When Adultery
Happens
What should the church do?
When
adultery happens, what should we church leaders do about it? First, there are
two errors that church leaders must avoid, and, second, we must follow
biblical instructions.
Errors to avoid
Error 1: Reacting emotionally in anger. Some
leaders immediately condemn the adulterer in public. This causes public
shame, often destroys marriages, and fails to bring spiritual healing and
restoration of the marriage. Outsiders will hear about this and say that
Christians are a bunch of hypocrites.
Error 2: Trying to avoid all publicity. If
church leaders try to keep the matter quiet and hide their actions, then
others in the church may also commit adultery, believing that the church will
do nothing about it. Some outsiders already know about the adultery, and they
will say that Christians are a bunch of adulterers.
Steps to take
What
does each of these Scriptures instruct churches to do, when a Christian has
committed a grave sin?
- Matthew 18:1-20
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Church
leaders should guide the couple through steps to repentance and to
reconciliation.
- 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
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If
the adulterer remains unrepentant, then the church should shun them, no
longer treating them like a church member.
- 2 Corinthians 2:5-10
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When
the adulterer does repent, then the church should restore them and treat them
as a church member.
Other practical guidelines
¨ Foreigner
church workers should never apply church discipline. Rather, they should
review, with local church leaders, what Jesus and the New Testament have to say.
¨ Local
church leaders should apply biblical instructions, in culturally-sensitive
ways.
¨ If there
are wise church members who are skilled at giving marriage counsel, then they
may arrange for that member to give counsel to the couple.
¨ Foreigner
church workers, or local church leaders, or wise marriage counselors can lead
seminars for church members, teaching how to improve their marriage and how
to avoid temptation to commit adultery.
Know these causes and cures of adultery
Cause: When men commit adultery because they
want more sex, they need to learn how to be filled daily with the Holy
Spirit.
Cure: The fruit of the Spirit makes men better
able to love their wife, remain faithful and exercise self-control.
What is God’s
promise in Galatians 5:23-24
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Cause: When men
commit adultery because they got drunk or took drugs, then they must get free
from their addiction.
Cure: Church leaders must pray for such men to
be delivered from addiction through the powerful name of Jesus. Such men
should also get counsel from wise folk who understand addiction.
What is God’s
promise in 1 Corinthians 6:9-15
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Cause: Some
women commit adultery because they want to be loved, they need to learn how
to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Cure: The Spirit pours God’s love for them into
their heart.
What is God’s
promise in Romans 5:5
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Cause: When
women commit adultery to get money.
Cure: must learn to believe in God who supplies
all they need by his riches in Christ Jesus.
What is God’s
promise in Philippians 4:19-20
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