“…but I also think that that looks different for each individual person.”

I totally agree with you there, Siggy!

I guess what was foremost in my mind is this one situation in southeastern VA, where some pastors in a church were caught basically “disciplining” a woman for wanted to get herself and her kids away from her abusive husband.

When the congregation found out, the pastors had to say something. So they held a congregational meeting, where they apologized for half the things they did, and then passed out an article to everybody, explaining how sinful it is to tell one person about another person’s sin (the implication being that what the pastors were doing should have stayed a secret).

My point is that, while the pastors may have felt embarrassed or ashamed because of what went public, they now have a greater chance to grow more like Jesus then they would have if their sin had remained secret. In addition, they won’t be able to get away with doing things like that to other women in the congregation… so the people there are being protected by “secret things being shouted from the rooftops.”

I’m just concerned that the pastors’ actions in that meeting—and the way they interpret this verse in particular—imply that they’re more concerned with protecting themselves from embarrassment than they are protecting their people from harm.

The thing I’ve always struggled with the cliche phrase of “building up” is what that looks like. Obviously you know me and that I like to laugh. “Building up” for me is someone cracking some jokes when I am down, which serves as my encouragement. For other people, they want nothing to do with comedy when they are in need of being built up. Maybe they need a more traditional form of encouragement in words of affirmation or just being there (which I don’t mind as well)

I agree with your point that the definition of “building up” should be sanctifying speech, as well as calling us to challenge those who are “damaging the Body”, but I also think that that looks different for each individual person. Thanks for the post man.