1. Wetin Jehovah want for everybody?

 JEHOVAH made every human being to be able to decide for their self. You can use that gift every day when you make decisions. The most important decision that anybody can make that to give their life to Jehovah, and be part of His family that worshiping him. Jehovah want everybody to do this one. Why? Because he love people and he want the best for them. He want them to enjoy good friendship with him and live forever.—Deut. 30:​19, 20; Gal. 6:​7, 8.

2. How Jehovah feel about somebody who sin and not repent? (1 John 2:1)

² But Jehovah can’t force anybody to serve him. He want everybody to decide for their self. Suppose one baptize publisher break God law by committing serious sin? If he refuse to repent, they will move him from the congregation. (1 Cor. 5:13) But still, Jehovah get hope that the person will come back to him. In fact, that the reason why he gave the ransom so he can forgive people who repent. (Read 1 John 2:1.) Our loving God really encouraging the people dem who sin to repent.—Zech. 1:3; Rom. 2:4; Jas. 4:8.

3. Wetin we will talk about in this article?

 ³ Jehovah want us to feel the same way he can feel about sin, and the person who commit serious sin. This article will talk about the way we can do it. When you reading this article, see (1) how the congregation in Corinth handle the case when one brother commit serious sin, (2) what direction the apostle Paul gave when somebody who commit serious sin repent, and (3) how Jehovah can feel about people who commit serious sin.

HOW THE CONGREGATION IN CORINTH HANDLE THE CASE WHEN ONE BROTHER COMMIT SERIOUS SIN?

4. Wetin happen in the congregation in Corinth? (1 Corinthians 5:​1, 2)

⁴ Read 1 Corinthians 5:​1, 2. During Paul third missionary trip, he hear something bad that wor happening in the new congregation in Corinth. One brother in that congregation wor loving to his step ma. This kindna behavior wor too bad, and it was not even happening among the people who wor not serving Jehovah! The brothers and sisters wor thinking that it wor not wrong for him to remain in the congregation, and maybe they wor not even feeling bad about it. Maybe some of them wor thinking that Jehovah merciful and he understand that human being not perfect. But Jehovah can’t allow somebody to be doing bad things and stay among his people. This man bad behavior wor spoiling the congregation good name. Maybe he wor also telling other people who wor friendly with him to do the same thing too. So, wetin Paul tell the congregation to do?

5. Wetin Paul tell the congregation to do, and what he mean? (1 Corinthians 5:13) (Also see the picture.)

⁵ Read 1 Corinthians 5:13. Jehovah use Paul to write one letter to the congregation. He tell them to move the man who refuse to repent from the congregation. How faithful Christians suppose to treat him? Paul tell them “to stop keeping company” with him. What that one mean? Paul say this direction also mean that they must “not even eat with such a man.” (1 Cor. 5:11) When you sit down to eat with somebody, it can make you to spend more time lecturing with the person. So, it clear that  Paul mean that the brothers and sisters in the congregation must not spend time with that person, like lecturing or having entertainment with them. This one will protect the congregation from his bad example. (1 Cor. 5:​5-7) Beside that, when we not be close to that person, maybe it will make him to know that he na make Jehovah feel bad. And maybe it will make him to feel sorry for the thing he do and come back.

6. Wetin the congregation do when they receive Paul letter, and how it affect the man who commit serious sin?

⁶ After Paul send his letter to the Christians in Corinth, he start thinking how they will act. But Titus brought good news that made Paul happy. The congregation wor willing to do what Paul say. (2 Cor. 7:​6, 7) They follow his direction. After Paul sent the letter, it not stay long the man repent!  He change his bad behavior and started doing the thing dem Jehovah say. (2 Cor. 7:​8-11) So what the next thing Paul tell the congregation to do?

HOW THE CONGREGATION SUPPOSE TO TREAT THE MAN WHO REPENT

7. How the discipline help the man who they move from the congregation? (2 Corinthians 2:​5-8)

⁷ Read 2 Corinthians 2:​5-8. Paul say that the “rebuke given by the majority [was] sufficient for such a man.” Paul mean that the discipline wor alright for him. Why? Because it made him to repent.—Heb. 12:11.

8. What the next thing Paul tell the congregation to do?

⁸ Paul tell the congregation to: “Kindly forgive and comfort” their brother who sin, and “confirm their love for him.” Notice that Paul not just want the brother and sister dem to welcome the man back in the congregation. But he wanted them to show that they really love the man who repent, and they na forgive him by the things they say and do. Doing this one will show that they welcome him back to the congregation.

