Reference: Excommunication
American
An ecclesiastical penalty, by which they who incur the guilt of any heinous sin, are separated from the church, and deprived of its spiritual advantages. Thus the Jews "put out of the synagogue" those they deemed unworthy Joh 9:22; 12:42; 16:2. There were two degrees of excommunication among them: one a temporary and partial exclusion form ecclesiastical privileges, and from society; the other a complete excision form the covenant people of God and their numerous privileges, and abandonment to eternal perdition. See ANATHEMA.
The right and duty of excommunication when necessary were recognized in the Christian church by Christ and his apostles, Mt 18:15-18; 1Co 5; 16:22; Ga 5:12; 1Ti 1:20; Tit 3:10. The offender, found guilty and incorrigible, was to be excluded from the Lord's supper and cut off from the body of believers. This excision from Christian fellowship does not release one from any obligation to obey the law of God and the gospel of Christ; nor exempt him from any relative duties, as a man or a citizen. The censure of the church, on the other hand, is not to be accompanied, as among papists, with enmity, curses, and persecution. Our Savior directs that such an offender be regarded "as heathen man and a publican;" and the apostles charge the church to "withdraw from" those who trouble them, and "keep no company with them," "no, not to eat;" but this is to be understood of those offices of civility and fraternity which a man is at liberty to pay or to withhold, and not of the indispensable duties of humanity, founded on nature, the law of nations, and the spirit of Christianity, 2Th 3:6,15; 2Jo 1:10-11.
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Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare food for you, for within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land, which LORD your God gives you to possess it.
But if thy brother should sin against thee, go and reprove him between thee and him alone. If he should hear thee, thou have gained thy brother. But if he should not hear, take with thee one or two besides, so that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. read more. And if he is heedless of them, speak to the church. But if he is also heedless of the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the tax collector. Truly I say to you, however many things ye may bind on the earth will be things that are bound in heaven, and however many things ye may loose on the earth will be things that that are loosed in heaven.
His parents spoke these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man confessed him as Christ, he should become excommunicated from the synagogue.
Yet, nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess, so that they would not become excommunicated from the synagogue,
They will make you excommunicated from the synagogues. But the hour comes that every man who kills you will presume to be offering service to God.
O that those who trouble you would even cut it all off.
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for you to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition, which they received from us.
And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Shun a factious man after a first and second admonition,
Fausets
As the church is a society constituted for maintaining certain doctrines and corresponding morals, it plainly has the right to exclude from communion such as flagrantly violate its doctrinal and moral code. The Jews had three forms of excommunication, alluded to in Lu 6:22 by our Lord, "blessed are ye when men shall separate you from their company (the Jewish niddui, for 30 days), and shall reproach you (the second form, cherem, for 90 days (See ANATHEMA), Jg 5:23), and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake" (the third form, shammatha, perpetual cutting off): Joh 9:34-35 margin; compare Ex 30:33,38; also Joh 12:42; 16:2.
Christian excommunication is commanded by Christ (Mt 18:15-18); so 1Ti 1:20; 1Co 5:11; Tit 3:10; "delivering unto Satan" means casting out of the church, Christ's kingdom of light, into the world that lieth in the wicked one, the kingdom of Satan and darkness (Col 1:13; Eph 6:12; Ac 26:18; 1Jo 5:19). The apostles besides, under divine inspiration, inflicted bodily sicknesses and death on some (e.g. Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira; Ac 13:10, Elymas). For other cases of virtual, if not formal, exclusion from communion, though in a brotherly not proud spirit, see 2Th 3:14; Ro 16:17; Ga 5:12; 1Ti 6:3; 2Jo 1:10; 3Jo 1:10; Re 2:20; Ga 1:8-9.
