Are Christians required to reach out to an author/speaker/pastor privately before criticizing their comments publicly? Sometimes when we bring up a current book or author to help our audience discern the ideas being taught by reasoning through whether or not they are true and reflect a biblical worldview, we receive comments like, “Hey, did you reach out to this person privately before calling them out publicly?” or “You should have that person on your show so they can explain their view before you criticize them.” Often, commenters will bring up Matthew 18:15 which tells Christians to go to someone directly if they have sinned against you. But is this what Matthew 18:15 is really teaching? Should we prioritize unity at all costs?

He Gets Us, But Di We Get Him? The Case For Criticizing False Teachers, by Frank Turek: