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WhyDisfellowshippingIsaLovingProvision|Study

JehovahsWitnesses
THEWATCHTOWER(STUDYEDITION)APRIL2015

WhyDisfellowshippingIsaLovingProvision
WHENIlistenedtotheannouncementthatmysonhadbeendisfellowshipped,mywholeworld
seemedtocometoanend,recallsJulian.Hewasmyoldestchild,andwewereveryclosewedidlots
ofthingstogether.Hehadalwaysbeenanexemplaryson,andthensuddenlyhebeganbehavingina
waythatwasunacceptable.Mywifeweptrepeatedly,andIdidnotknowhowtoconsoleher.Wekept
askingourselvesifwehadsomehowfailedasparents.
HowcanitbesaidthatdisfellowshippingaChristianisalovingprovisionifitcausessomuchpain?
WhatreasonsdotheScripturesgivefortakingsuchdrasticmeasures?Andwhatexactlyleadstoa
personsbeingdisfellowshipped?

TWOFACTORSTHATLEADTODISFELLOWSHIPPING
TwofactorswhichmustcoincideresultinthedisfellowshippingofoneofJehovahsWitnesses.First,
abaptizedWitnesscommitsaserioussin.Second,hedoesnotrepentofhissin.
AlthoughJehovahdoesnotdemandperfectionfromus,hedoeshaveastandardofholinessthathe
expectshisservantstomeet.Forexample,Jehovahinsiststhatweavoidsuchserioussinsassexual
immorality,idolatry,thievery,extortion,murder,andspiritism.1Cor.6:9,10Rev.21:8.
WouldyounotagreethatJehovahscleanstandardsarereasonableandthattheyservetoprotectus?
Whodoesnotprefertoliveamongpeaceful,decentpeoplewhocanbetrusted?Wefindsuchan
environmentamongourspiritualbrothersandsisters,thankstothepromisewemakeatthetimeofour
dedicationtoGodtoliveinharmonywiththeguidelinesfoundinhisWord.

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ButwhatifabaptizedChristiancommitsaserioussinbecauseofhumanweakness?Faithfulservants
ofJehovahinthepastmadesuchmistakes,yetGoddidnotrejectthemoutright.KingDavidisaprime
example.Davidcommittedadulteryandmurderyet,theprophetNathaninformedhim:Jehovah...
forgivesyoursin.2Sam.12:13.
GodpardonedDavidssinbecauseofDavidssincererepentance.(Ps.32:15)Likewise,aservantof
Jehovahtodaywillbedisfellowshippedonlyifheisunrepentantorcontinuestopracticewhatisbad.
(Acts3:1926:20)Ifgenuinerepentanceisnotmanifesttotheelderswhoserveonajudicialcommittee,
theymustdisfellowshiptheperson.
Atfirst,wemayfeelthatthedecisiontodisfellowshipthewrongdoerisdrasticorevenunkind,
especiallyifwehaveclosetiestothatperson.Nevertheless,JehovahsWordgivesussoundreasons
forbelievingthatsuchadecisionisalovingone.

