PLAIN WORDS &
MODERN “CHRISTIANITY”
Many “Christians” today have great difficulty in
discerning between what they “perceive”
to be “hard”, "harsh”, “unloving”, “harmful”, or “destructive” words; and plain words that are used to warn, admonish, reprove, and rebuke (all acceptable
Scriptural methods of dealing with people - when they refuse to receive instruction
or warnings). Christians are
not supposed to engage in “good words” or “fair speeches” [Romans 16-18; Jude
There is a time and place (under
certain circumstances) to meekly instruct:
["those that
oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth;" - 2Timothy
2:24-26] and there
is a time and place (under certain circumstances) to: ["rebuke with all authority" - Titus 2:15]; or to ["rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the
faith" - Titus 1:13].
What will it be? The way in which we are to respond to
people (lost & saved) is dependent on their speech & conduct. According
to the Holy Scriptures, there is not
a “one
response fits all solution” when it comes to dealing with people
(lost or saved) - it’s called spiritual discernment.
1 Corinthians
What are we to do - when someone, who “professes” to be a fellow brother or
sister in Christ, continually asks “questions”,
“questions”, “QUESTIONS”?
And when they constantly call into “QUESTION”
the veracity or truthfulness of statements made by other Christians?
1
Timothy 1:4 Neither
give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly
edifying which is in faith: so do.
1
Timothy 6:4 He is
proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof
cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
2
Timothy
Titus
3:9 But avoid
foolish questions, and
genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law;
for they are unprofitable and vain.
What are we to do when someone, who “professes” to be a fellow brother or sister in Christ, continually provokes another brother or sister in
Christ?
Luke
Galatians
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking
one another, envying one another.
What are we to do when someone, who “professes” to be a fellow brother (or sister) in Christ, refuses to receive instruction, and
continually hinders and obstructs those who are seeking to edify
the brethren?
Proverbs
What are we to do when someone, who “professes” to be a fellow brother or sister in Christ, ridicules or calls another brother or
sister in Christ names? {And I’m not
talking about “calling a spade a spade” - i.e. plain speech} Saying that
someone is a HUMANIST or a SOPHIST is not calling someone
“names” – not IF “the shoe fits”!
There is a time and place (under certain
circumstances) to be gentle and meek with all men [“To speak evil of no man, to be no
brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” - Titus
3:2] and there is
a time and place (under certain circumstances) to: ["Preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." - 2 Timothy 4:2]
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace,
seasoned with salt, that ye
may know how
ye ought to answer every man.
Christians are supposed to know: “how ye ought to answer every man.” Some people may not "like" or “agree” with the Scriptural way of
dealing with False Teachers, Heretics, or “Christian” troublemakers,
but nonetheless, we (as Bible believers) are under an obligation to follow and
obey the Holy Scriptures - NOT the Humanistic
way of modern day Psychiatry and Psychology.
[Psalms 33:4
For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.]
Christians are supposed to have “the mind of Christ”; we
are supposed to “judge righteous judgment”; we are supposed to have “spiritual
discernment” in these matters.
Are we, as Bible believers, to AVOID “foolish and unlearned questions”? Or are
we to continue participating in endless “debates”
in order to be “fair-minded”?
[2 Timothy
Are we, as Bible believers, to SHUN “profane and vain babblings”? Or are we supposed to continually
pursue “impartial discussions”
for the sake of appearing to be even-handed?
[2 Timothy
Are we, as Bible believers, to WITHDRAW ourselves
from “men {and women} of
corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth”?
Are we to continually CONSENT
to unwholesome words; false doctrines; and perverse disputings of
men (or women) without any end? Are we to be constantly doting about questions and strifes
of words; and always willing to “argue
and dispute” - without profit?
[1 Timothy 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is
according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes
of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the
truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw
thyself.]
Are we, as Bible believers, to MARK & AVOID
“them which cause divisions and offences”? Or are we to continue to engage them in “dialogue” in order to try to “reach” them?
[Romans
Whether modern day “Christians”
like it or not – there are those people (lost & saved) who are "Ever learning, and never able to
come to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Timothy 3:7];
and unless God gets a hold of their hearts, minds, and consciences, there is
nothing we can do or say that will change them.
The trouble today is not so much with “plain speech”, as
it is with our Humanistic "Politically
Correct" (PC) culture and society. What is considered by many modern-day “Christians” as
"crude" and "offensive" language can, and has
been, used by God to warn, admonish, reprove, and rebuke - as witness the
Apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE APOSTLE PAUL:
2 Corinthians 11:6 But though I be rude
in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made
manifest among you in all things.
Galatians
Titus
1
Timothy 1:18 This
charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went
before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away
concerning faith have made shipwreck:
20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
1 Timothy 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting
about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds,
and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
1 Timothy
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be
with thee. Amen.
2 Timothy
16 But shun profane
and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness .
