RESTORING FALLEN MINISTERS - THE PROCESS, (Part 3)

 

“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.  Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Matthew 18: 15 - 20 NASB95

We see here a continuation of the restoration process.  Actually, up to the end of verse 16, this applies to every believer as well as ministers, and completes the first 2 parts of the process.  Before we move on to part 3, let me remind you of a some principles from parts 1 and 2:

NO RESTORATION WITHOUT RECONCILIATION.  NO RECONCILIATION WITHOUT REMORSE, CONFESSION, REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION.

In  verse 17, we see part 3, and then things can get complicated during this step.  Depending on the situation, the process could end here, or, it could get very involved.

Let's walk through the entire process in different scenarios.

1. A "rank and file" believer has offended another believer, and the offender seeks reconciliation according to Jesus' instruction in Matthew 5.  The offended party forgives them and the two parties are reconciled.  Only one thing is left to complete the process.

2. The offender does not seek reconciliation, and so the offended party confronts the offender.  The offender confesses to the wrong, apologizes, and asks forgiveness.  The offended party accepts the apology, and forgives the offender.  The two are reconciled and but the process needs to continue.

3.The offender does not seek reconciliation, and so the offended party confronts them.  The offender denies committing the act.  The offended one comes back with one or two other believers to witness a second confrontation.

The two witnesses are there to hear both sides of the story.  They agree with the offended party, and the offender admits their fault.  Again, reconciliation occurs, and the process still needs one thing more..

4. Same as #3, except the offender continues to deny any fault.  The offended party and the the witnesses report the offender to the congregation.  The offender then admits their fault, the offender forgives, and the two parties are reconciled, but the restoration process still needs something.

5. Same as # 4, except the offender continues to deny any fault.  The congregation then must decide the outcome.  If the leaders and the other members judge the evidence presented is factual, they must call for the offender to repent.  If the offender still denies guilt, the congregation must refuse to accept the offender as a brother in Christ until he repents.

The last three verses of the above Scripture apply here.  People often pull them out of context and use them to create a form of witchcraft.  But Jesus is talking about His assembled disciples - what we call "church."  He is saying whatever the congregation decides must first align with heaven, and then when it does, heaven backs up the decision.  Jesus shows us here how His followers can maintain unity and integrity though accountability.

Accountability has levels.  Private offenses have personal accountability, and should be handled privately.  If reconciliation does not happen privately, then the offense should be taken to the next  higher level - the local congregation.  That should be enough to reconcile the offender with the offended individual, and the Body of Christ.

But, so far we have looked only at offenses between two "rank and file" individuals.  Let's now consider how the above scenarios change when the offender is a minister.

In scenarios 1, 2 and 3, the process ends with reconciliation, and nothing more needs to be done as far as reconciliation goes.  But, when the offender is a minister, in scenarios 3, 4, and 5, another issue comes into play - faithfulness.  In the Body of Christ, minsters must prove themselves faithful.

"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."  1 Corinthians 4:1 -2 NASB95

We will examine this and another issue more fully in Part 4.

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.

ONE LAST THING ABOUT THAT FIVE-FOLD THING

I believe that major problem with the Five-Fold Ministry term is with the word 'fold.'  It implies layers.

People assume the five ministries listed in Ephesians represent layers created by folding, and each later added to the first is created by one fold. So, the second layer is created by the first fold, the third layer is created by the second layer, etc.  Well, this works if you are creating pleats or a fanfold, but if you are folding a flat item in half with each fold.  In that case, you cannot create five layers, because each fold doubles the number of layers.

Try it yourself.  Take a flat item, such as a sheet of paper, or a washcloth, or a bandana, and fold it in half three times.  You have created six layers.

Now, if you used a cloth item, you can flatten it out and use it again.  Take one side and fold it over one third of the way to the other side.  Then take the unfolded side and fold it over to align with the first fold.  You now have three layers.

If you wanted five layers, you would have to measure one fifth of the way from one side to the other to make the first fold. From there, you can go one of two ways.  You can alternate folding under and over for each fold, working from the first side across the cloth.

No matter what manner of folding you use, it is a poor analogy for the ministries listed in Ephesians 4.  The passage does not mention any folding, layers, or structure of any kind.  And the larger context doesn't imply any of those either.  Nowhere does the Bible state that those ministries are offices either.

