Jesus - Mission to Amish People

Part I
My Vows to the Amish Church:
Are They Binding?
—by Eli Stutzman
Part II
Is Excommunication and
Shunning Biblical?
—by Joe Keim
Additional copies may be obtained by contacting...
Mission to Amish People
PO Box 128, 575 St. Rt. 250 N
Savannah, OH 44874
Phone: (419) 962-1515
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As a young Amish boy, I was taught that when I reached a certain age, I
would be expected to join the church. In doing so, I would be declaring Jesus
Christ as the Son of God, and also my personal vows to our church. And like
most other young people my age, I did this without a full knowledge of how
salvation works.
As I became older, I realized that what I’d been taught did not satisfy my
spiritual need for knowing exactly what salvation is. And in time, a very
strong sense of not belonging, finally led me to leave the Amish.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE VOWS
I MADE TO THE CHURCH?
As a young teenage boy, I had promised on bended knee to help build the
church and to obey all of its rules and regulations.
Was I sealing my own condemnation, by breaking
those vows?
The bishop and ministers certainly wanted me to
think so.
Yet, I was puzzled by the fact that I did not have
any assurance of my salvation. The thought of dying
was terrifying, even if I was a good Amish
youth.
Little did I know, at that time, that you cannot place part of your trust in
Jesus, and part of your trust in living a good Amish life!
The need for obedience was drilled into us from an early age, yet Jesus’ role
in our salvation was hardly ever talked about.
To seek answers only raised suspicion in the minds of
those in authority.
But the question kept coming back to me—was the
Amish church the only right way, or were there other
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churches that taught the truth? If other churches, outside the Amish had the
truth, than why was it right for one and wrong for others.
Have we not all been created by the same God?
Some Amish leaders believed that others, too, might be saved, but they did
not know how this would work. I now suspect very few Amish leaders know
clearly how salvation works. To experience peace with God, I need to be clear
about this, just as anyone else does. It doesn't matter if you are Amish or not.
Does the Bible teach, or in any way
indicate, that to be born again, one
needs to make a vow to a certain church
or person?
The Answer is clearly No! Scripture
teaches that salvation comes from a
promise made by God Himself. We are
saved from our sin, by receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. In John 1:12, God
says:
But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power [right] to
become the sons [children] of God…
The apostles and all New Testament believers taught that we needed to confess
our need for salvation, to repent, and ask for the free gift of salvation,
that is given through Christ’s act of redemption in dying on the cross for our
sins.
In Romans 10:9,10 and 13, God says:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the
same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
This was the basis of the Gospel from the time the apostles preached it, and
still is. Never was anyone asked to make a vow before being baptized.
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At an early age, I recall reading the Bible story of Jesus telling Nicodemus
how Moses had lifted up the brass serpent for healing from the fatal snake
bite. Likewise, the Son of Man was lifted up on the cross to bring healing
from sin.
It was at that moment that I, by faith, reached out to Jesus. Jesus reached out
to me, and He lifted me into a place where a whole lifetime of vow making
and law keeping was never able to take me.
Nowhere does Scripture ever indicate that salvation comes as a result of
good deeds or by making and keeping vows. In fact, it tells us quite the opposite
in Ephesians 2:8-9:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of
works, lest any man should boast.
To teach vow keeping, is a serious error and needs
to be settled in ones mind. The church of the Middle
Ages may have required vows, however, our
forefathers saw fit to break them, when those vows
did not lead to a full and deep commitment to
God’s principles. So, if the act of breaking a vow is
sin, then our forefathers, indeed, sinned in breaking
away from the mother church in Germany
and Switzerland!
A vow, required by men, when scripture does not require it for salvation,
results in becoming trapped. It is a no-win situation.
Answering to only the Amish vows is disobedience to God by not being
open to a direct leading from Him, or allowing a personal relationship with
Him. Leave the Amish, they say, and sin by violating your vows to them.
It becomes clear, on closer examination, that God cannot call any person in
the Amish community to serve in any area of God’s choice. Thank God for
His solution in providing a way to freedom from sin’s grip through the blood
of Jesus!
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The words in Proverbs 29:25 are so true:
“The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his
trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
Does the Amish church have power over those who leave the church, by condemning
them? If they cannot assure salvation, can they assure condemnation?
Clearly, God has ultimate control over Heaven and Hell. His word is final.
What He says is all that counts.
