The Doctrine of Fellowship

Respected Guests, Friends, young people, and brothers and sisters:

Throughout the couse of this web page, we have posted various Bible lectures setting before us the true, and only teaching of the Bible. These teachings aggregately are defined in the Bible as "the Truth"

The way that leads to life is the Truth.  Jesus himself said this to those who would follow him in his own lifetime as recorded in John 8:31-32:

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Nothing else will do that.  It would be impossible to imagine the Lord saying, ye shall know error, and error shall make you free.  Thus it is that the way to life is straight and narrow.

The way of the truth, operating upon those who believe it and accept it, confines men and women within severely restricted limits, and that is the beginning of the doctrine of fellowship.  The truth confines us within severely restricted limits, and it is because of that that the Lord Jesus Christ in crystal clear terms set out his teachings in Matt. 7:14. 

MAT 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

But on the other hand, the way to destruction is wide and broad.  And among professing Christians in the world today, there has always been those who would to like to reverse the application of those two paths.  They would like to change the Lord's words and make them read "wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth unto life."  But it is not that way at all.  It is the Lord that has spoken.  It is the Lord that has set down the terms.  And we alter those terms, at our own eternal peril.

In another translation, the Rotherham, he translates that verse, from Mat. 7 "Narrow is the gate and confined the way, the way that leadeth unto life".  And in that brief teaching by Jesus, we have the main reason why the world today is not filled with Christadelphians.  The world today is not filled with Christadelphians because men and women of Adamic nature are not willing to be confined and restricted in what they may believe, or in what they may do. 

And we see around us everywhere in this modern society we live in; that men and women are claiming for themselves a freedom to believe whatever their fancies and fantasys dictate. They claim for themselves a right to "do their own thing," to behave in any way, gratify any lust; and still claim themselves to be "Christian". And it is apparent today that more than any thing else: man claims for himself a right to absolute freedom: and he wants that freedom with no consequences whatsoever. But if he wants to inherit the kingdom of God, freedom is something he can never have.  And when the churches around us extend to man this freedom, that which is compromised is the doctrine of fellowship.

Let us go back to the very beginning of the question of fellowship.  Let us go back to the Garden of Eden where we see Eve talking to the serpant. Now Eve had very little in the way of limits placed on her freedom. She was able to eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

GEN 3:1-3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

But the serpant came and appealed to her to violate this simple restriction. The serpant said:

GEN 3:4-5 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Now perhaps the most important words that he uttered to that woman were these.  Your eyes shall be opened.  Your eyes shall be opened, implying that they were blind to many of the good things of life through their limited outlook. The serpent in those words, your eyes shall be opened, was saying that wider horizons and greater freedoms could be opened up to them.  Cast off the restrictions of God's law, the serpent taught.  Cast them off!  And freedom, and honor, and glory and attainment will be yours. 

But the serpent did not understand the truth. His understanding was simply from his own observation, untaught of God. And therefore, he could not understand the restrictions placed upon the man and the woman by God in that garden.  As with all people who refuse to sincerely and dilignetly study and meditate upon God's words, the serpant arrived at wrong conclusions. And with appeals to the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life; he compelled Eve to ignore God's teaching and begin down the broad, wide path which leads to destruction.

Now the Bible is a record for us of the successes and failures that mankind has experienced since those events in Eden. How righteous men arrived on the scene, and because they were willing to be constrained by Bible teaching, they saved their people, as did Abraham, in his wars with the aggresive Kings Chedolaomer, and Tidal, ; and how the righteous Moses led his people out of the darkness of Egypt, and how Joshua conquered the promise land for the nation of Israel. But when wicked men came to power, men who refused to be confined by the word of God, the enemies of Israel conquered them, and sold them off into other nations scattering them accross the face of the earth. And so this type that started in the Garden of Eden comes right on down through the Bible, and we see how it all ties in in the words of the Lord's to his contemporaries who would not walk in Truth.  Jesus told them in John 8:44;:

"Ye are of your father the diabolos.  And the lust of your father, ye will do.  He was a murderer, but more correctly, a man slayer.  He was a man slayer from the beginning, because the false teaching of the serpent brought sin and death.  And the fact is that man not only dies if he denies divine principles, but he dies without hope.  And that is the statement that the Lord makes next.

