The Bible... well, mostly the New Testament has dozens of verses about loving one another, bearing each others burdens, being a good Samaritan,
loving your neighbor, and being friendly to each other. Now I'm not against any of those verses, and I think that's how
Christians should treat each other in general.
But there are some verses that talk about our "Christian" brothers in another light. (Yes, I put the word "Christian" in double quotes).
For example...
1 Cor 5:9; I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
1 Cor 5:10; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
1 Cor 5:11; But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
1 Cor 5:12; For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
1 Cor 5:13; But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.
The funny thing about this passage is... it's OK to socialize with the unsaved sinners from time to time. In fact as long as we are in this world we will
have to do this every now and then. But interestingly.. it's NOT OK to associate with any "so called" brother in the church. In fact we are told to
"not even eat with such a one". It gives a few examples of these types of people, immoral, covetous, idolator, reviler, drunkard, or a swindler.
In fact the reason Paul wrote this chapter is because someone in the church is having an affair "with his father's wife" (which I assume is not his mother).
We are told to judge those in the church. We are even told to remove these people from amongst us (if possible).
Generally when the New Testament uses the term "brother" it is usually (not always) talking about a fellow Christian in the church rather than a
biological brother. (There are certainly cases where it talks about biological brothers).
Another similar passage is...
2 Jn 1:10; If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;
2 Jn 1:11; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
This seems a little harsh, but it's in the Bible. These people who don't fully accept the teachings of the Bible, but want to bring their own
interpretations and teachings in the church are also to be avoided. We aren't even supposed to say "Hello" or even greet them.
By doing so, it may appear to others that we approve of what they are teaching. It says if we give them a friendly greeting, we are
participating in their evil deeds.
Another example of this is in Matthew 18. This is Jesus speaking here, he is quoting part of Deut 19:15; here.
Matt 18:15; "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
Matt 18:16; "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
Matt 18:17; "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Now it's OK to try to correct a person in the world who may be sinning or straying a bit. We should be holding one another accountable.
But if they refuse to listen to you and the church in this matter, "let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." In other words, avoid them
and don't try to socialize and be friendly with them.
Another passage that comes to mind was recently brought up in another thread.
2 Thes 3:10; For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.
2 Thes 3:11; For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.
2 Thes 3:12; Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.
2 Thes 3:13; But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.
2 Thes 3:14; If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.
2 Thes 3:15; Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Even lazy people who are looking for handouts (I'm not talking about the crippled, blind, disabled, aged, widows here) but perfectly capable people
who just want to mooch off the church and get things for free. Again, we are told not to associate with these people.
Now none of these verses are talking about unsaved sinners out in the world that don't know any better. These verses are all about "brothers (and sisters)" in
the church.
Now we can reach out to the unsaved, and we we should... but we shouldn't allow them to "pretend" to be part of the church if they aren't really
a part of the flock. There are of course situations, like perhaps new believer who doesn't know all the rules and teachings yet. We should be patient
with these people and correct them in love. ( 2 Tim 2:25; ) But for seasoned believers who should know better, we need to avoid these people.
Some of these people are just ignorant, or don't care. But some of these people have a deliberate agenda. I hate to say it, but these people are
alive and well right here on TalkJesus, if you know where to look.
Jude 1:4; For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:12; These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;
Jude 1:14; It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,
Jude 1:15; to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.
Jude 1:19; These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.
Peter says much the same thing as John.
2 Pet 2:1; But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Pet 2:2; Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
2 Pet 2:3; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
It says here.. "Many will follow" these people. They will "exploit" some people.
These aren't people outside the church. These are people who have deliberately crept into the church. And we welcome them with open arms.
2 Cor 11:4; For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you gratefully accept them.
The message here is is... we should not be accepting them. The last passage that comes to mind as I'm typing this is from Paul to Timothy.
2 Tim 3:2; For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2 Tim 3:3; unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
2 Tim 3:4; treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2 Tim 3:5; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Again we are told.. "avoid such men as these". They are in the church, it says here they hold "to a form of godliness".
These aren't unsaved people outside the church.
