Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision

DISFELLOWSHIPPING CAN BENEFIT EVERYONE CONCERNED

 Jesus pointed out that "wisdom is proved righteous by its results." (Matthew 11:19) A wise decision to disfellowship  an unrepentant wrongdoer produces righteous results. Consider these three: 

Disfellowshipping wrongdoers honors Jehovah's name.   Since we bear the name of Jehovah, our behavior inevitably reflects on his name. (Isaiah 43:10) Just as a son's conduct can bring either honor or reproach on his parents, so people's feelings toward Jehovah will depend to some extent on the good or bad example they observe in his name people.  God's good name make Jehovah's  moral standard their own.  The situation was somewhat similar in Ezekiel's time when people of the nations closely associated the name of Jehovah with the Jews. - Ezekiel 36:19-23. 

We would bring reproach on God's holy name if we practiced immorality.  The apostle Peter counseled Christians:  "As obedient children, stop being molded  by the desires you formerly had in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all your conduct, for it is written: "You must be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16) Clean, holy conduct brings honor to God's name. 

If one of Jehovah's Witnesses practices what is bad, however, it is likely that friends and acquaintances will become aware of this.  The disfellowshipping act shows that Jehovah has a clean people who adhere to Scriptural guidelines in order to maintain that holiness.  A stranger once came to a meeting at the Kingdom Hall in Switzerland and said that he wanted to become a member of the congregation.  His sister had been disfellowshipped for immorality. He said that he wanted to join an organization that "does not tolerate bad conduct." 

Next time: Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision - Disfellowshipping protects the clean, Christian congregation

From the Watchtower magazine