Paul, did not excommunicate him. He had to leave so others, especially the youngest, would not think that what he was doing was OK to do. Thus, spreading the sin among other believers.
Nor can I, my Church, you nor your Church nor the Catholic Church excommunicate anybody. However if you never judge anyone, who can you witness to and for? When I was lost, David Keaton judged me lost and very pointedly witnessed to me about my condition. All the people that have been drawn to the foot of the cross because I submitted to Jesus and judged that they needed a witness (judged them lost) might never have found the LORD for their salvation.
Okay, but if they refuse, and refuse and refuse the third attempt with the Church as their witness, where is the evidence they were anything more than a Pew Whale? Pew Whales hear but do not recieve, they make up aq little better than 98% percent according to the mid-eighties Barna survey of the American Church. And anyone that rejects the basic tenants of the Christian Faith is not saved and God will not have us to be Spiritually Ignorant.Nope. Breaking fellowship can be a call to repentance of A sin. As it was here.
But getting an idea has no relavance to what he clearly states. He has stated, more than once, he does not need the Word of God because the spirit in him tells him what is and what is not.LOL, ezrider sure knows a lot about what it says for never reading it and believing what it says about salvation and grace.
I'm not sure and maybe he will respond to this post, but the more I have read his posts, I get the idea he is saying, "worship the Lord not the Book."
The Spirit in me does the same thing but there is a principal in the scriptures (2Tim. 2:15) where we are to handle the scriptures correctly and that requires the scriptures to supersede every other source, especially, personal revelations. If any revelation is in conflict with the Word of God it is a lie because in Mal. 3:6a we learn that God never has and god never will change. That's very final and you see, judgment, discernment or whatever name is attached is required!