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 Many
churches now have their young men, and inexperienced men, making
talks on Wednesday nights and on certain Lord’s Days of each
month. It is good training, wholly in keeping with the “priesthood
of believers.” But. we repeatedly notice the tendency of such
men to select highly controversial subjects, or to become
critics of some supposed congregational error. As a rule, they
are incompetent as exegetes, and their criticisms are resented
though they may be tolerated. I not only hear the congregation’s
complaints; I note the frustration of the zealous young men.
For
many of them it is their first opportunity to take the lead,
crack the whip. Too, it is much easier to champion a cause
(sometimes motivated by a pet hobby or resentment of some real
or imagined injustice) than it is to objectively study and
present a subject. But even when the criticism is needed,
thought must be given to the qualifications of a critic.
The
most severe critic contends, “This is for your own good.” He
believes this — but to accomplish that good, the recipients
must believe it. Getting them to believe it is half the battle
— and the first half. They must feel we have walked in their
shoes, or have a real and sympathetic understanding of the
situation. They must have confidence in our motives.
Scriptures
guide us in building such confidence. Jn. 7:24 tells us to judge
righteous judgment, not superficially or “at a glance.” Use
divine rather than human standards (Jn. 8 :15). One need not be
perfect (without sin) in order to “reprove,
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rebuke, exhort” (2 Tim. 4:2), but it must
be done with “all longsuffering and teaching.” “Ye who are
spiritual” (Gal. 6:1) points to Spirit led brethren,
circumcised in heart, saints whose genuineness is apparent in
their lives. All sin, but these remove the beam from their own
eye before seeking to take the mote from a brother’s eye
(Matt. 7:1-5).
Reproof
“in love” must never be an excuse for no reproof
but such correction is done with kindness, not puffed up, not
easily provoked. It tends to look to the good side rather than
to the evil; and rejoices not in evil when found (1 Cor.
13:4-6). For some reasons, not too obscure, people seem to take
reproof more readily from this kind of critic.
The
epistle of Jude exhorts brethren to “contend earnestly for the
faith.” for, Jude says, “ungodly men” have “crept in
privily” “denying our only Lord and Master.” Jude
denounces these false teachers in no uncertain terms (vs. 8-16).
“But ye, beloved, remember ye” the apostle’s warnings. “But
ye, beloved,” build u p your faith, pray, keep yourselves in
the love of God (17-20). That is, first, you must prepare
and keep yourselves in a proper state or condition. Then,
(22-23, A.S.), (a) convict those who dispute with you; (b) some,
you can influence and snatch from the fire of temptation; (c)
some, you may not be able to convict, nor to influence; but you
can have compassion, give loving help as possible — but stand
back in fear of their deadly error. (See Alford, Pulpit Corn.,
etc.) As sinners differ, so must the rebuke!!
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