THE STAIN THAT STAYS
By John H Armstrong
Christian Focus. 201pages
ISBN 9781857925838
This is a book on a somewhat unsavoury subject, which should not be read just to create an unhelpful interest in the fall of ministers. Sexual misconduct in leadership may be more frequent in the United States than in Britain, but it is a tragically relevant subject, dealt with courageously and in a fairly balanced manner. It is a valuable corrective to books which too lightly speak of forgiveness and restoration.
The author deals with biblical texts thoroughly, but has to admit that there is no definitive answer to some of the issues he would want to raise. For example, what is meant in Galatians 6 by the phrase 'restoring the penitent'? Or, again, in 1 Corinthians 6 what does Paul mean by referring to sexual sin as being particularly abhorrent because they sin against the body? Not least, he deals honestly with the challenge of 1 Corinthians 9 where Paul is concerned that having preached to others he might eventually himself be disqualified. What does that final phrase mean?
