The Parent As Polemicist
Consider the following assessment, given by John MacArthur in a past sermon, regarding one of the most popular prosperity gospel preachers in America:
“A few weeks ago there was an event here at Dodger Stadium with Joel Osteen—thirty-five thousand people at Dodger Stadium, something like that. He is now the largest “church” (I’m using the word loosely) in America, down in Houston. You need to understand that he is a pagan religionist in every sense. He’s a quasi-pantheist. Jesus is a footnote that satisfies his critics and deceives his followers. The idea of this whole thing is that men have the power in themselves to change their lives. In his definitive book, Your Best Life Now, he says—and that ought to be a dead giveaway, since the only way this could be your best life is if you’re going to hell—he says that anyone can create, by faith and words, the dreams he desires: health, wealth, happiness, success... the list is always the same.”[1]
MacArthur continued on, saying,
“What is the source of this? Where does this come from? Answer: Satan. This is satanic. This is satanic. This is not just off-centered; this is satanic. Why do I say that? Because health, wealth, prosperity, the fulfillment of all your dreams and your desires, that’s what Satan always offers. That’s called temptation, based on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That’s exactly what corrupt, fallen, unregenerate people want. That’s why it works so well, right? You can go right into Satan’s system, make everybody feel religious, and turn their desires, their temptations, into somehow honorable desires. I mean, what did Satan say to Jesus? ‘Grab some satisfaction, why are You hungry? You need to eat. You need to be healthy, whole. Why would You let Yourself be unpopular? Dive off the temple corner, whew, everybody will be wowed. You’ll be the winner, You’ll be the champion. You’ll be the Messiah. They’ll hail You. And by the way, if You just look over the kingdoms of the world, I’ll give those to You, too.’ That’s satanic.”
Do MacArthur’s words seem uncharitable, unloving, or perhaps even un-Christlike to you? Is it biblical and pastoral to speak against an ideology—and a purveyor of said ideology—with such strong words? In a post-Christian society that knows little more of the Bible than the “Judge not!” of Matthew 7:1, the average person chafes at the idea of denouncing others with such certainty. But the Apostle Paul didn’t.
Refute Those Who Contradict
As he commissioned Titus to appoint elders in various cities throughout Crete, consider the following pastoral qualifications outlined by Paul:
“For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:7-9).
In this list, Paul cited not only the personal qualities that every pastor is to have (such as being patient, self-controlled, and so on), but also the personal abilities that every pastor is to have. Pastors are not only to “exhort in sound doctrine” (which is to provide sound theological instruction), but they’re also to “refute those who contradict.” The Greek verb behind “refute” means “to bring to light, to expose, or to convict,” and refers to exposing the wrongdoing or error of others.[2]
In other words, pastors must have the ability—and by implication, the courage and follow-through—to unveil and confront the errors of others. Shepherds are not only to feed the sheep but also beat back the wolves. Pastors must not only exposit the Word but also expose anything contrary to it. They need to say to their people, “Yes, this is right” and, “No, that is wrong.” As Paul told the Corinthian church, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). When bad theology is raised up, it must be brought down.
And the reason for this was also given by Paul: false teachers in his day were “upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” False doctrine causes spiritual shipwreck (cf. 1 Tim. 1:19). Twisted teaching ruins the hearers (cf. 2 Tim. 2:14). A distorted Bible becomes a destructive Bible (cf. 2 Pet. 3:16). Thus, it’s not enough for a pastor to teach biblical truths and then expect his people to identify lies on their own, because lies are, by definition, deceptive. False teachers “creep in unnoticed” within the Christian community (Jude 4). Wolves wear “sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:15). Satan masquerades as an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). It’s not always easy for believers to spot the spiritual danger facing them. A pastor can’t assume that his hearers automatically have enough discernment to know when a particular teaching is false, because error sounds convincing when it’s laced with proof-texted Bible verses (consider that this was precisely Satan’s tactic when he tried to tempt Jesus, cf. Matt. 4:6).
Just as infants are known to crawl around on the floor, putting anything and everything into their mouths, with no ability to recognize the physical danger, spiritual infants are much the same in the religious realm. Young people, new believers, and vulnerable believers can be easily misled (cf. Eph. 4:14, 2 Tim. 3:6). They need to see the truth contrasted with error, so they know to consume only the former.
Polemics in the Church
Love for fellow Christians requires providing for their protection. For that reason, pastors don’t get a pass on this. They aren’t given the liberty to exhort without also rebuking and reproving (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3). They aren’t given the option of declaring the Gospel without also contending for it (cf. Jude 3).
