It was all the way last Monday when this Christian Post article (which you can see here) was posted, which is light years in the world of blogging, but I’ve always been light years behind, so here we are.
The article is worth reading in its entirety as a good example of the accusations used by those who tell us not to accuse. (FWIW, I don’t believe in name calling unless it’s warranted, like what Jesus did to the Pharisees.) Greg Gordon, the author of the article in question, makes accusations like these:
Like feeding fresh bloody fish to a group of swarming sharks, the frenzy ensues as web links are made and a new viral news article is born at the great expense of the character of a Christian leader as well as the testimony of Christ.
We never pray or fast for these individuals, we simply feed on their demise for our daily entertainment.
These bloggers consider themselves judge, jury, and executioner at the same time.
What about the testimony of Christ?
A new viral news article is born at the great expense of . . . the testimony of Christ.
What is the testimony of Christ, exactly? Is it preaching the Word of God while fleecing the sheep of God, as KP Yohannan did, the head of Gospel for Asia? Would an example of “a news article born at the great expense of the testimony of Christ” be, perhaps, the story of the class action lawsuit against Gospel for Asia, written up in Christianity Today? (It was settled for $37 million, by the way, not exactly an indication of innocence.)
Well, perhaps it could. Because thanks to this tweeter, I found the connection between Gordon, the author of the “renegade blogger” article, and Yohannan, one of the “Christian leaders” Gordon was defending.
Actually, there are many of us bloggers—renegades, perhaps, in that we don’t toe the party line quite as well as we might—who believe that the “testimony of Christ” is in danger by the very people that Greg Gordon is defending.
There is a lost world looking on as we quickly share articles that accuse brothers and sisters of things that are not provable facts in many cases.
Yes, the lost world is looking on; I know that for sure, because some of them talk to me. One of them has actually come to Jesus Christ for salvation, at least in part because she saw through me and my work that what a wolf in sheep’s clothing had done to her (though she could not prove it) was not actually a representation of who Jesus Christ really is. I’ve heard the same from other bloggers.
Could it be that Greg Gordon, and others, are pointing the finger at the wrong people?
Entertainers and executioners?
We never pray or fast for these individuals, we simply feed on their demise for our daily entertainment.
Daily entertainment? Actually, it is sickening work. If Christian leaders didn’t defraud people, didn’t misappropriate funds (thousands or millions of dollars), didn’t live secret double lives that would shock their followers, and didn’t use the Bible to control and manipulate the people “under” them, then those “renegade bloggers” who don’t follow the party line and expose those wolves in sheep’s clothing would be very happy to go on to other pursuits. This is not entertaining work. Not for me, and not for anyone else I know.
I admit that the praying I do is not so much for the evildoers as it is for the people they have harmed, whom Greg Gordon seems to conveniently ignore. I do a lot of praying for them.
And does Greg Gordon himself fast and pray for the repentance of the individuals he’s defending in this article? I would like to know, but their repentance doesn’t seem to be of much concern to him.
These bloggers consider themselves judge, jury, and executioner at the same time.
This is a truly laughable accusation (even though it’s a familiar one, seeing as how it’s one that’s been leveled at me directly). I’ve never heard of any blogger anywhere making a legally binding declaration of a person’s guilt and a person’s legal punishment. I’ve never heard of any blogger actually executing someone.
But it makes an interesting hyperbole for those who don’t want to truly think about it, you know?
Essentially it is never enough, because some of the main motives behind their accusations are things like self-promotion, unforgiveness, or seeking popularity and acclaim.
I wonder how many of us he actually knows, to make these sweeping statements. I have to admit, they sound a bit judgmental of a large group of people who are not homogeneous. Bloggers blog with varying degrees of sarcasm, anger, and desire for retribution. Some bloggers, such as Dee at www.thewartburgwatch.com or Julie Anne at www.spiritualsoundingboard.com have been faithfully exposing evil in the evangelical church for many years while becoming more and more known as a safe space for abuse survivors to have their stories honored.
Oh, that gossip and slander . . .
Scripture clearly tells us to not entertain a gossiper or person who slanders.
There is not one New Testament Scripture that gives any believer license to gossip, slander, or criticize others.
Well, I agree that gossip and slander are bad.
But who is a gossip?
Who is a slanderer?
These are words that can be easily bandied about. But telling the truth is not slander. Telling a truth that’s important for another to know is not gossip.
Speaking the truth about wolves in sheep’s clothing who are harming and deceiving others is not gossip or slander.
After all, Scripture ALSO says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Reputation vs. character
The internet is used . . . to tear down the character of an individual or organization.
As I’ve observed elsewhere, it’s impossible for anyone to tear down another person’s character, only his reputation.
And as I’ve observed, stating the truth about someone regarding evil deeds is not “tearing down” his reputation. It is simply assigning to the person the reputation he deserves. Because everyone deserves to have a reputation that matches his character.
