Is It Right For A Teacher To Be Critical Of Some Public Figure Or Negative In Discussing Matters

Is It Right For A Teacher To Be Critical Of Some Public Figure Or Negative In Discussing Matters?

Dear John:
My sister dislikes any Christian who says anything 'negative' regardless of the person, subject or practice being discussed. How can I show her this approach is not wrong?
-Albert

Dear Albert:
First of all, we all agree that the teacher whose every message is negative and critical of others is not helpful to the church. Not only does he hurt the church will his approach, he is terribly boring. No right thinking person would long subject himself to such pathetic teaching. But the student of the Bible knows that God's teachers did not hesitate to criticize and condemn those who were promoting sin or divisive in their teaching and conduct.

I would point the person who objects to all negative teaching to the example of Jesus in Matthew 23. There he repeatedly cites the party of the Pharisees and their scribes, exposing their hypocrisy. In Matthew 5 he points out the mistaken views of the Jewish teachers and offers his corrective teaching. Paul in his writings not only teaches us to reprove, rebuke and exhort our hearers (II Tim. 4:2), he cites trouble makers by name (I Tim. 1:20) John did the same in his third epistle, openly citing arrogant Diotrephes and promising to deal with him upon arrival (III John 9).

The few objectors who are honest in their thinking will see the point and concede that there is indeed a time and place for a sermon against sin, sinful practices or people. Those who just want to silence the opposition will not be impressed regardless of what you show them.

Sincerely,

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