The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Brenda Rivera of Orlando, Florida from the tape, GC 1301-O, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 17."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1978. All Rights Reserved.

Question

Would you agree that when a brother is caught in sin, God’s divine plan and purpose for protection and reconciliation for the brother is to confront him personally and if necessary bring him two or three witnesses, and any additional witnesses up to that point in any personalized way if perfectly unauthorized council?

Answer

Could you say that last part again?

Question (continued)

Someone has sinned, and someone might come up to someone else, and say well so and so, personalized his name and everything, I seen him doing this. How should I go and approach him? Or like that I’ve seen this happen a lot and I really think it hurts to unity of the church.

Answer (continued)

In other words if you know somebody sins, don’t go asking other people about it, go confront it yourself. Is that what you’re saying?

Questioner

Yes, it’s unauthorized council in other words to go to anyone else.

Answer (continued)

What you’re saying, is rather than tell other people about the sin go to the individual, give him the chance or the opportunity to repent before you spread it around? Sure! Sure! That’s exactly what it says, in Matthew 18. Yes, in Matthew 18 it says that, "...if a brother is taken in a sin or if a brother sins," and I don’t think it’s a sin against you necessarily, I mean some of the text say that, but it's really, "if a brother sins, go to him" and that is the only direction we have. "Go to him, and then if he doesn’t hear you, then take two or three witnesses," and they are not two or three witnesses that you have drummed up, but two or three witnesses to the same sin. In other words, if he doesn’t respond to me I’m not going to go find two or three people and say, “Hey, you know what he did? He did this. Oh, well we’ll go with you.” If he denies the thing then you need to confirm it in two or three witnesses’ mouths who have actual knowledge of that sin. And then if he doesn’t hear you, tell it to the church. And the church, I believe, is duly constituted in the leadership of the church. So I agree with that. Because it says if you go to him one on one and he hears you, you have gained your brother. What reason is there to tell anybody about it?
 
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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