Now I believe we should love one another, be friendly and loving to one another and our neighbors. But there are people in the church...
we are told to avoid. We need to be careful who we are accepting of in the church.
loving your neighbor, and being friendly to each other. Now I'm not against any of those verses, and I think that's how
Christians should treat each other in general.
But there are some verses that talk about our "Christian" brothers in another light. (Yes, I put the word "Christian" in double quotes).
For example...
1 Cor 5:9; I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
1 Cor 5:10; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
1 Cor 5:11; But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
1 Cor 5:12; For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
1 Cor 5:13; But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.
The funny thing about this passage is... it's OK to socialize with the unsaved sinners from time to time. In fact as long as we are in this world we will
have to do this every now and then. But interestingly.. it's NOT OK to associate with any "so called" brother in the church. In fact we are told to
"not even eat with such a one". It gives a few examples of these types of people, immoral, covetous, idolator, reviler, drunkard, or a swindler.
In fact the reason Paul wrote this chapter is because someone in the church is having an affair "with his father's wife" (which I assume is not his mother).
We are told to judge those in the church. We are even told to remove these people from amongst us (if possible).
Generally when the New Testament uses the term "brother" it is usually (not always) talking about a fellow Christian in the church rather than a
biological brother. (There are certainly cases where it talks about biological brothers).
Another similar passage is...
2 Jn 1:10; If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;
2 Jn 1:11; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
This seems a little harsh, but it's in the Bible. These people who don't fully accept the teachings of the Bible, but want to bring their own
interpretations and teachings in the church are also to be avoided. We aren't even supposed to say "Hello" or even greet them.
By doing so, it may appear to others that we approve of what they are teaching. It says if we give them a friendly greeting, we are
participating in their evil deeds.
Another example of this is in Matthew 18. This is Jesus speaking here, he is quoting part of Deut 19:15; here.
Matt 18:15; "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
Matt 18:16; "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
Matt 18:17; "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Now it's OK to try to correct a person in the world who may be sinning or straying a bit. We should be holding one another accountable.
But if they refuse to listen to you and the church in this matter, "let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." In other words, avoid them
and don't try to socialize and be friendly with them.
Another passage that comes to mind was recently brought up in another thread.
2 Thes 3:10; For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.
2 Thes 3:11; For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.
2 Thes 3:12; Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.
2 Thes 3:13; But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.
2 Thes 3:14; If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.
2 Thes 3:15; Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Even lazy people who are looking for handouts (I'm not talking about the crippled, blind, disabled, aged, widows here) but perfectly capable people
who just want to mooch off the church and get things for free. Again, we are told not to associate with these people.
Now none of these verses are talking about unsaved sinners out in the world that don't know any better. These verses are all about "brothers (and sisters)" in
the church.
Now we can reach out to the unsaved, and we we should... but we shouldn't allow them to "pretend" to be part of the church if they aren't really
a part of the flock. There are of course situations, like perhaps new believer who doesn't know all the rules and teachings yet. We should be patient
with these people and correct them in love. ( 2 Tim 2:25; ) But for seasoned believers who should know better, we need to avoid these people.
Some of these people are just ignorant, or don't care. But some of these people have a deliberate agenda. I hate to say it, but these people are
alive and well right here on TalkJesus, if you know where to look.
Jude 1:4; For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:12; These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;
Jude 1:14; It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,
Jude 1:15; to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.
Jude 1:19; These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.
Peter says much the same thing as John.
2 Pet 2:1; But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Pet 2:2; Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
2 Pet 2:3; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
It says here.. "Many will follow" these people. They will "exploit" some people.
These aren't people outside the church. These are people who have deliberately crept into the church. And we welcome them with open arms.
2 Cor 11:4; For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you gratefully accept them.
The message here is is... we should not be accepting them. The last passage that comes to mind as I'm typing this is from Paul to Timothy.
2 Tim 3:2; For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2 Tim 3:3; unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
2 Tim 3:4; treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2 Tim 3:5; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Again we are told.. "avoid such men as these". They are in the church, it says here they hold "to a form of godliness".
These aren't unsaved people outside the church.
Now I believe we should love one another, be friendly and loving to one another and our neighbors. But there are people in the church...
we are told to avoid. We need to be careful who we are accepting of in the church.