking), if they're teaching heresy, it's out in the open, and just a matter of right-thinking people pointing it out, right? That "secretly" was like a pebble in my theological shoe. It just would not compute.

But now, thanx to the wisdom of a commenter named "Truth Unites...& Divides" (see comment #10), I finally have my answer (read the complete blogpost to understand what he's nutshelling here):

Subtle linguistic word games are a fundamental tactic used by the adversary to embed incremental, creeping, nearly indetectable heresy into Christ’s bride.

Word games + Feelings Manipulation vs. Inerrant Scripture.

Wide Path: Word Games & Feelings Manipulation.

Narrow Path: Inerrant Scripture

[emphasis Trothkeepr's]

TUAD, you're hired as my resident Bible mentor. :)