Should Christians Rebuke a Works-Based Gospel?
In Galatians 2:4, Paul called people false believers for teaching that following the law was needed for salvation. Should Christians today do the same when others teach a works-based gospel?
It’s complicated in this way. For example, the rebuke that Paul talks about in Galatians 2 was a rebuke that he offeredagainst Peter and the people who influenced Peter at Antioch. It was good that Paul did that. However, Peter was probably not aware to the extent which he was denying the gospel of salvation by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone.
We need to deal with people not only when they’re wrong, but when they’re wrong in ignorance. Confront them when needed, yes, but tailor your confrontation appropriately to where the person is at. Now, I understand you may not be able to figure out where the person is at immediately. That’s okay, but be willing to question whether it is a problem of heresy that is known and understood (now, they wouldn’t identify it heresy, but they know what they’re teaching and promoting), or is it a product of careless or ignorant theology? So yes, confront, and yes, rebuke, but your confrontation and your rebuke should match where the person is at. I think Paul did a good job with that.
Should Christians do the same when the others teach a works-based gospel? Let’s consider an extreme example. If you’re in church and the pastor says something that would imply a works-based gospel, it probably wouldn’t be appropriate to stand up in the middle of the sermon and shout out a rebuke. I’m not going to say that it’s impossible, but it would likely be out of line. Maybe there would be an extreme situation where it would be needed, but normally, that wouldn’t be matching the situation to the rebuke.