Confronting Sexual Offences in Church

The Apostle Paul planted a church in Corinth. It was a city notorious for sexual promiscuity, even by the very lax standards of pagan Greek culture. Some of the men in the church continued to visit prostitutes even after their conversion. Paul warned them and told them to repent. 

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 1 Cor 5:11 NIV

He also warned that people who continued to practise such things would not go to heaven.

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 
nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:9–10 NIV

This message is still very relevant today. In recent years, we have seen scandal after scandal in prominent evangelical churches. So many celebrity preachers have been exposed. Often we see prominent preachers accused of sexually exploiting church members. What is even more shocking is the way church leaders so often protect each other, blame the women or children and victimise the victims.

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the LORD detests them both. Pr 17:15 NIV

I don’t often write messages like this. I for years I suffered under harsh judgemental preaching, but we must deal seriously with abuse and injustice in the church. There is a difference between the faults and imperfections which we all have, and cruel abuse, scandalous crimes and the offences which destroy lives. 

Nevertheless, we must not condemn even horrible evildoers without being willing to forgive and restore the offenders to faith and favour. On the other hand, I do not believe this necessarily means we should let sexual crimes go unpunished. 

Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 1 Tim 3:2 NIV

If a preacher has committed sexual crimes or stained his reputation by sexually exploiting church members, it seems reasonable that his ordination should be cancelled, though he may be allowed to serve God and the church in other ways.

Perhaps the most serious sin in the Corinthian church was the scandalous behaviour of a man who was in a sexual relationship with his stepmother. 

Paul ordered that he should be excommunicated, but even then Paul was ready to forgive and show mercy.

The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 
I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 2 Cor 2:6–8 NIV

It can be difficult and painful to forgive people who have abused and severely damaged you. I saw a young woman on a YouTube podcast who had dealt with this very issue. Her father had treated her mother with physical and verbal cruelty. He had gone to bed with his wife’s mother, the girl’s grandmother. He then rejected the girl’s mother. The girl was brought up by her adulterous grandmother.

When the girl was 14, she saw her father having sex with her grandmother. She was completely ignorant and innocent and was shocked and confused.

Then she found a boy and had sex herself. It went from bad to worse.

When she was 19, she was trying to get her life together. She said she still loved her parents and grandmother and she had forgiven them for everything. It was not clear if she was a Christian believer at this stage, but I prayed for her to find faith in Jesus.

I was so inspired by her honest confrontation of her terrible experiences and her willingness to love and forgive.

So many people in churches have traumatic or shameful life stories. They need loving and inner healing. We must not sweep these issues under the carpet.