LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION

[Moise Racette]

Dis- /dis/

prefix

      1.expressing negation:"dislike"

      2.denoting reversal or absence of an action or state:"dishonor"

      3.denoting removal of the thing specified:"disbud"

      ▪denoting separation:"discharge"

      ▪denoting expulsion: "disbar"

      4.expressing completeness or intensification of an unpleasant or unattractive action:"disgruntled”

 

Verb excommunicate - /ɛkskəmjˈunəkeɪt/ 1 To exclude from a church or a religious community The gay priest was excommunicated when he married his partner2 To oust or exclude from a group or membership by decree

ThesaurusSynonym curse unchurchAntonym communicateHypernym boot out drum, oust exclude expel keep out, kick out oust shut, shut out, throw out Derived excommunicated excommunicates excommunicating excommunication See also curse unchurch

Verb expel - /ɛkspˈɛl/ 1 To eliminate a substance often a liquid or gas2 To cause to flee Artillery will expel out the enemy from their trenches3 To remove from a position or office4 To force to leave or move out He was expelled from his native country

ThesaurusSynonym boot out discharge drum out eject exhaust kick out oust release rout, rout out throw outHypernym defeat displace get the better of move overcome remove

Verb disassociate - /dɪsəsˈoʊʃieɪt/ 1 To part cease relations or break an association She had to disassociate herself from the organization when she found out the identity of the president.

ThesaurusSynonym disjoint dissociate disunite divorceHypernym break, break up part separate split, split up,Derived disassociated disassociates disassociating disassociation

Noun purge - /pɜɹʤ/ 1 An abrupt or sudden removal perhaps through assassination of a person or group from an organization or place

2 An act of removing by cleansing thus ridding of sediment or other undesired elements

3 The act of clearing oneself or another from some stigma or charge

[Guest]

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal.  And if I have the gift of prophecy and understand all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  And if I give all my belongings to feed others, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I do not benefit at all. 

 

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up,  does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury.  It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

 

"Love never fails. But if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.  For we have partial knowledge and we prophesy partially,  but when what is complete comes, what is partial will be done away with.  When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, to think as a child, to reason as a child; but now that I have become a man, I have done away with the traits of a child.  For now we see in hazy outline by means of a metal mirror, but then it will be face-to-face. At present I know partially, but then I will know accurately, just as I am accurately known.  Now, however, these three remain: faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love."

 

"God is Love."

 

Jesus is the Way. Jesus is Jehovah's Son. Jesus never "disfellowshipped" anybody. He did not teach "disfellowshipping" doctrine. The Pharisees did. Jesus said the Pharisees were the sons of the Devil. 

 

God's Way is Love. Satan's Way is Disfellowshipping.

 

Follow the Christ, Not the Devil.

 

Jehovah's Name Will Be Sanctified. Praise Jehovah.

[Moise Racette]

That's what I thought. The poster can't defend anything to do with scripture. The poster is now a charlatan. 

 Noun charlatan - /ʃˈɑɹlətən/ 1 A flamboyant deceiver one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes.

ThesaurusSynonym mountebank

Hypernym beguiler cheat cheater deceiver slicker trickster

Hyponym craniologist phrenologist quack

[Moise Racette]

Since "expel" is part of scripture, the obtuse poster is NOW calling God WICKED. Another individual that has blasphemed against God's Holy Spirit, and has now condemned that soul to the second death. 

Matt. 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

1John 5:16 ¶ If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.

[Guest]

There are several scriptures that get twisted in order to support the false doctrine of disfellowshipping as it is currently practiced. By examining the context, we can see what they really mean. Let's look at three of them:

 

(1) 1 Corinthians 5:15 "Remove the wicked person from among yourselves."

 

In context, Paul was upbraiding the congregation for tolerating, condoning, embracing, and ignoring shocking brazen conduct. There was a guy who was fornicating with his own step-mother, conduct that was clearly condemned in the Mosaic Law and was still morally illegal for Christians. The fact that the congregation didn't even batt an eyelash at this behavior was shocking to Paul, and he was telling them "What is wrong with you people?!" 

