The Test of Friendship
If someone is going to bring up a doctrinal subject, and accuse EBF teachers of going contrary to the Bible's teaching on that point, and after a while EBF teachers address the doctrine directly –
one should not then say they are being targeted because a number of posts have addressed the thing we (EBF) have been repeatedly told we're failing to faithfully teach.
Our posts on the subject are showing why it is we teach on it the way that we do. That's all it is.
My posts, and the posts of others that teach at EBF, are addressing the doctrine without thought of, or respect of, persons. It doesn't matter to us who it is, male or female, young or old, friend or foe – when doctrine is involved, we address the doctrine. It is not personal and it is not because someone is female, or a certain age, or anything else. It is simply a doctrinal matter being addressed.
Engaging in doctrine is to be done objectively. Unfortunately, it’s often the case with males as well as females that they so identify with the doctrine as "theirs" that things spoken against the doctrine are taken personally as an attack on themselves.
There are no "feelings" involved with my posts on this subject. Just like I have no feelings hostile or against atheists when I post things from the Bible disallowing their beliefs, nor do I have any hostile feelings against people who speak in tongues, or against people who have gone after the vowel points error, or those who teach in error on any point of Biblical doctrine.
The truth is often come against in our day. And whether this is done in a major assault or in a seemingly minor way – the child of God is always duty bound to uphold the truth. And not to let it slide because it’s "not that big a deal," or it’s somebody we like who's saying it so we'll just look the other way. We know that's how the world operates. You're my friend. You're my ally. Cool. So people of the world allow friend and ally leeway on various things – usually under the umbrella that it’s "no big deal". This is also done in Christian circles in churches and other outlets with doctrinal matters.
It is not God glorifying or an act of faithfulness to stand with a friend because they are my friend who is in error on a point of doctrine. And in fact, it is not a true act of friendship to disregard the error especially when the "friend" is beginning to go in a wayward direction from Biblical truth in general. True friendship sometimes requires having to tell the one you are friends with that they are wrong and should turn away from this doctrine (whatever doctrinal error it may be).
The allegiance of a child of God is always to Christ first. Always to the truth of the Word of God (which is Christ) first and not to earthly friendships in any way. God may very well test us on this matter directly to see where our true loyalties lie. It would come under the heading of, whosever loves sister or brother more than Me is not worthy of Me.
The Lord tests us in small ways as well as big ways. It is the one who is faithful in little that will be faithful in much.