“The definition of Criticism is the act of making judgments and criticizing, a passing of unfavorable judgment, censure, disprovable. The art, skill, or profession of making discriminating judgments and evaluation especially of literary or other artistic works. A review or other article expressing judgment and evaluation. The detailed investigation of the origin and history of literary documents.” (Grolier, 1986:314. http://www.bing.com/images/search definition of a criticism). There is most certainly nothing wrong with criticizing someone’s work, within its context. It is when we use it to attack others for something they are doing that isn’t in error. When you attack someone based off opinion rather than facts, that is considered slander not discernment.

          When we are in school, we are taught to research everything to its logical conclusion. This includes making sure that our information is accurate. The teacher doesn’t want your opinion, they want a clear and concise paper, say a literary work or research on a part of history. Yet, they want you to reason through the information and give an analysis of the information. However, it is easy to reason through information and skip to the conclusion based off our own reasoning rather than keeping the information within its context. Therefore, the teacher receives our work and critiques it. When we receive our work back there are red marks throughout the paper and a critical review of the work we’ve done. Is this slander? No, it is a means to teach us how to do better in our work throughout our educational career. It also helps us throughout our lives. They are teaching us to accept judgment in the right context. This can be applied to our daily lives, there are those that point out our faults, not to harm us but to help us to grow as human beings. However, there is a fine line between judging someone’s faults and using ad hominem attacks (Latin “against the man), which is a fallacy as much as it is slander. Which is why I am writing this article. Is there a difference between Biblical Criticism and slander? How do we discern the difference between someone who is slandering us or judging us?

             What is slander and what does the Bible say about it?

          Slander is bearing false witness against your neighbor, and it is the eighth commandment of the Ten Commandments Exodus 20:16. “Slander is making a false verbal statement that damages someone’s character or reputation” (gotquestions.org/Bible-slander.html, Retrieved October 2, 2023. 11/2022). I have personally experienced this throughout my life as have most of us. Slander comes in different forms, bullying, giving a testimony about someone that isn’t true within a court of law, gossip (speaking about someone because you just don’t like them, or have some perceived understanding of how they are in their life), discussing something about a person which you have no prior knowledge of, or discussing the nature of your neighbors’ sins. It is not your place to discuss with others someone else’s sin this goes for outside the church building. However, if your brother or sister in the faith sins against you, you should go to him in private and correct him, if he does not listen you go to others who know of the sin and approach him/her with love. If he still does not listen, you go to the church elders. If he still does not listen and repent, then it is the church’s obligation to excommunicate that person. However, they are still allowed to come hear the word of God in the church. But it is not appropriate to discuss the sin of the person within the church or post it on social media. This includes discussing it behind the pulpit. This is the same as slander. It should always be the hope of the church body to reconcile the believer back into the fold (Matthew 18:15-20, ESV).

          We are all aware of the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words never hurt me.” It was initially stated in 1844, in Alexander William Kingslake’s book “golden sticks and stones” and reappeared in The Christian Recorder; a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in March of 1862. Steven Fry highlights the proverb in Moab is my Washpot, as “sticks and stones do indeed harm the body physically, but we heal and become stronger. However, words do more than sting, they leave a stain upon the person’s reputation, character, and “mental wounds stay for decades and keep burning in silence” (Literary devices.net, 2023). Words have meaning and we often accept them at face value, which is why it causes so much damage when we lie against our neighbor, family, or those we just do not like. King Soloman was conveying wisdom given to him by God. “One who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18). God literally calls a slander a fool, but that isn’t the only thing He is conveying in this message of wisdom. Slander is like murder, because it costs the person their character and reputation as well as the person’s well-being.

          What does the Bible say about criticism verses slander?

“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 lie, and one who sows discord among brothers” (Proverbs 6:16-19). When we look at this list of things, we should be so careful not to bare false witness against anyone nor sow discord among our brothers and sisters in the faith. However, here is where there is a distinction between criticism and slander. Criticism is judging the words and work of someone who has an incorrect or false view on topics they know little about or didn’t study it out without bias. In other words, they are given over to a false narrative without doing research into those things they believe about the subject or person. When you make statements about someone it’s best to have evidence within its context. Sadly, there are some who obfuscate instead of giving accurate information to defend themselves or they lie about what the information states.

          When you cast a shadow over the truth, we call this withholding vital information, which is the same as lying. Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” Anytime a writer, speaker, and minister take scripture out of context they are essentially withholding vital information that is important to the flock they are responsible for. This does not take the responsibility off those of us who claim to be Christians. We are to study scripture daily and be Bereans. However, it is important that we weigh our words against the damage it may cause someone (especially if the person has been misunderstood or has been led astray). We always want to listen carefully; weigh the words they speak and write with the Bible as their basis. If their words and work do not align with those things, they have said about the Bible then it is important that we always approach them with love. Meaning we speak the truth in love, by simply stating the truth. What is the truth? Jesus is The Truth and if we aren’t willing to tell someone about Jesus within the context of scripture, then Jesus isn’t within us, and we hate our brother and sister which is equal to murder. Therefore, it is important that we know the difference between what a clear critique is verses slandering someone because you simply disagree with that person’s viewpoints. However, there is something to be said about a person’s motives and intention towards the other. We all struggle with these issues.

