Watchtower Study, Week of November 4-10, 2024, How to Help Those Who Have Been Removed from the Congregation, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, November 4-10, 2024, Helping Those Who Have Been Removed from the Congregation, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Answer

Celeste: Extra Points

“There will be more happiness in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7).

1, 2. (a) How does Jehovah view those who commit sin and do not repent? (b) What does Jehovah want?

JEHOVAH is not a permissive God, nor does He tolerate sin. (Ps. 5:4-6) He expects us to uphold the righteous standards He has given us in the Bible. Of course, He does not expect perfection from us because He knows we are imperfect. (Ps. 130:3, 4) But at the same time, a)  He rejects “irreverent men, who use the undeserved kindness of our God as an excuse for their shameless conduct.” (Jude 4) In fact, the Bible says that God will destroy “irreverent people” at the war of Armageddon. (2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 16:16)

2 Now, Jehovah does not want anyone to be destroyed. As we saw in the previous articles, the Bible makes it very clear that b).  he desires “all to come to repentance.”—2 Pet. 3:9. The elders imitate Jehovah by trying to patiently help those who have committed a serious sin to repent and regain their friendship with him. However, not everyone accepts this help.—Isa. 6:9. There are those who refuse to change despite the elders’ repeated attempts to lead them to repentance. What should be done in such cases?

“GET THE EVIL PERSON OUT”

3. a) According to the Bible, what should be done when someone commits a serious sin and does not repent? b) If a person does not repent, why can we say that he or she has chosen to be removed from the congregation?

3 If someone commits a serious sin and does not repent,  a)  the elders have no choice but to follow the command at 1 Corinthians 5:13: “Take out the wicked person from among you.” In a sense, he could be said to have made this choice himself—he is reaping what he has sown. (Gal. 6:7) Why? b)  Because he has refused to accept the help the elders have repeatedly offered him. (2 Ki. 17:12-15) His actions show that he has chosen not to obey Jehovah’s commands. (Deut. 30:19, 20)

4. When a person is removed from the congregation, why is an announcement made?

4 When someone who has not repented of a serious sin is removed from the congregation, an announcement is made to inform the congregation that the person is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is not done to humiliate the person, of course. Rather, it is so that the congregation can follow the Bible’s command to stop associating with the person or even eating with him or her. (1 Cor. 5:9–11) Jehovah gave this instruction for good reason. The apostle Paul wrote: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (1 Cor. 5:6) If someone who refuses to repent were not removed from the congregation, other brothers might conclude that there is no need to strive to live up to Jehovah’s righteous standards. (Prov. 13:20; 1 Cor. 15:33)

5. How should we view someone who is no longer a Jehovah's Witness, and why?

5 So how should we view someone who is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Even though we do not socialize with him, we do not see him as a lost case, but as a sheep that has strayed and can return to the fold. We must not forget that he once dedicated his life to Jehovah. Unfortunately, he is not living up to that promise now, so he is in a very dangerous situation. (Ezek. 18:31) However, as long as there is time and Jehovah is willing to show mercy, we do not lose hope that the person will return. So how can elders help someone who has left the congregation?

HOW ELDERS HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CONGREGATION

6. What steps do elders take to help someone who has been removed from the congregation?

6 When someone is removed from the congregation, what do the elders do? Do they abandon him completely and stop trying to help him return to Jehovah? Of course not! When the committee of elders informs the person that he will no longer be able to be part of the congregation, they will explain the steps he must take to return. But that is not all. In most cases, they will tell the person that they would like to meet with him again in a few months to see if he has changed his attitude. If he says yes, at that next meeting the elders will kindly invite him to repent and return. And if he has not changed his attitude by then? Still, the elders in the future will continue to make efforts periodically to meet with him.

7. How do the elders imitate Jehovah’s compassion in treating the person who has been removed from the congregation? (Jeremiah 3:12)

7 Elders should strive to imitate Jehovah’s compassion in dealing with a person who leaves the congregation. For example, when the ancient Israelites were disobedient, Jehovah did not sit idly by and wait for them to return. Rather, he made the first move and tried to help them even before they showed any signs of repentance. As we saw in the second article in this series, Jehovah used the case of the prophet Hosea to show how compassionate he is. He told Hosea that even though his wife was still sinning, he should offer to be reconciled to him. (Hos. 3:1; Mal. 3:7) Like Jehovah, elders sincerely desire that a person repent and return to the organization, and they do not make it difficult for him to do so. (Read Jeremiah 3:12.)

