What Is the Meaning of Withdrawal of Fellowship?
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
As announced two weeks ago, we are in the process of withdrawing fellowship from several who have recently been members here. They were either baptized here or moved from another area and asked to be members. Several attempts have been made to reach all of those named—sometimes by personal visits, other times by telephone, or even in writing. Not only have the elders made these efforts, but other members have also. Everyone has had the opportunity to encourage repentance because the names, addresses, and telephone numbers were posted on the bulletin board.
In recent years, we withdrew fellowship from three who chose to live immorally. That is not the reason this time (so far as we know). All of those now under consideration have ceased behaving as members of the body of Christ by remaining absent for two to ten months of time. If a person’s finger had been missing from his body for that length of time, who would think that the finger (wherever it was) was any longer a functioning part of a living body? The writer of Hebrews clearly states that no brother or sister in Christ has authority to forsake the assembling of the church together (Heb. 10:25).
The writer is not speaking of a member of the body of Christ who is too ill to be present for worship (all are familiar with shut-ins)—nor of one that is away on business or vacation (and is worshiping while away). He is speaking of the individual who is healthy enough to be present and is available to be present (in other words, he is in town) but does not meet with the other members of the body of Christ intentionally. If he is available and healthy, then the absence is one of choice, not necessity. When that situation occurs for weeks and months at a time, something is wrong. If a child is missing for only a few hours, the family arranges for there to be an Amber Alert. Likewise, when a child of God is not present for worship, other family members ought to show concern.
“They Have Already Withdrawn”
Sometimes, people comment that there is no need to withdraw fellowship from those who have quit attending since they have already withdrawn from us. This assessment is inaccurate. Just as a missing child might be in physical danger, a missing child of God is in spiritual peril. He may not realize the seriousness of the condition he is in; the writer of Hebrews tells him:
For if we sin willingly after we have received the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries (Heb. 10:26-27).
Forsaking the assembly of the saints is not something that God takes lightly. The sacrifice that Jesus made for each person’s sins no longer has any power or effect on the one who is keeping himself away. Almost everyone rejoices when his sins are removed; no greater feeling is experienced on earth than knowing that all of one’s transgressions against God have been removed by the blood of Jesus—and he can now enjoy the fellowship of God. How pleased God is that a sinner has made the decision to leave the realm of sin and to pledge Himself to the cause of Christ! However, when that commitment wanes, so does the power of Jesus’ sacrifice as it pertains to the one who first becomes lukewarm and finally cold.
With the sacrifice for sin being removed, the one who was once a Christian has now become an adversary of God (by his actions) and can only anticipate God’s fiery indignation. God is sorrowful but also indignant that anyone who has known the truth would then spurn the precious blood of Jesus by which he was purchased. He has trampled the blood of Christ underfoot, counted the covenant by which he was saved a common thing, and insulted God’s Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:28-29). Those who are continually absent may not think of their condition in this way, but God does!
Peter says that it is worse for the one who has known the way of righteousness and turns from it than for the one who never knew it in the first place (2 Peter 2:21). The writer of Hebrews assures his readers that the Lord will take vengeance and judge His people and that it “is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:30-31).
Because these things are so, we cannot allow people to just drift away without warning them about their impending judgment. We cannot let them think that straying from the truth is a matter of no consequence. James says that when a sinner (a brother who has gone astray) is turned from the error of his way, a soul has been saved from death (James 5:19-20).
So, the first reason that we withdraw from those who have departed is that it may be the only opportunity they will have to realize the seriousness of their actions. If some people call with private forms of encouragement and warnings, an out-of-duty brother may simply think that a few people are just overly exercised about his absence. When the entire church withdraws fellowship, it is much more significant.
Second, the church needs to withdraw fellowship, not only because it is commanded, but so that no one can misunderstand the different situation. When some former Christians become ill and enter the hospital, they may claim to be members of a congregation they have not been with for years. Or they may represent themselves in the area as a member. Should anyone ask if that is true, the answer can be clearly given: “That individual was a member here but has not been for many years.” This is an accurate statement, and the one who is asked is not left mumbling, “Well they were a member but they have not been coming. Uh—” If that individual moves to another area and the church there inquires of them, the facts can be given. Then they too can encourage the brother or sister to repent.
The third reason is that it is God who makes the decision as to who is or is not a part of the body. A person who is not a Christian cannot just come and say, “I’m a member here.” One becomes a member by obeying the gospel or by coming from another area and being in good standing with the church there (some bring a letter with them). No one can come from a denomination and be considered a member. One must have been taught and obeyed the truth. In Acts 2:47, it is the Lord that added to the church daily those who were being saved. Only the Lord can remove someone from the church, and He does that through His members. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:6: “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition he received from us.” What does Paul refer to by the expression of walking disorderly?
Disorderly
Paul uses the verb form of the word once in 2 Thessalonians 3:7 and the adverb twice in verses 6 and 11. The word appears as an adjective once in 1 Thessalonians 5:15: “…warn them that are unruly….” Otherwise, the word group does not appear in the New Testament. Words related to “order,” however, do [see Strong 5001, 5010, and 5021, et al.]. On the verb translated “were disorderly,” Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says that it means “to set oneself outside the order,” “to evade one’s obligations,” “not to fulfill one’s divinely appointed duties,” “to act without discipline,” “to act irresponsibly,” “evade work which is ordered” (8:47). These are all meanings found in everyday usage of the Greek language.
