01.03. Section Two - Sin Amoung Leaders
SECTION II DEALING WITH SIN AMONG LEADERS When leadership sins, the result is not like hidden leaven, gradually influencing the whole loaf.
It is more like a sledge hammer, bringing immediate destruction to the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The more wide-spread the influence, authority, and fame of the leader, the greater the destructive potential of his fall.
Because of this, the New Testament contains special comments and instructions concerning leaders who fall into sin. For example, James cautions Christians about the danger of becoming a teacher.
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
38 Teachers will incur a stricter judgment than other members of the church. James states that the risk of erring as a teacher is a very great risk because anyone who does not stumble in what he says, is a perfect man.
39 The reasons for this stricter judgment are apparent.
1. Teachers mistakes will have multiplied effect in the life of the church 2. Teachers have more knowledge than most members of the Body. Stricter judgment will be required of those who possess the greater knowledge. In this study, we will examine the New Testament passages that address the issue of sinning leaders. THE TRAGIC FATE OF DESTRUCTIVE LEADERS Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
40 The issue before Paul in this passage is the condition of the local church and the party spirit that was growing in the Corinthian church. Four different parties are named in the opening chapter of the epistle, 41
38 James 3:1-2
39 James’ discourse on the uncontrollable nature of the tongue (3:2-13) is a tangent that radiates from his warning to teachers.
41 1 Corinthians 1:10-31
Unless corrected, this party spirit would result in the fracturing and destruction of the local church. The first four chapters of the epistle call the Corinthian Church to a correct view of leadership. They are told to stop exalting God’s messengers and to view them as servants of God and servants to the church.
42 To make his point, Paul describes the local church as being a temple of the Holy Spirit, built upon the foundation of Christ.
43 He then gives solemn warning to all who have instigated, led, or contributed to the formation of parties.
If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him.
44 Evidently, the spirit of division was so wide-spread that there was no opportunity to single out guilty individuals for discipline. Since Paul’s authority was being challenged by those of the Apollos, Cephas, and Christ parties, Paul was in the position of being able to do no more than give this warning. To do otherwise would have been viewed as self serving and would have resulted in the very destruction of the local church that he sought to prevent.
Ultimately, the Lord Himself is the one to whom all will answer. This is one of the most sobering verses in the Bible, as far as leadership is concerned. The horror contemplated in this verse should give pause to any leaders who are prone to cavalier action.
WOLVES AND HERETICS Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
45 42 1 Corinthians 3:4-9 43 1 Corinthians 3:10 ff 44 1 Corinthians 3:17
45 Acts 20:28-38 In his address to the Ephesian elders, Paul warns them about the certainty of the emergence of self-serving leaders. He warns them that there will be some who come from outside of the flock.
These he calls “wolves.” Others will arise from within the eldership itself. A wolf is defined as, “One who does not care about the sheep; in a wolf’s eyes, the sheep exist only for the benefit of the wolf.” Such men come into the church only for personal gain. The same thing is true for those from within the flock who begin drawing people to themselves.
They have a need to be “somebody” and so they manipulate the people into following them. The most prevalent tool for such manipulation is perverted teaching.
Paul warned Timothy about the certainty of this phenomena, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, the will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.
46 To Titus, Paul gave similar warning, For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain.
47 What should be done when such “drawing away of disciples” occurs?
First, it is the responsibility of apostles and elders to build the church upon the truth. By devoting themselves to the constant teaching of sound doctrine and exhorting the people in it, apostles and elders create a prophylactic against the members’ vulnerability to false doctrine.
Those who have been indoctrinated with the truth will not be so easily enticed into error.
It also is the responsibility of apostles and elders to refute the false teachers. Thus, Paul says that anyone chosen to be an elder must be equipped to do this.
48 Apostles and elders must answer to God for the flock.
49 Too often elders have watched silently while various “teachers” have drawn members of the flock to themselves through television, radio, books, and large rallies. Usually, such speakers have a dramatic or distinctive doctrine that “tickles the ears” of the people.
50 As distasteful as the task may be, elders must lose their timidity about addressing the false teaching manipulation of these ministries. Such teachers are wolves.
