BLOGGING, WATCHBLOGGING, AND MINISTRY...asking the right questions first can be more helpful than just debating the answer

Fellow blogger, Tim Challies, lit up the blogosphere yesterday with a controversial post of his called, "Evil as Entertainment." He was addressing the character and content of "watchbloggers" within evangelicalism. He states unequivocally that these are "blogs that specialize in sharing bad news" - and are doing so for entertainment.

Tim is a great writer. He is thoughtful, circumspect, kind and generous. He is obviously very well read, reformed, insightful, and we are all the better for his contribution on many issues he addresses in the blogosphere. But IMHO, I think that this recent article of his lacks some of those qualities he is most noted for. On one hand, he offered some fair and helpful analysis on the current state of watchblogging (code word for blogs that frequently take on doctrinal or pragmatic issues within evangelicalsim polemically). The money line: "filling our minds, our hearts, our computer screens, our blogs with all that is wrong in the church will do little to conform us into the image of the Savior." I agree... if that was all that watchbloggers were solely doing.

But on the other hand, I really don't know of anyone in the Christian blogosphere that only focuses on all that is wrong in evangelicalism. I know many of the watchbloggers personally and do not find that obsession in their person or character. What I do find is the need for more balance from us all as we "take on" difficult and doctrinal issues. It takes God's grace to balance outrage over the right things under the restraint of biblical truth.

Tim further explains his concern: "[they] offer a steady diet of negative content related to the church in general or perhaps related to just one person or one ministry." Again, balance is the key here beloved - not one extreme or the other. It takes grace and wisdom to weigh and discern things rightly and accurately, and ultimately for anothers spiritual growth and edification. As Paul says,

"until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,"

Tim's stinging conclusion?

"This is what I realized: these blogs are really little more than entertainment... They are really just a spiritualized form of YouTube or any other site that entertains by sharing what is gross and base and negative and that does so for the sake of entertainment. There is really no value in watching boys do stupid things on skateboards and laughing when they crack their ankle bones in half; there is really no value in watching the worst pastors in America preach to the worst churches in America. Such sites offer evil as entertainment."

(Boy, that sounds like something I would have said...)

Take note of the irony here: what we just read was a blogger concerned about watchbloggers watchblogging, issuing a very pointed criticism against watchbloggers in general, but in point of fact was watchblogging about other watchbloggers on his own blog. (Say quickly three times). 

What Are Watchbloggers - Confession Time 

I am a watchblogger; and as we just saw, so is Tim. TeamPyro, Slice of Laodicea, Justin Taylor, Apprising Ministries, Al Mohler, T4G, Voice of the Sheep, Fide-O, Tom Ascol, James White, Timmy Brister, myself, etc. all watchblog. The motive? We all have a desire to guard the truth, champion fidelity, protect and proclaim the purity of the gospel, encourage other believers to honor God's Word in their lives to the glory of Jesus Christ, as well as to sound the alarm to the body of Christ about the error that is quickly finding inroads and acceptability within the reformed and evangelical church of today. That is a good, noble, worthy, excellent and necessary work to be about. I am honored to be numbered among them and thank the Lord for each of their respective ministries.

So by definition, anyone in the blogosphere speaking from a biblical worldview who challenges trends, fads, the doctrines of demons, and other issues facing the body of Christ with sound doctrine, biblical theological, and the truth of Scripture faithfully can and should be considered a watchblogger. Therefore, I submit to you that watchblogger is not really a bad title after all; in fact, I think it is a very good title. Aren't we all to be Bereans examining all things by the Scriptures to see if they are so? (Acts 17:11) Aren't we all to "test all things, hold fast to that which is good"? (1 Thess. 5:21). 

Its clear to me that it is not enough 

that we all share the same vocabulary, 

if we all are carrying around different dictionaries.

