Mai 1 Timoti 5:20, Paul wrote about a sinning elder in the church and what to do if an elder sinned. Ua a‘o Paulo ia Timoteo eiaha e farii i te pariraa i nia i te hoê peresibutero ia ore ana‘e te pariraa i nia i na ite toopiti e toru.. Only when the accusation was based upon two or three witnesses, Timothy had to rebuke the sinning elder before the congregation so that the fear of God would remain. Let’s look at what the Bible says about the spiritual meaning and purpose of rebuking a sinning elder publicly (before all in the church).
He aha te tupu ki te kaumatua hara i roto i te hahi i tenei ra?
Tēnei rā, he maha nga Karaitiana ka whakaaro tonu, ka kii ranei: “He aha te mahi kino me te kino!”, “Aue, taua tangata rawakore (te kaumatua)! Kare e tika kia peratia e tatou, no te mea kua mamae kee taua tangata rawakore i te hara” ranei “Te whakahau nei te Paipera kia haere ma te aroha, a ehara tenei i te tohu o te haere i runga i te aroha me te whakaatu i te aroha ki to hoa tata. Kaore tetahi e hiahia ana kia whakama i mua i te katoa o te whakaminenga, no te mea ehara tatou i te tino tika, hara tatou katoa”.
Many Christians would say these things because he kikokiko ratou instead of spiritual. They walk after the flesh instead of the Spirit.
Instead of being led by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, they’re led by their opinions, karekau, me ngā kare. Heoi ano, this is very dangerous for the Body of Christ.
Na tenei, Christians don’t change their lives to the Word of God. Engari, they adjust the words of God and nga whakahau a Ihu Karaiti ki to ratou hiahia, hiahia, me nga hiahia. E tapiri ratou i to ratou mata e e haamaoro i to ratou tari‘a i te parau mau a te Atua.
I roto i tenei tuhinga, ka tuhia te kaumatua ki te ahua tane na te mea he ngawari ake te panui. Engari e pa ana ki nga tane me nga wahine.
Kaua e whakarongo ki te whakawa mo te kaumatua, engari i te aroaro o nga kaiwhakaatu tokorua, tokotoru ranei. Ko te hunga hara riria i te aroaro o te katoa, kia mataku ai etahi
1 Timoti 5:20
What does the Bible say about the characteristics of elders in the church?
Ua faauehia te hoê peresibutero i te Fatu ra o Iesu Mesia e e vea oia no te Basileia o te Atua (kia rite ki nga Karaitiana katoa). The Bible says about the characteristics of an elder (episekopo) that An elder should walk in righteousness and be blameless (te tikanga kahore he hara i roto i tona oranga).
An elder should be a husband of one wife, whanau tamariki pono, kare nei e whakapaea he tutu, he tutu ranei. One that rules well his own house, Kia ngohengohe ki ana tamariki i runga i te whakaaro nui.
Ko te kaumatua kia kore he, hei tuari mo te Atua; ehara i te hiahia whaiaro, kare e roa ka riri, kahore i hoatu ki te waina, kahore he kaipatu, kaore i hoatu ki moni poke.
Ko te kaumatua he tangata aroha ki te manaaki tangata, he tangata aroha ki nga tangata pai, mārie, tika, tapu, me te ngawari. E tia ia ’na ia tapea maite i te parau mau mai tei haapiihia ia ’na, kia taea ai e ia i runga i te tika o te whakaakoranga te whakahauhau, te turaki ano i te tangata e totohe mai ana.
Ma te kaumatua whangaia te kahui a te Atua. Ma ia ano e tiaki, ehara ma te here, engari ma te hihiko; ehara i te mea mo te moni poke, engari he ngakau hihiko; ehara ano hoki i te mea he rangatira no te Atua. E tia râ i te matahiapo ia riro ei hi‘oraa no te nǎnǎ (Nga Mahi 14:23, Timoti 1:6-9, 1 Pita 5:1-3).
No roto te mau peresibutero i te Basileia o te Atua
Every born again Christian, tae atu ki tetahi kaumatua, he tangata no te rangatiratanga o te Atua. Hei Karaitiana whanau ano; a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you have a responsibility. You have to obey the law and the rules of the King and His Kingdom.
As a born again Christian and follower of Jesus Christ, he karere koe; ei tia no Iesu Mesia e To ’na Basileia.
