How Should Churches Confront Pastors Who’ve Covered Up Sexual Abuse?

How should churches confront pastors who have covered up sexual abuse? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Well, hi, I'm Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. We'll be taking calls for the next 25 minutes or so.

That's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites. And of course, you can always email us at questionsatcorechristianity.com. Adriel, let's go to the phones right off.

We've got Cami on the phone from Fremont, Nebraska. Cami, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yes, my mother and I share what we've learned through the Bible or what we've heard. And at one time, we had found a passage, a verse, I believe, in, I think, Revelations. She don't remember where, but it's about all nations hear the name of Jesus. And then that's what I'm looking for.

If there's any way you could help me with that, I'd really appreciate it. And so, Cami, I think that the passage you're referring to is in Matthew chapter 24, where Jesus is talking about this time of judgment. And he says that the gospel is going to go out to the whole world, to all nations, and then the end will come.

Is that the text you're referring to? Yes, I believe that's the passage. So, yeah, I mean, this is something that Jesus says. We're thinking about Matthew chapter 24.

It's important to understand the context here. Matthew 24 begins with the disciples looking at the temple, and they're just overwhelmed by the beauty of the temple. And the Jewish historian Josephus just talks about the temple at that time, how it just glowed in the sunlight.

It really was this sight to behold. And so the disciples are probably walking by, and they're seeing this, and they're saying, Lord, look at this majestic temple. And Jesus says, truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

And, of course, that happened just a few years later in 70 AD, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? And so this is the question that the disciples asked that launched Jesus into his teaching here, related to his coming and the end of the age, and the destruction of the temple there in Jerusalem. And one of the things that Jesus says in verse 14 is that the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

And so there are a couple of ways that people have taken this. Some people have taken this as, you know, the gospel is going out, it's recorded throughout the book of Acts, and the end that's referred to is this time of judgment, this specific time of judgment on Israel that was executed in 70 AD. I think there's more to it than that. I think that there is obviously talk of the destruction of Jerusalem here in Matthew 24. I mean, the disciples asked, when is the temple going to be destroyed?

But it seems like there's more to it than that. He's referring to this final last, we sometimes say, eschatological coming, the second coming of the Lord. And that's going to be preceded by the gospel going out to the nations, the Gentiles, the fullness of the Gentiles, as the Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 11.

And so that's one of the things that's taking place right now. I mean, Peter, in Second Peter, when he talks about the coming of the Lord, he says, look, God is not slow about his promise to return, but he's being patient towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. So right now is the time of preaching the gospel, getting the word out so that people will turn to Christ in repentance, because there is coming a day, the day of judgment, the day of the second coming of Christ, where there won't be any more chance for repentance. That's the time of judgment.

And so that's really what we have to understand according to that. And so for our part, I think it's realizing that the gospel is going to continue to be preached during this age, and then Christ will come. Thank you, Cammie, for your question. Hey Cammie, thanks so much for being a regular listener to Core Christianity. We do appreciate you.

If you've got a question about the Bible, the Christian life, maybe about doctrine or theology, or maybe you have doubts about the Christian faith, we're open to those questions as well. Here's our phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Don in Kansas. Don, what's your question for Adriel? Yeah, my question is the mark that was placed upon Cain after he killed Abel. Could that mark actually be grace?

That's an interesting question. So we're talking about Genesis chapter 4, and God has basically brought this judgment against Cain for murdering his brother. And Cain says to the Lord in Genesis 4, 13, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden.

I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. Then the Lord said to him, Not so. If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who found him should attack him. And I'm guessing, Don, that that's why you're wondering, well, is this an act of God's grace, God's kindness?

In one sense I would say yes. I mean, there's this specific judgment. There are consequences to Cain's sin, certainly. And Scripture talks about Cain. John speaks about Cain specifically. It says we don't want to be like him. We don't want to love our brothers like Cain loved his brother and murdered him.

And so he's set up in the Bible as a sort of negative example. But we see even here God's long suffering and kindness. In one sense, even though there's this judgment that's brought against him, there's also this preservation, the kindness of the Lord.

And how often can each of us say in our own lives, I'm doing better than I deserve? I mean, the Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death. It's God's gratuitous mercy that he allows us to continue to breathe and to experience all of the wonderful and good common grace gifts that he gives to us. And those things should be for us, you know, calls to repentance, calls to turn to him. As Paul says in the book of Romans, it's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. And in one sense here, yeah, God is exercising kindness towards Cain even after he had committed this terrible act. Thanks for your question, Don. And I'm so thankful for that, Grace, because when I was 12 years old, I broke my brother's arm and God forgave me for that.

Bill, I don't even want to get into that. So you broke your brother's arm. Were you guys wrestling or something? It was an accident, total accident. We were on a jungle gym and that's a long story. Anyway, he's fine today, but he's never lived that down, by the way.