"He was a manslayer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth.  Or more correctly it should be rendered, he stood not in the Truth.  The serpent never ever stood before God in a state of fellowship.  The serpent had never attained to fellowship with God: and by his teaching he robbed a man and a woman from any right to fellowship that they had had.  And the Lord categorizes his own contemporaries in the same way, because their reasonings, their philosophies, their religion was based upon the same false premise that motivated the teaching of the serpent. 

And so we learn from this, that fellowship is something that requires division.  Fellowship requires that men and women separate from that which is ungodly whether in belief or practice, and separate to that which is Godly or acceptable before God.  And because of that in such passages such as Luke 12:51 we read there that the Lord there told that his teachings would bring division, because division is an essential element of the doctrine of fellowship. 

In Luke 12:51 the Lord says,

LUK 12:51 "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:"

Notice the dramatic contrast in the two words, peace and division.  The word peace, which is a word which according to Bullinger means "peace in contrast with strife and denoting the absence or the end of strife."  Christ told his disciples, I haven't come to provide a situation in the world today that is going to bring an end to strife, a situation where there is will be an absence of strife.  Not at all, he says.  "Nay rather, division." 

Division.  A word which means dissension or discord.  Now why did he say that?  Its very often interpreted by the Christian world around us as a very harsh saying.  But what the Lord is really saying is that this will happen because there is one Truth.  There is one Truth.  And that one Truth will divide men from one another. 

You know, this was graphically put into demonstration during the Lord's own lifetime.  The question of fellowship.  The question of division.  We find for instance in the gospel of John, that John records three divisions which took place within one year during the Lord's life.  And Jesus himself was the reason for these divisions. 

Jesus was teaching in the synagoge, and he was laying the foundation for one of his truths which is so terribly neglected by the so called Christiqan world, and that is the weekly breaking of bread in remembrance of his great sacrifice. We read in John 6:53:

JOH 6:53-56 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Now the Jews, living as they did with an almost supersticious fanaticism to the law of Moses found this statment to be totally repugnant. The law forbade the eating of blood of any sort, how much more human blood and flesh? And so rather than thinking and meditating of the word of God, rather than reasoning things out; they allowed their human sensibilities to be enraged and we learn at verse 60:

JOH 6:60-63 "Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

When Jesus knew that his disciples were offended, he began to explain to them the meaning of his words. The flesh profiteth nothing. It is fit only for destruction. The symbolical eating of his flesh was to represent the total obliteration of the flesh of sin. The flesh profiteth nothing.

But the Jewish religious sensitivites of many people had been offended. And so they put thier own perception of how they thought things should be, over and above the teachings of Jesus. And they clearly knew, with every fiber of their Jewish mind set that the eating of blood was wrong. And so rather than be confined by the teachings of the Son of God, we learn in the 66th verse of that 6th chapter of John:

Joh. 6:66 "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."

So, there was a division among the people because of the direct teaching of Jesus.  It began with murmuring, dissatisfaction with what the Lord stood for: then it sprang up into outright rejection of what He said.  So there were those who were for him, and there were those who bitterly opposed him.  And there was a division born of men, a fulfillment of those words in Luke 12:51.  So, there was a division among the people because of him.

Next, let us look at John 9. In this chapter we find that Jesus had just opened the eyes of one that had been born blind, but he had done so on the Sabbath day. Again, we find that the sensibilities of the Jews were offended by the teaching of Jesus. They believed so strongly in the tradition of the Sabbath law that they allowed themselve to be blinded by the teachings of Jesus. So when Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath, it sent them all into division.

John 9:16 "Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.".

You see, this is the Word of God at work.  And ever since the curse was placed on Adam and Eve in the garden, the law has been established that before you can have fellowship, you've got to have division.  You've got to have separation from that which is opposed to the principle of Divine reason, and separation to the principles of the righteousness of God.  And there it was, demonstrated during the Lord's own life time. 

