The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 4
From the Amish refusing to even speak with those they call outsiders, to Jehovah’s Witnesses divorcing their family and refusing to associate with their own children over mere questions, to Messianic groups scowling at women who do not wear little hats, to some Jews who refuse to eat with gentiles, to Christians shunning those who seek to emulate the Messiah, from rejection due to obedience to disobedience, there is a growing separation in the body, and it is nothing shy of cutting up parts of our own body. What does the Bible say about this? What does shunning do?
There are parents who refuse to speak to their children because they are married, not married, gay, not gay, Christian, not Christian, and on and on. The reason is obvious. There is only one reason people shun others. It is an act of declaring self-worship. If we condemn others because we are too righteous for them, then what will happen when our righteousness is as filthy rags in front of the Righteous King? The Son has already answered. We will be judged in the same way we judge others. How much, or how little, forgiveness, do we want? How much do we need?
Does Paul show us, concerning the judgment of others, to shun, and if so, who? “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone called ‘a brother,’ if he is one who whores, or greedy of gain, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.” (1 Corinthians 5:11).
This says to not eat with a greedy person. If I follow this, I can no longer eat at a fancy church, or a home that is not sparse, nor with anyone not fortified with humility. Let me tell you something that, may at first seem brazen, but I urge you to consider it: If Paul told me to never talk to a harlot, I would look to the Messiah, Who spoke with harlots, and I would speak with them, too.
To no longer fellowship together, is to no longer attend worship services, or study groups, together—it is not an act of shunning. The Messiah ate with the worst of men—men like me! He sat beside the worst of women, and, hear me: He not once struck, yelled at, or pushed away a child!
Returning to 1 Corinthians 5:11: This passage shows people practicing willful sin, but what about not even eating with such a person? To understand this, we must go back in time, and walk alongside Paul as he went to the synagogues on Sabbath. I have never been to a fellowship on Sabbath where we did not eat. Not even once. To not eat with them, is to say, in essence: “If someone is a greedy drunk, a glutton, who is just there to lust the girls, and make some fast cash—don’t let him into your fellowship / church / Sabbath dinner—even if he calls himself a brother! … It’s just not a good idea.”
Therefore, if I read in the Bible anything that goes against what the Messiah did, then it’s not the Scriptures that are wrong, but rather my understanding. Let us do something we must always do. Let us read the surrounding text. “And I certainly did not mean with those of this world who whore, or with the greedy of gain, or swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone called ‘a brother,’ if he is one who whores, or greedy of gain, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside? But Elohim judges those who are outside. And put away the wicked one from among you!” (1 Corinthians 5:10-13). Now we understand.
Yet, far too often, people in the assembly are not shunned for greed, rather they are shunned because they seek to walk as He walks. “And if your brother sins against you, go and reprove him, between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, say it to the assembly. And if he refuses even to hear the assembly, let him be to you like a gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18-15-17).
More often than not, when I speak with people calmly about a problem I have, I find out I was the one with the problem. Speaking one on one is very important. It saves your face even more often than it does his or hers. If there is still a problem, then we must really consider what the problem is. Are these sins in the truest form, such as what Paul warns us of, being greedy or cheating, being idolaters or someone who constantly causes fights, or arriving drunk? Do not confront someone who is striving to, per se, stop drinking. Be there for him instead. No, do not shun a drunkard from everything, rather, just make it clear that you would enjoy having him at your group, but he has to arrive sober, as, otherwise, it is a danger to the others. Yet, what does the Messiah mean by treating them like a gentile and a tax collector?
“And as Yahoshuah passed on from there, He saw a man called Mattithyahu sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he rose and followed Him. And it came to be, as Yahoshuah sat at the table in the house, that see, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His taught ones. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His taught ones, ‘Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ And Yahoshuah hearing this, said to them, ‘Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, “I desire compassion and not offering.” For I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.’” (Matthew 9:9-13).
An assembly I went to once had an interesting sign that summed all of this up. It was displayed above the large doors leading outside: “You are now entering the mission field.” You can eat with all of these people, and you can hire them, and be around them. It is not abuse, such as shunning, after all, that leads us to repentance. “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the kindness of Elohim leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and your unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Elohim,” (Romans 2:4-5).
Shunning is a form of control. If the dread of being excommunicated from your family looms over your head if you ever do this or that, then often one does not even consider looking at what is allegedly wrong. Yet, shunning family is not done by followers of Scriptures, but by those who reject faith. “And if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the belief and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8).
John, in his second letter, asks us to love one another, but he did not leave the definition of love up to ambiguous theologies. He states that to love one another we must walk in the Commandments of Yahoweh Elohim, just as Romans 13:8 also shows us. However, he knew he could not wait until he saw them to warn about those who are lawless, leading those who walk in love away from the footsteps of the Messiah. John told us that these people, who profess to know Him, do not know Him at all (due to their lawlessness), and to not let them into your home, or even great them, for if we do, then we will share in their wickedness. Yet, how does one greet another? I assure you, John did not mean to not say, “Howdy.” to them. One greets a brother with a brotherly kiss upon the beard, or at least this was their custom. To do so would proclaim to all who see, that this person is a brother, a representative of the faith—but he is not—he is not for he speaks against the Law, the Word Who became flesh. Do not let such a one into the temple of the Holy Spirit, for it is Yahoweh Who judges you—not the church!
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Master, and He shall lift you up. Brothers, do not speak against one another. He that speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against Torah and judges Torah. And if you judge Torah, you are not a doer of Torah but a judge. There is one Lawgiver and Judge, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:10-12).
To conclude: Much of what I am about to write to you is not commonly accepted, and if you follow it, do not shun those who do not, if you do not follow it, do not shun those who do. I consider every man and woman in this world my neighbor, but for those brothers and sisters who have enough faith for action, those who truly do seek to worship Him … those I call dear and sweet.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing.
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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Additional Scripture References:
Matthew 5:21-26, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Romans 12:2, 1 John 3:17-19, 1 John 4:8, Isaiah 8:20, Luke 8:21, 2 Timothy 2:19, 1 Thessalonians 4:9