Certainly, the Christian who ceases attending worship fits all of these definitions. The order that God enjoined from the Day of Pentecost onward was for brethren to meet on the first day of the week for worship (Acts 20:6-7). When one refuses to come, he has set himself outside the order God arranged. He is furthermore not fulfilling his Divine duty which all Christians have, which is to worship God and to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins. They are acting irresponsibly and without discipline, or they would be in the assembly. Not only are they evading worship; they evade work, period, because they are not functioning as a member of the body of Christ ought or contributing to the work of the church. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:16 that every part should do its share, but they fail in that command, also.
Kittel describes how the forms of the word are used in the New Testament. Similarly, the disorderly Christian is “one who sets himself outside the necessary and given order” (8:48). The word does not just refer to the fact that some in Thessalonica were lazy but “rather on the irresponsible attitude to the obligation to work” (8:48). If they were disorderly for objecting to work, how much more so when they object to worship!
What is Not the Meaning
All of these ideas are important as they relate to withdrawing of fellowship, but what does it actually mean? When the church withdraws fellowship from someone, it means a number of things and can be expressed in a variety of ways. It might be helpful, however, to first clear up any misconceptions and explain what is not occurring.
Withdrawal is not an action that results from unfeeling, uncaring brethren. No church members receive any pleasure in implementing this command. In fact, it is done out of love—to show the fallen one that we care enough to exercise such an extreme measure in an effort to show the lost condition of the soul. It is not just a formality in which we have no emotion invested. In fact, it may be that we are saddened and mourn more than those we withdraw from since we may have a greater understanding of the action.
No one is withdrawn from in haste or anger because someone was offended. Many weeks and efforts are put forth before we arrive at this point. No one is acting out of jealousy or vindictiveness. We genuinely want repentance from those who have left the Lord.
The Meaning
When sinners are baptized, they are washed, sanctified, and justified (1 Cor. 6:11). The Lord adds them to the church (Acts 2:47), and they become part of a close-knit family (1 Cor. 12:12-27). The body of Christ is composed of saved individuals who have a common salvation (Jude 3) and the same goals, the first of which is growth (2 Tim. 2:2). When we become knowledgeable, we begin to teach others (Heb. 5:12-14), and we contribute to the well-being of the church in any way we can. We have salvation as long as we walk in the light and are faithful in all things (1 John 1:7). As part of the church, we experience a great deal of encouragement and support. We are the family of God. We love one another.
At the time of baptism, God puts us into the kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:13-14). The kingdom of which we are part was the one prophesied by Isaiah (2:2-4) and declared by Daniel (2:44-45). John came with the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel, and 3,000 were baptized. They were translated from the darkness to the kingdom of light. Withdrawing fellowship reverses this process!
No longer are the disfellowshipped saved. They have forfeited their redemption, as Hebrews 10:26-31 teaches. They have no more sacrifice for their sins. They have been excluded from the kingdom of light and sent back into the kingdom of darkness, from whence they came. They have no hope and can expect no mercy. Do these things sound cruel? They must realize the way in which they have treated Jesus, and He would forgive them yet once more—if they would see their need for repentance.
The darkness they have re-entered shall be theirs for eternity, along with the fire into which they shall be cast. O that they would heed the warnings! The sufferings of hell do not end. Its fires burn forever. The torments are intense (Luke 16:19-31). What on earth could possibly be worth it? For what will a man exchange his soul? Imagine a world without honesty, purity, kindness—or any of the other characteristics of God! Hell will be the one place where nothing of the goodness of God can be found. To make it worse, no hope of ever leaving there exists.
Jesus revealed the reality of hell to mankind. He knew it was so horrible that He was willing to die on the cross, enduring the pain and suffering, so that we would not ever have to experience it. He did not offer Himself up for nothing—but to keep us from eternal death. If we spent two minutes there, we would beg for deliverance and offer any amount of money, time, or resources to keep from going there.
When the church withdraws fellowship, it is acting on the authority of Jesus to turn the one living in error back over to the kingdom of darkness—back over to Satan. This is His action which we are just carrying out, but our constant prayer is that every wayward Christian might repent and share in the joys of eternal life.
Reaction
Quite often, we receive very little reaction from those the church withdraws from. Of course, we have no way of knowing how deeply moved they might be—or if they care at all. The same lack of communication that led us to withdraw from them persists. We have no idea if they are mad or sad or totally indifferent, but sometimes we receive feedback from them, and we learn that somehow they believe that they are all right anyway.
One may wonder how that could possibly be, but what some think is that their spiritual life is not tied to the church. In fact, if they did not already think that, they would not be in the position they are. They may view Christianity as something that is primarily subjective. Some assume that their personal life is more important than any attachment to the church. They are wrong. Jesus is the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23).
Hopefully, those withdrawn from will continue to study the Bible, which is our only source of truth. But God is under no obligation to listen to their prayers. They have disengaged themselves from the church, and the church has reciprocated due to a lack of options given by God or response from them. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).
Undoubtedly, many would insist, “I am not evil. Just because I don’t come to worship does not mean I don’t believe in God. I still have my own personal relationship with Him. I have not turned into a thief or a murderer. I don’t practice evil.” While this aversion to evil is important, the fact is that it does not take into consideration God’s definition of evil. When Adam and Eve sinned, they committed no great moral wrong. They ate of fruit which God had forbidden. This action made them unrighteous. Any transgression against God He classifies as evil whether an individual deems it so or not.
God had the church in mind from eternity. Christians were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). In other words, God had determined from the beginning that Jesus would die for our sins and that the church would consist of all those saved and added to that body (Acts 2:47). It is evil to turn one’s back on that for which Christ gave His blood, the church. Those who forsake it have lost all their privileges both here and in the hereafter. All from whom the church has withdrawn should make it their top priority to be restored.