You are no longer a representative of the kingdom of darkness. Ko te tikanga tenei, that you don’t live in submission to the ruler of the darkness (te rewera) and obey him. Kaore koe e mahi i ta te rewera, te ao, and your flesh (wairua me te tinana) korero me whakahau koe kia mahi.
Na te mea na, you have crucified the flesh in Christ and live in submission to Christ. You obey Jesus Christ (te Word) and you do what is written in the Bible.
Na te hunga o te Karaiti, kua ripekatia e ratou te kikokiko, me ona hihiritanga, me ona hiahia
Karatia 5:24
Ko te kaumatua hara ko te rewera tona matua
When an elder sins it means that the elder lives after the flesh and listened and obeyed the devil instead of God. He kaumatua, who sins rebels against God and disobeys His Word by fulfilling the desires and lusts of his flesh.
Through his deed of unrighteousness, he has rejected the Word and denied Jesus Christ. Te whakaatu te mahi a te kaumatua i raro i tona mana e ora ai ia, e whakarongo ana hoki ki a ia.
Na to koutou matua koutou, na te rewera, ka mahia ano e koutou ta to koutou papa i hiahia ai. He tangata kohuru ia no te timatanga, a kahore i noho ki te pono, no te mea kahore he pono i roto ia ia. Ina korero teka ia, e korero ana ia mo ana ake: he tangata teka hoki ia, me te matua o taua mea. Na mo taku korero i te pono ki a koutou, kahore koe e whakapono ki ahau. Ko wai o koutou hei whakaatu he hara ahau? A ki te korero pono ahau, he aha koe te whakapono ai ki ahau?? Ko te tangata no te Atua e whakarongo ana ki nga kupu a te Atua: koia koe te whakarongo ai, no te mea ehara koutou i te Atua (Hone 8:44-47)
Titiro ki te Tuhinga o mua. Adam and Eve didn’t have a sinful nature, but they believed the words of the serpent (te rewera) and followed up his advice. While God was very clear and warned them what kind of evil would happen to them, if they ate the fruit from the forbidden tree.
Ahakoa te whakatupato a te Atua, they believed the words of the devil instead of the words of God. Through their deed of eating from the forbidden tree, they rejected God and His truth and obeyed the devil and his lie and sinned.
It is the same for everyone that walks in sin. Rātau Whakakahoretia a Ihu (te Word) me ana whakahau, me te whakapono me te whakarongo ki nga korero teka a te rewera, e mahi ana i roto i te kikokiko me te tikanga o te ao.
No te aha Timoteo i tia ’i ia a‘o i te hoê matahiapo hara i mua i te mau taata atoa?
Timothy had to rebuke the sinning elder in front of the whole congregation, so that every believer would have and keep he wehi me te wehi ki te Atua Kaha Rawa; te Kaihanga o te rangi me te whenua me nga mea katoa o roto.
Ko te wehi ki te Ariki me noho tonu i roto i te hahi. Because without the fear of the Lord, ka uru te hunga whakapono ki nga huarahi i whiriwhiria e ratou ano. They would do what they wanted to do and live after their own will, rite te ao, hei utu mo Te hinaaro o te Atua.
The believers had to know that you can’t play games with the Almighty God and this is still the case.
Ka hari te tangata e wehi tonu ana: ko te tangata ia e whakapakeke ana i tona ngakau, ka taka ki te kino
Whakatauki 28:14
How to prevent spiritual lukewarmness in the church?
Ua faaue Paulo ia Timoteo ia haapao e ia haapao i teie faaueraa. Kia kore ai te hunga whakapono e whakamahana wairua ki te Atua me te kore e aro ki te hara.
I kite a Paora i te te ahua wairua o te hahi. Ua ite oia i te mau tuhaa pae varua: te rangatiratanga o te Atua me te rangatiratanga o te pouri.
Paul knew when a sinning elder would teach the believers in the Word of God (te Paipera), tenei wairua poke kino i kingi i roto i te oranga o te kaumatua hara, would come upon all the believers (Te Ekalesia).
Koia te take i tino kaha ai a Paora me te tupato ki te tuku me te whakatu i nga whakapono ki nga turanga rangatira.
I tino mohio a Paul, what sin is and what sin produces in a person’s life.
I mohio ia, ko te wa hara ko tolerated I roto i te Hahi, kare e roa ka pangia te hahi katoa e te kino, ka mate wairua.
When an elder or any other person in the church walks in sin, ko te tikanga kei te haere te tangata i te pouri me taua kino (pouri) is present in the heart of the person.
