Thinking Through Withdrawal

2 Thessalonians 3:6

Introduction

Both classes will meet to sing.

The subject of church discipline or withdrawal is not isolated to a couple of obscure passages.

It is, in fact, a thoroughly taught subject throughout the epistles as we will see.

But it is uncomfortable. And as is often the case, our discomfort has less to do with the clarity of Scripture and more to do with the difficulty of practice.

I want to talk about those difficulties this morning.

Let’s discuss questions that often arise as we strive to understand God’s instruction about withdrawal.

Reasons to Withdraw

The language of withdrawal (1 Cor. 5:5, 11; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14; Tit. 3:10; 2 Tim. 3:5; 2 Jn. 10; Rom. 16:17; Eph. 5:11; Matt. 18:17).

The application of that language:

1 Cor 5:

Sexual immorality

Covetousness (greed-driven life)

Idolatry

Reviling (abusive, destructive speech)

Drunkenness

Extortion (taking advantage of others)

2 Thess. 3:

Idleness

Living off of others while capable of work

Disruptive, meddling behavior

Rejection of apostolic teaching

Romans 16; 2 Jn 9-11:

Not abiding in the doctrine of Christ

Bringing teaching that contradicts what was received

Leading others into error

Titus 3:

Stirring up division

Creating factions

Refusing correction after repeated warnings

2 Tim. 3:

lovers of self

lovers of money

boastful and arrogant

blasphemers

disobedient to parents

ungrateful

unholy

unloving

irreconcilable

malicious gossips

without self-control

without gentleness

without love for good

treacherous

reckless

conceited

lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power.

Withdraw from those living in open and unrepentant sin.

This requires judgment. And wherever judgment is required, there is the possibility of misuse. But that is not a reason to avoid obedience—it is a reason to exercise wisdom.

We like to say, “we are a nation of laws not of men.”

But of course those laws are and will always be applied by men.

But here are some things that become clear from this list:

Discipline is aimed at restoring the soul that is lost.

Discipline is aimed at maintaining purity in the church.

Discipline is aimed at maintaining the unity of the church.

The Procedure of Withdrawal

If the sin is private, then confrontation begins privately (Matt. 18:15).

The sin in Corinth is so public that Paul has heard of it at a great distance.

Paul does not “go to the brother.”

He writes to the whole church about the brother.

Without repentance, you expand the circle (Matt. 18:16; cf. 1 Cor. 6:4-7).

This is where the amount of evidence matters.

Can you prove there is sin or is it “he said, she said”?

Can you prove there is sin or do you merely have a bad feeling about this person?

Perhaps you even know there is sin but don’t have enough evidence to convince others.

No witnesses willing to testify?

Without repentance, you go to the congregation (Matt. 18:17).

Not, go to the church to withdrawal.

But include the entire church in the appeal.

If all efforts are refused, mark them (1 Cor. 5:4-5; Rom. 16:17).

There is an aspect of ceremony here when a congregation is involved.

This is about public identification.

There should be no shame in what the church is doing here.

The opposite should be true. We are striving to remove shame.

I think our efforts at privacy are in contradiction one point of the whole exercise.

If we are embarrassed to do this “in front of visitors” then one of two things is true:

We need to have more confidence in doing what is right.

We need to back up and be sure about what we are doing.

Life After Withdrawal

The language of withdrawal (1 Cor. 5:5, 11; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14; Tit. 3:10; 2 Tim. 3:5; 2 Jn. 10; Rom. 16:17; Eph. 5:11; Matt. 18:17).

2 Thessalonians 3:6 — “withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly”

2 Thessalonians 3:14 — “do not keep company with him”

2 Thessalonians 3:14 — “note that person”

1 Corinthians 5:9–11 — “not to keep company”

1 Corinthians 5:11 — “not even to eat with such a person”

1 Corinthians 5:13 — “put away from yourselves the evil person”

1 Corinthians 5:5 — “deliver such a one to Satan”

1 Timothy 1:20 — “whom I delivered to Satan”

Romans 16:17 — “mark those… and avoid them”

Titus 3:10 — “reject a divisive man”

2 Timothy 3:5 — “from such people turn away”

2 John 10 — “do not receive him into your house”

2 John 10 — “do not greet him”

Matthew 18:17 — “let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”

“Yet do not regard him as an enemy” (2 Thess. 3:15; cf. Matt. 18:17).

This is difficult balance.

We hold two things at once.

We must put distance in our practice, while maintaining genuine love in our hearts.

In other words, we must strive to be like God.

It is easier to either become callous and cold toward them and simply cut off all contact and communication or to simply ignore all of the above passages and go on like nothing happened.

The hard way is to love with all of the aspects of restricted relationship that the situation requires.

When Jesus says treat them like Gentiles and Tax Collectors, some will say that means nothing changes because look at how He treated Gentiles and tax collectors.

But what we see is how he treated those who were open to hearing his message. Not those who were unrepentant in their sins.

The identity here is that they are no longer insiders. They are outside and should be acknowledged as such.

“We do not stop caring—we stop pretending.”

Maintaining ongoing responsibilities (1 Pet. 3:1-7; Eph. 6:1-4)

You have responsibilities that do not rest on the faithfulness of the other person.

The more ties that are there, the harder this becomes.

But there is a real opportunity to show what very difficult faithfulness looks like.

You are showing them what one-sided faithfulness looks like.

You are showing them what it looks like to give and not receive.

Conclusion

All of this indicates the high level of commitment there is in being a Christian.

One of the great issues we suffer from today is that Christianity has come with little cost and so has required little commitment.

As a culture, Christianity means making a claim and not much else.

The New Testament calls us to the great demand of living up to the proclamation and identifying those who don’t.

Come out, and be separate.