 

Then Paul says not to eat with anyone called a brother who is doing such brazen, shocking immoral behavior. Paul lists specific actions like those who are drunkards and revilers and so on.

 

The behaviors Paul lists were things that would be common knowledge in a congregation. There was no need for a so-called "judicial committee". People who know a person who is called a "brother" is a drunkard are to not hang out with the drunkard, not even eating with him, until he repents and changes his behavior.

 

It does not say to stop associating with all people who have this behavior, "or else you would have to get out of the world." If a family member decides they don't want to be a brother in the faith, then Paul doesn't say to not eat with him, although surely it would be wise to curtail excessive contact with such a person. 

 

There was not a committee of elders appointed to make this decision of "not eating" with somebody. The individual Christian is called upon to exercise his common sense in the matter. There was no "disfellowshipping doctrine" in the first century from this verse. Use common sense. If somebody says they're a Christian and you're looking for clean fellowship but you know the person is sleeping around, don't hang out with them. You don't need an announcement from some "committee". (Sometimes the guys on the committee are committing more crimes than the person they disfellowshipped.)

 

(2) 2 John 10,11 "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him.  For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works."

 

The original language of the phrase here translated "do not say a greeting" actually is "do not say for him to be rejoicing". It is telling us not to rejoice in the wickedness of others and to not encourage them in their wickedness.

 

The context of the verse isn't talking about the same as the context of 1 Corinthians 5. 1 Corinthians 5 was talking about people who are doing brazen shocking immoral behavior like fornication and drunkenness and so on. The context of 2 John is talking about people who teach philosophies and doctrines that go beyond what is written in the Bible, people who do like the Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes did with the Mosaic Law, adding and changing and deleting certain teachings. 

 

Today, those who add and delete and change certain Christian teachings include some who teach breakaway sects, but it also includes many of the teachings put forth by the current and former governing body members as well as Russell and Rutherford and Knorr. The 1914 teaching, the "Faithful And Discreet Slave" teaching, so many other teachings currently published by the organization go beyond what is written in the Bible. 

 

2 John 10,11 tells us to not encourage others to rejoice in these false teachings. The rest of the Bible helps us to see that we are to admonish those who are teaching falsely and correct them with patience and holy spirit.

 

(3) 1 Timothy 1:20 "Hy·me·naeʹus and Alexander are among these, and I have handed them over to Satan so that they may be taught by discipline not to blaspheme." 2 Timothy 2:16,17 "But reject empty speeches that violate what is holy, for they will lead to more and more ungodliness,  and their word will spread like gangrene. Hy·me·naeʹus and Phi·leʹtus are among them."

 

The context of 1 Timothy chapter 1 shows that Hymenaeus and Alexander thrust aside a good conscience and shipwrecked their faith. Their actions didn't match their words, and they were blaspheming. Paul also says in this chapter that he used to also be a blasphemer and that he was shown mercy because Jesus was patient with him.

 

The context of 2 Timothy chapter 2 gives more details on how Hymenaeus and Philetus were blaspheming. They were teaching false doctrine, saying that the resurrection had already occurred. 

 

What did Paul recommend? He didn't say to cast them out of the congregation and he didn't say to shun them by never talking to them. He said in a large house there are many vessels, and if you keep clear of the dirty ones you will be better off. Paul told Timothy to keep teaching the truth with mildness.

 

"Further, reject foolish and ignorant debates, knowing that they produce fights.  For a slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be gentle toward all, qualified to teach, showing restraint when wronged,  instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed. Perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of truth,  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the Devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him to do his will."

 

Paul had hope that they would turn around. He recognized that by not adhering to the truth, they were already "handed over to Satan" but they could "come to their senses and escape from the snare of the Devil".

 

There is absolutely nothing in the context about having a judicial committee and announcing "disfellowshipping".

 

Disfellowshipping was a holdover teaching from the apostate Pharisees who hated love.

 

We are followers of Christ, not the Pharisees.

 

"God is Love."

