The concept of the CURSE or the BAN in the Old Testament is similar to excommunication. The curse signified divine judgment of sin. - Num. 5:20-21; Jer. 29:17-19 - It was considered God's agent in cleansing sin from the land. - Deut. 27:11-26 - To be under a curse meant to be excluded from society - thus removing a cancerous agent from the people. - Lev. 20:17 - When such a person refused to repent, he fell under the ban or curse - Mal. 4:6 - and was no longer considered part of God's Covenant People.

Nothing, however, that a man lays under ban for Yahweh may be redeemed; nothing he possesses whether man, beasts or fields of his patrimony. What is laid under ban is always a most holy thing and belongs to Yahweh. A human being laid under ban cannot be redeemed, he must be put to death. - Lev. 27:28-29 -

You must set fire to all the carved images of their gods, not coveting the gold and silver that covers them; take it and you will be caught in a snare: it is detestable to Yahweh your God. You must not bring any detestable things into your house or you, like it, will come under the ban too. You must regard them as unclean and loathsome for they are under the ban. - Deut. 7:25-26 -

In the New Testament, the process of excommunication from the Church was spelled out by Jesus. The apostle Paul used the phrase 'deliver to Satan' to speak of excommunication. This idea implies that God has removed His presence from the person's life and therefore Satan is free to afflict him.

If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or tax collector.
I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven. - Matt. 18:15-18 -

Timothy, my son, these are the instructions that I am giving you: I ask you to remember the words once spoken over you by the prophets and taking them to heart to fight like a good soldier with faith and a good conscience for your weapons. Some people have put conscience aside and wrecked their faith in consequence. I mean men like Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to teach them not to be blasphemous. - 1Tim. 1:18-20 -

Apparently, there were degrees of excommunication. The idle Thessalonian Christians who refused to heed apostle Paul's admonition were to be socially shunned. Then if they were still unrepentant they were to be disassociated from the brethen. But in neither case were the offenders to be considered under an absolute ban.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you, brothers, to keep away from any of the brothers who refuses to work or to live according to the tradition we passed on to you. - 2Thess. 3:6 -

Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you whether by word of mouth or by letter. - 2Thess. 2:15 -

My brothers, never grow tired of doing what is right. If anyone refuses to obey what I have written in this letter, take note of him and have nothing to do with him so that he will feel that he is wrong; though you are not to regard him as an enemy but as a brother in need of correction. - 2Thess. 3:13-15 -

Several purposes stood behind this extremely disciplinary tool. Primarily it was to protect the Church from blatant evil in its midst. It also had a redemptive function - to force the baptized Christians to realize the seriousness of his offense and to return to Christ. In this sense apostle Paul admonished Timothy.

Instead of giving in to your impulses like a young man, fasten your attention on holiness, faith, love and peace, in union with all those who call on the Lord with pure minds. Avoid these futile and silly speculations, understanding that they only give rise to quarrels; and a servant of the Lord is not to engage in quarrels but has to be kind to everyone, a good teacher and patient. He has to be gentle when he corrects people who dispute what he says, never forgetting that God may give them a change of mind so that they recognise the truth and come to their senses, once out of the trap where the devil caught them and kept them enslaved. - 2Tim. 2:22-26 -

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -