Emanna for 10/27/2019
Telling Others About a Sinning Brother
Bible Verses
Matthew 18:15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. (16) But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. Words of Ministry
If you go to him
[the sinning brother]
by yourself and speak
to him with a proper motive, a good attitude, and gentle
words, and he still does not hear you, then go and tell
others about it. However, you must tell someone else only
after he has rejected your words. You must not tell others
loosely. The only time we should tell another person or
persons is when one party will not receive the admonition.
The purpose of telling others is not to multiply the gossip
but to invite others to exhort, help, and fellowship
together.
The "one or two more" here should be experienced persons in
the Lord; they should be those who are weighty in their
spiritual measure. You should present the case before them
and ask for their opinions. They should check whether the
fault lies with the offending one. The mature ones should
pray and consider the matter before the Lord and then
arbitrate according to their spiritual discernment. If they
feel that the fault lies with the offending brother, they
should go to that brother and say, "You are wrong in this
matter. By doing this you have cut yourself off from the
Lord. You must repent and confess."
Do not invite talkative persons to such a meeting. Talkative
ones can never convince people; instead, invite those who are
trustworthy, honest, spiritual, and experienced before the
Lord. In this way every word will be established by the mouth
of two or three witnesses.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, Messages for Building Up New Believers, pp.358-359. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.