Some of the earliest examples of “excommunication” we find is in Lev 13 where it talks about “leprosy” (tzaraas). In this situation the “leper” is banished to outside the camp for 1-2 weeks and is permitted to return when he has repented (teshuva). Restoration.

A little later in Leviticus, and in other places in Torah, it talks about people being cut off. The Hebrew word is Karath. The word can actually have positive and negative connotations. Usually it is associated with covenant. One meaning is to make life harder. If I follow God, and His covenant, my life is much easier spiritually. If I don’t it is much tougher spiritually. I would suggest then that God is trying to get us to reflect, repent and turn back to His way, a much easier way. Restoration

Back to tzaraas. If the person is so sin natured as to be unrepentant he is allowed to remain in the camp because he is currently beyond any “salvation”. Definitely not punishment as the sinner would see it in his current state.

While there is stoning as a form of punishment there are many “loopholes” to get around this in the Talmud. The idea is “you who are without sin cast the first stone” This is restoration.

In Corinthians I Paul tells the Corinthians to not affiliate with the sinner. In II Cor. he tells them it is alright to associate with the sinner since he has repented. This is the same as banishment to the outside of the camp for a brief period. Restoration.

In Numbers or Deuteronomy it talks about an entire town being destroyed for wickedness. Yet if one of more people are found to be “non-wicked” or repent the punishment is not carried out. It is taught from a civil standpoint you cannot necessarily escape the civil punishment because the civil law is still carried out. The repentance fulfills the spiritual requirement of the consequence. Restoration.

The whole idea behind the “banishment” (or excommunication) is to get the person to have time alone to reflect on their sin and then to be restored. It is not to create an everlasting damnation. The idea of long term excommunication is decidedly Christian in nature, and not Jewish.

One of the problems with the “church” in general is it has ignored the idea of the Kingdom in the present and here on earth. Therefore they have used the whip of being “banned” from heaven. What if we took the teaching of Jesus that the Kingdom was in the present and what we do with short term excommunication is cut the person off from the present joy of the Kingdom?

I would agree with some forms of “discipline” within the church structure, in particular not serving in roles of leadership or ministry. This provides and maybe even convinces the person an opportunity to look at their sins.

I would also say, based on my recent situation, if a person doesn’t believe they are in error or sin there is no way you will change their mind by cutting them off. They will just move to a different location.

Finally we know it is not the role of the church or the leadership to determine salvation. That is exclusively God’s. Man is fallible, judgmental, etc. God is not. It is the church’s role to teach and equip.

By the way I definitely believe in church discipline but that is another whole issue.