In the Bible, apostates are often described as those who have turned away from their faith or rejected the teachings of God. Some specific characteristics that may be associated with apostates, as described in the Bible, include:
How Did the Spread of Early Christianity and the Persecution of the Early Church Impact the Text of the New Testament?
Within just a few short decades after the death of the apostle John, divisions were already evident among the early Christians. About 187 AD Irenaeus listed twenty varieties of Christianity; about 384 AD Epiphanius counted eighty.