Can we disown family member?

hisgrace26 · Jul 16, 2011

Should a Christian disown those who does not share their faith, specifically those that are part of his or her family? What are we do to about this? I ask because I find a difficult theological issue to deal with. For example, Jesus says somewhere in the gospel that if anybody loves his or her parent and sons and daughters more than Him, than they are worthy to be His disciple. Maybe I misunderstood the passage?

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

So according to Jesus, to be His disciple we must give up all that we have in order to find life in Him, but that does not mean that we cannot love our families and friends more than we love Jesus and God. So if your son or daughter does not share your faith would you disown them? What are your thoughts?

hedrick · Jul 16, 2011

Jesus did teach that you have responsibilities to your family, Mark 7:11. Loving anyone more than God can be a problem, but that doesn't mean we don't love anyone else. Jesus' message is primarily about loving other people and serving them.

In 1 Cor 5:10 Paul makes it clear that when he told Christians not to associate with immoral people, he meant other Christians. He did not expect you to cut off non-Christians because they fail to live up to Christian standards. I would expect that would apply to family, although I don't see an explicit answer to the question. The closest I see is 1 Cor 7;12, where he tells people that they should continue to live with a non-Christian spouse if possible.

Aibrean · Jul 16, 2011

If they have been presented with the gospel and have hardened their hearts, I wouldn't say to "disown" them, but you do not need to associate with them. They are still family and should be treated cordially and with love (just don't love them - or anything more than God). Treating them with love might open their hearts.

zaksmummy · Jul 17, 2011

superman2010 said:
Should a Christian disown those who does not share their faith, specifically those that are part of his or her family? What are we do to about this? I ask because I find a difficult theological issue to deal with. For example, Jesus says somewhere in the gospel that if anybody loves his or her parent and sons and daughters more than Him, than they are worthy to be His disciple. Maybe I misunderstood the passage?

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

So according to Jesus, to be His disciple we must give up all that we have in order to find life in Him, but that does not mean that we cannot love our families and friends more than we love Jesus and God. So if your son or daughter does not share your faith would you disown them? What are your thoughts?

When Jesus says this he is using a Rabbinic emphatic way of speaking. He isnt saying cast off your family members, because that would go against at least one of the commandments; to honour your father and mother. What he doing is reaffirming the first commandment to "love the Lord you God with all your heart, all your soul and all your might".

So no I wouldnt disown any of my family. God loves family, he placed us in our families for a reason. Things arent always easy, but he says "all things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to his good will and purpose". This is the scripture that has helped my with family issues in the past.

MamaZ · Jul 17, 2011

Because Jesus said that you are to love Him more than family members we are to cast them away? I don't see that in the scripture.

RABBIT-HUNTER · Jul 17, 2011

Matt hew 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

LittleLambofJesus · Jul 17, 2011

RABBIT-HUNTER said:
Matt hew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

Never bring a sword to a gunfight

Ezekiel 38:21 "And I call on him to all of mountains of Me a sword" declaration of my Lord YHWH.
sword of man in brother of him shall become".
[Matt 10:34/Reve 6:4]

Reve 6:4 And came forth another horse, firey and to the one sitting on him was given to him to be taking the peace from the land
and that one another they should be slaying and was given to him a great sword
[Ezekiel 38:21/Matt 10:34]

‪Indiana Jones : Sword vs. Gun‬&rlm; - YouTube

LittleLambofJesus · Jul 17, 2011

Can we disown family member?

This is rather interesting. I used an interlinear to see where else this greek word in 2 Peter 2 is used, and it is in Jude 1:4....

http://www.scripture4all.org/

Young) 2 Peter 2:1 And there did come also false prophets among the people, as also among you there shall be false teachers, who shall bring in besides destructive sects,
and the Owner/Master who bought them denying/disowning/arnou-menoi <720> (5740), bringing to themselves quick destruction

Rotherham) Jude 1:4 For there have crept in unobserved certain men, who, from of old, have been publicly notified for this sentence, ungodly, men, the favour of our God, turning into wantonness, and, our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ denying/disowning/arnoumenoi <720> (5740)
[Jeremiah 14:14,15/Matt 24:11/Jude 1:4/Revelation 6:10]

Reve 6:10 And they cry out to a great voice saying "how long, the Owner/Master/despothV <1203> the Holy and True, not Thou are judging and avenging the blood of us from out of the ones homing upon the land?"

brinny · Jul 17, 2011

LittleLambofJesus said:
Never bring a sword to a gunfight

Ezekiel 38:21 "And I call on him to all of mountains of Me a sword" declaration of my Lord YHWH.
sword of man in brother of him shall become".
[Matt 10:34/Reve 6:4]

Reve 6:4 And came forth another horse, firey and to the one sitting on him was given to him to be taking the peace from the land
and that one another they should be slaying and was given to him a great sword
[Ezekiel 38:21/Matt 10:34]

‪Indiana Jones : Sword vs. Gun‬&rlm; - YouTube

ROFLOLOLOL!!!! That's priceless.....don't'cha just love Harrison Ford? Seriously, who ELSE could'a played that part? I GOTTA see that movie again

hisgrace26 · Jul 17, 2011

Aibrean said:
If they have been presented with the gospel and have hardened their hearts, I wouldn't say to "disown" them, but you do not need to associate with them. They are still family and should be treated cordially and with love (just don't love them - or anything more than God). Treating them with love might open their hearts.

