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“Is It Right to Show People They are Wrong Pt 1”
IS IT RIGHT TO SHOW PEOPLE THEY ARE WRONG? [PART I]
by Ron Hutchison
If a doctor knows that another doctor has made a wrong diagnosis and thus prescribed the wrong medicine for a patient, would it be wrong for that doctor to tell the other he is wrong? If a Pharmacist knows that another Pharmacist has given the wrong medicine to a patient, would it be wrong for the first to tell the second that he is wrong?
If a preacher hears another preacher teach something that he knows to be wrong, would it be proper for that first preacher to tell the second that he is wrong? It never ceases to amaze me what people will accept in other areas of life. In the above illustrations, we know we would want the first doctor to speak up if the other doctor had prescribed the wrong kind of medicine if we were the patient! If we were the customer of the pharmacist, we would certainly want the Pharmacist to speak up if he knew his partner was giving us the wrong medicine. But what about the third illustration? Should a preacher ever tell another preacher he is wrong? Should a member of one religious group tell a member of another religious group that he is wrong? Unfortunately, many people would answer NO to these questions. They do not believe that one religious person has a right to tell another religious person that he is wrong. This belief is based on the "live and let live" - "just preach Christ and let everyone else alone" - "we're all going to the same place, we're just taking different roads to get there" - "as long as a person is sin cere, that's all that matters" theories. EVERY ONE OF THESE THE ORIES IS TOTALLY FALSE! If one religious person is prescribing the wrong "medicine" (teaching that which is in conflict with the Bible) — that which will lead to spiritual death - then all others have a right and an obligation to tell him he is wrong for his sake as well as those who hear him. There are some things that we just cannot be wrong about and be saved! And not only would it be right to tell people who are teaching things that are false that they are wrong, we have an obligation to do so! There is a principle set forth in Ezekiel 3 that applies here: "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 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. 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. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul" (Ezek. 3:17-21).
PART II next week…
