01.02. Section One - General Guidlines
SECTION I GENERAL GUIDELINES Our study will be broken into two sections, Section I: General Guidelines for Dealing with Sin in the Lives of Believers Section II: Dealing with Sin among Leaders A summary of conclusions will be presented at the end of each section. A SURVEY OF RELEVANT SCRIPTURES In this section of our study, we will survey and comment on the New Testament Scriptures that relate to how the church should respond to different expressions of sin the lives of members.
James 5:15-16...and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. The implication of these verses is that at least some sickness is the result of sinful deeds. Note that the terminology is, if he has committed sins. Either God sovereignly punished sin with a sickness, or the sickness was the result of some natural law through which sin produced physical illness. In this case, there is no instruction to punish, excommunicate, or to restore the sinner to fellowship. Instead, there is an injunction to all Christians to confess their failures to one another so that healing and health might be obtained.
Again, this passage acknowledges the presence of sin in the lives of Christians. It also urges compassionate ministry to those who experience the consequences of their sin.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. The KJV, overtaken, suggests the idea of a sudden temptation’s springing upon a believer before he has a chance to defend himself. This would tend to palliate the guilt of the offender. The Greek, 10 however, denotes one who is discovered in the very act of sin. There is an element of surprise in the terminology. The NAS, caught, conveys this sense. Thus, the emphasis is on the 10 kai< prolhmfqh|~ (kai prolemphthe)6 reality of his guilt.
11 The passage is urging tender treatment of actual offenders. The Greek terminology 12 enforces the idea that even guilty brethren should be treated with kindness.
Brethren, if a man be actually detected... deal tenderly with him in a spirit of meekness, is the sense of this sentence. This reminds us of the woman caught in the act of adultery.
13 The Greek verb translated, restore, 14 can denote the original construction of a mechanism (e.g, of the human body and of the universe in Hebrews 10:5; Hebrews 11:3), but more often the term refers to the readjustment of a mechanism (e.g, the setting of a broken limb, or the mending of nets, as in Matthew 4:21).
15 In this passage, the term refers to the correction of an offender with the ultimate goal of restoring him to his role and function in the church. The transition from the plural verb, katarti>zete (katartizete), all of you restore, to the singular, skopw~n (skopon), considering thyself, is instructive. The task of restoring belongs to the collective body, but each member must examine himself individually, in order that he might perform his part in the restoration with humility and sympathy.
16 From this passage, we draw the following conclusions, 1. Excommunication or shunning is not the automatic response to moral failure.
2. Any action taken will have redemption as its goal.
3. To be complete, restoration would include a return to full function in the body.
4. The situation must be addressed in a spirit of gentleness or kindness. The attitude should be, “Brother, let me help you to overcome this fault,” rather than, “You wicked sinner, you need to repent.” The spiritual brothers should impress upon the one being corrected that he is loved and cared for.
5. One motivation for gentleness is the fact that the correcting brothers are aware that they too might stumble. They will treat the fallen brother as they would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.
Matthew 18:15-18 And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
11 The Greek structure, e]n tini paraptw>mati, (en tini paraptomati) implies an episode of sin or struggling with weakness, rather than one who is committed to a lifestyle of sin.
12 The preceding kai (kai) 13 John 8:1-11 14 katarti>zete (katartizete)
15 Interestingly, this is the term used in Ephesians 4:12, translated, perfecting, in the KJV and equipping, in the NAS. In this passage the term refers to placing each member in the place where he belongs in the Church, so that he can function as he is spiritually gifted to function, for the good of the Body.
16 Robertson Nicolle, The Expositors Greek New Testament, Vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, Rerdmans Publishing Co, Reprinted 1976). p.188-1897 And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This passage presents a scenario in which the Church may have to exercise judicial authority because of sin in the life of a member. The Received Text (KJV) reads, if your brother sins against you. The expression, against you, is found in some manuscripts and versions and not in others. Therefore, it is uncertain as to whether or not the original text of Matthew contained these words. This uncertainty forces us to ask, “Is the sin referred to a sin done against the person being addressed, or of sin in general?”
Even if the doubtful, “against you,” is disallowed, the language of the text seems to refer to private personal offenses, rather than sin against the Christian name. The statement, you have gained your brother (by confronting him, and keeping the confrontation confidential), implies the restoration of a broken relationship. Offenses that divide brothers must be addressed, whatever they are. Relationships in the Kingdom are of top priority. Should the confidential approach fail, the matter is not to be dropped, but to be pursued further. A second meeting should be held, with two or three witnesses listening to the exchange. These witnesses will listen and comment. If this does not solve the problem, then the matter is to be brought before the church, which will function as a court. Should the parties involved fail to abide by the judgment of the Church, 17 then the one who will not heed the voice of the Church is to be treated as an outsider; he is to be loosed from theties of brotherhood. This passage poses a problem. Jesus told us to forgive every offense against us; to pray for those who despitefully use us, etc.
