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Another destructive element at Highland Park Baptist Church, Chattanooga, Tennessee, under the leadership of Pastor Lee Roberson was the no “criticism” policy.

Dr. Roberson often said, “Critics are a dime a dozen,” and there is plenty of truth to that, but without godly discernment and testing, sin and error go unrecognized, unchallenged, and uncorrected.

A Tennessee Temple professor said, “We don’t want anyone around here who is negative and has criticism for the school” (Wigton, Lee Roberson: Always about His Father’s Business, 99).

We agree wholeheartedly that criticism can be wrong and dangerous. I have often said that it is easy to sit in a church and criticize what others are doing, but the first question that needs to be asked is what am I doing to build things up? Churches are frail things that are hard to build up and easy to tear down. A good question to ask is “if the whole church were like me, what would the church be?”

We need to honor God’s men in a spiritual and scriptural fashion and treat them with godly respect and always give them the benefit of the doubt. We preach much on this, because it is very important. We have written books on it, such as Keys to Fruitful Church Membership and The Pastor, the Deacon, and the Church Member, both of which are available as free eBooks, www.wayoflife.org.

But this is not to say there is no place for proving and testing.

While it is wrong and carnal to have “a critical attitude,” which is described in James 3:14-16, and it is wrong to dishonor spiritual authorities in a carnal manner, and it is wrong to be ungracious and unmerciful and hypocritical in one’s judgments, it is scriptural and right and necessary to have a discerning eye toward sin and error.

Further, no man is to be placed above reproof and discipline. God’s Word says we are to “prove ALL things” (1 Th. 5:21). The Bereans were called noble for exercising spiritual discernment and comparing everything with God’s Word, and that included the apostle Paul himself (Ac. 17:11). Paul was referring to pastors when he said, “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Ti. 5:20). Nowhere in the New Testament are we taught to blindly follow any man or institution other than the Lord Jesus Christ. To do so is idolatry.

“Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Pe. 5:3).

“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand” (2 Co. 1:24).

“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not” (3 Jo. 1:9).

“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality” (1 Ti. 5:19-21).

“But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me” (Gal. 2:6).

Highland Park Baptist Church and Tennessee Temple helped lead the way in the promotion of the “no criticism of the man of God” policy which has so widely permeated fundamental Baptists. This is reflected throughout Dr. Roberson’s authorized biography. The hero worship is almost nauseating; it is so unscriptural and wrong. He didn’t encourage it, but he didn’t stop it, either. Observe the following quotes from the biography:

“I could not get them to talk about anything which could be perceived as remotely casting him in any way less than a 100% favorable light” (Wigton, Lee Roberson: Always about His Father’s Business, p. xi).

“There seemed to be an aversion to commenting on anything which could cast Dr. Roberson in anything but a positive light. This fierce loyalty was widespread” (p. xv).

“It was hero-worship for me” (p. 71).

“But nobody ever challenged him” (p. 95).

“I’ve often said if he told me to go jump off the bridge, I probably would have” (p. 97).

“Dr. Roberson was ‘king of the roost’ here” (p. 143).

“As far as I’m concerned, he can do no wrong” (p 279).

“At the time I came to Temple he was like God” (p. 338).

Dr. Roberson didn’t strut around and encourage hero worship from his followers, but it still came down to a requirement of “unquestioning loyalty.” Even humble, Bible-based criticism was likened to “touching God’s anointed,” which is a gross misuse of 1 Samuel 24:10. The context has to do with killing an anointed king of Israel, but even an Israelite king was not above reproof. The prophet Samuel reproved Saul, Nathan reproved David, Jehu reproved Jehoshaphat. Kings could be reproved by God’s preachers, and the same is true for Baptist pastors. Paul could reprove Peter (Ga. 2:11), but who could have reproved Lee Roberson? Or Jack Hyles? Or any other man who has patterned his pastoral ministry on that model?

I thank the Lord for Dr. Roberson and for the many great blessings in my life because of his vision and passion, but he wasn’t God, and I refuse to be an idolater. And while every fundamental Baptist preacher would agree with that statement in theory, the question I would ask is why have we given such worshipful loyalty to some flesh and blood men?

The “touch not the man of God” philosophy as typically defined among fundamental Baptists is idolatry, pure and simple.

Truly, this policy is “death in the pot.”

When a “no criticism” philosophy operates in an institution, no substantive change can happen. The leaders consider criticism to be wrong and they typically ignore it. In fact, they tend to look upon “criticism” as persecution which they need to endure rather than as godly warning they need to heed, and they tend to look upon the “critic” as an enemy rather than a friend.

Some men reproved Dr. Roberson and Highland Park Baptist Church along the way for being soft on separation, but their Bible-based warnings were despised and ignored.

“He was criticized for not being a ‘fighting fundamentalist’ and for not being strong enough on ecclesiastical separation. ... Bob Kelley said, ‘Those who criticized him for not being a militant enough fundamentalist--that didn’t bother him. It didn’t matter what anyone said. He just didn’t worry about opinions. He never answered them. He wouldn’t bother with it--no way, shape or form. He had one goal, and that was to please the Son of God’” (Wigton, p. 230).

That is a ridiculous statement, because it is the Son of God Himself who has taught us to reprove error and to heed godly reproof. While we can ignore “opinions,” if they are merely human thinking, Bible-based reproof is not to be ignored. The Bible says that one’s attitude toward reproof is evidence of one’s spiritual condition.

“He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth” (Pr. 10:17).

“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish” (Pr. 12:1).

“Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die” (Pr. 15:10).

“The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise” (Pr. 15:31).

“A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool” (Pr. 17:10).

“Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge” (Pr. 19:25).