To Excommunicate or Not, Part 1

Thanking supporters and contributors, Shawn discussed the revamped websites, integrated social media, and new initiatives like the HOTM.TV archives, the CAMPUSCHURCH.tv gatherings, and the youth-focused ChristiAnarchy Today. He encouraged Christians to independently seek understanding, noting challenges from critics and the importance of navigating doctrinal differences without automatically severing connections.

In Shawn's teaching, he discusses the interpretation of biblical passages that support the practice of church discipline, particularly excommunicating those who are either living in sin or causing division by spreading heretical beliefs. He questions the relevance and necessity of such practices in modern Christianity, arguing that many believers and pastors enforce these actions based on their understanding of scriptures like 1 Corinthians 5, Ephesians 5:11, 2 Corinthians 6:14, and 2 Thessalonians 3:6, which promote avoiding fellowship with sinners and disorderly believers.

Shawn highlights that scriptural instructions regarding the exclusion of heretics and sinners from church fellowship, as mentioned in texts like Romans 16:17 and 2nd John 1:10-11, have been used historically and present-day to justify excommunication and non-association practices within Christianity. He questions whether these apostolic guidelines should be applied literally today, suggesting that adhering strictly to such interpretations can lead to a rigid, judgmental approach akin to historical witch trials, and challenges believers to consider the broader context of scripture beyond the doctrine of sola scriptura.

Shawn argues that while the New Testament writings are often cited as an authoritative guide for Christian behavior today, the practice of applying these scriptures directly to modern life is not strongly supported by historical or textual evidence. He emphasizes the misuse of scripture for actions like excommunication and suggests that both internal and external evidence shows this was not the intended purpose of these texts, advocating for an understanding that acknowledges the context and original audience of the biblical writings.

The epistles in the New Testament were written for the admonition of those living during the time when the age was near its end, emphasizing the urgency for believers to avoid fellowshipping with sinners as a preparation for the end. This teaching highlights that God promised a new covenant with His Laws inscribed on minds and hearts, to endure persecution and trials until the return of Christ, pointing out that the historical context is often overlooked by modern interpreters.

Shawn teaches that during times of spiritual and physical warfare, such as in early Christianity, specific directives were necessary for the church to resist external and internal threats, but this is no longer the case as God now reigns with His laws written on our hearts, eliminating the need for strict organizational structures. The shift from an age of religious materialism to an era where spiritual laws are internalized means that the former protocols and traditions of the church are outdated, as God now directly guides individuals by His Spirit.

The teaching emphasizes that amid the removal of what is unstable or temporary, what truly endures is the spiritual, individual, and non-material essence within believers, as described in Hebrews. This enduring essence is the Kingdom of God residing within, which guides individuals through the Spirit in love and personal transformation, without the need for external enforcement or exclusion.