This is like saying that the Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper place to love, (inferring that we shouldn’t). The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding.ģ. Chambers wrongly conflates criticism with destruction. Criticism is often the sharpest edge of the Word of God that results in the strongest building up in agape. It is not loving to reduce the effect of criticism as being merely that of the weakening of individuals or the corporate whole. Criticism is essential if one is to love God and love the Church. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized.Ģ. Chambers wrongly conflates criticism with futility.
Truthfully, in the spiritual realm, affinity with the Man of Sorrows and His extreme displeasure with sin and the gross compromise of His people, heresy and majority silence, is the litmus test of true Christian discipleship. Criticism is an essential prophetic element of the prophetic mantle and a core component of divine pathos. I’ll quote Chambers directly and then respond.Ĭriticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it.ġ. (You can listen to City of Temples – a study of 1 Corinthians – here if you’d like some help). I’ll cover them in brief, below, and ask you to reconsider Jesus’ words (and Paul’s) throughout the New Testament during which breath-taking criticism is never at odds with their respective gentleness and lowliness. Sadly, (and perhaps mainly a reflection of the relatively sheltered times of another century and, in many ways, another world and church) Chambers very wrongly conflates ‘criticism’ with a raft of other conditions of heart. “Beware of Criticising Others” was the tag-line that would be enough to instantly seize the conscience of anyone with even half an interest in loving and following Jesus Christ. The irony of the title of this blog post won’t be lost on most of you if you also happened to read the Oswald Chambers devotional today.
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