18 In the parable of the Unmerciful Slave, Our Lord emphasizes the importance of total forgiveness from the heart, if we are to expect any mercy from Him.
19 One truth becomes immediately apparent: Since forgiveness and forbearance are priorities, it is inappropriate for us to rush forth and begin reproving each time we feel that we have been wronged. The question must be raised, “If forgiveness is to be the priority - `from the heart’- then why reprove at all?” Two reasons come to mind. The first is out of concern for our brother. If the sin has exposed a character flaw that needs to be faced, loving concern will motivate us to alert the brother to this flaw. The second reason is that in some way the sin has separated brethren from one another. In the Kingdom of God, relationships are of a high priority. Broken relationships should not be ignored. Usually, if someone sins against us, they no longer are able to relate intimately with us. Not only that, but one who can sin with impunity against his brothers probably does not have a 17 i.e, what the Church “binds” upon him.
18 Matthew 5:38-45; Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:35; Mark 11:25; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12-13.
19 Matthew 18:21-35 true relationship with them. This needs to be corrected. It would be out of concern for the soul of the sinning brother, and out of concern for the quality of relationships that are to exist in the Kingdom, that Matthew 18:15-18 would be activated. The Greek verbs of this passage, translated, bind, and loose, are verbs in the periphrastic future perfect tense, passive voice. A near literal translation of these verbs would be, shall already have been bound, and shall already have been loosed. The Church has the authority to bind and loose what God already has declared bound and loosed. If disputing brothers come before the church for arbitration, and one of the brothers refuses to abide by the pronouncement of the church, then heaven already has declared him to be excommunicated. The church only enforces what heaven already has declared.
How is a church to function in its judicial role? Acts 15:1-41 gives the only pattern found in Scripture. The church government met together to hear the presentation. This was a public meeting, in which the congregation witnessed the proceedings but did not participate.
20 After the hearing was completed, the church government pronounced its decision. By holding an open meeting, the church leaders prevented the losers in the dispute from circulating false reports of the proceedings.
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 is in the midst of a section of the epistle in which Paul defends his right to exercise authority in the Corinthian Church. The crises of authority is what seems to hold chapters 1- 6 together.
21 The references to the arrogance and boasting in Chapter 5 22 echo the attitude in Corinth that the church was too spiritually advanced to be instructed by Paul.
It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst.
23 The sin of incest between a man and his father’s wife is a sin that even the morally loose pagans did not accept. Yet, this church seemed to be so morally insensitive that it tolerated such behavior in one of its members. Paul scolded the church for being arrogant. It should have been in mourning over this sinful condition.
I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus...Do you not know that a little
20 The congregation did agree with the leadership’s decision to communicate the ruling by a circular letter to the churches involved. However, the congregation is not described as influencing the ruling itself.
21 Gordon Fee,First Epistle to the Corinthians, in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, William B. Rerdmans Publishing Co. 1987), p. 195
22 vs 2, 6
23 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 leaven leavens the whole lump of dough: Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.
24 Two motives, (a) ultimate salvation of the sinner 25 and (b) the purity of the church 26, are stated as reasons for the expulsion ordered. In the light of Galatians 6:1 and other verses already considered, we would expect Paul to exhort the church to call the man to repentance. Instead, he ordered them to move immediately to the ultimate action, Expel the man!
27 The focus of this chapter is more on the church’s failure to deal with sin, than on the sinful man. The message of this chapter is, Corinth, you need to repent of your tolerant attitude. Hold to a Godly standard, and deal with the sin in your Body! Because of the attitude of the church, Paul called for a sign of repentance - Take action now!
28 The first truth to be gained from this section of Scripture is that a church that tolerates blatant sin among its members is a church that is in error. The second truth is that the goal, even of expulsion, is the redemption of the sinner.
29 The question has to be asked, “What does Paul mean by...deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh?”
30 Because the action that Paul called for was expulsion from the church, then expulsion must be understood as delivering someone to Satan.
