When a person has offended us, should we talk about the situation with others?
Matthew 18:15-17 (NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
Matthew 5:23-24 (NKJV) "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
"When one commits a sin, they are not to talk of it among themselves. They are to go to the one who has offended, and talk with him in the spirit of Christ. “Tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” “If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”—Mrs. E. G. White {SW January 1, 1903, par. 1}
"Keep yourselves off the judgment seat. All judgment is committed unto the Son of God. Your words and your works will not be judged according to the light in which you view them, but according to God’s unerring standard. By uniting and talking with those who have grievances, by emptying your heart of all the hard feelings and wounds and bruises you have sustained, you have made great blunders. God will hold you accountable for every seed of that kind which you have sown in human hearts. Satan will water that seed, and inspire you with all the bitterness and evil speaking and wrath and malice that he can."—Mrs. E. G. White { PC 356.2 }
Jesus provided very specific instruction on responding to offenses. We are to first go to the person alone. Then we are to go with another person. If that doesn't work, we are to take the situation to the church. Freely discussing the problem with others is prohibited because it only causes the problem to get bigger.—Dan