adultery, etc. in the church

[Christ_empowered]

Seems like a real problem. When I was in...I dunno, 5th, 6th grade...the local Baptist minister found out his wife was having an affair with a congregant. So, he blasted them both from the pulpit. Super special small town stuff, am I right?

Have you had such in your church? I mean, not just with ministers (although that's something I find hits the headlines now and then, especially with megachurches), but in general.

 

[reba]

Adultery is an ugly sin... It hurts many people... the extended family is hurt.
Some of it get hard to grasp
a couple who are christian then cheaters rings different in my ears then those who are cheaters then repent and become Christian..
Should we honor the second marriage ... that part spins my head...
to many people just cover it up ...
God instituted marriage . and we mess it up...

 

[Mike S]

I grew up in a rural area and attended a small church, where we had two part-time pastors. It's called a two point charge. Both were married and the couples knew each other from work, etc. Eventually the man from one couple ran away with the woman of the other couple. We didn't know it, but, they'd been having an affair for a long time.

Even church members are vulnerable to temptation.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Like I've said before, reallyyyyyy do not understand why this is such an apparently big temptation for so many people, especially knowing how it hurts people. Maybe I'm influenced by having grown up in a family affected by that. Plus I don't seem to be a terribly sexual person.

 

[Blake]

Adultery is an ugly sin... It hurts many people... the extended family is hurt.
Some of it get hard to grasp
a couple who are christian then cheaters rings different in my ears then those who are cheaters then repent and become Christian..
Should we honor the second marriage ... that part spins my head...
to many people just cover it up ...
God instituted marriage . and we mess it up...

My pastor stopped letting our old co-pastor preach after he divorced and remarried. Oldschool is alive and well.

 

[evenifigoalone]

In my old church one of our old pastors had been divorced and remarried. I think it was because his previous wife had committed adultery while he was away at sea, but I don't remember for sure.
Even so, later on the pastor following did denounce him for it.

 

[Eugene]

.
If you find your pastor not obeying the speed limit, or obeying every law of man, or even in a sin of the flesh, can he be forgiven?
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

But then there is the other extreme we read of in 1 Cor 5:1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. The unrepentant attitude of the man, and the attitude of the assembly was wrong, and as such Paul said in 1 Cor 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Is this the end of it? No, allow faith to have its perfect work (Jas 1:4) in all concerned. We later read in:
2 Cor 2:6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
2 Cor 2:7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
2Co 2:8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

What we do in all things is seek God's will, and show the love He had for us so that He would die for us.

 

[evenifigoalone]

True, though there are guidelines laid down in scripture do say things like not to appoint someone who has been divorced, if I recall.

 

[Eugene]

True, though there are guidelines laid down in scripture do say things like not to appoint someone who has been divorced, if I recall.

You might be referring to these following recommendations for pastors and deacons.
1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1 Tim 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1 Tim 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

1Ti 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Tit 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
Tit 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Tit 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Tit 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

 

[Obadiah]

My pastor stopped letting our old co-pastor preach after he divorced and remarried. Oldschool is alive and well.

On what grounds did he get divorced? Did he have Biblical grounds?

In my old church one of our old pastors had been divorced and remarried. I think it was because his previous wife had committed adultery while he was away at sea, but I don't remember for sure.
Even so, later on the pastor following did denounce him for it.

Yet Jesus said "And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Matt 19:9 ESV) So we see that Jesus made an exception to the "no divorce" rule for those whose spouse committed some sort of sexual immorality. (The exact meaning of the original language is unclear as to what "sexual immorality" encompasses, but certainly adultery is widely considered to be part of it!) So if The Son of God saw fit to give an exception in this case, who are we or our church leaders to refuse such an exception to each other? How dare we punish a Christian leader for something that Jesus himself said was OK! Yet there are church leaders who do exactly this, and they one day will have to explain to God why they punished or slandered one of God's ministers and prevented him from fulfilling his calling when there was no reason for it.

 

[Obadiah]

You might be referring to these following recommendations for pastors and deacons.
1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife...

The problem here is that we are unclear on whether this is saying "only" one wife in his lifetime, or "one wife" at a time (remember, polygamy was common and accepted at the time so this isn't an unreasonable interpretation), or maybe saying he must be married as opposed to single. Truthfully, all we have on this is opinions. Considering Jesus' own words on the exception to the no divorce rule, I find it hard to eliminate a good leader and prevent them from fulfilling their calling just because their spouse sinned and they chose to follow the words of Jesus in that matter.

 

[Corn Pop]

Everyones probably guilty anyhow. Who has not lusted with there eye. Christian woman dont like vin deisals mussel?. Common no lie.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Muscles are overrated lol.

 

[Eugene]

The problem here is that we are unclear on whether this is saying "only" one wife in his lifetime, or "one wife" at a time (remember, polygamy was common and accepted at the time so this isn't an unreasonable interpretation), or maybe saying he must be married as opposed to single. Truthfully, all we have on this is opinions. Considering Jesus' own words on the exception to the no divorce rule, I find it hard to eliminate a good leader and prevent them from fulfilling their calling just because their spouse sinned and they chose to follow the words of Jesus in that matter.

I agree.

 

[Obadiah]

Everyones probably guilty anyhow. Who has not lusted with there eye. Christian woman dont like vin deisals mussel?. Common no lie.

I don't really think so. At least not as much as you make it sound like everyone is guilty. "Lust" as it's used in scripture is referring to a strong desire for something that overrides all your desires for other things. A lot of people think that verse about lusting being the same as committing adultery means anyone who looks at someone and thinks about sex just committed adultery. Not so. At least not until your desire is so strong that given the chance you are willing to go against God to fulfill it. Not everyone has this level of uncontrollable desire. I'm afraid there are a lot of Christians out there being made to feel guilty unnecessarily by the mis-use of this scripture.

 

[JohnDB]

Also remember that in Roman culture a man had a wife AND a girlfriend/consort. It was something of status to be a girlfriend of some.

Paul referred to both of them as wives.

 

[Edward]

Everyones probably guilty anyhow. Who has not lusted with there eye. Christian woman dont like vin deisals mussel?. Common no lie.

Maybe not absolutely everyone.

Like I've said before, reallyyyyyy do not understand why this is such an apparently big temptation for so many people, especially knowing how it hurts people. Maybe I'm influenced by having grown up in a family affected by that. Plus I don't seem to be a terribly sexual person.

Here's one. I believe her too. Plus me. I don't know if I'm just getting older or just able to control myself or what, but I don't find it hard to not sin sexually. I used to be a real go get em in my youth too.

I find that some types of sins are easier to restrain myself from than others.