1 Timothy 5:19-20
New King James Version (NKJV)
19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
God is very clear in verse 20 that Christian leaders who sin should be rebuked openly, but the church does just the opposite when it comes to those who rape and molest children. The church, sad to say, is now famous for the ‘cover up’. We are known to the world not as being Christ like but as people who cover up the sins of our leaders, especially the sexual abuse of children. By doing this we not only disobey the word of God but we render His deterrent to sin in-effective by avoiding what He has told us to do. There is to be an openness when we deal with sin. How many stories have you heard about pastors who are accused of sexually assaulting a child and then being able to ‘retire’ gracefully as though nothing happened. When this pattern develops there is no deterrent to sin but a reassurance that if you sin we will cover it up for you as well. We violate God’s Word and we will pay a price. The Church is running out of time to repent of this sin and deal with it by holding offenders accountable. The Church leaders are viewed by many as a ‘good old boy’s club’ and not the godly leadership that they should be. It simply boils down to this… do we believe the Word of God or not? If we do then it is time to quit hiding the sins of our leaders but expose them openly as God commands.
Dale Ingraham
