Question: Is it really biblical for you or anyone else to point out others’ faults? Isn’t this ...

Question: Is it really biblical for you or anyone else to point out others’ faults? Isn’t this judging when we are not to judge? Doesn’t the Scripture say that the servant is to be left to the correction of his master who is Christ?

Response: In the past we have dealt in depth with “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Mt 7:1). For that part of your question I refer you to our Newsletter Reprints and Index of prior issues. It is not a matter of pointing out “faults,” but of correcting unbiblical doctrine and behavior. Publicly taught doctrinal error must be corrected publicly for the benefit of those who have been misled thereby. In fact, correction should be a major goal of any teaching from God’s Word. Paul tells Timothy that the very purpose of Scripture is “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tm 3:16). Indeed, the major part of the 22 epistles involves correction!


It is impossible to teach sound doctrine and to instruct in righteousness without warning concerning what is false. Thus Paul declares that to “preach the word” one must “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tm 4:2). And reproof and correction are incomplete without specifically identifying the offenders. How many of today’s popular Christian leaders are being true to God’s Word in this regard? Could that be a major missing element in today’s church, explaining at least in part why so many “will not endure sound doctrine” (1 Tm 4:3-4)?