1 Corinthians 5:11 - Not even associate?

Hi Saints,

Please prayerfully consider your counsel or responses if you have any.

"I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person." - 1 Corinthians 5:9-11

A sister in our fellowship was exposed for adultery against her husband. She has been approached by many woman, gone to a women's retreat and also has counseled with our pastor. She is not repentant. She is trying to conceal as much as possible.

She was on the list to bring a dinner to our house after we had our baby a few weeks back, but my wife and I did not feel right about having her into our home. We were grieved, broken and very perplexed about this situation and what to do.

In light of 1 Corinthians 5:11 we felt convicted to not have her over, so I sent her a message thanking her for the offer, but that we are graciously declining the fellowship. I told her that we were aware of the situation, and felt that she needed to be reconciled to Christ and her husband before we could break bread together.

Since then, she has withdrawn in many ways from the fellowship, and my wife and I are being blamed because of this. our church has taken no offical stance on church discipline, other than the counseling. To this hour she is not reconciled.

If you have any wisdom, experience or insight into this situation please prayerfully offer it.

Thank you...

Hey ThyKingcome,

I think that in light of scripture you did do the right thing. Scripture makes it pretty clear. However I think that maybe a decision to exclude someone from fellowship should be done corporately. Perhaps you should have talked to the leaders of your church about it first? After that then I would've then taken action according to my own convictions.

Also I would not have sent a message but really wouldve have made a face to face effort to explain why I was taking action and that the intention of the action was out of love because I want this woman to be reconciled to Christ.

I think that even though the action is done taking time to formally explain to your fellow brothers and sisters form scripture the reason for your actionm, why it is biblical and perhaps apologizing for taking action without telling the rest of the body would also be wise. I think after that then you would have done what is right regardless of what others may think.

I hope this helps!

In Christ
Evangel

Yes EvangelTam, this does help greatly. Thank you for your wisdom and response. It has been on our hearts to meet face to face and re-affirm our love for her and share from the Word why we have made this decision. I'm learning so much about the blinding and leavening effect that sin can have on a person, and also the body of Christ. It is so vital that we cling to Christ and His Word in these times. As far as others blaming us, we have had an opportunity to share from the Word with them as well. Please keep this dear couple in prayer if you think of them. Pray for their reconciliation, and that we also might be ministers of reconciliation with them and for them.

"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5