A big fire started after our morning services this morning! One of our members here adamantly disagreed with me when I mentioned that when a brother sins by teaching doctrinal error, he must repent, and if he refuses to repent he is “a brother in error.” Until he does repent, we are no longer in fellowship.<\/p>\n
His argument is that he is no longer a brother, based on Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:35; I Corinthians 5:11 (“named” in the NKJV, “called” in the NASB). The basis of brotherhood is “whoever does the will of My Father”. If he is teaching error he is no longer my brother because he is teaching error, which is not the will of My Father.<\/p>\n
My argument was that he is still a brother because he is still a member of our spiritual family and in need of being restored by confessing his sin and praying to God for forgiveness, based on Acts 8:22-25 (repent and pray); James 5:19-20 (turn him back); Galatians 6:1 (restore); and II Thessalonians 3:13-15 (brother). Once he is a brother in the Lord, he is always a brother (spiritually); just as once a physical father has a son, he might be a son lost in sin, but he will always be a father’s son (Luke 15).<\/p>\n
The issue is whether or not they are in fellowship or not. He still strongly disagrees with me!<\/p>\n\t
The question boils down to whether a brother who teaches a false doctrine is still a Christian. Why this one particular sin is being focused on, I don’t understand. All sins are alike to God.<\/p>\n
It looks as if the main problem is semantics. He is using “brother” to mean in fellowship. You are using “brother” to mean he is in the covenant with Christ and is a Christian.<\/p>\n
Matthew 12:50 and Mark 3:35 teaches that those who do the will of the Father are in fellowship with Christ. It doesn’t address the question of whether someone, who once was in fellowship and departed, is a Christian. I do agree that he is no longer in fellowship with God and Christ. “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth<\/em>” (I John 1:6). Without that fellowship with God, the sinning Christian would no longer have fellowship with faithful Christians. But that brings us back to the question: Does he cease to be a Christian?<\/p>\n He referred to: “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner–not even to eat with such a person<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:11). This verse does emphasize that there cannot be fellowship with a Christian who is in sin, but it actually supports your point as well: the sinning Christian is still a Christian. Why? Because we cannot keep company with brethren who are in sin, we still have to keep company with people who have never entered into Christ. “Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:10). The sinning Christian is treated in a different manner from worldly people, even though he has returned to living by worldly standards.<\/p>\n The verse you brought up makes the same point: “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother<\/em>” (II Thessalonians 3:14-15). A fallen brother is still a brother and is to be treated with some respect even while he is being rebuked for his sins and fellowship is being withdrawn from him.<\/p>\n What, then, do we have? We enter into the fellowship of Christ by doing the will of God through faith. That gives us the right to be called brothers. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus<\/em>” (Galatians 3:26-28). We enter into a covenant with God. “And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead<\/em>” (Colossians 2:11-12).<\/p>\n That makes an interesting point. An Israelite became a part of the covenant when he was circumcised. He might stumble, he might leave God, but he would still be in the covenant. In fact, it is\u00a0because<\/em>\u00a0he is in the covenant that God works to restore him (Ezekiel 18:21-32). If he is restored, he did not have to be circumcised all over again because he was still in the covenant.<\/p>\n In the same way, a Christian who falls away can be restored, but he doesn’t need to be baptized again because he is still in the covenant with Christ. The reason we work at trying to restore a fallen brother is that it is required by the covenant. It is because he is a fallen brother we must withdraw our fellowship with him while he remains in sin. Being a Christian is not a guarantee that you will be saved. Having become a brother in God’s family does not guarantee you will enter heaven.<\/p>\n\t Well said, Jeff. Thank you for taking the time to elaborate. It will be very helpful.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: A big fire started after our morning services this morning! One of our members here adamantly disagreed with me when I mentioned that when a brother sins by teaching doctrinal error, he must repent, and if he refuses to repent he is “a brother in error.” Until he does repent, we are no longer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[617,1308,478],"class_list":["post-53644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-apostasy","tag-falling-away","tag-false-teachers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":81440,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/calling-names-of-false-teachers\/","url_meta":{"origin":53644,"position":0},"title":"Calling Names of False Teachers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Andy Sochor At the beginning of his short epistle, Jude said Christians are to \"contend earnestly for the faith\" (Jude 3). This includes \"destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God\" (II Corinthians 10:5). Therefore, of necessity, we must oppose false doctrine and those\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12816,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-didnt-handle-an-argument-with-my-brother-over-the-movies-he-lets-my-nephew-watch-do-you-have-some-advice\/","url_meta":{"origin":53644,"position":1},"title":"I didn’t handle an argument with my brother over the movies he lets my nephew watch. Do you have some advice?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 24, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I need some outside advice. This morning I got into a short argument with my brother who has a boy -- both of whom live with me in my parent's home. All of us have put in equal hours helping to raise the boy. We all do our best\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":93191,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/raising-doctrinal-concerns-the-right-way\/","url_meta":{"origin":53644,"position":2},"title":"Raising Doctrinal Concerns the Right Way","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew Allen via From Fear to Faith Truth matters. Scripture never calls God's people to ignore error. Elders are told to guard the flock, preachers are charged to handle the word accurately, and Christians are warned that some will depart from the faith. But Scripture is equally clear about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16039,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-someone-refuses-to-repent-are-they-still-considered-brethren\/","url_meta":{"origin":53644,"position":3},"title":"If someone refuses to repent, are they still considered brethren?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 12, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We had\u00a0a couple who were members until we learned that their marriage was\u00a0unscriptural.\u00a0 They refused to repent.\u00a0 Are they considered \"brethren?\" Answer: \"And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":70001,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/forgiveness-without-repentance\/","url_meta":{"origin":53644,"position":4},"title":"Forgiveness Without Repentance?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Mike Johnson via Seeking Things Above The Bible emphasizes the importance of forgiving those who sin against us. In fact, failing to do so is very frightening because, in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught, \"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56793,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/have-you-gone-to-him-about-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":53644,"position":5},"title":"Have You Gone\u00a0to Him About It?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 10, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Brian A. Yeager How brethren deal with sin among the saints should often be brought into question. In fact, one could easily write many articles pointing out how infrequently brethren will apply what the scriptures teach when it comes to congregational discipline. 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