Paul's practice proves that excommunication is a spiritual penalty, the temporal penalty inflicted by the apostles in exceptional cases being evidently of extraordinary and divine appointment and no model to us; it consisted in exclusion from the church; the object was the good of the offender (1Co 5:5) and the safeguard of the sound members (2Ti 2:17); its subjects were those guilty of heresy and great immorality (1Ti 1:20); it was inflicted by the church (Mt 18:18) and its representative ministers (Tit 3:10; 1Co 5:1,3-4). Paul's infallible authority when inspired is no warrant for uninspired ministers claiming the same right to direct the church to excommunicate as they will (2Co 2:7-9). Penitence is the condition of restoration. Temporary affliction often leads to permanent salvation (Ps 83:16); Satan's temporary triumph is overruled "to. destroy the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (Lu 22:31).
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Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it upon a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.
Whoever shall make like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.
Curse ye Meroz, said the agent of LORD. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants of it, because they did not come to the help of LORD, to the help of LORD against the mighty.
Fill their faces with confusion, that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
But if thy brother should sin against thee, go and reprove him between thee and him alone. If he should hear thee, thou have gained thy brother. But if he should not hear, take with thee one or two besides, so that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. read more. And if he is heedless of them, speak to the church. But if he is also heedless of the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the tax collector. Truly I say to you, however many things ye may bind on the earth will be things that are bound in heaven, and however many things ye may loose on the earth will be things that that are loosed in heaven.
Truly I say to you, however many things ye may bind on the earth will be things that are bound in heaven, and however many things ye may loose on the earth will be things that that are loosed in heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men will hate you, and when they will exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, because of the Son of man.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you to sift you as wheat,
They answered and said to him, Thou were born entirely in sins, and thou teach us. And they cast him outside. Jesus heard that they cast him outside. And having found him, he said to him, Do thou believe in the Son of God?
Yet, nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess, so that they would not become excommunicated from the synagogue,
They will make you excommunicated from the synagogues. But the hour comes that every man who kills you will presume to be offering service to God.
said, O man full of all deceit and all recklessness, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, will thou not cease distorting the straight ways of Lord?
to open their eyes to turn about from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, for them to receive remission of sins and a lot among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.
Now I beseech you, brothers, watch out for those who make the divisions and the stumbling blocks, contrary to the doctrine that ye learned, and turn away from them.
to deliver such a man to Satan for destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
so that instead, for you rather to forgive and encourage, lest perhaps such a man would be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I beseech you to affirm love for him. read more. For I also wrote for this, so that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things.
But even if we, or an agent from heaven, should preach a good-news to you contrary to what we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, I now also say again, if any man preaches a good-news to you contrary to what ye received, let him be accursed.
O that those who trouble you would even cut it all off.
Because our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principal offices, against the positions of authority, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual things of wickedness in the he
Who rescued us out of the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,
And if any man does not obey our word by this letter, note that man, and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.
of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, so that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.
of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, so that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.
and their word will have a feeding field like gangrene, of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
Shun a factious man after a first and second admonition,
Shun a factious man after a first and second admonition,
Nevertheless, I have against thee that thou tolerate thy woman Jezebel. She calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and leads astray my bondmen to fornicate, and to eat idol sacrifices.
Hastings
In the OT the sentence against those who refused to part with their 'strange' wives (Ezr 10:8)
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No one set apart, who shall be set apart from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
And LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites. And they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And the name of the place was called Hormah.
And thou shall not bring an abomination into thy house, and become a devoted thing like it. Thou shall utterly detest it, and thou shall utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing.
And the city shall be set apart, even it and all that is in it, to LORD. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
And that whoever did not come within three days, according to the counsel of the rulers and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity.
And men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse, but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
But if thy brother should sin against thee, go and reprove him between thee and him alone. If he should hear thee, thou have gained thy brother. But if he should not hear, take with thee one or two besides, so that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. read more. And if he is heedless of them, speak to the church. But if he is also heedless of the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the tax collector.
Blessed are ye, when men will hate you, and when they will exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, because of the Son of man.