The charge of taking the blood of Christ under your feet may be made by
those in authority. Is that true? Since we cannot accidentally, but only willfully
come under the protection of the blood, we cannot accidentally trample or
lose the protection of His blood.
When men lay such charges, we need to check with God, from His own
Word, the Bible.
The laws of Moses were a direct dictation from
God, but they could not save me. They do not
have power over me. The law was given as a
“schoolmaster” to lead us to a place where we
would seek God’s provided means of salvation.
Galatians 3:24-26
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith. But after that
faith is come, we are no longer
under a schoolmaster. For ye are
all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus.
The Amish Ordnung was not handed down from heaven. So, how can it have
more power to save or condemn than the law? The fact is, the Ordnung of men
is powerless to save, and has no power to condemn, when we are new creatures
in Christ.
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Think how many Amish people are defeated and often discouraged because
they continually come short of their man-made standards. How many are
bowed down and depressed, feeling unworthy and unacceptable before God.
How many are crushed because they feel they have not only failed the church,
but failed God. No matter how much they have tried to keep the law—to do
good—they have failed. Therefore, God may not accept them, or so they feel.
Colossians 2:14 says,
[Jesus] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
[man made rules] that was against
us, which was contrary to us, and took it
out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Now, it is a very common teaching among
the Amish that we must obey our parents.
The Biblical concept of obedience is of a love motivation, not a forced obedience.
If we obey because we do not like the outcome of disobedience, we will
never serve God with a pure heart.
If, when we find the gift of salvation, our heart overflows with a desire to follow
and obey Jesus; only then will we be able to serve with a true heart.
Forced obedience never pleases God.
The Bible makes it very clear that sometimes we will have to disappoint those
near to us in order to follow Jesus.
Luke 14:26
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife,
and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he
cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 19:29
And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake,
shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
The main function of the Amish vows is to maintain control. After one becomes
a member, what the leaders would call the “fear of God” is used to
keep members in line. Just about any method is permitted to keep those members
in line.
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The leaders are often not very knowledgeable of the Bible, and have to use
“mental force” to drive members back into the fold. They teach all members
that they have the power of Heaven and Hell. Especially the power of hell, to
bind any person over to Satan who continues in disobedience to the church
rules.
Disobeying the church is considered the same as disobeying God. This belief
is not based on the knowledge of scripture and what it says, but rather, it
is the commandments of men, and their threats of punishment that occur
when a transgression of the Ordnung takes place. Therefore, a warped idea of
who God is, and what sin is, develops in the member’s mind.
The greatest reason why young Amish folks make that vow to the
church in the first place is because they were intimidated and pressured
into doing so.
Many of the young persons who are leaving the Amish
church are not familiar with Scriptures, and soon
reject all religious teaching, due to their previous
training; they rebel against anyone who would
dare to use authority over them.
Sin is seen as wearing the wrong clothes, different haircut, having electricity
in the house, and driving a car. We were taught that anyone who turns their
back on this teaching is to turn their back on God.
Clearly, this teaching has led many a young Amish person to leave the culture
and live an immoral lifestyle. It also causes social disabilities, which, in
turn, leads to alcohol, crime, and sometimes even prison.
Stories, such as explained in the previous paragraph, travel back to the Amish
community. Those in authority positions, within the church, then give rise to
more warnings, as to the downward path that results from anyone who has
the nerve to make the break from the Amish community.
Psalm 62:11
God hath spoken once; twice I have heard this; that power
belongeth unto God.
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John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No man cometh unto the
Father, but by Me.
In John 10:8-11, Jesus plainly teaches us…
All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers. But the
sheep did not hear them. I am the door; by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill,
and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that
they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.
Marriage vows are scriptural. Church vows are not. Any church that preaches
salvation through any other means than the blood of Jesus Christ, is not
faithful to God’s Word.
The problem that many of us face when we feel led to leave the Amish culture,
is that we usually have no Bible training to prove our case. Therefore,
we tend to go on strong feelings, which may or may not be God working in
us.
The question of whether it is sin to break one’s vows is not easily answered. I
have discussed this at length with people that are not against, or for the
Amish. I found that even Martin Luther and other Anabaptist forefathers had
to break vows to get to where we are today in understanding scriptures!
If all vow breaking is sin, and can only be forgiven by going back, then even
Martin Luther is lost!
Vows made in the Old Testament were always done with a love motive.
They were made voluntarily, not a forced situation. But even if we don’t know
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for sure if our case is sin, there is a way to settle the issue. Take it to the cross
and leave it there. The desire for a clean conscience has to overshadow any
other desire.
