I le 1 Timoteo 5:20, Paul wrote about a sinning elder in the church and what to do if an elder sinned. Na faatonuina e Paulo Matufulu ia le mauaina se tuʻuaʻiga faasaga i se toeaina seivagana vagana ua oʻo mai le tuuaʻiga i luga o molimau e lua pe toʻatolu. 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).
O LE A Na tupu i se Elder Faasalaina i le Aso o le Ekalesia?
Le asō, E toʻatele le au Kerisiano e manatu vave pe taʻu atu: “O le a le mea e tupu ma le uiga o le mea e fai!”, "Oi, o le tagata mativa (le toeaina)! E le tatau ona tatou faia i lena auala, Aua o le tagata matitiva na mafatia i le agasala "po o le" Poloaiga a le Tusi Paia matou te savavali ai i le alofa, ma e le o se faʻailoga lea o le savali i le alofa ma faʻaalia le alofa i lou tuaoi. E leai se tasi e fia maasiasi i luma o le aulotu atoa, Aua tatou te le atoatoa, O Tatou Uma Agasala”.
Many Christians would say these things because o latou cornal 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, lagona, ma lagona. Ae peitai, this is very dangerous for the Body of Christ.
Ona o lenei, Christians don’t change their lives to the Word of God. Nai lo lena, they adjust the words of God and Poloaiga a Iesu Keriso i o latou loto, tu'inanauga, ma manaoga. Latou moeiini o latou mata ma faia o latou taliga fiti i le moni a le Atua.
I LENEI TALI, O le toeaina ua tusia i le Masteroline pepa aua e faigofie ona faitau. Ae e aoga i alii ma tamaitai.
Na maua e le toeaina le tuuaiga o se tuuaiga, ae i luma o le lua pe toatolu molimau. Latou o le agasala e aoai i luma o mea uma, o isi foi e ono fefe
1 Timoteo 5:20
What does the Bible say about the characteristics of elders in the church?
O se toeaina na poloaiina i le Alii o Iesu Keriso ma o se a o le amepasaa o le Malo o le Atua (E pei ona tatau i Kerisiano uma). The Bible says about the characteristics of an elder (epikopo) that An elder should walk in righteousness and be blameless (o lona uiga e leai se agasala i lona olaga).
An elder should be a husband of one wife, Le i ai o tamaiti faamaoni, o le e le o le tuuaia o le vevesi pe leai. One that rules well his own house, i lana fanau ia gaua'i ma le mamafa uma.
E tatau ona le mautonu le toeaina, I le avea ai ma tausimea a le Atua; e le o le tagata lava ia, Le vave ita, le tuuina atu i le uaina, leai se tagata e feosofi, le tuuina atu i eleelea lucre.
O le toeaina e tatau ona sili ona alofa i le talimalo, O le alofa o tagata lelei, maofa, na, paia, ma le migao. E tatau ona ia faia vave le upu faamaoni a o ia aʻoaʻoina, ina ia mafai ona ia maua i le ata manaia o le apoapoai atu ma le talitonuina le tagata aoga.
E tatau ona faia e le toeaina Fafaga le Lafu a le Atua. E tatau ona ia talia le lautele, e ala i le faʻatapulaʻaina, ae ma le loto i ai; e le mo eleelea lucre, ae o le mafaufau ua saunia; e le o se auauna i measina a le Atua. Ae o le toeaina e tatau ona avea ma faʻataʻitaʻiga o le lafu (Galuega 14:23, Timoteo 1:6-9, 1 Peteru 5:1-3).
Faamamā e le Tagata ma Faasino Atu le Malo o le Atua
Every born again Christian, Aofia ai se toeaina, o se sitiseni o le Malo o le Atua. I le avea ai ma se fafine Kerisiano; 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, O oe o le amepasa; O se sui o Iesu Keriso ma lona malo.
You are no longer a representative of the kingdom of darkness. O lona uiga, that you don’t live in submission to the ruler of the darkness (le tiapolo) and obey him. E te le faia le a le tiapolo, le lalolagi, and your flesh (agaga ma le tino) fai mai ma faatonuina oe e fai.
