I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I sincerely hope that you will take this email into consideration, forwarding it to whomever it may concern, and respond accordingly; not only to myself in this email, but also in how you conduct yourselves on "Sunday, January 4th, 2008." (I am going to assume that you meant 2009.)
Recently, I was informed over the internet about the following news article, which concerns the following letter, respectively:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,469928,00.html
http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/Church_Extortion.pdf
Specifically, I wanted to question your use of the passage in Matthew 18, verses 15-17.
In your letter, you said "...certain members of Grace Community Church have carried out the first two steps of the discipline process by reproving you in private (Matthew 18:15) and reproving you in the presence of witnesses (Matthew 18:16)."
You also said "In accordance to Matthew 18:17 we intend to 'tell it to the church.'"
Now, to provide further clarification, allow me to post the verses in question, directly from the New King James Version of the bible.
15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
The first thing that I would like to point out in this passage is in verse 15. "...if your brother sins against you"
Maybe I am misunderstanding something, but in no way do I see her having sinned against any member of your church. If she has sinned, she has sinned against herself and her lover only.
I reference 1 Corinthians 8:13 and Romans 14:21, again respectively:
"Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."
"It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."
If you choose to believe that her intimate relationship with her lover is a sin, and if she chooses not to turn from that lifestyle, then do you not also believe that by "telling it to the church" you may cause herself as well as others to stumble? If you believe that the lifestyle is a sin, and she is adamant in the fact that she will not turn from the lifestyle, do you believe that could possibly send the wrong message to your other members--that perhaps it is okay to disagree with what you teach? Do you believe that by "telling it to the church" her children will not stumble because of embarrassment? Do you believe that by "telling it to the church" that Rebecca Hancock will not be caused to stumble, possibly losing faith in church and God altogether?
I reference John 8, starting at verse 3, where an adulterer was brought before Jesus:
3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
When you are considering your options about whether or not to carry through on January 4th, I encourage you to allow “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” As the old saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Everyone knows that this saying is false. Words hurt; they can cut deeper than the sharpest knife. Who is the first among you that will cast your words against this woman?
Moreover, I direct you to Matthew 7:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.'"
In closing, I would like to mention one very important fact.
Rebecca Hancock, by speaking to Foxnews.com and allowing the article to be posted, has already confessed her "sin" to the world. In addition, we all know how much "prayer gossip" exists amongst a church. I would dare to guess that Rebecca Hancock has been the topic of much gossip around your church as it is, and there is no reason to continue this matter any further. Gossip is equal as a sin in God's eyes to adultery, lies, and even murder.
Thank you for your time in reading this email. God bless you and your church.