[Moise Racette]

44 minutes ago, Audrey Kennedy-Tripp said:

There are several scriptures that get twisted in order to support the false doctrine of disfellowshipping as it is currently practiced. By examining the context, we can see what they really mean. Let's look at three of them:

I guess this poster is suggesting there are levels of bad conduct. Something like a little white lie vs a big red one. To God, a lie is a lie regardless of its level. Does this poster even understand basic definitions of the English language? The poster can't pick, and choose what it likes out of scripture, and condemn the rest, just because it doesn't meet the poster's approval.

The poster is NOT God.

Try reading the word definitions I posted, and debate where the word "remove" that is in 1 Corinthians 5:15 the poster submitted can be "twisted" to make the poster argument valid?

Noun remove - /ɹɪmˈuv/ 1 Degree of figurative distance or separation Just one remove from madness, or It imitates at many removes a Shakespearean tragedy Verb remove - /ɹɪmˈuv/ 1 To eliminate or get rid of something concrete as by lifting pushing or taking off or to do away with something abstract

At what point does this poster believe scripture can't be applied to mean various wicked actions?

[Moise Racette]

1 hour ago, Audrey Kennedy-Tripp said:

"Further, reject foolish and ignorant debates, knowing that they produce fights.

Funny the poster mentions this since the poster's conduct is just that about the Org and its members.

1 hour ago, Audrey Kennedy-Tripp said:

There is absolutely nothing in the context about having a judicial committee and announcing "disfellowshipping".

Now the poster is behaving like another D'fd poster here. Wants to see the word specifically mentioned without reading the rest of scripture's intent with its context. 

Matt. 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Titus 3:10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,
Titus 3:11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Does the poster know how the Jews felt about a tax collector? 

[Moise Racette]

2John 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.

[Guest]

Here is another scripture that gets twisted to support that God-dishonoring doctrine of disfellowshipping:

 

"Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go and reveal his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.  If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector."

 

Did Jesus say, "If three elders conduct a secret investigation behind closed doors and then make a public announcement you should shun your brother"? No. He didn't say anything close to that.

 

The word here translated "congregation" is different than the word translated "older men" or "elders". There is no secrecy implied, no back-room elder meeting. The word "congregation" means the whole congregation. Judging in ancient times took place publicly at the city gate, where anyone walking by could see and hear what was going on. It is not "gossip" to let the congregation know about serious wrongdoing. It is not "gossip" to warn your brothers and sisters about serious wrongdoing. It is a command of Jesus as proven by this passage.

 

Additionally, when it says "if he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector" what did that mean?

 

How did Jesus treat tax collectors and people of the nations? Did Jesus shun them? Did he never talk to them?

 

Jesus healed the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman. Jesus ate with Zaccheaus before he repented. He spoke to and interacted with all kinds of people, including prostitutes and criminals (like the man on the torture stake next to him, who he promised would be with him in Paradise.) Jesus made a tax collector an apostle. 

 

Jesus meant not to be hanging out super closely with a brother who refused to repent. In normal everyday affairs, the disciples wouldn't come into prolonged contact with people of the nations or tax collectors. They would still talk to them. This is in harmony with the rest of the scriptures.

 

The Pharisees were the ones who shunned tax collectors and people of the nations. Jesus ate with them and showed them love.

 

The Pharisees also threw rocks at lepers. Jesus healed the lepers and showed them compassion.

 

Follow the Christ.

 

"He is the image of the invisible God."

 

Praise Jehovah.

[Guest]

2 John 10,11

 

"εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς

"If anyone is coming toward YOU

 

καὶ ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει,

and this the teaching not he is bearing,

 

μὴ λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν

not be YOU receiving him into house

 

καὶ χαίρειν αὐτῷ μὴ λέγετε"

and to be rejoicing to him not be you saying"

 

Here is another rendering:

 

"If anyone cometh unto you and this teaching doth not bring be not receiving him home and Joy to thee! do not say; for he that biddeth him rejoice hath fellowship with his wicked works."

 

And another rendering:

 

"If anyone shows up who doesn’t hold to this teaching, don’t invite him in and give him the run of the place. That would just give him a platform to perpetuate his evil ways, making you his partner."

 

And another...

 

"The man who is so "advanced" that he is not content with what Christ taught has in fact no God. The man who bases his life on Christ's teaching, however, has both the Father and the Son as his God. If any teacher comes to you who is disloyal to what Christ taught, don't have him inside your house. Don't even wish him "God-speed", unless you want to share in the evil that he is doing."

