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DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
1]
Fellowship is the religious interaction of church members among
themselves and with God, a spiritual association through the Holy Spirit
which transcends normal social or business relationships. Since this
fellowship comes through being part of the body of Christ, it requires
that one has repented, been baptized and, consequently, has received
God's Holy Spirit. The fellowship of the brethren builds spiritual
strength into both the individual and the Church as a whole. Conversely,
the Church may exercise its right to disfellowship one who, by obvious
attitude or action, opposes the gospel or causes disruption among the
membership.
DOCTRINAL OVERVIEW
2]
It is important that the membership of God's Church meet together
for spiritual purposes in order that the fabric of the Church and the
spiritual state of the individual may be strengthened. The Church also
encourages social fellowship among the members. It is a well understood
principle that close camaraderie between members of a group enhances
both the conviction of the individual and the strength of the entire
group. It is one means of practicing the qualities of love, outgoing
concern and Christian harmony among the individual members of the body
of Christ.
3]
1 Corinthians 12 shows that God deals with His Church as a group in
addition to dealing with the individual members separately. "For as the
body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ" (v. 12). "For the
body is not one member, but many" (v. 14). Likewise, John 15 gives the
analogy of Christ being the "true vine," and explains how a branch
separated or taken away from the vine cannot bear fruit. Experience has
shown that people who cut themselves off from the Church (which is the
body of Christ) tend to lose sight of the goal and purpose of God's Way
and wither spiritually. They stop producing the fruit of God's Spirit,
begin to shrivel in spiritual stature and can put themselves in danger
of spiritual death.
4]
The scriptures are filled with examples of God's faithful meeting
together and fellowshipping. Jesus' own example was to spend long hours
with His disciples whether in formal teaching sessions such as in the
Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:1) or informally, as when eating a meal (Mt.
9:10-11). After Jesus' death, one finds constant reference to the
disciples meeting together. Acts 1:13 describes the apostles assembled
together "in an upper room." Acts 2:1 describes the believers as "all
with one accord in one place" for the day of Pentecost. Other verses in
Acts show Christians meeting together on the Sabbath day to hear the
Word of God (Acts 13:14,42; 16:13). Likewise, the Church is exhorted not
to forsake the "assembling of ourselves together" for religious worship
(Heb. 10:25). Even specific instructions are given to the members to
"greet one another with a holy kiss" (Rom. 16:16). This was a custom of
the day and corresponds with the handshake of friendship practiced in
our society.
5]
Church fellowship is not an end in itself. The Church keeps clearly
in mind the supreme goal and commission that God has commanded in
Matthew 28:18-20 and 24:14 of preaching the gospel to the world. To
reach the whole world with the gospel of Christ requires that the Church
be a unified group, built of spiritually strong members, welded together
in purpose, doctrine and love. The fellowship of the brethren helps
build these qualities.
6]
Talking together, playing together, or working together helps give
single identity, common goals and shared characteristics. That the
Church should be unified cannot be doubted. "For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for
you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:27-28). God's Church is a true
melting pot. "For He [Christ] is our peace, who has made us both one,
and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility [the social and
racial barriers]" (Eph. 2:14). There are many other scriptures which
allude to the unity of church members. For example, Ephesians 4:
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace" (v.
3). Notice especially Psalm 133:1: "Behold, how good and pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity! (See also 1 Cor. 12:13;
1 Cor.
1:10; Eph. 4:13, etc.)
7]
The key principle concerning Church fellowship is to realize that
such associations among brethren are through God and His Spirit. "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" (1 John 1:3). Thus the reason we have
fellowship with each other as members is because we first have
fellowship with Christ and the Father. Fellowship with Christ and the
Father takes place because we have God's Holy Spirit living within us
(Rom. 8:9). Once two persons of even widely disparate backgrounds have
received God's Spirit and thus have communion and fellowship with God,
they can fellowship in peace and harmony together-they now have shared
characteristics between them; they have a common mental outlook through
the Spirit of God and its "fruits" or qualities mentioned in Galatians
5:22. This "fellowship of the Spirit" (Phil. 2:1) is the bond that ties
Christians together.
8]
If one does not have the Spirit of God he is in the final analysis
not really a Christian. "Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ
does not belong to Him" (Rom. 8:9). Formally, a member of the Church of
God may be defined as a person who has received God's Spirit after
repentance and baptism as outlined by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:38.
9]
The Bible lists many ways which Church fellowship benefits the
individual. The stronger members are expected to help those newer or
weaker in the faith. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye
which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:1-2). "Him that is
weak in the faith, receive ye. . . " (Rom. 14:1). "We who are strong
ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please
ourselves; let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify
him" (Rom. 15:1-2).
10]
We are also instructed to "exhort one another every day" (if need
be) as outlined in Hebrews 3:13 and other scriptures. And Christians are
reminded to pray for one another during times of physical duress such as
illness or whenever there is need (Jas. 5:16-20). This helps build the
Church into a tight family unit with everyone helping each other.
11]
Peter admonishes the Church to have "love of the brethren" (1 Pet.