46 2 Timothy 4:3-4 47 Titus 1:10-11
48 Titus 1:9 49 Hebrews 13:17 50 2 Timothy 4:3-22 Within the flock there also will be those who seek to generate a following. Often, those guilty of this offense are unconscious of their own motives and tend to rationalize or justify both their actions and the results. It is not uncommon for a member of the church staff or an elder to be guilty of such an offense. Neither is it unusual for a member of a church board or a council of elders to feel that he represents a certain “constituency” within the Body. Such divisive situations must be addressed.
Paul instructed Titus that such men should be given no more than two warnings. If change does not occur after two warnings, the man is to be rejected or avoided. But shun foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man 51 after a first and second warning; knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
52 Similar instructions are given to the Roman church, Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
53 Considering these two passages together, we make the following observations, 1. These instructions are given both to leadership (Titus), and to the whole church (Romans). The instructions to “keep away from them,” if followed, will stifle the activity of “heretics.” Such people thrive on opportunities for “friendly discussion”.
2. The instruction to Titus, “have nothing to do with him,” is realistic. Further efforts to change the behavior of such persons, after two attempts, is not good stewardship of time.
It also would give the offender an undeserved sense of importance.
3. Again, the “teaching you have learned,” is an antidote for the poison of divisive teaching. In none of these instances is the church told to do more than to approach a schismatic and attempt to get him to abandon his divisive activity. If that does not work, then he is to be shunned. Those who do not repent, are to be left in God’s hands for judgment.
54 Of course, his teaching is to be refuted if it is being presented publicly. Paul wrote to Titus that such refutation is one of the primary duties of eldership,
51 The Greek word is aiJretiko>n (hairetikon), heretic. This is the only place that this term occurs in the New Testament. It means one who insists on his own opinions, which are devoid of true Scriptural basis and which produce division.
52 Titus 3:9-11 NAS 53 Romans 16:17-18
54 The darkest pages of Church History are those that contain the record of the torture and execution of “heretics.” There is no New Testament authority for such horrors.18...holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain.
55 This is what Paul did in Galatia, when Peter succumbed to the pressure of Judaizing teachers. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, `If you being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
56 SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING SINNING ELDERS Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin... The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.
57 These verses do not refer to those who are in some wandering ministry, nor are they heretical sheep. The reference is to men who are in the established role of elder in the local church.
Paul began this section by cautioning against responding to every complaint brought against an elder. There always will be those who do not like any authority over them. The perversity of the flesh consistently stimulates criticism of leadership. If two or three witnesses bring a charge against an elder, it is to be heard. Otherwise, it should be ignored. When two witnesses bring charges, and an investigation proves them to be true, all of the procedures and actions related to any sinning brother should be followed.
58 If the sinning elder does not repent, then the airing of these matters should be held before the whole church. This will tend to prevent two kinds of sin, 1. False accusations against elders; 2. A casual attitude toward sin.
55 Titus 1:9-11 56 Galatians 2:14 57 1 Timothy 5:19-25
58 See Section I 19 Persistently sinning elders 59 are not afforded the privilege of privacy. Their sins are to be dealt with in public. Even though the rebuking of a fellow elder and dear friend may break the heart of the other elders, it must be done. No partiality or preference should be allowed to interfere.
Two questions must be asked at this point, 1. What sins merit such action?
2. What happens after an unrepentant elder is rebuked?
Both of these questions are difficult to answer. The best answer than can be given to the first question is that charges must involve deeds that clearly are labeled, “sin,” in the New Testament. Such things as not spending enough time in prayer and Bible reading, not putting enough money in the offering bag, watching too much television, drinking coffee, clothing styles, etc, are not the sort of thing that would call for a hearing before the church. Adultery, lying, stealing, and other blatant sins do merit such a hearing. The second question is not so easy to answer. Much depends on the outcome of the hearing.
Since the passage before us does not spell out what is to be done, we must look to other passages for guidance. The only example that seems to be pertinent is Matthew 18:17, the scenario in which a church member refuses to abide by the judgment of the church. If the sinning elder refuses to repent and submit to the judgment of the local church government, then he must be excommunicated.