          For example, my motive in writing this article is to inform and educate others about the differences between judging someone rightly based on prior knowledge and evidence of my own critiques. My method is to show love through the gift of Discernment and using Apologetics to answer those questions for myself at the same time my readers are also learning what I’ve learned. I also use some of my experiences within my writing as an example, not to garnish sympathy. God forbid me from ever doing such a thing. I simply believe (from my own observations) that too many persons are uninformed of the differences between what the Bible clearly states we are to do in terms of judging those who have gone outside of scripture or were at no point true to the Christian Faith. To some this may be harsh, but if we look closely at scripture, we could see that Jesus was crystal clear on the subject that we are to call out those who error. If they have done it publicly then they receive a public rebuke. If they have done it to us personally, then we go to them in private. As disciples of Christ Jesus, we must never show partiality, we aren’t doing anyone any favors by being partial to our friend and family or the culture we live in.

          “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6, ESV). How we approach others is very important. We shouldn’t say anything out of anger. I have been guilty of this from time to time. Personally, because I am not a fan of anyone manipulating or controlling me. After years of it early in my life I have found that it is one area I must be very careful in not getting the care and concerns of others and manipulating and controlling behaviors confused. It is easy to confuse, when the scar is present, but it isn’t an excuse to lose my temper. At the same time, we must taste our words and be careful how we approach sensitive matters. Lessons I have been learning over the course of much of my own life. “Let your words be seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Meaning if we truly love God, we will speak his words within their context no matter how much they hurt others. The pain is to help each of us grow, so yes critiquing someone’s Biblical work, beliefs, or ideology is fair game. How we approach those situations is another matter.

          What are Pharisees and why is everyone so obsessed with the word?

          I remember being in a church years ago where they had attributed certain churches with pastors who kept to a more liturgical service as “Pharisaical.” The definition had set in my mind, and I often questioned why they always accused these servants of Christ in such slanderous manner. Why were they accusing them of being jealous, having a spirit of the pharisees, and what were they getting at? Do they know these men? Have they sat in these churches and heard them say they are jealous of Megachurches? They even accused them of being dead churches, no longer able to produce fruit or even a harvest. What right do they have to state that these are dead churches and no longer able to produce fruit or a harvest? Are they God and know the minister’s heart for which they make these accusations? I was angry about these slanderous accusations and left the church. It took me a very long time to go back to church only to find one pastor ranting over the fact that certain persons in the church weren’t happy with their church community. I began praying after those comments and questioned if I should stay since the pastor is so inclined to complain about someone within the church community who wasn’t there any longer. Slander comes in different forms and when you make someone an example for getting a message across; that leads to manipulation and then that leads to others within the church questioning whether they want to remain under that type of leadership.

          I have made it no secret that my great uncle Reverend William Boutwell had a small church. I never saw the church get above one hundred, yet what I took from those years of learning in Sunday school and church services was that he taught from scripture and never deviated from it. I have memories of walking in his home and seeing him sitting in his chair studying the Bible. He wasn’t a boastful or prideful man. He did things to the best of his knowledge of scripture. His love for God was presented in every sermon I ever heard the man preach. His brother (my grandpa Boutwell) taught Sunday school and though he was a layman, he knew the bible well. Therefore, I have often used both men as my examples in finding a church that teaches biblical truth. By today’s standards these men would be considered pharisees because they didn’t allow culture of their day to infiltrate their biblical beliefs, they didn’t have whole sermon series on tithing, they didn’t talk about others from behind the pulpit, nor make their good deeds known publicly, nor did they have a large congregation. My uncle believed that quality was worth more than quantity. That didn’t mean he didn’t want more people in the church to preach the gospel to, no he did that at his other job as a house painter. My grandpa lived by example at every job he had, including as the head of Janitorial staff at Midwest City High school in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Yet, they were very influential in my life.

