(Click picture to go back to Table of Contents)
Welcome
Enjoy... But remember
"Don't give in to winning the argument
and losing one of your eternal crowns..."
God bless you...
Enjoy... But remember
"Don't give in to winning the argument
and losing one of your eternal crowns..."
God bless you...
but.. 
Concerns on Church Growth (Forum Master)
Untitled (Wahshing)
Enough of threshing of FCBC or LK!!! (SK)
|
The common assumption is that all rebuking should be done privately, or filtered through some complicated bureaucracy behind the scenes, only to become a public matter as a last resort. Sorry, it just ain't so - at least from a Scriptural perspective. Again, those who stand to lose the most face from being rebuked are the ones who declare that they should never be rebuked publicly. But have you ever tried rebuking them privately? It's almost impossible to reach them. So by saying on the one hand that it's wrong to rebuke publicly, then on the other hand refusing to answer telephone calls, letters, email, faxes, and all attempts to rebuke privately, it creates an untouchableness that does not allow confrontation, or even basic communication, from anyone not inside the "circle".
That's fine, because no where does the Bible say you have to rebuke someone privately! The overwhelming instances in Scripture are uncomfortably public! It DOES say if your brother SINS against YOU personally, go to him privately and settle it, taking it before the church only when all else has failed (Matthew 18:15-17). This has nothing to do with rebuking those who purvey false doctrine, spew erroneous words from God, and present questionable teachings in the public arena. "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter BEFORE THEM ALL, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews (Galatians 2:14)?" [Emphasis mine.] Why didn't Paul take Peter aside and rebuke him privately? Why didn't they call an Elder meeting and go into executive session? Why such a public display? Was Paul being rebellious, or just showing off? "I said to Peter BEFORE THEM ALL." Why? Because Peter's sin was public; therefore, he should be rebuked publicly. Had Peter privately admitted to viewing pornography, while cause for concern, it is not a public sin and does not require a public rebuke. Do you see the difference? Peter's private sin would not directly impact the Body and could be dealt with on a personal level; but Peter's public sin of racial and religious discrimination, as a recognized apostle and respected teacher, was directly harmful to the Body and could not be handled behind closed doors. It's not the first time Peter was rebuked publicly: "And Peter took [Jesus], and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men (Mark 8:32b,33)." Please understand the situation. Jesus is openly declaring that He will go to Jerusalem to die. Peter takes Jesus aside and privately rebukes Him for speaking such things. Observe Christ's response! He turns BACK towards the rest of the disciples and rebukes Peter openly and soundly in front of them all. Why didn't Jesus just whisper in Peter's ear? Why did He turn Himself back around on purpose in order to involve the whole group? Because Peter's attitude was detrimental to the rest of the disciples of the Lord. Jesus did not confront the Pharisees behind closed doors, but in the Temple, in the marketplace, in the street, wherever: "Then spake Jesus TO THE MULTITUDE, and TO HIS DISCIPLES, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men... (Matthew 23:1-5a)" [Emphasis mine.] This, the opening words of the most famous diatribe against the Pharisees in the entire record of Scripture, came from the lips of Jesus PUBLICLY. It was addressed to the Pharisees, the disciples, the people, the Roman soldiers standing around, anyone within earshot! Notice that Jesus never has secret meetings or closed-door sessions with his adversaries. He doesn't speak through representatives or a second-in-command. He is a public figure Who has nothing to hide. His conversations with the religious leaders are all recorded. The insults and blasphemy they hurled at Him are a matter of public record - and so is His assessment of them, their hypocrisy, and their blindness. He is not afraid to rebuke openly and publicly, and He purposely makes public all private attempts to rebuke Him. What manner of Man is this! "Open rebuke is better than hidden love (Proverbs 27:5)." "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear (I Timothy 5:20)." Remember the confrontation between Jeremiah and Hananiah? Do you think that was done privately within some prophetic chamber deep within the Temple? No! "Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the PRIESTS, and in the presence of ALL THE PEOPLE that stood in the house of the LORD (Jeremiah 28:5)..." [Emphasis mine.] Notice Jeremiah did not "check with the leadership" before presenting this "potentially damaging" word. He just blabbed it right out in front of everyone. And what about Elijah, when confronting the false prophets of Baal? Did he go to them privately with his concerns and try to work something out? No! "So Ahab sent unto ALL the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto ALL the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word (I Kings 18:20,21)." [Emphasis mine.] We are most Christ-like when we confront the wayward, whether they are saint or sinner, pastor, teacher, evangelist, prophet or apostle, and call them back to their first love - Christ. Now THAT'S where the love of JESUS is in all this! Don't you want to love people the way He does? "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent (Revelation 3:19)."
|
to:
Back to Antioch's Home Page