Bro. Rushmore, if a brother has forsaken the assembly and joined himself to another religious organization, are disfellowship proceedings warranted? ~ Glen Gannon.
Jesus promised to build only one church; “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The one church belongs to Jesus Christ, for he purchased it with his own blood (Acts 20:28) and he is the head of it (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23). The apostle Paul compared our Lord’s church to a body and taught by inspiration that there is only one (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4; Colossians 1:18). A scriptural appellation or name applied to that one body when referring to several congregations is: “the churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16). (Other biblical names include: “church of God,” 1 Corinthians 1:2; “house of God,” 1 Timothy 3:15; etc.) Saved souls become members of the Lord’s church by being added to it by Jesus Christ (Acts 2:47).
The careful Bible student understands that no other religious organization besides the church for which Jesus died and over which he is head has any right to exist. In fact, were every professed Christian to rely solely on the Bible for divine direction in religion, only one church ¾ the Lord’s church would exist. Denominationalism is extra-biblical and an affront to God. Even attempting to worship God by modifying or adding to his biblical instructions is offensive to God; “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9).
The Hebrews writer noted that many Jewish Christians were turning from the church back to Judaism. The Book of Hebrews attempts to stem the Jewish abandonment of the Lord’s church by presenting extensive contrasts between Judaism and Christianity. Hebrews 10:25 commands God’s children not to abandon the church, in these words: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another . . .” To “forsake” is to “abandon.” A worse state of being lost than what awaited non-Christians awaits Christians who turn from God and the church (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Church discipline encompasses many phases, beginning with exhortation and study (Acts 18:24-26; Titus 3:10). However, Scripture enumerates a number of impenitent Christians from whom the church is obligated to withdraw fellowship: (1) factious persons (Titus 3:10-22, ASV); (2) false teachers (Romans 16:17-18); immoral Christians (1 Corinthians 5:1-13) and (3) those who walk disorderly or otherwise refuse to obey the Word of God (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14).
Certainly, Christians upon whom exhortation cannot prevail, who refuse to study God’s Word and abide therein regarding the Lord’s church, and who abandon the Lord’s church for counterfeit religion are walking disorderly. The full force of Hebrews 10:25 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14 apply to such erring children of God. What to do, then, regarding such a one is not a matter of preference but an obligatory matter already decided by God and recorded upon the pages of inspiration. Unfortunately, often the Lord’s church does not have the courage to do the biblically right thing because it is neither popular nor convenient.
