Question: Is it really biblical for you or anyone else to point out others’ faults?

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: It’s 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 part of any teaching from God’s Word. Paul tells Timothy that “all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God” with the purpose being “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tm 3:16). A primary purpose of all of the epistles is correction!

It’s 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 “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tm 4:3-4)?