Daring to Discipline

by David Johnson
During the Protestant Reformation, the Reformers felt the need to establish some guidelines to determine the true church from the false. According to the Reformers, the faithful exercise of discipline was one such mark that the true church was to exhibit. Why is it that church discipline is rarely if ever practiced in our local churches today? Why are Christians allowed to continue indefinitely in unreconciled relationships?

The Apostle Paul, aware of the hazardous effects of unrepentant sin, admonishes the Corinthians, "Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Go rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast- as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (I Cor. 5:6,7). If we are to expect the blessing of God, we must with great zeal honor God in our congregations by faithfully disciplining unrepentant sinners (Numbers 25). God is honored by properly administered church discipline and is greatly dishonored by its absence.

In this article we will first examine briefly the procedures for church discipline given by Jesus in Matt. 18:15-20. Then, we will attempt to determine who the proper candidate for church discipline are and also how the church is to treat those individuals undergoing church disciple. Lastly, we will look at some common objections given for not practicing church discipline.

In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus clearly describes four steps of discipline. These are illustrated in the diagram on the following page, adapted from Jay Adams' book, Handbook of Church Discipline. Steps one and two are what we might label "informal" discipline in that they do not involve any action on the part of the church as a whole. These two steps involve individual Christians seeking to restore a brother who is caught in a sin (Gal 6:1). Steps three and four are what we might call the "formal" part of church discipline because at this stage in the discipline process the entire church has entered into the effort to restore the unrepentant sinner. During the first three steps the offender is regarded as a Christian, but during the fourth step he is regarded as an unbeliever. As the discipline process progresses from on e step to the next, the number of persons participating enlarges. It moves from a one-on-one confrontation, to the calling in of one or two others to help, to the assistance of the whole church, and finally to a subjecting of the unrepentant offender to the world, Scripture in numerous places exhorts believers to encourage, admonish, rebuke, and correct one another on a continual basis (Col. 3:16; I Thess. 2:12; 2 Tim. 3:16,17; Gal. 6:12;...etc). If we as Christians would be faithful to practice these scriptures, "formal" church discipline would be largely unnecessary, see the article on Christian Restoration.

Who are the proper candidates for church discipline? While most Christians would agree that some form of church discipline is necessary for maintaining order and decency in the church, there is disagreement regarding when to apply the four steps of church discipline taught in Matt. 18:15-20. In other words, what type(s) of "sin" did Jesus have in mind when he spoke in Matt. 18? Verse 15 says, "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. Notice that Jesus does not elaborate as to the nature of the sin in 18:15. He simply says, "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault." Paul, in I Cor. 5, mentions several sins that would warrant the implementation of church discipline. Paul says in 5:11, "... you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat." Paul is not advocating that only the sinless can be members of the church, but rather he is concerned about those who persist in the very activities from which they have been freed through the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (vs. 7). Are we to see Paul's lists of sins in I Cor. 5 as an exhaustive list? Could we not add to Paul's list many more sins? What about husbands who beat their wives or wives who are rebellious towards their husbands? Are marriages out of the jurisdiction of church discipline?

Jay Adams, who has written numerous books on counseling and church discipline, says, "Strangely, some never think of using church discipline, even informal discipline, when the two parties are husband and wife. Why not? A Christian husband and wife are not merely married persons, they are also brother and sister in Christ's church. Most marital problems could be resolved early by active, informal disciplinary action."

In no place does Scripture delineate between those sins that warrant church discipline and those that do not. All sin is serious, and if left unchecked in a believer could result in the Christian's spiritual demise. Christians confronting one another, one-on-one, in love and humility, is a normal part of a healthy, growing church. At this point someone might ask the question, "Do I have to go to my brother about every little offense?" The answer is no. Proverbs 10:12 says that love covers a multitude of sins. Proverbs 19:11 says that to overlook an offense is a glorious thing. If we had to bring up every annoyance between us, we would probably spend all our time doing so.

