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IN PUBLIC VS. SECRET

Unknown
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
Okay, in TIMOTHY 5: 20
20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

but in Matthew 18:15-17
Dealing with a Sinning Brother
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.’[a] 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.

So which shud we do??

Comments

  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    I think it depends on the situation, whether it can wait or not, and how severe it is.
  • mnc_hnnmnc_hnn
    yeah i agree with christ4life

    I think it depends on the situation, whether it can wait or not, and how severe it is.

  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    Like let's say somebody curses a lot, although its really bad, it can wait until you tell them in private. If someone is going to kill someone however, that definitely cannot wait and that person must be contained, nomatter what the circumstances are.
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    well not neccassarily, if you remember the Samaritan woman, she confessed her sins in front of the whole town....
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    you said it would make them afraid, but the Samaritan woman confessed her sins in front of the whole town. I think the point is to scare the people, so that they do not commit the same sin...
  • Unknown
    ok marmar.... i think that maybe it does depend on the situation. but it means in the beginning right when something happens go talk to the person right away so u dont waste ur time sinning against him. if he doesnt answer to you take 2 of ur closese friends, close to u and him, and have them know about it and try to help. if that doesnt work then u can go to the abouna of the church and have him help u figure it out. i know this might not explain itself well and that maybe i am confusing but i hope u get it. in the end if he doesnt wnana be ur friend at all let him be.... that will be a sin even though u tried.

    AMEN!
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    How about about pray and say something? lol... its better for the following reasons: 1) That person may still commit that sin, since nobody tells him its wrong he may think its right. 2) He might think nobody cares enough to tell him, and then get a negative position about life. 3) If you and a couple people went, or if Abouna/ the Church tells him, that will be more persuasive to him. He wouldn't know that you prayed for him, but he would know if you went for him.
  • [Deleted User]
    my FOC used to tell me if the person committing sin is your age or younger talk to them, but if they are older pray for them to change. u should pray in both instances of course but the point was you cant always talk to them. having said that, i think it depends on the sin also. and maybe surrounding verses in timothy would help.
  • egyprincessegyprincess
    maybe i can be of some assistance.
    during the days of the early church, people confessed their sins in public. that got to be too judgemental, and less and less people were confessing, so the church changed it to confessing to priest only.

    for the timothy verse an example would be if someone is talking in church. dont take them aside and tell them to be quiet, no, tell that person, in a nice way, in front of whoever is there to stop talking, so the rest see not to do that.

    hope that helped
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    Ok, I'm sorry I haven't been replying, I just didn't know what to say. It didn't occur to me that if they're older they might not want to listen to, so you'll want to take people that are older than you both, such as Abouna.
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