Ona o lena, you have crucified the flesh in Christ and live in submission to Christ. You obey Jesus Christ (le Upu) and you do what is written in the Bible.
Ma oi latou ua faʻasatauroina o Keriso le tino ma le alofa ma tuʻinanau
Kalatia 5:24
O se toeaina faifaatoaga o loo iai le tama o le tama
When an elder sins it means that the elder lives after the flesh and listened and obeyed the devil instead of God. O le toeaina, 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. O le faaalia a le toeaina i lalo o le pule o ia o loo soifua ma o le ua ia faalogo i ai.
O oe o lou tama le tiapolo, ma le tuʻinanau o lou tama o le ae faia. O ia o le fasioti tagata mai le amataga, ma nofo i le mea moni, aua e leai se mea moni ia te ia. A Ia fetalai i le pepelo, Ua ia tautala e uiga i lana lava: aua o ia o se pepelo, ma le tama o ai. Ma ona ou te fai atu ia te oe le mea moni, e te talitonu ia te au. O fea o outou e faatalitonuina aʻu o le agasala? Ma afai ou te fai atu le mea moni, Aisea e te le talitonu ai ia te au? O Le e Na faafofoga mai i le Atua Afioga a le Atua: o le mea lea na e faalogo ai ia i latou, aua e le o oe o le Atua (Ioane 8:44-47)
Vaai i le Faatoaga o Etena. Adam and Eve didn’t have a sinful nature, but they believed the words of the serpent (le tiapolo) 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.
E ui i le lapataiga a le 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. Latou te teena Iesu (le Upu) ma Ana poloaiga, ma talitonu ma usitaʻi i le pepelo o le tiapolo, O ai e galue i le tino ma le lalolagi.
Aisea na tatau ai ona aoina e Timoteo se matua ulavale muamua i luma o mea uma?
Timothy had to rebuke the sinning elder in front of the whole congregation, so that every believer would have and keep fefe ma le maofa i le Atua Silisiliese; Le Foafoa o le lagi ma le lalolagi ma o loo i totonu.
Ua tatau ona nofo i le lalolagi le mataʻu i le Alii. Because without the fear of the Lord, O le tagata talitonu o le a ulufale atu ia lava-filifilia auala. They would do what they wanted to do and live after their own will, pei lava o le lalolagi, nai lo le Le Finagalo o le Atua.
The believers had to know that you can’t play games with the Almighty God and this is still the case.
Fiafia o le tamaloa e fefe tele: Ae o le a ia te ia o le a pa'ū lona loto i mea leaga
Faataoto 28:14
How to prevent spiritual lukewarmness in the church?
Na faatonuina e Paulo nei Danotho ia usitai ma tausia lenei poloaiga. Lea o ē faʻatuatua latou te le faia faʻamalosi faʻaleagaga i le Atua ma le le fiafia i le agasala.
Na vaai Paulo i le Malo Faaleagaga o le Ekalesia. Na ia iloa le malo faaleagaga: O Le Malo o le Atua ma le Malo o le Vaitafe.
Paul knew when a sinning elder would teach the believers in the Word of God (Le Tusi Paia), O Le Amio Leaga e Le Le mama e pule ai le avea ma toeaina, would come upon all the believers (O le Ekalesia).
O le mea lea na matua mautu ai Paulo ma faaeteete ma le faʻatagaina ma le faʻatagaina ma le ua talitonu i tulaga taʻitaʻi.
Na iloa lelei e Paulo, what sin is and what sin produces in a person’s life.
Na ia iloa, o afea agasala sa tolerated i le Ekalesia, e le mafai ona tutupu i luma o le Ekalesia atoa o le a afaina ai ua oti i le leaga.
When an elder or any other person in the church walks in sin, o lona uiga o le tagata savali i le pouliuli ma le leaga (pogisa) is present in the heart of the person.
