"But I'm not as interested in dealing with the symptom (people being horrible on social media) as I am with the root, which is ultimately many Christians' feeling that policing other people is not only their right, but their God-given duty. When Paul tells the Corinthians that it is not our place to judge those outside the church, but rather those within (1 Cor. 5:12), I'm not sure he had Facebook or YouTube in mind. When these words were written, there was a natural understanding that any "judgment" of fellow believers was going to happen in the context of relationship. What has happened today is instead a kind of free-for-all of opinions shouted at the top of our lungs that is completely outside of relationship." -- Darren Wilson
Bzzzt. Thanks for playing Darren. Let us start with the fact that God wrote this verse as He did all verses. He also sees all time, including the advent of Facebook and YouTube. The actual context of these verses stems from a believer in the Corinthian Church who was sleeping with his father's wife. While that issue was bad enough the church allowed it and celebrated it. That is why Paul is reminding the CHURCH to police the CHURCH. That is the relationship Darren. So when the church sees that someone as false as you has infiltrated the sheepfold we reach for the rod. It is driven first by our relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior and secondly with each other as members of the body. The notion that I need to know you personally and carnally is absurd. My concern is for members of my family that you will lead astray from Jesus Christ.
"Social media has created a culture of people who believe their opinion is just as important as any other opinion. Unfortunately, this simply isn't true. If your opinion is coming outside of relationship, then while it may be loud, it is not important. If a perfect stranger tells me I'm doing something wrong based on something they see in one of my movies, I'm probably not going to pay any attention to them. If someone in my inner circle, who sees me every day and know the ins and outs of my journey tells me the same thing, well I'm probably going to sit up and take notice. Opinions outside of relationship are often just noise pollution. Opinions inside of relationship are not only helpful, they are biblical." -- Darren Wilson
My opinion does not matter Darren. God's opinion as expressed in Scripture most certainly does however. You on the other hand have incorrectly used two verse snippets out of context and now you are going to declare what is and is not biblical? It does not work that way Darren. What you have done however is reveal here why Jesus warns that when you have convinced yourself that your darkness is light how deep that darkness is. You have all but admitted here that the only people you will listen to are people who travel with you on your journey of heresy. Only people who are willing to drink the Kool Aid with you. Anyone else is noise pollution. What are the chances that anyone is going to correct you Darren? Zero because they believe what you believe. Sure Paul called plenty of people out by name but not everyone. Even this person he refers to in Corinth he does not apparently know. He is not by your definition "in relationship" with them. Yet he calls them out and corrects them because everyone in the church is his family. Everyone in the church you are in relationship with. Which is also why he said we are to judge in the church Darren. You see how the Bible works together? We are our brother's keeper. Mercifully, Wilson concludes:
We have to remember that everyone, including the morality police, is on a journey in this life. We are all growing, learning, making mistakes and trying our best here. Instead of shouting into the void, why not embrace the community God has already given you and allow iron to sharpen iron in the context of relationship? But of course, pointing out the flaws in others while ignoring our own flaws has been around for 2,000 years, and I think it makes Jesus just as upset today as it did back then. Today we call people who do this "trolls." But maybe we should start calling them the same thing Jesus did: hypocrites." -- Darren Wilson
There is a lot to unpack here as Wilson throws it all against the wall in the hopes that some of it might stick. Going in order let's address this "journey" theology that Wilson constantly promotes. It is quite popular within the sloppy agape teachings he finds himself in. It is used to excuse "mistakes"; which God actually calls sins. If as a preacher or teacher you are focused only on the "journey" then you have no fear of the destination and therein lies the problem. Secondly, I have no issue with growing and learning as we all should be until the day we die. "Mistakes" is a nice catch-all that is often used as a euphemism for sin and in this case to excuse away false teaching. Thirdly, I am not shouting into the void Darren. I am beating you away from the sheep of the Lord with the rod Psalm 23 speaks of. I know many will not listen because they like experiential Christianity where our wickedly deceitful hearts decide what God wants but some will come out from the darkness and my Bible tells me heaven rejoices when one does.
Fourthly, my community is the church. Jesus teaches us who are our mother and brother except they that do the will of our Father. Fifth, and this is very important, I have made no personal aspersions towards you. I have not pointed out flaws in you. I did not say your glasses are crooked and someone dresses you funny. I am pointing out the flaws in your teaching, including your misuse of God's Word and your obviously deceptive practices. To try and claim that Jesus would be upset at people who stand up for the truth of His Word shows how utterly disconnected from Him your teaching is. The people Jesus referred to as hypocrites were not those in possession of correct doctrine but rather those that were preaching and teaching false doctrine. People today like you Darren. You think you are making Jesus famous by filming a leg growing parlor trick that has been debunked on Facebook numerous times. Or by playing word association games with unbelievers that psychics made famous. Or by stalking emotionally compromised people in foreign parks after midnight to do pretend healings when there are hospitals everywhere if you were really serious. Then you take to the Internet and whine when someone as the temerity to call you out for the charlatan you are. Go ahead and call me a troll like you did on Charisma News once. I wear it like a badge of honor. If trolling your false teachings directs one person to the real Gospel and the real Jesus Christ then it is all worth it. That is not the underbelly of my opinion Darren. It is what the Bible teaches.