He constantly reminds people. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez and our phone lines are open if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, maybe how your Christian walk intersects with today's culture and all the challenges that brings. Here's our phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673.

We'll be taking calls for the next 15 minutes or so. We do want to tell you about a brand new Bible study that we're making available to you today, and it's really wonderful. It's called The Parables of King Jesus.

Yeah, thanks, Bill. We do have a new Bible study called The Parables of King Jesus. It's really fascinating to think that Jesus spent so much of his ministry teaching in parables. This study helps to explain what they are and how Jesus uses these stories.

They're not lessons about economic principles or tips for living, civic lessons or marital advice. They're about how the promised prophet, priest, and king Jesus has come and is bringing forth his eternal kingdom. The parables tell us something about the king, his kingdom, and his people.

That's us. If you want to understand how you fit into the kingdom of God and where you fit into God's story, there's no better place to start than in The Parables of King Jesus. Go ahead and get a copy of that resource over at corechristianity.com for a donation of $20 or more. Anyway, all of our Bible studies are set up to work really well for personal use, but also you can use them in a group format. So, for example, maybe you're a small group looking for something to go through, or you've got a Sunday school class you lead, you're looking for some curriculum for next fall.

This would be a great study to go through. Again, it's called The Parables of King Jesus, and you can get it for a donation of $20 or more at corechristianity.com. You can find it at our website corechristianity.com forward slash studies, or of course you can call us for that Bible study or any of our resources. We would love to hear from you.

Well, let's go to an email. Our email address is, if you'd like to email us a question, is questions at corechristianity.com. From Brandon, he says, recently, in response to a listener who was struggling over whether to attend his brother's same-sex wedding, you mentioned 1 Corinthians 5, 9 through 11, which says not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer but is sexually immoral. A report about the Southern Baptist Convention was just released that shows that not only has sexual abuse from SBC pastors been shockingly common, but that SBC leadership stonewalls the victims to protect itself from legal liability instead of removing those pastors from authority. Should all believers shun or expel all the individuals involved with this tragedy?

Yeah. I mean, I haven't even read the entire report. I know it's hundreds of pages long, but I've gotten to read some of it and read some summaries also of the report, and it's absolutely horrific, frankly. And it's terrifying, really, when you think about the judgment that is going to come and that does come on ministers and church leaders who aren't caring for the flock but are actually contributing to the abuse of the sheep. I think, certainly, what we're dealing with, when you have somebody who's in a position of ecclesiastical authority who is using their authority to stonewall, to defend abusers, not victims, which you have there is not a shepherd but a wolf, frankly. I mean, that's just what it is, people who are preying on the sheep.

And this has been an issue since the beginning of time. I think of Ezekiel 34, God's warning against the shepherds of Israel. Listen to what the prophet Ezekiel said, the word of the Lord came to me, Son of Man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, even to the shepherds, thus says the Lord God, Ah, shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding yourselves, should not shepherds feed the sheep.

You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep, the weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered.

They wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth with none to search or seek for them. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves and have not fed my sheep. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God, behold, I am against the shepherds and will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. In other words, you're out. I'm putting a stop to this. You should not be in the position that you're in. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, and they may not be food for them.

This is one of the things that was coming out in this report, tragically, is, quote unquote, shepherds who were leaving the sheep to be preyed upon by abusers in the church. You're just disqualified. That's the reality. We need to take this very seriously. Yes, it's not something we just say, oh, well, it looks like a small mistake or whatever.

No, this is serious. This is the flock of God, which he calls us to care for and to shepherd. I do think that there needs to be a strong response there within the SBCC, but anywhere. These are the kinds of problems that exist in all denominations.

If they're not dealt with seriously, they grow. You get this system of abuse, this sort of systemic injustice within even these communities of faith that need to be addressed, and frankly, at times, just need to be overhauled. It's what Jesus did when he went to the temple turning over tables.

Why? Because the shepherds in Israel had allowed the sheep to be preyed upon. Whenever we see that happening, we need to stand with Jesus against it and care, especially for the victims.

Go to them and tend them and minister to them as Jesus the Good Shepherd does. May God bring more clarity, more transparency, genuine repentance and healing for the churches that are caught up in this and justice, especially for the victims. Such a tragedy and so many people hurt by that.

And boy, it needs to be addressed fully and strongly. So I'm glad you said that, Adriel. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open for the next five minutes or so. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, our number is 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Wayne in Kansas. Wayne, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yes, I just had a question about Genesis 3, 16 through 19, where it talks about man toiling from the soil and woman desiring her husband, but he would rule over her. I was kind of searching around for the true meaning of that.

