In the Old Testament, it was a great privilege to be associated with God's Covenant people. The punishment for most sins was to be cut off from the Covenant community. One of the great privileges of being part of the Covenant community was to offer sacrifices at the tabernacle or temple where all sacrifices were to be offered.

Lev 17:8-9
8 "Also you shall say to them: 'Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9 'and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from among his people. (NKJ)

When Daniel was in Babylon, his heart was grieved because the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary of God were desolate.

Dan 9:17
17 "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. (NKJ)

In the Old Covenant, however, we see that one's relationship to God was separate and apart from one's relationship to the Covenant community. Daniel's personal relationship with God flourished in Babylon even though he was cut off from the temple of God. It appears that the wise men who came to worship Jesus at His birth were true followers of Christ even though they had apparently never been introduced to the fellowship of the Covenant community. It also appears that the Ninevites who repented in Jonah's day were given eternal life apart from fellowship with the Covenant community (Matt 12:41).

As Paul preached the New Covenant message during the Acts period, he taught that many of the concepts of the Old Covenant would apply to the New Covenant community, including the concept of cutting off those who sin. In II Thessalonians, he wrote:

II Th 3:6
6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. (NKJ)

When a certain man was accused of a particular sin in the church at Corinth, Paul commanded them, as a church, to have nothing to do with him.

1 Cor 5:4-5
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (NKJ)

However, these concepts of discipline apparently did not carry over into the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ. In I Timothy, Chapter 1, Paul told Timothy to instruct those who go astray. Paul mentioned the heresies of Alexander and Hymenaeus and said that he personally had turned them over to Satan so that they would learn not to blaspheme, but he did not instruct the congregation as a whole to do so. In fact, Paul emphasized that the goal of God's commandment is love, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, and that he, Paul, had been a blasphemer but was shone the mercy of God.

Paul did say, in I Timothy, Chapter 5, that an elder who sins should be rebuked publicly so that others may take warning. In Chapter 6, Paul also warned Timothy to flee from the evil of those who teach false doctrine for they are conceited and are often motivated by financial gain.

However, in II Timothy, Chapter 2, Paul warned Timothy about Hymenaeus and Philetus, who were teachers of false doctrine, and, rather than calling a meeting of the Church to administer corporate discipline, Paul simply instructed Timothy to study the Word of God so that he would be able to defend the truth. Paul said that in every house there are some vessels of honor and some vessels of dishonor and the Lord knows those who are His.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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