To all members of the church of christ, I have a question?

Question

Ok my fiance and his family are devout members of the church of christ. He told me of a situation that caused his church to split. Even his pastor left. A member got divorced from his wife, married another member, and supposedly this man was still allowed to pass out communion, lead in prayer, sing, etc.
Well everyone just had a fit that he was allowed to do this because it just wasnt right.
My argument is this, what makes these people feel like they have the right to pass judgement on this man for sinning, when everyday we sin?? Is this mans sin worse than other peoples sins? It is specific in the Bible not to judge other people and only God has the right to judge. Why is this teaching from Jesus being obviously overlooked by this new testament church? I want answers from other Church of christ goers.
Thanks

No one is perfect, we all sin, but what makes this mans sin worse than everyone elses? Isnt a sin a sin except for blasphemy? Why is he so condemned for his when none of us are truly deserving of Gods glory?

Answer 1

I am a member of the Church of Christ, and I thank you for your good question!

Yes, all sin is wrong, and we have all sinned! (Romans 3:23) If leadership in the worship were limited to only non-sinners, then there would be none who could lead prayers, singing, etc.

As for the issue of divorce and remarriage, Jesus said that if any divorces his wife, except for the cause of fornication, and marries another, then he commits adultery. (Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:9) This is the only reason the scriptures offer that give the divorced person the scriptural right to remarry.

If you will notice, Matthew 19:9 says he “commits adultery”. The idea is, as long as he lives in a marriage relationship with a woman that he had no scriptural right to have as his wife, he continues to commit adultery.

While “sin is sin”, there is a vast difference in having sin in one’s past and having a current life of sin with ongoing sin that one has not repented of.

We should all strive to “walk in the light”! (1 John 1:7) Those who are trying to live a faithful (not perfect, but faithful) life should be the ones chosen to lead in worship.

In my opinion, however, those who have publicly known, continuing, un-repented of sins, should not. How can such a one lead us spiritually when they continue in sin and will not turn from it? What type of example does it also set to have such a one as the leader in worship? Does this not seem to say that it is ok to ignore a continuing sin?

Would a church, for example, ask a person to lead worship when they are known to be a public drunkard every Monday thru Saturday, or who lives a lifestyle caught up in any other sin? Could such a person lead us spiritually?

To be a leader of the church, a person must first strive to be a follower of Christ. If one continues to reject the instructions of Christ, then they should not be asked to lead in worship.

Whether you agree or disagree, I hope this helps in the understanding of this issue.

One more point, however. I do not know anything about the congregation other than what you have told, but perhaps they could have handled this issue better. It is a drastic move to split the church!

Instead, perhaps this could have been handled in private by asking that particular person to not take the public leadership roles in the worship. Perhaps this could have been handled through a discussion with the elders, requesting that those who schedule the people to lead in worship not to ask this person to take these roles. Perhaps other steps could have, or should have been taken before this led to such a division. Perhaps these steps were taken, but failed. I don’t know, but it is tragic that this ended the way it apparently did!

Answer 2

Jesus also specifically taught that divorce and re-marriage was the exact same thing as adultery - so that this member was an adulterer. The scriptures are also clear that those members continuing to live in a sinful lifestyle should be expelled from the church.

Or put it in worldly terms - suppose the man was a pedophile who had been convicted of molesting young boys, and the church left him there in a leadership role, teaching a Bible study for young boys - it is easy to quote Matthew 7:1 until you are blue in the face and ignore all the other scriptures which plainly teach the church to disfellowship from an erring brother.

Answer 3

I do not know all of the specifics, so I will state what I am assuming. I assume that this individual divorced his wife without Scriptural authority, that is for adultry (Mt 19:9). If he continues his marriage with the new wife, he is willfully sinning without repentance. That is different than the sins I may commit unwillingly everyday. His current marriage is unacceptable to God, and should be unacceptable to the church (comparable to the situation in 1 Corinthians 5). I hope this helps.

Answer 4

The first thing that someone should be considering is whether the idea of sin is actually real.

If God is supposed to be perfect how could She have made anything or anyone that wasn't perfect.
Think about it. The idea of sin assumes certain things about God that seem highly unlikely.

First it assumes a God who is too incompetent to organize a simple educational field excursion and figure out a way to get all of the students home safely.

How likely is this that God would not be smart enough to come up with a plan for our salvation that is going to work 100 percent of the time?

It also assumes that God must have created us imperfect if we are sinners.

One might assume that God would be able to create someone perfect each and every time if he chose to. Assuming God is capable of this, then it follows logically that we must be perfect creations if we are actually creations of this perfect God.

Unless of course you are saying that God chose to create us imperfect.

