Like Aesop’s fable of the boy who cried wolf, we may yell and scream every time we hear some rumor about a church doing something it shouldn’t. If we do that often enough then like the boy in the fable, no one will listen when the real thing comes along. There certainly are wolves coming to attack the flock, but not everything that comes along is one of them. For the most part we avoid this, but on occasion we may be guilty of spreading slanderous rumors in an attempt to warn others of danger. We need to always check and recheck our facts before we warn.
I know of one case where a preacher led a song at the beginning of his lesson and it was soon ‘common knowledge’ that the church in question was ’having solos’. I know of other times when preachers while giving the view held by a denomination was later quoted as holding that view by someone who had not heard or paid attention to the ‘they say’ at the beginning. From personal experience, I have been accused of false teaching or easily could have been because of a slip of the tongue. One of the most notable was caught by my wife and I was able to correct it before we dismissed. In a sermon on the family, in an attempt to say that ‘a man and wife who did not have children were still a family’, I instead said that ‘a man and woman who were not married could be considered a family’. Oops! Needless to say, if my wife had not caught that and someone later heard the tape there might have been quite a stir.
I certainly am not saying that we should not warn of false teaching and apostasy, but rather that before we label someone or some church in that camp that we do the following.
1. Go back to the person you heard it from to make sure you heard them correctly. It may be you misunderstood.
2. Go to the individual, or someone from the congregation involved. It may be the person who told you misunderstood.
3. See what the results are. It may be that someone in a congregation has done something that the leadership does not approve of and actions are being taken to correct the problem.
4. Make sure that the event actually is contrary to scripture. It may be that something is different, but not sinful.
5. If there is a problem with a brother, before you go to anyone else it is your duty to go to him to try to correct him. Be sure you do so in a loving way.
6. Even after all of this don’t spread information to those who do not need to know. Sometimes gossip is true, but always gossip is wrong.
Here are some verses to think on:
1. (Ezek 3:18-19) When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. {19} Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
2. (Acts 20:31) Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
3. (1 Cor 4:14) I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
4. (Mat 7:15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
5. (2 Pet 2:1) But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
6. (1 John 4:1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
7. (Mat 5:23-24) Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; {24} Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
8. (Gal 6:1) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.