One of the ‘heresies’ that has become pervasive within Christianity is ‘Liberalism’. One of the results of Liberalism has been to portray Christianity as a ‘moral ideal’ and to promote the often sentimental and romantic ideas that ‘God loves and forgives everyone’ and that Christians should follow this ideal and adopt a ‘loving, forgiving, acceptance towards everyone’. So it comes as something of a shock to see the Apostle employing sarcastic criticism. Over time many Christians have come to adopt a form ‘passive criticism’ because this avoids open confrontation, arguments and disputes. This means that their disapproving criticism tends to be registered non-verbally, by the use of frowns or other similar facial expressions, or by their tone of voice, or by non-inclusion or avoidance of those they disagree with. The Apostle’s openly sarcastic criticism would lead to him being disapproved of in this way by many Christians today. But there is no doubt that Paul did indeed make sarcastic critical judgements. We see it for example in his reaction to those who were insisting that male Gentile Christians had to be circumcised according to Sinai Covenant Law. ‘I would that those turning upside down would cut and mutilate themselves away from you’, (Galatians 5 v 12). Basically he is saying that he wished they would go away and castrate themselves. How can we understand his use of sarcastic criticism in the light of what Paul has been saying about judging Christian leaders and fellow Christians?
If we stand back for a moment we can see that Jesus himself was perfectly capable of being sarcastic. In Mark 7 v 9 he condemns the Pharisees for neatly setting aside the clear Word of God so that there was no room for blame and they could maintain their Pharisaic traditions. There is a similar example in John. Jesus asked a Samaritan woman by the well at Sychar to call her man and she replied that she had no man. Jesus responded, ‘You have spoken well that ‘I have no man’ because you possess five men and he whom you possess now is not your man, [husband]. This you spoke truthfully’ (John 4 v 17, 18). Similarly in Matthew 23 Jesus unleashes an onslaught of withering invective against the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and distorted values. In Matthew 23, Jesus declares the Scribes and Pharisees as ‘blind guides who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel’ (verse 24), and as ‘serpents, brood of vipers’ (verse 33). He once referred to Herod Antipas as ‘that fox’ (Luke 13 v 32).
Paul, if anything, is even more devastating in his sarcasm in chapters 10 – 13 of II Corinthians where he confronts pseudo-apostles who have sought to undo his work in Corinth. Paul was reluctant to speak in an assertive way about his own authority in case he appeared to be boasting, but the activities of these pseudo-apostles left him no choice. So he writes: ‘Because we absolutely do not dare to count or compare ourselves with anyone standing together with themselves, on the contrary, these, within themselves, measuring themselves and comparing themselves with themselves absolutely do not put facts together into a comprehensive, synthesised understanding’ (II Corinthians 10 v 12). Later, he lampoons the Corinthians themselves. ‘Because being savvy and smart within, you endure the foolish with pleasure! Because if anyone enslaves you, you still bear with it, if anyone eats you up, if anyone aggressively takes, if anyone lifts themselves up, if anyone thrashes your face’ (II Corinthians 11 v 19, 20). Then, in exasperation, Paul offers a mock apology, ‘I speak down from dishonour as if because we have been weak!’ (II Corinthians 11 v 21a).
A more contentious passage is found in the next chapter. ‘I have become foolish, you compelled me. Because I was indebted to be commended by you, because in nothing was I behind to those apostles above, namely since I am nothing’ (II Corinthians 12 v 11). Charles Hodge saw no irony in Paul’s words and did not think that Paul was referring to the pseudo apostles. Nor, in Hodge’s view did Paul do so earlier on in II Corinthians 11 v 5. In both passages, according to Hodge, Paul was asserting his Apostolic equality with Peter, James and John. But F. F. Bruce understands this in the same way as II Corinthians 11 v 5, namely as an ironic reference to the inflated pseudo apostles. A similar interpretation is put forward by Don Carson, Philip Edgecumbe Hughes, and Paul Barnett, and this seems to fit the context better than Hodge’s view.
Other Apostles are recorded as referring to those who are outside the New Jerusalem as ‘dogs’ (Revelation 22 v 15). And the man who professes Jesus as Messiah and then falls away is likened by Peter to ‘a dog which returns to its own vomit, or a washed sow which then wallows in the mire’, (II Peter 2 v 22).
Elsewhere John the Baptist condemns the Pharisees and Sadducees as a ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’ (Matthew 3 v 7). We also meet an instance of sarcasm being used effectively in a dispute in the story of a man who was born blind and healed by Jesus. The man’s parents had capitulated meekly to religious leaders for fear of being put out of the synagogue, (John 9 v 18 – 23), but the man himself proved to be quite a lively debater who refused to back down. Perceiving the corrupt motives of the Pharisees he mocked the nation’s religious leaders: ‘Do you also want to become his disciples?’ (John 9 v 27). This is like me as a citizen in the United Kingdom being sarcastically critical of Anglican priests who I consider to be in error with regard to the gospel. The Pharisees replied by insulting and condemning this blind man who had been healed for his remark, because they claimed to be Moses’ disciples but they did not know the origin of Jesus’ existence, (verse 28). This ignorance draws all the considerable powers of sarcasm from the healed blind man. ‘Why, this is a marvellous thing! Because you don’t know from where he exists yet he opened my eyes!’ (verse 30). It was a fearless speech and led to his expulsion from the synagogue (verse 34). At that point our Lord found him and led him to persuasion and deliverance (verses 35 – 38).
Not all ‘lovey-dovey’ polite considerate words then.
Christian 2 Christians 