We have heard this a lot in the last twenty years. Years ago, independent churches, Baptist churches independent of the union, and evangelical churches of various kinds and missions, all pretty well held that we cannot close-fellowship with people who stay in compromised denominations. But then this teaching came in – Ah, but they themselves, the people who stay in, are not actually denying the faith, they are not doing something to hurt an essential, something which is essential to salvation. Therefore we can continue to fellowship with them. Is that a right point of view? Well how can it be? The apostle gives the example of somebody who will not work for a living but becomes a sponger or a self-appointed shepherd in the flock, an interferer with other people. Does that actually deny the doctrine of salvation? No, he may still be a fervent evangelical, believing in justification by faith, believing in the necessity of the gospel, yet he will not go to work, and he sponges, and he is a self-appointed teacher among us, and people out of pity support him. Should he be separated from, withdrawn from as though he disobeys. Yes, irrespective of the fact that nothing he is doing is actually threatening the soul saving doctrine of the gospel. The apostle’s standard does not distinguish between essentials and non-essentials. If we disobey the apostle’s example, persistently in our walk, then we should be withdrawn from. This is New Testament church discipline.