And finally, lets look at the 10th chapter of John. Jesus made this statement and it has been the cause of much contention ever since in the 17th verse. 

JOH 10:17-18 "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."

The Jews were again offended because he taught that God was his Father. And as a result of this teaching, there was a division therefore again.  Notice the way John emphasizes that point. 

John 10:19 "There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings."

By now, you see, the disciples are truly beginning to understand Jesus's words that he was not sent to bring peace, but rather division. Now lets go back, for a minute, to that 6th chapter of John, and look at what many in the world regards as a startling event.  The events here are quite remarkable, to say nothing of very dramatic.  Remember, as we read a few minutes ago, how that many of his disciples, when they had heard Jesus speak of eating his flesh and drinking his blood said, "this is an hard saying, who can hear it."  When Jesus knew himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, does this offend you, or more literally, does this cause you to stumble?  And as we previously saw, it did cause many to stumble, and John says many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Now, I want you to notice what Jesus does here, because it weighs very heavily and powerfully on the doctrine of fellowship.  We read this in John 6:67:

JOH 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

(be calm)

Now remember, the disciples had just divided over the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Many of them went back, and would walk no more with Jesus. And so what does Jesus say.  Does he say to the remaining disciples, "Quick, run after them, bring them back."  Does he say that?  Look at the words of verse 64 and we can begin to understand what is going on here; Jesus had told them in verse 64: 

JOH 6:64 "But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him."

There is our answer.  Why did they go away and leave him.  Why did he let them go?  The answer is, they would not walk in the light, and they were not willing to be constrained by that narrow path set out in the teachings of Jesus: so they turned away.  "They believed not." And instead of the Lord saying, "quick, run after them, and tell them I take all that back.  Tell them I'm not as strict as they thought I was.  I'm willing to compromise on this to keep them within our community." Instead of saying that, he turns to the remaining disciples, and challenges them. Jesus says, "look, we've come to this state, now what about you.  Are you going to leave too?  Are you going to leave the Truth?  And the 12 were forced to face up to the issues.

We have to bear in mind that the straight and the narrow way that leadeth to life must be preserved.  It has got to be preserved.  Because if its not, then the way that leads to the tree of life will disappear entirely from our generation, or from any other. 

In the late 19th century, when the truth was being brought back to light, one of those greatly responsible for that work was a man named Robert Roberts. Commenting on the difficulty in discovering and preserving the truth, he once wrote these simple statements.  "The doctrine of fellowship is the fence around the Truth.  It is a hedge which separates the light from the darkness."  And those are beautiful words, and they are true.  The doctrine of fellowship is the fence around the truth.  It is the hedge which separates the light from the darkness.  And it has ever been so. 

Now, from the time of the Jesus, lets turn our thoughts ahead a little to the ministry of the apostles themselves.  Paul the apostle, was a man who remained fiercely dedicated to the cause of Christ.  A cause which involved a correct understanding of the doctrine of fellowship.  A cause that involved the preservation of the Truth.  And Paul remained so fiercely dedicated to this cause that he instructed the Galatians, themselves in danger of loosing the Truth, remember that, in danger of loosing the Truth as the book of Galatians sets forth so very clearly: and Paul instructed them, from chapter 1:8

GAL 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Note the force of the apostle Paul's words, that if the apostles themselves, or even an angel from heaven were to set before them any other gospel, than the Truth as Paul had exhibited it to them: then such men or such angels were to be accounted as accursed. 

But lets look at this a minute.  He not only says that in Gal. 1:8, but he gives an example of what he means.  In Gal. 2:11 Paul shows himself to be a man who not only sets before the people of Galatia in that ecclesia the Truth, but Paul shows them that he is willing to demonstrate by his own actions what he teaches in that epistle. 

Now he says if any other man, or even an angel from heaven brings to you another message of salvation, then you oppose him.  In Gal. 2:11 what does he do. 

GAL 2:11-14 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Paul says that he confronts even the apostle Peter, and he opposes him.  And he says there quite emphatically, I withstood him to the face and that word "withstood" really means that.  It denotes virtually a head on confrontation.  The word means to set against someone in a quite inflexible way. 