Gordon says that when there is sin “in the church” it shouldn’t be told to “the church” at large (on the internet) but only to the local church. But there’s a problem there, when one man (or woman, but it’s usually a man) has gained a nationwide or even worldwide following, outside of any local church. Hmm . . . KP Yohannan would be an example. When “the man” has become bigger than “the church” and no local church is even there to Biblically call him out on his sin, then Gordon apparently believes that nothing should be done.
Mercy . . . for the wrong people?
One of Gordon’s headings in his article is “Are We Lacking Mercy?” His point, of course, is that there should be mercy for the wolf in sheep’s clothing. But in refusing to acknowledge that actual evildoers are being exposed, Gordon may be committing the very sin he decries. There are actually real, flesh-and-blood people who have been harmed by the powerful evildoers in the church.
Who will show mercy to them? Who will show them the compassion they so desperately need? Will it be the Christians who are too busy “not judging” the ones who have committed egregious harm? In another Christian Post article called “Judgmentalism: One of the great sins in the Church,” Gordon makes it clear what he thinks.
It was part of the DNA of the early Church to not . . . be quick to condemn others.
This seems like a good place to say that for one thing, the bloggers I interact with aren’t condemning people (which is left to God); they are simply stating the truth the best they’ve been able to ascertain it.
And in my experience, with the Christian “renegade bloggers” I know, this did not come quickly at all. Many of us spent several years, even in some cases more than a decade, slogging through finding out about evil and the covering of evil before we began to speak. When we began speaking publicly, it was because we felt that we had no other choice.
In fact, it was for the sake of mercy that we began speaking.
But it appears that Greg Gordon would have the very powerful evildoers stay in their positions of power, and one small means of communicating the truth to the larger Christian world—those renegade bloggers—be silenced.
Gordon closes his article with a healthy dose of sin-leveling, making the one who falls in thought, for example, and then turns right back to the Lord, equal in sin with one who, for example, lives a double life of honored pastor on the one hand and playboy with many women on the other hand.
Are we showing the mercy to others that Christ showed to us?
And again I am struck with the importance of this topic. Because while he seeks to protect the evildoers, behind the evildoers are their victims. Sometimes very literally having been used, abused, and tossed aside while the lauded “man of God” goes forward for the “cause of Christ.”
Silently crying out, “Will anyone notice me? Will everyone support him?”
Will we listen to people like Greg Gordon, who tell us to play ignorant and be silent about the evil we see? Or will we show the mercy to others that Jesus Christ showed to us?
Let us stand on the side of truth, justice, and mercy. Because after all, it is the cause of Christ for which we speak.
***
Go here to download your free Guide, How to Enjoy the Bible Again (when you’re ready) After Spiritual Abuse (without feeling guilty or getting triggered out of your mind). You’ll receive access to both print and audio versions of the Guide (audio read by me). I’m praying it will be helpful.
Excellent article!
Yes. Mercy to the wolf is violence to the lamb
What a great observation, Kevin!
Amen, sister! Woe to those who call good evil and evil good! Thankful for you!
Bless your heart Rebecca! one of my descriptors for renegade and wise bloggers, and those like them, is that they have an “ox goad” anointing (Eccl 12:11)… poking and prodding abusive and irresponsible shepherds to move out of their cushy comfort zone where they are feeding and benefiting themselves at the expense of the flock (Ezek 34)
I wonder if he has ever looked at Leviticus 5:1–that it is a sin to NOT testify about what we have seen and heard:
“If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.”
Testifying to the truth is required of us. Covering up the truth is not. It really is that simple.
Good one!
Beautifully written! Thank you!
Simply, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRONG, SELFLESS, and STEADY VOICE !
It seems ironic to me that Greg uses 1 Corinthians 3 as a proof text warning to those “renegade bloggers.” I’m no theologian, but it seems to me the main point Paul was getting at in this chapter is those who were following men (to the point of division, argument and jealousy) rather than following Christ. His warnings are indeed dire for those who build on the foundation of Christ foolishly and to those who are arrogant and feel above criticism.
Excellent thoughts! Thank you!
Yes, People need to read 1 Corinthians in its entirety. Most people who write these things are people who do not even follow Paul’s instructions regarding the church. They erect hierarchies and hide behind it. They are false teachers and as such they need to be treated.
My theory is that people read other people who write ABOUT the Bible more than they read the Bible itself, especially in context. Then when they offer their thoughts, those thoughts are based on other people’s thoughts more than they are based on the actual Bible.
For example, in a similar post I did a few months ago (because bloggers keep getting accused of gossip and slander), the author I was critiquing, Tim Challies, wrote his work about the ninth commandment (“thou shalt not bear false witness”) based on the Westminster Catechism rather than from the actual ninth commandment. That post is here: https://heresthejoy.com/2018/10/is-exposing-evildoers-a-violation-of-the-ninth-commandment-a-response-to-tim-challies-part-one/
Interesting to note: Of the only seventeen comments on his post, all but 1.5 agree with you. As do I.
I noticed the strong negative response on his post, yes.
