1950 This Means Everlasting Life - A2Z.org

PUTTING UP A HARD FIGHT 191
tion . Take them along and let them hear the matter
laid bare in the offender's presence . Then let
these representative servants use their spiritual
qualifications to restore the offender to his senses,
to a recognition of his fault, that he may confess
it and seek God's forgiveness through Christ and
render proper amends to his injured brother .
I ' If the offender refuses to hear the congregation,
that is, what its representatives have to say
with meekness, Jesus did not say to drag the matter
before the worldly law courts of the land . The
apostle Paul said it would be better to suffer injustice
than to do . that, as this spares bringing the
Christian congregation into a bad light before the
worldly public . 1 Corinthians 6 :1-8 Jesus said
to let the stubborn offender alone to take his
worldly course, like a worldly Gentile or an oppressive
tax collector. In this way the one offended
has suffered no real lasting hurt to his spiritual
interests, but he has grown in love through the
exercise of mercy to his brother. He has not been
overcome by wrongdoing, but has put up a hard
fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered
to God's holy ones . He has kept himself
in God's love and in the narrow path to eternal life .
17. If the offender refuses to hear the congregation,
what does the offended one do without real lasting
hurt to himself?