Should We Shy Away From Correcting Our Brethren?

It is the very opposite of truth that gospel preachers should concentrate on correcting denominational doctrine and shy away from correcting brethren. And I think this false idea represents one of the biggest problems with churches of Christ today – showing respect of persons (partiality – Acts10:34, James 2:9) in our teaching. If I were to show such partiality to my physical family, never rebuking them for their sins, but only rebuking non-family for those same sins, wouldn’t you think I was being hypocritical? Then why not the same with my spiritual family?

This practice would be doing exactly the opposite of what Paul did in Acts 20:20,26-27,31 – “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house … Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. … Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Who was Paul talking to in that text – Christians or non-Christians? And this practice will cause such teacher to lose his own soul (Ezek 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand)? Just because the majority of our brethren think this approach is the correct one doesn’t make it right.

Suppose a very popular gospel preacher (John Doe) gets to preach twenty-five gospel meetings a year, and he believes the covering and long hair requirements are still binding today (I Cor 11:2-16). And let’s just say 95% of the ladies he gets to preach to in these meetings don’t wear the covering and/or have long hair, but he never, ever mentions the topic in all of those thousands of sermons. Can’t we see he is going to be held accountable for that (Rom 16:18)?, and that he is not showing any depth of love for the souls of these brethren (Prov 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful)? We shouldn’t sacrifice our soul for the praise of men (John 12:42-43). Yes, I know the brethren hold John Doe in high esteem (and maybe because of that, so do you), but God certainly does not hold him in high esteem (Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets).

When we preach to our brethren on topics we disagree on, it is true we “alienate many who would be our friends” – even some of those who agree with us on those topics! Why would that be? Because they have been taught this same mistaken concept – don’t correct myself or other brethren; instead, correct others (Prov 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die).

Many of our brethren wonder why one would try to correct their false positions. It is for the same reason we correct the institutional brethren and Baptists and everybody else – because we love their souls (Eph 4:15a but speaking the truth in love …). The institutional brethren wonder why we correct them – “why not concentrate on those who are not Christians?” Christian Church members wonder why we debate them. Many of them are thinking – why are you debating us, and not the Baptists?” When we debate the Baptists, they wonder the same thing – “why aren’t you debating the gay church?” When we debate the gay church – “why aren’t you debating the atheists?”

When we get a chance to preach to denominational people, almost all brethren would expect us to preach to them (our audience), that is, against denominational error, right? So if we get a chance to preach to an audience of Christians, likewise why wouldn’t brethren expect us to preach to them (our audience), that is, against errors of brethren? Why waste so much time preaching to people who are not present in our audience?

Did Jeremiah and Jesus spend time correcting their brethren or only correcting Gentiles? We all should try to emulate Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul in this regard. Shouldn’t we (I Cor 11:1)? We talk about how much courage Jeremiah must have had to censure the children of God of his day, but we ostracize those who lovingly do the same today. The real question is – who is willing to stand with those who do like Jeremiah, Jesus and Paul and point our error (in a kind way) without showing favoritism?

Any true friend wouldn’t mind another friend pointing out his error, or any error for that matter, and will in fact stand with him (II Tim 4:16-17) in his adversity when he’s right – Prov 17:17. Are we really wanting to keep learning and growing from God’s word, or are we only interested in constant confirmation that what we already believe is the truth? Prov 1:7b says “fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Please consider this article written in Oct 2012 – https://bibledebates.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/pandering-to-our-audience/

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