Why did Paul do that?  He tells us why.  He said of Peter, "he was to be blamed," but that doesn't quite capture the drama of the situation.  The Revised Version translates it, he stood condemned.  Thats what happened. The apostle Paul opposed the apostle Peter because he stood condemned.  Why?  Because Peter's application of doctrinal principles was wrong.  Thats why.  We see what Paul says at verse 14.  He says he opposed Peter to the face. He said Peter was to be condemned because they walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel.  And there is Paul giving an example of what he believed, and making sure that all others understand that he "practiced what he preached."  They walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel.  They had deviated from pure doctrine, and so what happened?  They found they met the apostle Paul in a head on confrontation.  And fortunately, wisdom prevailed.

And this principle is not new. It is a foundation principle of the Bible. This same principle is found also in the old testament. Lets observe the words of Moses in Deut. 4:1-2.  Look at what he says there. 

DEU 4:1-2 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

There are the basic principles of the doctrine of fellowship.  And in Ex. 42:26 Moses gave a practical example like Paul did.  Moses showed that he was prepared to practice what he preached.  And the time came that Moses separated the unbelievers from the true believers. When he returned from Mt. Sinai with the 10 commandments, Moses found that many of the Israelites who had come with him out of Egypt, longed to worship the Egyptian Gods. And they had made for themselves a golden calf. And we read there:

Exo. 32:25-26 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

So Moses separated the true believers from the false by demanding, "those who are on Yahweh's side, let them come over here to me."  And I want you to understand very, very clearly.  I want you to understand very clearly that for the purpose of preserving the Truth, Moses called for a division among Israel.

Let us now go back and look at the teachings of Jesus concerning the treatment of error in Matt. 18.  A passage of the word regrettably, not always understood in its full implication.  It is said that Mt. 18:15-17 relates to the question of anyone having a personal fault against another brother.  And by extension, certainly it does, but that is not the primary maning of this verse.  If it were so, then we would have a most peculiar passage of Scripture, because in verses 15-17 when dealing with a matter, the Lord says you may be reduced to the point where after three applications to the brother, of treating him as a heathen and a publican....Whereas in the same chapter at verse 22, the Lord says if anyone offends against you, you keep forgiving him until seventy times seven which means of course, for ever.  Now if both sections of that chapter are dealing with the same thing, we've got the Lord giving two different answers, but thats not the point.

Look at verse 15. 

MAT 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Now those words "against thee" do not belong in the text.  They are not there.  In the Sinaitic, and the Vatican manuscripts, they are not to be found.  You will not find those words in the Diaglott, in the Nestle's text, in Rotherham, in the Jerusalem Bible, or in numerous other translations. 

And the word trespass is not a very good translation.  The greek word is hamartia, and it means to sin, or literally, to miss the mark.  So the question Jesus is dealing with concerns divine principles.  It concerns the doctrine of fellowship.  The Lord is saying "if thy brother shall sin, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone, and if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."  And how often is this the case, where simply going and talking to the offender face to face will resolve all problems. It is such an effective tool for the resolution of problems, that we can safely say that anyone not following this procedure is intentionally sewing discord.

But suppose this step does not resolve the problem. What is next? Jesus said:

Mat. 18:16 "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." 

What is a witness?

The Greek word for witness there, is "martus", to witness, as in a judicial matter. It is someone who had to give first hand testimony. Our English word Martyr comes from this word, because to be a faithful witness, one must be willing to seal his witness with his own blood.

In determining the meaning from the context, we find the word is used in a very uniform, unambiguous manner. Examples are found in Acts 26:16, and 1 Ti. 5:19:

ACT 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

1TI 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

In this second stage, of Matt. 18, the sin or false teaching is repeated to two or three people, who may then go and be witness to the ecclesia that the offender has in fact truly "missed the mark", or sinned. In following this procedure, these witnesses can fulfill their obligations of Matt. 18, and establish every word for the ecclesia. And there is a powerful protection built into this procedure, so that no false witness can be presented to the ecclesia.

But what if this fails.

