Bible ReadingEzekiel 33:7-11Verse 7: “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.”
[38:36]Verses 8-9: “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.”
[38:44]Verse 10: “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’”
[41:26]Verse 11: “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”
[41:31]Matthew 18:15-17Verse 15: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”
[45:37]Verse 16: “But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”
[46:09]Verse 17: “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
[46:38]Galatians 2:11-14Verse 11: “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.”
[43:43]Verses 12-13: “For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”
[43:47]Verse 14: “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”
[44:36]Observation questions- In Ezekiel 33, what is the watchman responsible to do, and what is the watchman not able to control about the wicked person?
- What words in Ezekiel 33:11 show that God’s warning comes from a desire for the sinner to live rather than perish? [41:45]
- In Galatians 2, what was Peter doing that Paul identified as hypocrisy, and how was Peter’s behavior affecting other believers?
- What is the order Jesus gives in Matthew 18 when a brother or sister refuses to listen to correction? [46:52]
Interpretation questions- Ezekiel was appointed as a watchman for Israel. In what sense can Christians have a responsibility to warn a brother or sister about clear, harmful sin without claiming the same prophetic office as Ezekiel? [40:08]
- God says that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. How should that truth shape the tone, goal, and words used when one believer confronts another believer’s sin? [42:47]
- Paul confronted Peter because Peter’s conduct was “not in step with the truth of the gospel.” Why did Peter’s public influence make his sin especially serious, and why can respected people still need correction? [44:43]
- Jesus begins with a private conversation, while Paul addressed Peter publicly. What details might help believers discern when a matter should remain private and when a public sin requires a wider response?
Application questions- Is there a brother or sister in Christ whom you have watched drift toward a clear sin, but avoided speaking to because the conversation felt awkward? What fear or concern makes it difficult to approach that person lovingly? [40:59]
- When you need to address someone’s sin, do you tend to focus mainly on what they have done wrong, or do you also point them toward Christ’s forgiveness and the hope of repentance? What might it sound like to do both? [42:22]
- Think about a recent conflict in your family, church, workplace, or friend group. Was the concern brought directly to the person involved, or did it first spread through other conversations? What would following Matthew 18 have looked like in that situation? [47:11]
- Is there someone whose status, age, friendship, family connection, or reputation would make it especially hard for you to confront a clear sin? How does Paul’s confrontation of Peter encourage faithful courage? [45:03]
- When another Christian points out sin in your own life, what is your first response usually like: defensiveness, embarrassment, gratitude, or something else? What would it look like to receive loving correction as one of God’s gifts? [49:15]
- What practical steps could help this group become a place where people speak truth directly, avoid gossip, and help one another turn again and again to Jesus? [49:27]
