Excommunication is the exclusion of a person from the sacraments and community of the church. It is the most severe penalty the church can impose. It is not a curse. It is not a damnation. It is a discipline. It is a warning. It is a call to repentance. It is a last resort. It is done for the good of the sinner. It is done for the good of the church. It is done for the glory of God.

Excommunication is biblical. Jesus said: if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault. If he does not listen, take one or two others. If he refuses to listen, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. That is excommunication. Paul commanded the Corinthians to expel the immoral brother. He said: deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. The goal is restoration. The goal is salvation. The goal is repentance.

Excommunication in practice

• Purpose: repentance and restoration.
• Effect: exclusion from sacraments and community.
• Duration: until repentance.
• Authority: church leaders, not individuals.
• Spirit: love, not vengeance.

Excommunication is hard. It is painful. It is a last resort. It is done with tears. It is done with prayer. It is done with hope. It is not about punishment. It is about purity. It is about the holiness of the church. It is about the soul of the sinner. It is about the witness of the gospel. The church must be pure. The church must be holy. The church must be a light. Excommunication protects the light. It protects the flock. It protects the sinner. It says: this behavior is not acceptable. This behavior is destructive. This behavior must stop. Repent. Return. Be restored. Be welcomed. Be forgiven. That is the goal. That is the hope. That is excommunication.