How would expulsion fit this description? Certainly, one way would be the denial of Godly social contacts. The only social intercourse available to the expelled member would be with those outside of the church. Being forced back into the course, “dog eat dog,” world outside of the church would be quite painful for anyone who has experienced the Community of Agape Love. No longer being the recipient of the benefits of the prayers of brethren, and perhaps even out from under angelic protection, the expelled member would become the defenseless victim of all of the evil that motivates godless society.
25 v5 26 v6-8
27 It may be that the nature of the sin was so despicable that Paul went to the extreme action of expulsion without first offering the sinner the opportunity to repent. However, it seems more likely that the condition of the church caused him to take this extreme action.
28 2 Corinthians 2:9 also informs us that Paul gave this command to see if the church would be obedient to him. It was a test: For to this end I wrote that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
29 v5 30 In 1 Timothy 1:19-20, in the very same terms, Paul describes his action toward two others Hymenaeus and Alexander. Hymenaeus expressed his love for the world through a false doctrine that he had developed (2 Timothy 2:17). Alexander, through unspecified actions, dealt much harm to Paul (2 Timothy 4:14).10 Scripture also presents the principle that God’s patience has its limits. There does come a time when God removes His Grace and allows a sinner to experience the natural consequences of his sin - disease, dissipation, alienation, etc. Thus, no evil experience or sad consequence is beyond possibility in the life of those expelled from the church. In time, the sin which had appeared so beautiful becomes an ugly illusion. The worldly human relationships that promised so much fail to satisfy. As pain replaces pleasure and emptiness replaces the filling of the Holy Spirit, the “disillusioned” sinner cries out for the restoration of his relationship with the Family of God. Thus, the flesh, with its desires and hopes, is destroyed.
Again, we are reminded that the goal of expulsion is repentance and restoration of the sinner. The action of expulsion is to be carried out as a public action of the church. Paul said, When you are assembled together.
31 Again, we would look to Acts 15:1-41 as a pattern for how such a problem would be handled. The action would be taken by leadership, following discussion or explanation, with the congregation being witnesses to the discussion. The action would be taken in the name of Our Lord Jesus and with the power of Our Lord Jesus.
32 Two observations, 1. Action cannot be taken in Our Lord’s Name unless He has authorized it. Church leadership needs to be very careful about taking action without clear biblical authority.
2. When actions are taken in obedience to commands and declarations of Our Lord, the power to execute such commands is resident in the church.
We must return to the question, “What kind of sin demands that the sinner be expelled?”
First, the sin must be a defining trait of the sinner’s life. “He is an immoral person,” describes someone who lives a life that is known for immorality. This is not someone who may on occasion succumb to the temptation to glance at the cover of a Penthouse magazine. The man described in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 is a man who was living in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife - he was an immoral person. Expulsion should be the church’s response only in these instances, 1. when there is a behavioral lifestyle that Scripture clearly is labels as sin, especially when the behavior is effecting the life of the church; 2. when there has been an effort to bring the person to repentance and these efforts have failed.
33
31 v4 32 v4 33 In the light of Scriptures already considered, this is the norm. In Corinth, for reasons described above, Paul by-passed this norm.11 2 Corinthians 2:5-10 This section reveals the results of the expulsion of the sinner, as mandated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. The results were what Paul had hoped for. The Church had expelled the man; the man had repented. Paul now had to exhort the church to receive the man back. The Corinthian Church seemed to be prone to the error that most congregations have to fight against when expulsion has taken place - a tendency to become hard and judgmental. Paul urged the church to 1. forgive the Man 1:2. comfort the Man 1:3. reaffirm their love for the Man 1:34 No further punitive action or probation was to be taken. Paul said that it is possible for a repentant sinner to be “overcome by excessive sorrow.” The church’s role is to help the repentant sinner to put the past behind him and to move on with life.
Paul makes the point that Satan’s maneuvers are so unchangeable that they can be anticipated.
Satan’s main thrust in his battle against the church is to bring separation and alienation. The expulsion of the man and his full reception back into the church, is the apostle’s tactic to defeat Satan’s maneuvers.
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. And yet, do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. In these closing verses of Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians, he makes another reference to shunning. The theme of both of Paul’s epistles to Thessalonica is the return of Our Lord and the resurrection of the saints. Two problems had developed at Thessalonica because the church had misunderstood Our Lord’s promise to return. The Thessalonians expected Christ to return before any of them died. This did not happen and so there was disappointment and confusion. They thought that their deceased brothers and sisters had missed Christ. In a grand description of Our Lord’s return, Paul assures the Thessalonians that the resurrection of deceased believers will be the first event following the heavenly trumpet blast and angelic shout, announcing Our Lord’s return.
