Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | 1 Corinthians 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 5:12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders (non-believers)? Do you not judge those who are within the church [to protect the church as the situation requires]? |
Bible Question: This question is concerning a true event that was recently related to me and is not hypothetical. A woman told her husband, a church deacon, that she could not longer stand being married to him. She moved out and within two weeks moved in with another man. She continued to attend the church with the new boy friend. The pastor spoke to her about the unappropriateness of her continuing to attend church under the circumstances. She replied that she loved the church and the congregants and had no intention of leaving their fellowship. The minister next visited her with several other deacons to discuss the situation, but she still continued to attend services with her new man. Finally, the minister brought the situation up in a church service attended by the woman and the man, and she ran out the door in tears and never returned. These are the only details that I know. Was this the correct way to handle this? How would your congregation have handled it? |
Bible Answer: Couldn't holding Christians accountable for their actions and disciplining for these actions create gossip and backbiting amoungst the congregation? It was not the case in this situation, but suppose that the Deacon was a spouse abuser or worse and the man she moved in with was a relative or an old family friend. Well-meaning members could bring an indescretion to the attention of the pastor every day. |