When should a Christian try to correct another Christian?

This can be a delicate subject. It is wise to spend time in prayer first, to check our motivation, and ask for guidance. There are times when Christians are called upon to "talk to or try to correct a fellow Christian." Our motive and intent should always be to bring about repentance and restoration to the erring brother or sister in Christ.

First, our attitude is very important. "Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done." (Ephesians 4:32) It is then that we are more able to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).

A helpful and challenging scripture often overlooked is: "If your brother sins against you, go to him. Tell him what he did wrong. Keep it among yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won him back. But what if he won't listen to you? Then take one or two others with you. Scripture says, 'Every matter must be proved by 2 or 3 witnesses.' But what if he also refuses to listen to the witnesses? Then tell it to the church. And what if he refuses to listen to the church? Then don't treat him as your brother. Treat him as you would treat an ungodly person or a tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17).

The apostle Paul told Timothy, "Preach the Word....Correct people's mistakes. Warn them. Cheer them up with words of hope. Be very patient as you do these things. Teach them carefully" (2 Timothy 4:2).

"What if a person is caught in a sin? you who are guided by the Spirit should correct that person. Do it in a gentle way. But be careful. You could be tempted, too." (Galatians 6:1) In the case of continued and unrepentant adultery in the church family, the apostle Paul said, "Aren't you supposed to judge those inside the church? God will judge those outside. Scripture says, 'Get rid of that evil person!' " (1 Corinthians 5:12).

On a different slant, one of the most quoted scriptures heard today is "Judge not, lest ye be judged." (Matthew 7:1 KJV) However, the point Jesus was getting across was that we sometimes criticize another for something we ourselves do...and perhaps even more. If we will consider what we want to talk about or correct in a fellow Christian, but first ponder whether we may be guilty of doing the same thing, we may change our minds, and deal with our own sin first (see Matthew 7:1-5). Once, when talking to my son about his temper, I suggested we pray about it together, admitting I was dealing with controlling my own. It gave us both a sense of support as we continued to work on this area of our lives. Praying for each other was another means of motivation and accountability, and we both made great progress in that area. The bottom line is that "Prayer changes things"... including people!

So, when should Christians talk to or try to correct a fellow Christian? When we have talked to the Lord first, have the "Go" sign from Him, and do it in His way.

© Copyright 2002-2007 Got Questions Ministries