He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. -- Titus 1:9 (ESV)
https://stream.org/bearing-false-witness-against-your-neighbor-is-a-serious-sin/
Dr. Michael Brown is a gatekeeper for the NAR, a dominionist and an enabler of false teaching writ large. Within Charismaniacal circles he is revered for these roles because he provides cover for those who are blatantly false. He uses his bully pulpit to bully anyone who would have the temerity to stand up to him and point out his rank hypocrisy and support of false theology. So every now and again, he takes a break from telling us how Donald Trump is King Cyrus to write a piece meant to undermine discernment ministries who constantly expose him for the fraud he is. The above link is his latest. Let us reason together and debunk his wildly unbiblical arguments.
"There's a very disturbing trend in the Body today. I call it hyper-criticism. To be sure, there's nothing new about it. Jesus dealt with it in His day, and every generation has had to face it. As Jesus said to the hypocritical religious leaders, "You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:24). And, He could have added, "You do it all in the name of the Lord." Or, in the words of Charles Spurgeon, "I have found Christians, who have grown so very critical, that if the whole portion of the meat they are to have, in due season, is not cut up exactly into square pieces, and put upon some choice dish of porcelain, they cannot eat it. Then they ought to go without; and they will have to go without, until they are brought to their appetites." Hyper-criticism uses unequal weights and measures, excusing serious errors in its own circles while condemning minor (or, even imagined) errors in outside circles. And hyper-criticism fails to walk in godly love. It tears down in destructive ways rather than rebuking and correcting and building up in redemptive ways." -- Dr. Michael Brown
Hyper criticism is what he might call it but Christians call it discernment. The chutzpah to then compare himself to Jesus is beyond the pale. His first usage of scripture is poor at best. This is where Jesus points out that the Pharisees were so intent to adhere to the law but missed the purpose for it -- the spirit of it. He makes vague aspersions to some alleged excusing of serious error but offers no examples to discuss. I will go out on a limb to say he offers none because he has no such examples. While talking out both sides of his mouth he then suggests that the offenses offered against him are minor or imagined. So I guess it was just my imagination when he spent a week on the Benny Hinn show and still refers to the infamous huckster as a "good brother in the Lord." I suppose giving cover to the notion of a "sneaky squid spirit" from Jennifer LeClaire is just minor to him. I assure you it is not minor to the Lord. Lastly here, Brown confuses the notion of brotherly correction with rebuking false teachers. If any teacher merely preaches a mistake, or course you correct them. We are not talking about small matters of individual error. One of the times I spoke with Brown on his radio show he vigorously defended Bill Johnson and called him a good brother in the Lord as well. Bill Johnson is one of the most serious heretics on the planet. These are not small matters. There is also no redemption to be had for false teachers. Read Peter and you will see that their destruction is from long ago and is not idle.
"As expressed by Vance Havner, One may be as straight as a gun barrel theologically and as empty as a gun barrel spiritually. " So often it turns out that fundamental and orthodox Christians become so severe in condemning false doctrine, gnashing their teeth at every sniff of heresy, that they end up without love. One may do a right thing in a wrong way. The same Paul who wrote, "though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel " let him be accursed," also wrote the love chapter to the Corinthians. Unless we can get that combination we shall be theological Hawshawks and doctrinal detectives, religious bloodhounds looking for heretics but with hot heads and cold hearts. We do well to heed his warning." -- Dr. Michael Brown
With no apologies to Vance Hayner, but that quote is ridiculous. Spirituality without sound theology is what Brown supports. That is entirely the point! Let us also deal with the false talking point about love. It is not love to allow people to fall under the sway of wolves. I have plenty of love in my life and ministry. I receive emails from people set free from darkness and they fill me with love. Wolves on the other hand deserve no love whatsoever. They only deserve our contempt and the working end of the shepherd's rod. It is amazing that Brown thinks referring to the Paul scriptures on false teachers being accursed helps his cause! The verses on love have absolutely nothing to do with false teaching! That is from the discussion of spiritual gifts! I am sorry but it is ridiculous to say that leading people away from hell results in a cold heart.
"But hyper-criticism does something even worse. It presents a misleading picture of other brothers and sisters in the Lord, even spreading falsehoods about them. This violates some of the most fundamental commandments in Scripture, including the Ninth Commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). The Weightiness of These Words: Note also the last two items in this list of 7 things the Lord detests: "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16--19, my emphasis)." -- Dr. Michael Brown