Mat. 18:17 "But if he shall refuse to hear them, then tell it unto the ecclesia.  But if he neglect to hear the ecclesia then Let him by unto you as a heathen (and that word means Gentile) and a publican (and that word means a tax gatherer).  People that were completely ostracized by the Jews. 

Now we are not suggesting that the Lord is telling us that when we reject a brother we're to completely ignore him.  Far from it. The apostle Paul counselled us:

2TH 3:14-15 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

But that is the force of the Lord's words. Let him be as a heathen man, and a pulbican. Have no company with him. That word company is sunanamignumi, and it means fellowship. That is have no fellowship with him, but admonish him as a brother, as someone you care deeply for; not as an enemy.

But now look at the contrast in verse 21-22. 

Now, Peter says, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me (and the words do belong in the text there).  And its as though Peter is saying now look, if we have to adopt this attitude when the commandments of Christ, when the principles of divine wisdom are at stake, then what do we do when someone sins against us, personally?  And the Lord gives him an answer.  What shall I do when my brother sins against me, and I forgive him? 

Verse 22 the Lord says, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.  Now look at the contrast, and really its very beautiful, because the Lord is teaching Peter in verses 21-22, that he must be prepared to do for his brother what he expects the Father to do for him.  How many times do we sin against the Father and what do we do?  We don't expect that the Father will forgive us, maybe twenty times and no more after that.  We ask him to go on forgiving, and forgiving, and forgiving.  And Peter says thats what we do when we become involved with our own brethren and they sin against us.  And we must do that, because that is what we ask the Father to do for us. That's even the way Jesus taught us to pray. That we are forgiven according as we forgive.

But when it comes to the issue of verses 15-17, it is entirely different.  There is the question of a former sin which contravenes the commandments of Christ, and the principles of divine wisdom.  And the Lord says if needs be, in that case that man must be dispensed with altogether out of the body. 

Freedom.  That was what the Serpent recommended.  But what about ourselves?  Straight. Narrow.  And we have got to appreciate, that if freedom of thought and belief became the guidelines for the standards of Truth, there would soon remain very little true worthy to Christ.  So that we are fully dependent upon the Spirit-word to guide us upon these matters. 

Now, these divine principles of fellowship are often thought of as harsh, and unloving. But we are all familiar that the apostle John is called the apostle of Love.  But John, in his first epistle, deals with fellowship the same way as did Moses, and Jesus, and Paul before him. John said: in the in the very first chapter of his first epislte,

1JO 1:3-7 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

So In I John 1, John deals with fellowship.  The doctrine of fellowship.  And shows that fellowship with the Father and with His Son, and with one another, depends upon walking in the light, and I want to emphasize the word walking.  John doesn't say standing still basking in the light.  He says walking in the light which denotes a progression forward towards the perfection that is in Christ, and the eventual attainment of entrance into the kingdom.  It is a question of walking in the light.  And light is a metaphor in this context, a figure of speech to express divine truth and therefore it is expressive of a true knowledge and an accurate understanding of divine principles.  The light is revealed in Christ, who said:  "I am the light of the world."  The light is revealed in the word which says:  "Thy word is a light unto my path."  The light is to be revealed in the saints.  We read: "Then are ye the light in the Lord, walk as children of light."

And in the first of John chapter 2 and verse 3, John tells us

1JO 2:3-5 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

We walk in the light, only if we walk in obedience to the commandments as a way of life.  As a way of life. 

Lets continue on with the teaching of the apostle of love. The apostle John. In his second epistle note these words:

2JO 1:9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Now this is a very clear teaching by John.  "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him, not God speed, but greetings."  Receive him not, in other words, into fellowship.  For he that biddeth him God speed, or greetings is partaker of his evil deeds. 

Why does John add to the instruction already given by the Lord and the apostles.  Why doesn't he stand upon the original teachings.  Why does he take it a step farther than it had been taken in the old apostolic writings?  Obviously because a technical meaning of the Lord's teachings now needed to be understood, and applied by the early ecclesias. 

