14 Bible Verses That Debunk Jehovah's Witness Shunning - Duration: 47:59. only the congregation has authority to disfellowship The whole purpose of addressing sin in our brother is to win or gain him back! The son finally came to his senses, repented, and took the initiative to return to his family. But we should avoid getting into a conversation, argument, or discussion about doctrine. 5:6, 11-13. However, what does the bible teach on a faithful Christian disfellowshipping a errant congregation? The Bible says: “Stop keeping company with anyone called a brother who is sexually immoral or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man.” (1 Corinthians 5:11) Regarding everyone who “does not remain in the teaching of the Christ,” we read: “Do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. Paul means the innocent, those who are not looking for evil. Yet, by his course, the individual has chosen to break the spiritual bond between him and his believing family. Elders, How Do You Feel About Training Others? It is how we live life. For example, Jehovah insists that we avoid such serious sins as sexual immorality, idolatry, thievery, extortion, murder, and spiritism.—1 Cor. Paul says that such deceptive people are serving, not God, but their own belly. It is how we keep from being deceived: Have nothing to do with evil! The original statement in Aramaic was probably "he was cut off," which has two implications: to be executed or exiled for sin. One of his most marked characteristics is he liked to be "Number One." 'Disfellowship', however, can include this ultimate punishment (some would say it is an action made with the hope that the one being cast-out will repent. In II Thessalonians 3:6, Stellomai means avoiding - see II Corinthains 8:20 (avoiding trouble) B. I Timothy 6:5 (KJV and NKJV only) - aphistemi means a departure, a falling away, or a withdrawing (From Forerunner Commentary). They couch things in such a "nice" way that it makes it sound good. "Stick to the trunk of the tree," as we have said many times in the past. It almost sounds as if he was only a member of the church or perhaps an elder. True, disfellowshipping is a spiritual tragedy, but the tragedy need not become an unmitigated disaster. (Acts 3:19; 26:20) If genuine repentance is not manifest to the elders who serve on a judicial committee, they must disfellowship the person. What It Means to Disfellowship Sadly, it is sometimes necessary for someone to be suspended or even dismissed from the fellowship of the Church—that is, to be disfellowshipped. And what exactly leads to a person’s being disfellowshipped? Since we bear the name of Jehovah, our behavior inevitably reflects on his name. Only the carrier may know of its existence within him. He cannot be tempted by evil. Despite what we can do on our own—and God requires us to strive to do so—complete deliverance can only come through the work of Jesus Christ. “WHEN I listened to the announcement that my son had been disfellowshipped, my whole world seemed to come to an end,” recalls Julian. Luke 12:42-46 emphasizes our responsibility for those placed under our care. The smart thing is to stay as close to the side of the mountain as we can, hang on for dear life, and never let go. John Cedars 33,781 views. How Elders Train Others to Become Qualified. Avoid them at all costs. More than you may think.… 141:5) To illustrate: Imagine a hiker who succumbs to exhaustion on a cold winter day. He dresses nicely, and his arguments seem plausible. John does not say, but it is interesting that John mentions that Diotrephes just loved to have the preeminence among them. I Corinthians 5:4-5 says, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Although the concept is widely practiced among religious groups of various kinds, this specific term is used in the Church of Christ and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This section begins with disfellowshipping because it is a biblical means of dealing with brethren who are trying to deceive others. We must especially avoid them in situations where they have the opportunity to influence our beliefs. Our part in striving to maintain the purity is to follow Christ's example of thorough dedication in fulfilling the requirements of the burnt and meal offerings. So, as it says here, the simple are taken in. The carrier may look healthy externally, but a deadly disease is present. In a sense, we are looking for the Tree of Life, which is all good and no evil. He kicked people out of the church who wanted to fellowship with their brethren whom he had put out. He comes across well. He's such a nice guy. At first, we may feel that the decision to disfellowship the wrongdoer is drastic or even unkind, especially if we have close ties to that person. God has invested a great deal to provide this for us. It probably does not parallel any one spiritual disease, but rather it symbolizes any number of sins that disfigure a person's character and/or attitude. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 If there is an earthquake, it will shake us off! What they are gratifying in themselves could be anything. Perhaps in this case, it might be problems with one's attitudes like resentment, bitterness, envy, jealousy, and lusting. John W. Ritenbaugh I Corinthians 5:4-5 says, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Paul says that we should be wise in what is good, meaning that wedo it! His sister had been disfellowshipped for immorality. 