Definition of Pharisee and Biblical Perspective:

          The adverb to Pharisee is Pharisaical describes someone who is hypocritical and/or self-righteous, traits that were attributed to the Pharisees during New Testament times. In Matthew 23, Jesus gives harsh rebukes for what the Pharisees:

          “Then Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples. “The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all of their good deeds to be seen by others. For they make their Phylacteries broad and their fringes long and they love the place of honor at feast and the best seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi, by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher and you are all brothers. Matthew 23:13-36 “But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”

          I will let my readers search out the rest of Matthew 23. In short Jesus was calling the Pharisees out for grievous hardships, causing many to fall just by their hypocritical teachings. Now let’s deal with the elephant in the room. When a person claims to be an Apostle or prophet and they give a message to the church body or to an individual about what “might” take place in their lives, but they have to pay; “their tithes regularly,” “have to pay the prophet $100 or more to get a blessing,” and “they must submit to your authority, pay you whatever amount you ask for, and claim God will pay it back double” you are essentially placing a burden upon those who have so little already. Promising them that “God said” will at some point cause persons within your church to not trust God and not want to be a part of the Christian church. They’re putting stumbling blocks in front of those who are suffering by lying to them about what their purpose is and not telling them about their sins and their salvation.

          Pharisees love to come up with new ways to complicate the lives of those they teach. Here is one such example from a well-known false teacher, “You don’t have a god in you, you are one” Kenneth Copeland. It is sad many still trust his teachings because he is placing a mill stone around your neck giving you power you don’t have and responsibility over your own life instead of teaching you to trust, believe, and have faith in Yahweh. Here are at least three scriptures that are being taken out of context to teach the false theology “little god’s theology.” “I said you are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.” Psalm 82:6. However, they misrepresent this scripture by taking it out of context. The reference which Jesus made in John 10:34 “Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law that you are gods.” Jesus was identifying himself as equal to God, but he was clarifying that they have been placed in their positions by God. Jesus is God and therefore the only true God. God gives authority to those he chooses to be in authority on earth and will have to give an account for all they did. They will die and will be held in account for all they have taught and where they were not held accountable. (gotquestions.org/little-gods.html).

Conclusion

          There has been a great deal more slander going on than true criticism among those who claim to be Christian. Steven Kozar said it best, “we are engaging the Christian Community in a series of ideas that we believe are important.” (YouTube “Hit the Bar” Episode 62: Ruslan Exposed for Gigantic Clickbait Error. Time stamp 27 minute mark). We do engage each other in a world of ideas, how we present those ideas and how we represent the Bible becomes the main issue. When we represent the body of Christ, we are called to a higher standard. Those standards should represent God’s character as shown by Jesus and throughout the Bible. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” (Proverbs 11:3). There have been many men and women of the Bible who showed strength of character and integrity even though they may had committed sins on occasions. However, it is important to note that these men and women had contrite spirits and truly repented, in contrast to those who claim to have repented and go right back to their vomit.

          If we are truly going to engage in a series of ideas, we need to stop with name calling, false accusations, false perceptions, and emotionalism. It is time to get down to the business of discussing these issues we have with one another. I am not calling for an ecumenical understanding or collaboration with false religions such as Mormonism or Muslims. No, I am calling for all those who are truly in the Christian Faith to start having conversations without the obfuscations, start presenting the documentation like Justin Peters, Chris Rosebrough Fighting for the Faith, Steven and Paulette Kozar (Messed Up Church), and the Daniel Long of Longing for the Truth. These men and women are upstanding, they present the information with at times the long version of the videos and read books of those who claim to be a real Apostle and Prophet. They are men and women of integrity and good Character. Yes, they can be snarky at times, but they are presenting the truth. Let me also add Dawn Hill to the list of men and women who have presented the truth, as she has worked hard to bring people like me to be a woman of integrity.

          We have got to start thinking for ourselves, start asking questions you were told not to ask, be a willing participant in the fight for the faith. Wake up and be a Berean people of noble character. When they say “Touch not thy anointed” tell them they are servants of Christ and are to be questioned about what they teach. Hold them accountable, present your questions, and if they don’t answer them and they turn you away there are two things you can do. Keep questioning them until they answer or walk away and go to a church where the pastor knows he serves Christ Church and not himself. If your pastor is women, just leave that isn’t a church. Wake up be men of character and women of integrity.

References:

English Standard Version Bible Online. https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Matthew23.html

English Standard Version Bible Online. https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Matthew18:15-20.html

English Standard Version Bible Online. https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Proverbs10:18.html

English Standard Version Bible Online. https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Proverbs6:16-19.html

English Standard Version Bible Online. https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Proverbs12:22.html

English Standard Version Bible Online. https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Proverbs27:6.html

English Standard Version Bible Online. https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Colossians4:6.html

English Standard Version Bible Online https://www.biblehub.com/esv/Proverbs11:3.html

What is does the Bible say about slander? https://www.gotquestions.org/bible-slander.html. November 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2023.

Are Christians “little gods”? January 4, 2022. Retrieved November 18. 2023 https://www.gotquestions.org/little-gods.html

Grolier, 1986:314. Search definition of Criticism. (https://www.bing.com/image/search definition of Criticism.

Kozar, Steven. The Messed Up Church “Hit the Bar” Episode 62: Ruslan Exposed for Gigantic Clickbait Error. Time stamp 27 minute mark https://www.youtube.com