Should I stop my fellowship with family members who are not members of the church?
Question:
I am a member of the church of Christ. I have had many discussions with my family who are not members of the church. Most of them are Baptists and a few are Nazarenes. Most debates are over baptism. The last one ended with raised angry voices. Should I no longer have fellowship with them or invite them into my home?
Answer:
"The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (II Timothy 2:24-26).
If a discussion about baptism turns into a shouting match then you are not dealing with the situation correctly. Perhaps the people you talk to may get upset, but a Christian should be calm. Present what the Bible teaches. Always turn to the passages you are discussing. Then they are arguing with God and not you. If they refuse to accept what God says, then that is between them and God.
You can't teach someone if you never have contact with them. Since you are related, there are connections between you and them. It doesn't mean you have to have a close relationship but there is some relationship there anyway. Having your uncle come to celebrate your child's birthday doesn't imply that you think his teaching on baptism is accurate.
Response:
Thank you for the clarification.
