by H. A. Wilson
Taken from Grace and Truth Magazine, 1927
FOR a minister of Christ fearlessly to oppose false teachers is to subject himself to vitriolic criticism and his ministry to the most strenuous opposition. And, strange to say, in many cases the bitterest criticism and most determined opposition do not come from the false teachers or their followers. It is to be expected that this will be their attitude, unless God in His mercy grants them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. But it is no little surprising that many times this attitude is shared by souls who on other points are apparently most earnest Christians. Even ministers who are undeniably scriptural in the essentials of their testimony frequently become the persecutors of fellow believers and fellow ministers who are fully in agreement with them in every essential point of doctrine, but who have the temerity boldly to denounce false teachers and to warn God's children against their teaching. Observations of many such experiences in the lives of some of the most faithful and godly servants of Christ has recently constrained the writer to investigate anew the teaching of the Word on the subject of "Contending for the faith." As one result of this investigation, he has been convinced that perhaps there is no greater need among God's children today than for them to let the Word of God become the mold of their thoughts and words and deeds. If Christians would really let God's Word be the standard by which they judge their own thoughts, as well as the words and actions of others, most of such criticisms would end. It is, therefore, with the prayer that God may use this discussion in the lives of many of His children to produce such a happy result that the writer here sets forth some of the questions which arose in his own heart with the answers of God's Word to these questions. Upon beginning this investigation, naturally the question first suggested itself: "Is there any scriptural ground for the position of those who object to a minister of Christ's Gospel contending against false teachers?" And this question resolved itself into three others. The first was: "In the light of God's Word, is it right to contend for the faith?" This being answered in the affirmative, the next question arose: "In the light of God's Word, what is involved in contending for the faith?" With the soul satisfied on this point, another question demanded an answer: "In the light of God's Word, what should be our spirit; in contending for the faith?" The appropriateness of these questions will be apparent to all, for if those are right who oppose our contending as we do for the faith against all error and against all pritagonists of error, then there is bound to be something wrong with the thing itself, or with the the way it is done, or with the spirit in which it is done. Let us, therefore, raise these questions and permit God's Word to give us its own answer. I. IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD, IS IT RIGHT TO CONTEND FOR THE FAITH? SUCH a question seems almost unnecessary, and yet it is suggested by the attitude of many who seem infatuated with the logic of Gamaliel. It will be remembered that when the Apostles were on trial before, the Sanhedrin, this doctor of the law said, "Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God" (Acts 5:38-39). With this judgment that unbelieving and anti-Christian council agreed. And it seems to have caught the fancy of others who should be wiser than they, for many in our own day, even among professing Fundamentalists, use the same logic in excusing themselves from opposing false teachers. But this logic needs investigation. Is it necessarily true, and (what is more important) is it scriptural? That it is not true at the present time is self-evident when we consider the multitude of false and contradictory sects which are flourishing on every hand "as a green bay tree." But that it IS true in the final analysis we cannot deny when we consider that God is going to overthrow every evil work at the Second Coming of Christ. Does this, however, relieve us of any responsibility for the present? Thoughtful consideration of the Scripture fully convinces any willing soul that the wisdom of Gamaliel was after all but the wisdom of this world, for such was not the policy of those whom God most greatly blessed and used, and such is not the advice which His Word gives to His servants. Rather, we are exhorted to "prove all things," and to "hold fast that which is good" (I Thess. 5:21), and to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph. 5:11). The examples of God's faithful servants have ever been uncompromising in their rebuke of error. How flaming were the rebukes which the prophets voiced! And so numerous were they, one needs only to turn at random to any of their writings to find them in abundance. It is to be noticed in this connection that their sternest rebukes were addressed, not to the heathen, but to the religious leaders of their own day, i.e., the priests of Israel. Notice, for example, the incisive words of Malachi:
And what twentieth century Fundamentalist has exceeded in warmth the denunciations which our Lord Jesus Christ addressed to the scribes and Pharisees — the Doctors of Theology of His own day? Hear Him:
Or again, among even the boldest of those who in our generation have faithfully contended for the faith, who has been more personal or definite than was Paul when he "withstood him (Peter) to the face because he was to be blamed," and when later he wrote all about it to the Galatians (Gal. 2:11)? But this rebuke was mild when compared with many others administered by this Apostle who was "set for the defence of the Gospel" (Phil. 1:17). "But," some object, "Jesus was God manifest in the flesh, and the prophets and Paul spoke by inspiration. It is, therefore, presumptuous for us to try to emulate their example, for we have not their authority." To all such we answer, "We have the authority of the Word of God. But if you are too timid to use language of your own in contending for the faith, then by all means confine yourselves to the language of the Scripture. In this you will doubtless find the following few additional gentle samples most useful:"
Or if this seems too severe, perhaps you might like to use Weymouth's Translation:
Or Moffatt's:
Again:
But God's Word most satisfyingly answers the objection of those who think none save inspired writers of Scripture should so speak of false teachers. Jude said:
Note here that "the faith" was delivered to the "saints." It is they, therefore, who should contend for it. Or, listen to the inspired injunction given to Timothy in view of the approaching apostasy:
Or, hearken to the instruction which Titus received concerning the false teachers with whom he was obliged to contend in Crete:
In the light of such examples, and with such admonitions ringing in our ears, we cannot conclude other than that it is blessedly, gloriously, and urgently scriptural to "contend for the faith" and in doing so to oppose false teachers. But what of the second question? II. IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD, HOW SHOULD WE CONTEND FOR THE FAITH? THERE are some who say we should let the false teachers alone and confine ourselves to preaching the Word. What saith the Scriptures? That we should preach the Word even in our rebuke of false teaching there can be no question, for the Scripture inseparably links' the two:
Perhaps, at first thought, to some this will seem to support the contention that we should let the false teacher alone and confine ourselves to the doctrine. But the same word here translated "convince" is used in verse thirteen where the instruction is given to:
From this, as well as from many examples which might be cited (most notable, perhaps being Paul's dealing with Peter when he fell into error, — Gal. 3:11-14), it is evident that it is scriptural openly to rebuke false teachers. It is also scriptural to warn believers against them. This the Apostle Paul did when he wrote to the Corinthians:
The Scripture indicates, too, that our warning should be coupled with exhortation. Such were the uniform examples of the inspired writers of God's Word. And such are the Spirit's instructions to His servants.