O toeaina e tatau ona ola ola paia O ola paia ma savavali i le amiotonu
In the many letters that Paul wrote to the saints, Na te onosaʻia i latou e ola i le paia ma le savali i le amiotonu ma lafoai le toeaina. O taimi uma lava na faamanatu ai e Paulo le au talitonu, O Le Faatuatua ia Iesu Keriso, ua avea i latou a foafoaga fou.
Paul taught them, how they should walk as the new creation in this new (faaleagaga) life that was given to them in Christ by the alofa tunoa o le Atua.
Aua o le Atua, Iesu Keriso, ma le Agaga Paia, O lē e nofo i le fouvale faʻa-Kerisiano i le Agaga, e paia ma amiotonu, e tatau ona toe fanau mai, O ai na faia i le faatusa o le atua, Ia Paia ma Savali i le Amiotonu.
I le avea ai ma fanau usiusitai, aua le faatulagaina outou lava e tusa ma tu'inanauga sa i ai muamua i lo outou valea: Ae o le mea na ia taua o oe e paia, ia paia outou i amioga uma lava; Aua ua tusia, Ia paia outou; auā e paia lava a‘u. (1 Peteru 1:14-17)
Ua Tuuina Mai e le Atua Ona Alo (alii ma tamaitai), 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.
I le toto o Iesu ma O lona galuega togiola, Ua e Faapaiaina Lelei Oe. O lea la, O le ae ola pea ma savavali o le Foafoaga fou i le paia ma le amiotonu. Just like Jesus walked in holiness and righteousness through obedience to His Father and doing His will.
O le a le umi e te faalogo ai i le upu, ma usitai ma faia le upu, you stay in Christ and live after the Spirit in freedom under the blood.
O Se Agaga o Tulaga Faaitu i le Ekalesia
Timoteo ia tausia lenei poloaiga, E ui lava i Lana faiā ma le matua faataulai (an acquaintance, uo, po o tagata o le aiga), ma e ui lava i lona (agafesootai) tulaga ma tamaoaiga.
O Timoty e le mafai ona faʻatagaina se tuʻufaʻatasiga i totonu o le Ekalesia. E tatau ona ia togafitia e le gata, Ia aofia ai Maronia o toeaina. Afai o Timothy devices e le tutusa, he would be led by a spirit of partiality. (Faitau foi: Le Agaga o Eli).
E le faʻaaloalo tagata i le faʻamasinoga; Ae o le ae faʻalogo i le mea laiti foʻi faʻapea foi ma le sili; e te le fefe i foliga o le tagata; Mo le faamasinoga o le Atua's: ma le mafuaaga e faigata tele mo oe, aumai ia te au, ma o le a ou faalogo iai (Teuteronome 1:17)
Ou uso, Le Faatuatua o lo Tatou Alii o Iesu Keriso, Le Alii o le Mamalu, Ma le faaaloalo i tagata (Iakopo 2:1)
E Faapefea Ona Faia e le Ekalesia se toeaina Mā:?
I le Ekalesia i le taimi nei, E seasea pe leai foi se mea, o le faʻasaga i le toeaina o le toeaina poʻo se faifeau.
I aso tuai, O se mea masani na faia ai e se tiani agasala ana agasala ma salamo I luma o le aulotu atoa ma ua tuua o ia i lona ofisa ma faapogisaina ona tiute. Ae o nei aso ua toetoe lava o mataupu uma 'i le taʻitaʻiga faaleagaga o loʻo foia i tua o faitotoʻa faitotoʻa i se nofoaga tumaʻoti. Tele taimi e teu ai le mea lilo.
O nisi taimi, Ae le o taimi uma, O le faifeau agasala o le a aveeseina le le tumau mai le ofisa, so that ’the issue’ can appease. But after a short time, O le a toe tofia le tagata o se toeaina i le lotu e tasi pe i se isi ekalesia.
I le mataupu muamua, Ua talanoaina e le Toe Faauuga le Faifeau Faasaga. O lea o lenei o le a le talanoaina i lenei tusitusiga. Afai e te leʻi faitauina le tusitusiga, ma e fia faitau, Ona mafai lea ona e kiliki i luga o le sootaga nei: O le a le uiga o le upu a Paulo e ala i lima na faʻafuaseʻi ona i luga o se tagata?
