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NASB | 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Timothy 2:15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. |
Bible Question:
Before I ask my question, I would like to present what causes my question. I have been a Christian since 1976 and three times I have had brothers in Christ call me before the elders of my church with offenses. The first was my father in law with false accusations of child abuse FYI I gave my son a mild spanking with a wooden spoon. The pastor affirmed my discipline and rightly called for reconcilitation. My wife and I agreed and spoke forgiveness after first asking for forgiveness for our initial angry response to his accusations. My father in law refused to acknowledge our right to discipline our children. Our pastor ended the meeting having us agree to disagree. Father in law later took us to court, but we prevailed. Years later, we caught an employee stealing from us that also went to our church. We had some of the theft on video and the rest was recorded through trapping methods. We confonted him and let him go. He took us before the elders of our church and after confessing to only what we had on video and not what we had trapped him on, our pastor had us forgive each other and agree to disagree Two weeks ago I had a brother take us before our pastors, claiming my wife, a realtor, had lied to him in a business transaction. We presented the papers showing his concerns to be unfounded. He had been telling others we cheated and lied to him. I had let the pastor know and he did confirm this through another brother. I asked this unhappy brother if he had publicly accussed us of lying and cheating three times and three times he denied it. In the end we were instructed to forgive each other and agree to disagree. I was very disappointed the pastor never confronted this brother in the meeting about lying. To the pastors credit, he did try to get the offended brother to agree that we had done no wrong. Since then, I have been studying Matthew 18:15-17 and in the light of other scriptures like 1 Corinthians 6:1-6, I have some thoughts that I would like to present here hoping for more light from others here. I know that this scripture is for the most part to be used to win another from his sin, to be reconciled through forgiveness. Now what if the accused is innocent. After looking at different translations, including the greek, other scriptures and commentaries, I have developed a picture that see's the third step as more of a private Christian Hearing that should be judged by the senior pastor. Here is what I am starting to see a Pastor should do according to scripture. I see my pastors first asking my offended brother if he had in the right spirit tried to show me my faults. Then if so, the pastor should have asked him if he had indeed taken one or to brothers as witnesses to first agree with him and then show me my faults. FYI, In all three of my Matthew 18 experiences the original spirit was an attack and none ever brought one or two brothers. I then see the pastor sending the offended brother back to either step he skipped or performed in the wrong spirit. Then if the brother has done both, the pastor should first hear the complaint from the offended brother and all witnesses and then judge who is right and who is wrong, especially if a brother has been wrongly accused. In the end, whomever was wrong should lovingly be convinced of this and then those that need to ask forgiveness should do so and regardless of this those who need to forgive should do so! Thanks for your feedback! |
Bible Answer: Dear Jesusfreakk, Most disputes are complex. Since I don't know the specifics of your situation or your Church's workings, I have to offer some general guidelines. Hopefully, it will be of some help. In the book "Mastering Conflict and Controversy", authors Dobson, Leas, and Shelly observe that: "The Pastor’s Role in Intervention An acquaintance of mine told me something a doctor told him: “Doctors don’t heal the body; the body heals itself. Sometimes a disease or infection becomes more than the body can handle on its own. With the medication and procedures we use, we are trying to give the body a chance to heal itself.” In conflict mediation, I see my role in similar terms. I can’t coerce people to reconcile. But just as a doctor can resort to ice packs for a sprained ankle and antibiotics for an infection, so I can bring factors to bear in a dispute that will encourage the disputing parties to seek their own healing. These are: • Scripture. Sometimes a pastor feels he exerts no more authority than the referee of a World Wrestling Federation match. However, while the WWF doesn’t exactly stand behind its referees, God wholly backs up his Word. Scripture is the strongest factor influencing people to begin and continue the painful process of reconciliation. God-fearing people, convinced that conflict and bitterness displease God, will swallow their pride and make peace with enemies. It doesn’t take more than a few gentle reminders, especially from Ephesians, to encourage people to reconcile. My use of Scripture, of course, depends on the clarity of the Scripture. When the verse under question is clear (for example, that stealing is wrong), I state my position unequivocally. When a verse is subject to two or more interpretations (for example on the divorce issue), I explain my interpretation and clearly label it as such. I don’t try to strong-arm them into buying my interpretation but insist that they decide what they think is right. I leave the issue between them and God, because that’s where the issue ultimately rests (it’s their conflict). I never get embroiled in an argument over correct interpretation. • Motivation. By approaching the parties in conflict and saying, “Let’s try to work this out,” I serve as an instigator and impetus of reconciliation. Just as a preacher brings people, especially people who otherwise avoid that decision, to the point of faith with an “altar call,” so I beckon adversaries with a “peacemaking call.” • Productive communication . Until they start talking, rivals cannot reconcile. But when opponents try to communicate on their own, they often lock horns and do more goring than good. They accuse, threaten, and yell. In the presence of a pastor, they are much less likely to behave in the same way. A church committee can perform this same service, but there’s also something about the office of pastor that puts people on their best behavior. In some pastoral situations, that reality makes me squirm—I usually don’t like people to put on a false front when I’m around. But when I stand between two angry people, I’m thankful for the forbearance that my office encourages. • Accountability. On occasion, I’ve had to warn warring members that they were jeopardizing their opportunities and privileges in church by their ongoing strife. If they don’t settle, I tell them, they’ll forfeit leadership roles, ministry functions (such as choir), and ultimately church membership. I’m not waving a stick at that time; I’m simply informing them of the implications of their stubbornness. No one should minister whose spiritual life is crippled by a refusal to restore relationships. No one should continue as a member who blatantly ignores Scripture and church leaders. And although committee members can bring others to accountability in this way, sometimes it takes a word from the pastor to drive the point home." Speaking the Truth in Love, BradK |
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Questions and/or Subjects for 2 Tim 2:15 | Author | ||
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vikki.bbicesk | ||
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reitzloff | ||
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timmania | ||
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anita drew | ||
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geostephone | ||
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geostephone | ||
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kalos | ||
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JesusFreakk | ||
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BradK | ||
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Aromaofchrist | ||
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aflame |