“Name Calling”

Monday, October 26, 2020

     Is it okay to call people things like a hypocrite, liar, selfish, ignorant, stuck-up, bully, etc. under any circumstances?

Sincerely,
Piping Up

Dear Piping Up,

In almost all circumstances, it is wrong to call people these things because most of the time people use these words to lash out in anger and frustration.  God makes it clear that we shouldn’t do that (Matt 5:21-22).  Though it is okay to be angry, we should never sin in that anger (Eph 4:26).

There are times, though, that Jesus called people liars or hypocrites because they truly were, and they needed to be exposed for the greater good (Matt 23:13).  Jesus was careful to only use that sort of harsh language in the most extreme of circumstances and with only the most hard-hearted of individuals – we should follow His lead (1 Cor 11:1).

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