As mentioned before, the main function of Amish vows is to maintain control
over the local church. In almost all cases, Amish vows are made by young
people who are not familiar with scripture. When we are then told that the
vow was made by our own choice…was there any other option in Amish baptism?
Thank God for the power of the blood of Jesus Christ to completely wipe
out the power of all sin! His power to save is so
much greater than I had ever realized.
Hebrews 10:19-22
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way, which He hath
consecrated [set apart] for us, through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh. And having
an high priest over the house of God, let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Jesus Christ has opened up the way into God's
presence for us. He has taken our sins upon
Himself and bore the guilt and judgment of them
for us. He has freed us from sin, removed all sin
off of us. He is now ready to present us to God as
being sinless and righteous. Jesus Christ has
made us acceptable to God. He has provided a
new and living way into the holiest place of all, into
the very presence of God Himself. We can now
know God, know Him personally and intimately;
we can now commune and fellowship with God,
have His presence and power in our lives as we
walk day by day.
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I Peter 1:18-19
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were
not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition
from your fathers; But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot.”
Believers are to admire, worship, and stand in awe of God, because they have
been redeemed. The word "redeemed" means to be set free, delivered, and/or
released from sin and shame.
Note again what the Scripture says:
"Ye were...NOT redeemed...from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers."
We need to be set free and delivered from the empty life that we have been
taught to live. Our forefathers were wrong to ask for a vow. They have no
Scriptural basis to stand on. Man-made rules and forced vows, only leave us
empty and void, incomplete and unfulfilled, and it dooms us to death, to an
eternity apart from God. — See Colossians 2:21-23
Yes, I even took the promise that I had made, and then broke, to the
cross where His blood is more then able to wash it clean!
Now, I am Free!
Hallelujah!
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Part II
Is Excommunication and Shunning Biblical?
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Is Excommunication and Shunning Biblical?
This question is answered in one of three ways, depending on who you ask.
View #1 and #2, as outlined below, are extreme opposites, however, view #3
describes a more balanced Biblical view.
View #1
The practicing of excommunication and shunning among many of the conservative
Amish groups has been misused to the
point of severe mental and emotional abuse.
These conservative churches will use Scriptures,
such as Matthew 18:17, 1st Corinthians
5, and 1st Timothy 1:20 to put the
fear of God into anyone who would dare
to go against the rules and regulations that
have been set forth by our forefathers and
church elders. And, once that member
has been excommunicated from the
church, they become a marked person.
From that point on, they are noted and shunned by most of the other Amish
communities. Unless that person comes back to the same church district that
excommunicated him/her, the ban will not be lifted.
Over the years, there have been cases where good people within the Amish
church have taken their own lives, because they saw no way out of their emotional
and mental misery. Their thinking has been described in the following
ways:
1. To leave the Amish church meant that they would be turned over to
Satan and shunned by their own family and friends. And, at the end of
that life, they would be cast into hell, as payment for their rebellion
against the church and it’s man made rules.
2. To continue living their life within the Amish system also looked too
dark and bleak; the only way out was to take their own life.
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Questions to Consider
Does God give the elders of the church full rights to establish any
rule and regulation they want, and then force it on the members
of the church?
Does God, under any circumstances, allow church elders the
right to turn a member over to Satan and shun him or her for
breaking a man-made rule?
Is there a difference between a man-made rule, such as, “Thou
shalt not drive a car” and a God made rule, such as, “Thou shalt not
commit adultery?”
The answer to these questions should seem obvious. Right? Surely every
reader of this booklet would agree that God’s rules, if broken, will carry consequences.
But what about man made rules? What if they are broken? Does God care?
For instance, suppose I was an elder of the church and one day I came to you
and said, John, from now on I don't want you to use any more power tools,
including the chain saw, power drill and air nailer. Suppose that I would
come to you a second time and say, John, from now on you are only allowed
to wear certain colors of clothing; your shirt can only have three buttons in
the front, no lay down collar, and no short sleeves.
Kerosene lanterns on your buggy are ok, but no battery operated
blinking lights.
Phone shanty on the corner of your property is ok, but mind you, no
phone in the house.
You must shave your mustache off, however, the beard must go uncut.
A couch in the living room is allowable, but it is against the rules to
have a back or arm rests on the side.
Running the washing machine with a gasoline engine is acceptable,
but to do so with electricity is wrong.
