Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Excommunication applicable for today? | Matt 18:17 | Makarios | 10063 | ||
Greetings EdB! Sorry about the "communication" thing, I've recently been having problems with my e-mail and should get back with you on that shortly.. :) Ha! I doubt anyone would know me by my car (a Chevy Lumina), but I appreciate the example! :) You stated, "I think to excommunicate someone from the church today would have little effect on most. In fact it would probably end up causing a church split." If excommunication is applicable for today, then how so? Just how should excommunication be carried out and to what extent? Thank you EdB! Nolan |
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2 | Excommunication applicable for today? | Matt 18:17 | EdB | 10100 | ||
Nolan I'm sorry I should have been clearer. Excommunication is biblically applicable, however I believe it would have little or no effect in today's society. | ||||||
3 | Excommunication applicable for today? | Matt 18:17 | Makarios | 10113 | ||
So EdB, if I'm understanding you correctly- you are saying that excommunication is not applicable for today. | ||||||
4 | Excommunication applicable for today? | Matt 18:17 | Searcher56 | 10134 | ||
Nolan, I hope it is. Some churches don't kick anyone out and others have the board of elders remove people from the membership roles. There could even be places where the pastor decides who is in and who is out. However, I think the church should apply this passage. - Are will allowed to pick and choose what passages in the NT we follow ... as well as the OT? - 1Co 5 is Paul's direction to kick someone out. - 2Th 3:14-15 also gives instruction about dealing, at the very least, with gossippers and lazy people. I think we need to keep Galatians 6:1-2 in mind. I believe in all three passages the brothers were talked to. Steve PS What do the "experts" think? |
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5 | Excommunication applicable for today? | Matt 18:17 | Makarios | 10174 | ||
Good question, Steve... For the answer to the "experts" :), we will focus on the following verses: Matt. 18:17; John 9:22; 1 Cor. 5:2,5. (John 9:22) "Excommunication is reported as early as the time of Ezra (10:8), but there is practically no information about the way it was practiced in NT times. The synagogue was the center of Jewish community life, so excommunication cut a person off from many social relationships (though, in some of its forms, at least in later times, not from worship)." (Zondervan NASB Study Bible) (Matt. 18:17) "..The idea is not merely to punish the offender, or to shun him completely, but to remove him as a detrimental influence from the fellowship of the church, and henceforth to regard him as an evangelistic prospect rather than as a brother. Ultimately, the sin for which he is excommunicated is a hard-hearted impenitence." (MacArthur's NKJV Study Bible) (1 Cor. 5:2,5) "Destruction of the flesh may refer to God’s turning the sexual offender over to Satan for physical affliction or even physical death. After being separated from the spiritual protection of the church, ideally the offender would recognize his sin, repent, and return to the church. All church discipline has restoration as its ultimate goal." (Nelson's NKJV Study Bible) (1 Cor. 5:2,5) "The Church, Discipline—See Acts 1:21-26, note; 15:1-35, note; 1 Cor. 4:15-16, note. The church must protect its power to proclaim the gospel of Christ. The church must accept those outside the fellowship with compassion but never accept the practices of the world. Decisions affecting the fellowship of the church should be made by the assembled church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Evil and Suffering, Satan—God can use Satan’s treatment of a person to discipline the person, leading that individual to repentance and restoration with God’s people. Satan does not intend to help a person towards salvation. Anyone outside the fellowship of the church is under Satan’s power. A believer cannot live under such conditions and will eventually return to God or die. Spiritual exclusion may lead to physical death but not to damnation." (Disciple's Study Bible) (Matt. 18:17) "18:15-17: Here and in 16:18 are the only references to “the church” in all of the four Gospels. Government is charged with jurisprudence in civil matters. In the ecclesiastical arena, each local congregation must assume the exercise of its own discipline. Jesus provided a program whereby the local assembly could protect its own sanctity and admonish an erring brother. The system involved three possible encounters with a brother overtaken in a fault. After the individual approach by one brother, one or two additional brethren are to be taken to confront the wayward brother. Only if this failed was the matter to be brought before the entire congregation. Furthermore, this last action involved two steps, the first being an appeal and admonition from the church, and the second, the exercise of the ban. The entire procedure is designed to prevent this exclusion from the church. Few cases would ever proceed beyond the first and second provisions. Even when a case demanded the ultimate drastic action of exercising the ban, the intent was redemptive. The disbarment from fellowship would hopefully awaken the rebellious person. On the other hand, the reputation of God’s people would be protected if no disposition for repentance was forthcoming in the erring brother (cf. 1 Cor 5:1-13; 2 Cor 2:5-11; Gal 6:1, 2)." (Believer's Study Bible) |
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