PRINCIPLES RELATING TO FELLOWSHIP
Introduction:
1. The
Bible has many things to say about fellowship and its relationship to false
things.
2. We
must use wisdom in putting the information together.
3. We
must be sure to grant or withhold fellowship only as God instructs.
The Bible Has Some Very
Interesting Contrasts For Our Consideration
1. II
Timothy 2:24-26 and II John 9-10.
2. Galatians
1:8-9 and Acts 18:24-28.
3. Matthew
9:10-13 and I Corinthians 5:11-13.
Different Kinds Of Problems Received
Different Kinds Of Teaching
1. A
brother who refuses to make things right with a brother (Matt. 18:15-17).
2. A
person who causes divisions (Rom. 16:17-18; Titus 3:9-10).
3. A
Christian who commits a gross public sin, and persists (I Cor. 5:1-8).
4. A
Christian who continues in behavior that is against God’s standards of
righteousness (I Cor. 5:9-13).
5. A
leader who continues in sin (I Tim. 5:9-10).
6. A
person of the world who behaves in an openly perverse manner (Eph. 5:11-12).
7. People
of the world in general (I Cor. 5:9-10).
Considerations That Account For
Differences In Instructions
1. The
intentions of a person.
2. The
severity of the problem.
3. How a
person deals with a problem.
4. The
amount of time a person has been a Christian (Heb. 5:11-14).
5. At
times, ignorance is a factor.
6. The
attitude of a person.
7. Whether
one deceives or is deceived (Matt. 18:6-7).
Guilt By Association
1. Matthew
9:10-11; 11:19.
2. A
congregation is called “liberal” because they use a speaker who spoke at a
congregation that used a speaker deemed to be liberal.
3. Disappointment
is expressed because a preacher of unquestioned faithfulness was on a program
where one of the speakers preached for a church with questionable practices.
4. A
teacher who is not accusatory or overly negative in tone is hired by a
Christian school. The man has had articles appear in a paper that routinely
accuses brethren falsely and has an almost totally negative tone. A faculty
member of that school objects and treats the new teacher with belligerence.
5. It is
wrong to ascribe guilt solely by association. If guilt by association is
correct, then our Lord is condemned as a sinner, and, of course, He is not a
sinner.
Guilt In Fact
1. A
problem exists when a congregation or program features preachers who teach
false doctrines and an otherwise sound preacher appears on that program, but
does not attempt to address the error.
2. True
guilt does not have to do with where one speaks, but with whether or not one
speaks so as to address real problems.
3. Freedom,
however, must be allowed a brother to work as he thinks best to address
error—allowance must be given for a long-term, patient approach (II Tim.
2:24-26).
Conclusion
1. We
should look to preserve fellowship whenever we have biblical grounds for so
doing (Eph. 4:1-3).
2. Patience
is in order whenever possible (II Tim. 2:24-26).
3. Those
who refuse all reasonable efforts to correct false doctrines must be avoided
(II Jn. 9-11).
Edwin
3/11/01
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