Perhaps some ecclesias were simply withdrawing themselves from the teacher of error or those walking disorderly, but would fellowship those who continued to fellowship the disobedient. They were fellowshipping those who were fellowshipping error. But John is emphatic that that action is insufficient.  John is saying that such an ecclesia would be guilty of extending fellowship where God has prohibited such.  And that ecclesia, not merely the individual; that ecclesia is then in error, because they became a partaker in the evil deeds of the errorist.  And John is saying that such an ecclesia will be held responsible, for their acts of unfaithfulness to Christ in agreeing to extend fellowship to that which God has not allowed him to do.

So we see that eventually we come to the point, that when operative among men, the power of the truth accomplishes two conflicting effects.  Separation and affiliation.  On the one hand we're told this, "Come out from among them and be ye separate," and on the other hand we have this.  Therefore, receive ye one another as Christ also received us.  There you have division from the world to God.

Now let us go on further.  John has taught us that fellowship is walking in the light.  Walking, remember that. 

And John says further, "receive them not".  We can't walk with them.  He doesn't say, look the other way.  And here in the 9th verse of second John, its quite interesting.  The apostle doesn't say that these men are sincere brethren.  He doesn't say that they are sincere brethren and therefore worthy of the most kindly consideration.  He says, they "hath not God."  And I want you to understand what that means.  He says, they are not Christ's servants.  Therefore, they are impostors.  They are impostors, and that is why you must refuse them.. 

So it is important to understand that these things that we have alluded to from the serpents teaching in the garden of Eden, Moses's demonstration from the wilderness, the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matt. 18, the teaching of John in his first and second epistles, become questions of basic doctrine.  Fellowship is a basic doctrine.  In Heb 14:16, the Apostle says, to do good and to communicate, and the word there for communicate is a word koinonia, and that means "fellowship".  And he says, forget not.  So that fellowship, and an understanding of it, and its application: is an essential apostolic doctrine. 

The apostle says there "to do good and to fellowship, forget not."  Therefore it is a question of apostolic teaching.  It is a question of fundamental doctrine.  And we have seen that the question of the doctrine of fellowship somewhere along the line must involve some principle of division, and because the question of fellowship is a doctrine, and because it is a fence around the Truth.  Because it is a fence around the Truth, we read such clear cut apostolic instruction.  Turn away.  Have no company.  Withdraw.  Reject.  Mouths must be stopped.  Let him be accursed.  And the Lord's own words, let him be unto you as an heathen man and a publican. All of those terms are to be found in the apostolic writings.    And those terms used all speak of decisive action being necessary,  in implementing the basis of fellowship, when there is opposition to apostolic teaching. 

Now listen to another few words again from Robert Roberts.   

"Why this narrow basis of the defined faith at all?  Why stand apart from the pleasant popular communion?  Why not leave all such question to individual conviction, and individual rights?  By the time this point was reached, the whole edifice of apostolic faith and practice as recovered in this 19th century by unresolved submission to the authority of the Scriptures, would be in ruins." 

Would be in ruins. 

Now we shall look how we should apply the principles to ourselves.  First lest look at a comment from the apostle Paul which appears to be a comment upon Mt. 18. 

Titus 3:9 "Avoid foolish questions and genealogies, and contentions and striving about the law for they are unprofitable and vain.  A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition, reject." 

A man that is an heretic. The word, Heretic, is the greek word Hairetikos, and it means capable of choosing, hence causing division by a party spirit.  It means those opposed to apostolic teaching.  Capable of choosing, in other words people who have been enlightened concerning the fundamental principles of divine truth.  And therefore they are responsible to uphold that truth.  So he uses that word.  A man that is an heretic, capable of choosing, hence causing division by a party spirit in opposition to apostolic teaching.

Now it says after the first and the second admonition, reject.  And I believe that he's got in mind the words of the Lord in Mt. 18.  The first admonition would be when you go to that brother with another brother, in the face of witnesses.  The second would be when it is represented before the ecclesia. Now then Paul says, when you have done this, it is necessary to reject him.  A word which literally means, to beg off.  A very odd word.  And is translated by the Revised Version as "refuse".  And that is perhaps the closer translation.  A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition, refuse!  Why? He's writing basically the same thing that John has written in Turn them away, because they are not walking in the light. 