8. How does the parable of the lost son help us better understand Jehovah’s compassion? (Luke 15:7)

8 Let us also recall the parable of the lost son , which we discussed in the second article of this series. As soon as his father caught sight of him, he “ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him tenderly” (Luke 15:20). Notice that he did not wait for his father to ask for forgiveness. In fact, he took the initiative, as any loving father would do. Elders feel similarly about sheep that have gone astray, and they strive to help them “come home” (Luke 15:22-24, 32). When a sinner returns, there is happiness in heaven—and on earth, too! (Read Luke 15:7.)

9. What loving invitation does Jehovah give to those who have committed a serious sin?

9 All that we have discussed so far has made it clear that Jehovah does not tolerate anyone who commits a serious sin and does not repent remaining a part of the organization. At the same time, he does not turn his back on such a person; rather, he wants him to return. At Hosea 14:4 we read how Jehovah views those who repent: “I will heal their unfaithfulness. I will love them willingly, for my anger has turned away.” How important it is for elders to be alert for any signs that someone has begun to repent! And how important it is for those who have left Jehovah to take steps to return to him as soon as possible!

10, 11. How do the elders try to help people who were removed from the congregation in the past?

10 What about people who were removed from the congregation in the past, perhaps many years ago? They may no longer be committing the sin for which they were removed, and in some situations they may not even remember the reason. Regardless, the elders will try to locate and visit all such people. When they visit them, they will even offer to pray with them and lovingly encourage them to return to the congregation. Of course, if someone has been away from the organization for many years, they will obviously be very weak spiritually. So if they say they want to return, the elders may decide to have a brother or sister give them Bible study, even if they have not yet been readmitted. And it will always be the elders who will arrange this.

11 Elders want to imitate Jehovah’s compassion. So they strive to seek out and help as many people as possible to know that if they wish to return, the door is open. If someone shows that he is repentant and turns from his sin, he can be readmitted without delay. —2 Cor. 2:6-8.

12. (a) In what situations should elders exercise special caution? (b) Why should we not assert that those who commit certain types of sins will never be able to receive Jehovah's mercy? (See also footnote.)

12 There are some situations in which the elders must take special caution before reinstating someone, such as if the person  was guilty of child abuse, committed apostasy, or plotted to end a marriage. In such cases, the elders must make sure that the person is truly repentant. (Mal. 2:14; 2 Tim. 3:6) They must protect the sheep. But at the same time, (b)  we must realize that Jehovah will accept back into his people anyone who repents from the heart and stops committing serious sins. Therefore, although the elders will take due care in dealing with those who have behaved cruelly or treacherously in the past, they will not go so far as to say that those who commit certain types of sins will never be able to receive Jehovah’s mercy. (1 Pet. 2:10)

WHAT THE CONGREGATION CAN DO

13. How do we treat someone who is censured, but how do we treat someone who is removed from the congregation?

13 As we saw in the previous article, sometimes an announcement is made that someone has been censured. In that case, we can continue to associate with him because we know that he has repented and stopped committing the sin (1 Tim. 5:20). He is still part of the congregation and needs encouragement from the brothers to continue doing what is right (Heb. 10:24, 25). However, the situation is very different when someone is removed from the congregation. In that case, we stop associating with him and do not even eat with him (1 Cor. 5:11).

14. What should each Christian decide, based on his or her biblically educated conscience, regarding people who have been removed from the congregation? (See also images.)

14 Does all this mean that when a person is removed from the congregation, we should ignore him completely? Not necessarily. Clearly, we are not going to socialize with him. But Christians can use their Bible-trained conscience to decide whether to invite someone who was removed from the congregation—perhaps a family member or someone who used to be a close friend—to a congregation meeting. And how should he be treated if he does attend? In the past, we would not have greeted him. But here, too, every Christian should use his Bible-trained conscience. Some may feel comfortable greeting the person or welcoming him. What we would not do, however, is have a long conversation or socialize with him.

