Is Exposing False Teaching The Same as Speaking Evil of Someone?

In a recently exposed video by our friends at Berean Holiness, from The Rock Church, a Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship (WPF) church out of Elk Grove, CA, an elderly woman of the church threatened to send the devil after anyone who spoke a word against her pastor. Moreso, this woman threatened the death or loss of children for speaking negatively about the church’s pastor. But is questioning the pastor really speaking evil of someone?

On March 25, 2025, Mary Wilson, wife of Nathaniel Wilson, the founder of the WPF, went on a rant about what happens to people who question or speak against their pastor. The Pastor, Myles Young, is also Mary’s son-in-law, and this can be confirmed on their About page.

At one point, Mary said, regarding questioning the pastor, “Don’t you dare. You haven’t tried because you know I’ll sick the devil on you. Don’t you ever try to say a negative thing about this man of God.“

This is an unfortunate but thriving tactic in the hyper-fundamental Oneness Pentecostal world. (And other denominations) The tactic is simple: Questions are disallowed. Questioning is not obedience and disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft. Therefore, you cannot be saved while questioning your pastor. (Check out What Is an Unhealthy Church for more information on these tactics.)

In fact, Mary went on to say, while receiving a standing ovation, “He is the one that is going to stand before God and say, yea they were great. Or no, they are going to hell.” Not only is this teaching unbiblical, but it is also blasphemous. As mentioned in my article on How To Spot Pastor Worship, one of the key signs is that the Pastor becomes God. He becomes elevated to a position not even God gave him, nor should he want.

Do not Question Authority

The most common phrase and retort we hear from hyper-fundamentalists when exposing videos like this is “touch not mine anointed“. (Psalm 105:15-17) Additionally, they reference passages like Titus 3:2, which teaches, “speak evil of no man.” This becomes a shield to dispute any questioning, criticism, and exposure of false teachings. The problem here is context.

The Bible commands us to challenge teachings. (1 John 4:1) The Berean Jews of Acts 17 were called more noble not just for receiving teachings, but for challenging and comparing them to Scripture. (Torah) (Acts 17:11). Paul commanded us to know the Word, to be diligent learners, so that we would not be shamed (false teachers). (2 Timothy 2:15) Never does Scripture teach us we are above questioning, challenging, and criticism.

Additionally, these statements always come veiled in threats of condemnation that do not have Scriptural support. Mary went on to say, “If you eat preachers’ food, your children will be lost!” The speaker did not mean literal food – as she went on to say that if “you parents sit around the table and speak negatively about the pastor, you will lose your children. Mark it down.“

Finally, Mary said parents should talk to their children about how incredible the man of God is, because “He’s gonna save your soul.” Certainly, there is more to this video, but the quick of it is false teachings. The Pastor is not going to save anyone’s soul. The pastor is to represent and point to the one who can save your soul – Jesus Christ.

So, can you speak against false teaching, even if it is coming from your pastor? Is that speaking evil of someone? Are you touching God’s anointed? Will God take your children for doing so? Are you cursed for questioning?

Touch Not Mine Anointed

First and foremost, the context of Psalm 105 has nothing to do with verbal criticism of God’s people. This warning and promise was to protect God’s people from other nations harming them. Specifically, it was about their journey through many lands on their way to the promised land.

For you and I, nothing in this narrative silences us from curiosity, questioning, and even challenging teachings that do not align with Scripture. Remember, the responsibility and condemnation were placed upon teachers to teach the truth and the punishment for failing to do so.

In Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19, God declared great retribution against those who added to His commandments. Those people were the prophets and leaders who were creating extra biblical commandments. Jesus called this vanity in Mark 7:7 when he said, “In vain you worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of man.“

Speak Evil of No Man

In Titus 3, Paul is exhorting the pastor Titus on how to teach the right doctrines. How to teach, and when to rebuke. Additionally, Paul helps Titus set boundaries on positions of authority and the behavior of leaders and teachers in the church.

By Titus 3, Paul teaches us not to speak evil of any. But does that really have anything to do with questioning false teachings, exposing evil, or calling out bad behaviors, just because the person in question calls themselves a pastor?

Absolutely not. Even in older Judaic teachings, the commandment was two-fold: Kind speech increases persuasiveness (Proverbs 16:21), and a lying tongue and slandering speech were condemned. (Proverbs 10:18)

To slander someone is to maliciously spread rumors, lies, and information about them with the intent to harm them. To slander a man is to speak evil of a man.

Is Exposing False Teaching The Same as Speaking Evil of Someone?

The answer, of course, is no. It is not the same.

Exposing these false teachings is not speaking evil of them. In doing so, we have no intent to harm Mrs. Wilson, her husband, her pastor, or her movement, the WPF. We aren’t digging up dirt, their past, and trying to defame them or their character. Indeed, my greatest hope is that exposure would cause these teachers to humble themselves and repent!

Most importantly, I want people to be set free from the fear and condemnation this kind of teaching creates. Any self-professing Christian, man or woman, who threatens to ‘sick the devil on you’ is no Christian at all. The Devil is not our tool, our weapon, or under our control. God will not take your children for exposing evil, false doctrine.

Finally, God certainly won’t judge you for putting Him on the throne of your life, and not every individual who calls themselves pastor. A good man of God would have stood up at this meeting and said, “I appreciate the sentiment, but I cannot save anyone. We follow God alone, and His Word is our judge.”