Unit 5(a) in the Pay Attention to the Flock book
Apostasy.
Apostasy is a standing away from, a falling away, defec-
tion, rebellion, abandonment;
it involves teaching false
doctrines, supporting or promoting false religion and its
holidays or interfaith activities.
(Deut. 13:13, 15; Josh.
22:22, ftn.; Acts 21:21, ftn.; 2 Cor. 6:14, 15, 17, 18;
2. John 7, 9, 10; Rev. 18:4)
mercifully. (Jude 22, 23; w82 9/1 pp. 20-1;w80 8/1
pp. 21-2)
Apostasy includes action taken against true worship of
Jehovah or his established order among his dedicated
people. (Jer. 17:13; 23:15; 28:15, 16; 2 Thess. 2:9, 10)
Persons who
deliberately spread (stubbornly hold to and
speak about) teachings contrary to Bible truth as taught
by Jehovah's Witnesses are apostates.
The Bible condemns the following:
Causing divisions and promoting sects.
This would be
deliberate action disrupting the unity
of the congregation or undermining the confidence
of the brothers in Jehovah's arrangement.
It
may involve or lead to apostasy . (Rom. 16:
17, 18; Titus 3:10, 11 )
Baptized persons who have not associated for some time
.If you learn of serious wrongdoing on the part of such a
person,
the matter should be investigated if it poses a
threat to the congregation's cleanness and welfare or caus-
es a public scandal.
Consider the following:
Does he still profess to be a Witness?
Is he
generally recognized as such in the congrega-
tion and/or t e community ?
Does the person have a measure of contact or
association with the congregation
ing, or corrupting, influence exists?
How did the matter become known to the elders?
Is the person
willing to meet with a committee,
thus admitting accountability to the Christian con-
gregation?
Depending upon length of inactivity and other factors
suggested above, elders may determine to hold the
matter in abeyance.
In such a case,
a record of the person's questionable
conduct should be made for the congregation file so
that everything noted might be clarified when the
person shows interest in becoming active again.
If the sinful conduct is
known only to believing family
members and no congregation action is taken because
of the factors outlined above, believing relatives will
likely determine to curtail family association severely,
viewing the relative as bad association. ( I Cor. 15:33)