In the name of false love and grace sin is accepted in the church
O le aogā o se faʻa Th ¯ aua o se toeaina i tagata lautele ua le toe masani ai. Ua tuleia i lalo o le ofu o Alofa ma Grace, ma foia i se nofoaga tumaoti. Ae e le o le auala lenei o le Atua (ma Iesu) wants the church to deal with sin.
O le tino o Keriso; the church is one body and not a divided body and should live holy.
The church needs to obey the Head Jesus (le Upu), Nai lo le Tiapolo (o le pule o le lalolagi).
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 fua o le Agaga.
E tatau ona ola i latou e pei o paia ma amiotonu ma avea ma se faʻataʻitaʻiga i Kerisiano na pule i Kerisiano.
E tatau ona latou tutuli i latou e talitonu i le afioga a le Atua, o lea o le a latou avea faapei oi latou, and like Jesus and walk after the Spirit instead of the flesh.
Ae paga lea, Tele Mamoe e tumau i le tino. Ua taitaia e le Agaga o lenei lalolagi ma ola pei o le lalolagi. 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, tu'inanauga ma tu'inanauga, o lea o le au Kerisiano, aofia ai ma latou, mafai ona ola e pei o le lalolagi, doing what they want and keep walking in sin.
O le a le mafuaʻaga e faʻatonuina ai le agasala aʻo leʻi faia uma i le ekalesia?
When the sin of an elder is exposed in the church and the sinning elder is rebuked before all, ma tuu i fafo o le ofisa, it ensures that:
- Eveli e Kerisiano e Fefe i le Alii (Faaaloalo) ma ia e faʻaaloalo i le Atua ma Lana afioga
- Ua silafia e Kerisiano o le Atua o se Atua amiotonu ma inoino i le agasala ma ia (Ma Ona Tagata) le mafai ona fesoʻotaʻi ma le agasala
- E unad ma faamalosiau Kerisiano ina ia ola i se ola mama ma tetee i le agasala, ma tumau le usitai i le upu
- E tumau Kerisiano faamaoni ma e tulaga e uiga i mea o le Malo o le Atua ma aua le avea ma paie ma le kuasoso
- E tumau le Ekalesia Ala mai ma Mataala ma ia tatou malamalama i le agasala ma ona taunuuga
- Preventing lukewarmness among Christians
- Gossip and speculations about the matter and the sinning elder will be prevented in the church
E tatau i se toeaina ona faataʻitaʻi le mea na folafola atu ai le Peresitene
A tumau se toeaina agasala pe o le a toe faʻauʻuina ina ua maeʻa se taimi puʻupuʻu ma toe foʻi i tua i le agasala e tasi, e tatau pea le toeaina?
When a sinning elder commands the believers to stay obedient to the Word and live according to what the Bible says, Ae e le faia e le toeaina ma e le mafai ona faʻataʻitaʻia le mea na ia talosaga ai, E te manatu o le talitonu o le a faʻaaloalo i le toeaina ma talitonu ma usitaʻi i Ana faatonuga?
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. Na Latou Pea i Tagata e Usitai i Afioga a le Atua, ae i le faalilolilo, A e leai se tasi na matamata, they disobeyed the words of God.
Ae peitai, Iesu, O ai le ulumatua o le Foafoaga fou, vaai ma iloa mea uma i le Agaga. Na ia iloa o latou loto ma faʻaalia o latou loto i luma o tagata. E leʻi nana e Iesu se mea ma e leʻi faalilolilo, but He exposed evil and Faaumatia O Galuega o le Pogisa.
O loo silasila mai pea Iesu ma iloa mea uma. E ala i le Agaga Paia, Na ia faʻaalia pea le mea e tupu i le pogisa. Jesus reveals everything, O le a le umi a o savali pea le Ekalesia i lona malamalama.
