What big teeth you have! “If you bite and devour one another…”
A critical spirit is killing us and some of our assemblies also. I feel qualified to speak on this subject because I’ve done a fair bit of it myself—far too much.
I’m not talking about a justifiable judgment of false doctrine and ungodly behavior. There are areas in which we must judge if we are directly involved in dealing with these disorders. What I’m referring to is criticizing other believers or assemblies when it’s none of my business.
Let’s think first about the criticism of other believers. The Word gives us some points to ponder.
All believers are members of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13) and the family of God. Therefore they are our brothers and sisters. My heart doesn’t criticize my kidneys. It’s too busy keeping the blood flowing.
We need all the members of the human body. By the same token, we need every member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:21-25), whether they are godly Baptists or Presbyterians. We should love all Christians (Jn. 13:35). I may not agree with born-again Methodists in secondary matters, but I must love them because they love my Jesus.
We should pray for them (1 Sam. 12:23). If we should pray for all men (1 Tim. 2:1); that certainly includes all God’s people, whether Methodists or Pentecostals. We should care for them as opportunity arises (1 Cor. 12:25). This transcends all denominational borders.
We should suffer when they suffer (1 Cor 12:26). When l hit my thumb with the hammer (which I seem to be skilled in doing), the whole body feels it. And we should rejoice when they rejoice. When my Bible Church friends have a baby, l enter into their joy. Or when their church has had a time of blessing in which many have been saved, I should rejoice and be glad.
We can learn from them (v. 27). I’ve never known another believer that I couldn’t learn something from.
When it comes to Christian service, all true believers are on the same side. We are fighting against a common enemy. When the disciples tried to stop a believer who was casting out demons in the Lord’s name, He said, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us” (Lk. 9:49-50). There it was a matter of service by a fellow-Christian. When it comes to the person and work of Christ, it’s a different story. There the rule is “He who is not with [Jesus] is against [Him], and he who does not gather with [Him] scatters abroad” (Mt. 12:30). There is no room for latitude there.
We should realize that there are different gifts (1 Cor. 12:6-7, 11, 17). Not everyone is an evangelist or a Bible teacher. We must not try to pour everyone in the same mold. We should also remember that there different ministries in the body (1 Cor. 12:5). The Spirit uses many different methods of evangelism, for instance. And we should realize that there are different powers (1 Cor. 12:6). Some, for instance, are mighty in the Word (Acts 7:26; 18:22).
We should rejoice in the victories of others in serving Christ, even if their motives are not pure (Phil. 1:16-18).
We should realize that God uses different methods at different times (Mt. 9:14:17). He is sovereign. Don’t try to box Him in.
We should make allowance for the fact that a person may be a Christian, yet be poorly taught (Acts 18:24-28).
Does that mean that we can do everything that other Christians do? No. We must be true to our convictions based on the Word of God.
If after pondering all these things, you still feel you must engage in criticizing someone, you should go to the person directly (Mt. 18:15). If you still feel that you must do it, then first tell him all the good things about him that you can think of. Remember what Spurgeon said. “Blame comes best on the back of praise.”
How does this apply to criticism of other assemblies or churches? According to the Bible, every assembly is autonomous and responsible to the Lord alone. No individual or fellowship has any right to criticize another one. This is a great load off the shoulders of those of us who feel responsible to manage the universe.
This article is titled The Gift of Criticism. There is no such gift, of course. It exists only in the minds of those of us who think they have it. To us, the Lord is saying, “Wrap it in a napkin and bury it in the ground.”
When I am tempted to criticize other Christians, I hear the Lord saying to me what He said to Peter, “What is that to you? You follow me.”