Bible Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:20-21
this passage concerns the treatment of elders)(
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
Look at what the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary says about this verse:
Verse 20: Them that sin - whether presbyters or laymen. Rebuke before all - publicly before the Church. Not until this "rebuke" was disregarded was the offender to be excommunicated (
disfellowshipped).Clearly we see this scripture is about an elder that has sinned but not yet been brought to repentance.
Look at that verse again. If an elder has repented of a sin, what need is there of open rebuke? If an elder is disregarding the rebuke, clearly he is not repentant; he is not allowing the Holy Spirit in him to rule his actions and attitudes. Why would this person who sinned need to be rebuked before the world; before outsiders? The commentaries are clear about the fact that this rebuke was to be just before the congregation and not the outside world.
Ministers have a serious admonition from the Word of God:
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.