9. Why some people find it hard to forgive the man who repent?

⁹ You think some people find it hard to forgive the man who repent? The Bible not tell us, but it possible. Because the thing he do cause problem for the congregation and maybe it make some people shame. Other people wor trying their best to remain faithful to Jehovah. So maybe they wor feeling that it wor not fair to accept the man who na do this kindna bad thing back in the congregation. (Compare Luke 15:​28-30.) But why it wor important for the congregation to show real love for their brother who na come back?

10-11. What you think wor coming happen if the elder dem refuse to forgive the man who repent?

¹⁰ Think about what wor coming happen if the elder dem refuse to allow the man who na repent to come back in the congregation. Or suppose he come back and the congregation refuse to show him love? He wor really coming to feel bad and discourage. It wor coming be easy for him to feel that he not get any hope. And maybe he wor even coming to stop trying to get close friendship with Jehovah again.

¹¹ If the other brother and sister dem in the congregation refuse to forgive the person who sin, it can make them to lost their own friendship with Jehovah. Why? Because they will not be following Jehovah example to forgive somebody who na repent, but they will be following Satan who can’t show mercy. They will allow the Devil to use them to discourage the person from serving Jehovah again.—2 Cor. 2:​10, 11; Eph. 4:27.

12. How the congregation could follow Jehovah example?

¹² How you think the congregation in Corinth could follow Jehovah example, and not Satan? By following Jehovah example to forgive people who repent. See what some Bible writer dem say about Jehovah. David say: Jehovah “good and ready to forgive.” (Ps. 86:5) Micah say: “Who is a God like you, pardoning error and passing over the  transgression?” (Mic. 7:18) And Isaiah say: “Let the wicked man leave his way and the evil man his thoughts; let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will forgive in a large way.”—Isa. 55:7.

13. Why it wor good that the elder dem not waste time to reinstate the man who repent? (See the box “ What Time They Reinstate the Man in the Congregation in Corinth?”)

¹³ To follow Jehovah example, the congregation in Corinth needed to welcome the man back and show him love. If they follow Paul direction to welcome the man, they will show their “obedience in all things.” (2 Cor. 2:9) That true, only few months pass since they move the man from the congregation, but the discipline help him to repent. So no need for the elder dem to waste time to reinstate the man in the congregation.

HOW WE CAN SHOW JUSTICE AND MERCY LIKE JEHOVAH

14-15. Wetin we na learn from the way the elder dem handle the case in the congregation in Corinth? (2 Peter 3:9) (Also see the picture.)

¹⁴ The thing that happen in the congregation in Corinth and the way the brother dem handle it, they put it in the Bible “for our instruction.” (Rom. 15:4) From what we learn, Jehovah can’t  allow those who commit serious sin and refuse to repent to remain in the congregation. Some people can feel that because Jehovah merciful, he must allow somebody who sin and refuse to repent to stay in the congregation. But that not how Jehovah can show mercy. Jehovah merciful, but he can’t accept any kindna behavior. He always want us to live the way he say we must live. (Jude 4) If Jehovah allow people to do all kindna thing dem in the congregation, it will cause serious problem for the congregation.—Prov. 13:20; 1 Cor. 15:33.

¹⁵ But still, we learn that Jehovah not want anybody to be destroy. If it possible, he want everybody to be save. He can show mercy to people who na repent and who trying to be friendly with him again. (Ezek. 33:11; read 2 Peter 3:9.) So, when the man in Corinth repent and change his bad ways, Jehovah use Paul to tell the congregation to forgive the man and welcome him back.

16. How you feel about the way they handle the case in Corinth?

¹⁶ The way they handle the case in Corinth just show that Jehovah loving, righteous and fair. (Ps. 33:5) Ehn this one make you to want praise Jehovah more? In fact, all of us can sin and we need Jehovah to forgive us. Each of us get reason to be grateful to Jehovah for the ransom because that it make it possible for Jehovah to forgive us. It can really comfort us to know that Jehovah really love his people and he want the best for them!

17. Wetin we will talk about in the next two articles?

¹⁷ So if somebody commit serious sin today, how the elder dem can follow Jehovah example to show love and help the person to repent? How the brother and sister dem in the congregation must act when the elders decide to move somebody from the congregation or to reinstate the person? We will answer this question dem in the next two articles.