"Not to Keep Company"

1Cor. 5:11 - "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat."

This command, if followed by the members of the ecclesia, would ensure that any brother or sister departing from the one faith and its principles as laid down in Yahweh’s Word would be removed from fellowship and so have absolutely no doubt as to the error of their ways in the hope that it would make them reconsider their position and desire to return to the household of faith. In order to accomplish this they would then need to repent (in the full meaning of the word) and turn from their error before readmission into fellowship. Thus the ecclesia would remain pure and holy as the temple of the living God.

While easily said this is much more difficult to put into practice, but if done in the spirit in which Paul, through the Holy Spirit, as intended and expressed in 2Thessalonians 2:14-15 (see below) it would be to the benefit of all concerned.

2Thessalonians 2:14-15 “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” The Greek word translated ‘ashamed’ also has the meaning of to “turn about” confirming what Paul said in 1Corinthians 5:5.