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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 17: The Church Splits of Holland – Lessons for Today  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 8
In the Sewin Rutgers case, leaders demanded that a shunned man’s wife also separate from him, and the class wrestled with aims of shunning (reconciliation) and texts like 1 Corinthians 7 about winning an unbelieving spouse; how should loyalty to the church-as-family and loyalty to the marriage covenant relate when discipline happens, and what dangers emerge when leaders make rules Scripture does not clearly require?
Another way to ask: When church discipline happens, how should loyalty to the church family and loyalty to a marriage work together? What can go wrong when leaders demand things the Bible doesn’t clearly command?

Direct Answer The transcript suggests discipline should aim at reconciliation without overruling clear biblical responsibilities within marriage, and Dean strongly implies caution where “there’s no scripture that says they should separate.” When leaders create extra-biblical rules, the danger is pushing people into “extreme and un-Christlike” actions and multiplying divisions.

Support from Transcript:

  • The case: Sewin Rutgers is to be excommunicated, and leaders want the wife to shun him too—“she should leave the house and go away.”
  • The class raises the purpose of shunning: “The whole point of shunning… is for reconciliation.”
  • A student cites 1 Corinthians 7 logic (Dean affirms): how can she “win him without a word… if you’re not living with him?”
  • Dean’s own leaning: “I would think they should stay together… There’s no scripture that says they should separate.”
  • Menno’s counsel: “Let’s be gentle with this situation,” but others push strictness.
  • The escalation shows the danger of man-made rules: they made it “a rule for all of our churches,” and it helped trigger a major split.
Discussion Follow-ups How can churches preserve church-family loyalty without dissolving marriage obligations? What safeguards should exist before making “rules for all churches” on issues Scripture does not plainly command?

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