Proverbs 19:11 Does Anyone Understand What A Minor Offense Is?

[ReneeIW]

Proverbs 19:11 teaches that we should overlook minor offenses. How does one know what a minor offense or transgression is?

If you have an understanding of what a minor offense is, can you give me your thoughts on an incident?

If someone had you investigated and then texted your mother’s first and last name along with  her address and threatened to send men to her door if you didn’t shut up about something damaging to them, is that a minor offense?

Also, how  would you react to that? Would it upset you?Would you just pray for the person and move on? Or would you feel the need to warn others and report it?

To add context, this person had previously sent men to another family members door to deliver a letter at night(instead of mailing the letter), so the threat to send someone to the mother’s door was credible. 

The point of sending someone to the mother’s door was to tell her to tell her daughter to shut up, which of course would have scared her.

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by ReneeIW

[wingnut-]

A minor offense would be a slight of some sort.  An example that comes to mind would be if all of your friends got together for an event but forgot to include you.  

What you're describing above is not what I would classify as a minor offense, that is threatening, hostile behavior intended to intimidate.

 

God bless

[ReneeIW]

11 minutes ago, Isaiah53NIV said:

So sorry you are going through this. Most definitely should not be considered "minor." 

Thank you. Not currently going through anything, just looking for insight about how other Christians would have viewed this behavior and how they would have reacted to it. Sometimes I overreact to things or make mountains out of molehills.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by ReneeIW

[Coliseum]

44 minutes ago, ReneeIW said:

Proverbs 19:11 teaches that we should overlook minor offenses. How does one know what a minor offense or transgression is?

If you have an understanding of what a minor offense is, can you give me your thoughts on an incident?

If someone had you investigated and then texted your mother’s first and last name along with  her address and threatened to send men to her door if you didn’t shut up about something damaging to them, is that a minor offense?

Also, how  would you react to that? Would it upset you?Would you just pray for the person and move on? Or would you feel the need to warn others and report it?

To add context, this person had previously sent men to another family members door to deliver a letter at night(instead of mailing the letter), so the threat to send someone to the mother’s door was credible. 

The point of sending someone to the mother’s door was to tell her to tell her daughter to shut up, which of course would have scared her.

 

 

 

What do you consider a minor offense? I met a very loving associate pastor when I was first saved. The Lord, through him, saved eight that year. The Senior Pastor seemed to be very jealous of this and caused him to be removed from his position on trumped-up charges. We got to know each other, so he shared with me that he could go to the district and reclaim his job, but did not want to hurt the Senior Pastor. He asked me---a brand new Christian---what I thought he should do. He loved being a pastor. All I knew was to suggest, "I guess it depends upon how much faith you have." An innocent suggestion, but he accepted it. He did not find a job for three years, though he searched. I gave him all the money I saved. His wife worked as a nurse, and so sustained them. He prayed, and was still was very loving to all he had met. He was hurt.

He decided to visit his old hometown in Michigan, about 1500 miles away, on a vacation he and his wife took. He arrived on a Saturday. When his friends heard of his arrival, an elder of the church he grew up with asked if he might preach that Sunday. "Why," he asked? "Well our pastor of 30 years ran off with the 18 year-old secretary." God knew his heart, and preserved him for the leadership of that church. He is still there---saved 25 people that year, and added two new buildings to the church. They love him still. 

He chose to overlook a "minor offense." Like Job, God gave him more than what he imagined for enduring, persisting, and by faith, accepting what the Lord had given him until the fruition of God's plan was fulfilled. btw...the church left to the Senior Pastor is now defunct. 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Coliseum

[johnthebaptist]

45 minutes ago, ReneeIW said:

Proverbs 19:11 teaches that we should overlook minor offenses. How does one know what a minor offense or transgression is?

If you have an understanding of what a minor offense is, can you give me your thoughts on an incident?

If someone had you investigated and then texted your mother’s first and last name along with  her address and threatened to send men to her door if you didn’t shut up about something damaging to them, is that a minor offense?

Also, how  would you react to that? Would it upset you?Would you just pray for the person and move on? Or would you feel the need to warn others and report it?

To add context, this person had previously sent men to another family members door to deliver a letter at night(instead of mailing the letter), so the threat to send someone to the mother’s door was credible. 

The point of sending someone to the mother’s door was to tell her to tell her daughter to shut up, which of course would have scared her.

