The Bible says, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Pro. 27:5, 6).

A rebuke is “a sharp reproof (blame or censure for a fault) a chiding, reprimand, to reprove sharply, a scolding; to address in sharp and severe disapproval.” Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “Preach the word; be instant (urgent; insistent; immediate; direct) in season, out of season; (in an opportune and inopportune time) reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Tim. 2:3). An open rebuke is a sign of true friendship. It happens when there’s a one-on-one encounter between friends and one friend tells the other of his faults to his face, in private. The rebuke may hurt the friend’s ego but if given and taken in the spirit of love will aid the delinquent brother in his development and maturity. A friend who merely loves us in thought or secretly, but not in action, who will never help us see our faults by speaking out against them, though they may give us the Judas kiss, isn’t a true friend.

You don’t find many people seeking out friends who can identify their faults and who will courageously speak their mind about them because they care. We normally seek friends who are weak morally, who we can control, and lord it over, who will never see anything wrong with anything we do, who will follow us right over the cliff. We want all our friends to be “yes men.” We don’t want any party-poopers who will tell us the ugly truth about ourselves, whose words will cut us deep, and hurt our feelings. And whose rebuke our conscience agrees with.

Timothy (along with every preacher) is told to rebuke openly, from the pulpit them that sin. “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Tim.5:20). Sins are action committed publicly and are common knowledge in the community, and have fallen into public domain, and must therefore be addressed publicly within the church.

Today, this just doesn’t happen. This may be because the pastor himself has fallen and lacks the integrity to address sin. He may, because of the repercussion that will come from such actions, avoid dealing with sin. Whatever the reason, he’s dishonoring God and hurting the church, by neglecting his God-given duty. If you speak against sin you’re viewed as non-Christian, and un-Christlike. You’re called “mean spirited,” and “judgmental.” You have Matthew 7:1 quoted to you, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” This doesn’t mean we’re never to judge another, but rather that a follower of Christ shouldn’t be censorious and judge one’s motives. Maintaining the purity of the local church by dealing with sin is the responsibility of the members. This is pointed out clearly in 1 Corinthians 5. (See also Mt.18:15-17; 1 Cor. 11:13; 14:29; 1 Pe. 4:17). It’s tough love, but love none the less, when we wound friends with rebuke because we want them to better themselves.

James H. Cagle is a resident of Ray City.