A good Amish man might argue, but these rules are nothing more then little
fences that keep us from loosing control and breaking God’s commandments.
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Another popular response might sound like this: “Well, we don't actually
believe that keeping our man made rules will get us to heaven.”
A good follow-up question might be, “so you don't believe that the rules will
get you to heaven?” No, he would answer. But than my question would be,
“what happens if one of the members does not keep the rules?” If the good
Amish man is truthful, he would answer the most popular way and say, “well,
then we as a church would have to take action and excommunicate and shun
that member”.
Excommunicate that member for what? For breaking a man made rule?!
Dear reader, do you realize, that is exactly what was happening in Jesus’ day.
The religious Pharisees and Sadducees created thousands of little fences, in
order to keep their people from breaking God’s commandments. And in
time, those little fences became more important than anything God ever said.
In fact, Jesus clearly said to them, “...ye reject the commandment of God, that ye
may keep your own tradition.” Let’s read the whole passage.
Mark 7:8-9
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as
the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And He
said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may
keep your own tradition.
We can read throughout the gospels and the book of Acts that their manmade
fences would become the very reason for Jesus and the Apostles to get
kicked out of the synagogues and eventually even hung on crosses, beheaded,
dipped in boiling oil and cast into the rivers.
John 16:2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever
killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
How desperately sad, when the very leaders who should be studying and
preaching God’s Word, turn on their own flock and cast them out of their
fellowship; not because they broke the commandments of God, but because
they broke their own man-made rules.
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Consider what happened in the situation, following this paragraph. Jesus is
standing in front of Pilate with a crown of thorns on His head. He is being
accused by His own people, who want Him dead! Particular notice the part
of the verse that is underlined.
John 19:6-7
When the chief priests [leaders of the church] therefore and officers saw
Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, Crucify Him. Pilate saith
unto them, Take ye Him, and Crucify Him: for I find no fault in
Him.
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to
die, because He made Himself the Son of God.
In a nut shell, this is what they said; we [the church] have our own set of
rules; this man, Jesus Christ, does not measure up to those rules! Therefore,
we want Him dead!
Questions:
Would the Son of God measure up to your church standards?
What would happen if He attended your services next Sunday, and
at the end of the sermon, He started healing people?
Would He be allowed to preach in your church services, even if He
was not chosen in a lot?
Chances are, if Jesus Christ came to church and did not look Amish, act
Amish, or speak Amish, He would immediately be put in a different category.
The church people might even start saying and hearing things like, look! He
came to church without a hat! His suspenders are made out of elastic instead
of denim. He’s wearing a mustache! Oh, and did you hear what His name is?
He claims to go by the name Jesus, and you know as well as I do, that is not
an Amish name. My, how worldly! If He thinks that He will become part of
the Amish church, He’s going to have to change His name to a more simple
one, such as John or Joe.
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Here is what Jesus had to say about that kind of judgment and condemnation:
Matthew 23:13
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the
kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither
suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
View #2
Then there are other churches, mostly outside the Amish culture, who turn a
blind eye toward Scriptures that teach excommunication
and shunning. In fact, if the pastor
or church elders, I am about to describe, would
so much as dare use discipline on one of their
members, they would loose half of their
membership; maybe even get sued. And
if that were to happen, the bills wouldn’t
get paid.
In the case of this view, church discipline
is a phrase that no one dare speak, even
in the most sinful situation.
Besides that, it is much easier for the troublemaker
of these churches to uproot and move
on to another church in the area. After leaving the old
church and attending the new one for awhile, they stir up more
trouble, and eventually, they do it all over again; they move on to the next
church.
They are never at one church long enough to become established and usable
in ministry. And secondly, the new church, in which the troublemaker has
just joined, is so disconnected from all other churches in town, that no one is
aware of what happened at the previous church.
View and practice #2 has brought as much turmoil and devastation to the
church as the first view. They are both out of balance and unscriptural.
The Bible is very clear and leaves no room for doubt; when the church allows
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a little sin to dwell in the camp, it will eventually hurt everybody. It is just
like cancer, if left unattended, you can bet, it will destroy your whole body.
1 Corinthians 5:6
…know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
The point is this: the church must wake up and learn something. Leaven is a
type of sin in the Bible. Therefore, if the church member and his shameful
sin are allowed to remain in the church, it will spread throughout the whole
membership. If the church continues to accept the person who is living in
open sin, others will begin to feel that they, too, can be acceptable even if they
sin. If there is no restraint upon sin, then sin will grow. If sin is accepted,
then sin, not righteousness, rules.
