Oct 24
excommunication, Talmud-style
I discovered this while doing some research for a sermon I'm delivering tomorrow based on John 9. In verse 34 the man born blind was excommunicated;"The Talmud assigns as the two general causes for excommunication, money and epicurism. The first refers to those who refused to pay the moneys that the court directed them to pay; the second refers to those who despised the Word of God or of the scribes—both being put on an equal basis."
It seems the Pharisees put their authority on the same level as God's own Word. The man born blind refused to submit to the authority of the Pharisees and was excommunicated for it.
This, I believe, ties in with Luke 6:22;
"22 “Blessed are you when epeople hate you and when they fexclude you and revile you and gspurn your name as evil, hon account of the Son of Man!"
Being excommunicated, excluded and shunned on account of the name of Christ is actually a blessing!
