The elders, motivated by love and mercy, work to lead those who have committed serious sins toward repentance, reflecting Jehovah’s kindness. Fellow believers can support this process by encouraging the wrongdoer to seek help from the elders, taking further action if needed to protect both the individual and the congregation's reputation.

Responding to Sin with Love and Mercy

• God’s Kindness Leads to Repentance: The kindness of Jehovah motivates sincere repentance. (Romans 2:4)
• Elders’ Role: Elders aim to guide congregation members involved in serious sin back to a healthy spiritual state.
• Encouraging Self-Disclosure: If a serious sin is observed, encourage the individual to seek help from the elders. Courageously address issues out of love, ensuring Jehovah’s name and the congregation's reputation are upheld. (Isaiah 1:18; Acts 20:28; Psalm 27:14)

How the Elders Assist Those Who Get Involved in Serious Sin

• Establishing a Committee: Elders form a committee to meet with a wrongdoer and work on guiding them toward repentance, now referred to as a “committee of elders” to emphasize their role beyond just judgment.
• Gentle Approach: Elders approach these meetings with humility, mildness, and kindness, viewing the wrongdoer as a “precious, lost sheep” rather than taking a rigid, procedural stance. (Luke 15:4, 6; 2 Timothy 2:24-26)
• Preparation and Discernment: Elders seek Jehovah’s guidance through prayer and research in Scripture, ensuring they understand the individual's background and motivations. (Romans 2:4; Proverbs 20:5)
• Patience and Understanding: Just as Jehovah showed patience with wrongdoers in the past, elders imitate this patience, hoping to lead the person to true repentance. (Genesis 4:6-7; Jeremiah 7:24, 25)
• Recognizing Underlying Issues: Elders assess what circumstances or choices may have led to the sin, including the individual's spiritual habits and associations.
• Empathy and Illustrative Teaching: Elders use illustrations or ask meaningful questions to help the wrongdoer reason and see the error of their ways. (Proverbs 20:5; 2 Samuel 12:1-7)
• Perseverance: Elders understand that repentance may not occur immediately, and they may need to meet with the wrongdoer multiple times, giving them time to reflect and return to Jehovah. (Psalm 32:5; 2 Timothy 2:25-26)

“Reprove Before All Onlookers”

• Discreet Reproof: Paul’s counsel to reprove “before all onlookers” is applied with discretion, making sure only those already aware of the sin are informed to protect privacy.
• Public Announcements in Some Cases: When a sin is widely known, an announcement may be made to warn the congregation of the gravity of such actions. (1 Timothy 5:20)
• Special Consideration for Minors: With baptized minors, elders work closely with parents, only proceeding with discipline if the minor is unrepentant. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Proverbs 22:6)

“Jehovah Is Very Tender in Affection and Merciful”

• Responsibility to Keep the Congregation Clean: Elders maintain high standards, imitating Jehovah’s merciful and tender spirit while staying hopeful of leading wrongdoers to repentance. (1 Corinthians 5:7; James 5:11)
• Final Measures for Unrepentant Ones: If a wrongdoer refuses to repent, removal from the congregation may be necessary to uphold purity and peace.

Thank you for reading,
-Soli Jehova Gloria (1 Corinthians 10:31)