 

 

 

My Bible (Revised Standard Version) says: 

Good sense makes a man slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Prov 19:11 

I will say that if you constantly complain about minor offenses, no one will listen to you when you have something important to complain about.

[ReneeIW]

27 minutes ago, Coliseum said:

What do you consider a minor offense?

 I have no idea, that's why I asked here.  

Even though I have been a Christian for 21 years(I'm 44 now) I feel like I'm starting over. I went from home-churching  7 days a week in 2017 (my poor kids were falling asleep during my lectures), reading the Bible three times a day and praying unceasingly, to struggling to even read a small passage every few days and struggling  to say more than a two minute prayer. So I'm starting  from scratch(Worthy has helped tremendously!), but happy to still have faith, which is a wonderful gift from God that hopefully He will never take away. Thanks for your input.  

Edited October 28, 2019 by ReneeIW

[Coliseum]

19 minutes ago, ReneeIW said:

 I have no idea, that's why I asked here.  

Even though I have been a Christian for 21 years(I'm 44 now) I feel like I'm starting over. I went from home-churching  7 days a week in 2017 (my poor kids were falling asleep during my lectures), reading the Bible three times a day and praying unceasingly, to struggling to even read a small passage every few days and struggling  to say more than a two minute prayer. So I'm starting  from scratch(Worthy has helped tremendously!), but happy to still have faith, which is a wonderful gift from God that hopefully He will never take away. Thanks for your input.  

Thx Renee for your comment, and your honesty. I think that what I was suggesting was that my idea and your idea of a minor offense could differ---even greatly. In my example, some might have taken a whole, other approach to how my Pastor responded. When I compare what others have done to me and what had been done to Jesus, there is really no comparison; almost everything then, for me, ought to be a "minor" offense. Jesus was offended plenty---even by Christians. More than that, God will determine justice for others---just as he did with the Senior Pastor of that church I mentioned.

We are all learning; we all fall, we are flawed. But we keep looking to Jesus to help us, and we try to do what he did whenever it is possible. I am glad you have retained your faith, and I am glad to call you my sister.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Coliseum

[Willa]

I don't think it really matters.  Jesus said to forgive all of all sorts of offenses.  He is not telling us to be a doormat.  We do it standing up on the inside and speaking with the authority of the Holy Spirit.  We employ the authorities when it helps, like suing for threats.  So keep all communications.

Mat 5:43  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

Mat 5:44  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Mat 5:45  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Mat 5:46  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Mat 5:47  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Mat 5:48  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 Col 3:12 ESV Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

 Col 3:13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

[Repose]

To me, a minor offense would be like if a guy I know started insulting me, but then apologized and explained that he was having a rough day or what have you. Petty stuff.

The situation you've presented... I have to be honest, I'd probably do the foolish thing of bucking up to him. "Aw, here's my address because your business is with me, little baby boy can't fight his own battles, aw". Not to advocate for this, mind; I'm foolish, dumb, and likely cruising for a bruising.

I'd take your evidence to the police and see if charges couldn't be applied. Take along the other person who had people show up, too, both as a witness and to possibly provide for further charges. Even then, a home security system and some means of self-defense would be a good idea. Little baby boy could probably call people to the house from jail, being petty and cowardly as I assume he is. I wouldn't back down from continuing to do what got his diaper in a bundle to begin with, either; you can't be a doormat, especially with weaklings like that.

[Prycejosh1987]

On 10/28/2019 at 10:32 PM, ReneeIW said:

Proverbs 19:11 teaches that we should overlook minor offenses. How does one know what a minor offense or transgression is?

If you have an understanding of what a minor offense is, can you give me your thoughts on an incident?

If someone had you investigated and then texted your mother’s first and last name along with  her address and threatened to send men to her door if you didn’t shut up about something damaging to them, is that a minor offense?

Also, how  would you react to that? Would it upset you?Would you just pray for the person and move on? Or would you feel the need to warn others and report it?

To add context, this person had previously sent men to another family members door to deliver a letter at night(instead of mailing the letter), so the threat to send someone to the mother’s door was credible. 

The point of sending someone to the mother’s door was to tell her to tell her daughter to shut up, which of course would have scared her.

 

 

 

I believe that minor offences affect people in minor ways, and major offences affect people in major ways, for example stealing $2 is a minor offence but stealing $100 is more grave offence.Another example is punching someone which is minor but constantly punching them and kicking them is a major offence. It all comes down to conscience and what it is telling you.