Either they were psuedo Christians or the following may apply....
1 Cor 11:
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined
jso that we may not be condemned along with the world.
They died. Taken away.
Their works were judged in the fire...not them thrown into the fire. I've explained it to you before...
1 Cor 3:
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled
b master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—
13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire,
and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, t
hough he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
The branch is removed...taken away via death...works judged by being thrown into the fire...though he himself will be saved.
It s possible to be in Christ...SAVED...live a life that calls for your works to be burnt....have God remove you via death...judge your works in the fire...and still be saved.