Excommunication: The Old Fashioned Way of Saying "Talk to the Hand"

By, Matthew Stoskopf
Scriptures: Matthew 18:15-17,  Matthew 10:14, 1 Cor 5, Psalms 129, Colossains 2, Isaiah 61 

Talk to the Hand...  Ex-communication Done the Right Way-

 whether from Church, Family, or  Friendship 

Yesterday we received a new decoration for our trash can.  A gift corrupts the heart, and we certainly were not accepting these.  We are hereby issuing sentence on several ex-family members.  I have recently been doing some reading on the church discipline leading up to God founding our country.  The following is from the Braintree North Precinct Church, in Quincy, Massachusetts.  This excerpt is from Rev. Moses Fiske, although you might be interested to know that the fifth pastor was Rev. John Hancock, father of the patriot.

I. The next entry also records a case of excommunication, under date of May 4, 1683:—

“Isaac Theer, (the son of Brother Thomas Theer) being a member of this Church but not in full communion, having been convicted of notorious scandalous thefts multiplied, as 

-stealing pewter from Johanna Livingstone, 

-stealing from John Penniman cheese, &c., and others, 

-and stealing an horse at Bridgewater,

 for which he suffered the law, after much laboring with him in private and especially by the officers of the[Pg 10] church, to bring [him] to a thorough sight and free and ingenuous confession of his sin; 

-as also for his abominably lying, changing his name, &c., 

was called forth in public, moved pathetically to acknowledge his sin and publish his repentance, who came down and stood against the lower end of the fore seat after he had been prevented (by our shutting the east door) from going out; stood impudently, and said indeed he owned his sin of stealing, was heartily sorry for it, begged pardon of God and men, and hoped he should do so no more, which was all he could be brought unto, saying his sin was already known, and that there was no need to mention it in particular, all with a remiss voice, so that but few could hear him. 

The Church at length gave their judgment against him, that he was a notorious, scandalous sinner, and obstinately impenitent. And when I was proceeding to spread before him his sin and wickedness, he (as ’tis probable), guessing what was like to follow, turned about to go out, and being desired and charged to tarry and hear what the church had to say to him, he flung out of doors, with an insolent manner, though silent. Therefore the Pastor applied himself to the congregation, and having spread before them his sin, partly to vindicate the church’s proceeding against him, and partly to warn others; sentence was declared against him according to Matthew 18, 15-17.”

¹⁵ If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

¹⁷ If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.

II. 3 Strikes, You're Out, You're On Your Own, You're Off the Team

The early American colonies kept order through their churches. Back then, were excommunicated by minor offenses, only allowed back in following a sincere, worthy apology or by producing good fruit worthy of repentance. 

See, if you had an abusive family member, they were shunned.  They lost the church's "charity." There was no Kroger or Lowe's.  If you lost the church, good luck building a new barn if God burns yours down.  

-Good luck building your house with no additional man power.  They didn't exactly have tractors to lift giant logs.  Maybe you could rig a lift powered by a horse, but with all that hard work you would repent and beg for forgiveness.  And not by just saying it without meaning it either!  

-You better pray that you have enough food as well!  No one will trade goods with you anymore.  In a way this was a more pure way than we have now.  

England didn't need to be dealt with yet.  God hadn't given us the Constitution yet.  The churches held supreme power!  Israel demanded a king, England forced America to adopt the Constitution, being both good and a little bad.  I love the innocence and purity of our countries original colonists and their country.  It was them and the church: them and God, period! 

Church members Were Welfare/Social Security, and Food Stamps

Back then there was no Medicare, food stamps, or social security.  There was no property or income taxes.  There were no public school bond elections.  You had to be right both before both man and before God or you lost everything.

Why Do You Have to Repent?

-This results in a moral society fearing God and fellow man. 

 -Now there are ex members of our family who continue to abuse and manipulate others.  They have never shown any first fruits (no kindness, honesty, truthfulness, repentance,ect)

- There is a point when you sentence those according to Matthew 18, 17.  There is a point when you dust off your feet and move on.  One scripture says to pray for your enemies. There is a point however, when praying for their salvation has to be discontinued in favor of Matthew 18, 17. . 

Matthew 10:14

¹⁴ And whoever will not receive and accept and welcome you nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or town, shake the dust [of it] from your feet.

1 Corinthians 5

¹² What [business] of mine is it and what right have I to judge outsiders? Is it not those inside [the church] upon whom you are to pass disciplinary judgment [passing censuring sentence on them as the facts require]?

¹³ God alone sits in judgment on those who are outside. Drive out that wicked one from among you [expel him from your church]. (your church is your family, your circle of friends)

Let's Get Down To It...We've Got Some Ex-Communicating to Do... The RIGHT WAY

1.You rebelled, inflicting daily beatings upon your siblings.  

2.You defied your parents, not allowing them speech: peace of sound mind.  

*Despite this, we were still praying for your repentance and your timely salvation.  

3.You broke their minds further, causing drunkenness to block out the memories of abuse you inflicted.  

*Still, we were praying for your repentance and timely salvation.  

4.You corrupted a sweet, innocent girl.  You sat back all the while perverted men lusted after her at her within her father's circle of friends.  

*Still, we prayed for your repentance and timely salvation. 

 5.You enslaved a man at his place of work.  The more he worked, the less cash he brought home; deep down kind of heart, only wanting to provide for his family. 

 *Still we prayed for your repentance and timely salvation. 

6.You evicted this sick, broken man from his house, leaving him for dead. 

*Still we prayed for your repentance and timely salvation.  

7.His mother’s will was for him and his God given care takers to inherit her home upon her death.  You stole this home from them.  

*Still, we prayed for your repentance and timely salvation.  

8. You brainwashed two young boys into thinking that fighting was the answer, not living peaceable praising God together. 

 9.You abused and molested a young mother and her sons who were living with you.  10.You forced them into bondage and enslavement carried out into adulthood.  

Still we prayed for your repentance and timely salvation.

 11.You physically and mentally abused a young woman, telling her that she must have abortions.  Later her two children hid behind closed doors while you threw her against walls and verbally accosted her.  Still, even then, we prayed for your repentance and timely salvation.

It is here today, partially to vindicate this church’s proceeding against them, and partially to warn others, that a sentence of Matthew 18, 17 is declared upon them.  

It is your God given right to have a free, sound mind.  It is your God given right to live peaceable and in complete harmony with your friends and family.  Any member who does not fall in line with this must be cut off for your own safety and well being..  I have no qualms telling you that I will never associate with these people again.  I'm using my physical being, before going to God's everlasting, praising Him, not wasting it as a slave to their sinful demands.

Psalm 129

¹ Many a time and much have they afflicted me from my youth up—let Israel now say—

² Many a time and much have they afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me.

³ The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.

⁴ The Lord is [uncompromisingly] righteous; He has cut asunder the thick cords by which the wicked [enslaved us].

⁵ Let them all be put to shame and turned backward who hate Zion.

⁶ Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withers before it grows up,

⁷ With which the mower fills not his hand, nor the binder of sheaves his bosom—

⁸ While those who go by do not say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!

Colossians 2

⁷ Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.

⁸ See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).

Isaiah 61

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,