17 And their word will eat as
doth a canker: of
whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18 Who concerning the truth have erred,
saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
2 Timothy
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when
they will not
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall
they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away
their ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables.
2 Timothy
11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is
profitable to me for the ministry.
12 And Tychicus have I sent to
13 The cloke that I left at
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him
according to his works:
15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he
hath greatly withstood our
words.
Titus
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert
whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's
sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians
are alway liars,
evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them
sharply, that they may be
sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn
from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is
nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is
defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work
reprobate.
The Apostle Paul named names;
criticized the brethren; warned; admonished; reproved; and even REBUKED
when the circumstances called for it! Imagine - the Apostle Paul even agreed
with a Cretian "prophet"
and dared to call the Cretians "liars", "evil beasts",
and "slow bellies". {It must have been TRUE for Paul to
have said it. Imagine if I said that about a particular group of people now; or
if I said something as “crude” and “offensive” about certain brethren today!}
I won't cite Peter, or James,
or John (the Apostle of "Love") where they did the same. But how
about the Lord Jesus Christ's "dressing down" the Pharisees?
Matthew
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall
receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him
twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say,
Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear
by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the
gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever
sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the
gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all
things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that
dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and
by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters
of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to
leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat,
and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full
of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the
cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all
uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye
are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have
been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children
of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers,
how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them,
Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written,
This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Luke
Matthew
Matthew
The above citations are just a
few of many where the Lord Jesus Christ didn’t hesitate to “pull any punches”
or “call a spade a spade”. He didn’t “MINCE” His words when it came to the
“religious leaders”, “hypocrites”, and “FALSE TEACHERS” of His time; my
question for today’s Christians is: If none of the Apostles or the Lord Jesus
Christ ever hesitated to name names, or criticize the religious leaders of their
day – WHY are those of us who “speak plainly” today, and who “call a spade a
spade” condemned by most modern-day “Christians”?
You see, the problem is not so
much “plain speech”, as it is the "Political Correctness" (PC) that is so prevalent throughout most
of our society today; (mainly through the infiltration of corrupt Humanistic Psychiatry and Psychology)
and which has "seeped" into the churches. Most people in our
society (and churches) no longer can abide "plain talk"! They want to
be "stroked"; they wan to be "coddled" and
have their ears "tickled".
{They want to be treated like they treat their "spoiled"
children.}
People (lost & saved) no longer want to hear the truth; they want
all of us to be "nice" - like them; they want us to be
"sweet" - like them; they want "unity"
and "love" – before truth and obedience. If
modern-day Christians think that some of the things that some of us say are “hard”, “harsh” and "offensive", wait until they get before
a Holy and Sinless God!
[Romans
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” - Galatians 4:16
The
following verses are true and are to be observed; however, as the Apostle Paul
and the Lord demonstrated, there are times and
places (under certain circumstances) where these verses are not always
“applicable”. The “one response - fits all solution” is the
“response” of either a lazy Christian,
or a Christian who willingly chooses to ignore
the Holy Scriptures in order to do “that which is right in their own eyes”.
Colossians
4:6 Let your speech
be alway with grace, seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Galatians
23 Meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law.
1
Thessalonians 2:7
But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing
to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls,
because ye were dear unto us.
2
Timothy
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do
gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle
unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,
who are taken captive by him at his will.
Titus
3:1 Put them in
mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be
ready to every good work,
Titus
3:2 To speak evil
of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness
unto all men.
Galatians
6:9 And let us not
be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
How
do we Christians “square” the verses just cited with those verses I cited
before? It’s quite simple really: It’s a matter of knowing the Scriptures; understanding
and discerning spiritual matters; and having the wisdom to act
accordingly.
Matthew
Mark
If you are familiar with the
Gospels, you will notice that the Lord Jesus Christ treated those who fell into
"carnal" sins, i.e. sins of the flesh, quite
differently ("go and sin no more" - John 8:11), than those people (the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes
and “Religious Leaders”) who were guilty of “spiritual” sins. The Lord
demonstrated that He was far more concerned with the LEAVEN, i.e. FALSE
DOCTRINE [Matthew
Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
With all of the warnings (given to us) in the Scriptures - about false doctrines; false teachers; and those who would seek to deceive
or divide the brethren, it is
necessary to use plain speech that is easily understood (even if it is not
always readily received). Again it depends on who is being addressed and the
circumstance, and obviously, it doesn't give us an excuse to abuse it.
{1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2
Timothy 3:1-9. 13; 2 timothy 4:1-4; 2 Peter 2:1-22; the whole Book of Jude}
Brethren we are living in the
“latter times”; [1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 2
Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Peter 3:3; Jude 1:1-25] and we are engaged in a
spiritual war. Let us seek to continue to stand by each other (side by side),
upholding one another in prayer. And let us equip ourselves with all of the
“Armour of God” and (come what may) “having done all”, let us continue
to stand – “STAND
FAST”!
Ephesians
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins
girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
1 Corinthians