Excommunication

A good post on judging, and making sure to clarify between judging the sin of the world and of the brethren.  Do we let people be happy, and not say anything, in order to not rock the boat, or do we speak up?

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

Posted by Jon Daley on January 10, 2007, 7:19 am | Read 4093 times
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Comments
I appreciate a few of his points. Namely, that we are not serving God by judging those outside the church and not those inside. I personally struggle with our roll in judgment inside the church because of Bible verses that I'm not yet mature enough to know how to reconcile (i.e. they appear contradictory: "judge" and "don't judge" sometimes in the same few verses!). It does seems clear that we shouldn't be spending our time judging those outside, though we certainly don't give them our approval, just our Christly love. As for judging inside the church, I have different experiences than this guy. I've been in churches where they confront sinners and are unloving, uncaring, and downright mean and smug about it, and in this doing, ruining lives. Of course this does not mean we should ignore the Bible because "it doesn't work." It's just a serious caution to consider. Whatever our roll in judging is, we have no right or responsibility to judge another unless we've first been attending to our Biblical duty to love and support and care for that person and his needs. Even if we had that right, what good would it do to rebuke someone who had no respect for you or knowledge of your love for him? If we are in the practice (not feeling) of love then we shall be able (even compelled) to rebuke in love and continue in love in whatever is necessary to see that person through to correction. Even if that means eventual excommunication due to unresponsiveness, rebuke and retreat is not Biblical. We give up our brothers for loss all too easily.
Posted by IrishOboe on January 10, 2007, 2:55 pm
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