Biblical Principles of Church Separation
Third in a series on Biblical Church Partnerships. The previous posts are:
Biblical separation, whether personal or ecclesiastical, is the concept that God has called us to distinguish ourselves from this sinful world while living in it.
As individual believers in the Lord, we are to avoid being inextricably bound to unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14-17). We see personal separation from this world in the example of Daniel (Dan. 1:8), as well as in our instructions to avoid evil (1 Thess. 5:22), follow our convictions (Rom. 14:5), and resist temptation (Rom. 13:14).
Ecclesiastical separation is the idea that there are times when a church must evaluate its current or potential ties to individuals, other churches, organizations, or denominations because of the presence of unbiblical doctrines or practices.
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God Has Called Us to Separate
The New Testament word often translated "church" is the Greek word ekklesia, which means "a called-out assembly." By its very nature, a church is called by God to be separate—not just a group of people who individually separate from the world in a general way, but a group that collectively separates itself from certain others. If there is no separation based on commonly-held biblical ideals, then the church has lost much of what makes it distinctively a church.
What Should We Separate From?
False Teaching
Repeatedly throughout Christ's ministry, he warned his disciples against false teachers, calling them wolves in sheep's clothing (cf. Matt. 7:15) and speaking of the consequences of those who lead little ones astray (cf. Matt. 18:6).
Consider these other Scriptures that call for us to separate ourselves from false teaching:
Romans 16:17-18 - Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
2 Corinthians 6:14-17 - Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.
2 John 10-11 - If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and do not greet him; for the one who greets him shares in his evil works.
To these verses we could add Revelation 2:14-15, in which Jesus warned the church at Pergamum against tolerating those who engaged in false teaching.
It is the responsibility of the pastors of God's flock to lead the church to separate from those who engage in false teaching, especially those teachings that deny the gospel (cf. Gal. 1:8-9). The Lord Jesus has given those of us who serve as pastors the task of protecting his people from the lies and schemes of the evil one, so let us not fall short in this awesome privilege by failing to separate his people from false teachers.
If we carry out this task well, the church's separation from false teachers will be clear, decisive, and unmistakable.
Worldliness
The biblical call to separation is not only about theological matters. Christ has also called us to separate ourselves from those who engage in conduct that is inherently sinful, worldly, or harmful to others.
Consider the following Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 5:11, 13 - I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler.... Remove the evil person from among you.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 - Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister who is idle and does not live according to the tradition received from us.
Titus 3:10-11 - Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning. For you know that such a person has gone astray and is sinning; he is self-condemned.
Revelation 18:4 - Then I heard another voice from heaven: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues.”
In our zeal for holiness, we must make sure that we do not confuse personal convictions for biblical instruction. It is possible to get carried away and go beyond the bounds of biblical separation. To this end, Edward Hiscox gave this timeless and wise counsel: “Nothing can be considered a just and reasonable cause for the withdrawal of fellowship, and exclusion of the Church, except it be clearly forbidden in, or manifestly contrary to, the Scriptures, and what would have prevented the reception of the individual into the Church had it existed at the time and been persisted in” (Principles and Practices for Baptist Churches. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1893. Reprinted with no date, p. 180).
Brothers in Christ Who Ignore Biblical Separation
A more difficult question to answer is whether we should separate from Bible-believing brothers who allow God's people to be taught falsehoods or encouraged to engage in worldly activities.
In other words, if a fellow believer, church, or Christian organization refuses to engage in the biblical practice of separation, should they themselves be subject to separation by those who take seriously Scripture's commands on this subject? Would God want us to separate ourselves from brothers who embrace those who either teach error or engage in worldliness?
In answering this question, consider the following Scriptures:
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 - If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don't associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. Yet don't consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
2 John 10b-11 - Do not greet him (who does not remain in Christ's teaching but goes beyond it), for the one who greets him shares in his evil works.
2 Chronicles 19:2 - Then Jehu son of the seer Hanani went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the Lord’s wrath is on you."
The message of God's Word is clear: worldliness has a terrible effect on a church. Why, then, would we partner with a fellow believer, church, or organization who welcomes the worldly teachings or practices that will harm the people of God?
