Very Good Article On Withdrawal by Russ Bowman

I Cor.5:11 – “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”

This command is one of the most difficult to face a local church.

The Christians at Corinth have a man in their midst who is living in an immoral relationship with “his father’s wife” (v.1). Speculation concerning the details of such is useless. Whatever the specifics, he was living in sin so disgusting that even non-believers would have balked at it. Yet the church there is tolerating the circumstance as some source of pride (“you are puffed up”). Again, it is difficult to know how that was happening. Were they excusing such a relationship in the name of love, or perhaps with a perverted view of grace? No matter. Paul criticizes them for their acceptance, noting his own judgment as an apostle and calling for them to “not keep company” with him for danger that his influence and their failure would result in still more ungodliness among the brethren (“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” – v.6). God’s instruction to this people is clear. The application is hard.

Obviously there are other passages that come to bear on circumstances that find sin within a local church. Mt.18:15-17 notes the responsibility of a brother to go to one who has sinned against him with the hope of bringing him to repentance. He is to follow that effort by taking others, and then finally, if there is still no change, to bring it to the entire group. Gal.6:1 also instructs those who are spiritual to restore those who are overtaken in sin. And II Thes.3:10f parallels the teaching in I Cor.5, demanding withdrawal from the disobedient to hopefully bring them to shame and correction (but doing so with the love of brotherhood). These directives are quite clear, and while there is the need for judgment, patience, kindness, caution, discretion, and wisdom, there does occasionally come a point wherein a church must separate itself from those who attempt to retain fellowship while persisting in their sin. In Rev.2, both the church at Pergamos and the church at Thyratira are criticized by the Lord for tolerating those who were ungodly. A church that refuses to address sin in its midst is inviting corruption from within.

Just because a command is difficult does not give us the right to ignore it. Look at the broad religious world. How many people who call themselves disciples of Christ are persisting in sexual immorality, covetousness, idolatry (yes, its still “a thing”), reviling, drunkenness, extortion? “Christendom” in its widest definition is fraught with such hypocrisy, as you rarely hear of community churches or mega-churches withdrawing from folks for such sinful behavior. Toleration is the mantra of the day, and it’s impossible to number in the thousands and bring in millions when you tread the narrow and difficult way. It’s easier to simply change the message – God loves everyone and His grace will take care of you. Perhaps a glance at Rom.6:1 is advisable.

It’s hard to go through the process of “not keeping company”. I’ve watched people become horribly ungodly as a church exercised such efforts. But that merely illustrates the point. Leaven is inevitable. If local churches are not faithful in dealing with evil influences, evil influences will spread.

God forbid that any church face such. But more so, God help us to be faithful to Him if we do.

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