DISFELLOWSHIPPINGCANBENEFITEVERYONECONCERNED
Jesuspointedoutthatwisdomisprovedrighteousbyitsresults.(Matt.11:19,ftn.)Awisedecisionto
disfellowshipanunrepentantwrongdoerproducesrighteousresults.Considerthesethree:
DisfellowshippingwrongdoershonorsJehovahsname.SincewebearthenameofJehovah,our
behaviorinevitablyreflectsonhisname.(Isa.43:10)Justasasonsconductcanbringeitherhonoror
reproachonhisparents,sopeoplesfeelingstowardJehovahwilldependtosomeextentonthegood
orbadexampletheyobserveinhisnamepeople.Godsgoodnameisupheldifthepeoplewhobear
thatnamemakeJehovahsmoralstandardtheirown.ThesituationwassomewhatsimilarinEzekiels
timewhenpeopleofthenationscloselyassociatedthenameofJehovahwiththeJews.Ezek.36:19
23.
WewouldbringreproachonGodsholynameifwepracticedimmorality.TheapostlePetercounseled
Christians:Asobedientchildren,stopbeingmoldedbythedesiresyouformerlyhadinyourignorance,
butliketheHolyOnewhocalledyou,becomeholyyourselvesinallyourconduct,foritiswritten:You
mustbeholy,becauseIamholy.(1Pet.1:1416)Clean,holyconductbringshonortoGodsname.
IfoneofJehovahsWitnessespracticeswhatisbad,however,itislikelythatfriendsandacquaintances
willbecomeawareofthis.ThedisfellowshippingactshowsthatJehovahhasacleanpeoplewho
adheretoScripturalguidelinesinordertomaintainthatholiness.Astrangeroncecametoameetingat
aKingdomHallinSwitzerlandandsaidthathewantedtobecomeamemberofthecongregation.His
sisterhadbeendisfellowshippedforimmorality.Hesaidthathewantedtojoinanorganizationthat
doesnottoleratebadconduct.
Disfellowshippingprotectstheclean,Christiancongregation.TheapostlePaulwarnedthe
Corinthiansofthedangerofallowingwillfulsinnerstoremainintheirmidst.Hecomparedthebad
influenceofsuchonestothatofleaventhatcausesawholelumpofdoughtorise.Alittleleaven
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fermentsthewholebatchofdough,henoted.Hethencounseledthem:Removethewickedperson
fromamongyourselves.1Cor.5:6,1113.
Apparently,thewickedpersonmentionedbyPaulblatantlypracticedimmorality.Andother
congregationmembershadevenbeguntojustifyhisconduct.(1Cor.5:1,2)Ifsuchagrosssinhad
beencondoned,otherChristiansmighthavefeltinclinedtofollowtheimmoralcustomsofthelicentious
cityinwhichtheylived.Overlookingwillfulsinsencouragesalaxattitudetowarddivinestandards.(Eccl.
8:11)Furthermore,unrepentantsinnerscouldbecomerockshiddenbelowwaterandshipwreckthe
faithofothersinthecongregation.Jude4,12.
Disfellowshippingmaybringthewrongdoertohissenses.Jesusoncespokeofayoungmanwho
lefthisfathershomeandsquanderedhisinheritanceonalifeofdebauchery.Theprodigalsonlearned
thehardwaythatlifeoutsidehisfathershomewasemptyandheartless.Thesonfinallycametohis
senses,repented,andtooktheinitiativetoreturntohisfamily.(Luke15:1124)Jesusdescriptionofthe
lovingfatherwhorejoicedathissonschangeofhearthelpsusunderstandJehovahsfeelings.Itake
nopleasureinthedeathofthewicked,butratherthatsomeonewickedchangeshiswayandkeeps
living,heassuresus.Ezek.33:11.
Likewise,disfellowshippedoneswhoarenolongermembersoftheChristiancongregationtheir
spiritualfamilymaycometorealizewhattheyhavelost.Thebitterfruitsoftheirsinfulcourse,together
withthememoriesofhappierdayswhentheyenjoyedagoodrelationshipwithJehovahandhispeople,
couldbringthemtotheirsenses.
Loveandfirmnessareneededtoproducethedesiredresult.Shouldtherighteousonestrikeme,it
wouldbeanactofloyallove,saidthepsalmistDavid,andshouldhereproveme,itwouldbelikeoil
onmyhead.(Ps.141:5)Toillustrate:Imagineahikerwhosuccumbstoexhaustiononacoldwinter
day.Hebeginstosufferfromhypothermia,andhefeelsdrowsy.Ifhefallsasleepinthesnow,hewill
die.Whilewaitingforarescueparty,hiscompanionoccasionallyslapshiminthefacetokeephim
awake.Theslapmaysting,butitcouldwellsavehislife.Similarly,Davidrecognizedthatarighteous
personmightneedtogivehimpainfulcorrectionforhisowngood.
Inmanycases,disfellowshippingprovidesthedisciplinetheerringoneneeds.Aftersometenyears,
Juliansson,mentionedattheoutset,cleaneduphislife,returnedtothecongregation,andnowserves
asanelder.Beingdisfellowshippedbroughtmefacetofacewiththeconsequencesofmylifestyle,he
admits.Ineededthatsortofdiscipline.Heb.12:711.

THELOVINGWAYTODEALWITHDISFELLOWSHIPPEDONES
True,disfellowshippingisaspiritualtragedy,butthetragedyneednotbecomeanunmitigateddisaster.
Allofusplayaroleinmakingsurethatthedisfellowshippingservesitspurpose.
ElderswhohavethesadtaskofcommunicatingadisfellowshippingdecisionstrivetoreflectJehovahs
love.Wheninformingthepersonoftheirdecision,theykindlyandclearlyexplainthestepsheneedsto
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taketobereinstatedinthecongregation.Forthe
sakeofremindingdisfellowshippedonesofhow
theycanreturntoJehovah,eldersmayperiodically
visitthosewhohavegivensomeevidenceof
changingtheirways.*
Familymemberscanshowloveforthe
congregationandtheerringonebyrespectingthe
disfellowshippingdecision.Hewasstillmyson,
explainsJulian,buthislifestylehadputupa
barrierbetweenus.
Allinthecongregationcanshowprincipledlove
byavoidingcontactandconversationwiththe
disfellowshippedperson.(1Cor.5:11
Effortsaremadetohelprepentantonesreturnto
2John10,11)Theythusreinforcethediscipline
Jehovah
thatJehovahhasgivenhimthroughtheelders.
Furthermore,theycangiveextraloveandsupport
tothefamilyofthedisfellowshippedone,whosufferconsiderablyandwhoshouldnotbemadetofeel
thattheytooareexcludedfromassociationwithfellowbelievers.Rom.12:13,15.
Disfellowshippingisanarrangementthatweneed,onethathelpsusliveaccordingtoJehovahs
standards,Julianconcludes.Inthelongrun,despitethepain,itbringsgoodresults.HadIbeen
tolerantofmysonsbadconduct,hewouldneverhaverecovered.
^par.24SeeTheWatchtower,April15,1991,pages2123.

LearnMore
WhyAreSomeDisfellowshipped?
HowdoesGodslovingdisciplinebenefitarepentantwrongdoer?

Copyright2016WatchTowerBibleandTractSocietyofPennsylvania.

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