Paul's Command to Name Names: Unloving or Unpopular?

If you’ve been around the Christian community for any length of time, you have no doubt heard it said that we shouldn't “name names” because that would be unloving and divisive. People who say we shouldn’t “name names” probably have good intentions. (But as the saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”!) They don't want to "rock the boat" or "stir up the pot". You may have even heard them quote Bible verses, such as when the apostle Paul says to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3, KJV). Notice though, that Paul specifically qualifies it by saying “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (KJV). In other words, Paul isn't saying to preserve unity at all costs (at the expense of, for example, standing for the truth, cf. 3 Jn 3:4). But rather, Paul qualifies it by saying, in effect, “if at all possible” or in other words: “endeavor to preserve” (KJV), “try your best” (CEV), “make it your aim” (J. B. Phillips), “with eager earnestness to maintain the unity” (Williams translation). And so yes, of course that is what we strive for and endeavor to do. And yet we see that Paul himself “named names”! Paul himself specifically called out by name false teachers in the church. Paul himself (the writer who penned Ephesians 4:3) “named names,” and so obviously there is a biblical precedent and example to call out false teachers by name. And as I explained, we are to do everything possible to “endeavor to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3; cf. Rom. 12:18). But when wolves come in among the flock (Matt. 7:16; Acts 20:26-30) or in other words, when false teachers come into the congregation and start preaching a false gospel or when they introduce destructive heresies and begin to lead God's children astray, then we need to call them out by name (1 Tim. 1:19-20; 2 Tim. 2:17-18; 1 Cor. 11:1, etc.). And that is completely biblical! In fact, not to do so would actually be disobedience to the Lord! In other words, not to call out false teachers by name, would make someone, as Paul says, “a man-pleaser, not a God-pleaser” (see Galatians 1:10). Jay Adams has well said: “In some circles, the fear of controversy is so great that preachers, and congregations following after them, will settle for peace at any cost—even at the cost of truth, God’s truth. The idea is that peace is all-important. Peace is a biblical ideal (Rom. 12:18 makes that clear: 'If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with everybody.') but so is purity. The peace of the church may never be bought at the cost of the purity of the church. That price is too dear.”[1]

Where is the command in the New Testament to call out false teachers by name? We have examples of it in the Bible, but where is it ever commanded? First of all, we have a clear command from the lips of Paul himself in 1 Corinthians 11:1, when he tells us (specifically he tells this to the church in Corinth, and by extension to all Christians) to “follow my example, even as I follow Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). And what example has Paul given to us in the New Testament? Did Paul “name names”? Did the apostle Paul call out false teachers by name? He most certainly did! And not just on one or two occasions, but actually repeatedly in his epistles! For example, in 1 Timothy 1:19-20 the apostle Paul says this: “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some [and who might they be?] having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan [!] that they may learn not to blaspheme.” And so here we see the apostle Paul is not just leaving it vague when he says “some have put away faith” (or the faith, i.e. the Christian faith), but he actually specifies who those people are by name, namely Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul makes a similar statement in terms of naming names, or in other words, we find another example of Paul doing that very thing in 2 Timothy 2:17-18, when he says: “And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.” So here again we see the apostle Paul citing two false teachers by name! And who would accuse the apostle Paul of being unloving or unbiblical? Obviously he’s not being unloving or unbiblical. Rather, he’s speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; this should be obvious (see 2 Tim. 3:16-17). But someone may say, “Well, he was the apostle Paul. We are not apostles. We don’t have that authority.” Au contraire! (Au contraire! means “On the contrary!”) If someone makes that objection or one to that effect, point them to 1 Corinthians 11:1 where the apostle Paul commands the Corinthian Christians (and by extension all Christians) to follow his example as he follows Christ! Again, notice what Paul says: “Be ye [this is a command!] followers of me even as I also am of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:1, KJV). Notice here that not only does Paul command us to follow his example, but he points us back to Christ’s example! Paul is saying, in effect, “I'm following Christ's example!” 