And look at verse 8 in that context will you?  This is a glorious thing that he is setting before the true belivers, to be believed, and to be upheld as a part of the truth. 

TIT 3:8 "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men."

Thats walking in the light, doing the work of faith. And note the contrast between verses 8 & 9.

Now lets go to Ephesians.  We have the same principle set forth in different language.  But the words are the same.  It shows that the principle of division is involved in separating from that which is contrary to apostolic teachings, or divine principles, and separating to the righteous word and commandments of Almighty God.

Now in Eph. 5:5 the Apostle says:

Eph. 5:5 "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

Then he says:

EPH 5:6 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

"Let no man devcive you with vain words:".  A remarkable expression.  Reading in another version, "Let no man deceive you with specious arguments".  And that word specious means plausible.  Beware of plausible men, who do not bring the pure apostolic teaching with them. 

And in verse 11, these are the words he uses here for fellowship:

Eph. 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather set your faces against them" as Weymouth translates that verse.

But rather, set your faces against them.  Why?  Because there is no real communion.  There is no positive fellowship.  We can talk about fellowship, but if it does not really exist, then it is not there, and thats all there is about it. 

And we have already seen II Thess. 3:14-15, where again the apostle councils similarly.  So now lets look at the remarkable words to Timothy in I Tim. 6:3-5.  These words are really worth looking at.

I Tim. 6:3-5.  Notice what Paul says here concerning the Truth. 

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;"

All right Paul, what's the state of that man?  Look at verse 5.  He says that that man is destitute of the Truth.  He's destitute of the Truth.  Now what can be done?  What can be done?  Notice the Lord Jesus Christ in his comment to the ecclesia at Pergamos in Rev. 2:14-15, he says that he has something against the ecclesia at Pergamos.  Something that is necessary that they should remedy quickly.  And that which he has against them is that they have heretics within the ecclesia.  And there is a need for action to be taken in that regard. 

In Rev. 2:14-15 we read this:

REV 2:14-15 "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."

What did Balaam teach?  Balaam taught that we could commit adultery with the world.  Balaam taught compromise between the ecclesia and the world.  Now that wasn't all.  Verse 15.

"So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." said Christ.  I hate it.

Those who gained victory over the people by fleshly means.  Now its important that we understand in the latter city ecclesias that that statement is made there.  Christ had somewhat against the ecclesia at Pergamos.  They retained those in fellowship who were not walking in the light.  And in view of the clear cut apostolic teaching upon the matter, they should have withdrawn from them. 

Again, from Robert Roberts.  Listen to this.  "The elements of the truth are so mutually related that the displacement of one undermines the foundation of the whole."  Thats a beautiful statement.  You think about it. 

What he is really saying is that there is a chain made up of many links that draws man into fellowship with God.  There is a chain made up of many links, and every one is a glorious principle of divine truth.  And what Robert Roberts is saying is that if you take one of those vital principles out, and the chain is broken. 

Now that is why we must be careful in understanding the clear cut terms which we have seen set forth in the words of Deity.  And you know, where mutual belief on basic doctrines is absent, such fellowship can not be said to exist because it does not exist.  And it is an untruth to say that something exists, if it doesn't. All you have is conflict.

So then, we encourage all to evaluate themselves, and determine for yourselves whether or not you are obedient to God. Are you bidding God speed to those who do not hold the truth. Does your church teach that there are Kingdoms in the sky? Does it teach that you will burn in hell forever if you are disobedient? Does it teach that Christ will never again set foot on the earth? Or that you must worship three Gods in trinity and that Christ is God, of a different nature than us? All these errors have been, or will be disprooved from this platform this week. They are not part of the truth, not part of the narrow and confined path that leads to life everlasting. And if you associate with the wide, broad path of error, how will you escape its corruption. The Preacher asks, can a man take fire into his bosom, and not be burned? You cannot stay on the narrow, confined path, and walk with those in the broad way.

And it is our earnest prayer that all in such condition should soon rectify it, and walk in the light, and God is light, that we may all be found unspotted by this world, when our Lord returns.

THE END