Me noho tapu nga kaumatua me te haere i runga i te tika
In the many letters that Paul wrote to the saints, he tohe tonu tana ki a ratou kia noho tapu, kia haere i runga i te tika, kia whakarerea atu te tangata tawhito. I nga wa katoa ka whakamahara a Paora ki te hunga whakapono, Na te whakapono ki a Ihu Karaiti, kua riro ratou he hanganga hou.
Paul taught them, how they should walk as the new creation in this new (wairua) life that was given to them in Christ by the Tuhinga o mua.
No te mea hei Atua, Ihu Karaiti, me te Wairua Tapu, Ko wai e noho ana i roto i te whanau hou Karaitiana i te Wairua, he tapu, he tika, kia pera ano te Karaitiana whanau-hou, i hanga kia rite ki te ahua o te Atua, kia tapu, haere i runga i te tika.
Ka rite ki nga tamariki ngohengohe, kahore koutou e rite ki nga hiahia o mua: engari kia rite ki te kaikaranga i a koutou, he tapu hoki ia, Na, kia tapu koutou ki nga huarahi katoa; No te mea kua tuhia, Kia tapu koutou; he tapu hoki ahau. (1 Pita 1:14-17)
Kua homai e te Atua ana tama (Nga tane me nga wahine), everything in Christ to resist the devil and sin.
He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in High Places, so that we’ll be able to live holy and walk in righteousness in obedience to God and His Word, and represent and manifest the Kingdom of God on earth.
Na te toto o Ihu me Ko tana mahi whakaora, Kua tapu koe, he tika hoki. No reira, ka ora koe, ka haere ano he mea hanga hou i runga i te tapu me te tika. Just like Jesus walked in holiness and righteousness through obedience to His Father and doing His will.
I te wa e whakarongo ana koe ki te Kupu, me te whakarongo me te mahi i te Kupu, you stay in Christ and live after the Spirit in freedom under the blood.
He wairua whakaaro nui i roto i te hahi
Ua tia ia Timoteo ia haapao i teie faaueraa, ahakoa tana hononga ki te kaumatua hara (an acquaintance, hoa, mema ranei o te whanau), a ahakoa tana (pāpori) mana me te taonga.
Eita ta Timoteo e nehenehe e faatia i te hoê huru paeau i roto i te ekalesia. Me rite tonu tana mahi ki nga tangata, tae atu ki nga kaumatua hara. Mena he kino te mahi a Timoti ki nga tangata, he would be led by a spirit of partiality. (Panuitia hoki: Ko te wairua o Eri).
Kei whakapai kanohi koe ina whakawa; engari ka rongo koutou ki te iti, ki te rahi; kei wehi koe i te kanohi tangata; na te Atua hoki te whakawa: me te take e pakeke rawa ana ki a koe, kawea mai ki ahau, a ka rongo ahau (Tiuteronomi 1:17)
E au mau taea'e, Eiaha te faaroo i to tatou Fatu o Iesu Mesia, Tuhinga o mua, Tuhinga o mua (Korimi 2:1)
Me pehea te mahi a te hahi ki te kaumatua hara?
I roto i te whare karakia o tenei ra, he uaua, kaore ranei e tupu, kia riria te kaumatua hara, te kaikauwhau hara ranei i te aroaro o te whakaminenga.
I nga ra o mua, he mea noa ka whakina e te kaumatua hara ana hara me ripeneta i te aroaro o te whakaminenga katoa, i peia atu ia i tana tari, i whakakorea atu hoki ana mahi. Engari i enei ra tata katoa nga 'take' i roto i te kaiarahi wairua ka whakatauhia i muri i nga tatau kati i roto i te waahi motuhake. He maha nga wa ka hunahia.
I etahi wa, engari ehara i nga wa katoa, ko te kaumatua hara ka tangohia mo te wa poto i te tari, so that ’the issue’ can appease. But after a short time, e faatoroa-faahou-hia te taata ei peresibutero i roto i te hoê â ekalesia aore ra i roto i te tahi atu ekalesia.
I roto i te tuhinga o mua, kua korerohia te whakatohungatanga o te kaumatua hara. No reira e kore e korerohia tenei i roto i tenei tuhinga. Mena kaore ano koe i panui i te tuhinga, me te hiahia ki te panui, katahi ka taea e koe te paato i te hono e whai ake nei: He aha te tikanga o Paora na te tuku i nga ringaringa kaore he tangata?
