Love That Goes After the One
Most churches would rather not talk about church discipline. The words sound harsh, and some people have seen it done badly. Yet Jesus gave His church clear instructions for what to do when a believer wanders into sin, and He gave them because He loves His sheep. A church that never corrects anyone may feel kind, but it leaves its people to drift.
Look at where Jesus placed His teaching. He told of a shepherd who leaves the ninety and nine to go after the one that went astray, and He said it is not the Father's will that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:12–14). The very next word in the chapter is Moreover. Then come the steps of discipline. Church discipline is the shepherd's search, carried out by the flock.
The care by which a local church teaches, corrects, and restores its members. It includes everyday encouragement and instruction. When a professing believer will not turn from serious, outward sin, it includes removal from membership, always with the hope of restoration.
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”HEBREWS 12:6 · KJV
God Himself disciplines the children He loves. He does it for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Scripture admits that it hurts: no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Yet afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11). A church's discipline is far smaller than God's, but it should carry the same heart. Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6).
Why a Church Does This
- For the one who is sinning. Sin deceives, and a person caught in it often cannot see the danger. Whoever turns a sinner back shall save a soul from death (James 5:20).
- For other believers. They learn how serious sin is, and they are warned (1 Timothy 5:20).
- For the health of the church. a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6).
- For the church's witness. A church that shrugs at sin tells the world that Christ changes no one (1 Peter 2:12).
- For the glory of God. His people bear His name, and He calls them to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15–16).
The purpose of church discipline is restoration, not condemnation. Paul's word restore in Galatians 6:1 is the word Matthew uses for fishermen mending their nets (Matthew 4:21). A torn net is not thrown away. Someone sits down with it and patiently makes it whole.
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For Deeper Study
- Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of JesusAmazon Jonathan LeemanA clear, practical guide from the 9Marks series, with real cases. Calvinistic Baptist; we differ on election.
- Handbook of Church DisciplineAmazon Jay E. AdamsA short, step-by-step guide. Presbyterian; we differ on baptism and on who takes the last step.
- The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal ConflictAmazon Ken SandePractical help for the early steps, while a conflict can still be settled privately. Evangelical.
- On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse at ChurchAmazon Deepak RejuHow a church protects children and how it responds to a report. Written by a Calvinistic Baptist pastor.
- The New Directory for Baptist ChurchesAmazon Edward T. HiscoxA classic manual of Baptist church order (1894), still useful on membership and discipline.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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Congregational Government
Under Christ the Head and by His Word, pastors lead and deacons serve, and the gathered congregation holds the final earthly decision on the matters He entrusted to the church, such as its members, its discipline, and its officers.
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