Suspension IN Church.. Right or Wrong???

SUSPENSION IN THE CHURCH

By Elijah Asuo Wiredu

Different people have divergent views on the subject of suspension in the body of Christ. Some think that it pushes the victim to the world since the church has made him an outcast. Others also believe that it’s a way for the church to distance itself from the unrighteous behavior of their member. The popularity of this issue has led to a number of stories in the church and the world. Let us read one that appeared on WhatsApp

“IS IT A SIN?  A Christian sister got pregnant and the Church decided to discipline her since she was not married.   When the elders of the Church met and interviewed her, she told them that she has stayed and remained in the Church for several years and no one is marrying her and she is approaching the age of menopause where she can't get pregnant even if married.   So after reading some Christian medical journals on these issues, she decided and did artificial insemination since she too wants a child. She tendered both the medical journals and the medical documents that showed that she has done the artificial insemination from a reputable hospital.   The Sister is pregnant without committing fornication or adultery with any man.  NOW, COULD THIS BE A SIN?”

To address this (a request of one of my readers), let me state that the concept of suspension in the church is actually biblical. Apostle Paul wrote that

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister^[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

^{1 Corinthians 5:9-113}

^{Now, to the subject, pregnancy is not a sin. what is sinful is the sexual act that resulted in the pregnancy. That is, if the pregnancy is outside marriage, the affair that led to the pregnancy is sinful. Humans are we are, and with our inability to know what happens in secret, pregnancy becomes the surest way to know that an affair. apart from pregnancy, affair-related scandals, and people getting caught in the act also bring such cases out. so if a church suspends a pregnant couple, it is practically not because of the pregnancy but rather the sinful affair that led to the pregnancy.}

^{let me also add that neither the Bible nor the church is against technology. in fact, the church also uses technology in various ways. technically, artificial insemination can be compared to medical procedures such as organ transplants, blood transfusions and prostheses (artificial body parts). so if it is not sinful to have an artificial leg in place of an amputated leg and if it is not sinful to receive a heart or kidney transplanted from someone, then I believe it is the same with artificial insemination.}

^{Note: we intend to keep a standard of serenity. As a result, we keep a policy of using the word “affair” in place of “sex” except when it is needful to be explicit.}