Hypothetically Speaking is a periodic series designed to get reader to response to theoretical situations in religion, politics, and life. Your viewpoints are requested and appreciated. I will leave the discussion open for debate for a couple of days after which I will throw my two cents in. Enjoy!
I’ve posed this question to a few friends before but I’m looking for wider readership. Hypothetically speaking, say there are two people, a man and a women, both in their late 30’s, divorced and both with children. They are both members of your church. These two start to date and it becomes public knowledge that they are sleeping together and have actually moved in with each other. They may or may not be discrete about it in public and with the children but the kids know that their parent and this other person are sleeping in the same room at home.
What, biblically speaking, should be the church’s role in this situation? Does it have a right/responsibility to take an action?
This hard question I have looked into this type of question before but can't really find anything that has a clear cut answer so if anyone else can give me a verse I would appreciate it. My personal view is that those people should be spoken too and if they continue to choose to live that way then they shouldn't be able to be a teacher/leader of any class or serve on a commity. I don't they they should loose membership or be turned out because we should still love them and try to counsil them. I feel really strongly that they shouldn't be teachers especially of the youth.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Haley, that even though a person or persons are living in sin we should still love them and try to counsil them. I believe Orlando (one of the Pastor's at our church)said it best this past weekend. I am attaching the link to his sermon it will be University Campus, Convenant - week 6 This sermon was very powerful if you have the time please listen.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.summitlife.com/taxonomy/term/32,20
I totally agree here, I think they should be told in private, if they don't acknowledge their wrong and set it right the pastor should step in and counsel them, they certainly shouldn't be in the leadership of the church and should not be teaching the faith etc. We have to love the sinner but hate the sin and today people are forgetting that second part. Nowadays to tell someone they are wrong or in sin is "being mean" and "judging" ...... When nothing is further from the truth. I'ts our responsibility to help others and I know I expect the same....
ReplyDeleteWe actually had something like this in our circle of friends and it went nuts with everyone congratulating the couple that had a baby together even though they weren't married and she hadn't had her annulment. We have to be sure we dont' put our like of someone over the sin and forget how horrible sin is. That is the reason society has fallen to where it is today, Sin isn't sin and no one is wrong, ever.
Matthew 18, 15-17
ReplyDelete"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the curch, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
Our church pretty much follows this formula to the letter as I understand it. A habitual sinner who refuses to repent, even in the face of the confrontation by the elders is asked to leave the church, with the understanding that repentance brings renewed communion. This last step is a serious one meant to impress upon a child of God how far out of line he/she has strayed and, hopefully, convict him/her of sin and restore him/her. Also, it acts as both a buffer and deterrent for the rest of the church by removing the stumbling block that the person in question has become.
So, yes, the church has both the right and responsibility to take action as both an ordained authority of God and loving brothers and sisters in Christ trying to use the tool of discipline to restore a fellow child of God.
So, shunning. Basically. Does seem rather biblical now in this sort of instance, right?
ReplyDeleteNot exactly for painting the buggy gray or wearing a patterned dress, but it makes sense.