RESTORING FALLLEN MINISTERS - THE PROCESS (PART 6)

 Let's start this one with a quick review.

Sin and crime are both offenses.  Sin is an offense against a person, and that offense can be God or an individual human.  Crimes are offenses against society.  Sometimes a sin is also a crime.  When that happens, the government should deal with the crime, and the Body of Christ should deal with the sin.

When dealing with the sin, Believers/Disciples should hold to these principles:  NO RESTORATION WITHOUT RECONCILIATION!  NO RECONCILIATION WITHOUT CONFESSION, REMORSE, AND REPENTENCE!

So the process should start with the offender confessing their sin and reconciling with the offended.  If the offender doesn't start the process, then the offended one should privately confront the offender ( Matthew 5: 21 - 26).  If the offender doesn't confess and repent, bring in a witness or two into a second confirmation.  If the offender, persists in not confessing and repenting, take the matter to the local congregation.  If the offender still does not repent, then treat him like a nonbeliever until he does (Matthew 18: 15 - 20).  That is, treat him as one who never believed.  Do not condemn, but seek his conversion.

What we covered to the point is the process for individual believers.   This has been a primarily private process.  When a minister is the offender, then things get a bit more complicated.  In Part 4, I brought up Paul's instruction in 1st Timothy 5: 17 - 22 about accusations against elders.  It does require two witnesses to bring forth the charges.

Whether or not the offender is a paid minister or rank-and-file disciple, if the offense is also a crime,  then whenever someone becomes aware of the crime - CALL THE POLICE as soon as possible.  If the offense involves a child victim, you must call for moral reasons, and in some jurisdictions, calling might be legally required if you are involved in ministry or leadership.  As I said in Part 5, let the  police handle the investigation, for they are, or have access to the people who now how to investigate such cases.

So, let's say the offender is a paid minister.  If they have not committed a crime, then the outcome of the process would be the same as for an ordinary member of the congregation.  If the minister does not repent, he is then put out of fellowship and ministry.  But if he has been found guilty of a crime, let him finish his punishment, before  dealing with the sin.

So, what if the minister has not committed a crime, but they have admitted to and repented of the sin they committed?  What if the minister has confessed his sin and finished his punishment for a crime?  Is the minister restored?  Yes, and no.

Yes, for fellowship with the Lord.  But ministry is another issue.  One I will cover in Part 7.  Until that time, I will give you a preview to meditate upon:

So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.  1st Corinthians 3:21 - 4: 2  NASB 95

RESTORING FALLEN MINISTERS - The Process (Part 2)

 In Part 1, we looked at what Jesus said in Matthew 5 about seeking reconciliation with someone you have offended BEFORE you present an offering at the Temple.  Of course, Jesus was speaking to Jews under the Mosaic law, but the principles still apply.  No true restoration without reconciliation.  No reconciliation without confession and repentance.

But what about when the offender doesn't seek reconciliation first?  Did Jesus say anything about that.  He definitely did!  That is what we will look at here in Part 2.

Matthew 18: 1 - 17 NAS95

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

"Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!"

“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell."

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray."

“So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish."

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

“But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

Now, Jesus is talking to His disciples. The directions He gives here applied not only to them, but to us as well, because we also consider ourselves to be His followers.

I have heard of the final verses being used against the victims of fallen ministers, saying they should have privately confronted their offender and not come out publicly. However, many of the victims were children at the time of the offense, and they experienced trauma that would effect even an adult. They had to grow and heal, often with help, until they had the strength to face their offender.

In the case of ministers, they have built reputations that enable them to continue in their ministry activities. If they admit to harming anyone, they will lose their reputations, their positions, their influence, their money. So, most of them refuse to admit anything until they have been backed into a corner. Some times, even if they admit to some wrongdoing, their associates and followers will call for their restoration. And some have been restored to ministry activities, but they continue their abuse.

Obviously, this should not be. But some people cannot or refuse to see the obvious. Thus, I am examining from a Biblical standpoint what the restoration process should be.

How does this passage relate to the restoration of fallen ministers? Let's go step by step through the context.

First, the disciples ask which one of them is the greatest in the Kingdom. To understand this question, we must consider the first century century Jewish culture. Rabbis would not just teach the people in general, they would gather disciples to follow them full time so each rabbi would train that group of disciples to become rabbis too. With this in mind, we can see how each one of Jesus' disciples would wonder about how valuable he would be in the ministry. In other words, who would be their leader?

But Jesus had to show them their need for humility and who really is important in His Father's eyes. So, he takes a child and places him in the middle of their group. The wording in the Greek indicates this boy was young, but able to stand on his own. He could have been a toddler, but I believe he was older than that, one able able to converse with adults on a very basic level. I think he was at least 5, but no more than 12. Jesus uses him as an example of humility.

