What is excommunication in the Bible?
First, we should note that the Bible never uses the word excommunication. It’s a word that has been adopted by some religious groups, especially by the Catholic Church, to denote the formal process of removing someone from membership and participation in the church, from relationship with the church community, or, in the Catholic view, even…
What is disfellowshipping?
Disfellowshipping is a term that refers to putting one out of the fellowship, or common group, due to some sin, moral lapse, or unfaithfulness. Although the concept is widely practiced among religious groups of various kinds, this specific term is used in the Church of Christ and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. To be disfellowshipped is to…
What is the importance or value of a church building?
The Bible presents the church as an entity made up of redeemed followers of Christ from every nation and era (Matthew 16:18; Hebrews 12:23). When the Bible speaks of a “church,” it means believers in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:5). However, when we speak of a “church,” we are often referring to the building…
When is the right time to build a new church building?
The bottom line is that only God can clarify what a church should do in all its spending and planning. However, there are a few important things that can be agreed on. It is reasonable for a church to plan ahead and to be sensitive to the growing needs of the church family. It is…
What is church culture? What contributes to the culture of a church?
Culture is everywhere—it is in the society we live in, the schools we attend, the restaurants we keep coming back to, and the social groups we are a part of. It is even in our churches. Certain places and social movements promote certain cultures—ways of thinking, speaking, and acting. Every local church has its own…
Why is it sinful for a church to cover up abuse?
Actively hiding, disguising, or keeping a mistake or sin hidden rather than correcting it is referred to as a “cover-up.” The church should not be involved in cover-ups. Anyone with knowledge of abuse or who suspects abuse is morally obligated to act on such information. In many cases, there is also a legal obligation to…
What is the danger in gossiping about your pastor and his family?
Gossip is wrong no matter whom we are gossiping about. Gossip, the sharing of privileged information about others to those who have no business knowing about it, is often listed among sins that are detestable to God (2 Corinthians 12:20; Romans 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:3). We gossip about people because it makes us feel important.…
Should Christians judge the teachings of their leaders?
As Christians, we are commanded against following teachers blindly but are told rather to “test everything; hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The Apostle Peter warns us in 2 Peter 2:1-3 that there will be false teachers in our day just as there were false teachers in his day. Among their false teachings…
Why are so many evangelical Christian leaders caught in scandals?
First, it is important to point out that “so many” is not an accurate characterization. It may seem like many evangelical Christian leaders are caught in scandals, but this is due to the vast amount of attention such scandals are given. There are thousands of evangelical Christian leaders, pastors, professors, missionaries, writers, and evangelists who…
How should the church deal with gossip?
Gossip is repeating information that should not be repeated, even if it is true. Often, the person who repeats gossip that turns out to be true does it before the truth is substantiated or permission is given to share. What makes news gossip, even if true, is its repetition by or to someone who does…