WHAT IF AN ACCUSATION AGAINST AN ELDER IS TRUE?

Note: This article, adapted from chapter 18 of Biblical Eldership: Restoring the Eldership to Its Rightful Place in the Local Church, is the second installment in our series on church discipline. The next article will discuss how to exercise church discipline with an unrepentant church member.?

In the first article of our church discipline series, we discussed the importance of protecting elders from false accusations. But sometimes, sadly, an accusation is true. What then?

When a charge of sin against an elder or elders is demonstrated by witnesses to be true, and the elder(s) resists brotherly rebuke, 1 Timothy 5:20 tells us the next step: “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”

In Biblical Eldership: Restoring the Eldership to Its Rightful Place in the Local Church, Alexander Strauch breaks down the key phrases in this verse and examines the various interpretations that not all commentators agree upon. But to summarize here, Strauch believes this verse deals specifically with:

-Sinning elders, not all believers in general

-Ongoing unrepentant sin, not simply a past occurrence of sin

-Actual sin, not a leadership blunder or minor shortcoming

-Sin that has been confirmed by two or three reliable witnesses

Strauch writes, “When there is unrepentant sin within the eldership, there will be serious, negative consequences to the entire church, as well as to the council of elders. Sin must be judged!”

Public Rebuke of a Sinning Elder: Why and How?

As for the elders who persist in sin, “rebuke them in the presence of all.” The imperative verb “rebuke” conveys the ideas of “expose,” “correct,” “censure,” “confront,” or “reprove” (elegchō). In the context of disciplinary public action against a church official, as Friedrich Büchsel wrote,

It means “to show someone his sin and to summon him to repentance.” . . . The word does not mean only “to blame” or “to reprove,” . . . or “expose,” but [also] “to set right,” namely, “to point away from sin to repentance.” It implies educative discipline.

As Philip Towner rightly explains,

The content or severity of the rebuke cannot be discerned from the context, but it may have included the threat of removal from leadership (1:3, Titus 1:9) or excommunication (1:20, Titus 3:10), and the following purpose clause implies a substantial degree of severity.

Towner goes on to say,

Within the traditional model of church discipline (Matt. 18:15-18; 1 Cor. 5:4-5; 1 Tim. 1:20), public rebuke either indicates (as mentioned above) that private intervention has not been successful and resistant elders are therefore publicly accused and censored, or that in the case of sinning church leaders, whose sin was perceived as a direct threat to the stability of the entire community, public discipline would have been the rule. Probably the first scenario is envisaged here, but in either case the nature of the proceedings is extremely serious.

Church leaders are not above the law of God or church discipline. They are accountable for their actions.

“In the Presence of All”

Paul requires the sinning elder or elders to be rebuked in “the presence of all”—the entire congregation. Andreas K?stenberger writes, “A public rebuke is in keeping with the public office held by these elders and the fact that their sin has not merely private but also public consequences.” Of central concern to Paul is that an elder’s sin is not swept under the carpet, a tempting practice that nearly always results in severe repercussions (Num. 32:23). Hiding sin only makes matters worse and displeases God.

The world must see the believing community taking sin seriously, especially the sins of its leaders. Only then will it have reason to believe that Christians mean what they preach about sin and holiness.

Furthermore, only when the discipline of a sinning church leader is made public is there any chance of controlling some of the most divisive forces in a local church: rumormongering, gossip, and the spread of misinformation. The public exposure and explanation of the matter, done properly, is the only way to bring it to a God-honoring conclusion.

“That the Rest May Fear”

The public rebuke before the congregation is meant to awaken, correct, and restore the sinning elder(s). As James Denny writes, “The judgment of the Church is the instrument of God’s love, and the moment it is accepted in the sinful soul it begins to work as a redemptive force.”

