Question,

[arunma]

See Acts 2:47.



I can think of several verses that talk about church membership but let me ask you this: given all that the New Testament says about church discipline, wouldn't membership be implicit in the fact that the God commands us to excommunicate unrepentant sinners?

I mean, it wouldn't make very much sense to excommunicate someone from a church who isn't a member of that church in the first place, would it?

I'm completely in favor of church membership as well, but I think the question of excommunication actually illustrates the wrong view that many of us today may have in regards to church membership. If I understand Ron correctly, he is saying that all Christians are members of the universal church, but that our interaction with the rest of the Lord's people is mostly limited to the local assembly of believers. In America, however, we tend to think of ourselves as members of a specific local church. This can make excommunication a tricky issue. If someone is excommunicated from the First Baptist Church, what typically happens is that he walks down to the Third Presbyterian Church across the street and becomes a member there. This happens because the two churches don't see themselves as members of the same body. If we saw ourselves as members of the universal church, then a local body, when excommunicating a believer (for his own good), would be excommunicating him from God's redeemed people throughout the entire world.

I've recently had some personal experience with this issue. In my church there is a group of about 20 of us who get together one night of the week for dinner, and at other times for Bible study, socializing, etc. Essentially we're a local assembly within a larger church (my church has a couple thousand members). Recently a person began joining us for dinner, and he used to bring his girlfriend with him. We later found out that this person is married and separated from his wife, and the girl he brought with him was someone other than his wife. Now this person claimed to be a believer, and our church had excommunicated him. So we contacted him and told him that we need to discuss this issue. Essentially we were going to also "excommunicate" him from our smaller body. Thus far he hasn't responded. Though this person was married in our church, he doesn't feel any obligationto the body. Maybe this is because if he wants to continue playing the church game, there are numerous other churches in town that he could attend. And even though it's a fairly small town, it's large enough that he could find an entirely new circle of believers to socialize with as well.

It seems to me like church membership, as we treat it today, is a response to the fractured nature of the church. I certainly think that it's necessary, given the status of the church. And denominations aren't necessarily even a bad thing. We need a way to distinguish ourselves from liberal, apostate churches like the Catholic Church and the many mainline Protestant denominations. But this doesn't seem like the Biblical ideal.

 

[PastorJim]

If someone is excommunicated from the First Baptist Church, what typically happens is that he walks down to the Third Presbyterian Church across the street and becomes a member there. This happens because the two churches don't see themselves as members of the same body.

That's disappointing that these two churches would not understand that they're two branches of the same tree.

Fortunately for us, that hasn't been our experience.

If the person is honest, then they're going to be forthcoming about why they're no longer at the Baptist church and if the leadership of the Presbyterian is obedient, then they're going to be in contact with that Baptist church and are going to, at the very least, insist that the person submit to counselling.

 

[holyrokker]

And to be honest, I'll accept a Bible-believing member of a PCA church as a beloved brother in Christ long before I will accept a liberal member of an American Baptist Church who believes in a false gospel.

I probably wouldn't say it in those words, but I agree, in principle, with what you said.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures"

This is the heart of the Gospel. This is where all believers agree. Take this away, and there is no gospel. Hold firmly to this, and we can disagree on a host of other topics, yet enjoy blessed fellowship.