 

The context and the content of the verses show it's not talking about a committee of three imperfect men in a back room with secret meetings deciding that a brother is no longer alive and is no longer redeemable by the ransom and needs to be treated as if dead.

 

The context and content of the verses shows that a wise person will utilize their God given free will to disapprove of those who teach false doctrines. This disapproval means not saying "I agree" or "Good job" to those who go beyond what Christ taught.

 

The current disfellowshipping doctrine goes beyond what Christ taught and is, in fact, anti-Christ by means of disregarding the power of the ransom as well as the basic nature of the Christ, namely love.

 

"If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And we have this commandment from him, that whoever loves God must also love his brother."

 

Because of the blatant lawlessness by those taking the lead in the organization, Jehovah's wrath is coming. The lack of love in the congregation due to this anti-Christ disfellowshipping doctrine makes even the nations sick and shake their heads. Jehovah's name has been greatly reproached. Repent! Jehovah's wrath is great against His organization for false teachings like the disfellowshipping doctrine. Reach out to your loved ones who have been "disfellowshipped". Make amends. Keep yourself free from bad conduct, but don't strain out the gnat and gulp down the camel. God is love. Love is greater than following checklists made by Pharisaical hypocrites. The checklists don't mean anything to Jehovah. Love does.

 

Follow Jesus. Jehovah's Name Will Be Sanctified. It is time to clean the house of all these false doctrines.

 

Praise Jehovah.

[Moise Racette]

36 minutes ago, Audrey Kennedy-Tripp said:

2 John 10,11

NWT (2 John 10, 11) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. 11 For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.

Which lexicon is giving the poster trouble, if the poster doesn't understand scripture to begin with? What part of DO NOT, does the poster not understand? I see you can't answer the other text either. 

CSB  2 John 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and don't say, "Welcome," to him; 

KJV  2 John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

NAS  2 John 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

NLT  2 John 1:10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don't invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement.

BGT  2 John 1:10 εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει, μὴ λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν καὶ χαίρειν αὐτῷ μὴ λέγετε·

[Fri] μή negative particle not, used for assumed, hesitant, or indefinite denial; where οὐ (not) denies the fact, μή denies the idea; generally used with all moods except the factual indicative, including its use with the infinitive and participle; (1) used to negate an assumption (JN 3.18 ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν because he has not believed); (2) used to introduce questions expecting a negative answer (1C 12.29, 30); (3) used with the aorist subjunctive and present imperative to express prohibitions; (a) with the aorist subjunctive it has an ingressive denotation signifying don't begin to do something (HE 3.8); (b) with the present imperative it signals to bring to an end an already existing condition; stop doing something, don't do it any longer (MT 14.27); if the action has not yet begun, it signifies don't get into the habit of doing something 

So, what part of the word "EXPEL" in scripture, a word of God inspired, does the poster take offense with? Remember, it's God's command and Christ's instructions the poster is rejecting, and condemning. The poster already has the word definition. So, let God know why the poster disobedience should supersede God's judgment?

[Moise Racette]

1 hour ago, Audrey Kennedy-Tripp said:

Did Jesus say, "If three elders conduct a secret investigation behind closed doors and then make a public announcement you should shun your brother"? No. He didn't say anything close to that.

 

1 hour ago, Audrey Kennedy-Tripp said:

If he does not listen even to the congregation

Does the poster understand its own arguments and the contradictions it places before the poster?

So, does this poster suggest that the Elders should air the posters dirty laundry for everyone to be aware of, even if the sin is great? I believe, that's what the committee is about. FACT finding. If the sin is great, the entire church will be made aware of it. For instance, @Audrey Kennedy-Tripp, conduct is unbecoming a Christian and a blasphemer. People here already know that. Does the poster need to have it shouted over a rooftop? Should the Elders yield out, Brother so-and-so had sexual relations with so-and-so's wife, and now they are D'fd. Will that satisfy that nonsensical argument?

Remember, SHUN is an apostate excuse and word. That makes the poster an apostate. So accept it.