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Originally posted by GoFish:
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Originally posted by what4:
Here are some situations I might feel that a church is justified in putting someone out.
What? No mention of a woman trying to assert herself as an equal?
What happens when a woman steps out of her "place"? How should she be punished?
That issue is between the husband and the wife. If the man is perfect and submits to God in all things, then he might feel justified in being very demanding with his wife to accept his authority in all things. But if that man expects mercy then he should show mercy. If the man expects God to show Him patience, then he should show his wife patience. If the woman continues to be divisive in all aspects and refuses to consider the husband as the leader, then the man can go to the church if he feels the need. Good council in the church can help. But this is the man’s ultimate responsibility because he is the leader of his own home, and it is not the church’s responsibility to do the man’s job for him. The church should only be involved when asked. The primary one to be sought out in this situation for help is God. God can do the impossible.
The church is not out to force people to live according to God’s word. The church is just expecting people who profess to know Jesus as Savior, to bear the fruits of their testimony. The church is not a social club, but it is the living body of Christ. Something that is foreign to the body, that works contrary to the design of the body, is attacked by the body's defense mechanism. Those who profess to know Christ, but don't follow Him, should expect to be separated from Christ’s body.