Specifically, pastors are under divine orders to be polemicists.
As the counterpart to “apologetics” (from the Greek word apologia), which refers to a defense of the truth, “polemics” (from the Greek word polemikos) refers to an offensive against lies. The Greek word polemikos means “warlike,” derived from polemos (“war”).[3] A polemic is a strong and confrontational critique of an unbiblical belief or behavior, and just as an apologist is one who engages in apologetics, a polemicist is one who engages in polemics.
If you were to take a closer look at the New Testament, you’d notice that virtually every epistle contains a polemical element to it. For example, writing to the Galatians, Paul rebuked those who would dare add works to salvation by faith alone—even going so far as to condemn them straight to hell (cf. Gal. 1:8-9). Writing to believers scattered throughout several provinces, the Apostle Peter referred to false teachers as “stains and blemishes” (2 Pet. 2:13), “accursed children” (2 Pet. 2:14), and “springs without water” (2 Pet. 2:17). Going toe-to-toe against an immoral Gnostic influence in the church, the Apostle John wrote, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). These men pulled no punches when it came time to spar with false apostles, false prophets, false teachers, and false brothers. They loved true brothers, true churches, and the truth itself too much to do otherwise.
And of course, they didn’t come up with this on their own. The apostles learned polemics from the Chief Polemicist Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, who excoriated the religious cosplayers of His day. Pronouncing several woe oracles upon the Pharisees—a complete and thorough dressing-down of the most prominent fraudsters in Israel—Christ called them “hypocrites” (Matt. 23:13), “son[s] of hell” (Matt. 23:15), “blind guides” (Matt. 23:16), and “fools” (Matt. 23:17), among other epithets. And He did all of this in front of the “crowds” (Matt. 23:1). He didn’t sit down with the Pharisees over a cup of coffee. He didn’t send them a private message kindly requesting they retract their beliefs. He didn’t joke, downplay, or soften His critique to avoid embarrassing them in front of their peers. Their public lies were met with a public tongue-lashing of the highest order, and for good reason: souls were at stake. The multitudes had been misled for long enough. They needed to see the Savior so they could come to Him through faith alone. The religious formalism peddled by the Pharisees was nothing but a one-way ticket to damnation. Jesus loved others enough to engage in polemics on their behalf (cf. Matt. 23:37).
With these things in mind, it should be reiterated that it is the biblical duty of every pastor to explicitly and decisively call out false ideologies (and those who promote them). Of course, to modern sensitivities, engaging in polemics is nothing short of mean-spirited. Rebuke bad theology and you’re liable to be called a nit-picking hater—or maybe worse. But whether or not it’s politically correct in the eyes of the world, or ignorant churchgoers, is utterly irrelevant. When eternal matters are at stake, no pastor is at liberty to hide behind the etiquette of cultural Christianity. Niceness is not a fruit of the Spirit. In fact, those who would play patty-cake with wolves in the name of so-called “love” are decidedly not thinking like a pastor, nor expressing genuine love for their sheep.
John MacArthur notes this as well:
“Scripture often exhorts the church to expose false teaching. That kind of confrontation is not a popular thing today. Many churches, in the name of love, want to forget disagreements and at all costs avoid being critical. But nonetheless there is a biblical mandate to deal with false teaching. God drew the battle lines in Israel and the early church, and we must realize He has also drawn them today.”[4]
Nevertheless, some pastors think they can get away with simply rebuking false teaching, and leave it to their congregants to identify the false teachers who peddle those lies. After all, we wouldn’t to make things personal, would we?
That kind of thinking is a serious mistake.
After all, the spread of false doctrine doesn’t happen by accident. You aren’t going to inadvertently “trip” over heresy in a local church, as if it were an overlooked curb on the sidewalk. False teaching doesn’t randomly descend from the sky and strike you in the head like a falling coconut. A systematic deconstruction of the truth doesn’t con its own naïve audience. Rather, as Jesus warned, false prophets “come to you in sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:15, emphasis mine). As the Apostle Paul said, heretics often “peddle the word of God for profit” (2 Cor. 2:17, emphasis mine). As the Apostle Peter said, false teachers “secretly introduce destructive heresies” (2 Pet. 2:1, emphasis mine).