Did Christ "name names"? And if so, where? Where exactly did Christ “name names”? In answer to this, there is perhaps no better statement than the one by Dr. Walter Martin, the author of the classic book Kingdom of the Cults. Notice what he says, first in regards to the apostle Paul, and then in regards to Christ. Walter Martin correctly states: “We don’t wish to do this [name names] because we don’t want to offend people. You can’t use names [people say]. Since when? ‘Hymenaeus and Philetus have erred concerning the truth. They teach the resurrection is past. They overturn the faith of the church.’ [2 Tim. 2:17-18.] Didn’t Paul say that? ‘Alexander the coppersmith hath done me much harm. May the Lord reward him according to his works.’ [2 Tim. 4:14.]” So Walter Martin draws attention to the fact that although some people tell us we are not to “name names,” the apostle Paul named names: “Hymenaeus and Philetus” and “Alexander the coppersmith”! And notice that Paul doesn’t merely say “Alexander,” but he says specifically “Alexander the coppersmith”. Paul is really nailing it down and being specific! Paul wants there to be no confusion about who he's referring to.[2] But where did Jesus call out false teachers by name? Besides the fact that Jesus is the author of the entire Bible (in fact, Jesus is Himself “the Word,” Jn 1:1; Rev 19:13), and therefore any place in the Word of God that is an example of calling out false teachers by name can be understood as from the lips of God Himself (2 Tim. 3:16, assuming of course that it was commanded by God), did not the Lord Jesus say to the apostle Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan [!], for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but mans” (Matt 16:23; Mk 8:33). And so this is one example of Jesus calling out a false teacher (one of his own disciples no less!) by name. This no doubt brings to mind the name of another disciple whom Jesus specifically identified, not so much as a false teacher but as the one who would betray Him, namely Judas Iscariot (see Matt 26:21-25; Mk 14:18-21; Lk. 22:21-22; Jn 13:26-27). Another example is when the Pharisees told Jesus that Herod wanted to kill Him, and Jesus responded by saying, "Go ye, and tell THAT FOX, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected [i.e. reach My goal]" (Luke 13:32). And what did Jesus say to the Pharisees, or at least about the Pharisees? Notice what Walter Martin says: “When our Lord was questioned by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, by the Herodians, by the people who were constantly trying to entrap Him – Jesus did not turn around and say, ‘God loves you. The Lord bless you. Depart in peace. Everything’s going to be alright. Remember, love one another.’ And then preach [to] them the Sermon on the Mount. You will not find that theology in the New Testament. Jesus spent the time to answer their questions. And He spent the time to reprove and rebuke what they said, because they were distorting the truth of God. Some of the most scathing words ever found on this planet were uttered by the Man who said, ‘Permit the little children to come to Me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven.’ And the world is always ready to have the Jesus with the Roman nose, the light beard, the long hair, the Nordic features, and the milk-sop theology. It will always welcome this Jesus, but it will never stand for the Jesus who said, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting flames, prepared for the devil and his angels since the foundation of the age.’”[3] Walter Martin is making the point that some people tell us we should just be loving and we should just preach (or praise) Jesus. These types of people don’t want to offend anyone; they are men-pleasers, not God-pleasers (cf. 1 Sam 15:30; Gal. 1:10). They want to tickle people's ears, as the apostle Paul put it (2 Tim 4:3-4). They say, “Let's all get together and stay positive.” And Dr. Martin says that you will not find that teaching in the New Testament. Instead, what you find is that the apostles spoke in defense of the Christian faith, and they called out false teaching and the false teachers; and in so doing they were following the example of Jesus! In other words, when one of God's servants calls out a false teacher by name, they are not being unloving; they are doing exactly what Jesus did! And we are to be imitators of Him and follow His example; as Paul says, "Be imitators of God" (Eph. 5:1). In other words, be imitators of Jesus! He is our example and we should follow in His steps (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21).