Taʻutaʻu atu le agasala i luma o mea uma
O afea o aso tuai, O le agasala o leoleo ua taʻutaʻuina a latou agasala i luma o mea uma, it ensured that elders would think twice before they listened to their flesh and gave in to the will, Tupualiese ma Lusts o lo latou tino ma le agasala.
Na latou fefefe i le Atua ma latou faaaloalo i lana upu. Latou te le fefefe e suia se mea e uiga i upu a le Atua ma fetuutuunai le Upu i o latou manaʻoga ma lupe.
E leai se tasi na manaʻo e 'agaleaga' i luma o tagata. E leai se tasi na manaʻo e faʻailogaina o le toeaina ua agasala.
O tagata na vaseina ma le puipuiga. Na i ai le fefe i le Alii ma o se malamalamaʻaga o le agasala.
Na latou iloa o le agasala o se faailoga o le fouvale ma le le usiusitai i le Atua.
Na Latou Iloa e leai se Nofoaga e Afiafiina i le Ekalesia. Ona o le Ekalesia e fai ma sui o le Amiotonu o le Atua ma le Pulega Faaleagaga o Le Malo o le Atua i luga o lenei fogaeleele.
Na iloa e Kerisiano le agasala i le tiapolo ma lena agasala e mafua mai i le va ma le Atua.
I le aso nei o aso nei o lenei aso, E faataga le agasala. O le toeaina o le toeaina e le o toe taliaina i luma o tagata ma ona o lena o le fefe i le Alii ua toeitiiti lava o. E leai se manaʻoga i tagata e teteʻe ia agasala ma ola i le ola paʻia ma paia ia Keriso.
Tele o Kerisiano e manaʻo e ola pei o le lalolagi ma aua le manaʻo e lafoai lo latou lava ola. Latou te nofo i le tino ma ola o latou lava olaga pe a uma le tino.
O le faʻam ¯ ami foʻi lea ua tamoina Iesu ma faaumatia le Malo o le Atua
Many elders and pastors of the church keep living like the world. They live after the flesh instead of the Spirit. E le o toe faapopoleina asiasiga a le Ekalesia ma a latou agasala. Latou te le faʻasaʻoina, Ona o le tele o toeaina ma failauga savavali i agasala ia i latou lava. Latou te faia le mea e fiafia ai latou ma taulaʻi ia i latou lava ma lo latou malo. Latou te le popole i le soifua manuia faaleagaga o le au talitonu ma le malo o le Atua.
Taimi uma, A o se toeaina po o se failauga o loo faia se agasala, 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. Ae o se toeaina Kerisiano e alofa ia te ia ma lona tino sili uma. O ia o le pologa o lona tino ma le tiapolo.
Usitai Iesu ma Fesuiai Agasala
O lea la, let us become serious again regarding the Kingdom of God. E tatau ona i ai se manaʻo i tagata faʻamaoni uma e usitaʻi ia Iesu ma ola ai e amiotonu ma ia amiotonu amiotonu i le finagalo o le Atua. Aua e alofa le tagata ia te ia ia te ia i luga uma o loo talitonu i lē e tausia ana poloaiga.
Tetee ia Amio, lea e ala mai i faaosoosoga a le tiapolo i le tino. Fai leai se agasala, Nai lo le avea ma Fasiina o Agasala.
Na Maneia I Le Atua le Agasala i Lona Galuega Atoa o le Togiolaina. Afai ua e toe fanaufouina (Ua maliu lou aano ia Keriso ma o lo o lau agaga mai le oti) O oe o se fou foafoaga. O loo e nofo ia Keriso ma tuu atu ia te oe mea uma e tatau ona e teteʻe atu i le Tiapolo ma le agasala ma faʻaalia le Malo o le Atua i le lalolagi.
E leai se isi e maua ai le 'alofaga. E leai se tasi e mafai ona tuuaia se isi tagata, e le o le tiapolo. O Kerisiano uma e nafa ma ana lava galuega i le olaga ma o le a faia tali atu i le aso tele o le faamasino.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