Note what Scripture says: it takes only a little leaven, not much, for sin to
grow. Accepting just one member who lives in sin will cause others to
begin living worldly and sinful lives.
To the church, living and practicing under View #2, may I remind you, the
Bible has some clear words written out for you.
1 Corinthians 5:6
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened…
Must I also remind you what happened to Achan in the Old Testament?
Joshua informed the Children of Israel in Joshua 6:18, “do not take anything
from the City of Jericho or you will bring a curse on the whole camp. Achan
got sticky fingers, and when he saw some gold and silver shekels, he picked
them up and hid them in his tent. He probably thought to himself, I never
got caught and no one will ever know. However, the Lord saw it all.
Notice the effect that one man’s sin had on the whole camp.
Joshua 7:1
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for
Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe
of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was
kindled against the children of Israel.
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Questions from the Scripture we just read:
How man people got blamed for one man’s sin?
How many people did the Lord God become angry at over one
man’s sin?
Yes, you are right. God got angry at every single person in the camp; even
those who were totally unaware of Achan’s sin. Joshua 7:5 tells us that 36
men died as a result.
The Bible tells us that Joshua and the elders of Israel rent their clothes, put
dust on their heads, and fell on their faces before God. And again, I want us
to notice how God responded back to Joshua and the Elders of Israel. (In
some ways, it goes right along with what God said in 1 Corinthians 5:6, when
He said to the church, “know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump)”
Joshua 7:10-12
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus
upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant
which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed
thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even
among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand
before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because
they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye
destroy the accursed from among you.
One church member sinned and 36 innocent men died! Truly, it makes a
person wonder how many innocent church members are suffering severe consequences
and have fallen into sin them selves, because nothing is being done
to purge out the sin that has sprung up with in the camp.
And, might I add; maybe that is why we see so little power in our churches
today. And maybe, just maybe, that is why we see so many of our prayers go
unanswered.
Is it possible that we are the church that Christ spoke of in Rev, chapter 3?
Revelation 3:14-22
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; … I know thy
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works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
spue [vomit] thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold
tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou
mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door [of the church], and knock: if any man
hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
———————————————————————————————————
1 Corinthians 5:6, Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
new lump, as ye are unleavened…
———————————————————————————————————
So when does it become right to excommunicate
and shun a member of the church?
View #3
One thing is for sure, where there
are people, there is sin and disagreement.
It is bound to happen! Someone
once said, if you do find a perfect church,
don't join it, because the moment you join
it, it will become imperfect.
To point fingers at another church member
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too quickly, is to forget the true statement that says, “but for the grace of God,
there go I”.
Oh, you may not have a problem with lusting and you may never have come
close to committing adultery, but possibly you have other problems, such as
anger and bitterness.
Every person on the face of this planet has at least several weaknesses and if
at the right time and at the right place, you will break every single time.
Matthew 7:3-5
And why beholdest thou the mote [speck] that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest
not the beam [plank] that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say
to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam
is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own
eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's
eye.
Most of us would be wise to read and study the previous passage before we
take any action at all. However, there are those times when a born again
member in the church makes some very poor choices and get’s tangled up in a
sin, such as the ones we read about in Galatians 5:19-21 and a few other places
in the New testament.
When that happens, I truly believe that we have to ask ourselves two questions
before we as a church do anything with the erring member.
First: Was this a one time ordeal or something that happened
many, many times?
Second: Has the person showed true sorrow for the sin which
was committed, or is he or she filled with pride and doesn’t care?
Let’s just say that the person is truly sorry for the sin they committed—and
might I add, true and complete sorrow can not be faked. True repentance is
so visible that you would have a hard time missing it.
What should the church do?
They have a member who has sinned a terrible sin, maybe it happened
once and maybe it happened several times, however, the truth is, the sin-
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ning church member is very broken over his/her sin. S/he has wept bitterly
and asked God and the church for forgiveness.
What should the church do?
Should they immediately forgive and forget? Should they forgive and still
put the person through a period of excommunication and shunning?
Let’s turn to the Scriptures for our answer:
John 8:3-5
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery;
and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this
woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded
us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This woman was caught in the very act of adultery. And, oh did the power
hungry church leaders come alive. In fact, they shouted for all to hear:
Moses commanded us to stone people like this!
