Forget disfellowshipping, reinstatement is grossly unbiblical (page 2)

freydo

Has anybody ever written those loving overseers at Bethel for their Biblical explanation of this process?

I am not sure that they would agree with your arguments. The key passage they use to justify 'disfellowshipping' is in 1 Corinthians. They then point to 2 Cor chapter 2 to argue that the person in question was forgiven and accepted back into the congregation.

The problem is that Paul's word seem to be addressed to the congregation and the individuals in the congregation, not to a 'judicial committee' - a term not found anywhere in my Bible.

miseryloveselders

Okay. Needed to get that out of my system. The situation in the Corinthian congregation is often used as the basis for the concept of 'reinstatement'. But there is a glaring lack of detail in this that requires them to make up stuff.

1. The person who saddened everyone--well, do we know who that was for sure? No. He might've been the person who committed fornication, or he might not have been. That guy may never have bothered to repent, for all we know.

2. Confirming their love for the repentant sinner did not require a committee of elders to get a letter from him, then meet him to 'determine' if he was truly repentant, then decide what 'was already decided in heaven'.

This goes for the prodigal son as well. The prodigal son didn't sit outside his father's house for a year, then write a letter to his father to be accepted back, then meet with the father's slaves who would then determine if his father should actually let him back in. The father saw his son from a distance, then RAN to meet him, rejoiced that he was back. How would he have known this son wasn't coming back just out of desperation and not out of true repentance? That wasn't at issue--the father accepted him as he was, broken and dejected.

In the end, we're all like that. We could all use some fixing, and that's really the point of it all, if you're a Christian. Jesus died for sinners, not righteous people. He died so we could be accepted without hesitation by the Father.

3. The sinner in 1 Corinthians 5 obviously had a very public situation going on. Both disfellowshipping and reinstatement processes are carried out in secret (not unlike how the Sanhedrin tried Jesus, illegally), and the only thing you know about it is what you hear in the rumor mill. Since you're trying to shame people anyway, might as well have a public trial like it's 'The Crucible' or something. (sigh)

-sd-7

This is why you never progressed to becoming a Ministerial Servant or an Elder. You've been too busy making sense and thinking logically.

Soldier77

1000TH POST!!!!!

Hmm... I obviously hit mine and I didn't celebrate it. Well, let's celebrate now! YAY! I made the 1k+ post club!! Drinks on me!

On Topic, Sab, keep this shit coming, I enjoy reading your thoughts. Makes me realize how much I should be questioning. Although, I am in the "I don't give a shit" category now, but it's still good reading my friend!

sabastious

On Topic, Sab, keep this shit coming, I enjoy reading your thoughts. Makes me realize how much I should be questioning. Although, I am in the "I don't give a shit" category now, but it's still good reading my friend!

You wouldn't enjoy my posts if you didn't give a shit

-Sab

Sayswho

well stated-explained-and IMHO correct.

carla

The Watchtower Society - correcting God's errors and omissions from the Bible since 1879!----

Forget disfellowshipping, reinstatement is grossly unbiblical