Moment in the Word

1 Timothy 5:20 DRB Them that sin reprove before all: that the rest also may have fear.

 

 

Let us be very, very careful not to offend anyone in any way!

Well, besides being totally impossible, the ignorant notion doesn't match the doctrine established by our New Testament's primary apostle, St. Paul, who ordered Timothy to publicly rebuke those who sin in order to make others fear the ultimate outcome of their wickedness.

 

In his second letter to the young minister, St. Paul ordered Timothy, "Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine. 3For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: 4And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables." 2 Timothy 4:2-4 DRB

Looking ahead in time, the apostle prophetically foresaw apostate societal trends when people would substitute their own twisted agenda for the righteous commandments of God. These politically-correct fair-weather followers of Christ would demand to be placated by preachers-for-hire who consensually agreed to tease and tickle their patrons' ears with tailored messages meant to sell. However, stripping the Gospel of its divine authority to spare the feelings of guilty individuals who fall under the condemning conviction of God's Holy Spirit results in an appearance of godliness (a.k.a., secularized religion) that amounts to no more than fables and fairy tales (2 Timothy 3:5).

Disregarding these hypersensitive sin-sick souls, St. Paul admonished the minister Timothy to patiently continue reproving, entreating, and rebuking the ungodly for the sake of true doctrine. Regardless of whether the ministry of God's Word was convenient or not, the young bishop was exclusively directed to do one thing only... "Preach the Word!" and let the chips fall where they may.

Why?

 

In eternity, hellfire will hurt a lot worse than having a pet sin corrected in this life by God's illustrious Word.

Not only did St. Paul command Timothy to relentlessly preach the true Gospel whether or not pampered people agreed, but the holy apostle followed the same standard in his personal ministry to the Church, "I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death." 2 Corinthians 7:8-10NLT

 

If a doctor purposely misdiagnoses lung cancer for a bad case of the common cold simply to spare his patient's sensitivity to the unfortunate news, he would be sued for malpractice and drummed out of the medical profession. So, do you think God will react kindlier to His Church tolerating sin for convenience's sake while lost souls plunge headlong into eternal damnation? Hear the word of the Lord, "When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood." Ezekiel 3:18

 

Like St. Paul ordered Timothy; we must preach the entire Word of God and forget about offense!