His parents spoke these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man confessed him as Christ, he should become excommunicated from the synagogue.
Yet, nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess, so that they would not become excommunicated from the synagogue,
They will make you excommunicated from the synagogues. But the hour comes that every man who kills you will presume to be offering service to God.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
But God judges those outside. And ye yourselves shall drive out the evil man from you.
Therefore I make known to you, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed, and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, except by Holy Spirit.
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha.
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment by the many, so that instead, for you rather to forgive and encourage, lest perhaps such a man would be swallowed up with too much sorrow. read more. Therefore I beseech you to affirm love for him. For I also wrote for this, so that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things. But to whom ye forgive anything, I too. For I also, whom I have forgiven (if anything), I have forgiven because of you in the presence of Christ, so that we may not be exploited by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his methods.
so that we may not be exploited by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his methods.
But even if we, or an agent from heaven, should preach a good-news to you contrary to what we preached to you, let him be accursed.
And if any man does not obey our word by this letter, note that man, and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, so that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.
Shun a factious man after a first and second admonition,
If any man comes to you, and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into a house, and do not speak to him to rejoice.
I wrote to the congregation, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first of them, did not accept us. Because of this, if I come, I will remember his works that he does, prating against us with evil words. And not being satisfied in these, he himself does not even accept the brothers, and he forbids those who would, and expels them
Morish
Though this word does not occur in the A.V. the duty of excommunicating wicked persons from the fold of Israel, and from the church as the house of God, is plainly taught. Again and again we read in the O.T. that for particular sins "that soul shall be out off from Israel" or "cut off from his people." Ex 12:15; 30:33,38; Le 7:20-21,25,27; Nu 9:13; Ezr 10:8; etc. How far this was acted upon we do not know. In the N.T. we find the authorities agreeing that if any one confessed that Jesus was the Christ he was to be cut off; and they excommunicated the man that had been born blind because he said that Jesus must be of God. Joh 9:34.
In the church we have a case of 'putting away' at Corinth. The assembly were admonished to put away from themselves the wicked person that was among them. 1Co 5:13. The person was cast out. He was afterwards repentant, and then the Corinthian saints were instructed to forgive him and to receive him again into communion. 2Co 2:6-11. The necessity of putting away an evil person is apparent; the presence of God, who is holy, demands it, and believers are called to holiness: "the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1Co 3:17. As to discipline on earth there is a dispensational binding and loosing (cf. Mt 18:18), to which the saints are called where it is needful to put away evil from the assembly, but always with the hope that restoration may follow. See DISCIPLINE.
Connected with the case at Corinth there was also mentioned the delivering unto Satan of the guilty person for the destruction of the flesh, but this was the determination of Paul as being there in spirit with them (1Co 5:4-5), which seems to stamp it as an apostolic act. Paul individually did the same with Hymenaeus and Alexander. 1Ti 1:20. The positive injunction to the church at Corinth was to put away from among themselves the wicked person. In 3 John we read of Diotrephes who took upon himself to cast some out of the church, which John would not forget when he visited them. As is seen at Corinth, 'putting away' should be an act of the assembly, not of an individual.
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Seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread, even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it upon a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.
Whoever shall make like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.
but the soul that eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain to LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people. And when a soul shall touch any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean beast, or any unclean abomination, and eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which pertain to LORD, that soul shall be cut off fr
For whoever eats the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire to LORD, even the soul that eats it shall be cut off from his people.
Whoever it is who eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.
But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and forbears to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people, because he did not offer the oblation of LORD in its appointed season; that man shall bear his sin.
And that whoever did not come within three days, according to the counsel of the rulers and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity.
Truly I say to you, however many things ye may bind on the earth will be things that are bound in heaven, and however many things ye may loose on the earth will be things that that are loosed in heaven.
They answered and said to him, Thou were born entirely in sins, and thou teach us. And they cast him outside.
If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy this man, for the temple of God is holy, which ye are.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such a man to Satan for destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
But God judges those outside. And ye yourselves shall drive out the evil man from you.
