“1 In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

4 Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed God’s message in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear God’s message. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (this is the meaning of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 Then Saul — also called Paul — filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at the sorcerer 10 and said, “You son of the Devil, full of all deceit and all fraud, enemy of all righteousness! Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? 11 Now, look! The Lord’s hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Suddenly a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul, seeing what happened, believed and was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.”

Acts 13:1-2

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Teachers have a responsibility to their students. It’s one of the most basic components to the position. Teach them the truth, show them how to use it and equip them with the skills necessary to face life with the information they have provided for them. James 3 tells those of us who would teach that there is a very serious reminder to go along with this task. And because James is about as subtle as a bear in your living room, he tells us directly that we who teach will be held to a stricter standard and a higher level of accountability. So he rightly says, “Not many of you should presume to become teachers…” It bears a heavy weight.

So, when the disciples & Apostles have their encounter with Elymas, they have no choice but to call him out. Teachers are obligated to expose false teachers. To point out the flaws in their arguments, lifestyles and philosophies. When Elymas was arguing agianst the Gospel and theur teaching, Paul couldn’t let that stand. He didn’t sit there, and for the sake of kindness and tolerance, allow Elymas to continue to defame the Good News of Jesus Christ. He didn’t have a strategy session with local leaders, he didn’t take him out to lunch to get to know him better first. Instead, and because the situation demanded it, he confronted him publically, calling him out and confronting him where everyone could see it.

In today’s world, that would be seen as intolerant, crude and insensitive. But when the Gospel message is being assaulted and a false teacher is actively opposing the truth of the Gospel message, the teacher’s obligation to speak up and assert himself has come to a head. Paul even takes it a step further and asserts a curse over his eyes to give a physical embodiment to the authority that he carried as an Apostle. For all intents and purposes, he shuts Elymas down, and does so in a way that everyone will see and hear and know what the truth is, and who stands with it.

Doing this is not always comfortable, and it doesn’t make you popular in a world where tolerance is lauded. But when we GoLove others for the sake of Christ, then we must also love them enough to speak the truth to them directly, without sugar coating it, or treating it like it’s optional. That is in fact doing a disservice to those whom we are trying to teach, and it does a disservice to the Gospel message.

The Gospel is going to be offensive to those who are perishing. Let it be offensive. Let the truth be heard in its fullness. Point out false teachers, share the truth in all love. Be faithful in everything.