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On one hand, we can understand Ms. Prata wanting to act out of concern for her friends. On the other, the Scriptures she uses to justify her actions have nothing to do with the matter she presents.
On one hand, we can understand Ms. Prata wanting to act out of concern for her friends. On the other, the Scriptures she uses to justify her actions have nothing to do with the matter she presents.
She could have addressed Bible counsel on correcting friends, like:
Pr. 27:5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Gal. 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Ja. 5:19-20 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Luke 17:3-4 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Psalm 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
There's an important distinction. There are matters of church discipline, meted out by leadership, and then there is correction borne of relationships between the brethren. Ms. Prata does not make this distinction.
A friend of mine recently asked me how my summer went. I said good and asked her about hers. She is a lady with whom I speak about Jesus quite often. She replied that she loves her summers so she can listen to sermons and study what the person said in it. I asked who she listened to and she said she loves Joyce Meyer, and Joseph Prince. “I love them!” she said.
Joseph Prince is a false teacher.
Joyce Meyer is a false teacher.
I went away mournful. I am also perplexed. I often speak of Jesus in my daily life, whether at work, or church, or at the store. I often speak of false doctrine and false teachers, specifically on my blog and in general at church. Sometimes if a specific situation comes up, I make an appointment and lay out specific concerns to my pastors or elders, and step back to prayerfully allow them to do their leading and pastoring regarding what I’ve shared. (She must be a nightmare for her church's leadership. We can't imagine what it would be like for them to have Ms. Prata lurking around, waiting for the slightest misstep to pounce out of the shadows.
Joseph Prince is a false teacher.
Joyce Meyer is a false teacher.
I went away mournful. I am also perplexed. I often speak of Jesus in my daily life, whether at work, or church, or at the store. I often speak of false doctrine and false teachers, specifically on my blog and in general at church. Sometimes if a specific situation comes up, I make an appointment and lay out specific concerns to my pastors or elders, and step back to prayerfully allow them to do their leading and pastoring regarding what I’ve shared. (She must be a nightmare for her church's leadership. We can't imagine what it would be like for them to have Ms. Prata lurking around, waiting for the slightest misstep to pounce out of the shadows.
She is a self-appointed Enforcer of Doctrine. No one has asked her to keep her leadership in line. No one welcomes constant scrutiny. No one wants to be under the thumb of a person like this.)
But outside of church, I find it difficult to approach people one-on-one when confronted with a statement such as the one I was confronted with last week. (They are probably thankful this is the case.)
False teaching is a serious, serious issue. It is not one where we can step back and simply say, “Well, they have most of their faith right. I’ll stay quiet.” (That is, she has decided that she is the one who should be in charge of peoples' doctrine, and pity the one who has Ms. Prata's sights trained on them.)
If I do that, I am being disobedient. We know the bible warns us again and again that false teachers will come (2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 John 4:1, Matthew 7:15, Galatians 1:6-9 …). (Let's quote the verses:
But outside of church, I find it difficult to approach people one-on-one when confronted with a statement such as the one I was confronted with last week. (They are probably thankful this is the case.)
False teaching is a serious, serious issue. It is not one where we can step back and simply say, “Well, they have most of their faith right. I’ll stay quiet.” (That is, she has decided that she is the one who should be in charge of peoples' doctrine, and pity the one who has Ms. Prata's sights trained on them.)
If I do that, I am being disobedient. We know the bible warns us again and again that false teachers will come (2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 John 4:1, Matthew 7:15, Galatians 1:6-9 …). (Let's quote the verses:
2Ti. 4:1-4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.This passage is Paul's personal instruction for Timothy, who was sent by Paul to this church to set it in order. Timothy had authority to ensure this church was conforming to proper doctrine. We look in vain for permission for Ms. Prata to correct random people outside her church about their doctrine. Those she corrects are not teachers, let alone teachers of false doctrine, they are people outside her church who have [possibly] incorrect doctrine.
1Jn. 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.John is writing to a church about their duties. In the congregation of the saints the spirits are to be tested. This also does not grant permission to Ms. Prata to confront random people.
Mt. 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.Jesus is warning the crowd, to ensure that they be careful about people in their midst who might not seem to be who they appear to be. But He doesn't tell them to attack people who disagree with them, just to watch out for them.
Ga. 1:6-9 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!Again we look in vain for something that would grant Ms. Prata the ability to confront random people.)
We are commanded to do certain things about false teachers and their false doctrine, such as warn, test, rebuke, beware, resist, avoid. (Romans 16:17-18, Colossians 2:8, 1 Timothy 5:20, 2 John 1:10). (Let's quote the verses:
Ro. 16:17-18 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.So what obstacles is some random person putting in Ms. Prata's way? What is this random person doing to cause divisions in her church?
Paul is writing to the Roman church about people in their midst. This is not about people who Ms. Prata meets on the street.
Col. 2:8 See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.Again we wonder how this is happening when someone tells Ms. Prata something she disagrees with?
1Ti. 5:20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.This is instruction for Timothy to deal with people IN THIS CHURCH who are sinning.
2Jn. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.
So is Ms. Prata entertaining false teachers in her house?)
This is because false doctrine kills, perverts, confuses, deceives, exploits, and destroys. (2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 Timothy 4:1, Jude 1:4, 2 Peter 2:1, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, 2 Peter 2:3…). (We won't bother quoting these passages, since the author has not demonstrated she understands the elements at work here.)
The end for these teachers is cursing, darkest hell, and destruction. (Galatians 1:6-9, Jude 1:13, 2 Peter 2:3).
Dr John MacArthur says of the importance of warning of error, firstly that it will cost the person a lot of money. False teachers exploit the unwary with greed. The unwary ones will get caught up in false teachers telling them that if they give money they will receive health or wealth or prosperity. It’s crass, but it is true that the false teachers say this. More unfortunately it’s true that the desperate believe it and send check after check.
But even more importantly, MacArthur explained,
“People caught up in error are cut off from God’s blessing. God blesses obedience to the truth. The truth is everything. The most important thing in the universe is divine truth. And these people who hold a bible in their hand but are under false teachers are never led to the knowledge of the truth that produces the blessing.”
Therefore, how can I remain silent when a precious lady tells me she spends her long summer days ingesting poison? I cannot. She is in danger. I will prayerfully seek wisdom and counsel from my Holy Spirit, and ask Him to guide me into an opportune moment to share the truth with her. I don’t know her from church, (She confirms that this person is not in her church, so the verses she quoted are largely irrelevant to the situation.)
Dr John MacArthur says of the importance of warning of error, firstly that it will cost the person a lot of money. False teachers exploit the unwary with greed. The unwary ones will get caught up in false teachers telling them that if they give money they will receive health or wealth or prosperity. It’s crass, but it is true that the false teachers say this. More unfortunately it’s true that the desperate believe it and send check after check.
But even more importantly, MacArthur explained,
“People caught up in error are cut off from God’s blessing. God blesses obedience to the truth. The truth is everything. The most important thing in the universe is divine truth. And these people who hold a bible in their hand but are under false teachers are never led to the knowledge of the truth that produces the blessing.”
Therefore, how can I remain silent when a precious lady tells me she spends her long summer days ingesting poison? I cannot. She is in danger. I will prayerfully seek wisdom and counsel from my Holy Spirit, and ask Him to guide me into an opportune moment to share the truth with her. I don’t know her from church, (She confirms that this person is not in her church, so the verses she quoted are largely irrelevant to the situation.)
so It will take special maneuvering to come alongside her again, but I must bow to the weight of glory and seek a chance to share with her that the danger of the hidden reefs is just as killing as the observable reefs.
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