And though we have mentioned it already, it will be well to pause for a moment to emphasize that we should oppose false teachers and false teaching with definite instruction in the truths of the Word. This is indicated in Titus 1:9 and II Tim. 4:2 which we have already quoted. It is also specifically enjoined in II Tim. 2:24-26:
Though by no means exclusive of the things which we have already noted, this is a most important thing for us to bear in mind. It takes reproof out of the realm of human opinion and bases it on the Word of God. When rebuked for it, any man who is teaching falsely has the right to ask what our authority is for concluding that his teaching is false. The only answer to this question is to present the teaching of God's Word which in deed or in doctrine the false teacher is contradicting. If a teaching is false it is unscriptural, and we most certainly will be most apt to help the false teacher if in our rebuke of his teaching we present the Scripture truths which reveal its falsity. Again, we can best safeguard the flock of God from false teaching, or if they have already fallen prey to it we can best recover them, by coupling with our rebuke of the false teaching the teaching of the truth which is contrary to it. And when the rebuke has been given, ineffectually, or when the warning has been given them, God's Word teaches that believers should withdraw themselves from the false teacher and refuse to have any fellowship with him. So Paul wrote to Timothy:
And again he wrote to the Romans:
And to Titus he wrote:
In the same spirit John also said:
In answer to our question, "What is involved in contending for the faith?" the Scripture plainly teaches us that we should openly rebuke false teachers; we should warn the people of God against them; v/e should exhort God's people to turn away from them; we should seek, if possible, to instruct the false teacher in the effort to deliver him from error; the believers we are warning we should instruct in the truths which will counteract the error; and failing to win the false teacher from the error of his ways we should unhesitatingly and uncompromisingly reject him. Once these be admitted (and to refuse such assent is to reject God's Word), the third question still remains: III. IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD, WHAT SHOULD BE OUR SPIRIT IN CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH? THERE are several things which are readily admitted, even by the critics, so for the sake of brevity we may group them altogether. We should be longsuffering, for so says the Holy Spirit by the Apostle Paul:
We should also manifest gentleness, patience and meekness according to the plain teaching in II Tim. 2:24-25:
It is noteworthy that the Scripture never admonishes us to love false teachers, unless it be in the passages which say, "Love your enemies" (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27). But that our attitude should be loving we are ready to admit if love be divested of the thought of fellowship. Surely we cannot more truly manifest love to one who is overcome in error than by seeking to recover him from his error. But to be tolerant toward the error, or to compromise with it, or to speak softly concerning it is not love. With this limitation understood, we gladly agree that our attitude toward the false teacher should be one of love. But we must not let the scriptural injunction to longsuffering, gentleness, patience, and meekness, blind us to the other teaching of the Word on this subject. It is possible to maintain all of these in our attitude and yet employ every method to which we have already called attention. And there are a few other characteristics of scriptural dealings with false teachers which have been severely criticised, though they are fully consistent with such a spirit, so these must briefly be considered. Some say, "It is wrong to judge false teachers," or, if they admit that we may scripturally judge their works, they still insist that we must never judge their motives. This, however, was not the reasoning of the Spirit-filled Apostle, for he mercilessly judged both works and motives. Of the first, Titus 1:16 is a good example:
While the second is evidenced in Gal. 6:12-13:
And both are seen in I Tim. i:6-7.
Another favorite point of objection is the matter of personalness. "Judge their teachings if you must," say the critics, "but you must never become personal." Here again, the Scripture not only fails to support the objection, but it clearly endorses the thing against which the objection is directed. Not to mention again the matter of Peter, Paul got noticeably personal when he said:
And when he exhorted Timothy to hold faith and a good conscience:
Another thing which is vigorously opposed is the use of sarcasm. But the Scripture relates that after the prophets of Baal had called on him from morning until noon:
Evidently Elijah was in the will of God in so doing, for the same evening he called on God in a brief prayer of less than seventy words, in which he said:
This prayer God answered by sending fire from heaven to consume the offering which had been made. In this way He witnessed that all Elijah had done, even the use of sarcasm, had been done according to His will. But last of all, if we use sharpness in dealing with false teachers we are accused of being lacking in gentleness and meekness. If so, then God is the author of confusion, for He definitely issued instructions concerning false teachers that we should:
In contrast to the pusillanimous, pussy-footing of many who call themselves servants of Christ, how refreshing are the plain-spoken and uncompromising words with which God's Word deals with the false teacher! May God give us grace in these days of appalling apostasy to heed and to obey His admonition:
And may we be enabled in His strength to testify with the Apostle Paul:
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