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NASB | John 8:7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 8:7 However, when they persisted in questioning Him, He straightened up and said, "He who is without [any] sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." [Deut 17:7] |
Subject: Is it bibical for a church to require? |
Bible Note: Setonahill, I don't mean for this to be a post for or against what you are discussing but a post to help see what may be the reasoning behind it. When a person sins and they are called to account what is needed is repentence. Some things are very simple, if a person is doing drugs they can cease doing drugs. If a person is cheating on their wife they can cease cheating on their wife. The list could go on and on. However, for some sins repentence is more difficult to spot. Allow me to give an admitedly extreme example. If a person in a fit of rage committed a murder, how would we see repentence? Its not really repentence to say they won't commit murder again is it? They never had a desire to become a habitual murderer. They can easily "quit" the sin with no real repentence at all. How do we ask for a show of repentence in such instances? So the question doesn't revolve around certain biblical mandated penalties for certain sins, but rather it is a matter of a church trying to perceive repentence. Other times it is the church who feels they were sinned against. I recall when David sinned with Bathseba the prophet pronounced his punishment because he had given the the enemeies of the LORD a chance to blaspheme. Now unbelievers could point and say, "Look, christians really are no different." In this way the church might feel they were wronged when a member commits a particularly notorious sin. By forcing them to apologize to the church it is a way of publicly stating for all to know that the church declares this is not how a christian is to act. The motives for what is happening could be many or varied, or it could have began as such things and now simply become the adopted tradition of the church to expect such things for that particular sin. My point being, try to understand the motives behind it first. In Christ, Beja |