No perfect ministry, no perfect minister

[Glory of His Cross Prophetic Ministries]

 

Bro.R. Stanley of Blessing Youth Mission wrote the following message:

 

“The stone obviously refers to Jesus. He is the "stumbling stone" and the "rock of offense" (Rom 9:33; Isa 8:14a). Here's a lesson of immense practical value: Never work against God!

The Lord brought down Paul the religious zealot from his arrogance and pride, and blinded him to teach him the painful truth: "It is hard for you to kick against thorns" (Acts 9:5). Even though Paul had studied under Professor Gamaliel, he had not understood this truth properly. For Gamaliel the guiding principle in ambiguous situations was, "If this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you will not be able to stop it. You may even find yourselves fighting against God" (Acts 5:34, 38, and 39).

God has raised so many ministries these days at the finishing stage of world evangelization. Some are independent ministries and some institutional. In our fallen nature, each of us thinks that his ministry is better than all the rest! If we do not correct this thinking, we would go about finding fault with everyone. The "speck" in other ministries will look to us bigger than the "girder" in our own! I had the same spirit in the early years of my ministry. When the Cross of Christ worked deeply in me, I began to change. I started appreciating the good in others. I resisted the impulsive behavior to jump to quick conclusions. I became aware of the weaknesses in my own ministry and started weeping in secret.

I concluded, "There is no perfect minister or ministry in Christendom. All have pluses and minuses, strengths and weaknesses. We must build others and not break them. If I claim to be an apple of God's eye, the preacher with whom I disagree also is an apple of God's eye— His other eye! I must not work against God—even unawares. God is a Rock. I must not dash against it and break my head; nor should I be crushed by it!"

Headstrong pride, feet slippery envy,
Unjust hatred, unholy anger;
No, no such sinful trait
Can love ever contemplate;
Brotherly love is divine seed—
so let's love in word and deed!
(From Apostle Paul's Epistles)….”

 

I do agree to the above message written by our dear elder brother in Christ, R. Stanley of Blessing Youth Mission.  However, this message does in fact raise some fundamental issues.

Can we point out the doctrinal errors of ministries or the sins of ministers in public as we are supposed to discern the false teachings and to warn the children of God against the preachers of false doctrines and against those ministers who continue to sin without repentance?

In the August 2012 issue of Blessing magazine, a missionary of Blessing Youth Mission, namely Sankar has mentioned as follows in his article titled “Unity in diversity”:

“Unity in major issues; liberty in minor issues; charity in everything is a good dictum to follow. Our common enemy is Satan only. We should be against his evils.

Difference is only between light and darkness, Christ and Satan, believer and unbeliever. Can there by divisions among us who call ourselves the Church of the Living God?”

There should be unity in major issues of doctrines.  In case some preacher continues to preach some pernicious doctrines which strike at the roots of our Christian faith, then we have to expose such false doctrines because truth is greater than any individual minister of God.  We can simply ignore minor issues.  Apostolic creed forms the basic affirmation of truth by the Christians.  Any doctrinal issue other than the apostolic creed may be treated as minor issues.  If some minister of God preaches on some extra Biblical experiences that run contrary to the New Testament truth, then we can expose the same as unscriptural.

In the event of any minister of God falling into some abominable sin and the same being exposed in public domain, we have to exercise righteous judgment.  We are supposed not to accuse but to judge righteously.  It is possible that the servant of God might have been forgiven by God over his/her past sin. Or there may be some exaggeration of the truth in the public domain.

 According to the law of evidence in the book of Deuteronomy which was stressed by Paul, every allegation has to be proved through the mouth of two or three witnesses.  We should not go by what has been published or revealed in the public domain until and unless we have the testimony of witnesses with us and the explanation of the accused minister of God.  One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Duet.19:15). Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. (I Tim. 5:19).

If it is proved by reliable evidence that the servant of God continues to indulge in this sin or attempts to camouflage his past sin without repentance in the light of the incriminating evidence against him, we have to confront him with the evidence at hand and warn him publicly so that he may not sin again. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. (I Tim.5:20).

Please note that you have to rebuke him in the presence of all.  It cannot be done in an internet forum whereas the accused person is not heard and the witnesses are not present. If the servant of God is the pastor of a local church, then the open rebuke has to be made in presence of the elders or of the congregation. You can surely rebuke him in the church taking the affected person with you or the witness with you.

"…….if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican."  (Matthew 18:17). If the elders of the church fail to warn the erring pastor, then they will face God’s judgment. The church is the final authority as they have to exercise this God-given authority.  In case the local church abdicates its responsibility, then the aggrieved person can approach a higher authority in the hierarchy of the church. In case the accused minister is outside the jurisdiction of any such higher church authority or in case the higher church authority does not listen to the victim or the one who takes up the cause of the victim concerned, then the aggrieved person can approach any Christian organization that takes up the cause of such victims for giving him/her the needed justice. This Christian organization can take up the matter with the erring minister of God concerned. If the erring minister of God does not listen to the “church”, then the former can be treated as a heathen and a publican.  The local church or the Christian organization should make a thorough investigation of the allegations before condemning the suspect pastor or the minis5er concerned. The punitive function of the Christian organization is ultimately to take recourse to an open forum or public domain to treat the offender as a heathen and a publican. “The church” means a body of elders either in the local church or in any Christian organization/NGO formed with the mission of rendering justice to the victims of scandals.

In case there is no such Christian organization, then the aggrieved person can approach the law enforcement authorities of the land who are also called God’s servants to execute judgment on the criminals.

“…. it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.  For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. (Romans 13:4).

Can we judge an elder or a minister of God?

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

If we take the view that judging is completely and totally forbidden, then that would make the doctrinal and moral purity of the church impossible to maintain. This would violate other teachings and divine examples that Christ has revealed in His word (see: Matthew 7:15; John 5:30; 7:24). It would commit us to neutrality and that is the very opposite of the stance Christ wants us to take. 

What many fail to realize is that Jesus taught, (in the same context of instructing us to "judge not") that we are given the right and responsibility to make judgments in order to help our fellow man with their problem of sin, provided we have first "to remove the plank from our own eye." Jesus expects you to be able to see clearly, so that you can "remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:5). So there are judgments to be made, within ourselves, and of others. 

But then, what judging is the Lord telling us not to practice?  Jesus is forbidding the judging that is for the purpose of putting down others to exalt one's self. It is the habit of finding fault in others when really there are more faults within yourself. How can you expect to help a person with a few transgressions when you are overwhelmed with the sin of pride? The Pharisees who had brought the adulterous woman to Jesus for judgment were filled with pride in their hearts. Jesus simply teaches that in order to pass righteous judgment on another, we ought to first examine ourselves. Let us remove the plank in our eye. Then, and only then, can we see clearly to remove the speck in our brother's eye. 

The teaching of Jesus in this passage is concerned with the attitude of a man, not a complete absence of our judgment. Christ is not permitting us to avoid making hard decisions or taking difficult stands. He is warning us not to have a bitter, hypercritical, faultfinding spirit. That is a haughty attitude God will not tolerate. 

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24).

For making righteous judgment, we should know all the facts through reliable evidence.  It should not be “hearsay evidence”. Hearsay is information gathered by one person from another person concerning some event, condition, or thing of which the first person had no direct experience. When submitted as evidence, such statements are called hearsay evidence.

 - Job Anbalagan