Any offense that does not come between us and the one who committed the offense does not need t be raised. However, if the offense creates an unreconciled state between us and another the offense must be brought up and dealt with. Any matter that makes you feel different toward that person or hinders your ability to cover over the offense with love must be dealt with. Of course, there are a few who take advantage of the discipline process and spend an unnecessary amount of time confronting others. These individuals need to be taught the glory of overlooking an offense, and if they refuse to learn, they themselves may become divisive and may need to be confronted by others.

Most church discipline cases will be settled in stops one or two without advancing any further. However, there are times when the offender refuses to listen and thus forces the matter to steps three and four (where the entire church enters the discipline process). By moving from stip two to step three the offender has displayed willful disobedience and is now treading on serious ground. Now that the matter has come before the church, what is the church's responsibility towards the offender? According to the Scriptures, the following requirements must be adhered to if biblical church discipline is to be properly administered:

1) The offender must be "marked" (2 Thess. 3:14). What Paul means is that the offender is to be identified to the entire church.

2) "Do not mix with him", that is, do not associate with him (2 Thess. 3:14, I Cor. 5:11).

3) "Withdraw form him (2 Thess. 3:6). Thayers Greek Lexicon says, "to abstain from familiar intercourse with one."

4) "Don't eat with him" (I Cor. 5:11). Eating with one another in biblical times was a sign of fellowship.

5) The offender is forbidden to participate in the Lord's Supper because I Cor. 10:16, 17 states that partaking equals "communion" or "fellowship".

It should be noted that these requirements given by the Apostle Paul are not just advice, but commands (2 Thess. 3:6). During the third step of the discipline process, if the offender continues in willful disobedience, the church is to "withdraw from him". That is, to disassociate from him in order that he may feel ashamed (2 Thess. 3:14) and as a consequence come to repentance. The church is still to regard the offender "as a brother" (2 Thess. 3:15), but as one whose status is in question. For fear that the offender may find justification for his rebellious actions, it is essential that every church member avoid normal fellowship with him. Any contact with the offender should consist of encouraging him to repent and obey the instructions of the church. Refusing fellowship and denying the privilege of the Lord's Supper is the very thing Paul is commanding in step three. This is not to be confused with step four, which is "removing from the midst," or "handing over to Satan". If the offender fails to heed the warning of the church he is to be removed from the church and handed over to Satan, "so that the flesh may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord" (I Cor. 5:5). The offender is no longer considered to be a believer, but must be treated "as a pagan and a tax collector" (Matt. 18:17). While the church makes no final judgment as to the condition of the offender, it must judge his words and actions (I Cor. 5:12, 13).

Church discipline is a blessing and a privilege provided by the Lord to aid in the restoration of sinning members. Sadly, in the church today, there are those who object to its practice. The following are some common objections that are often given in defense of not practicing church discipline:

1) "Church discipline is not loving." God, who is Love, is the very One who commands that discipline be practiced in the church in Laodicea, says "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent". (Rev. 3:19). If we are to imitate the love of Jesus we must care enough about our brothers to reprove them whenever they are caught in a sin (Gal. 6:1,2).

2) "To implement church discipline on someone would be fudging them." Matt. 7:1-5 is often cited for support of this objection. That Matt. 7:1-5 is not an absolute statement forbidding all forms of judging is seen in 7:6. Jesus says, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs..." In order for Christians to obey Jesus' command, they must make a decision (or a judgment) as to who qualifies as dogs and pigs. What Jesus does forbid in Matt. 7:1-5 is hypocritical judging. There is a world of difference between the sinful act of hypocritical judging (Matt. 7:1-5) and the restorative act of judging of which Paul speaks (I Cor. 5:3-5, 12, 13).

3) "Church discipline could cause divisions." Unity is of supreme value within the church. But, unity at the expense of disobedience and compromise is artificial unity at best. Today's church has become more concerned about not offending its tithing members than it has about obeying Christ's commands. Church discipline, properly administered, will strengthen the church and bring about biblical unity (Eph. 4:13).

Church discipline is not only a biblical commandment but also a right and privilege of every member of the church, and therefore should not be withheld. Churches that refuse to follow God's program for church discipline can, in the end, expect to find themselves disciplined by God Himself (I Cor. 11:31, 32).

"My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins" (James 5:19, 20).