When Words and Witness Don’t Match
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
I lament rising social-media conflict, highlighting Beth Moore’s recent divisive comments as an example. Reflecting on Christian discernment, I emphasize that teachers’ actions must match their words and that pursuing long-term holiness, especially in speech and conduct, is essential for evaluating true faith and character.
I enjoyed Twitter (now called X) for a long while. There used to be more ladies on it who are encouraging, sweet, and talk of homelife or share scripture. Many of those have backed off or abandoned the social media platform altogether. I’m still hanging in there, as are some nice other ladies and gents, but I’m dismayed that the arguments have gotten out of hand. They’re daily now. Everyone seems to have a flashpoint set at zero.
I usually ignore the fights. This week though, Beth Moore piped up. I wasn’t aware at the time but Moore’s comment had set off a huge argument on X. She rebuked pastor Josh Howerton, butting into a thread that had nothing to do with her and chastising his comments on godly manhood.
Moore’s influence is still large. After inserting herself into a thread that had nothing to do with her, she rebuked and chastised the pastor who made the original comment. Her admonishment caused a furor. I am dismayed that her (negative) influence is still large enough after 40 years of public life to even cause a furor, but God knows best.
I thought about it for a long time. Moore’s behavior brought me to mind again of two critical items we should use when assessing whether a teacher who claims Jesus and teaches the Bible is false or not. These two items flow into each other. One of them it took me a while to understand, not just in Christian life but in secular life before salvation. And the other, I get a lot of pushback on. Here they are, in my opinion and experience:
1.What a person says and what they do must match up.
2.A Bible teacher’s life should be assessed as much as their doctrine.
I’m trusting. I used to take what people said to me at face value. I don’t see context clues, body language, or link current statements to past statements. I used to just take whatever they said currently, as genuine. The most extreme example of this that I can think of in secular life, which thankfully never happened to me, is when a man says “I love you” but slaps her around. His words are empty and meaningless if not followed up with loving action. Domestic violence isn’t loving.
This next example can be applied in secular life or in Christian life. Someone does or says something impolite or untoward to you, and you remark that it hurts your feelings, and they say “I’m sorry.” But they do it again, and again, and again. The “I’m sorry” or “I repent” has become meaningless. Sorrow for actions or statements must be followed up with genuine behavior change, or it is just an empty phrase.
Resource: Ligonier essay True Repentance
We look at their life as much as their doctrine. Let’s use the word holiness here, and a portion of one of JC Philpot‘s devotionals I read this morning. (JC Philpot- 1802-1869).
When a Bible teacher says “I am a Christian” or “I follow Christ” or “I love Jesus”, does their statement match with their words and actions? It’s easy to SAY “I am a Christian,” but do they pursue holiness over the long term? That’s the key. Here’s JC Philpot-
Holiness consists mainly of two points–
“1. being made a partaker of the spirit of holiness whereby, as born of God, we are made fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; set our affections on things above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God; have our conversation in heaven; put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him which created him; live a life of faith in the Son of God, and beholding, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Our job as Christians is to pursue holiness. Pursuing holiness is pursuing Christ. The Bible in its entirety but particularly the New Testament prescribes the standards of a Christian’s holiness and gives commands as to its pursuit. It also describes examples of holiness and lack of holiness. Going on to Philpot’s second point-
“2. The second branch of holiness is a life, conduct, and conversation agreeable to the precepts of the gospel; and the one springs out of the other. “Make the tree good,” said our blessed Lord, “and his fruit good, for the tree is known by his fruit.” Gospel fruit must grow upon a gospel tree, and thus the fruits of a holy and godly life must spring out of those divine operations of the Holy Spirit upon the heart of which we have just spoken. Thus to speak, live, and act is to be “holy in all manner of conversation,” that is in our daily walk.”
I like how Philpot said “life, conduct, and conversation…”
This brings me back to social media, our conduct on it, and Beth Moore as the negative example. Time and again, she speaks with irritation, rebukes men publicly, says things without knowledge (for example, slandering The Covington Boys in 2019) and demonstrates often that she is not in control of her tongue. She even called herself obnoxious in an interview. Examining Moore’s behavior with regard to speech, and comparing it to the Bible’s standards (and that standard is even higher for teachers) Moore’s speech is often unholy and fails the New Testament speech standards.
Moore stated that she ‘was “annoyed” when she initially made the comment and should have kept her opinion to herself’. (Source). ‘She said that she regretted posting it’. True, she should not have.
Moore eventually apologized to Howerton via posts on X for her comment. The funny thing is, the comment was made to men in general and was not even aimed at her, nor was Moore tagged…she just came across it and got annoyed. Succumbing to temptation one thing when we are in dialog with someone and it gets heated. It’s still a sin, but to be minding your own business and suddenly being annoyed with a random comment instead of scrolling on by, displays a massive lack of restraint and immaturity on the part of Moore, or anyone who inserts themself into a conversation where her entry point is already at annoyance levels.
Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent. (Proverbs 17:28).
When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable, But one who restrains his lips is wise. (Proverbs 10:19).
When I assess a teacher, and their lifestyle comes up short of biblical standards, the pushback I receive when I state so is often dismaying. “But she says she loves Jesus!” “But she claims to be a believer!” are phrases I hear often. As President Ronald Reagan said regarding relations with the sometimes cunning and deceptive former Soviet Union, ‘Trust, but verify’.
PURSUE HOLINESS at all points.
What Beth Moore says and what she does, doesn’t match up.
And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. (James 3:6).
Wow! Ponder the fierceness of that verse. And of course it is not the only verse. Many Proverbs talk of our words and our lips: of lying, slander, false witness, uncouth talk, gossip…the list is long in showing ways we stumble with our talk.
I wouldn’t advise rejecting a teacher or pastor you follow if they stumble in this area once. Give grace, but be watchful if this sin becomes a pattern. A pattern indicates their heart is defiled, and their words are giving evidence of it. (Matthew 15:18).
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29).
PURSUE HOLINESS at all points. Philpot: “Thus to speak, live, and act is to be “holy in all manner of conversation,” and is a fulfilling of the precept which God gave…“
