Updated July 26, 2006 March 23, 2002 (first published June 30, 2000) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) –

Through the years, I have frequently heard the accusation that preachers who give specific warnings about Christian leaders are guilty of “shooting their own wounded.” Recently I received the following e-mail that charges me with doing this:

“I grew up in Murfreesboro, TN and was and am still associated with the Sword of the Lord and the Bill Rice Ranch. I hated it then and still do when another Christian brother bashes another Christian brother over things instead of preaching and trying to win souls to Christ. It is said that the Christian Army is the only army that stabs its wounded and kills off its own. I have to say it is very true. I am also a Marine, and we were taught to pick up those who are wounded and even dead, not leave them to die or to be mutilated by the enemy. We as Christians do just the opposite many times.”

What does “shooting their own wounded” mean? If it means that Christians sometimes fail to be patient with the weak, it is true. If it means that Christians sometimes criticize a fellow believer instead of trying to help him, it is all too true; and we need to be reminded often that God is not pleased with such things.

If, on the other hand, it means that it is wrong for a preacher to identify and warn of those who are teaching error, it is nonsense.

In my ministry of warning, I have not injured any of the Lord’s wounded and I have never shot anyone in any sense whatsoever. To charge me with doing so is to confuse reproof, correction, and discernment with assault. I was in the army and I understand the military, and what I am doing has absolutely nothing to do with shooting one’s own wounded.

The leaders that I warn about are not wounded; they are willfully and steadfastly committed to error and are leading others into that error. (By the way, they don’t mind “shooting” back!)

The Lord Jesus Christ taught His people to beware of false prophets (Matt. 7:15). When a preacher obeys this command and attempts to mark and warn of false teachers, is he “shooting the wounded”? No, but those he warns about and those who are sympathetic to them will charge him with doing so.

In 1 and 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul names the names of false teachers and compromisers 10 different times and warns about them (1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 1:15; 2:17; 3:8; 4:10, 14). All of the men that Paul warned about claimed to be Christians and it is likely that they felt that Paul was being unfair and mean-spirited in singling them out. When Paul warned Timothy that Demas had abandoned him because he loved this present world (2 Tim. 4:10), Paul was not shooting at a wounded Demas; but worldly Demas and his associates might have changed him with this.

The Lord has commanded the assemblies to exercise discipline toward unrepentant church members who are committed to gross sin and error (1 Corinthians 5; Titus 3:10, 11). Is that shooting the wounded? It is oftentimes considered so by those who are the objects of the discipline and by those who are sympathetic to them; but proper church discipline, though severe, is not destructive. It has a three-fold goal of glorifying Christ in His church, purifying the congregation, and bringing the sinner to repentance.

Those who are disobedient and compromising commonly mistake correction for persecution and reproof for assault.

Evangelist Chuck Cofty is a highly decorated United States Marine officer who has survived many shocking battlefield experiences. Since he understands these matters extremely well, I asked him to reply to this man’s accusation. Following is his statement:

“Dear Brother Cloud: To my knowledge you have not struck anyone violently or injured them by striking. He no doubt is referring to the many truths that appear in your writings as well as the writings of others concerning contemporary theology that you quote. Some, perhaps even this man, are so timid that when truth is revealed they find it difficult to accept and wind up tolerating error or ignorance for fear of offending someone. When men are named, places identified and error revealed, it is upsetting to those that are ‘moderate’ in their position. Brother Cloud, it is true that marines never leave their dead on the field of battle and will on occasion render aid to a wounded enemy. This however is situational and conditional as we will not allow such aid to encumber us, slow us down, deter us from our mission or jeopardize our success. Our desire to serve our dear Lord must be the same. I personally think that this dear brother’s analogy is poor and his accusation unfounded.”

Dennis Costella, Director of the Fundamental Evangelistic Association, Los Osos, California, adds: “It’s sad when biblical exhortation is equated to ‘taking pot shots’ at another. God’s Word tells the faithful servant to ‘... reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine’ (2 Tim. 4:20). With respect to the disobedient brother we are to ‘... note that man, and have no company with him... yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother’ (2 Thess. 3:6,14-15). This is not ‘shooting the wounded’; it is employing God’s methodology for healing the breach caused by straying from the divine Standard!”