Think about that for a moment. These were grown men, who had careers, families, houses, and more, that they had left behind to follow Jesus for several years. They too had preached, cast out demons, and ministered healing. Peter, James, and John had seen the Transfiguration. Now, Jesus compared them to a child??? If they had not known that Jesus loved them, they would have felt that He had insulted them.

But they knew. They continued to listen, because they knew Jesus would teach them more about the Kingdom that they needed to know.

Jesus goes on to say that children need to be protected from offenses - both from being offended and from being made to offend. Then He continues, but talks about sheep. However, He is still talking about the Kingdom. Sheep and children are quite similar. When Jesus talked about the one sheep that strayed, the one the shepherd would leave the rest of the flock to go look for and rejoice over when found, He was still talking about who was great in the Kingdom. He equated an offended child to a straying sheep. Both need to be sought out and restored.

Then Jesus says something that sounds harsh. If part of your body causes you to sin, to offend, CUT IT OFF! Is Jesus promoting self-mutilation? Of course not! How could someone who healed people, including those with missing body parts, recommend removal of those parts? What was He really saying? He was talking about the desires of our bodies. We should not let them control us if they cause us to offend. He just used extreme language to show how much we need to do this.

Then, He talks about offenders. Notice His words. "If your brother sins," and some versions add "against you." But does it really matter? As long as you know someone has sinned, you should go confront them, and not just to recover them for the Body of Christ, but so that others will not be offended against or to offend.

How should we approach the offenders? In humility before God and love for the offender, remembering that you are doing this for their sake as well for the offended and the entire Body of Christ.

So, to sum up this passage: No one in the Body of Christ is more important than anyone else. We are often to eager too believe otherwise, and we need to stop that. Consider the teachings of Jesus and James about avoiding partiality, and Paul's teaching about the Body of Christ.

Part 2 of Restoring Fallen Ministers is a fallback for when Part 1 does not happen. It is the confrontation in love and humility.

Part 3 to come...

RESTORING FALLEN MINISTERS - THE PROCESS (Part 1)

Matthew 5:6-9 NASB1995

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Matthew 5:21-24 NASB1995

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.  Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."

I included that second passage in a previous article, RESTORING FALLEN MINISTERS.  In this article, I add the first passage to enlarge the context.

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, a pronouncement of blessings upon those who hold certain attitudes, or possess certain characteristics.  This is in contrast to the Torah, the Law of Moses, which contains blessings and curses.  Blessings for those that kept the Law, curses for those who didn't.

Jesus was not overturning the Law.  In the verses that immediately follow, He says as much.  He also adds that our righteousness must exceed that of those who were the experts in the Law, the Pharisees.  Their righteousness was based on their actions and not their attitudes.

I point this out, because in the circles that seem to produce the most fallen ministers not only emphasize healing, miracles, signs, and wonders, they also focus on blessings.  Most of the blessings they talk about are material, carnal, and earthly.  The blessings Jesus spoke of tend to be spiritual.

We do see fallen ministers in all kinds of Christian groups, not just those that emphasize supernatural experiences.  This shows us that experience based, or experience driven religion is not the only factor that causes ministers to fall.  It could be one of the strongest.

The experience oriented groups do seem to be the ones that most often call for their fallen ministers to be restored.  They often claim that the fallen minister had produced so many healings, prophecies, etc. and they assume the world, or the body of Christ, needs that to continue.

Really?

Jesus never pronounced a blessing on those who seek after miracles, signs, wonders, healings, prophecies.  He did promise satisfaction to those who seek righteousness.  And those who seek signs, He called wicked and adulterous.  

We could say that the theme of the Sermon on the Mount is righteousness, not "blessings."  Look at two other passages, the ends of Matthew chapters 6 and 7.  "Seek first the kingdom of God," and, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity..."

So when Jesus was talking about the Torah, He was speaking of righteousness, not just in action, but it heart.  This becomes obvious when He equates hate with murder.

But then, He seems to say something contradictory.  You would think that He would immediately tell us to forgive those we hate.  As well, we should.

Instead, He says if your brother has something against YOU, YOU go to him and seek reconciliation.  You are not the hater, but the hated.  Why should YOU be the one who seeks reconciliation first?

For righteousness sake.

If someone has something against you, then YOU are the offender.  YOU might not feel like it, but you are.  This is the major problem I see with the majority of these fallen ministers.  They never admit to their offense.  Some might even feel entitled or justified to do what they did.

But until the offender admits to what they did, no reconciliation is possible.  This is not to say the offended one is justified in not forgiving the offender.  The offended one must forgive to maintain a right relationship with God, even if the offender never admits anything.  And the offended one does not have to wait, and should not wait until the offender confesses.

So, the biblical process to restoring a false minister begins with reconciliation, but reconciliation is not possible unless the offender seeks it by admitting the offense and expressing remorse to the offended party.

The goal should not be to place a person into a position, or to allow them to resume an activity that seems desirable, but to establish righteousness where it is lacking.