Who decides who should be in fellowship?

It is important to understand that the brothers in the local assembly do not decide what is suitable for the Lord's table and what is not. This is something that belongs to the Word of God. The reason is that the table is not the brothers'; the table is the Lord's (1 Cor 10:21). The personal preferences and tastes of those who are part of the assembly have nothing to do with reception. The decision comes entirely from the Word of God. When there is no biblical reason to refuse someone communion at the Lord's table, such a person should be received. If a believer has already been baptized, is sound in the faith and godly in his walk, there is no reason for him to be rejected. The level of knowledge of the Scriptures is not a criterion in this sense.

Even if he is a believer limited in his knowledge, the Scriptures say: “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions” (Rom 14:1).

However, it is not always possible to determine immediately whether someone is sound in the faith and godly in his walk. The greater the confusion in the place from which the person has come out amid the Christian testimony, the greater the difficulty of making a decision. If this is the case, then acting wisely may mean asking the person who desires to be in fellowship to wait. This does not mean that the assembly is stating that such a person has some association with evil. It could even be the case, but the brothers may be undecided about it and for this reason should wait until they are convinced that this is not the case, since they are the ones responsible before God for the people they receive into fellowship. The Scriptures teach: “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in the sins of others” (1 Tim 5:22). This verse speaks of personal fellowship with someone individually, but the principle is broad enough to guide the saints in the collective fellowship at the Lord's table. Someone mature and godly will not feel offended by this, for certainly no godly Christian would want the assembly to violate a biblical principle. In fact, all this care should give him the confidence that he is entering into a fellowship of Christians where there is concern for the Lord's glory and the purity of the assembly.