What does one do about fellowship with brethren who have taken more liberty in practice of the faith than what God has granted in scripture? There is no difficulty in having fellowship with brethren who restrict themselves more than God does. One is not permitted to judge a brother who will not eat meat (Romans 14:1-13). However, can one say to brethren who from his perspective have loosed where God has bound that they are in error (Romans 16:17-18)? This viewpoint presupposes two things: 1) that he has complete and correct understanding of these matters, and 2) that he is not the brother who is restricting himself more than God has.

    However, while one can believe a brother may have a mistaken understanding of some Bible matter, it does not necessarily require a severing of fellowship with him. Division is not inevitable when the following conditions exist: 1) when all brethren involved appeal to the same fundamental truths or laws given by Christ, 2) when all brethren involved appeal to positive, Biblically stated authority and not the “silence of scripture,” 3) when the different views held by brethren breed no looseness on other moral or doctrinal issues, and 4) when all brethren involved in the issue encourage open study and discussion of issues.

    To illustrate this point, consider the matter of communion. If a brother were to impenitently teach that saints could commune on Saturday, he would be teaching a false doctrine that ends our fellowship with him. But what if he did not believe or participate in Sunday evening communion? He appeals to the same scriptures as his brethren who practice Sunday evening communion. His doctrine does not lead to greater looseness on other doctrinal or moral issues. He encourages ongoing study on the matter. Certainly one would not mark such a brother as a false teacher nor call for an end to fellowship with him. A brother who believes that sisters must wear veils, that Christians may not serve in the armed forces, that the Holy Spirit bodily indwells the saint, or that local churches may not use the building for funerals and weddings, believes that brethren who disagree with him have erred on these issues. But he also understands that these brethren appeal to the same scriptures as he, that their doctrines do not lead to greater error (as have the instrument and the institution), and that they are willing to engage in honest Bible study on the issue.

    To apply this principle to the current issue on marriage, divorce and remarriage relating to post civil divorce fornication and putting away, one must ask the following questions about brethren with whom he disagrees: 1) is he appealing to the same scriptures I use to answer this question? If he is, then this reduces the matter to a difference in our understanding of a passage of scripture. He has made it clear to me that he respects, not rejects, Bible authority. 2) Does he find authority for his doctrine in what is clearly written, or does he appeal to the silence of the scriptures? If he is appealing to what is written, rather than attempting to find permission in God’s silence, then we both have objective authority to examine the issue together in order to find a common understanding. 3) Does his teaching lead to further error? If his doctrine does not open the door to other digressions, then the potential exists for us to continue our studies on an isolated matter without fear of it quickly leading to more problems. 4) Is my brother willing to continue to study the question? If so, then God will bless me with opportunities to teach him or to learn from him. Consider this illustration: If a man fornicates and his innocent mate divorces him for that reason, and then he repents of the sin of fornication, can the two of them be reconciled and return to living as man and wife? Brethren who embrace the same principles on MDR disagree on this. Greg Gwin has publicly said they cannot; Connie Adams said they can. Should these brethren divide? And if they do, should we choose up sides with them? God forbid.

    At the same time, it seems that a few of the doctrines on MDR currently advocated by brethren lead to adultery and greater doctrinal error. Therefore for me, fellowship decisions in each individual case will be informed by my conscience. And so it must be for you as well. In addition, the question of when to end fellowship with such brethren is also a matter of individual judgment, except, of course, for elders whose duty is to guard the flock from grievous wolves by deciding who will or will not address the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers. Some doctrines held by brethren who profess conviction in Matthew 19:9 that do lead to sin and greater error, and therefore they must be opposed.

Original Source: (“What are the Limits of Fellowship?”;  Bulletin -Tomlinson Run church of Christ, Georgetown, PA; Nov. 21, 2004).

URL to this material that worked as of 12/18/2004: http://www.trchurchofchrist.com/currentsoundwords.htm

**Rebuttal to this false doctrine can be found here: http://www.wordsoftruth.net/wordsoftruthbull02_13_2005.html