Worldly practices that might come into the church include not only obvious actions, such the sexual sin we find in 1 Corinthians 5, but also worldly ways of being the church. For example, when God's people gather to worship him, we diminish that worship if we play music that neither serves to glorify God, edify believers, or present the gospel to the lost. Likewise, in worship if we exchange the exposition of God's Word for worldly teachings that itching ears want to hear, we are guilty of worldly practices. Again, when we decide to follow the ways of the world by dismissing as outdated cultural accommodations the biblical qualifications of pastors, we are diminishing the standards that God has set in place for those who shepherd his people.
If we truly believe that the written Word of God is not only authoritative, trustworthy, and free from error, but also sufficient for our faith and practice, then we must separate ourselves and the churches we serve from our brothers who allow false teachings and worldly practices to damage God’s people.
We would be wise to remember the words of James 4:4: “You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.”
If God the Father has spoken in his Word about an issue—even one that some may consider to be secondary—then why would we partner with a brother who harms the Bride of Christ by encouraging practices contrary to what our Father has said?
"But Isn't Separation Divisive?"
One of the responses from those who either engage in sin or refuse to separate themselves from those who do is that the Christian or church who takes biblical separation seriously is guilty of causing schisms in the Body of Christ. We are told for the sake of unity, we should view the worldliness coming into the church as mere peccadilloes which must be overlooked. Sometimes we are told that if we do not go along with turning a blind eye to error and sin, we might be guilty of harming missionary endeavors around the world. We are told to hold our nose and maintain a big tent for the cause of Christ—even though that tent would include false teachings and blatant disobedience to God.
A close examination of Scripture, however, shows that the unity of God's people and even missions endeavors are not diminished by following the principles he gives us in his Word. Instead, unity and missions are diminished by failing to follow God’s ways.
Disunity is caused not by devotion to God, but by gossip, slander, revenge, lying, manipulation, and other bad and sinful behaviors. Likewise, fulfilling the Great Commission is harmed not by faithfulness to the teachings of Scripture, but by abandoning good doctrine. It does not take long for the church or denomination which has forsaken the clear teachings of Scripture also to forsake or at least diminish the command of Christ to make disciples of the nations.
Scripture also teaches what must NOT divide us: personal convictions about which God is quiet, as seen in the instructions of Romans 14 about eating meat. However, for those matters about which God has spoken—especially those matters so clear that there is agreement among churches to speak to them in a common statement of faith—these are more than merely convictions of personal conscience. Indeed, the matters about which Bible-believing churches believe God has spoken must form the boundaries of cooperation.
Biblical Separation is Good
To separate from those promoting false teaching or worldliness is actually helpful—not harmful—to the Body of Christ.
The benefit of such separation can be seen in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. The passage is speaking about THE most unifying activity in which the church can engage—partaking the Lord's Supper together. There is nothing that speaks more decisively to the common salvation of all of God's people than obeying Christ’s command in this way, for it reminds us of the body and blood of our Lord, proclaiming his death until he returns. The act of communion is so critical to the unity of the church that judgment comes upon the one who eats and drinks “without recognizing the body” (1 Cor. 11:29).
It is in this passage that we discover that the value of biblical separation is actually found in the unity of the church. Stated differently, unity is the REASON that biblical separation is valuable. Verse 19 of that chapter reads, “Indeed, it is necessary that there be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you.” Separation from the worldly serves to unify those who are approved.
When separation is biblical, it does not result in harmful schisms. When the godly step away from false teachers, sinful participants, or fellow brothers who accept either, an unmistakable message is proclaimed to the guilty: repent of your worldliness and seek the Lord. If this warning is heeded, then restoration and cooperation is possible. Biblical separation is an act of holiness designed to cause sinners to realize the error of their ways and repent.
When biblical separation is warranted, it must always be pursued with humility, knowing that any one of us may at some time find ourselves drifting away from biblical moorings (cf 1 Cor. 10:12). It must likewise be practiced with patience, allowing an opportunity for those in need of correction to be trained in righteousness (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). And it must be accomplished with love of God and neighbor permeating our hearts (cf. 1 Cor. 16:14), for separation without love is not of God.