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment by the many, so that instead, for you rather to forgive and encourage, lest perhaps such a man would be swallowed up with too much sorrow. read more. Therefore I beseech you to affirm love for him. For I also wrote for this, so that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things. But to whom ye forgive anything, I too. For I also, whom I have forgiven (if anything), I have forgiven because of you in the presence of Christ, so that we may not be exploited by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his methods.
of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, so that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.
Smith
(expulsion from communion).
1. Jewish excommunication. --The Jewish system of excommunication was threefold. The twenty-four offences for which it was inflicted are various, and range in heinousness from the offence of keeping a fierce dog to that of taking God's name in vain. The offender was first cited to appear in court; and if he refused to appear or to make amends, his sentence was pronounced. The term of this punishment was thirty days; and it was extended to a second and to a third thirty days when necessary. If at the end of that time the offended was still contumacious, he was subjected to the second excommunication. Severer penalties were now attached. The sentence was delivered by a court of ten, and was accompanied by a solemn malediction. The third excommunication was an entire cutting off from the congregation. The punishment of excommunication is not appointed by the law of Moses; it is founded on the natural right of self-protection which all societies enjoy. In the New Testament, Jewish excommunication is brought prominently before us in the case of the man that was born blind.
Joh 9:1
... In
Lu 6:22
it has been thought that our Lord referred specifically to the three forms of Jewish excommunication: "Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake."
2. Christian excommunication. --Excommunication, as exercised by the Christian Church, was instituted by our Lord,
and it was practiced and commanded by St. Paul
Int he epistles we find St. Paul frequently claiming the right to exercise discipline over his converts; comp.
We find, (1) that it is a spiritual penalty, involving no temporal punishment, except accidentally; (2) that it consists in separation from the communion of the Church; (3) that its object is the good of the sufferer,
and the protection of the sound members of the Church,
(4) that its subjects are those who are guilty of heresy,
or gross immorality,
(5) that it is inflicted by the authority of the Church at large,
wielded by the highest ecclesiastical officer,
(6) that this officer's sentence is promulgated by the congregation to which the offender belongs,
in defence to his superior judgment and command,
and in spite of any opposition on the part of a minority,
(7) that the exclusion may be of indefinite duration, or for a period; (8) that its duration may be abridged at the discretion and by the indulgence of the person who has imposed the penalty,
(9) that penitence is the condition on which restoration to communion is granted,
(10) that the sentence is to be publicly reversed as it was publicly promulgated.
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But if thy brother should sin against thee, go and reprove him between thee and him alone. If he should hear thee, thou have gained thy brother.
Truly I say to you, however many things ye may bind on the earth will be things that are bound in heaven, and however many things ye may loose on the earth will be things that that are loosed in heaven.
Truly I say to you, however many things ye may bind on the earth will be things that are bound in heaven, and however many things ye may loose on the earth will be things that that are loosed in heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men will hate you, and when they will exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, because of the Son of man.
And as he passed on, he saw a man blind from birth.
Fornication is actually heard among you, and such fornication that is not even named among the Gentiles, for some man to have his father's wife.
For I truly, as being absent in the body but present in the spirit, I have already, as though present, judged the man who committed this thing this way. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, read more. to deliver such a man to Satan for destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
But now I write to you not to associate if any man who is called a brother is a fornicator, or a greedy man, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a predator, not even to eat with such kind.
But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that I did not yet come to Corinth, sparing you.
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment by the many,
Therefore I beseech you to affirm love for him. For I also wrote for this, so that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things. read more. But to whom ye forgive anything, I too. For I also, whom I have forgiven (if anything), I have forgiven because of you in the presence of Christ,
Because of this I write these things while absent, so that I may not act harshly when present, according to the authority that the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, so that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.
so that the man of God may be qualified, having been completed for every good work.