By the way, I should point out that this woman was most likely a member of
the Jewish synagogue. One thing is for sure, she was considered by the leaders
as one who should be living under the law of Mosses. Let us now turn
and see how the Lord Jesus handled the matter.
John 8:6-11
…Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he
heard them not.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto
them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which
heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning
at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the
woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said
unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned
thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn
thee: go, and sin no more.
There are two things I would like to point out about the actions that Jesus
took in the passage of Scripture we just read.
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One
Jesus did not say, “woman, because of your sinful behavior, I am going to ask
the synagogue to excommunicate and shun you for six weeks. During that
time, we as members are going to watch you very closely to see if you are really
serious about your sorrow and repentant heart.
Two
Jesus did not condemn, or for that matter, even question her. What He did
do is give the sinning woman a second chance. Aren’t you glad that we serve a
God of second chances? But wait, our heavenly Father, according to the next
Scripture passage, is about giving the sinner who repents many chances.
Luke 17:4
And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a
day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Ok, let’s pretend that you just caught a church member in the very act of
sinning a great sin, similar to the one that we just read about in John chapter
8. And let’s pretend also that, at this point, no one else in the church is
aware of anything. Just you, who caught the church member in the sinful act
and the sinning church member are the only ones that know. What should
you do?
Should you run behind the sinning member’s back and tell all
that happened to the Amish deacon so he can go and tell the
bishop and other ministers?
Should you start gossiping all over the neighborhood, letting everybody
know what so and so is into?
Should you forgive and tell no one about what you just witnessed?
Let’s again consider the words of our Lord Jesus, as He sets some clear guidelines
concerning these very questions. Notice, there are three steps, that according
to Jesus, you should take in dealing with the sinning church member.
Matthew 18:15-17
[STEP 1] Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell
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him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast
gained thy brother.
[STEP 2] 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 established.
[STEP 3] And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but
if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen
man and a publican.
Wow! Could Jesus have made it any plainer then what He did? Three very
clear steps in dealing with the sinning church member. And friend, may I
remind you, it is not until the last step in Jesus’ outline that you take the sinful
situation to the whole church. And if I understand Jesus correctly, it is
only then that the church excommunicates and shuns the unrepentant sinner.
Let’s please ask ourselves another question:
According to Jesus in Matthew 18, would excommunication
and shunning have been necessary if the sinning member had
repented on step 1? Step 2? How the about step 3?
The answer should be obvious, but just in case it isn't——according to Jesus’
own words, the sinner should not be excommunicated and treated as an unbeliever
until all three steps have been completed and the sinner has still not
shown any sign of sorrow or repentance. And, might I remind us all, it never
works to do [STEP TWO AND THREE] before [STEP ONE], such as is happening
in most of our Plain churches. Not only does it not work, it is never
how God intended it to be.
I would like to point out one last thing before we end our study on excommunication
and shunning. For those of us who were brought up under the
strict guidelines of the Amish ordinance letter, I beg you to pay close attention
to what I am about to ask.
Is it ever, under any circumstance Biblical to excommunicate
and shun members for breaking a man-made rule?
Is there a difference between man-made rules and God-made
rules? Or do they, if broken, carry the same level of punishment?
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Adultery,
fornication,
uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
Idolatry,
witchcraft,
hatred,
variance,
emulations,
wrath,
strife,
seditions,
heresies,
envying,
murders,
drunkenness,
revellings,
and such like:
Galatians 5:19-21
Breaking the God-Made Rules
God to the church: Deliver such a person unto Satan
1 Corinthians 5:5 & 11
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh,
that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man
that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no
not to eat.
As an apostle and the spiritual father of the Corinthian church,
Paul had the authority to deal with the matter and he understood
the danger to the church if the sin were to remain undisciplined.
Paul told the church, in no uncertain terms to call a meeting of
the whole congregation so they would witness and support the
action. As they met, Paul would be there in spirit, because he carried
the authority as an apostle, and the power of the Lord Jesus
would also be with them as they met. The entire situation was under
the mighty power of the Lord Jesus to deal with the man’s
spirit and to bring him to repentance.
Paul explained the discipline that should be carried out: Cast this
man out of the church and into Satan’s hands. This would mean
excluding him from the fellowship of believers (see 1 Timothy
1:20). Without the spiritual support of Christians, this man would
be left alone with his sin and Satan, and hopefully this emptiness
would drive him to repentance. The church could not literally give
him to Satan, for only God can consign a person to eternal judgment.
It was meant to force him to see the consequences of sin by
living in Satan’s sphere of influence—the world apart from Christ
and the church.