From what I see in that passage is that Jesus equipped men for those ministries according to what they would need to serve His people.

This is the easiest way to determine true ministers from the false.  True ministers will serve you by bringing you truth.  False ministers will decieve you into serving them by twisting the Bible.

CESSATIONISM / CONTUATIONISM, OR SOMETHING ELSE.

I guess I am now something else.  That is not to brag, just stating that my view has changed.

I was once a cessationist.  Back in junior high, I had joined a Southern Baptist congregation, and the pastor there taught us from the old Scofield Study Bible that speaking in tongues was not for today, that it had passed away, so if anyone is speaking in tongues today, they are doing so by the power of the devil!

Then I got involved in a coffeehouse ministry.  I was now in high school.  I loved Jesus, and I was happy to find a place where I could hang out with other kids who loved Jesus, and we wanted to tell other kids about Him.  One of those kids said something that made me take another at tongues.  After some study, I discovered a connection between tongues and Jesus!  So, I became a Charismatic and started speaking in tongues.

Back in those days, the pro-tongues position was called "restorationism," that is, that God was restoring tongues and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit.  But, non-Pentcostals / Charismatics also believed in a form of restorationism that started with the Protestant Reformation. In recent years, the term "continuationsm" has taken over, as Pentecostals and Charismatics now say the gifts have always been available.

One factor that confounds the issue is the use of the phrase, "move of God" to refer to a new push or surge of activity in Pentecostal / Charismatic circles.  Are they truly moves of God, or something else?

I can't say for sure about this, I can only give my view based on what I have learned.  And I like to look at things from different angles than everyone else.

A while back, I began to wonder about reform movements before Luther.  I knew his was not the first, just the first to have a major impact that lasted.

I learned of the Waldensians, the Lollards, and the Hussites.  These were definite precursors to Luther because they sought to bring understanding of the Bible directly to the people.

Were they moves of God?  That is, did He start those movements?  Or, did a hunger for God spark them?

I believe that people had seen that Christianity had changed from a vibrant faith in it's earliest centuries into an institution that was riddled with superstition, ritualism, and corruption.  They wanted to recover what was lost.

Considering those movements along with those that followed, I would now call myself a recoverist.  That is, I believe the Body of Christ has been trying to recover what has been lost since it's early days.

Of course, Satan does not like this.  When God's people seek Him, Satan wants to derail those efforts.  He tries to draw our attention away from God and His Word to our own emotions, our own experiences, to his lies, to 'hidden knowledge,' all under the guise of spiritual growth.  Men without honorable intentions will also seek to exploit the good intentions of believers for their own greed.  That is why we see so much false doctrine, so many false prophetic words and faked healings and miracles, ministers falling into sin, and their followers trapped in abusive cults.

But all is not lost.  The posers are being exposed.  People are escaping cults, and recovering from the emotional damage.

RESTORING FALLEN MINISTERS

Quite a bit has been said recently about ministers that have fallen into sin.  The worst have been exposed for sexual sin, with some even facing jail or prison time and lifetime registration as an offender.  Others have used their media channels and meetings to raise large amounts of money, then used the tax free funds to buy luxurious homes for themselves.  Some have data-mined information from phone books, mailing lists, or social media to use that information to deliver false words of knowledge that they present as divinely supplied.

After the exposure, the fake preacher will move away from ministry.  Then some will come out calling for the person to be restored.

Now, we see some discussion on who can be restored, and how the restoration process should go.  I see something lacking in most of the proposals, something that Jesus spoke about.

Most have spoken about the need for forgiveness.  Of course, the victims and the Body of Christ need to forgive the offender.  But, in this call for forgiveness, I don't see anyone bringing up this passage:

Matthew 5:21-26 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.  Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

Jesus said quite a mouthful with just a few sentences!  On the surface, He doesn't seem to said that much.  But, let's look at the bigger picture, and let's start by considering who he was speaking to - Jews living in Galilee under the Roman Empire.  The Law of Moses was their primary guide, and it dominated the thinking of many.

First, Jesus reminds them of the commandment against murder.  Then, He amplifies the command to include insults.  He gives two examples of insults that will place the speaker under judgment.

The first example questions the target's character.  The second questions the target's mental capabilities.  Insults like these attack a person instead of any facts that might support their position.  Academics and attornies call them ad hominem attacks.  They regard such arguments invalid.