Shun a factious man after a first and second admonition,
Shun a factious man after a first and second admonition,
Watsons
EXCOMMUNICATION, is the judicial exclusion of offenders from the religious rites and other privileges of the particular community to which they belong. Founded in the natural right which every society possesses to guard its laws and privileges from violation and abuse by the infliction of salutary discipline, proportioned to the nature of the offences committed against them, it has found a place, in one form or another, under every system of religion, whether human or divine. That it has been made an engine for the gratification of private malice and revenge, and been perverted to purposes the most unjustifiable and even diabolical, the history of the world but too lamentably proves; yet this, though unquestionably a consideration which ought to inculcate the necessity of prudence, as well as impartiality and temperance in the use of it, affords no valid argument against its legitimate exercise. From St. Paul's writings we learn that the early excommunication was effected by the offender not being allowed to "eat" with the church, that is, to partake of the Lord's Supper, the sign of communion. In the early ages of the primitive church also, this branch of discipline was exercised with moderation, which, however, gradually gave place to an undue severity. From Tertullian's "Apology" we learn, that the crimes which in his time subjected to exclusion from Christian privileges, were murder, idolatry, theft, fraud, lying, blasphemy, adultery, fornication, and the like, and in Origen's treatise against Celsus, we are informed that such persons were expelled from the communion of the church, and lamented as lost and dead unto God; [ut perditos Deoque mortuos;] but that on making confession and giving evidence of penitence, they were received back as restored to life. It was at the same time specially ordained, that no such delinquent, however suitably qualified in other respects, could be afterward admitted to any ecclesiastical office. But it does not appear that the infliction of this discipline was accompanied with any of those forms of excommunication, of delivering over to Satan, or of solemn execration, which were usual among the Jews, and subsequently introduced into them by the Romish church. The authors and followers of heretical opinions which had been condemned, were also subject to this penalty; and it was sometimes inflicted on whole congregations when they were judged to have departed from the faith. In this latter case, however, the sentence seldom went farther than the interdiction of correspondence with these churches, or of spiritual communication between their respective pastors. To the same exclusion from religious privileges, those unhappy persons were doomed, who, whether from choice or from compulsion, had polluted themselves, after their baptism, by any act of idolatrous worship; and the penance enjoined on such persons, before they could be restored to communion, was often peculiarly severe. The consequences of excommunication, even then, were of a temporal as well as a spiritual nature. The person against whom it was pronounced, was denied all share in the oblations of his brethren; the ties both of religious and of private friendship were dissolved; he found himself an object of abhorrence to those whom he most esteemed, and by whom he had been most tenderly beloved; and, as far as expulsion from a society held in universal veneration could imprint on his character a mark of disgrace, he was shunned or suspected by the generality of mankind.
2. It was not, however, till churchmen began to unite temporal with spiritual power, that any penal effects of a civil kind became consequent on their sentences of excommunication; and that this ghostly artillery was not less frequently employed for the purposes of lawless ambition and ecclesiastical domination, than for the just punishment of impenitent delinquents, and the general edification of the faithful. But as soon as this union took place, and in exact proportion to the degree in which the papal system rose to its predominance over the civil rights as well as the consciences of men, the list of offences which subjected their perpetrators to excommunication, was multiplied; and the severity of its inflictions, with their penal effects, increased in the same ratio. The slightest injury, or even insult, sustained by an ecclesiastic, was deemed a sufficient cause for the promulgation of an anathema. Whole families, and even provinces, were prohibited from engaging in any religious exercise, and cursed with the most tremendous denunciations of divine vengeance. Nor were kings and emperors secure against these thunders of the church; their subjects were, on many occasions, declared, by a papal bull, to be absolved from allegiance to them; and all who should dare to support them, menaced with a similar judgment. These terrors have passed away; the true Scriptural excommunication ought to be maintained in every church; which is the prohibition of immoral and apostate persons from the use of those religious rites which indicate "the communion of saints," but without any temporal penalty.