Question on DF'ing

by littlerockguy 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • littlerockguy
    littlerockguy

    If disfellowshipping is a biblical practice, why didn't Jesus do it? There is no record of him doing it or even mentioning doing anything remotely like that. In fact, it would seem to me if that practice was set in stone back then during his time, wouldn't he have taken some similar action against Judas? After all Judas was doing things that warranted DF'ing prior to the time he ultimately betrayed Jesus yet no action was taken.

  • blondie
    blondie

    Jesus was still under the Law code and any such violations were still handled by the priests.

    IMO, anyway, Blondie

  • ferret
    ferret

    But Jesus never taught the principle of shunning. His examples were just the opposite.

  • wombat
    wombat

    Blondie...I don't want to start a new thread or take this one over.......But since you are wide awake and on the ball in Lithuania...............Is there a simple answer as to why John was baptising before he met the Christ? Was this a sect that developed from Judaism before the advent of Jesus?

    Just interested. No hidden agenda.

  • gumby
    gumby

    Wombat.....ya thread stealin bastard, John was a partime jewish lifeguard who just liked to dunk the kids for fun and everyone thought it was a religious thingy...ya big silly.

    Gumby...off to work with no time for serious answers.

    Bye

  • wombat
    wombat

    Stupid bloody cross-dresser.

  • littlerockguy
    littlerockguy

    It didn't seem like that Jesus was worried about the corrupting influence Judas may have had on the other disciples or keeping the little group among them clean.

  • Honesty
    Honesty
    If disfellowshipping is a biblical practice, why didn't Jesus do it? There is no record of him doing it or even mentioning doing anything remotely like that.

    Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center.
    “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.
    In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?”
    They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him.



    Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger.
    When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”



    Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground.
    When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center.
    When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “ Woman , where are they? Has no one condemned you?”



    “No one, Lord,” she answered.



    “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”



    Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
    John 8:3-12



    So much for disfellowshipping being practiced by Jesus.

  • RubaDub
    RubaDub

    After all Judas was doing things that warranted DF'ing prior to the time he ultimately betrayed Jesus yet no action was taken.

    Apparently, Jesus did take action.

    Several historians reported that after examining the body of Judas after he committed suicide, his genitals appeared to be smooth like the Ken doll.

    Rub a Dub

  • gumby
    gumby

    Jesus did in fact give a reason that one would or should choose to cease fellowship with a fellow believer (your brother)

    This was when a brother did something against you and he refused to correct the matter once he was exposed by yourself, another witness, and finally the church leaders. When he refused at this point to apologise and make amends, he was to be treated as a "heathen", or a "publican." jews had no close intercourse with such ones.

    This reason was a reason quite different than the many reasons Jehovah's Witnesses shun for. Anyone in their right mind would'nt have nothing to do with someone who commited an offence against you as serious enough as to require bringing it before another witness who verifies it....and the person REFUSES to correct it even though they know they are wrong......it's the way people are.

    Below are two commentaries who comment on the scripture Matt 18:15 where Jesus stated how to settle disputes amoung one another.

    John Wesley Explanatary Notes:

    18:15 But how can we avoid giving offence to some? or being offended at others! Especially suppose they are quite in the wrong? Suppose they commit a known sin? Our Lord here teaches us how: he lays down a sure method of avoiding all offences. Whosoever closely observes this threefold rule, will seldom offend others, and never be offended himself. If any do any thing amiss, of which thou art an eye or ear witness, thus saith the Lord, If thy brother - Any who is a member of the same religious community: Sin against thee,
    1. Go and reprove him alone - If it may be in person; if that cannot so well be done, by thy messenger; or in writing. Observe, our Lord gives no liberty to omit this; or to exchange it for either of the following steps. If this do not succeed,
    2. Take with thee one or two more - Men whom he esteems or loves, who may then confirm and enforce what thou sayest; and afterward, if need require, bear witness of what was spoken. If even this does not succeed, then, and not before,
    3. Tell it to the elders of the Church - Lay the whole matter open before those who watch over yours and his soul. If all this avail not, have no farther intercourse with him, only such as thou hast with heathens

    John Gills Expostion of the Bible

    let him be unto thee as an heathen man, and a publican.

    This is not a form of excommunication to be used among Christians, nor was there ever any such form among the Jews; nor could Heathens or publicans, especially such publicans as were Gentiles, be excommunicated, when they never were of the Jewish church.

    ``A religious person indeed, that becomes a collector of taxes, they first said, is to be driven from the society; but they afterwards said, all the time that he is a tax gatherer, they drive him from the society; but when he goes out of his office, lo! he is as a religious person F26.''

    But one that never was of a religious society, could not be driven out of it. And besides, this is given, not as a rule to the church, but as advice to the offended person, how to behave towards the offender: after he has come under the cognizance, reproof, and censure of the church, he is to look upon him as the Jews did one that disregarded both private reproof by a man's self, and that which was in the presence of one or two more, ( twxp rbx ) , "a worthless friend", or neighbour; as a Gentile, with whom the Jews had neither religious nor civil conversation; and a "publican", or as Munster's Hebrew Gospel reads it, ( hrbe leb ) "a notorious sinner", as a publican was accounted: hence such are often joined together, and with whom the Jews might not eat, nor keep any friendly and familiar acquaintance: and so such that have been privately admonished and publicly rebuked, without success, their company is to be shunned, and intimate friendship with them to be avoided.

    Sounds like the commentaries little Freddie Franz used, eh?

    Gumby

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