Okay. Yeah, so this is right after the fall, a time of curse, but also a time where God is exhibiting his grace. And what we read there in Genesis 3, beginning in verse 14, the Lord said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock, and so the serpent is cursed here, and above all the beasts of the field. On your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.

He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. So right there you have curse, but you also have this promise of grace and gospel even, Genesis 3, 15, the proto-Euangelion, the first preaching of the gospel, promise of the gospel, we say. And then to the woman, verse 16, he said, I will surely multiply your pain and childbearing. In pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. And to Adam, he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, you shall not eat of it. Cursed is the ground because of you. In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken, for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. So in one sense what we're seeing here is the effects of sin on the created order. Work is not sin, we know this.

Adam and Eve were called prior to the fall to tend the garden, to do work, good work. And it was a joy, it was an act of worship, but now as a result of sin, the ground is not going to respond as it once did. Now sin has entered the world, now there are thorns and thistles and death. And that's what we've been reaping, frankly, since the fall.

That's what we've been seeing. And boy, haven't we seen it this week in particular with some of the tragedies throughout the United States that cause us to just say, Lord, how long, have mercy. And so here's the thing, you have these judgments that are brought forth, this curse because of sin, if you will, that we live under, but we also have the hope, Wayne, of the fact that Jesus has taken the curse for us.

Thorns and thistles coming up from the ground and Jesus is crowned with the crown of thorns. He's taking our curse upon himself so that we might have eternal life. And so you have here judgment, but also the hope of the gospel.

And I think that's what we get embedded in those verses there in Genesis chapter three. Thank you. God bless. Hey, Wayne, thanks so much for listening to Core Christianity. By the way, we're going to record a second episode of Core Christianity today, so if you have questions for Pastor Adriel, you can still call us for the next 35 minutes or so. We would love to hear from you if you've got questions about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine. Feel free to call us at 833-THE-CORE.

That's 833-843-2673. And just a reminder, we have that wonderful new Bible study available for you today. It's called the parables of King Jesus.

Be great for summer study for either you or maybe your small group. You can learn more about that by going to corechristianity.com forward slash studies. Let's go to Carl, who is calling in from Liberty, Missouri. Carl, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yeah, Pastor, thank you for your ministry.

I just caught the tail end of the very first question. I think it was Matthew 24. And when you spoke of that second coming of the Lord, are you referring to the rapture or after the tribulation? That's my question.

Thanks. Hey, great question, Carl. And if you've listened to the broadcast for some time, you know that when we talk about the last things, what's referred to as eschatology, the end times, we often like to say, look, there are a number of different views that are out there that Christians who love the Bible have taken. There are some people that believe that there is going to be a rapture of the church prior to the second coming so that there are really two separate comings of Jesus, one coming for his church specifically, and one at the end of time with his church to judge the world.

Now, that view is, like I said, held by many, I think, faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, Bible teachers who believe in the Bible and the authority of scripture. But as I study the Bible and have studied the Bible in my own life, my sense is that there aren't two separate comings of Jesus, one for just his church and then another one later to judge the world, the second coming. But that typically in the Bible, when sometimes people will say, well, maybe that's referring to the rapture, there's probably actually referencing the second coming specifically of Jesus. And so when I was talking about Matthew 24, I think that the focus there is his final coming in judgment. I think you get that from the context in particular of Matthew 24, and I also think you get that in Paul's letters to the Thessalonians that this is specifically referring to the second coming, which I would say is contemporaneous, happens at the same time as the final judgment, the resurrection, the end of all things, if you will. And so that's my answer with regard to Matthew 24.

I know that there are going to be others who take a different view on that, especially if they believe that there's going to be a distinct rapture for Christians prior to the second coming, but that's my view. Carl, does that clear it up for you? Yes, it does. Thank you very much. Thank you, and God bless. Have a wonderful day. Thanks, Carl.

This is Core Christianity. We have time for one more call. Let's go to Judy, who's calling in from Oklahoma. Judy, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yes, hello.

This is my first home call. I was wondering, at the beginning of everything, when everything got started, when Lucifer and the fallen angels, when he kicked them out of heaven, because he was trying to take over God's position and all, why did God just kick them out and didn't stop it from then on, just do away with him and kill them? Judy, that's an excellent question, and thank you, one, for giving us a call for the first time. It was really a question of why does God allow, really, evil to happen, but more specifically, the fallen angels to operate? We know, according to the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1, that everything was made for the glory of Christ, that somehow God is able to use even the evil angels, the fallen angels, for his sovereign purposes. Now, we may not understand that entirely. That's one of the great mysteries that the scriptures give to us, but we know and rest in the fact that the God who allowed certain things to happen, he's not the cause of sin or the author of sin, is the one who's going to bring everything back together, redeeming the world through the grace of his son, Jesus, because he's in control. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program, and be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.