Quote:
Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam
As exampled by His treatment of Judas and dinners / fellowship with sinners? "To Be Like Jesus...." You're probably right.
Please share that teaching. I must have skipped sunday school that day lol
Hope you are not referring to dusting feet and leaving town after rejected ministry. Doing nothing to someone and walking away is not quite the same thing as assassinating them after you kick them (except in PACEs)
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Has anyone ever been rightly ejected from masjid?
Anyway, here is Christ's teaching:
Matthew 18
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Here Jesus clearly taught excommunication under certain conditions. He also taught we are to as forgiving and longsuffering as He is. But it is undeniable that he does here teach what is called excommunication from the assembly.
As for Judas, God's opinion of him is recorded in
Psalm 109. Note: He had not become eligible for excommunication until he betrayed Christ. And he himself left the assembly before any church discipline could be effected. Not even sure what bearing Judas has on the topic.
As for Jesus dining with sinners, Jesus ate with people, and taught them, and healed them, and warned them to repent and sin no more, and to believe the gospel. What does that have to do with excommunication? Excommunication is the cutting off of fellowship by the assembly, whereby the assembly puts out of its midst an unrepentant disobedient member. It is not applicable to and has nothing to do with outsiders with whom we interact. Not seeing your point?
As for dusting off the feet, again that has to do with outsiders. If a town rejects the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God those sent to that town are to leave it and move on. This too has nothing to do with excommunication.