No.....I don't want to start a new thread, because that's the topic of this thread (the role of the church & the completeness of forgiveness). Those topics aren't mutually exclusive--they are the same topic. The forgiveness ought to be demonstrated by the church. That's where we should be experiencing God's love.
okay, let's get into the role of the church according to scripture should we? You seem to want to keep skirting around the issue. I will provide scriptures for anything you want to question. There is one main purpose of the church to the believer, that of encouraging one another unto righteousness. this includes but is not limited to confession, prayer, and church discipline. We see it lived out in things like, church discipline, discipleship, teaching, counseling, correction, etc. In fact, we see in scripture that we are to correct gently. We also see that we are to correct so that we ourselves do not fall. Now many people are afraid of correction, confession, and discipline when it comes to the church, but they are all important to the health of the church and for good reason, because they encourage us unto....what is the purpose of the church?...righteousness.
Now, let's take the OP question and apply it to what scripture tells us about the purpose of the church to the believer. As I said and clarified many times over, I don't see a problem with the church going to the couple and saying, here are some of the potential pitfalls that you might endure with this union. Some here, try to proclaim this should not come from the church but rather from family. But what else does scripture say about the church? It says that we are family, that we are brothers and sisters and are to be close enough relation to greet one another with a holy kiss. In fact, though we are many, scripture says, we are one body, a body that Hebrews tells us is to have the goal of presenting all it's members mature in Christ.
So how does this discussion of the possible pitfalls mature the body? Well, just like the old brethren teaching about counting the cost, the couple can now make their decisions based on the wisdom of their spiritual family as well as being prepared for some of the many things that will seek to destroy their relationship and ministry. In addition, they know that if they go threw with their plans (which is totally up to them) the church will 1. be praying for them (one of the duties of the church) 2. hold them accountable (another duty of the church) and 3. encourage them to continue on when things seem to be falling apart (yet another duty of the church)
Shall we go on, or is that enough food for thought for the moment?
The warnings you keep mentioning that you believe the church should have been passing on to this pastor's son? Am I understanding you? Are you saying they should warn him about the wrongful judgment of unbelievers, the self-righteous, and the immature....and the temptation to go back to her old ways?
those are some of them yes...there are others, but that is a small sampling. Sins of our past have a funny way of coming back to haunt us, sometimes those hauntings are from the world, the immature, the judgment of others. Sometimes those hauntings are our own sinful nature, also called temptations. I just finished a deep study on temptations, let me point out two of the many things I studied 1. ever man is tempted by one or more of three things, we see it in Eve, right down through Christ and it is summed up beautifully in I John 2:16, the three areas of temptation are A. the lust of the eyes, B. the lust of the flesh, and C. the pride of life. 2. Where temptation comes from. James 1:14 tells us that each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desires and enticed, then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sins and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. Thus, among other evils that will befall such a marriage as in judgment, pharisees, etc. are our own evil desires. These include but are not limited to the things or evils if you will that we are taught. For example, given the opportunity, I would caution a family in our church (the boys anyway) when looking to marry of the things their father taught them about disrespecting women but especially the wife, adultery, responsibility, etc. since it is apparent that the sins of the father have been passed down and scripture says that this will happen for many generations. You see, it isn't just a warning to those with promiscuous pasts, but to all with sins in the past that could destroy the marriage from within. IN NO WAY DOES THAT EQUAL JUDGMENT OF THE SINS, OR DECLARATION OF WHAT THE COUPLE SHOULD DO WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING MARRIED. Rather it is to live out scripture when it tells us to be a body.
