Confidentiality in Counseling and Church Discipline?

When a pastor, elder, or other Christian mentor/counselor in a church is dealing with a another person’s sin issue, is 100% confidentiality biblical?  Jay Adams argues that it is not.  He makes a good case for this in The Handbook of Church Discipline.  Here’s an edited summary of his argument which specifically has to do …

Behind a Dark Providence

One big question that often comes up in the Christian life is, “Why is God letting this happen to me?”  Similarly, we ask what point trials, temptations, and tribulations have in our lives; it seems like they crush and hurt us, and when we’re in the middle of them, we struggle to stay afloat in …

We Need Discipline Like We Need Daily Bread

Because God is our heavenly Father and we (Christians) are his adopted sons and daughters, he disciplines us when we sin and disobey (Prov. 3:11, Heb. 12:5-6).  However, in Christ we understand this discipline to be full of love, not hate; we view the rod as evidence of God’s care, not his curse.  God disciplines …

The Church is Never Closed

In Cyprian’s day (3rd Century AD) the Christian church in the West was grappling with heretics on the one hand and with persecution on the other hand.  Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage (North Africa), typically handled these difficulties with a biblical and pastoral mindset.  Below is one example of Cyprian’s forgiving spirit in light of …