I understand, but I thought those that are your family are the ones accepting Jesus? Are we speaking spiritually or are we going by the natural here? If my daughter does not accept Jesus, do she even have the right to become part of my family? Hmm... Something to think about.

hisgrace26 · Jul 17, 2011

RABBIT-HUNTER said:
Matt hew 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

Can you please tell me what you think the verses are saying? Non-Christians normally think that Jesus came to separate and divide the believers from their family.

LittleLambofJesus · Jul 17, 2011

superman2010 said:
Can you please tell me what you think the verses are saying? Non-Christians normally think that Jesus came to separate and divide the believers from their family.

Ummm, not to be picky, but from what I see, you are not sporting a Christian faith icon.

Just in case you are not aware, this is a Christian only section.

hisgrace26 · Jul 17, 2011

LittleLambofJesus said:
Ummm, not to be picky, but from what I see, you are not sporting a Christian faith icon.

Just in case you are not aware, this is a Christian only section.

Oh yeah, I never touch my profile. Let me change it. Thanks.

Sebbcho · Jul 17, 2011

Well when it says you will lose many people in your life for his sake, he also says 'you will get many more mothers and brothers' or something to that effect. I believe someone decent won't be able to stand being near people who are constantly sinning and will be unable to function and will have to leave. Much how Lot was tortured in his righteous soul every day in being in Sodom and Gomorrah. Someone born again is a priest, a priest is required to be separate from the unclean. And a Saint is clean as it is said when Christ was washing the disciples feet 'someone who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean'

JCFantasy23 · Jul 17, 2011

I think you certainly "can" disown family, but I doubt you're ever supposed to. If they affect you negatively it may be a good idea to keep some distance, however. As for the verse about loving God above all else, I think it easier to think of how differently I already love those in my life. The love I feel for my fiance is different than the love I feel for my child, and again different than the love I feel for my parents, and yet again different than the love I feel for friends. I think each type of love has different things tossed in there depending on the kind of relationship it is. Rather than worrying so much over levels of love, I just think that my love of God is different than those forms of love as well.

solarwave · Jul 17, 2011

I would find it hard to see how a loving Christian could disown a family member simply because of a lack of belief. It is heartless.

green wolverine · Jul 17, 2011

superman2010 said:
Should a Christian disown those who does not share their faith, specifically those that are part of his or her family? What are we do to about this? I ask because I find a difficult theological issue to deal with. For example, Jesus says somewhere in the gospel that if anybody loves his or her parent and sons and daughters more than Him, than they are worthy to be His disciple. Maybe I misunderstood the passage?

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

So according to Jesus, to be His disciple we must give up all that we have in order to find life in Him, but that does not mean that we cannot love our families and friends more than we love Jesus and God. So if your son or daughter does not share your faith would you disown them? What are your thoughts?

I think a lot of people in their teens, twenties and thirties are looking for an excuse to estrange themselves from their families, and this is just one more example of that. Sad, very sad.....................

CryptoLutheran · Jul 17, 2011

superman2010 said:
Can you please tell me what you think the verses are saying? Non-Christians normally think that Jesus came to separate and divide the believers from their family.

The reality, historically, was that being a Christian did act as a sword that cut family. A good example of this is the story of St. Perpetua, a woman born in a rather well-to-do Roman family who became a Christian (and her servant, St. Felicity as well, and the two were close friends and sisters); her father disowned her, she was imprisoned and ultimately martyred.

That was the reality in antiquity, and in many places today often still can be exactly the case. It happens where sometimes a person in a predominantly Muslim country becomes a Christian and not only is this perceived as a betrayal by family members but in some countries is a criminal offense with harsh consequences. Granted, in many places and at many times converting from one religion to another had serious ramifications and results, within families, within communities and culturally/nationally and not just for conversion to Christianity.

The point still stands though, that being a Christian has been at times and in places very risky; and it has meant being cut off, disowned, and separated from one's closest kin.

Jesus does not tell us to disown or cast away our kin, but tells us that being His disciple ultimately means risking everything: our security, our well-being, our happiness, our livelihood, even our very lives. The safety Christians experience in the West is an abnormality, and arguably has made us too comfortable and too accommodating, we have become entirely too willing to confound following Jesus with the comforts of our nominally (and predominantly euro-american) Christian culture.

-CryptoLutheran

MamaZ · Jul 18, 2011

Yes if we are disowned because of our faith is different than us disowning someone because they have not came to know Christ yet.

hisgrace26 · Jul 24, 2011

Jesus says you must hate your bro/sis/ parent and family or else you are worthy to be his disciple. i'm sure the word 'hate' can mean different things.

Can we disown family member?

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