Rebutting False Teachings

Firstly, I genuinely appropriate the concern and will never not appropriate well meaning stuff like this.

So while I may type with a bit of vitriol, I am not foaming at the mouth. A lot of my actual reaction while watching them is bemusement, not rage. And even if or when their false doctrine does get me, I always keep them in my prayers when I go to bed. I ask God to forgive them, to bless them, to draw them to repentance and to draw them to Christ. The problem with false teachers and their teachings is that it is dangerous. I affirm what Jesus meant when He said He was *the Way*, singular. He is the narrow gate by which we enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus warned us desperately that other ways lead to death and to eternal damnation (whatever that damnation may be). Literally no one taught more on the doctrine of Hell than Jesus. And it makes sense, for how could you be saved and redeemed if there wasn't a coming judgement that you needed to be saved from? No price could be paid, no propitiation made, if no price was set or cost incurred. So these false teachers, the ones I watch and deconstruct, are teaching damnable doctrines. This isn't a brotherly disagreement over the minor details of the faith. Single predestination or double? Pre-trib, post-trib, mid-trib rapture? Premillennialism, postmillennialism, or amillennialism? There's hundreds of minor pieces of doctrines that brothers in Christ can discuss and debate without questioning each other's salvation. However, there are major, serious pieces of doctrine on which disagreement means you're not a Christian and are teaching a false religion. The Trinity, the deity of Christ, un-merited salvation, the Atonement of the Cross, and others. These are not negotiable. And people like Brandon or Dawn are teaching against those doctrines and yet they have the gall to call themselves Christians.

The Bible warns us about false teachers and false prophets. It describes them as wolves, and warns that they can and will lead those astray who might have believed and been saved. I know you say that there must be a non-confrontational or non-antagonistic angle, but there isn't when it comes to false teachers and their doctrine. If they claimed to be some whatever OC new age religion, fine, whatever. But they don't. They *claim* to be Christians, they *claim* to profess Jesus as Lord, these claims have weight and consequences. Any souls who come to them and believe that they're following God will be led straight into where Jesus warned us many times will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." As someone who wants to be a Pastor and have congregation this breaks my heart. We're called Pastors for a reason, we're in charge of the spiritual health and wellbeing of our flock, and part of that care is fending off false doctrines from corrupting those who are entrusted to you. Paul explicitly says so in the requirement he lists in Titus, "be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." So learning now, early on, what sort of false teachings I will encounter is prudent. If I wait until sin is crouched at the door, it will be to late to arm myself. For example, Brandon claims, falsely, that a Greek word in the New Testament isn't a prohibition on homosexuality, and his argument rests on that Paul made the word by "joining the prohibitions from Lev. 19 and Lev. 20" and he follows with "if we learn what those verses are forbidding then we've learned what Paul was forbidding." So he then claims that a Jewish author, Philo, had already explained it for us and without chapter, verse or other reference quotes him and claims that it's just against "impious priests." How can I counter that claim unless I hear that his argument rests on Philo and then read Philo myself? So I do my homework and see what the truth is, and then to drive home the fact I'll ramble about it to you guys, Aleea, or someone else. Relaying it to an audience helps me remember and aides in my delivery of it.

As to the worry about it becoming a similar vanity as Billy's twitter fights, I affirm that I do try to live by the command in Romans, which is, "in so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." We are taught to not start bickering pointless fights, or mudslinging contests. But we are told we must contend for the Faith, and if the circumstances force it, I will publicly or otherwise defend the Faith. But again that doesn't mean that I am to track down "heretics" and roast them publically for internet points. Making a rebuttal video to Dawn and her whooping 150 subscribers and average 30 views would help no one and bring no glory to God, it would be petty. But if a parishioner of mine came in and started asking me question because of similar teachings he had seen or heard, then making a video, sermon, homily or likes would be well worth it. And as I said it is best to learn that skill now before I need it.