Measuring the Response

"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 Because of this, a standard of measurement must exist outside the human frame in order for humans to make a right judgment concerning rebukers and rebukees. (I'm using the terms "rebuker" and "rebukee" as they seam the least emotionally charged.) That standard is the word of God found in the Holy Bible. The Bereans of Acts 17:11 are a fine example of using God's words as that standard. They were called noble-minded because they compared the words of God to the words coming out of Paul's mouth instead of relying upon human testimony that comes out of deceitful hearts.

A wise man will repent at the harshest rebuke simply because he loves knowledge while the fool will scoff at the gentlest rebuke simply because he hates knowledge. The success of the reproach has nothing to do with the one who administered it as evidenced by the fact that people still show contempt for God's kindness and patience, Romans 2:4, which should lead us to repentance. A few examples of this principle are listed below:

• Gentile rebuke:
  • Wise man's response:
    •  Luke 22:62
  • Fool's response: 
    • Mark 12:12 
    • John 8:37-59
    • John 11:47-53
• Harsh rebuke:
  • Wise man's response:
    • after the exile to Babylon Daniel 9:1-19 
    • after Matthew 16:23 Peter kept following Jesus even to crucifixion
    • Matthew 15:21-27 
  • Fool's response:
    • Matthew 23:32-36 
    • Acts 5:33 
    • Acts 7:55.

It is for this reason that the purpose of rebuke has nothing to do with causing or forcing repentance. That is why the accuracy of the rebuke has nothing to do with actual guilt. The purpose of rebuke is to equip the man of God for good works. In other words, God's words will convict a guilty man even if the accuracy of the rebuke subject matter is way off. Conversely, God's words won't convict a guilty man even if the accuracy of the rebuke is spot on. This is because God won't put the power of conviction on man's opinions or upon man's own logs.

 

In more other words, do you have to be perfect before obeying Jesus' command to rebuke the fallen believer? No, because God's words will convict as to righteousness, sin, and judgement all by themself. God's words just need to be spoken not man's opinions about a situation. However, God will deal with us according to our own words. So, it behooves us to get God's words right. Otherwise, we will end up judging and therefore reaping a whirlwind of judgment against ourselves because of applying our own standards upon others.

But what if the rebukee simply disagrees with the charge against them? Or perhaps, the rebukee simply remains silent and does nothing? What happens next? The answer to these questions requires learning to make a right judgment as defined by Jesus and not by our human platitudes and attitudes. In summary, it goes like this. The rebukee has every right to respond as they are convicted by God even if that response is not the desired response of the rebuker.

For Example: Peter and John down right refused to obey their religious leadership telling them to judge for themself what is right, to obey God or obey man. But, our hindsight in their situation is 20/20. So, let's make up a hypothetical event. Let's say that a male religious leader is accused of adultery by the female person allegedly his victim. That's all we know about what took place. 

Here's the process: The first step in Matthew 18:15-19 requires the victim to go to the perpetrator and tell they violated God's words. Let's just assume for now that the victim's refusal to participate in the affair was the fulfillment of the first step in Matthew 18. That makes the adultery rape and not consensual adultery. That automatically makes step two required. 

Step two states that the victim takes along a witness to charge rape in a private discussion with the accused in order to show the accused his fault. This step literally grants the accused the opportunity to repent, renounce, and return to Christ IN PRIVATE. It also affords the rebuker the opportunity to forgive as Christ forgave and thereby allow love to cover over a multiple of sins.

 

Step two also closes the topic to gossips and slanders who would expound on the events and charges to utterly ostracize the accused even if he had been guiltless to begin with, that is the accusations turn out to be false. Such gossip and slander would also create more strongholds over both the gossips and slanderers as well as their subjects of discussion. In other words, the incidence gets sealed up and not even spoken of to taint a believer's ears. Those are the very same ears that young immature believers either hear truth that builds faith or they hear disgusting topics that destroy faith. 

Is step two just? Yes, remember humans are the ones born in sin (except Jesus). We are the ones who deserve all our troubles because we are the ones who bring evil into the world whether we realize it or not. It does not matter what our troubles are. We deserve hell compared to those troubles. 

Besides, Jesus hung for both the rebukee and the rebuker's behavior and God does not categorize sin as some worse than others. Without Christ, the liar dies and goes to hell the same as the mass murderer. With Christ, the liar and the mass murderer both make it into heaven. We have one God and one law. If we have broken one part of that law, we have broken the entire law. The adulterer is just as guilty of mass murder as Mother Theresa was. It was one bite and we all died. So, yes, step two in Matthew 18:15-19 is just and right even if the sin is never brought to the public eye.

 

According to the Bible, a woman was considered guilty of adultery if she was raped in the city. Why? because she could have cried out for help and help would have come. But, a woman was considered innocent if the rape occurred in the country. Why? because even if she had cried out, no one would come to her aid due to distance and sound physics. Is that law just? Mother Mary was not stoned to death while carrying Jesus because of this very law. She would have been stoned if she had not taken a trip through the country to her cousin's house.

The correct definition of adultery is required before a stoning or a condemnation can take place. Before you can even get to step two of Matthew 18:15-19, God's definition of adultery must be understood. According to the Bible, God calls Pastor worship, fame idolatry, government leadership worship (i.e any worship not directed to God) IDOLATRY AND THE PLAYING OF THE HARLOT. So, yes, a woman who tries to cry out in the city but cannot because of drugs or gags is still guilty. That is how valuable chastity is to God. Chastity is literally a physical sign of holiness or setting one's self apart for God and God alone.

