Page 111 - Ecclesiology Textbook Masters

While churches shy away from such practices, it is interesting to note that the business world practices
discipline when an employee or member disgraces himself with improper behavior. A fraudulent lawyer
is debarred. A volatile player in sports can be fined or removed from the team. A malpracticing doctor
can lose his license to practice. A teacher can be fined or fired. The world seems to understand that
there are consequences for improper behavior. The same should be true in the church.

In Hebrews 12:6 we understand that the “Lord disciplines whom He loves.” Discipline is practiced as an
expression of love. It is loving to try to stop someone from practicing sin which destroys lives and to
bring that person to repentance. It is loving to prevent weaker individuals in the church from being
influenced by that person who is practicing sin. It is also loving to communicate to a non-Christian
community that such behavior is not condoned by the church for the sake of loving Christ that his name
might be protected and honored.

The best passage of scripture that relates to church discipline or personal offense is found in Matthew
18

Matthew 18: 15-17 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of
you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others
along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ they still
refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you
would a pagan or a tax collector.

In this passage, the goal of confrontation is to bring about repentance within the heart of the offending
party. We are commanded to go to that person and point out their offense. If they listen and repent,
problem solved. But if they refuse to repent, then take one or two other people along with you as
witnesses and present the offense a second time. If they refuse to repent in the presence of the
witnesses, the matter is to be referred to the church. Church leadership then is to attempt to bring
them to repentance, but if there is no response to do so, the church is commanded to treat them as if
they were LOST and put them out of fellowship, just as tax collectors were disfellowshipped from Jewish
society. This command comes from the mouth of Jesus Christ.

This is not practiced for personal grudges or offenses. It is only for sins that are unrepentant, outward
and obvious, and significant. The sinner, after being confronted with the sin, refused to let go of the sin
or to fight against it. The sin is outward; meaning everyone in the church or community can see or hear
the sin. And it must be significant enough for the church to feel unable to continue affirming one’s
profession of faith. Every situation requires the exercise of careful judgment. If the sin is a blatant
disregard of clear commands in scripture, and the sinner is unrepentant, then church discipline is
warranted.

The goal of church discipline is always restoration. Paul could not be clearer: “You are to deliver this
man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord”
(1 Cor. 5:5).

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