In the name of false love and grace sin is accepted in the church
Ko te whakatupehupehu i tetahi kaumatua hara i mua i te aroaro o te iwi, ehara i te mea he tikanga. Ka panaia ki raro i te korowai o aroha me te aroha noa, ka whakatauhia i roto i te waahi motuhake. Engari ehara tenei i te huarahi a te Atua (ko Ihu) wants the church to deal with sin.
Te tinana o te Karaiti; the church is one body and not a divided body and should live holy.
The church needs to obey the Head Jesus (te Word), kaua ko te rewera (Te Rangatira o te Ao).
Especially the elders and leaders of the church should be spiritually mature, and walk as adult sons of God after the Word and the Spirit and bear the Hua o te Wairua.
E tia ia ratou ia ora mo‘a e te parau-tia e ia riro ratou ei hi‘oraa no te mau Kerisetiano.
E tia ia ratou ia faateitei i te feia faaroo i te Parau a te Atua, kia rite ai ratou ki a ratou, and like Jesus and walk after the Spirit instead of the flesh.
Kia aroha mai, he maha nga kaumatua e noho kikokiko ana. E arataihia ratou e te varua o teie nei ao e te ora nei ratou mai to te ao nei. They approve and accept sin in the church and change the Word of God.
They change the gospel of Jesus Christ and the words of God in the Bible to their own opinion, feelings and the carnal will, hiahia me te hiahia, na nga Karaitiana kikokiko, tae atu ki a ratou ano, ka taea te noho rite te ao, doing what they want and keep walking in sin.
He aha te kaupapa o te riri i te hara i mua i te katoa o te hahi?
When the sin of an elder is exposed in the church and the sinning elder is rebuked before all, ka maka atu i te tari, it ensures that:
- Ka mau nga Karaitiana ki te wehi ki a Ihowa (whakapuakitanga) me te wehi ki te Atua me tana Kupu
- E mohio ana nga Karaitiana he Atua tika te Atua, e kino ana ki te hara me ia (me tona iwi) e kore e taea te uru tahi ki te hara
- Te faaitoitohia e te faaitoitohia te mau Kerisetiano ia ora i te hoê oraraa mo‘a e ia patoi i te hara, me te noho ngohengohe ki te Kupu
- Ka noho pono nga Karaitiana me te whakaaro nui ki nga mea o te rangatiratanga o te Atua, kaua hoki e mangere me te mahana.
- Ka noho te Hahi maranga me te mataara me te mohio ki te hara me ona hua
- Preventing lukewarmness among Christians
- Gossip and speculations about the matter and the sinning elder will be prevented in the church
E tia i te hoê matahiapo ia faaohipa i ta te matahiapo e poro ra
I te wa e noho tonu ana te kaumatua hara, ka whakatoia ranei i muri i te wa poto ka hoki ano ki te hara kotahi, ka pono tonu te kaumatua?
When a sinning elder commands the believers to stay obedient to the Word and live according to what the Bible says, engari kare te kaumatua e mahi, kare hoki e mahi i tana e kauwhau nei, ki to whakaaro ka whakaute te hunga whakapono ki te kaumatua me te whakapono me te whakarongo ki ana tohutohu?
The believers shall have little or no reverence and don’t believe his words let alone apply his words in their lives.
They shall think, “”Ha hear him talking! Telling us what we can’t do, but he does what he commands us not to do.”
Many elders are just like the Pharisees that acted piously in the presence of people. Ua faaue ratou i te taata ia haapa‘o i te mau parau a te Atua, engari i te wahi ngaro, Ki te kore tetahi e matakitaki ana, they disobeyed the words of God.
Heoi ano, Ihu, Ko wai te Matamua o te mea hanga hou, i kite, i mohio hoki ki nga mea katoa i runga i te Wairua. I mohio ia ki o ratou ngakau, a whakakitea ana o ratou ngakau ki te aroaro o te iwi. Kare a Ihu i huna i tetahi mea, kare hoki i huna, but He exposed evil and i whakamotitia nga mahi o te pouri.
Kei te kite tonu a Ihu me te mohio ki nga mea katoa. Na te Wairua Tapu, Ka whakaatu tonu ia i nga mea e tupu ana i te pouri. Jesus reveals everything, i te mea kei te haere tonu te hahi i tona marama.
