Christians: do you see any calling to disfellowship your brothers or sisters in Christ in the following?

Question

Jehovah's Witnesses don't associate with those who have been disfellowshiped or persons who have an immoral conduct because they know that God does not approve it. They adopt the attitude that the Christians from the 1st century had.

"Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits." --1 Corinthians15:33

"Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness?" -- 2 Corinthians 6:14

"But now I am writing you to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do you not judge those inside, while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves.”" -- 1 Corinthians 5:11-13
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I see a calling to be careful assosciating socially with someone who is a brother committing gross sin...But I see no place in these scriptures for what the JW's Do in oughtright disfellowshipping......As far as I am concerned, this is a Satanic practice.

For the help of the Witnesses, can some of you Christians please explain the context of the scriptures in Corinthans? Thank you all for your answers. U.L.

coffee p....It is a serious question...I am not a JW...I use to be a JW. I am looking for a real Christian perspective on these texts.

Answer 1

Well I'll try to answer your question. 1 Corinthians 5: 11-13....... Is for those that are evil and is trying to bring the church down. It could also mean the "leader's of the church". Example: Catholics and the priests and above. They are leaders and if you have a corrupt leader than the whole church will be corrupted; eventually leading to destruction. I do believe it is mostly for leaders. Its like the parables that Jesus gives when one sheep goes astray and get lost; the Shepherd leaves the flock and goes and look for that lost sheep to bring it back home. If the Shepherd is a evil sinner, he won't care about the lost sheep and so lets the sheep wonder in the dark until the wolves find him/her and devours them. That lost sheep parable is what Jesus would do for a sinner. That scripture I believe is for the Leader's of the Church. The sheeps are follower's and need guidance and protection. That is what Jesus expects from Leader's. Amen to that.

Answer 2

Sugar did explain this quite well but here's my input.

It is not a satanic practice... you have it all wrong. And yeah you did pretty much answer your own question.

The last thing the organization would want to do is disfellowship someone, but if something has done something against bible principles and does not repent for their actions, yes they are disfellowship and consequently we do not associate with them.

With that said we do understand that it might be necessary to speak with them at times seeing as though we may work with them or they may even be family BUT but by "associate" we mean going out, keeping a close friendship... as Christians we strive to keep a good moral conduct - Don't you think it'd be hypocritical to associate with someone who is knowingly committing a sin? - this also goes hand in hand with the text you quoted - Bad associations spoil useful habits." --1 Corinthians15:33. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness?" -- 2 Corinthians 6:14.]

People are always going to find something wrong with JW's - Think about it I am an active witness if I were to be seen associating with a known felon or a prostitute I'm sure you'd judge me for that (i.e. OH MY! Isn't she calls herself a christian and she's hanging out with that prostitute!) and now witnesses are being judged for doing the opposite? I just don't get it.

Answer 3

The scripture you quoted answers your own question. It doesn't say be careful, it says quit, which means to stop completely. There are also many instances in the Bible where God himself has taken disfellowshipping action against others. Look at Adam and Eve (expelled form Garden of Eden), Cain, the angels that sinned (Satan and his demons expelled from heaven in the book of Revelation), and Achan (in the book of Joshua).

The Apostle Paul also exercised disfellowshipping authority against an incestuous fornicator who had taken his father's wife. ( 1 Corinthians 5: 5,11,13)
Disfellowshipping only occurs when a person has committed a serious sin and is not repentant. This is done in order to keep the congregation clean and holy, as it represents Jehovah God who is clean and holy. If an individual is disfellowshipped, they can come back once they have repented of their sin and demonstrated that they are truly repentant. This is also a protection to the congregation, preventing it from being overreached by Satan.

Answer 4

Even Jesus hung around sinners. They are the very people who need the wittiness. Removing the wicked, that's removing the unrepentant, or the one trying to cause a divide with there sin. When they refuse to stop,and it is bringing down others, then they need removed, but still loved and prayed for.

Answer 5

I strongly agree with your thinking here. If a person is out of fellowship and gets kicked out of the church, how is that being a witness and an example to them that will guide them into an understanding of the love God has for them? It pushes them farther away in my opinion. I think one needs to be careful in associating with others who continue to live outside of God's laws but it is our duty to be a positive influence in their lives so that they might see Jesus in us and want to know Him more. I don't know that I see it as a satanic practice, but I sure feel that it is wrong to disassociate that person living in sin. He needs to be among Christians who can teach him a better way. If a person can't find the right way by being in fellowship with Christians at church where they study and learn, then where is he to go to find God? Isn't that the reason for church anyhow? I know we have to be correct on this one.

Answer 6

They've twisted the scriptures to bring a way to control people. It's very easy for a church to keep their numbers up if a person knows they will lose contact with all their loved ones. I don't see any other church doing this and is weird that there is an organization that does this.

Answer 7

Paul said "cast them from among you". They should be disfellowshipped from the church until they come to a point of repentance. This is if they're totally rebellious against the word of God...A little leaven does leaventh the whole lump. It doesn't mean that you can't speak with them...but I feel that way about anyone who's "in the world"...If I don't go to clubs, get high, or drink (just to name a few), why would I want to hang with someone who does? I'm representing Christ.

Answer 8

If this is truly their belief, then why do they keep knocking on my door.
or do I have to join their church, and then get kicked out, before they will stop?
By refusing to associate with the sinner, we become exclusive, and are not obeying the commandment of Jesus to go into the world.
And isn't it better to try to bring one of the congregation into repentance, that to say someone that doesn't want to hear it at all?

Answer 9

I thought at first this was a serious question until I read the reference to JW cult indoctrination and false biblical teachings....


ignoring your fellow man with a false sense of superiority is a form of arrogance that has no place in a christian heart...

we are to help a fellow church member not condemn him and kick him out of the church....

Answer 10

Unity in their religion is more important than finding the truth.

They are the bad association but they do not see it that way. It sis easier to see that immoral behavior is a sin than think that they are actually spreading the message of God.