Woman complains to Fox news about being disciplined by her church

1Co 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
1Co 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
1Co 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

 

Ooohhhh....dueling scriptures!

 

Matthew 18:15
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Rebecca trespassed against nosy churchlady....how??

 

Hey, if she is sinning out there in the open and the Church knows about it they did the proper thing. In Florida if you commit adultery there is no legal recourse beside just to divorce the spouse, but 45 min to my North in Alabama adultery can be used against the cheating spouse. If all the states had this law/rule a man or woman might think twice before commiting adultery

 

What do you suggest? The death penalty?

 

HEe already stated that in his post

Which is good in my opinion because it may keep some from adultry, and fi not they know what it will cost them.

 

Donna, Exactly. Sorta like the lion tamer sticking his head in the "Trained" lions mouth. There might be that chance he will bite it off, but you know the risk when you do it. The same with that woman. Being saved is not a License to sin. She is unrepenting and the Church is doing what is right.

 

If she left the Church, why not just remove her from the role either by process of the bylaws or at the next business meeting?

 

1Ti 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.


Once her sin became public it must be dealt with by the entire congregation. That others may see it and know that it is not tolerated.

 

I applaud the Church for their effort to keep the flock accountable for their earthly walk. I do see something here that I'd like to question.

1. It seems she was trying to end the relationship and according to her she lacked the power. I'm torn trying to imagine a Christian powerless to conquer their sin in relation to a Church who looses patience with one who is trying. I would feel the Church was 100% correct if she made no attempt to correct her sinful activities but when one is trying and feeling unable to conquer sin I would think this was a burden the Church should have shared.

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

2. The Church clearly blurred steps 1 and 2 by having a meeting without the woman prior to step 2. This means there was already bias before those who met with her in step 2 heard her side of the situation. I also have to wonder, if she was sincere and explained that she had tried to end the relationship 10x and that she felt weak and powerless to her lustful feelings, why didn't the Church form a circle around her so that they might be her strength.

3. If this person has left the Church and is no longer actively worshiping with the congregation, why don't they just remove her from the role and move on?

The steps regarding Church discipline are clear in Mt 18 but the spirit by which we administer the discipline is given in Gal 6:1.

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

I don't want to judge the Church because I wasn't there but from the article and the letter it doesn't seem they had the right spirit toward correction. We are all human and this is a very hard line to walk. So even if they didn't do 100% right on this issue, the Lord blesses their effort and with what they learned in this experience they may be able to restore the next one. That is my prayer...

 

This is how you discipline elders... We are held to a different standard in this regard because we should truly know better. The sheep are handled a bit more gingerly so we can balance discipline with Godly growth.

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

And also, if she has left the Church then there is no chance of her leavening the lump so what would be the point in dragging her back to the Church for public humiliation?

 

Everybody should truly no better. This adult woman should truly know better. Where in scripture does it insist to handle the sheep a bit more gently so as to balance anything?

God struck annanias and saphira dead because they lied. Nothing ginger their.When we diminish the truth of the ugliness of sin we diminish the gospel. Christ did not get beaten beyond recognition, hang on the cross, and die because sin has little to no weight. And the finished work of the cross, contrary to popular belief, does not mean that the weight of sin gets ignored either. The true weight of sin must be made clear else the gospel is diminished.

 

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

 

No he didn't. He said it should be used against them. In what way?

Was this a case of cheating? I believe I read the woman was not married.

And if the church ladies were staking out her house to spy on her personal life, they should be disciplined. What a bunch of busybodies. This woman's personal business is none of theirs.

 

Since she did not want to be restored she has rejected this admonition. This most certainly makes no implication that the sheep should be handled more gingerly.

 

According to the article she was trying to end the relationship...

 

Her actions do not match her words.

 

If she were trying why is she still living in sin? Repentance and a desire to live for God would go a long way toward helping her get out of this sinful relationship with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Of course they could have just gotten married.
She chose to live a sinful lifestyle and apparently had no problem with sin until now.

 

I didn't see anywhere anyone was staking out her house, I think most people have soemthing better to do. No one had to stake out her house, she went to church and bragged about her sinful lifestyle to another woman, thinking there was nothing wrong with sin.