Te whaki hara ki te aroaro o te katoa
I nga ra o mua, Ko nga kaumatua hara i whaki i o ratou hara ki te aroaro o te katoa, it ensured that elders would think twice before they listened to their flesh and gave in to the will, nga hiahia me nga hiahia o o ratou kikokiko me o ratou hara.
Ua tapea noa ratou i te mǎta‘u i te Atua e ua faatura ratou i ta ’na Parau. Kaore ratou e maia ki te whakarereke i tetahi mea mo nga kupu a te Atua me whakatika i te Kupu ki o ratou hiahia me o ratou hiahia.
Aita hoê a‘e taata i hinaaro ia faahaehaahia ’tu i mua i te taata. Kaore tetahi i hiahia kia tohuhia hei kaumatua hara.
Ua ara te taata i te pae varua e ua ara maitai. He wehi ki a Ihowa me te mohio ki te hara.
I mohio ratou ko te hara he tohu o te tutu me te tutu ki te Atua.
I mohio ratou kaore he waahi o te hara i roto i te hahi. No te mea e tohu ana te hahi i te tika o te Atua me te mana wairua o Te Basileia o te Atua I runga i tenei whenua.
I mohio nga Karaitiana ko te hara ko te whakarongo ki te rewera, a na te hara i wehe i waenganui ia ratou me te Atua.
I roto i nga hahi hou o tenei ra, ka whakaaetia te hara. Ko te kaumatua hara e kore e riria i mua i te aroaro o te iwi na reira ka tata te wehi ki a Ihowa. Kare he hiahia i roto i te iwi ki te tu atu ki te hara me te noho tapu me te noho tapu i roto i a te Karaiti.
Ko te nuinga o nga Karaitiana e hiahia ana kia noho rite ki te ao me te kore e pai ki te tuku i o raatau ake oranga. Ka noho ratou ki te kikokiko me te noho i o ratou ake oranga i runga i te kikokiko.
Ua faaooo te hoê matahiapo hara ia Iesu e ua faaino i te Basileia o te Atua
Many elders and pastors of the church keep living like the world. They live after the flesh instead of the Spirit. Ko nga manuhiri o te whare karakia kare ano e pa ki o ratou hara. Kaore ratou i te whakatikatika, he tokomaha hoki nga kaumatua me nga kaikauwhau e haere ana i runga i nga hara. Ka mahia e ratou nga mea e pai ana ki a ratou me te aro ki a ratou ano me to ratou rangatiratanga. Kaore ratou e whakaaro ki te oranga wairua o te hunga whakapono me te rangatiratanga o te Atua.
I nga wa katoa, ina hara te kaumatua, te kaikauwhau ranei, he mocks Jesus and defiles the body of Christ. Through his deed of disobedience to God he damages the Kingdom of God.
A sinning elder or preacher doesn’t walk in love and doesn’t love God above all. Engari ko te kaumatua hara e aroha ana ki a ia ano me tona kikokiko i runga ake i te katoa. He pononga ia na tona tinana, na te rewera.
A faaroo ia Iesu e a patoi atu i te hara
No reira, let us become serious again regarding the Kingdom of God. Me whai hiahia i roto i nga tangata whakapono katoa ki te whakarongo ki a Ihu me te noho tapu me te haere tika i runga i te hiahia o te Atua. No te mea ko te tangata whakapono e aroha ana ki a ia i runga ake i nga tangata whakapono katoa e pupuri ana i ana ture.
A pato'ii te mau hara, e puta mai na roto i nga whakamatautauranga a te rewera i te kikokiko. Mea atu kahore ki te hara, hei utu mo te noho a Tuhinga o mua.
Ua upooti‘a Iesu i te hara na roto i Ta’na ohipa maitai roa no te faaoraraa. Mena kua whanau ano koe (i mate o koutou kikokiko i roto i a te Karaiti, kua ara ano o koutou wairua i te hunga mate) He mea hanga hou koe. Kei te noho koe i roto i a te Karaiti ka hoatu e ia ki a koe nga mea katoa e hiahia ana koe ki te tu atu i te rewera me te hara, me te whakaatu i te rangatiratanga o te Atua i runga i te whenua..
Kaore he take o te tangata. Kaore e taea e tetahi te whakapae i tetahi atu, kahore hoki te rewera. Ko nga Karaitiana katoa he kawenga mo ana ake mahi i roto i te ao, ka whai kawenga i te ra nui o te Whakawa..
'Kia tote o te whenua'
