Public Condemnation of Bible Characters

Equivalent to using face book today

By Carl O. Cooper

            Lately there have been articles posted on face book concerning brothers in the church who have demonstrated public sin and have refused to repent. These brothers have been open and notorious in their flaunting behavior not suitable for Christians. And in spite of numerous calls for repentance they have refused to change their behavior and even seem to insist that they have done nothing wrong. Faithful brethren have tried to talk to them and nothing has changed. As a last resort their sins have been described in detail and posted publicly on face book for all to see. Even videos have been posted to show and to prove the accusations against them.

            But well meaning brethren who saw these posts have taken a stance against the brother who posted the evidence of the sins. The reasoning of these brethren seems to be a misunderstanding of what a Christian should do when he discovers another brother in sin. Just what is our responsibility in a case such as this? This too, has been described in detail by those posting comments on this face book post. After studying what people are saying, it is obvious that there is a mass misunderstanding of what is required when some brother commits open and notorious sin and refuses to repent.

            From reading what people are saying on this face book post it would seem that many are under the impression that the same response is required to deal with sin no matter what type of sin we are dealing with. Let me tell you right now that this is not the proper answer.

            Most of the people who objected to these face book posts used the same Scripture to make their judgments and to form their opinion about what is the proper way to handle every brother’s sin. Most quoted Matthew 18:15-17 (NKJV)

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him      alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three             witnesses every word may be established.’

17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church,            let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

            Now read these verses carefully. This is one specific type of situation where sin is involved. Note what this Scripture says; “Moreover if your brother sins against you,”. This is describing a situation where a brother sins against you personally. This is not describing a brother caught up in public sins where everyone can see what he is doing and he refuses to repent. If I have a private dispute with my brother, these verses tell me how to handle that. The proper action is very clear in a case like that and it does not include marking him or notifying other brethren about his sinful actions.

            But, all sins are not the same and we have other examples to deal with open and notorious sins from which a brother refuses to repent.

            Take this brother in the New Testament church that Peter warned the brethren about. Now Peter did not have face book but he used the face book of his day to report to all the churches about the open and notorious sins of the brother Diotrephes.

            3 John 1:9-10 (NKJV) 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.  

            Peter posted this information about Diotrephes in the most public format he had in his day. He put the information into a letter sent to all the churches and it would be visible to everyone who saw the letters.

            The same is true about Demas the co-worker of Paul. 2 Timothy 4:9-10 (NKJV)

9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica.

            Just like John, Paul did not hesitate to post Demas’ unfaithfulness in the most public forum he had available.

            Now if you think this is isolated incidents, consider Peter’s sinful actions in Galatia with “not eating with the Gentiles” in Galatians 2:12. Paul made Peter’s actions very public in the letters he sent to the churches.

            And there was Hymenaeus and Alexander, Christians who had fallen away.

1 Timothy 1:19-20 (KJV) 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

            There are many other examples I could name but this is enough to show that there are different types of sin and there are different ways to deal with those who are involved. For a personal sin against you, there is one way to deal with it. But for open and notorious sins of brethren who refuse to repent, the Bible gives us numerous examples of marking them publicly.