Articles
Refute or Reject?
Many Christians have a default setting of “Refute” when it comes to false teaching. That is, when error is encountered the knee-jerk reaction is to “slay the dragon” – to build our case and defend the truth until we have spoken the last word.
But in Paul’s various admonitions to the youthful Timothy, he counsels a different approach to some error:
1) “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge” – 1 Tim 6:20.
2) “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife” – 2 Tim 2:23.
3) “But reject profane and old wives’ fables” – 1 Tim 4:7.
To Titus he gives similar advice:
1) “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition” – Tit 3:9-10.
2) “Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth” – Tit 1:13-14.
Consider also:
1) “He is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth … from such withdraw yourself” – 1 Tim 6:4-5.
2) “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers … whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not” – Tit 1:10-11.
Two common threads running through these passages are attitude and aim. There are some people who are immersed in a hobby; i.e., a pet quirk of doctrine which consumes them and which they want everyone else to be focused on, too. The outcome of their obsession is argument, strife and disunity. “A ‘factious man’ … is one who gathers around himself other discontented spirits, and establishes what might be called a rival congregation, all of whose members hold the same views and opinions on the matters dear to the sect. The ‘factious man’ often goes from person to person, or group to group, forcing people to make a choice. ‘Are you for me, or are you in agreement with that other person?’ And when choices are forced, divisions are the result” (Reese, New Testament Epistles: Timothy and Titus, p. 417).
When it is ascertained that a congregation or eldership is dealing with such a man or movement, it is appropriate to reject them. Delay runs the risk of such people doing irreparable harm. Of course, the hobby-riders will protest that they should be heard, and one manipulative tactic is to try to engage in relentless, pointless “studies.” The truth is, there is not much “studying” going on but rather futile wrangling which distracts an eldership and drains a congregation’s energy. Such focus also legitimizes the troublemaker in his own mind. Some issues call for refutation; others demand rejection. Wisdom helps differentiate the two.