But another critical purpose for public discipline is “that the rest may stand in fear.” Most likely “the rest” refers primarily to the remaining elders, but the congregation, before whom the discipline was enacted, cannot be excluded. God uses such fear as a powerful deterrent to help keep people, especially church leaders, from sinning. Paul knew what God had told Moses:

If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, and before the priest and the judges who are in office in those days. the judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. (Deut. 19:16-20, cf. Deut. 13:11)

We learn from the Law of Moses that when sin is publicly exposed and judged, it causes others to fear and not commit the same evil.

Summary

As public figures, elders need to be protected from the long-term damage of false accusations. The necessity of having two or three witnesses to testify helps ensure fairness and faith in the judicial process. If, however, an allegation of sin is made against an elder(s) and confirmed by credible witnesses, the elder(s) must be confronted and answer the charges. If the elder is found to be sinning and refuses to acknowledge his sin and repent, he is to be publicly rebuked before the entire congregation. The point is that an elder’s sin is to be confronted and exposed, not ignored or hidden.

What Paul writes in verses 19-20 is stated in broad, general strokes with few details. The text raises many questions that cannot be answered by this passage alone.?

To fully assess the variety of agonizing situations that arise when dealing with an elder’s sin, the following principles should be considered:

1.Both the Old and New Testaments stipulate that the examination of a person accused of wrongdoing must be thorough, fair, and impartial (Deut. 19:15-20; Matt. 18:15-20).

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2. In dealing with another person’s sin, act according to the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and by “the more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31-13:7). Sinners judging the sins of others must always maintain a humble and gentle spirit (Gal. 6:1).

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3. What is the nature of the sin itself? Does the sin disqualify the elder from office even if he repents?

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4. What is the attitude of the sinning elder? Is it defiant and defensive or humble and repentant? Hymenaeus and Alexander were defiant and refused Paul’s appeals for repentance, and thus had to be put out of the church, being handed over to Satan (1 Tim. 1:20). This would have been a public disciplinary act before the congregation.

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5.What biblical qualifications have been violated by the person’s sin? Is the elder no longer “above reproach” or “respectable?” Of course, if an elder continues in unrepentant sin, he is disqualified as an elder.

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6.How do other Scripture passages on church discipline help us assess a situation and reach a proper judgment when addressing an elder’s sinful behavior or stubborn attitude (Matt. 18:15-20, 1 Cor. 5; 2 Cor. 2:1-11; 2 Thess. 3:6-15; 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 5:19-29; Titus 1:10-13; 3:10-11)? If an elder continues in unrepentant sin, he would need to be disfellowshipped from the church according to Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5.

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7.If there is true repentance, the sinning elder is to be forgiven and restored to church fellowship (2 Cor. 2:5-11). Restoration to church fellowship, however, is not the same thing as restoration to the office of overseer. That is a different matter. A repentant church leader is to be restored to full fellowship. But depending on the circumstances, he may no longer be able to meet the biblical qualifications for eldership.

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8.Seek guidance from others who have proven themselves to be wise counselors.

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9. Pray for divine guidance.

Many Christians think expulsion from a church is cruel and unloving, but this attitude reflects the spirit of our age, not God’s word. Every responsible sector of society—law enforcement and military, legal and medical societies, and the political and corporate world—has a code of discipline to protect itself from unlawful behavior among its members and to protect its integrity. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (! Cor. 3:16). God’s temple is to be holy.

How do you handle these kinds of heartbreaking situations is a true test of your moral courage, leadership ability, and loyal obedience to God and his word. Do not be like the worldly-minded Corinthian believers who made light of a horribly sinful situation within the congregation, refusing to discipline a “so-called brother” who disgraced Christ and his body before the watching world with his gross, immoral behavior (1 Cor. 5).

So critically important is this matter to the apostle that he bolsters his instruction with the following command: “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (1 Tim. 5:21).

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-Adapted from Biblical Eldership: Restoring the Eldership to its Rightful Place in the Local Church (https://www.biblicaleldership.com/2025/03/04/what-if-an-accusation-against-an-elder-is-true/?mc_cid=c965c9d52d&mc_eid=fe4e28fd4e)

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