60 In the case of a repentant brother, the answer becomes more difficult. Certainly, forgiveness and the desire to see full restoration must be on the heart of the church members. This is consistent with Galatians 6:1, discussed in the earlier section of the paper.
However, a decision must be made about the restoration process. Should the repentant elder be immediately restored to full function as if nothing had happened? Experience leads us to conclude that this is not a wise move.
Several factors must be considered. First, is the question of the elder’s own well being. Is the sin evidence of a spiritual or character flaw that needs to be overcome? If so, it would be unfair to put him immediately back under the pressure of church leadership responsibility. A second factor is one of trust. Will the members of the congregation trust his leadership?
59 The form of the Greek participle in this passage implies persistent sin. The NAS correctly communicates this sense by the terminology, Those who continue in sin.
60 Who should hear the case? Ideally, the council of elders in the local church. If this is not possible, or if it does not seem feasible or wise, apostolic brothers should serve as the court. Of course, in denominational churches, the appropriate denominational authorities would serve in this capacity.20 A third consideration is his reputation in the community. One qualification for eldership is that he have a good reputation among non-Christians.
61 Sinful behavior by church leaders causes the Bride of Christ to be looked upon with mockery and scorn. The church must send a signal to the world that the Kingdom of God is a society in which sin is not tolerated.
62 Wisdom, therefore, would dictate that even though the sinning elder has repented, he should be removed from the council of elders. depending upon the circumstances, he may be given an extended sabbatical or he may be removed totally.
Although the sabbatical has come into vogue as an almost routine response to elder sin, removal would seem to be more appropriate. When the leader is given a sabbatical, the assumption is made that he will return to the role of elder. This creates expectations that may interfere with he healing of the man, the building of trust, and the message sent to the world.
Removal avoids all of these problems. The man is freed to seek his identity and worth in Christ, not in his role as an elder. The church can love him and support him as a person, not as an elder. This would enhance his healing. The church and the world would observe him as he rebuilds his life and his relationship with Christ - not for the purpose of regaining his position in leadership, but for the purpose of being holy.
Throughout the early months, the church must be diligent in helping the repentant former elder through encouragement, accountability, and expressions of love. He is a casualty in the battle, not an enemy.
If the elder had been salaried by the church, it would be appropriate to continue the salary for a period of time, as he re-adjusts his life. The cutting off of income would be punitive. The goal is the restoration of the man, as a person and as a member of the body. All things should be done with gentleness. Should he return to the role of elder? Perhaps. This would depend upon the will of God. The other elders, or apostolic leadership, may receive in prayer a witness that this man is to become an elder once again. If this happens, then formal restoration before the assembled church should take place. The information available to us from the Apostolic Fathers indicates that this would be done by the laying on of hands and prayer.
61 1 Timothy 3:7 62 The church is an “alternative society.” Sin always will be a part of the world. The church, however, is a society which offers an alternative to life in the world. This distinction often is missed by those who seek through legislation and political activity to make society conform to the standards of God.21 A SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS FROM SECTION II 1. The sin of leaders is more serious than sin among the flock because of the multiplied effect upon the Church.
2. Those leaders, official or unofficial, who destroy a local church will face destruction by God.
3. Those leaders, official or unofficial, who draw disciples away after themselves and their false teaching are wolves.
4. Divisive teaching and behavior must be exposed and rebuked.
5. Heretical teaching is to be refuted, but the heretic is to be left in the hands of God for punishment.
6. No accusations should be received against elders unless it is substantiated by at least two witnesses.
7. Sinning elders should be confronted in private.
8. Unrepentant elders must be publicly exposed and removed from office.
9. Repentant sinning elders should be removed from office and helped to rebuild their lives.
10. If there is a witness from the Holy Spirit that a former elder is to be returned to his role, restoration should begin with a public meeting in which hands are laid on the elder as a part of his re-instatement.
11. All of the Scriptures that apply to dealing with sin in the lives of Christians also apply to church leaders.22