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NASB | Matthew 18:17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 18:17 "If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector. [Lev 19:17; Deut 19:15] |
Subject: Excommunication applicable for today? |
Bible Note: 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) |