This matter is dealt with in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 5. On a human level, you can easily understand it like this that when a person has committed a gross sin—something which in people’s eyes is considered to be much worse than other sins—he should be expelled from the church. This is not only incorrect, but the spirit in it is also ungodly. In verse 11 it is written that we shall not keep company with someone who is called a brother, and is an adulterer, or covetous or an idolater, or a backbiter, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. A sober person who on a given occasion becomes intoxicated—is he a drunkard? No, of course not! Neither can we call an honorable man an adulterer because he fell in adultery on a given occasion. It is not those who fall in adultery, or the lust to buy, or in backbiting who ought to or shall be expelled, but those who live in these vices, those who want to enjoy these vices and still be called brothers. There are also such people, and they are wicked. They are adulterers, covetous, and backbiters. They shall be expelled from the church, for the church is not the congregation of the wicked. On the other hand, if each individual were to be put outside as soon as he has fallen a single time in backbiting, covetousness, or some other wickedness, there would hardly be anyone left! In any case, this difficulty would then fall away. This is also one way of understanding God’s salvation!!! Besides, these works of expelling those who fall are an open violation of God’s works, for He “upholds all those who fall.” Ps. 145:14. It also says in Proverbs 24:16 that “the righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the ungodly falls in depravity.” It is self-evident that only the righteous, only those who have been raised up, those who are standing run the risk of falling. The ungodly—adulterers, covetous, and backbiters—they cannot fall in sin because they live in sin. What could be more un-Christian than this: namely, to expel a brother from the church who is asking for forgiveness? Why should he be expelled? Has God said that if he falls in anything as terrible as adultery that he cannot be forgiven—in any case not before a certain amount of time has passed? God has neither said nor intended anything like that! From where did people get the understanding that they should differentiate between falling in greater or lesser sins? They have acquired this wisdom from the world in order to have a reputation in the eyes of man, to gain support and praise in the newspapers! That is why they expel unfortunate, humbled brothers and sisters who are asking for forgiveness. Jesus did not speak in vain when He said that what is highly esteemed in the eyes of man is an abomination to God. It is the carnal person, the unmerciful fellow servant, who rises up on behalf of men (but not on behalf of God) and says: Shame! However, you who in your conceit say “Shame!” to the brother who has fallen in adultery once, I wonder if you haven’t fallen once, twice, three times and even multiple times in backbiting and covetousness? By judging your brother to be expelled, aren’t you utterly condemning yourself? But presumably that was not your intention? From where did you get the understanding that your brother who has fallen in adultery has transgressed so much more than others who have fallen in sins that are quite common and prized in the world, sins such as backbiting and covetousness???? James says with good reason: “Not many of you become teachers . . . .” Jas. 3:1. Meditate thoroughly on Chapter 4, verses 11-17, and Chapter 2, verses 1-18. Now look at what James teaches us: Whoever stumbles in one point, he is guilty of all. Therefore: someone who, because he was weak, fell in the temptation to backbite his brother while he was visiting someone else is guilty of adultery of the worst kind! This is an established fact, according to James’ instruction. Why not expel everyone who falls in backbiting and the lust to buy? Why do people not think that it is necessary? Because the world doesn’t think so! It is not God’s but the world’s view in the matter that weighs most heavily in the scales as far as most people are concerned. It is important to please people, to have a good reputation, to gain as many followers as possible, and thus become great in people’s eyes. Of course, all this striving—as does everything else—goes under the best of names: We have to preserve God’s honor; it is all done out of care for God’s kingdom. Nevertheless, it is not really the inward they are concerned with; on the contrary, the outward appearance is the most important thing of all! After a brother has been expelled who (for example) has fallen in adultery, when people have had a suitable amount of time to give vent to their indignation and the banishment of the person concerned who on a given occasion fell in a manifest sin, when they have satisfied their most basic desire to speak evil about the individual, when their essential lust has been gratified—what hypocrisy—then the person who has fallen is quietly re-admitted. I must say that they are self-appointed judges with evil thoughts! On the other hand, judging yourself is something totally different! Blessed is everyone who does that, for he will not be condemned together with the world. Jude, the brother of James, says that we shall be compassionate with fear to someone, hating even the garment defiled by sin. We shall hate sin, and that is what we shall throw out. And when we reach the utmost limits of hatred against the evil, then we throw out even the garment that has been defiled by the flesh. However, the believing soul who has fallen in sin and has turned away from his sinful way and is washed by the blood of Jesus Christ—who will sentence him to lose his life or his calling and gifts? It is also written that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Rom. 11:29. He does not change His mind; neither does He avenge Himself if we should fall. He never gives up on us as long as we do not harden ourselves and abandon ourselves to sin. There is a powerful confirmation of this in Revelation 3:1-3. There the angel of the church, its leader, received the testimony from God that he had a name of being alive, but that he was dead, yet he was still not put out or deposed. God is good. Blessed is everyone who listens to His voice and learns from Him.Elias Aslaksen