Hesedken

(This is not a personal letter.)

EXCOMMUNICATION

     The Bible teaches that a fornicator who is called a brother must be excommunicated from the body of believers: "And you shall put out the wicked person from among yourselves" (1 Cor. 5:13). The Apostle Paul illustrates that Christians need to make judgment within the body: "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Cor. 6.2)

     Fornication may be extended to mean adultery in the Bible. Adultery, even though it may be legalized, is condemned. Those who do such an unrighteous thing shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9,10). A person who continues to commit sexual immorality is a wicked person: "God will judge fornicators and adulterers" (Heb. 13.4).

     The deciding element which constitutes adultery is whether one of the partners has a living spouse. If a man, for instance, says that he wants to be forgiven for the sin--then he must separate himself from the woman cooperating with him in the adulterous relationship. John the Baptist did not want the Pharisees and Sadducees to think they were permitted to be baptized while continuing in their sins: "Therefore, produce fruits worthy of repentance" (Mt. 3.8). They needed a complete and thorough change in the direction of their thought, and that change in thought needed to be followed up with the proper and accordant conduct. Just by merely saying, "I'm sorry," does not constitute repentance. Repentance is conviction, grief, and correction from the heart, and it manifests itself with an accordant work--self-denial from the lust.

     The matter of marriage and its alternative of divorce are clearly identified: "And unto those who have married I charge, not I, but the Lord, a wife from the husband is not to be separated, let her abide unmarried, or be reconciled to the husband" (1 Cor. 7.10, 11). These two verses deal with people with people who are married, and his/her spouse is still living. Even though God encourages, commands, and warns a couple to have unity in marriage, he will allow divorce under certain circumstances. However, there is only one permissible alternative to divorce,--that is reconciliation to the spouse. Never, in the New Testament, will you find in any place, where God, or Jesus Christ, or the apostles condoned marriage to anyone other than a woman's living spouse. Such an act would constitute adultery: "It was said, that whosoever should put away his wife, let him give to her a writing of divorcement. But I say to you, that whosoever should put away his wife, except on account of fornication, he causes her to commit adultery, and whosoever should marry her who has been put away commits adultery" (Mt. 5.31, 32). See also (Mk. 10:11, 12).

     Sexual immorality was reported in many instances among the Christians of Corinth: "Fornication is reported among you commonly" (1 Cor. 5.1). Had that man never dissolved his sinful relationship with his father's wife, he would never have been lawfully able to be accepted into the fellowship of the Christians; see (2 Cor. 2:5-11), (2 Cor. 7:8-12), (2 Cor. 12:21).

     In a way, the church of our era may be in a worse condition than the Corinthian church. Today many churches do not abstain from eating with adulterers, who are designated as Christians, neither do they excommunicate those persons. Mockingly (even though they may not acknowledge this because of their deception), they invite those who continue in unrighteous conduct into their fellowship, and even allow some of them to become their teachers and preachers, ordaining them into their assembly as officials. How bad off can the church get! Neglecting to excommunicate one who is called a brother for continuing in an immoral sexual relationship is one thing, but ordaining such a one as an official of congregation is another. Many churches, institutions, and administrations that are named "Christian" have forsaken morality. They have adopted a policy of condonation of legalized adultery: sexual-moral apostasy in reality. The teachers and preachers of such institutions are not able to teach and preach truthfully and sincerely concerning purity and unity among the congregation because they are in need of being taught and repentance.

     I pray that Christians will acknowledge the written word of God (66 books) as the ultimate authority concerning the mind of God, and will begin to act, and make judgment, and make a stand for God: "Because (it is) the time for judgement to have begun from the house of God, and if (it is) first from us, what is the end of those disobeying the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4.17)

In Christian anguish, concern and love,

Br. Ken

P.S.

     A repentant person who has been living in a state of remarriage and desires to correct his or her life must separate from the other person. If a person truly loves and obeys Christ, he or she will do whatever is necessary to live a sanctified life. The separation may seem to cause legal, economic, social, family and other problems, but the remarriage must be annulled. A single sanctified person (whether a parent or not) having separated from the forbidden state of remarriage may join the church.

     For a clear understanding of God's marital establishment read my paper "Illusion."

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