When should the treasurer be allowed to teach after stealing from the church?
Question:
Our treasurer stole from our church. She has repented but hasn’t made restitution. She wants to teach. What does the Bible say about this?
Answer:
A part of repentance is attempting to repair the damage caused by your sins. Paul "kept declaring ... that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance" (Acts 26:20). Repentance is more than words declaring your intent. "For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter" (I Corinthians 7:11).
When she demonstrates that she has changed, she can teach the women's or children's classes (I Timothy 2:12).