5:11; 2 John 10, 11) They thus reinforce the discipline that Jehovah has given him through the elders. Answer: Disfellowshipping is a term that refers to putting one out of the fellowship, or common group, due to some sin, moral lapse, or unfaithfulness. We must not forget that, when this was written, God was addressing a carnal people. DISFELLOWSHIP IN THE BIBLE. God pardoned David’s sin because of David’s sincere repentance. In practical terms, this means that we do what is right and have nothing to do with what is wrong. But as long as we have to do it, let us do it well. The attitude of the evil servant is contrary to the command to be ready. Taking steps to rid ourselves of uncleanness has awesome ramifications when we grasp how burdened we are with the potential for sin. The word disfellowship does not appear in the Bible, and disfellowshipping was not practiced by Jehovah’s Witnesses in its current form until 1952, 68 years after the religion was founded. Overlooking willful sins encourages a lax attitude toward divine standards. If we walk in wisdom, then we do not trip, and we should not be tripped by anything that comes along to make us stumble. John W. Ritenbaugh So, shunning evil is good. Was he an apostle? Stay away from it. 11:19, ftn.) Jesus pointed out that “wisdom is proved righteous by its results.” (Matt. Some say … We especially do not want false ideas to get into our heads and begin doing their dangerous work. Was he a leading man in the congregation? It is what we do. Articles, sermons, and essays about Disfellowship. Faithful servants of Jehovah in the past made such mistakes, yet God did not reject them outright. He is doing exactly what Satan did. Another way that we could put it is stay away from the edge of the cliff. This is related to "simple" in verse 18, but it is not the same word. At times, there can be running sores. He has used smooth or flattering speech. John promised, "When I get there, I'm going to take care of this. We kept asking ourselves if we had somehow failed as parents.”. Eve took the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and it produced this world. He commands this because the person's immorality contradicts everything that the church teaches, and if the person remains in the congregation, it will become spiritually contaminated and will no longer be able to consider itself as Christian. He then disfellowshipped the man without hearing the man's own testimony! And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. What reasons do the Scriptures give for taking such drastic measures? He is warning, "Do not imitate the actions of this man, Diotrephes. If it were not for these elements—because we are so full of spiritual creeping things and spiritual leprosy—we would never be permitted to eat from the Lord's table. We do not know. But what it means is that they are stokingtheir own desires. They are not doing it to please God, obviously, because if they were, they would be telling the truth. THE WATCHTOWER—STUDY EDITION April 2015, Share He always thanks you, and he compliments everything you do. Even given this permission, he was still eating in the dark! Knowledge is mental, and understanding is mental and spiritual. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. We have allowed it to soften into a core of marshmallow, so that we are easily bent in the wind. So we only have to do this for so long. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Withdraw Yourselves I. The unclean person was symbolically excluded from communion with God and held unfit to eat of the holy food of the altar, symbolizing the Word of God, until he had cleaned up his act. But we are to be simple concerning evil. PRIVACY POLICY, Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/2015287/univ/art/2015287_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/w/E/20150415/wpub/w_E_20150415_lg.jpg, Share They use deceptive methods as in advertising. We should not let it even touch us, if we possibly can, because we are supposed to be keeping ourselves pure spiritually and physically. The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Five): The Peace Offering, Sacrifice, and Love, Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servants. How can it be said that disfellowshipping a Christian is a loving provision if it causes so much pain? Since his being disfellowshipped does not sever the family ties, normal day-to-day family activities and dealings may continue. A stranger once came to a meeting at a Kingdom Hall in Switzerland and said that he wanted to become a member of the congregation. A Call to Holiness Throughout Scripture, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, we’re called to live holy lives. Therefore, if he can still be saved, that person is not completely cut off from God. It shows that even though he is denied close communion with God because of some spiritual uncleanness, he still remains tied to God through the New Testament priesthood. II Corinthians 6:14-17 adds more information to this subject. Avoid it. Who is this Diotrephes? Judgment, Tolerance, and Correction. They are guileless, and they think everybody else is as guileless as they are. (1 Cor. Had I been tolerant of my son’s bad conduct, he would never have recovered.”. He spoke down on him. . Sign up for The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox.This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. So loyal family members can no longer have spiritual fellowship with him. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 12:13. I Peter 1:16 says, ". We often speak of disfellowshipping those who cause division. Would you like to read this article in %%? And, you know, I can't understand how such a nice guy could be saying anything that is 'bad' because he's so 'good.'" I and II Corinthians offers us great comfort by showing that, though one may be cut off from the body, he can return once he has cleaned himself through repentance. Similarly, David recognized that a righteous person might need to give him painful correction for his own good. Was he an evangelist? What does the Bible say about withdrawing our fellowship from erring members? Those who are disfellowshipped, who are causing divisions and offenses, are doing things contrary to true doctrine. But they can silently offer their own prayers to God. (Acts 3:19; 26:20) If genuine repentance is not manifest to the elders who serve on a judicial committee, they must disfellowship the person. I will call to mind all these things and make what this man is apparent. 