This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.