Holding and rebuking

Paul Washer calling down fire and brimstone

Truth relativism is so pervasive in our culture that it’s even crept into the one time bastion of absolute truth, the church. Now days it has become next to impossible to address bad doctrine and false teachers head on. I’m getting used to hearing rebuttals such as, “Whoa, you can’t say that about Joel Osteen. Scripture says, ‘Do not judge.'” or “Hang on, watch what you say about Benny Hinn. Scripture says, ‘Touch not the Lord’s anointed.'”

The dangers however of not confronting false teaching and false teachers can be dire. Alfred Gibbs illustrated it like this, “A pocket watch and a public clock both serve the same purpose. To tell time. If the watch is out of order only the owner is out of order, but if the public clock goes wrong many are misled.” *

What then does one say to the “Do not judge’rs” and the “Touch not the Lord’s anointed’rs”? Well, perhaps some Scripture will sway?

When Peter was out of whack theologically Paul was quick enough to point it out and rather blunt in the task. Galatians 2:11 – 14 reads:

“¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. ¹³ The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Did you see that? Straight for the jugular.

How about the apostle John? In 3 John 9 – 11 he writes:

“⁹ I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.
¹⁰ For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. ¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.”

I came across the video at the top of the post last night while checking out The Lighthearted Calvinist. I don’t know everything that Paul Washer holds to but on this point we’re in agreement, he just says it with more passion than I do.

How sound are you? How sound are the people that you’re listening to? Did Paul take it too far (either the Apostle or Mr Washer)?

* I came across this quote at the blog Reformed In Bama. I’m not sure who Alfred Gibbs was, but it seems the quote was dropped at a Shepherds Conference if that’s any creditability;).