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. A sister calls a woman who was taken out of the congregation and invites her to a congregation meeting. 2. The sister and her husband warmly greet the woman at the Kingdom Hall. Each Christian can use his or her Bible-trained conscience to decide whether to invite someone who was taken out of the congregation to a meeting or to welcome him or her with a brief greeting when he or she attends a meeting. (See paragraph 14.)

15. Who is referred to in 2 John 9–11? (See also the box “Were John and Paul Talking About the Same Kind of Sin?”)

15 We may wonder, “But doesn’t the Bible say that anyone who greets such people ‘becomes an accomplice to their evil deeds’?” (Read 2 John 9–11.) The context indicates that these verses refer to apostates and those who actively promote evil behavior. (Rev. 2:20) Therefore, if a person is actively promoting apostate teachings or other sins, the elders would not make plans to visit that person. Of course, there is still a chance that he or she might change. But until that happens, we would not greet that person or invite him or her to attend a congregation meeting.

Were John and Paul talking about the same kind of sin?

In his second letter, the apostle John was inspired to write: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring these teachings, do not welcome him into your homes or greet him. For whoever greets him becomes an accomplice in his wicked deeds ” (2 John 10:11).

On the other hand, in 1 Corinthians 5:11, Paul said that Christians should stop associating with those who have been removed from the congregation. Now, were John and Paul talking about people who have committed the same kind of sin? All indications are that they are not.

Notice that each apostle was referring to a different situation. Paul was speaking of a man who had fallen into sexual immorality. However, some 43 years later, John was speaking of apostates and other people who actively teach false ideas and encourage others to do things the Bible condemns. For example, some were teaching that Jesus was not the Christ (1 John 2:22; 4:2, 3).

When John wrote his letters, apostasy was already widespread. Although he knew he could not stop it, as an apostle he fulfilled his responsibility to act as a “restraint” by holding it back for as long as possible (2 Thess. 2:7).

John warned the brothers not to be deceived by these false teachers. He told them never to let them into their homes or greet them. To greet an apostate would be to give him an opportunity to teach his twisted and corrupt ideas. The same would happen if we responded to what apostates posted on social media or on websites. If someone were to greet an apostate, he would be “an accomplice to his evil deeds.”

Instead, as seen in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul spoke of removing from the congregation a man who had fallen into sexual immorality. All indications are that he was not an apostate nor was he actively encouraging others to break God’s laws (compare Revelation 2:20). So while Paul commanded Christians to stop associating with him or even eat with him, he did not tell them that they could never greet him briefly.

LET US IMITATE JEHOVAH'S COMPASSION AND MERCY

16, 17. (a) What does Jehovah want sinners to do? (Ezekiel 18:32) (b) How can elders work with Jehovah?

16 What have we learned from these five articles? That Jehovah does not want anyone to be destroyed (read Ezekiel 18:32).  a).  He wants sinners to be reconciled to him. (2 Cor. 5:20) That is why so many times throughout history Jehovah has asked those who have abandoned him to repent and return to him. And what a privilege elders have to be able to work with Jehovah in b).  helping those who have committed serious sin to repent. (Rom. 2:4; 1 Cor. 3:9)

17 How wonderful it is to imagine the joy that comes from heaven when sinners repent! Our heavenly Father, Jehovah, is very happy every time one of his lost sheep returns to the congregation. Let us continue to meditate always on Jehovah's compassion, mercy, and undeserved kindness, and thus the love we feel for him will grow stronger every day. —Luke 1:78.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

Why is it necessary to remove some people from the congregation?

This is necessary because he has committed a serious sin and has not repented. Therefore, the elders have no choice but to follow the command of 1 Corinthians 5:13: "We must remove the wicked person from among us."

How can elders imitate Jehovah’s compassion?

In their way of treating the person, they will not give up on them, they will be kind, friendly, patient, they will inform them of the options they have to return and they will be trying to contact them to see how their situation is going.

What should each Christian decide, based on his or her biblically educated conscience, regarding people who have been removed from the congregation

Christians can use their Bible-educated conscience to decide whether to invite someone who has been removed from the congregation, perhaps a family member or someone who used to be a close friend, to a congregation meeting. If the person attends the meeting, they can decide whether to greet and welcome them.