Rotten apples

As it turns out, there is actual science behind the old saying, "One rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch."

An overripe, spoiled apple emits ethylene gas at a high rate, and this gas signals all the fruit around it to overripen as well. But it's not just ethylene that can spoil good apples. When an apple molds, the mold will spread looking for a new food source, inevitably ruining otherwise healthy fruit around it.

People can be very similar, infecting others around them with negativity, strife, even bad theology. That's why the apostle Paul was so strong in his caution to the Christians in Rome when he warned them about people within their numbers who caused divisions and led others astray.

Of course, we are called to guide others and help them return to a right relationship with those around them and with God. But at some point, when all they do is create disharmony, the only option is to stay away.

This can be very painful, but the stakes are high. And just as you'd remove a spoiled apple from the crisper to keep other fruit from going bad, it's sometimes necessary to avoid relating to those who disrupt the unity of a body of believers.

This is also an opportunity for self-reflection, to evaluate your own attitudes and actions and ensure that they are building up, rather than tearing down, others with whom you have fellowship.