Beth Moore Chastises Christians Who Publicly Humiliate Heretics
Days after Beth Moore took exception to Jonathan Edwards’s sermon ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’ for very BethMoorish reasons, she took to Twitter to chastise those who would publicly humiliate heretics and share pictures and memes about why they are so bad.
A couple of days ago, Beth Moore admitted, “I’m no great theologian, and she’s completely right. She doesn’t understand the value of 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” She doesn’t understand that it’s loving to rebuke & correct wicked people claiming Jesus. It is loving and good to correct false teaching in public and private. It is a virtue to excoriate those who preach a false gospel and are leading people to hell through deception and wicked deeds.
For this reason, she might as well have said this:
Writing articles or sharing pictures or memes of why Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, or some false teacher who says he’s the second coming of Christ, is a virtue, not a vice, and is a work of the spirit. The fact that she’s mad about it is very, very telling.
It’s all just a misnomer, however, because we’re not going to hear God say “well done good and faithful servant,” because we did any specific good work, but rather because he sees Christ’s righteousness in us on account of our justification.
Knocking heretics around a bit? That will give us a reward in heaven as surely as other works of mercy, but that’s not the basis of why we stand before the Lord of glory.
For the uneducated, Moore’s theological ineptitude and outright horribleness are the stuff of legends, as she has routinely claimed direct revelation from God (like her famous tale of God telling her to brush a guy’s hair instead of witnessing to him), affirming so-called woman pastors and those who affirm LGBTQ+, labeling her entire denomination racist, and claiming white supremacy is running rampant” in the church. She has liked tweets dissuading believers from sharing the Gospel at BLM protests and recently said that the pulpit has become a threat to women’. She has criticized complementarianism, as ‘it wipes out half the gospel force’ and has begun preaching at churches.
Bonus, here is an example of something Moore does not like:
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While pointing out wolves is biblical, writing click-bait headlines with ads and pop-ups all over the article, along with corny memes making light of the heretic and their teaching, doesn’t exactly follow the biblical models and examples. I’m not agreeing with Beth Moore, but the methods some choose will in-fact lead many to agree with Moore on this one point.
Many of the articles and websites are overtly obnoxious in their presentation at many levels. Just keeping things closer to the biblical examples would help. Thankfully the Bible isn’t 80 percent advertising and obnoxious slogans, jabs and click-bait.
It sometimes comes across as downright juvenile.
I completely agree.
It didn’t take long for the tone police to make an appearance. There is no wrong way to reprove or rebuke those in error. Sorry, Tim Keller already owns the patent for being winsome to attract the unsaved. And Jude was written for a reason. Contend for the Faith and stop quibbling about being ‘mean’ with the desire to present the TRUE Gospel.
James, Winsome is not biblical either. The point is that people are so caught up in their “discernment blog” and “echo chamber” that they don’t seem to perceive how counter-productive their approach has become. Specifically call out heresy, and specifically point to biblical truth to point out the danger they are in and how the Apostle Paul and Jesus himself repeatedly warned of those who are wolves in our midst.
There are many examples in Scripture about how to NOT go about correction. Pridefully, puffed-up, with alterior motives(advertising), or in a way that comes across as self-serving are but a few of the things mentioned in Scripture.
Making a very weak or petty argument also can come across as slander or gossip, which is highly spoken against in Scripture.
Arguing that there is no wrong way to go about it is completely contrary to Scripture.
Follow the biblical examples.
Paul, I agree that there is a right way and wrong way to go about it. However, the line between the two is not drawn based on whether or not the apostate’s feelings are hurt or whether or not there is public humiliation. Beth’s implication is that the wrong and right way are determined by whether or not the wolves’ feelings are hurt or whether or not some public “harm” may have taken place. And that is completely antithetical to scripture. While at the same time, she is essentially trying to humiliate the sheep for rebuking the wolves.
Neither of you guys is wrong, imo. You make a good point that there is a right way to go about it, calmly, kindly, humbly, and so on. James makes a good point that there is no way to go about it that doesn’t publicly “harm”, embarrass, or even destroy the apostate, as the world would define harm. It’s a fine line. We have to be kind, calm, straightforward, and humble, watching ourselves and our own behavior, in the process of completely and entirely destroying false teachings, regardless of whether or not the false teacher is publicly humiliated or destroyed. The wolf’s feelings are irrelevant. The wolf’s reputation is irrelevant. The wolf’s career is irrelevant.
And of course, apostasy is far worse than rebuking someone with the wrong tone. Beth’s apparent implication that the two wrongs are equivalent is so absurd that at makes her appear to be trying to defend apostasy through ridiculous hypocrisy, pointing to the speck in the rebuker’s eye, while ignoring the gigantic log in the eye of apostates who are leading others to eternal damnation.
But one thing good, which is worthy of note, is that she is referencing and directing focus to the day of judgment and to consideration of eternal ramifications. That’s a good thing, even though her main argument is wrong.
Like many these days, Beth appears to have fallen into the trap of determining what’s right or wrong based not on what God says is right and wrong, but based on whether or not someone else is “harmed” as the world defines harm.
The determining factor is not whether or not someone is humiliated, or has their feelings hurt, or is “harmed” in some way.
That worldly view is actually satanic, and is extremely contrary to scripture. Beth should know better. It is essentially to say, “If it feels good it’s right. If it feels bad, it’s wrong.”
Oh, boo hoo, Beth. Those who proudly and defiantly preach an unbiblical message bring humiliation upon themselves.
What sin could be worse than leading others to eternal damnation?
I have no pity for heretics and apostates. As far as I’m concerned they should be rebuked publicly, just as they have publicly lead many astray. Such a grievous public sin against many is worthy of public rebuke and requires public repentance.