False doctrine is brought in by false teachers. And if the average Christian had enough discernment to make the connection between error and the teacher of said error, they probably wouldn’t need their pastor’s help in the first place. Thus, it’s also the biblical duty of every local church shepherd to explicitly state the names of those who assault the Body of Christ. For example, Paul called out Hymenaeus in his first letter to Timothy (cf. 1 Tim. 1:20), and four years later—recognizing that there’s no statute of limitations for heretics—he named him once again in his second letter (cf. 2 Tim. 2:17). Believers need to know who the wolves are so they can stay away from them, especially making sure they aren’t supporting them financially or otherwise (cf. 2 John 10-11). Notice carefully that Titus 1:9 doesn’t say to refute that which contradicts, but rather, those who contradict. It’s personal.
Of course, the biblical mandate for polemics isn’t a license for pastors to be over-the-top in their language, engage in non-spiritual mudslinging, or drum up conflict for sport. Paul taught that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (cf. Eph. 6:12), and that the weapons of our warfare are not to be carnal (2 Cor. 10:4). Like niceness, nastiness isn’t a fruit of the Spirit, either. Those who delight in controversy are just as unqualified as those who perpetually avoid it. In fact, Paul continued on in his letter to Titus, saying, “Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless” (Titus 3:9). But the bottom line is that Scripture calls for pastors to watch over the flock with which God has entrusted them. And they will give an account to the Chief Polemicist if they’re mute dogs who never bark (cf. Isa. 56:10).
Commenting on the Titus 1:9 mandate, John Calvin said,
“The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both; for he who is deeply skilled in it will be able both to govern those who are teachable, and to refute the enemies of the truth.”[5]
Polemics in the Home
Since parents are to be shepherds of their children, this means that they, too, are called to be polemicists. Just as a church is filled with believers who need the spiritual protection of their pastors, so too are homes filled with children who need the spiritual protection of their parents. Discipleship includes contending for the faith, exposing spiritual dangers, and identifying false forms of Christianity—even within the local community.
Consider the following comments from Pastor Burk Parsons:
“Twenty, thirty, years ago you could have said to a friend or a neighbor or relative, ‘Hey, you can go to that church,’ and, generally speaking, you would have heard the Word of God preached. Not anymore. And just because there is a church on every corner doesn’t mean the Gospel is preached on every corner. And I’ll speak frankly: there are many churches I drive by and I pray that they’ll shut down. I pray that God will just shut them down, because people are being led astray in those churches.”[6]
So, for example:
When a video of a prosperity preacher goes viral on social media, it’s your duty to point out to your kids that these are heretics who peddle the Word of God for a quick buck. They may have the shiniest teeth, nicest suits, and friendliest personalities, but they’re headed for the hottest part of the lake of fire—and bringing with them everyone else who worships money in the name of God.
When you’re walking down the road past that so-called “church” town led by a female pastor, you need to make it clear to your kids that that is not, in fact, a church. At best, it’s a group of seriously misled sheep without a shepherd; at worst, it’s a group of co-conspiring rebels who hate the Bible’s teaching on gender roles.
When a Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, or Roman Catholic is given airtime on a political show on television, your kids need to know that those talking heads don’t represent Christianity in the slightest. They worship false gods, with false gospels, in false churches—and that’s why they’re embraced in those political forums in the first place. The world loves its own.
When your kids are listening to an allegedly Christian radio station in the car, and the latest Charismatic worship song comes on, it’s vital that you not only turn it off (lest the tune gets stuck in their heads), but also explain that these bands are nothing more than front groups for the heretical churches and organizations that sponsor them. Those bands aren’t “sensing God’s presence,” “feeling the Holy Spirit,” or “getting a fresh word from God.” The only thing they’re doing is assaulting the sufficiency of Scripture with trance-inducing repetition.
Keep in mind, polemics aren’t relegated strictly to religious or doctrinal matters, either. Parents would do well to engage in polemics against other kinds of dangers that face kids, like secular schools, smartphones, and social media, too. Threats come in a variety of forms, and your kids need to be aware of them. Remember: you must equip them with this kind of discernment. They aren’t naturally born, nor even supernaturally born again, with it. Nor does it automatically occur with age (cf. Heb. 5:14, Psa. 119:100). But as you shepherd your kids verse by verse, contrasting the truths found in Scripture with the lies surrounding them in the world, they’ll learn how to spot and overcome the “trickery of men” (Eph. 4:14).
Naturally, you won’t win the world’s applause for engaging in polemics. You won’t even gain the approval of most churchgoers. But your kids will be safe. And the Chief Polemicist will award you with a crown for fighting the good fight (2 Tim. 4:7-8). So, fight on.
References:
[1] https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-397
[2] https://biblehub.com/greek/1651.htm
[3] https://biblehub.com/greek/4170.htm
[4] John MacArthur, The Master's Plan for the Church (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 159.
[5] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/calvin/titus/1.htm
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXdpEZRpWhc