The Good Ole Boys Club. I’ve gotten a lot of pushback on my use of this phrase, so I wanted to clearly define my terms. I know that the word “Club” is in the phrase, but it’s not an actual club. It’s not a secret society of old men who meet in the basement of an abandoned church building, where you have to know the secret word and secret handshake in order to enter. The meetings aren’t in the dark, only lit by candlelight, with all of the participants in robes with reptilians guarding the door from outsiders. Seriously, I’m not saying that at all. Well… except for the reptilians, but that’s a whole other story. (Just kidding… seriously!)

When you look up the definition of Good Ole Boys Club on Google, you will see a few different meanings. The definition that I am borrowing this term from is in regards to politics. Why? Because a lot of the negative issues we are seeing within the church we also see in politics.

There are so many examples of this in the political realm. Take a look at the mainstream media. Look at the coverage of Hillary Clinton’s handling and destroying of her email servers vs the coverage of the alleged Russian collusion with the Donald Trump campaign. When it comes to Trump, they’ll run with any possible story in search for a quest of destroying the opposition, even when there are no facts or truth to back up the claims. However, when it comes to Clinton, it’s proven that she illegally sent classified information on her own non-secure email system, as well as destroyed the evidence. What’s the response to her? They’ll defend her, say that she didn’t do anything wrong, or at the very least didn’t intend to do anything wrong. Do you see the double standard? It depends on which team you’re on in regards to whether the GOBC will support or attack you.

Let’s take another example. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there’s a double standard with the establishment political GOBC. If you are in the clique, you get a pass. If you aren’t in the clique, you don’t. In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton spoke about the problem of illegal immigration. If you compare what President Clinton stated alongside what President Trump states about illegal immigration, building a wall, deporting illegals, etc. they are virtually identical. However, one is portrayed as a racist, while the other clearly not portrayed as a racist. How do they determine which one is a racist and which one isn’t? Based upon which team you are on. This is the epitome of the GOBC. President Trump says the exact same thing as President Clinton, but only Trump is the racist. Double Standard. GOBC.

So we see examples of this from the secular, political world. Let’s take a look at some examples from the Christian world.

First off, let’s deal with the James White Interfaith Dialogue issue. Many of the guys within the Reformed community like Phil Johnson, Justin Peters, and JD Hall attacked Brannon Howse, Steve Camp and myself for being critical of Dr White. For example, Justin Peters essentially said that we shouldn’t go after Dr White because he believes in the doctrines of grace (i.e. he’s a Calvinist). Phil Johnson said that he doesn’t agree with IFDs, but then cited his belief that Jesus, Himself, participated in IFDs. This argument literally makes no sense. If Jesus participated in IFDs, why does Phil Johnson not believe in them? And then JD Hall, attacked Brannon and I time after time after time for our criticisms of Dr White’s IFD with Yasir Qadhi, and then turned around and attacked White in an even stronger way than we did!

As you can see, there’s this double standard being applied to those within their little group and those that their group looks up to. Those guys get a pass. Anyone not in that group gets called out for any critique of someone in the club.

Let’s take another example: The Dr Michael Brown issue. If you remember, at John MacArthur’s Strange Fire Conference, they made a big deal about the Word of Faith false teachers and the fact that many of the “clear-minded charismatics” lent their name as credibility to the bad guys by speaking at the same conferences and going on their shows. So there was the call to stop doing that. In an episode of Too Wretched for Radio, Todd Friel and Phil Johnson had a conversation about Dr Brown. They said that simply speaking on the same stage with all of these false teachers and heretics is an implicit endorsement of them and all their teaching. They were very clear about that. It was also stated that this is because when you speak at a conference and sit in the green room, you know who’s there and what they believe. Thus, it’s an endorsement when you share the stage with them.

But then, all of a sudden, MAGICALLY, the rule changes when it applies to those within their own little group. All of a sudden, it’s NOT an implicit endorsement of John Piper and all of his whacky theology. All of a sudden it’s NOT an implicit endorsement when you are speaking at the same event with Rick Warren. All of a sudden it’s NOT an implicit endorsement when you speak with Tim Keller (the godfather of the Social Justice movement, of which JMac clearly stated is more dangerous to the Gospel than Word of Faith). So when it’s Michael Brown speaking at conferences, it’s an IMPLICIT ENDORSEMENT. When it's John MacArthur speaking at conferences, it’s not an implicit endorsement… and any attempt to say that it is an endorsement is playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, as JD Hall and Phil Johnson like to say.

Do you see the problem here? Do you see the double standard? This is why, when I first started writing articles, I said that we need clarification from these guys, but instead they simply give us confusion and chaos. There are no longer principles that apply to everybody. There’s the principles that they teach, but they only apply to “those guys over there.” When it comes to themselves, all of a sudden everything changes. This is the issue that we are seeing. It’s a double standard.

Matthew 7:2 says, “With the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” This is a call to be provide fair judgment. What’s wrong for one person is also wrong for another. If you are going to criticize someone for doing something, then you have to admit when you do that same thing yourself.

Let’s close with a reading of Romans 2. This applies so much to the situation we are seeing from these guys with the GOBC mentality.

If you judge someone else, you have no excuse for it. When you judge another person, you are judging yourself. You do the same things you blame others for doing. We know that when God judges those who do evil things, he judges fairly. Though you are only a human being, you judge others. But you yourself do the same things. So how do you think you will escape when God judges you? Do you disrespect God’s great kindness and favor? Do you disrespect God when he is patient with you? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is meant to turn you away from your sins?

But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God’s anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown. God “will pay back each person in keeping with what they have done.” God will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good. They want glory, honor, and life that never ends. But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don’t accept the truth. They go astray. God will pour out his great anger on them. There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. God treats everyone the same.

Some people do not know God’s law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God’s law when they sin. They will be judged by the law. Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law. Gentiles do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don’t have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them proves this fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty. This will happen on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge people’s secret thoughts. That’s part of my good news.

Romans 2:1-16

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