The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum To Associate or Not:(Split off Feminism thread)

doulos,

I'm not sure how I should take the above remarks above. They could easily be seen as being rather disrespectful; even rude.

However, let me try and clarify my position one last time. How one treats a brother/sister under discipline is, according to the biblical injunctions under consideration, to be akin to how you would treat someone who is an unbeliever. That is exactly what excommunication pronounces, i.e., the person has demonstrated either by doctrine and/or life that they do not evidence that which is consistent with one who professes Christ. If members of the Church continue to maintain a relationship with one excommunicated in exactly the same manner which they had before the disciplinary action, then the purpose of that discipline is nullified. One of the main objectives of excommunication; to officially send a person "outside the camp" is to impress upon the person the seriousness of the situation and that unless repentance is forthcoming, that person's eternal destiny is in jeopardy. Put another way, fellowship can no longer be tolerated by the people of God for the person is no longer "one of them".

One other passage which I must mention for consideration also is that given by the Lord Christ:

Mark 6:10-11 (ASV) "And he said unto them, Wheresoever ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart thence. And whatsoever place shall not receive you, and they hear you not, as ye go forth thence, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony unto them."

Without question, this passage is dealing specifically with unbelievers and is more than clear in describing what the Lord Himself wills how His disciples should conduct themselves among those of the world. Christians are to live in the world but never be a part of the world. (cf. 1Jh 2:15, 16)

I'll let you have the last word, if you so chose.

In His Grace,