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: I'm confused. What is your question? I searched your "Question (long)" and did not find a question mark in it. Thank you. Grace to you, John |