Thank you all for you responses, Wow I’m shocked!
A few of you asked for me to upload my letter, or more parts of it. Sorry don’t have it in electronic form here, however my letter is really just a personalized subset of a paper written by others. Don’t know who the author of this paper was but I believe it was called ‘shunning VS disfellowshiping’ or something very close to that. It covers everything I wrote in my letter to this elder and much, much more. If someone knows a URL to it, please be so kind to post it here.
Demouse you said: “ IMHO, it has to be admitted that there IS scriptural precedent for shunning (..not even eating with such a man..nor saying a greeting etc). Whatever the circumstances, that is clearly shunning of a sort.
You are correct, back then persons were shunned FROM ONE FORM OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP, but not a general shunning as is practiced by the witnesses today. Before you can understand what is being said here, you must first understand the customs of association for worship practiced by first-century Jews and Christians. It is quite different then today.
It is a fact that back then there were two kinds of worship, both public and private.
Public meetings, such as at the temple and in synagogues, which anyone was allowed to attend; and
Private gatherings in homes. . Private worship meetings were held in believer’s homes. In such meetings they often shared a special meal, and it is from this form of worship unrepentant sinners were banned.
As I said, when Christians met in private homes, it was usually over a special meal with prayer. A presiding minister hosted the meal often using fellowship funds. It was from this private Christian fellowship for worship that sinners were excluded, banned, or shunned. As far as not greeting such a sinner, there is more to the greeting then the WTBTS would like you to know about. It is a fact that Christians were instructed to "greet" one another with a kiss. See (Rom.16:16; 1.Cor.16:20; 2Cor.13:12; Ti.3:15; 1Pet.5:14). And it is THIS GREETING, the one ASSOCIATED WITH WORSHIP that we are not to participate in with such ones.
Could you imagine all that kissing going on in the Kingdum Hall if they did things the same way today as they did back then? The pedophiles would have a field day!
Seriously, don’t take my word for it, learn what the practices of the early Christians were for yourself. There are many first hand accounts as well as commentaries on the early church. Read up on this and you will also find that knocking on stranger’s doors has no Biblical support as well. You know the scripture in ACTS when Paul says I did not hold back from teaching you both Publicly and from house to house. This little gem in the NWT is a concoction altered by the WTBTS to support the house-to-house work. It should read more like “publicly and in your homes”. Here Paul is contrasting the two forms of his ministry, “public” as in the Synagogue, and private as in believer’s homes. But they don’t want you to know that, do they?
Now as far as how one should treat someone who is disfellowed, the Bible is quite clear:
“Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations ['Gentile' in some translations] and as a tax collector”.--Matt.18:15-17
In light of the above scripture, how should one treat a disfellowshiped person, as a Gentile or a man of the nations, just like any other non-believer. Certainly it was not meant to convey the hateful way of shunning as practiced by the witnesses. Also did you notice it says “speak to the congregation” about the sinner’s course? When was the last time something like this was brought up to the congregation? Never in my experience, it’s all done in secrecy in the star-chamber of the backroom. Not at all like the scriptures outline, is it?
Well I have to go, so thank you for listening to my rant and thank you for your support. I’ll let you know what happens as it unfolds. Again thanks for all the replies.
freeman