And so, getting back to what Paul says in 1 Cor 11:1, he tells us to follow his example as he follows Christ. Thus, “naming names” is completely biblical because that's what both Jesus and the apostle Paul did, as I’ve noted. But there's actually several more instances in the New Testament of the apostle Paul calling out false teachers by name, and this is interesting. Because the apostle Paul actually called out another apostle by name and identified him as a false teacher! Can you believe that? What am I referring to? If you take a look at Galatians 2:11-14, what you will find is that the apostle Paul called out the apostle Peter by name, to his face, and said in effect: “You are not being true to the gospel of grace!” This is what Paul says in Gal 2:11-14, “but when Peter was come to Antioch,” this is Peter the apostle that Paul is talking about, “but when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed. For before that certain ones came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled [separated themselves] likewise with him, in so much that Barnabas also was carried away in their dissimulation [i.e. in their hypocrisy]. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, ‘if thou being a Jew livest after the manner of gentiles and not as do the Jews, why compellest the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?’” (Gal. 2:11-14). And so here, amazingly, the apostle Paul is essentially calling the apostle Peter a false teacher, or at least labeling him a hypocrite and not true to the gospel. Paul says to Peter that he is not being true to the gospel of grace but instead is practicing hypocrisy. So much so, in fact, that even Barnabas was led astray! And so Paul names Peter by name, and he names Barnabas by name (although Barnabas was not, in this case, necessarily a false teacher, but he was led astray). But my point is that here Paul once again “names names”! And so this is completely biblical. It is not inherently unkind. It is not inherently unloving. But it is inherently unpopular. In regards to it being unpopular, notice what Paul says about popularity in the same epistle. In the first chapter of Galatians, he writes this in Galatians 1:10 (after writing about the fact that some are preaching a false gospel), Paul says: “For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10, KJV). And so yes, following Paul's example will be unpopular. Following Christ's example will be unpopular. Are you willing to be unpopular for the Lord? Are you willing “to go outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13). That is, “bearing the disgrace He bore” (Heb. 13:13, NIV). Or do you rather seek to be a man-pleaser? Let us seek, as the apostle Paul did, to be God-pleasers! "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

Some people say that naming names is divisive, but that's actually not correct, at least according to the Bible. That’s just an excuse some people use in an attempt to justify their disobedience to the Lord, in that they're unwilling to call out false teachers by name. Because what we find in the Bible, in Romans 16:17 to be specific, is that it’s not those who call out false teachers by name who are the divisive ones, but actually it’s the false teachers who are being divisive! Paul makes this clear in Romans 16:17. And here again this is a command, or at least a plea of the apostle Paul; he says in verse 17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” And so Paul is making it clear that any divisiveness (in regards to the “divisions and offenses,” to use Paul’s words), is to be blamed on the false teachers (cf. Gal. 2:11), not on those who call them out! 

Are there any other New Testament examples of Christians calling out false teachers by name? Actually yes, there are! There are several other examples besides that of the apostle Paul. Of course, Paul's example and his command to follow his example should be sufficient in terms of any justification that we need for “naming names” in the church today, but in addition to Paul there are other examples. Actually the apostle Peter, in his second epistle, says this in 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily [secretly] shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Pet. 2:1, KJV). And the apostle Peter goes on to talk about these false teachers. Now my point is not to say that these false teachers are necessarily saved. That's another discussion, whether they are saved or not. Quite frankly, if they were not saved they nonetheless had an opportunity to be, because Peter says that they were even denying “the Lord that bought them” (2 Pet. 2:1). In other words, Christ shed His blood to save them, and therefore they had the opportunity to be saved. As D. L. Moody has said, “The elect are the ‘whosoever wills’ and the non-elect are the ‘whosoever wonts’.” And so if these false teachers were unsaved, it's not because they could not come but because they would not come (cf. Jn 5:40, 6:40). As Dr. Scudder often used to say, “There is no blood clot at the cross!” And as the hymn-writer put it: “There’s room at the cross for thee.” But that's not my point here. Rather, my point is to show that here again, we have an example of false teachers being called out by name. But someone might say, “But they're not called out by name in verse 1.” Quite right, but keep reading. Because in vv. 15-16 notice what Peter says. And by the way, this is the same context as v. 1; he's still talking about false teachers. And what does he say? He says this in verse 15, “Which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of….” who? “Balaam”! And not just any “Balaam,” but specifically “Balaam the son of Boser” (2 Pet. 2:15). This of course is a reference to the Old Testament “Balaam” who was rebuked by a donkey: a “dumb ass,” as the King James Version has it. And this account is found in the Old Testament book of Numbers chapters 22-24, and Numbers 31:16. And so this example in 2 Peter chapter 2 is another New Testament example of a false teacher being called out by name. 

