Introduction
Punishment In Old Testament
Punishment In New Testament
Rules Governing Church Discipline
Considerations Necessary in Implementing Church Discipline
How Soon Should Church Discipline Be Implemented?
The Fruits of True Repentance
Cutting-Off
Our Duty
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CUTTING-OFF
“Those who performed this terrible work of judgment were
acting by divine authority, executing the sentence of the King
of heaven.” PP 324
In Old Testament times, cutting-off meant: physical death
(Exodus 32:27-28, PP 324-325) and cutting-off or separation of
sinner from among the people (Numbers 12:15, PP 385, DA 262, PK
674).
Terms synonymous to cutting-off: separate (7T 262); exclude (7T263);
dismiss (EV 368); take away (1 Corinthians 5:2, TM 428); remove
(7T 262-263); banish (PP 385); go over board (EV 371); put away
(1 Corinthians 5:13); eradicate (TM 428); cut off the influence
(1T 327); suspend (5T 241); disfellowship (3RH 8, Jan. 3, 1893);
shut out (PK 669-670); exile (PK 674); expelled (PK 674) Cleanse
the camp (TM 427-428); outside the city (TM 431); excommunication
(TM 46-47); severed (DA 441); shut-up (Leviticus 13 :4); accursed
(Galatians 1: 8-9); cut-off (Galatians 5:12).
WHAT IS CENSURE?
The Webster’s Dictionary defines Censure as blame,
to blame, to find fault with.
“I saw that some have been very jealous for you, fearing that
you would not be rightly dealt with, and not have justice done you
by your ministering brethren. Such should stand out of the way,
and be faithful to confess their own wrongs, and let all the censure
and weight of your wrongs rest upon your own head. God designs that
they shall rest there until you thoroughly remove them by repentance
and hearty confession. Those who have a perverted sympathy for you
cannot help you. Let them manifest zeal in repenting of their own
backslidings, and leave you to stand for yourself. You have been
altogether out of the way, and unless you make thorough work, confess
your wrongs without censuring your brethren, and are willing to
be instructed, you can have no part with God's people…. Those
who have been thrust out to bear a plain, pointed testimony, in
the fear of God to reprove wrong, to labor with all their energies
to build up God's people, and to establish them upon important points
of present truth, have too often received censure instead of sympathy
and help,… You must confess your faults without censuring
any other one, and cease complaining that your brethren have neglected
you.” 1T 319-322.
NOTE: Censure in this case did not mean punishment but blame.
However, in the SDA Bible Commentary Vol. 10 p. 298, Censure
is defined as punishment as used in the following paragraph:
“A vote of censure is taken when the offense
is considered serious enough to warrant the disapproval of the church
but not grievous enough to warrant loss of membership. It is intended
to impress the member with the need of amending his life and to
grant a period of time to do so. This action may be taken at any
duly called meeting of the church, and the offending member may
be present. A member is placed under censure for a stated period
of time, during which he cannot hold any church office, vote on
church affairs, or have public part in any of the exercises of the
church, such as teaching a Sabbath school class. He may not transfer
his membership to another church while under censure. If at the
end of the period of censure he gives evidence of satisfactory conduct,
he will be considered in good standing; if not, his case must be
reconsidered.”
NOTE: This is confusing statement intended to lead
astray… “Whatever contradicts God's word, we may be
sure proceeds from Satan.” PP 55.
“Moses and Aaron must die without entering Canaan, subjected
to the same punishment that fell upon those in a more lowly position.”
4T 370.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF A DISFELLOWSHIPPED CHURCH MEMBER
OF BEING RESTORED TO CHURCH MEMBERSHIP?
“In the spirit of meekness, "considering thyself, lest
thou also be tempted," (Gal. 6:1), go to the erring one, and
"tell him his fault between thee and him alone." Do not
put him to shame by exposing his fault to others, nor bring dishonor
upon Christ by making public the sin or error of one who bears His
name. Often the truth must be plainly spoken to the erring; he must
be led to see his error, that he may reform. But you are not to
judge or to condemn. Make no attempt at self-justification. Let
all your effort be for his recovery. In treating the wounds of the
soul, there is need of the most delicate touch, the finest sensibility.
Only the love that flows from the Suffering One of Calvary can avail
here. With pitying tenderness, let brother deal with brother, knowing
that if you succeed, you will "save a soul from death,"
and "hide a multitude of sins." James 5:20.
“But even this effort may be unavailing. Then, said Jesus,
"take with thee one or two more." It may be that their
united influence will prevail where that of the first was unsuccessful.
Not being parties to the trouble, they will be more likely to act
impartially, and this fact will give their counsel greater weight
with the erring one. If he will not hear them, then, and not till
then, the matter is to be brought before the whole body of believers.
Let the members of the church, as the representatives of Christ,
unite in prayer and loving entreaty that the offender may be restored.
The Holy Spirit will speak through His servants, pleading with the
wanderer to return to God. Paul the apostle, speaking by inspiration,
says, "As though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5:20.
He who rejects this united overture has broken the tie that binds
him to Christ, and thus has severed himself from the fellowship
of the church. Henceforth, said Jesus, "let him be unto thee
as an heathen man and a publican." But he is not to be regarded
as cut off from the mercy of God. Let him not be despised or neglected
by his former brethren, but be treated with tenderness and compassion,
as one of the lost sheep that Christ is still seeking to bring to
His fold.” DA 441.