What Jesus did was expand murder to include the condition of the heart that would make someone murder.

Then, Jesus says something that doesn't seem to fit, a non sequitur, if you will.  He says, "...your brother has something against you," not that you have something against your brother.  Why would He say THAT?

I can understand understand why.  I have watched all of the Perry Mason series.  I have noticed that quite a few times, the murder victims were dispicable.  If I were a fictional character in those episodes, I might have killed them too.  But quite a few times, the victim was mostly inoffensive.  The motive isn't always apparent, and it becomes the biggest part of the mystery.  Most times, more than one person who knew the victim had a motive, and Perry had to eliminate each one.  So, even the nicest people could become murder victims.

Jesus, by telling a potential murder victim to seek reconciliation, He saves two lives!  God does not want anyone to murder or get murdered.

Then Jesus moves into civil affairs - lawsuits.  He favors reconciliation there too.  In those days, debtors could be imprisoned.  God doesn't want people imprisoned by debt, or to lose money over unpaid loans.

Now, how does this apply to fallen preachers?

Reconciliation between victim and defender is paramount.  Without it, the relationship will be destroyed.  This leaves an open door for other relationships to be destroyed.

The offender should be the first one to seek reconciliation.  Period.  I mean PERIOD!  Why? To prevent more offenses.

This is how the offender should seek reconciliation:

First, admit to the victim that you were wrong.  Don't be like Fonzi, go ahead and say, "I was wrong," not, "I was wr-uhhhh." You will probably feel better after you say it out loud.  God certainly will.  So will the victim.

Second, say you that are sorry, that you regret doing what you did, and you want to do better.

Finally, ask for forgiveness.  Forgiveness from the victim frees you from the worry that they might seek revenge.

Now, I do not want to forget the victim's part in the process.  The victim needs to forgive for their own spiritual health.

Without forgiveness by both, no reconciliation happens.

Without reconciliation, worship becomes meaningless.  Fallen ministers who have not reconciled with their victims remain false.  If they do get restored to ministry, then the public needs to be informed that their ministry is false also.

Smile! You never know who's watching!

Been a while since I posted any jokes, so here's a few to help you smile...

What did the Geometry teacher say when he found out his parrot escaped?

Polly gone!

What is Irish, and sits out on the porch All the time?

Patty O'Furniture

The world's shortest Irish joke:

An Irishman walks out of a bar... Hey!  It could happen!

A guy found out his blonde girlfriend had never been to a football game despite loving sports.  So, he took her to one.

They arrived at their seats just in time for the coin toss.  He was immediately concerned about her comfort, so he made sure she was settled in for the game.

She really enjoyed the experience, and he answered her questions as simply as he could.

On the way home, he asked her what she thought.  She said, "That seems to be quite a fuss over 25 cents."

He asked why she said that, and she replied, "Every time one team had the ball and they started a play, the fans for the other team would start yelling, 'Get the quarter back!  Get the quarter back!' "

A beautiful blonde takes a flight from New York to L.A.  Half an hour after takeoff, she gets out of her seat in coach and goes to first class, finds an empty seat, and sits down.

A flight attendant checks the roster, sees that the blonde is supposed to be in coach, and she tries to get her to go back to coach.  But the blonde does not accept her explanation that she hasn't paid for first class.  The blonde refuses to budge.

Every other crew member tries to get her to move, including the co-pilot.  No one succeeds. She kept saying over and over, "I'm blonde, I'm beautiful, I'm on my way to Hollywood, and I'm not moving from this seat!"

Finally, the pilot says he will get her to move, that he is married to a blonde and he knows how to talk to them.  He goes over to her, says hi, then bends over to whisper in her ear.

Her eyes pop wide open, and she rushes back to coach.  The crew watched this from the cockpit.  As the pilot got back there, they asked him what he said to make her move so fast after they all failed.

He said, "I just told her that first class wasn't going to L.A."

TRUE STORY.  One morning I come out the front of a convenience store, and right in front of the door is a vintage Corvette.  A blonde came out right behind me.

We start walking around it, checking it out.  I am a Chevy fan, so that was natural for me.

When I'm standing directly behind the car, the blonde asked what year it was.  I said, "It's a 58."  She asked how I knew that.  I just pointed at the vanity plate that said, ITSA58.

When she saw that, she turned to go on her way, slapped her forehead, and said, "Duh!  I'm a blonde!"