3:8). Christians are exhorted to forbear one another and to forgive each
other (Col. 3:13), putting on "love, which binds everything together in
perfect harmony" (v. 14). Members are instructed to "teach and admonish
one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (v. 16).
12]
The brethren are also urged and enjoined to help fulfill one
another's physical needs. Indeed, "pure religion" involves sincere
concern for the less fortunate such as widows and the fatherless (Jas.
1:27). And we must not forget the example of sharing as outlined in Acts
2:41-47. Here we notice that the brethren went to great lengths-even to
the point of selling their personal possessions-to provide food and
shelter for those needing help. Examine also Paul's statements in 2
Corinthians 8 about how God's people helped their brothers in poverty.
13]
The fellowship of the brethren is an important topic. Social contact
among members builds a unified church and serves to strengthen the
members spiritually and physically, and in the process the entire Church
becomes a more powerful tool in God's hands. In practice, such
fellowshipping takes the form of informal chatting before and after
services, visiting in each other's homes, attending to the sick and
those who have physical needs, attending organized church socials,
participating in athletics together, performing music together, etc.
Baptized members of God's Church also bring with them to Church services
and social functions their children and other nonbaptized persons in
their family. The Church, of course, extends a warm welcome to any
nonbaptized person who desires to attend its services or social
functions.
14]
To accomplish these same objectives of fellowship on a larger scale
uniting our individual churches around the world, the Church of God
maintains a newspaper for its members, which aids communication between
them. It also supports a youth program for its young people. All areas
of social contact, whether formal or casual, are used by the brethren to
build love and camaraderie among themselves with the primary mutual
objective being to bring the truth of God to the world so that others
can share the spiritual richness of God's Church.
15]
As stated above, in the final analysis our fellowship is through
God's Spirit. Only God can give His Holy Spirit or take it away, but
continued fellowship as a member in God's Church requires at least that
a certain standard be met. God's Church is made up of those individuals
who are sincerely striving toward salvation, and are earnestly
attempting to exhibit every possible fruit of God's Holy Spirit in their
lives. As a result, the personal lives of its members generally reflect
the proper attitudes of Christianity.
16]
But since all are human and subject to sin, each member is subject
to being overtaken by wrong attitudes, thoughts or influences that need
to be overcome. The Church appreciates the opportunity to deal in a
constructive, positive and loving way with all those who need help. The
ministry helps and guides the brethren in overcoming sins, no matter
what the magnitude or nature of the sin may be, as long as the person is
sincerely trying and indeed desires the help. (Such help can never be
forced.) Just as Jesus taught that the shepherd will leave the
ninety-nine sheep and go in search of the one that went astray (Mt.
18:12-14), so should God's ministers make every effort to save any
member who has "gone astray."
17]
Unfortunately, for complex reasons, some individuals occasionally
harden themselves to sin and continue defiantly in it. They may even
influence others to follow them to act the same way, in spite of all the
efforts of the Church to guide them in a positive manner. These persons
sometimes become bitter and attack or malign the very ones who love them
the most-those who are trying the hardest to help them, namely, the
other members of the Church and the ministry.
18]
The Church at these times recognizes its responsibility to protect
the congregation by withdrawing its fellowship from the dissident for
the good of the Church and ultimately for the good of the individual
himself. This disfellowshipping is not to be equated with, and is
totally different from, ostracism, court-martialing, legal sentencing,
cursing, or the like. It is not a means of revenge or the exercise of a
personal vendetta. It is simply a tool to protect the Church and to
reawaken the individual. Yet disfellowshipping is not a frivolous thing:
it is done only after all else has failed, when the person is adamant in
not repenting of the wrongdoing.
19]
The Bible itself gives the Church both the example and the authority
to disfellowship militant dissidents and sinners. Paul makes it plain
that one who absolutely refuses to repent of his sin should be removed
from the congregation for the good of all (1 Cor. 5).
20]
Anyone who intractably refuses to obey God's Church and ministry is
to be warned as a brother, but is not to be looked upon as an enemy (2
Thess. 3:15). As Paul wrote "note that man, and have nothing to do with
him, that he may be ashamed" (v. 14).
21]
Other individuals may choose, for whatever reason, to voluntarily
withdraw from recognized fellowship. These people are no longer
considered a part of the organized Church, but they are not to be
shunned so long as their behavior appears upright; their ultimate
spiritual state can only be judged by God.
22]
Whenever a disfellowshipped individual repents before God of his sin
or wrongdoing, he must be forgiven and comforted by the congregation or
else he could be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow (2 Cor. 2:7). The
Church takes great pleasure in accepting back into its fellowship any
disfellowshipped person (no matter what the offense) once that person
has truly changed his behavior, demeanor and/or disposition of mind. The
person need not repent before the congregation, nor to any individual
member; repentance is toward God not man. Of course, the fruits of
repentance-the person's attitudes and actions-must give evidence that
the repentance is indeed genuine. It is the Church's utmost desire that
any disfellowshipment will help stir repentance in the sinner and
restore him to love and harmony within the congregation. The Church and
its members must be quick to forgive and forget the sins of any
disfellowshipped or inactive member upon his repentance. Such a person
should be received back into the congregation with joy, making it as
easy as possible for the member to be returned to fellowship. |