Thedog1
Each time the goal was to discern if the person was repentant according to scriptural standards.
What are the scriptural standards to discern if a person is repentant? To me it sounds like the elders hide behind the guise of scriptures to make it ok to basically JUDGE someone... Did the person not cry or cry enough, or get on their knees and beg enough to another imperfcet human being, so then they are deemed not repentant??? There are people who just don't show emotions... People who have lost loved ones and don't shed a tear... That type of situation should be handled by a qualified educated (in psychology) person, and even they get it wrong sometimes! We shouldn't be judging anyone, I don't care if the so called holy spirit appointed you ( which it didn't). An imperfect human cannot perfectly judge a imperfect human... It's the simple laws of physics. There are too many factors, nepotism, association, friendship, used to be friends etc... only to name a few, that sway the minds of imperfect human elders so it ends up being a personal imperfect human decision and not the holy spirit!!!
If someone comes in and says: yes I committed fornication and I will do it again! Well that's a no brainer!!! Even then who are we to judge someones mental state??? That's for God to judge and God alone!!!
But if someone says I made a mistake and I asked God for repentance then how can you truly DISERN if the person was repentant??? I don't care if they didn't say a word and just passed you a piece of paper with those words... So what does genuinely repentant mean to you??? That's an opinion!!!