“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (II John 9-11). “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11). We must refuse fellowship with some, but who are they? Those who do not bring the doctrine of Christ, but engage in the “...unfruitful works of darkness.” These can be unfruitful branches which have been broken off (John 15:1ff.).

“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him” (Romans 14:3). If God receives one, we must receive him.

Does God receive false teachers and those who practice the teaching? No! Both are a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19ff; Romans 1). In Acts 15:1ff, there is an instructive example. Paul and Barnabas opposed those who taught Gentiles must be circumcised. Did they reject those whom God had received? No! God had already determined that “...in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love” (Galatians 5:6). So those who taught error, and any who might have practiced that error, were rejected by God and the apostles.

If false teachers among the brethren, and those who practice their teaching, can be received, the following could be received: Adulterers, fornicators, the immodest, those who deny that Jesus did miracles by His own inherent power, those who teach that the kingdom was not fully established until AD 70, those who teach that baptism cleanses unscriptural relationships, those who teach that Romans 14 involves matters of great doctrinal importance, and the one covenant doctrine.