The Unpardonable Sin Seems to Have Changed!

My friend and colleague Jon Mark Baker, inspired this article when he wrote, “the only sin worth a rebuke is the rebuking of sin.” In many modern church spaces, a troubling inversion has taken place. The act of exposing abuse, manipulation, and spiritual deception—historically understood as part of our service to the Lord—has become treated as more sinful than the abuses themselves. This reversal represents a dangerous departure from biblical teaching and leaves the vulnerable defenseless under the guise of false piety.

The Biblical Mandate to Expose Darkness

Scripture is unambiguous about our responsibility to address evil within the body of Messiah. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:11: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” This is not a suggestion or a matter of personal preference. Exposure is presented as a direct commandment—a cornerstone of NT faithfulness.

This theme appears throughout Scripture. In 1 Timothy 5:20, Paul instructs: “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.” When someone uses their platform to manipulate believers through false prophecy or exploits their spiritual authority to abuse the vulnerable, silence becomes complicity. Yet, worse than silence, is the silencing of those voicing concern.

The Inversion of Values

Today, those who step forward to confront such darkness often face greater condemnation than the perpetrators. Whistleblowers are labeled divisive. Those protecting believers from manipulation are said to be unloving. Advocates are called "accusers." The very act of calling evil what it is—evil—has been rebranded as something unbiblical.

Isaiah 5:20 denounces this exact inversion: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” This is precisely what occurs when exposing abuse is treated as worse than committing it.

The Consequences of Silence

This twisted logic has devastating real-world consequences. Abusers remain unchecked, emboldened by the knowledge that exposing them will draw greater criticism than their actions. Manipulative prophets continue to exploit believers. The vulnerable—often those with the least power—remain trapped in cycles of spiritual abuse because speaking up is deemed the greater offense.

The abusers continue unabated, fleecing the flock, raising massive amounts of money, often to support a lavish lifestyle.

A Return to Biblical Fidelity

True biblical love demands exposure of evil. It demands the protection of the vulnerable. It demands that we “test the spirits to see whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). Judging prophecy is not cruel, but correct. Enforcing Biblical discipline on leaders is not mean, but a must—for the sake of the Body.

To protect abusers in the name of unity or grace is to fundamentally misunderstand both concepts. Grace does not extend to the continued harm of God’s people. Unity built on silence regarding abuse is not biblical unity—it is complicity dressed in religious language.

The church must return to the clear teaching of Scripture: exposing darkness is not a sin. It is a command. It is an act of love. And those who faithfully carry it out deserve support, not condemnation.