Lorna, a podcast listener from the UK Reds and ask this, Pastor John, what should I do

about the verses in the Bible that say you should have nothing to do with those who call

themselves Christians, but who are sexually immoral, 1 Corinthians 5-11?

My dad has recently and still is committing adultery against my mother and still claims

to be a Christian.

Does this give me the opportunity to not talk to him?

Oh my, this is not a new issue for me.

One of the pastoral issues over the last 30 years of the entanglement of church discipline

with family relationships is incredibly difficult.

But let me make sure people know the verse she's talking about.

It says, but now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name

brother or sister.

If he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed or an idolater or a viola or a drunkard

or a swindler, not even to eat with such a one.

So the point Paul is making is I'm not telling you to stop eating with unbelievers who act

this way.

I'm telling you to stop eating with believers who act this way.

In other words, I kind of holy ostracism.

So Lorna is right to see a problem here and she's not alone.

One of the most vexing pastoral problems arises in the church when we try to take the

Bible seriously in regard to church discipline because there are almost always close family

members involved with the person being disciplined like daughters or wives or husbands or brothers

...