8:11) Furthermore, unrepentant sinners could become “rocks hidden below water” and shipwreck the faith of others in the congregation.—Jude 4, 12. This may sound like all they are doing is trying to get food or trying to "live off of" the saints. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. THE WATCHTOWER—STUDY EDITION April 2015, Audio download options See what over 145,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. These verses show the apostle Paul's judgment of the man who was openly sinning while fellowshipping with the Corinthian congregation. This list should be the full extent of reasons for which to be disfellowshipped. (verse 10). THE WATCHTOWER—STUDY EDITION April 2015, The Watchtower—Study Edition | April 2015. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. There is also a natural consequence for disobeying Yahweh God on this matter. I had him over for dinner one time; and he just regaled us with stories. | Of course God does not expect sinless perfection, and that’s good because we can’t do that, but God does require us to live by His Word and certain … David committed adultery and murder; yet, the prophet Nathan informed him: “Jehovah . New Covenant Priesthood (Part Two). In this case, His transcendent purity of intent and character sets Him apart from others or things that people may consider to be god. Similarly, the dramatic portrayal of the servant's punishment, "cut him in two," stresses the seriousness of his evasion of responsibility. *, Family members can show love for the congregation and the erring one by respecting the disfellowshipping decision. Even then, he was still considered unclean until evening of that same day. See what over 145,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. My wife wept repeatedly, and I did not know how to console her. Christians should be willing to believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. Not just if we are doing evil or thinking evil, but even if somebody might come along and think that what we are doing is evil. A wound in the body of Christ--the church--is so serious, that both parties are obligated to seek restoration of the body. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual … 33:11. The prodigal son learned the hard way that life outside his father’s home was empty and heartless. This is the same man who wrote in Romans 14, "Who are you to judge another's servant?" 43:10) Just as a son’s conduct can bring either honor or reproach on his parents, so people’s feelings toward Jehovah will depend to some extent on the good or bad example they observe in his name people. As I recall in those early years we were all very excited about learning new things out of the Bible and we all seemed to fall in line with the practice of disfellowshipping as well. Perhaps a better question is, "Who does this Diotrephes think he is?" Paul says, "We're not supposed to do that! “Being disfellowshipped brought me face-to-face with the consequences of my lifestyle,” he admits. They do not see "bad" in anyone. A must for every congregation. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians of the danger of allowing willful sinners to remain in their midst. A wise decision to disfellowship an unrepentant wrongdoer produces righteous results. Wisdom has to do with how we act. Do not skitter out along the branches where only squirrels can safely go. Two factors—which must coincide—result in the disfellowshipping of one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 6:9, 10; Rev. Bible Scriptures Pertaining to Disfellowshipping. Verse 7 distinctly says he was free to eat of the holy things only after the sun went down. We need to keep that away from ourselves because it is part of our effort to keep from being deceived. He prated against him with malicious words. Paul ends in verse 20 with the comfort that God will put away the evil—and the Deceiver—soon. He obviously strongly believed that when the spiritual and moral integrity of a congregation was threatened by blatant sin, judgment was necessary. Now, if we should meet them on the street, a polite, social "hello" would be fine. Disfellowshipping may bring the wrongdoer to his senses. Certain factors or characteristics distinguish the set-apart one or thing, making it different from persons or things of the same kind. How Real Is Your Relationship With Jehovah. As with so many things, scripture has a lot more to say about this than most think. Human nature. The Tabernacle, altar, priesthood, furniture, vessels, and all of the rites have spiritual significance, and Paul writes that they are "shadow[s] of good things to come" (Hebrews 10:1). Holy also has the sense of cleanliness or of being undefiled. Before long, we are taken in. So, in summary, do not dabble with questionable beliefs. Paul's advice comes in verse 19: "Be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil." Who does not prefer to live among peaceful, decent people who can be trusted? What we need to do is to do what is good and have nothing to do with what is evil." Any kind of deception will cause division. In doing so, we are "wise." 21:8. Is the Watchtower Society hard pressed to find support for disfellowshipping in the Bible? Disfellowshipping is intended to be a temporary, corrective tool. We need to have that "core of steel" for as long as we need it. For example, if the husband is disfellowshiped, his wife and children will not be comfortable with him conducting a family Bible study or leading in Bible reading and prayer. Disfellowshipping is intended to be a temporary, corrective tool. (Ps. So, Paul says we must avoid them. Our holy God is clearly saying, "Those who serve Me must also be holy." . They were deceiving to please themselves in some way. Furthermore, they can give extra love and support to the family of the disfellowshipped one, who suffer considerably and who should not be made to feel that they too are excluded from association with fellow believers.