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Counsels for the Church
As those thus united in Christian fellowship offer prayer to God and
pledge themselves to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with God, great blessing comes to them. If they have wronged others
they continue the work of repentance, confession, and restitution, fully
set to do good to one another. This is the fulfilling of the law of Christ.
“But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more,
that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be es-
tablished.”
Matthew 18:16
. Take with you those who are spiritually
minded, and talk with the one in error in regard to the wrong. He may
yield to the united appeals of his brethren. As he sees their agreement
in the matter, his mind may be enlightened.
“And if he shall neglect to hear them,” what then shall be done?
Shall a few persons in a board meeting take upon themselves the
responsibility of disfellowshiping the erring one? “If he shall neglect
to hear them, tell it unto the church.”
Verse 17
. Let the church take
action in regard to its members.
“But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an
heathen man and a publican.”
Verse 17
. If he will not heed the voice
of the church, if he refuses all the efforts made to reclaim him, upon
the church rests the responsibility of separating him from fellowship.
His name should then be stricken from the books
Church’s Duty to Those Who Refuse Its Counsel
No church officer should advise, no committee should recommend,
nor should any church vote, that the name of a wrongdoer shall be
removed from the church books, until the instruction given by Christ
has been faithfully followed. When this instruction has been followed,
the church has cleared herself before God. The evil must then be made
to appear as it is, and must be removed, that it may not become more
and more widespread. The health and purity of the church must be
preserved, that she may stand before God unsullied, clad in the robes
of Christ’s righteousness.
If the erring one repents and submits to Christ’s discipline, he
is to be given another trial. And even if he does not repent, even if
he stands outside the church, God’s servants still have a work to do
for him. They are to seek earnestly to win him to repentance. And,
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Testimonies for the Church 7:260-262