35 The other major error in Thessalonica involved the manner in which some Christians awaited the Lord’s return. Many quit their jobs and sat down to wait. These loafers were looking to the church treasury to support them in their idle vigil. Paul labels these loafing saints, “disorderly” and “busy bodies.” To these, Paul said, “If a man will not work, he should not eat.”
34 vs 7&8
35 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 Paul concluded this section of his epistle with an exhortation to disassociate one’s self from any church members who do not obey this injunction. The anticipated result is that the loafers would be shamed by this treatment and make a change. It seems that the injunction refers more to the private social intercourse between individual believers, than it does to official expulsion. Those needing correction are not to be regarded as enemies, but brothers who need adjustment.
36 Paul was prescribing a dose of “reality therapy”, 1. Don’t feed them and thus enable them to continue in idleness; 2. Don’t associate with them and by association express tacit approval of their lifestyle.
AURICULAR CONFESSION In two passages considered above, 1 John 1:1-10 and James 5:1-20, confession is presented as a response to sin. Acknowledgement of sin and the efficacy of Christ’s blood for cleansing from sin is the subject discussed in 1 John 1:1-10. Since I John is written to Christians, reference is to sin in a believer’s life and the believer’s personal response to its presence. The prescription for cleansing is confession. The question naturally arises, “To whom should confession be made; is confession to be made to God or is confession to another believer required?” Roman Catholicism advocates the necessity of “auricular confession,” the confession to clergy. The confession called for in 1 John 1:1-10 certainly would include confession of sins to God, but is that the only confession to be made?
I John speaks of “sins,” implying sinful deeds, rather than “sin,” which would speak of the underlying condition of the heart. The confession referred to then would be specific, concerning things done, said, felt, or thought. Honest and contrite confession to God is declared to be the means of receiving forgiveness for sins committed by the believer.
One purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to bring the believer to an examination of his life. In the early years of Christianity, this was the focus of the weekly gathering of believers. Each Christian examined his own heart weekly. There was an obligation for believers to acknowledge to himself and to God any sins that he had committed since his last confession. As we already have noted, James 5:16 is in a passage that addresses the physical and emotional consequences of sin. Confession to another believer is presented as an agent of healing.
Confession is to precede healing prayer. Oral confession is important because it allows believers to pray for one another’s weaknesses and it also brings sin into the light.
Thus, I John presents confession as a means of forgiveness - this involves salvation. James presents confession as a means of healing - this involves deliverance from the physical and emotional consequences of sin. It would seem that confession to God is required for forgiveness; confession to other believers is required for healing from sin-caused illness.
36 Idleness is not a “sin,” but “behavior unbecoming a Christian.”13 A SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS FROM SECTION I 1.
Every Christian will sin from time to time.
2. Confession of sin to God results in forgiveness.
3. Confession of sin to another believer is a means of healing when the sickness is the consequence of sin.
4. If a believer sins covertly and is discovered in his sin, the church should endeavor to bring the sinner to repentance and a restored relationship with God.
5. There must not be any haughtiness or self-righteousness on the part of those who discovered the sinner. Each believer must acknowledge his individual potential for sin.
6. Effort should be made to restore the repentant sinner to full function in the Body.
7. Where sin has alienated brothers, reconciliation is of primary importance.
8. When efforts have been made to bring a sinner to repentance, and he refuses to respond to these efforts, expulsion may be required.
9. The purpose of expulsion is not to punish, but to bring the sinner to repentance and restoration.
10. A church that ignores and tolerates a sinful lifestyle among its members is a church that is disobedient to God.
11. When a sinning Christian who has been expelled repents, he is to be embraced immediately and received back into fellowship.
12. A church should not be on a “witch hunt,” looking for sinners to expel. Only when there is obvious sin, and an unrepentant attitude should discipline be undertaken.
ADDENDA TO SECTION I In a practical note, comment must be made on the risk that church leadership faces if church discipline is exercised. In recent years, there have been a number of lawsuits against churches that expelled members because of persistent sin. Some of these have resulted in judgment against the church leadership.
Church attorneys now recommend that each church have a written church discipline procedure. This document should be given to every new member, upon his reception into the church. This will not prevent a lawsuit, but probably will protect the church from losing the lawsuit. The members of the church have voluntarily and knowingly entered into the “contract.” If church leaders follow the procedures in their document, they would be protected.
37
37 The Tulsa Christian Fellowship Church Discipline Procedure is attached as an appendix to this study as an example of such a document.14