Do you fellowship with someone who left the church?

Answer:

Fellowship describes the state of a relationship between two people. It is like the word "friendship." Friends do things together, but just because you do something with another person, it doesn't make you friends. "Fellowship" means you are in partnership with another person. The two of you have mutual customs, have common interests, and participate together in common projects. People who are in fellowship have a common goal that they jointly work on together to achieve that goal. Thus, a church is a fellowship of believers.

If someone is told to leave, the group has withdrawn their fellowship from the person. This is done in churches when someone gets involved in sin and refuses to stop. "But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler -- not even to eat with such a one" (I Corinthians 5:11). To act as if you are in fellowship with a sinning brother is to show approval for his sins. You are to encourage the person to leave his sins and return, but you don't pretend nothing is wrong.

If someone leaves the group, then that person is the one who has severed fellowship with the group. It may be that the person decided to move and be a part of a different congregation. In such a case, there are still ties, but the closeness will be gone. Yet, there will be joy when getting together with past friends and enjoying each other's presence. But if the person leaves because they no longer believe the truth, there is no fellowship. "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds" (II John 10-11). For such a person, you should admonish him for his false teachings, but you cannot treat him as if nothing is wrong.