One of the attributes of tyrants and dictators is a low tolerance for criticism. The most effective tyrants are able to convince you that they are serving ‘the greater good’ so any criticism you raise will be used as proof that you oppose goodness.
Some of the most successful dictators will tell you they are Christians. It’s a smart move because many church people believe discernment is the opposite of faith. The ultimate goal of Christian tyrants is to convince you that questioning them makes God unhappy. You’re supposed to just accept them as divine instruments. Any misgivings you have about their teaching or behavior is a sign of spiritual immaturity.
I’m not accusing Dr. Michael Brown of being a tyrannical dictator. I’m just saying that if I wanted to become a tyrannical dictator, I would write-up a list of “honest questions for those whose primary ‘ministry’ is critiquing others,” just like he did.
“Question 1: Who appointed you? Was it simply that you felt called by God, or do you have the support and backing of your local church leadership and/or denomination leadership?”
Yes! If I wanted to place myself beyond the scrutiny of others, the first thing I would do is demand to know who authorized my critic to speak up. They can’t just feel called by God because the calling from God is MY gambit.
“Question 2: What’s your own ministry experience? How long have you pastored or served on the mission field or engaged in itinerant ministry or taught in a ministry school or seminary? “
Perfect! The only people who are allowed to raise criticisms are people who meet my standard of ministerial experience. If you haven’t been a pastor, you can’t possess any useful insights. If you do have ministry experience, I’m sure it won’t be applicable to my situation.
“Question 3: Are you bearing more fruit than those you are critiquing, or is your primary “fruit” the critiques you bring? If you are critiquing the soul-winning ministry of someone else or their healing ministry, etc., are you winning the lost and setting the captives free more effectively?”
Excellent! My last question would force you to prove that you’re bearing ‘fruit’ without defining what it means to bear fruit. I would shift the conversation as far from actual scripture as possible and focus instead on vague, churchy-sounding concepts like soul winning’ and ‘freeing captives.’
Now that I’ve told you how I’m going to establish my spiritual dictatorship, are you going to try and stop me? I hope so. We need brave Christians to stand up to guys like me.
(2 Peter 2:1) But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.