I have to agree. All we have to go on is whether or not behavior matches the Word. Counsel nouthetically and if necessary let them go. Remind them not just of the offense but of the Gospel and of their supposed love for Christ. God disciplines those whom He loves - does he not? Joe On Apr 24, 2005, at 4:56 PM, ic2@... wrote: > William, > > For some some reason you are missing the point. An unrepentant person > is just that. Whether he or she is a true believer is none of our > concern at that point. What we believe is irrevelant. If a person > walks like the devil, smells like the devil and eats with the devil > and refuses the loving discipline of the Church then let them go live > with the devil. Only God knows their end. > > Moe > > >> Matthew 18:17's mandate to declare the unrepentant to be an >> unbeliever. >> (Chad) >> >> >> Chad - the above words are incredible and indicative of a theology >> based on >> deductions, presumptions and inferences instead of accepting what is >> simply >> stated by Christ. Matt. 18 does not make any such declaration, any >> more than >> Acts. 2 teaches infant baptism. It says what we are to do and how we >> are to >> treat a man who says he is a brother caught in sin. >> >> Wm. >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Chad R. Bresson [mailto:breusswane@...] >> Sent: 22 April 2005 15:23 >> To: soundofgrace@... >> Subject: RE: [soundofgrace] "sound" = gospel >> >> >> William and Dorothy Oosterman <tulip01@...> wrote: >>> they were never saved in the first place and only after they came >>> back? >> >> or >> >>> they may have been saved, despite the church's text-mandated >>> declaration >> otherwise, and >they came back. >> >> >> It doesn't matter and it is irrelevant to Matthew 18:17. That the >> latter is >> a possibility is totally inconsequential to obeying Matthew 18:17's >> mandate >> to declare the unrepentant to be an unbeliever. One who is "as" a >> Gentile >> cannot be called brother.... because it is not the way we would treat >> a >> Gentile. If we treat someone "as" a Gentile, we are treating them as >> if >> they are unbelievers. We don't call unbelievers "brothers". >> >> Chad Bresson >> Xenia, OH >> >> -- >> Read the Sound of Grace pages at >> http://www.soundofgrace.com >> >> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: >> soundofgrace-unsubscribe@... >> >> To view our online archive go to our web page at >> http://www.associate.com/groups/soundofgrace >> >> -- >> Read the Sound of Grace pages at >> http://www.soundofgrace.com >> >> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: >> soundofgrace-unsubscribe@... >> >> To view our online archive go to our web page at >> http://www.associate.com/groups/soundofgrace >> >> >> > > -- > Read the Sound of Grace pages at > http://www.soundofgrace.com > > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > soundofgrace-unsubscribe@... > > To view our online archive go to our web page at > http://www.associate.com/groups/soundofgrace > > >