IMPLIED TRUTH
Implied reproof (DA 81); implied rebuke (ED 92, DA 284-5; DA
400-401); implied excuse to sin (PP 58); implied fear (PP 254);
implied faith (PP430-431); implied reproof (2SOP 236)
“Implied” as defined by Webster’s
Dictionary means understood, meant, though not actually said.
HOW DOES GOD REGARD PUNISHMENT? WHO PUT A FALSE COLORING
AND NEGATIVE CONNOTATION TO THE PERFECT PLAN OF GOD?
“When we consider in what false colors Satan has painted the
character of God, can we wonder that our merciful Creator is feared,
dreaded, and even hated?” GC 536.
“Through Jesus, God's mercy was manifested to men; but mercy
does not set aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of
God's character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be changed
to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law,
but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man's redemption. "God
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Cor.
5:19.
“The law requires righteousness,--a righteous life, a perfect
character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims
of God's holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived
a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers
as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for
the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men
with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after
the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual
strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled
in the believer in Christ. God can "be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom. 3:26. God's love has
been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice
is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had
been Satan's purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He
sought to prove that the righteousness of God's law is an enemy
to peace. But Christ shows that in God's plan they are indissolubly
joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. "Mercy
and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed
each other." Ps. 85:10” DA 762.
NOTE: Satan the adversary of souls, and his agents try to deceive
the whole world by saying that God’s justice is inconsistent
with His love, mercy and truth. He tries to separate justice and
mercy to make void the law of God and abolish the punishment which
the law claims upon transgressors.
Please see GC 557-561 or turn to page 23 of this booklet.)
“It was the mercy of God that thousands should suffer, to
prevent the necessity of visiting judgments upon millions. In order
to save the many, He must punish the few… It was in love to
the world, in love to Israel, and even to the transgressors, that
crime was punished with swift and terrible severity.” PP
325-326.
“The Lord is regarded as cruel by many in requiring His people
to make war with other nations. They say that it is contrary to
His benevolent character. But He who made the world, and formed
man to dwell upon the earth, has unlimited control over all the
works of His hands, and it is His right to do as He pleases, and
what He pleases with the work of His hands. Man has no right to
say to his Maker, Why doest Thou thus? There is no injustice in
His character.” 2SM 333.
“Our Creator justly claims the right to do as He chooses with
the creatures of His hand. He has a right to govern as He will,
and not as man chooses. But He is not a severe judge, a harsh, exacting
creditor. He is the very fountain of love, the giver of blessings
innumerable.” 5T 314.
”But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die.” Genesis 2:17.
Note: “The wages of sin is death.” Romans
6:23. But Satan says otherwise: “And the serpent said
unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die” Genesis 3:4
or shall not be punished for your sin.
THE SATANIC PRINCIPLE OF NO-PUNISHMENT TO THE GUILTY (SINNER)
IS IN THE WORLD TODAY. WHERE CAN THIS BE FOUND?
“It is true that spiritualism is now changing its form and,
veiling some of its more objectionable features, is assuming a
Christian guise. But its utterances from the platform and the
press have been before the public for many years, and in these
its real character stands revealed. These teachings cannot be
denied or hidden.
“Even in its present form, so far from being more worthy
of toleration than formerly, it is really a more dangerous, because
a more subtle, deception. While it formerly denounced Christ and
the Bible, it now professes to accept both. But the Bible is interpreted
in a manner that is pleasing to the unrenewed heart, while its
solemn and vital truths are made of no effect. Love is dwelt upon
as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to a weak sentimentalism,
making little distinction between good and evil. God's justice,
His denunciations of sin, the requirements of His holy law, are
all kept out of sight. The people are taught to regard the Decalogue
as a dead letter. Pleasing, bewitching fables captivate the senses
and lead men to reject the Bible as the foundation of their faith.
Christ is as verily denied as before; but Satan has so blinded
the eyes of the people that the deception is not discerned.
“There are few who have any just conception of the deceptive
power of spiritualism and the danger of coming under its influence.
Many tamper with it merely to gratify their curiosity. They have
no real faith in it and would be filled with horror at the thought
of yielding themselves to the spirits' control. But they venture
upon the forbidden ground, and the mighty destroyer exercises his
power upon them against their will. Let them once be induced to
submit their minds to his direction, and he holds them captive.
It is impossible, in their own strength, to break away from the
bewitching, alluring spell. Nothing but the power of God, granted
in answer to the earnest prayer of faith, can deliver these ensnared
souls….. The prophet Isaiah brings to view the fearful deception
which will come upon the wicked, causing them to count themselves
secure from the judgments of God: "We have made a covenant
with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing
scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have
made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves."
Isaiah 28:15. In the class here described are included those who
in their stubborn impenitence comfort themselves with the assurance
that there is to be no punishment for the sinner; that all mankind,
it matters not how corrupt, are to be exalted to heaven, to become
as the angels of God. But still more emphatically are those making
a covenant with death and an agreement with hell, who renounce the
truths which Heaven has provided as a defense for the righteous
in the day of trouble, and accept the refuge of lies offered by
Satan in its stead--the delusive pretensions of spiritualism.”
GC 557-561.
“Spiritualism declares that there is no death, no sin, no
judgment, no retribution; that "men are unfallen demigods;"
that desire is the highest law; and that man is accountable only
to himself. The barriers that God has erected to guard truth, purity,
and reverence are broken down, and many are thus emboldened in sin.
Does not such teaching suggest an origin similar to that of demon
worship?” PP 688.
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