The Apostle Paul on Watchblogging

The Apostle Paul states the balance we all so desperately need in this area of Christian blogging. He issues a charge to pastors (but a principle we may all learn from and employ in our blogging) found in Titus 1:9b, "instruct in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict." One positive aspect, one negative aspect. One that instructs; the other that confronts. Both are quite necessary. Faithful instruction in sound doctrine will have to by its very nature confront and address that which is unsound according to Scripture if one is clearly teaching "the whole counsel of God." And by mentioning that which is unsound biblically, means that you must also instruct in that which is sound doctrine for addressing error without the clarification and context of Scriptural truth can push our righteous indignation buttons and be very motivational, but in the end unprofitable. And one that seeks only to state that which is positive biblically and fails to refute error, is more like Norman Vincent Peal than like the Apostle Paul, Peter, or our Lord Jesus Christ (cp, Matt. 23; 2 Peter 2; Jude; 2 Cor. 10). 

Both are important beloved: we should first champion sound doctrine; and when the ugly head of heterodoxy or heteropraxy finds its way in the church, it needs to be refuted.

With that in mind, I humbly submit to you below a few questions I have been thinking about on this issue of watchblogging and how we all function in the blogosphere as fellow believers in Jesus Christ who with right motives want to contend for the truth and His gospel of sola fide while striving to be clothed in the humility and grace of our Lord.

So may we consider asking the following questions of ourselves before we debate someone's proposed methods or answers... 

1. How does my post glorify God and exalt Christ? Or am I seeking to only expand my daily readership by addressing controversial issues just for controversy's sake? (1 Cor. 10:31)

2. How does it equip the body of Christ biblically to be better Bereans on any issue they face? (Acts 17:11)

3. How does it convict and challenge me in my own life before I turn its truths on another? IOW, what do I need to learn, model, obey and repent of first before calling others to do the same? (Psalm 119:10-17)

4. How does it bring truth and foster change to the one I am disagreeing with? (Eph. 4:13-16)

5. How does it edify and encourage - not just exhort? (Eph. 4:1-3; 26-32)

6. How does it communicate real biblical resolve? (Roms. 12:1-2)

7. How does it enable others to live more like Jesus as salt and light in their communities, ready to serve their church and world? (Matt. 5-7)

8. Am I filled with the Holy Spirit as I write and unfold God's Word, or am I only giving knee-jerk reactions to what is the hot potato of the moment? (Eph. 5:17-21) 

9. And lastly, in what I have just written and confronted caused me to focus more clearly on the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and something He would find pleasure, delight and honor in? (Heb. 12:1-3)

In light of those things, what can we learn about watchblogging in confronting error and standing for truth in the blogosphere: 

Firstly, posting by generalization creates more confusion than clarity. By not naming those we are writing about with specific examples from their own blogs can breed confusion, foster suspicions, and in the end produce hurt feelings, apprehension, and angst. As often he does, when Tim goes the extra mile in graciousness, as well as in specificity of the issues he is burdened to write about, I don't view it as an attack on anyone because it helps bring real teeth to what he is saying. I appreciate that about Tim's writing.

Secondly, failure to include or examine oneself as being equally vulnerable may end up communicating avoidance of responsibility rather than to humbly accept it. Clearly, Tim in his very well researched and thorough book reviews alone, has taken on issues in the past that we have benefited from and say amen too. His watchblogging in that arena has rightly challenged our thinking to be discerning, caused us to reevaluate how we do ministry, and even has opened the eyes of many to the more dangerous trends in evangelicalism today (see his amazing review of The Shack). I thank the Lord for that aspect of Tim's ministry.

Thirdly, including biblical content in context on any issue presented through Christian watchblogging helps us all to become more discerning, informed and therefore, honoring to the Lord. Tim on his blog has championed the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture faithfully. And as a reformed brother, he knows the importance of directing peoples hearts and minds to the truth of God's Word and not just to opinion.

Watchblogging is a necessary and unavoidable component of communicating in the blogosphere as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. May we all strive to do so with balance, instructing first in sound doctrine and then refuting when necessary those who contradict. And may we do so with the boldness, courage, love, grace and humility befitting our Lord Jesus Christ.

I personally want to say how much I appreciate the watchbloggers out there who are faithfully guarding the truth: Ingrid, Ken, Phil, Dan, JT, Tim, Tom, Carla, Jason, Scott, Al, Brian, James, etc. May we encourage each other to love and good works; and to champion truth and unashamedly refute error; and to do so clothed in the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor. 10:1-2).

And lastly, thank you to all here who watch this watchblogger and hold me accountable to what I write. You are important and cherished in my life.

"Be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Tim. 2:1)

His unworthy servant in His unfailing love,

Steve