 

God's definition of adultery does not change just because Jesus is sitting on His right hand and our fallen perception of a new covenant occupies our hearts. Neither are women stupid, optimistic maybe, hungry for attention maybe, but not stupid. The potential of rape always exists when a women without chaperones are in the company of men. It is still a risk when multiple women are in the presence of multiple men. We are commanded to not even give the appearance of sin. Godly character dictates that women do not put themselves in situations where that risk can develop into temptation, and eventual sin. Remember Dinah who went out to visit strangers without any family with her. Jacob, her dad, was willing to remain silent but not her brothers. There is no excuse for it. Like wise, men must not put themselves in positions where they can be falsely accused by women. Think of Joseph. (Hmmm... I wonder why it took so long for that woman to approach Joseph.)

But, what if there are no witnesses because sin is most often done in secret. Can step two still be accomplished? Well, in this case, there is another command that demands silence on the part of the "victim." So, it is not a command that "victims" want to hear. It requires the loving silence on the part of the "victim" even when everything inside them is demanding justice. Remember Jacob? Such a command can give rise to accusations that God's word is not fare. But, is that true?

Adultery is a capital offense in Hebrew laws. But, we are not allowed to put anyone to death on the testimony of only one accuser or one witness. The Jews would not even put Jesus to death without the testimony of more than one witness. This same law that demands silence from "victims" of witness-less sins also prevents people from being wrongly accused and put to death for something they did not do. This is because the other half of that law states that the accuser receives the death penalty if their accusations are proven to be false. Thus a few "victims" may have to live out the rest of their lives without justice in order to prevent injustice to lots of guiltless people. 

 

And, since God wrote that law, He thinks that law is fare. Jesus even proved this kind of victim's love by going to the cross so that the many would be justified rather than Him, one person, receiving justice that was due to Him. There is no greater love than to lay down ones own life for that of a friend. If we do not loose our lives we will not find them. Yes, that means loosing the life-giving justice that our souls cry out for. Furthermore, "Victims" who have no witnesses and therefore are not allowed to accuse someone, will be able to identify with Christ in this respect. That is why we are commanded to take heart because Christ overcame the world and every single trial we could ever face.

Now what about multiple people accusing one and the same person of the same offense but during different times and at different places, i.e. multiple acts of the same sin by the same person but with multiple "victims"? I have personally witnessed this in my life. I was the accused and multiple people accused me of saying and doing things I never said, did not even believe those words were true, nor was I any where near the place indicated. Yet, people chimed in about my "guilt" who were not witnesses of any of my alleged behaviors. They chimed in simply because they believed my accusers and thought more highly of them than they did me. So, I was the one hauled off for discipline. This is why I will not condemn anyone of anything no matter how many testify to circumstantial evidence. Patterns are just circumstantial. Patterns can be interpreted differently based upon the person's heart who is making the speculative interpretation. That is why that "undesirable" Biblical law states two or three witnesses rather than two or three speculators.

Ok, it is time to address the difference between accusers and witnesses. Accusations come from Satan. If we do the deeds that Satan does, then we are sons of Satan and not sons of God. Witnesses speak only what they saw and heard. They don't include opinions about what they saw or heard. That don't accuse. They don't draw conclusions and pass judgments. They just describe and repeat what they saw and heard. Jesus said this is how He testified. It is even prophesied in the Old Testament that Jesus would not draw conclusions about what He saw and heard. The Bible is just way to clear on this topic. If we do what Jesus did, then we are sons of God. If we say what Jesus said then we are sons of God. That is why step three of Matthew 18:15-19 is required when the bond of peace cannot be restored between and by the rebuker and the rebukee via steps one and two.

 

Last year I watched a colorized version of an old black and white movie about the story of Ruth. Hollywood took a lot of liberties in the story line. It was no where near the simple truth in the Bible. But, the redeeming part of that movie was how Hollywood portrayed Ruth's judgment from Israelites. It was spot-on biblically accurate with respect to HOW to handle accusations. So many Bible verses came alive in my heart as I watched that scene play out. It was so refreshing. Now THAT was justification when an entire huge body of like-minded people come together to agree on who you are.

Our platitudes and attitudes will get us in trouble every time. In fact, such things are the very evidence of the pride of life. But, when we compare the words of God with the words and actions of man asking ourselves simply if both are saying and doing the same thing, then we are far closer to obtaining a right judgment. Our platitudes and attitudes produce our interpretations, beliefs, feelings, perceptions, speculations, traditions, or anything else that originates from man. But, comparison between what is written in God's words with what is spoken or done by a human simply yields an eye witness testimony. Speaking from ourselves causes us to seek our own glory and not the glory of our Father in heaven. But, speaking the same as Christ, causes us to become more noble-minded than the Thessalonians in exactly the same way as the Bereans. 

 

• Is Hard Rebuke from God?
• Bond of Peace
• Unity in the Spirit 
• Source of Quarrels
• Unity v. Contradiction
• Saying the Same Thing
• Eloquent or Persuasive Speech
• Hard Words
• Taking Offense
• Degree of Hardness
• Has the Rebuker Sinned?
• The Rebukee's Response
• Measuring the Response
• Purpose of Rebuke
• Platitudes and Attitudes
• False Security
• Conclusion