Great recap, tim! Thank you for taking that bullet and sharing with us
Any news from the elder schools held this month in Canada& USA
by wannaexit 13 Replies latest jw friends
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LevelThePlayingField
Thank you for leveling the playing field. -
JW GoneBad
TimDrake1914:
"Basically, for those trying to come back, it felt like they made it harder for them, since they made everyone question whether or not 6 months out was really enough time for DF'd people....After carefully reviewing the matter on their own, the original BOE decided that not enough time had passed to re-admit him, based on all the stuff he did to originally get DF'd. So the message received from the video was basically to think twice before re-admitting someone. As if it wasn't already a tough enough process."
Most Bible commentators agree that the lapse in time between 1 Corinthians 1:5 (when a fornicator was 'disfellowshipped') and 2 Corinthians 2:5 (when the offender was reinstated) is approximately 6 months.
Interesting too is the choice of words that the Apostle Paul uses 6 months later when telling the 'elders' that is was time to reinstate the former sinner: 1 Cor 2:6 'This rebuke (discipline) given by the majority is sufficient for such a man'.
In so many words Paul was saying 'enough is enough' and that by 6 months it was time to let the poor soul back into the fold.
The WTBTS on the other hand is behaving extremely harsh by extending the reinstatement process to a year or more for any and all disfellowshipped ones!!!
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JakeM2012
Welcome, (Tim Drake) a.k.a, Robin! I also appreciate your summary of the elders school. Thank you very much.
I also appreciated your bringing out the point in 2 Cor 2:5,6, which reads from the NIV, (bold and italicized my own)
Forgiveness for the Offender
5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
I thought the admonition from 2 Thessalonians was also appropriate regarding limitations:
"14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer."
I also applied this scripture from Romans 16:17, (below NIV). While an elder when I had to deal with a few situations that were associated with Presiding Overseers/or Coordinator Of the Body of Elder's (whatever) wive's believing they were so righteous (self-righteous), that they thought they could personally ex-nay anyone in the congregation, and there were many supporting sisters just dying to be part of the Presiding Overseers/or Coordinator Of the Body of Elder's clique so they would shun whoever the P.O wives shunned so they could be looked on favorably from these elder's wives. So these wives were basically the congregations self-appointed judge and jury.
All the churches of Christ send greetings.
"17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."