Question 22: Can the outward ban be an essential part of the church of Christ, when Christ himsel...

Question 22: Can the outward ban be an essential part of the church of Christ, when Christ himself did not practice or enforce it even upon Judas, who was wicked through and through?

Answer: The ban is an essential and necessary part of the church of Christ, as long as it remains in combat here in this wicked world among wolves and evil spirits. There can be no church of Christ without the ban. Otherwise, the devil and his leaven of wickedness would soon contaminate the good. The true believers have never rejected this, insofar as they have remained in the faith. They have considered it an evidence of divine grace and the great love and solicitude of God. They have used it as a firm wall around the church of the Lord. Concerning Judas, we maintain that Christ did sufficiently exercise the ban upon him. He turned him over to Satan so that he hanged himself. The fact that he was not placed in the ban by Jesus before his outward act is not against the ban, but rather in its favor. This has always been the plan of God, as can be seen in Adam. He most probably had had contact with the Tempter before, but he was not driven from Paradise until he had actually eaten of the forbidden fruit. Similarly, Judas had earlier considered treachery, but the long-suffering Jesus had borne with him, tolerated him, and urged him to repentance, until evil finally gained the upper hand and committed the evil deed. After that, he came sufficiently under the ban of Christ. The ban was practiced properly upon Judas.