In our modern day of sissified christianity, those who preach an unbalanced message of love and tolerance would rebuke even the Apostle Paul for how he spoke to the false prophet, Elymas, who sought to snatch the seeds of truth out of the heart of one who had ears to hear God’s Word:
When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? – Acts 13:6-10
Similar rebukes are sometimes necessary in open-air preaching to ward off the enemy seeking to devour those listening to the Gospel. It is often necessary to protect the sheep in the Church from wolves and their false teaching. Such rebuke is not popular in our day, but at root it is love that warns and protects.
A recent example of necessary rebuke was seen at the Strange Fire Conference, where a hard line was drawn on the doctrine of cessationism in order to warn of the egregious offenses against the Holy Spirit in much of the charismatic world.
There is a way to rebuke in righteousness; we might even call that righteous anger. Let God’s men be bold and faithful to care for the sheep and defend sound doctrine in humble obedience to our Good Shepherd Christ Jesus.
airō 
Michael A. Coughlin
November 13, 2013
Good post. I agree with what you said here. Permit me to expand my thoughts on yours. I think we have to seriously consider our heart attitude when we make such claims because:
1) Rarely can we be as certain as Luke was about Paul that we are “filled with the Holy Spirit.” In a sense, it wasn’t Paul rebuking so much as it was God Himself who has knowledge of Elymas’ heart.
2) We can offer similar seeming rebukes from a deceitful, angry, jealous or malicious heart ourselves. In fact, even if we are right about a rebuke, our heart attitude could be wrong and we could be sinning.
3) We also need to be a tad bit careful who might be watching and if our actions will be properly understood – although I’d say this is secondary. I guess I’m saying we need to be careful we aren’t leading someone else to sin by our sharp rebuke of an enemy when a gentler word could have worked without incensing a weaker brother.
What I mean is that maybe you are right to rebuke someone, but you may cause your angry, prideful weaker brother to fall into the sin of self-righteousness by so doing in his presence. On the other hand, rebuking someone who needs it around a brother who is too non-confrontational could be a good thing.
You may recall a time when I offered a seriously sharp rebuke on this blog on the Christmas traditions post to a man named Bryan. His posts and my rebuke have all been removed since. But I can still say I believed I was properly rebuking someone who by their own words had indicated themselves to be enemies of the gospel and God’s Word. But I still have to wonder if my heart was pure and if the forum I was in was appropriate.
I guess all that is to say that rightly rebuking in this way is like running a yellow light – sure, you can do it, but proceed with caution and be sure it is the right thing to do first – even when it is your right, a head-on collision is painful for both parties and avoidable with good sense.
Proverbs 27:3-4 seem to apply thoughtfully.
Love you, bro!
Justin Edwards
November 13, 2013
Amen to everything you said, Michael. I was purposeful to keep the post short in hopes the commentary would develop. You basically nailed everything in the first comment. Thank you for bringing the needed balance, brother!
Michael A. Coughlin
November 14, 2013
🙂
Justin Edwards
November 13, 2013
We also need to be careful even in our rebuke, always striving in the spirit of 2 Timothy 2:24-26. But even then there may be times to cast off such people if they proceed in their hardness of heart so one might continue preaching the Gospel of grace to those who are willing to listen (I have in mind open-air preaching).
Al Nelson
November 13, 2013
Dear brother, do you think it wise to also finish the rebuke from Paul?
11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. (Acts 13:11-12)
Not only was Bar-Jesus shown to be spiritually blind, but by the power of the Spirit was made to be literally blind to show the power of God and the Truth of the Gospel that Paul was trying to share.
I do agree with you that there are times when we need to strongly stand in His Truth even against professing brothers in Christ. The example of Paul rebuking Peter is a good one too.
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
(Gal. 2:11-16)
Blessings in Christ!
Justin Edwards
November 13, 2013
Amen, brother Al. I did not include those verses as it didn’t apply to the point of the post. But I welcome your inclusion to provide greater context to the chapter.
Mike Peek
November 13, 2013
Would love to read a follow up blog on the way to rebuke in righteousness.
SLIMJIM
November 15, 2013
Amen! There is a place for righteous rebuke