Should we disclose the names of false teachers and point out their false teaching? Many say, “no.” They try to support this by taking two teachings of scripture out of context—confronting a brother in private and “touch not God’s anointed.”
Go to Your Brother in Private
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.” [KJV]
Matthew 18:15-17 (above) is often misapplied as a command to go to a false teacher to confront him in private before refuting his false teaching publicly. [Hello? Where does it say that?]
However, that IS NOT what this passage teaches, it states “if thy brother shall trespass against thee.” This tresspass or sin is against you personally. Jesus is giving instructions on how to handle a specific situation, that of your brother personally sinning against you.
There is nothing in the context of this passage that indicates it applies to confronting false teachers and false teaching. No scripture passage instructs us to go to the false teacher in private. As a side note, Jesus said this before the Church existed, so whatever this assembly or congregation was, it was not the Church. [see “The Church in the Wilderness.”]
So, Matthew 18:15-17 does not apply to refuting false teachers and false teaching.
Touch not God’s anointed!
Others will say, we should not name names or criticize their teachings because they are God’s anointed. This is taken from the passage in Psalms 105:8-15 which states in verse 15: “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” [KJV]
In this passage, God was telling the nations to not “physically touch” His anointed (Israel) or His prophets. In other passages, “the Lord’s anointed” was in reference to the kings of the nation of Israel as it is in 1 Sam. 16:6,13. The Hebrew verb translated as “touch” is “naga” and refers to physically touching or striking. (Mounce 737)
In 1 Samuel 24:10-11 the Lord gives Saul into the hands of David when he finds Saul sleeping in a cave. But David refuses to “touch God’s anointed” and spares his life, only cutting a piece out of Saul’s garment. In verse ten David declares to Saul, “Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.”
David is stating here that he would not kill or physically harm Saul who is God’s anointed.
This is also begs the question—how can a false teacher be God’s anointed? Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Should we Name Names?
Whenever a person (i.e., Bible teacher, pastor, evangelist, spiritual leader, guru, etc.) publishes his or her teaching in an article, book, DVD, or other media format and distributes it, the content of such published work is now open to scrutiny, discussion, and debate. The published work and the name of the author should be included in that discussion. If the author is not willing to have his or her teaching scrutinized in this fashion, then the author should not publish his or her work.
However, this discussion and debate should never include any personal attacks of any kind. We cannot judge the intents of the heart or the sincerity of the teacher. Only God can make that kind of judgment. You are judging the teaching, not the person. Objective discussions should be executed in a logical fashion, backed up with the truth of God’s Word, and supported with documented facts.
I expect no less from anyone reading the information at Analytical Faith. Don’t believe anything I have said, but search the Scriptures and judge all things as the Scripture commands. (Acts 17:11)
Notes:
Mounce, William D. Mounce’s Complete Expository dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006. Print.