What are some other examples? Are there any other examples in the New Testament of false teachers being called out by name? Yes, indeed! Turn in your Bible to 3 John 1, and we see another example. Here we find another example of a false teacher being called out by name. And in this case it's the apostle John who is calling out the false teacher by name. And what does he say? Look in chapter 1 verses 9 and 10. The apostle John says: “I wrote unto the church, but Diotrephes….” Let me stop right there for a moment and ask: does the apostle John, the apostle of love, name names? He obviously and most certainly does! Here John calls out a church leader named “Diotrephes” by name. John writes: “Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating [speaking] against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and forbideth them that would, and casteth them out of the church” (3 Jn. 1:9-10). And so here we find the apostle John, the apostle of love, naming names. He's calling out a false teacher by name; showing once again and very clearly, that it is not inherently unloving or unkind to name names! 

We find another example in Revelation chapter 2. And for those of us who believe that the apostle John penned The Book of Revelation, this is another example of “the apostle of love” calling out a false teacher by name. But regardless, even if it was not the apostle John who wrote it, obviously the Book of Revelation is inspired Scripture and has meaning and application for us today. This is especially true in light of the fact that the text I'm going to quote is specifically written to the “churches” (Rev. 1:11), specifically to the seven churches in Asia Minor and by extension to us today as well. Let’s take a look at Revelation 2:20. Here the apostle John is specifically addressing the church in Thyatira, and notice what be says: “Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest [you allow or put up with] that woman Jezebel….” Wait a minute, who? A woman named “Jezebel”! So here again the apostle John, the apostle of love, is calling out a false teacher by name; and in this case it is a woman named “Jezebel”. And notice here that the false teacher is a woman! Some Christians might say, “Oh, don't ever rebuke a woman. That would be especially unkind and unloving.” Really? Look at the text! Here “the apostle of love” is specifically calling out a woman by name! And John says: “I have a few things against you, church, because you're allowing, you're putting up with, this woman named Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols” (Rev. 2:20). Unfortunately many churches today are like the church in Thyatira, in that they won't speak out against false teachers in the congregation. Their excuse is that they don't want to be seen as unloving or "divisive," but in so doing they are being men-pleasers, not God-pleasers (Gal. 1:10). In effect, they are silently "tolerating that woman Jezebel" (Rev. 2:20). This should not be! Related to this woman's name, I can anticipate someone saying: “But Jezebel is not her real name, it’s just a title connecting her to the Jezebel in the Old Testament. So John doesn't really name the actual woman.” But in response to this, several things should be noted. First of all, I’d say you don't know that, so that's an argument from silence. And secondly, even if that's true, her real name could still be Jezebel! In other words, the reference to “Jezebel” in Rev 2:20 could be a reference to both the Jezebel in the Old Testament and to a woman named Jezebel in the church in Thyatira; her actual name could still be Jezebel. So both could be true. The one does not preclude the other; they're not mutually exclusive. So even if that were the case, it still doesn't disprove my point that the apostle John is calling out this woman by name. And even if "Jezebel" isn't the real name of the woman in the New Testament, it's the real name of the woman in the Old Testament! So it still proves my point that the apostle John is calling out a false teacher by name. Whether it's the Jezebel in the Old Testament, and/or the Jezebel in the New Testament; it's obviously either one or the other or both. So it still proves my point: that the apostle John, the apostle of love, is calling out a false teacher by name. People can try to spin it however they want, but that's the fact of it. So once again, it becomes abundantly clear that it is not inherently unloving or unkind to call out false teachers (or a particular false teacher) by name. 

