Corporate sins?
QUESTION: I have a question that has been bothering me for a long time. Please notice the following quotation
“God holds his people, as a body, responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them. If there is a neglect with the leaders of the church, to diligently search out the sins which bring the displeasure of God as a body, they becomes responsible for these sins." {T23 26.1}
Why do we preach that the lay people are responsible for the sins when the word “they” refers to the leaders?
ANSWER: Thank you for your question. This is a very good question. But I don’t know or hear somebody preached it as far as I am concerned. But I believe in corporate responsibility. I remember we tackled this earlier a little bit.
The context of the quote in T23 26.1, is addressing corporate responsibility. The individual sins within a church can affect the whole church, especially when it is ignored or become indifferent to it, then we are held responsible for these sins. Like the example in the case of Achan in Joshua 7:1,12, when he sin secretly, all Israel suffered defeat. God didn't hold Achan responsible only but the whole Israel. If the church leaders fail to address any sin or pass on them indifferently, that affects the prosperity of the church, they bear the responsibility and the whole church suffers too.
There are two areas about corporate responsibility.
1. The sins of members make the whole church responsible.
- Joshua 7:1 "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel."
- Joshua 7:11-12 "Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you."
- “In the days of Joshua, one man's sin brought disaster and defeat upon the whole nation. When, contrary to the command of God, Achan took of the spoils of their enemies, and concealed the coveted treasure in his tent, the divine presence was withdrawn from Israel, until the crime had been put away by the death of the offender. The Lord gave Joshua to understand that the sin of even one man would bring the divine wrath upon the whole congregation.” ST December 8, 1881, par. 11
- “He shows us that when His people are found in sin they should at once take decided measures to put that sin from them, that His frown may not rest upon them all. But if the sins of the people are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be upon them, and the people of God, as a body, will be held responsible for those sins. In His dealings with His people in the past the Lord shows the necessity of purifying the church from wrongs. One sinner may diffuse darkness that will exclude the light of God from the entire congregation. When the people realize that darkness is settling upon them, and they do not know the cause, they should seek God earnestly, in great humility and self-abasement, until the wrongs which grieve His Spirit are searched out and put away..” 3T 265.1
2. The sins of the leaders make the whole church responsible.
- "But know ye for certain, that if ye [the church leadership] put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof..." Jeremiah 26:15.
- "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Acts 2:36.
- “For the rejection of Christ, with the results that followed, they were responsible. A nation's sin and a nation's ruin were due to the religious leaders.” COL 305.1
In other words, both the church leaders and members have the duty to confront deal sin not in judgmental way, but in love and truth. Church leaders are not only meant to preach or guide but they are also morally and spiritually accountable to identify and deal with wrongs. If we ignore the sins, we share the guilt, the whole church suffers.
I hope and pray these answers to your question and clarify the quote. God bless!
