Charles Pogue
In a previous article, we mentioned some things that are very seldom preached on from the pulpits of the Lord’s church anymore. Those issues had to do with the immoral behaviors of immodesty, drinking, and dancing. Along with those matters, something else that one will not hear preached on exhaustively unless he is in one of the few faithful congregations, is fellowship.
Too many of our brethren have adopted the view of the world that one should never say anything negative about anything believed by someone else. There is political correctness in the church just as much as there is on the outside. If one hears much at all about the question of fellowship, it has to do with the truth that it is wrong to have spiritual fellowship with those in the denominational bodies. Amen!
However, the New Testament also has a lot to say about withdrawal of fellowship from those who are unfaithful to Christ and His doctrine, or who are unfaithful in practice. Romans 16 says to mark and avoid false teachers, 1 Corinthians 5:11 says do not eat with them, 2 Thessalonians 3:6 says to withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly, 2 John 9-11 says do not invite false teachers into your house, and by extension do not invite into your house those who would invite them into theirs.
There are other passages that further strengthen the command not to fellowship unfaithful brethren. Ephesians 5:11 would be included on that list. It says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” The last time I checked, error and unauthorized religious practices are unfruitful works of darkness. Brethren understand that when it comes to those who have embraced mechanical instruments of music, women preachers and so forth, but why haven’t they rejected the unscriptural practice of reevaluation/reaffirmation of elders? Even if they have rejected the practice of the same, why do they refuse to hold accountable some who have engaged in it and even preached in its defense?
As members of the Lord’s church we are not at liberty to withdraw from some who commit sins of immorality and will not repent, but refuse to hold others accountable. We are not at liberty to withdraw ourselves from some false teachers, but not from others. The puny defense of, we would destroy certain good works if we withdrew ourselves from this or that brother is preposterous. The truth is, if one who oversees some effort cannot be fellowshipped, his work is corrupted. Besides that, there is no work of expediency some brother or brethren have started that cannot be replaced. If one is headed up by a false teacher it ought to be.
If we hold our breaths until an acknowledgement of wrong doing and repentance in the above matters comes about, we will likely die from the lack of air. As long as that sad situation exists, my guess is that we aren’t going to hear much preaching on certain aspects of the withdrawal of fellowship. As far as some are concerned, so much for doing as the apostle Paul did who did not shun to declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