I could go on at length to discuss examples from the Old Testament, but I will simply mention them quickly for anyone who may want to do further study on this topic. Because what I want to show is that “naming names” or calling out false teachers by name is a consistent theme throughout the Scriptures. It is a consistent theme throughout the entire Word of God. To state it conversely, the Christian’s duty to “name names” does not merely rest on one Bible verse or on an isolated example or two, nor is it just the task or the responsibility of the apostles alone. But rather, as the apostle Paul says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect [complete, mature], thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17). Those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear” will find this theme throughout the Bible: that God's people are instructed to "name names," and do in fact "name names" (cf. Num. 16:25-33; 1 Sam. 15:10-28; 2 Sam. 12:7; 1 Kings 18:18; 2 Chron. 19:2, etc.). And this is an action that is entirely pleasing to the Lord. It's a characteristic of godliness, quite honestly, because this is what we find Jesus and His followers doing throughout the entire New Testament! But in regards to the Old Testament, here are some examples of Godly men who "named names". I already mentioned the example of Peter calling out Balaam by name. (Balaam is mentioned in both the Old Testament and New Testament.) Someone may object and say, “But Peter wrote about Balaam hundreds of years after Balaam died, so it's not the same.” Yes, but in the Old Testament it was Moses who opposed him (see Numbers chapters 22-24; 31:8, 31:16). And I can assure you that Balaam was quite alive at that time! Balaam was a false teacher, and in the Old Testament he is identified as such by name. I'll cite a handful of other examples: in 1 Kings 22:1-28 we have the example of Micaiah, a prophet of God, calling out the false prophet "Zedekiah" by name; and then there is the example of the prophet Jeremiah calling out several false prophets by name: in Jeremiah 28:1-17 he calls out a false prophet named "Hananiah"; in Jeremiah 29:21-23 he calls out two false prophets: "Ahab" and "Zedekiah"; and then in Jeremiah 29:24-32, Jeremiah calls out a false prophet named "Shemiah the Nehelamite". And then I'll cite one further example, and that is the example of Nehemiah, the layman (not a prophet nor an apostle!), from Nehemiah 6:10-14. This is the incident where Nehemiah calls out "Shemiah son of Delaiah" by name, and also a false prophetess (a woman!) named "Noadiah," as well as others. Nehemiah also openly rebukes a man named "Tobiah" and another named "Sanballat". And anyone who has read the book of Nehemiah is probably familiar with the account of it. So these are more examples, particularly from the Old Testament, where we find God's people “naming names”. So for those of us who want to be God-pleasers and not men-pleasers (“Mr. Milk-toast,” as J. Vernon McGee says), it's time to start calling out false teachers by name! And if your heart has been hard to this truth of Scripture, confess your sin and start walking in obedience to the Lord. He will bless you for it.

* * *

“It is not unloving to boldly name names. It is often the most loving thing one can do to protect believers from a life-threatening [spiritual] disease.” --Gregory Brown, “Approved Workers of God (2 Timothy 2:14-19),” bible.org.

ENDNOTES:

[1] Jay Adams, Essays on Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), p. 17. Note: See Essay 2, "Preaching to the Heart," p. 17.

[2] For more information see my blog post titled “Getting the Gospel Right, Pt. 4” (FGFS, July 18, 2023). See “Objection #5”.

[3] Walter Martin, YouTube: “Dr. Walter Martin – Kingdom of the Cults Part 1/7 – Introduction to the Cults” (timestamp: approx. 22:00 - 25:30 minutes).