The numbers have changed since Steve’s comment. Some guy under the name “Royce E. Van Blaricome” has been trying to turn the comment thread into his own personal soapbox. In response to anyone who questions Gordon’s motives or his understanding of the Bible, Royce labels them all as “abominations”, and tries to back it up by quoting from Proverbs.
It would appear those who’ve escaped the abusive “church” have struck a nerve with him. Can’t say why for sure, however.
I’m so sorry–maybe it’s not appropriate for me to laugh at thinking of myself as an “abomination,” but that did make me laugh.
I just across this after seeing something that said I should Google myself from time to time. When you get done laughing ask yourself these questions:
1) When did SKIJ become so special that God decided to share His omniscience with her? She has NO way of knowing whether I was trying to turn the comment thread into my own personal soapbox. That thought has never crossed my mind.
2) Why didn’t you point that out to her? Especially since it’s sin to gossip which is what she did. Gossiped behind my back & all you could do was laugh at the idea that I might have called you an abomination? Which I didn’t. Perhaps it’s because, according to what you say in this blog, you don’t know what Gossip is. Gossip CAN be true. In this case, it wasn’t.
3) Why didn’t you ask her if she had obeyed God & came to me first if she had an accusation against or a problem with me?
4) What she did is make a false accusation & bear false witness against me. According to Pro. 6:16-19, which is the Proverb she referred to,f says she IS an abomination to God. That’s not my word that’s GOD’S WORD. Why didn’t you ask her any questions to test her claim?
5) I have no problem with anyone who “questions” someone’s motives. I have a big problem with anyone who thinks they know what another’s motives are, climbs up on their throne, exercises their sinful, self-imposed god-complex & exercises their faux-omniscience. In such cases my usual response is “You had better be right because if you’re wrong you’ve just made yourself an abomination to God. See Pro. 6:16-19. Does that concern you at all?” So I didn’t “try” to back it up. I did!!
6) Why didn’t you ask SKIJ for a link to my comments so you could judge for yourself? Since she didn’t and it’s been almost a year ago, I have no clue what she’s referring to. My suspicion & guess is that I corrected her on something she said & she took her offense here. Why didn’t that cross your mind? If either of you would like to post a link and notify me of it, I’m happy to review it and then either standby it & support it with Scripture or confess if I erred.
7) Why didn’t you catch that SKIJ clearly violated John 7:24 with her last comment? Do you allow people to practice sin on your blog? Or were you just too busy laughing. Sin is no laughing matter. You not only didn’t say anything about that sin but the gossiping either.
You might wanna go back & reply to her again & correct those things. Who knows, maybe she’ll listen to you & you just might help her get out of the Matt. 7:21-23 line if she’s standing in it. Which wouldn’t be surprising because those who do such things as she did, most likely out of spite having been corrected, usually are.
You just made yourself an abomination to God with your false accusation and bearing false witness. (Pro. 6:16-19) What you said is a lie. Now take that and Matt. 5:23-24 with you to church on Sunday, if you even go to church, and try to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. (Jn. 4:23-24)
For all others who may see this: THAT comment is exactly what’s wrong The Body today. I don’t know if that person truly belong to The Body or not but it’s EXACTLY the kind of backbiting gossip that God HATES and brings judgment against.
The World is seeing this stuff and they love it. I was led here by one of Satan’s minions thinking he found some mud to sling.
“You will certainly carry out God’s purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.” – C.S. Lewis
To clarify, Proverbs 6:16-19 says
“There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.”
Royce, I don’t know the commenter SKIJ (as far as I know). He or she thought you were using the comment section as a “soapbox,” speaking in hyperbole. This part may have been incorrect, but what wasn’t incorrect was your quick condemnation of people as “abominations.”
Because you think SKIJ’s comment is what’s wrong with the Body of Christ today, rather than the terrible covering of evil that’s absolutely rampant (I trust you’re keeping up with the Ravi Zacharias story), then I believe you’re straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.
I am so thankful to God for you and your courage ❤️
I know Rebecca is well aware of this, but since she can only shed light on so much error in one post, I thought I’d add a comment to this dangerous counsel of Gordon’s…
“Gordon says that when there is sin ‘in the church’ it shouldn’t be told to ‘the church’ at large (on the internet) but only to the local church. “
Correction — That suppression of truth is exactly how a wolf is enabled to just move to another church to deceive and prey on more people! No, the truth should spread far & wide.
Thank you so much for your insightful comment, Jamie! Yes, I had a whole big section addressing that part, and ended up taking it out because of the length of the post. I knew with the caliber of commenters I have, someone else would handle it. It’s greatly appreciated.
I love you-
You made me laugh! I’m glad it was helpful.
We really need to cut out the celebrity worship as western Christians.
1 Peter 4:17
Thank you, Rebecca. As more abuse survivors and advocates speak, abusers and enablers within the church seem to be hitting the gossip and slander angle ever harder.
Yes, I think that may be true.