That his sinful nature will be destroyed meant that the exclusion
from the fellowship would help the man to face his sinful, selfish
nature, repent, and return to the church. Paul wanted this sinner
to experience the crucifixion of his sinful nature (Romans 7:5-6;
Galatians 5:24). It may take such drastic measures to deal with the
sinful nature, but how much more important for the man that he
face this and repent in order that he would be saved in the end.
Paul hoped that this harsh disciplinary action might be of eternal
benefit to the man.
—Life Application Commentary
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No lay down shirt
collar,
No zippers allowed
on your clothes,
Ownership and driving
of car forbidden,
Adding electric to
your home not allowed,
Owning a snowmobile
and farming
with tractors,
Installing a phone in
your house,
Letting your mustache
grow and shaving
your beard,
Using flashing lights
and orange triangles
on your buggy,
Wearing short sleeve
shirts,
Fancy baby names,
couches with a back,
Carpeting in the living
room,
and such like:
Breaking the Man-Made Rules
God to the church: Get rid of the man-made rules
Colossians 2:8, 14, 20-22
Beware lest any man spoil you through… the tradition
of men,…and not after Christ.
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross;
...why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to
ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which
all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments
and doctrines of men?
The approach to God by rules and discipline forces us to focus
upon the rules instead of Christ. We have to keep our
minds upon the rules or else we break them before we know
it. This displeases God. God wants our lives focused upon His
Son Jesus Christ and not our own man-made rules.
Man-made rules will do nothing but turn us into slaves. They
force us to commit our lives to them and to focus upon them,
and then they leave us enslaved to the bondage of death.
Man-made ideas do not free us; they can carry us no higher
than the man who made up the idea, and that height is not a
height at all. In fact, it is a depth, the depth of death to which
all men go.
Life in Christ is not slavery; it is freedom. Life in Christ is a life
freed from corruption and death—a life which is already acceptable
to God and which has already been given eternal life
by God. Life in Christ is enslaved by nothing—it is set free
from all the elements and materials of this world including
death—it is set free to live and move and have its being face to
face with God Himself. Not because we are worthy or merit it,
but because of Christ and what He has done.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage.
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What You Should Know To Go To Heaven
First, you need to be saved:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Second, you cannot save yourself:
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Third, Jesus has provided for your salvation:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Fourth, You must accept Jesus as your Savior:
John 1:12-13
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Fifth, now is the time to accept Jesus as Savior:
2 Corinthians 6:2
...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
What to do:
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in
thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Finally, will you bow your head and pray this prayer?
Dear God, I am a sinner, I know that my sin will send me to hell. I believe in
my heart that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead in order that I might
have eternal life. I now declare Him to be the Lord of my life. I renounce any
effort on my part to save myself. The best that I know how, I receive Jesus as my
Savior. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Help me to live for you every
day. Amen
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Who I Am In Christ
1. Matthew 6:26: I am are very valuable to
Christ.
2. Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5: I am Father’s
forgiven son/daughter.
3. Matthew 10:31; Luke 12:7: I am of great
worth to Father.
4. Matthew 12:12: I am of much value to
Christ.
5. Matthew 18:10-14: I am Father’s precious,
protected little one.
6. Mark 3:34-35: I am Christ’s brother or
sister.
7. Luke 6:35: I am a son or daughter of the
Most High God.
8. Luke 12:4: I am Christ’s friend.
9. Luke 20:36; John 1:12; Romans 8:14-17; 1
John 3:2: I am a child of God.
10. John 1:13: I am a child born of God.
11. John 3:6: I am born of the Spirit.
12. John 3:16: I am so loved by Father that he
gave his only begotten Son to die for me
so that I could live with him forever.
13. John 8:35: I am Father’s forever son/
daughter.
14. John 10:28-30: I am eternally secure in
God’s holy love.
15. John 15:9: Jesus says of me, “As Father
has loved me, so I have loved you.”
16. John 15:15: Jesus says to me, “I no longer
call you servant, but friend.”
17. Acts 10:43: My sins are forgiven.
18. Acts 20:28: I am Christ’s flock.
19. Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 1:2: Together
with all the saints, I am God’s Church.
20. Romans 4:7-8: My transgressions are forgiven
and my sins covered.
21. Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14-17; Colossians
1:21-22: I have peace with God.
22. Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:18: I have full,
free, confident, bold access to God.
23. Romans 5:6-8: God demonstrated his
love for me in that while I was yet a sinner,
Christ died for me.
