Meaning of EXCOMMUNICATION

Excommunication (temporary or permanent expulsion from the community, due to a serious offense) was practiced both among Jews and among early Christian communities.

It is an indication that some faults are personal offenses against God, in addition to causing scandal, dissension, divisions in the church, making the Name of God ridiculous.

Excommunication is carried out by the Christian Church with a view to the conversion of sinners.

The most notorious case of excommunication is the one narrated in the book of Ezra (Ezra 10:8).

The Bible lists the characteristics and penalties incurred by those excommunicated from Israel (Gen. 17:14; Ex. 12:15-19; 30:33-38; 31:14; Lev. 7:20, 21, 25 , 27; 18:19; 20:3-18).

During the life of Christ his followers were exposed to "being expelled from the synagogues" and the Master warns his followers that such a danger awaits them (John 9:22; 12:42; 16:2; Luke 6: 22.

Primitive communities, in turn, used excommunication as a preventive, disciplinary and salutary measure, in the hope that the sinner would repent before falling into the hands of the evil one.

Paul, John and the other apostles mention it explicitly in their writings and used it; and Paul recommends that Timothy sever relations with a heretic who ignored his admonitions to return to the path of sound doctrine (1 Cor. 5:2-13; 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 2:17; Tit. 3:10; 2 Thes. 3:14-15; 3 Jn. 9, 10).