When Paul was journeying on his way to Damascus, Christ arrested his course. Acts 9:5: “And [Saul] said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

It was God who directly intervened in Paul’s case. When Paul recognized that he had sinned against Christ, he wanted to know what was expected of him. Acts 9:6: “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

Could Christ have told him what to do? Yes. What did God tell the church would be Paul’s responsibility? Acts 9:15: “But the Lord said unto [Ananias], Go thy way: for [Saul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”

Afterward, did God at times tell Paul what to do directly? Acts 16:6-10: “Now when [Paul and Timothy] had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas . And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia , assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

It is only in church capacity that the individual church members have authority. Matthew 16:19: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

We know that this was speaking to more than just one person. Matthew 18:18-20: “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

This is why individually we are not to judge. Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

But as a church we have that responsibility. 1 Corinthians 5:12-1 Corinthians 6:4: “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.”

Even to the point of judging ministers or, as the Bible calls them, apostles. Revelation 2:2: “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.”

Even though each of us will have to answer before God directly for our individual actions, God also works through His church on earth and puts on them greater responsibilities as a body than upon the individual member.