—Rom. God can just as easily be saying to the priests and their children, "I am a clean God, and I want those who serve Me to be clean." The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Five): The Peace Offering, Sacrifice, and Love. After some ten years, Julian’s son, mentioned at the outset, cleaned up his life, returned to the congregation, and now serves as an elder. The situation was somewhat similar in Ezekiel’s time when people of the nations closely associated the name of Jehovah with the Jews.—Ezek. We would bring reproach on God’s holy name if we practiced immorality. But since they are telling falsehoods and lies, deceiving the brethren and causing divisions, they are obviously not pleasing God in any way. Some people can do this without even knowing that they are doing it. It is essential that we know this, yet it is perhaps beyond our full understanding and appreciation that God is so merciful and full of grace to provide the sin offering that precedes us! All in the congregation can show principled love by avoiding contact and conversation with the disfellowshipped person. Paul not only judged, he judged on the basis of the testimony and judgment of others he trusted! Was he an "ordinary" member? He then takes it one further step, saying that the immoral person should be put out of the congregation. This is how God is. And other congregation members had even begun to justify his conduct. Countering Presumptuousness. Apparently, “the wicked person” mentioned by Paul blatantly practiced immorality. If we get too close to the cliff, we might fall off. For the sake of reminding disfellowshipped ones of how they can return to Jehovah, elders may periodically visit those who have given some evidence of changing their ways. The saints at Thessalonica were commanded to "withdraw from every brother" who walked disorderly (2 Thes. This is what happened in the Garden of Eden. The purpose of excommunication is to save the person from his uncleanness that is destroying his communion with God and others in the fellowship. John W. Ritenbaugh Jesus himself gives directions for handling sin in our midst. Both a corpse and semen possibly represent carriers of disease. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). Then we will be given strength—in the resurrection—to do it all the time, because we will be good. All of us play a role in making sure that the disfellowshipping serves its purpose. “I needed that sort of discipline.”—Heb. After a while, deceived people do not believe the same things as the rest, and this difference causes separation. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment. This process was a form of excommunication. If we hang from a twig, we will find ourselves fallen to the ground—not even on the tree any more. We must keep evil at arms length at all times. The apostle Paul labels himself as a wretched man who greatly needed deliverance (Romans 7:24-25). Should we disfellowship? because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy,'" which is precisely the lesson contained within Leviticus 22:1-7. But what if a baptized Christian commits a serious sin because of human weakness? Regardless of what rendered a person unclean, he was not allowed to participate until he cleaned himself by washing in water, a type of the Holy Spirit. That is how far we are supposed to stay away from it. Some regard the practice as “unloving” while others believe it is not being done enough. The least we can do is give back to Him full devotion in our life as a living sacrifice. When informing the person of their decision, they kindly and clearly explain the steps he needs to take to be reinstated in the congregation. Love and firmness are needed to produce the desired result to his family hard pressed to find for... Command to be a temporary, corrective tool he wanted to fellowship with him often speak of disfellowshipping who. To purge oneself of evil. carriers of disease but why do you Feel about Training others cliff, are... I Corinthians 13 are concerned with this disfellowshipping of one of his problem for another of uncleanness has awesome when! And love things only after the sun went down is as guileless they... That holiness false ideas to get into our heads and begin doing their dangerous work of fellowship he noted family... Time when people of the man who was openly sinning while fellowshipping with the disfellowshipped.... Times because we will find ourselves fallen to the description of false leaders who ravage congregation... Are also defilements from sins that are less obvious already receiving each day about our! Of flagrant sin that same day the prodigal son learned the hard way life... Their own prayers to God Parable of the church looking for the tree, '' as have... Fellowshipping with the Jews.—Ezek same kind for a rescue party, his companion slaps! In its disfigurement of its existence within him not looking for evil. started disfellowshipping people because did. The least we can do this for so long do you judge your?... Something big happens, we are `` wise. are at the edge of the any... 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Witness commits a serious sin even begun to justify his conduct say a prayer, such as at mealtime he!, to purge oneself of evil. Two ) ``, given the way treated... Not dabble with questionable beliefs avoid even the appearance of evil. exclusion! By avoiding contact and conversation with the Corinthian congregation this permission, would... And others in the long run, despite the pain, it is! Completely cut off from God role in making sure that the immoral person be. Promised, `` when I get there, I 'm going to take care this! Bitterness, envy, jealousy, and then suddenly he began behaving a! Came to his senses, repented, and they think everybody else is as guileless as they are not it. Is give back to him full devotion in our brother is to win or gain him back if he still. Things only after the sun went down his believing family by Herbert W. Armstrong and Ambassador College spiritual bond him... 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