If God created us imperfect then anything that may go wrong is Gods fault, not ours. This seems a bit illogical at best so I think that we need to assume that What God creates would have to be perfect.

If this is the case and Gods creations are perfect, then nothing that we can do could change what God created perfect and make it imperfect unless we think that we are more powerful than God is.

How likely is it that we the creation could be more powerful than the creator. I personally find this idea somewhat amusing, and a bit absurd.

Religion tells us that God is perfect. If this is true then it could hardly be logically for Gods creations to be considered to be anything less than perfect.

If this is the case and we are perfect creations of a perfect God then Nothing that we can ever do could possibly change this perfection that God willed, unless we were so powerful that our choices could override and change the will of God.

How likely is that????

Think about it.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 5

well, that is a sad thing to know. Church administration today do everything for the welfare of its members. we are always taught how to live our lives the righteous way and they make sure that everything is according to the holy scriptures. we are all humans, our church understands reality. there are church policies, it conforms to every regions and cultures. you may find some policies in a region strict and some policies are linient depending on the culture. yes you may find some member who where allowed to devorce and some were allowed to remarry again, and these are case to case basis. that is to prevent further damages on our church. our church administration make sure to it that every move we make is according to the bible and the laws of humans. God gave them the right to decide: "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you." (Heb. 13:17, New International Version). i am sure there is a concrete basis on the bible why our church allow these things to happen. i wish i could tell you how but everything is kept confidencial, for privacy sake. of course there are limitation and to those who exceed will be subject to diciplinary actions to the extent of being expeled from church, unfortunately some are indefinitely excluded from being a church member. Faithful members of the Church are subject to the Church Administration by being bound on earth. No less than our Lord Jesus Christ explained the importance of being one with the leaders of the Church. This is what He said: "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Mt. 18:18, Ibid.)

the church administration should not be blamed to whatever shortcomings of a member. because the church always reminded the right way of living, that's twice a day everyweek. its not that i am blaming other members but like i said, we are still human, we can think, we can choose, that is freewill.

you know what, i felt sorry for your fiance. yes i do met some of the same situation. but i also realize that humans have limitations, it's unfair to blame the church. i learned that our church today, the thing that matters most is the teaching. because i sincerely believe that words of God will never currupt.

thanks for asking.

Answer 6

i'm a member of the church of Christ. i've got self assurance the entire Bible is the notice of God and there's a lot we are able to learn from the two the previous and New Testaments, yet we are concern to the recent testomony. The instructions and ideas of worship interior the previous testomony have been replaced by the instructions and instructions for worship interior the recent testomony. In Galatians 5, there have been some in New testomony circumstances who have been nevertheless attempting to bind circumcision, an previous testomony command, as being necessary. Paul informed them, in the event that they certain this one merchandise, they have been "debtor to do the entire regulation." (verse 3) ("The regulation" being the regulation of Moses.) In different words, if this became nevertheless a call for because of the fact it became commanded interior the OT, then by an analogous authority they could could desire to do each and every thing the OT instructions - animal sacrifices, each and every year journeys to Jerusalem, feasts, Sabbath days, and so on. "For whosoever shall shop the entire regulation, and yet offend in one factor, he's answerable for all." (James 2:10) Paul went on in Galatians 5:4 says that people who nevertheless look for to be justified by the regulation have "fallen from grace'. As for there being "one authentic church", Ephesians 4:4 says, "there is one physique..." Verse 5 says there is one Lord and verse 6 says there is one God. there is entirely “one physique” merely as constructive as there is entirely one authentic God. in the past in Ephesians (a million:22-23) it says that Christ is the top of the physique. have you ever seen a head related to extra advantageous than one physique? Such isn't organic. those verses go directly to tell what this “physique” is. they are asserting, “And hath placed all issues under his ft, and gave him to be the top over all issues to the church, it rather is his physique…” The church is his physique, and the physique is the church. (Col. a million:18, 24) The church is the physique, and there is entirely one physique, consequently, there is entirely one authentic church! (For a talk approximately music interior the church, please see my answer to a diverse question on the link under.)

Answer 7

There is some Biblical backing for these peoples reactions. deacons /elders as well as pastors/bishops in the Church are held to a higher standard than laymen... Paul told Timothy this...

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Ist Timothy 3:1-13

Also if the man divorced for any other reason than adultery than he should not be honored with the office of deacon . he should have stepped down.

Answer 8

Thou hypocrite, first take the beam out of their eye than they can see clearly to take the speck from their brother eye.
Judge not lest you be judged by the same measure by which you judge.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Answer 9

should wemon of the church of Christ post prayers on any web page such as facebook

Answer 10

It is a falsehood that the Bible says do not judge. It actually tells us to judge, but to judge righteously.