Featured Is excommunication for today, and is there grace in it?

Thanks for the post. I ask, can you explain what you mean when you ask 'And is there grace in it?' What do you mean by this, specifically the 'grace' part?

 

I didn't post the O/P so this is my opinion.

Yes there is grace in it.

Why? Because God gives the opportunity for the erring child of God to return to the blessed fellowship of the church.

No grace would be if he/she was banned from the church until he/she went home to be with the LORD.

HankD

 

This refers to a saved person acting as if he is not saved, so we need to withdraw fellowship from him, in order to have God deal directly with his own rebelling child!

 

The objective of church discipline is not to remove but to restore erring members.

Obviously all persons sin, but there is a difference between living in sin that brings reproach upon the church, to which others are aware (note 1 Corinthians 5 as an example) and a daily personal walk of repentance and cleansing; 1 John 1:1ff.

Surely none involved in 1 Cor. 5 disciplinary action were being self-righteous, but were called to follow the mandate of removal since there was no repentance. There must also have been sorrow involved on the part of the removed person at a latter time; note 2 Corinthians 2, and he was to be forgiven.

Galatians 6 also shows us that those who are spiritual are to restore others, so we have that in churches, some who actually are 'holier than thou' and are examples to the flock. These are and should be appointed as leaders within a church, to help guard others and assist others in their spiritual walk.

Also, there are those who are worthy of double honor, who labor in the Word and doctrine; 1 Timothy 5:17. I would not broad brush the church as being a bunch of self-righteous power hungry individuals seeking to throw others out of church, but it would be perhaps easier to do so without considering the other Scriptures.

 

Yes, restoration is always the intent. Yet, when the offender offers no remorse, no repentance, no willingness to listen to what the church offers, excommunication is the only option...used as a last resort as well. Look at how Jesus spoke in Matthew 18. Three times a church is to seek reconciliation, but if the offender doesn't want it, too, you have to excommunicate that individual.

 

I'd say the person in 2 Corinthians 2 would find that the church extended grace to him by following God's disciplinary action and I believe it was the man in 1 Cor. 5 iirc. Note Hebrews 12:8ff.

 

What would your church do with a member who was living a life of debauchery? If they would not heed to the church's advice?

 

Why does it sound like that to you?

 

Biblical Church discipline is a mark of a true church.

 

Bu...bu....but you'd be showing more grace to them if you left them alone and did not excommunicate them. SMH.

 

Have you confronted those pastors and elders you know are involved in porn? Or are you just hypothesizing?