“Black Balling”

There are definitely some things which we DO NOT need to restore which the early church practiced. I am standing firm on this, and you should as well. Now before you get upset, just think about it. What did some in the early church do, which we should not? Well, here is an article which Dad wrote some years ago, and I found it while going through his papers. I am not sure he published it, but I will… It needs to be read…
The article is entitled, “BLACK BALLING”

The idea of assassinating a brother (in Christ) by spurious charges is not new. Simply asking an unanswered question like, “Where was OUR GOOD BROTHER on the night of August 6th,” in order to raise a doubt in the minds of others is an old but still workable trick. Assassination by association is back in style. It is “murder” by grouping. Example: “I was at the zoo recently and saw a monkey, a baboon and brother so and so!” Gossip can often be nothing more than “Guess who I saw sitting at the same table… and they were talking and laughing and seemed to be having lots of fun together.”
The idea of assassinating a brother (in Christ) by spurious charges is not new. Simply asking an unanswered question like, “Where was OUR GOOD BROTHER on the night of August 6th,” in order to raise a doubt in the minds of others is an old but still workable trick. Assassination by association is back in style. It is “murder” by grouping. Example: “I was at the zoo recently and saw a monkey, a baboon and brother so and so!” Gossip can often be nothing more than “Guess who I saw sitting at the same table… and they were talking and laughing and seemed to be having lots of fun together.”
The idea of assassinating a brother (in Christ) by spurious charges is not new. Simply asking an unanswered question like, “Where was OUR GOOD BROTHER on the night of August 6th,” in order to raise a doubt in the minds of others is an old but still workable trick. Assassination by association is back in style. It is “murder” by grouping. Example: “I was at the zoo recently and saw a monkey, a baboon and brother so and so!” Gossip can often be nothing more than “Guess who I saw sitting at the same table… and they were talking and laughing and seemed to be having lots of fun together.”

1. Have I contacted the person or persons about whom I am writing? Have I discussed with them the point of conflict, allowing them to give any detail of conscience or circumstance that may otherwise be unknown? This would allow me the ability to be fair and responsible in my own attitudes.

2. Did I offer them space in my bulletin or periodical to allow them an adequate reply in the same edition?

3. This procedure would allow more room in your journal or publication for positive truths that encourage brethren and build up the church.

4. Following this checklist (might) help do away with much of the labeling and black-listing of brethren/ This would in turn, give us all more “elbow-room” to study truth without fear of the “light” that truth brings. This would produce the climate needed for more open discussion (without pride or malice) of issues that need “ventilating.”

5. Above all, this kind of consideration would would help restore (to some degree) the FIRST (and greatest) commandment of loving God (His Word and truth) and of loving each other (as we love our self) more (Matthew 22:37-40).

Some call it slander, others say libel, or misrepresentation, or “murder.” “He who steals my purse steals trash, but he who robs me of my good name, steals that which enriches him not, but makes me poor indeed” (Shakespeare). However you write it, or whatever you call it, if it results in “consuming each other,” it’s just a matter of time before ”
“We’ll all be made somebody-Else’s dinner!!”

Jack Exum

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The Question Of Fellowship

   A man landed on a deserted island he thought, and as he wandered around. He came across a small grass hut with a sign, “2nd Deserted Island Church of Christ”. He went in, found the bearded man sitting on the sand, song book (of sorts) in his hand and inquired of the man, if there were anyone else on the island? The bearded man said, “No, just me.” The man asked, “Well, why does the sign say, “2nd Church of Christ”? The bearded man said, “Well a while back I had a disagreement with myself, so I left and started another congregation.”
   While humor is good, the subject of “Fellowship”, is truly serious, and one of the most precious blessings we have in Christ. Sad indeed it is when “FELLOWSHIP” is misunderstood, and used the wrong way, as if we can somehow take it away, or grant it, depending on whether or not someone agrees with us in every detail. Sadly we have seen congregations where the leadership “withdraws fellowship” from other congregations and their leaderships. I have found no example of this being done in the New Testament, not even with the church in Corinth. Bottom line, we need to re-study “Fellowship”. Maybe this brief article will be helpful in beginning this study. Read and re-read it with your Bible handy. I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR THE ARTICLE, I found this in dad’s New Testament, and recall him reading it to me and referring to it several times. I am grateful to the author, and encourage you to give this some thought… Maybe a comment… Dad underlined sections which I will put in bold print.
(JHEjr)

   “It is important to remember that the word “fellowship’ is a noun. It is never used as a verb. We should not belittle such truths, because it is necessary that we employ sound speech. We do not want to confuse others, and to avoid doing so, we must not use the language of the Spirit, we must also do it in the same manner in which the Spirit has used it. Thus, we should not say that we fellowship a certain person. We are in the fellowship with certain persons. We never ask, “Do you partnership him?” or “Do you companionship him?” By the same token we do not ask, “Do you fellowship him?” To do so, removes fellowship from a state or condition and reduces it to an act. It then becomes something which we may extend or withdraw, when, in reality, it is a state in which we enter. That is why the expression “withdraw fellowship” is not in the scriptures.
   We do not “fellowship” things, or ideas, or doctrines. Fellowship is a relation between persons, like brotherhood or partnership. The word “fellow” shows this. It is from a word meaning “a companion” or “one who shares”. We do not fellowship societies … Bible classes, individual cups, etc… I mention this because of the communion error of many of my good brethren, who have been conditioned by long practice to misuse the word in such a manner. We need to purify our speech if we would please God.
   The implication of what we have said is simply this. Fellowship is not a state that is entered because of a position on the things that have been allowed to divide us. We come into the fellowship by response to the call of God. Anyone who makes the proper response to that call enters the fellowship. He may not even know there has been division created by an attitude toward certain things. He may be unaware that God’s family is rent or divided. Just as the fellowship is not entered by a view of these issues, and because of that, it is our contention that it (fellowship)( JHEjr.) is not broken or destroyed by an opinion on these matters. Fellowship is brotherhood. Brotherhood is the result of common Fatherhood. Disagreements with each other about certain things do not remove us from our family. The term used to describe the family relationship of God’s children is “fellowship”.

   Fellowship is way too precious for us to ‘mess up’. The body of Christ is a grand family of believers. We do not all believe the same on everything. That’s just a fact. Yet on the basics, and ‘core essentials, we agree. Things like cups, kitchens, buses, puppets, styles of music, Bible classes, Bible translations, Women’s head coverings etc…. should not be allowed to ever divide the body of Christ. These things and many other things we have allowed to upset, splinter and divide the church are not the basis of fellowship. The foundation of our fellowship, is coming to Jesus by faith, repenting of our sins, being immersed into Jesus at which time we receive the Holy Spirit as a gift (Acts 2:38-39). That promise is given to all who come to Jesus. The Lord add all those who come, to the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Guard and protect the unity of the Spirit..

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