24. Romans 5:9: I am saved, delivered from
wrath.
25. Romans 5:10-11; Colossians 1:20: I am
reconciled to God.
26. Romans 8:1, 33-34: I will never be condemned
because I am in Christ Jesus.
27. Romans 8:14: I am among those called,
“sons of God.”
28. Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6: I have received
the Spirit of sonship so I can cry,
“Abba, Daddy.”
29. Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7; Ephesians
3:6; Titus 3:7: I am an heir of God.
30. Romans 8:17: I am a joint-heir with Jesus.
31. Romans 8:23: I am adopted into Father’s
forever family.
32. Romans 8:31: God is for me, never
against me.
33. Romans 8:37-39: Nothing, nor anyone,
anywhere can ever separate me from
God’s love for me in Christ.
34. Romans 9:25: God says of me, “You are
my loved one.”
35. Romans 9:26: I am a son of the living
God.
36. Romans 11:5: I am chosen by grace.
37. Romans 14:3: I am accepted by God.
38. Romans 15:7: I am accepted by Christ.
39. 1 Corinthians 1:9-10: I am called into
intimate fellowship with the Son.
40. 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12;
5:23: Together with all the saints, I am the
Body of Christ.
41. 2 Corinthians 1:22: I am sealed by the
Spirit, secure in Father’s forever love.
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42. 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14: I am
indwelt by the Holy Spirit, guaranteed my
eternal inheritance as a member of God’s
family.
43. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19: I am reconciled to
the Father by the Son and my sins will
never be counted against me.
44. Galatians 3:27: I am clothed with Christ.
45. Galatians 3:28: Together with all believers,
we are one in Christ.
46. Galatians 3:29: I belong to Christ.
47. Galatians 4:5: I have received the full
rights of an adult son/daughter of God.
48. Galatians 4:7, 31: I am no longer a slave,
but a son or daughter.
49. Ephesians 1:4-6: I am accepted in the
beloved.
50. Ephesians 1:5: I was predestined to be
adopted as God’s son.
51. Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14: I am forgiven
and redeemed.
52. Ephesians 1:13: I have been marked with
the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.
53. Ephesians 1:14: I am God’s precious,
treasured possession.
54. Ephesians 2:10: I am God’s poem, opus,
epic, masterpiece.
55. Ephesians 2:19: Together with all believers,
I am a member of God’s family.
56. Ephesians 3:6; 4:25; 5:30: Together with
all the saints, I am a member of Christ’s
body.
57. Ephesians 3:12: I may approach God with
freedom and confidence.
58. Ephesians 3:18: God’s love for me is wider
than east and west, longer than north and
south, higher than the stars, and deeper
than the galaxy.
59. Ephesians 4:12: Together with all God’s
children, I claim the title, “God’s people.”
60. Ephesians 4:30: I am sealed by the Holy
Spirit for the day of final redemption.
61. Ephesians 5:1: I am a dearly loved child of
God.
62. Ephesians 5:31-32: Together with all the
saints, I am one with Christ.
63. Colossians 1:21-22: Once alienated from
God, Christ has reconciled me to God.
64. Colossians 3:12: I am one of God’s chosen
people.
65. Colossians 3:12: I am dearly loved by
Christ.
66. Colossians 3:13: I am forgiven by Christ.
67. 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13:
Together with all the saints, we are brothers
and sisters loved by God.
68. 1 Thessalonians 1:4: I am chosen by God.
69. Hebrews 3:1: Together with all believers, I
am a holy brother/sister.
70. Hebrews 4:16: I may approach the throne
of grace with confidence.
71. Hebrews 8:12: Father has forgiven my
wickedness and remembers my sin no
more.
72. Hebrews 9:15: I am guaranteed an eternal
inheritance in Father’s family.
73. Hebrews 9:26: My sins have been done
away with forever.
74. Hebrews 10:2: I no longer have to feel
guilty because I am cleansed once for all.
75. Hebrews 10:19: I have confidence to enter
the most holy place of God’s holy presence.
76. Hebrews 10:22: I can draw near to God
with a sincere heart in full assurance, having
been cleansed of a guilty conscience.
77. 1 Peter 2:6: I will never be put to shame.
78. 1 John 3:1: God has lavished his love
upon me.
79. 1 John 3:16: Christ loved me so much
that he laid down his life for me.
80. 1 John 4:9-11: Father showed his love for
me by sending his Son to die for me.
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