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TechnoratiWhat should the church do when a member turns to strong drink to avoid a personal problem—turn the other way and hope nobody smells his breath?
What should the church do when a member is an incessant gossip, continually sowing discord? Do we retaliate and start gossiping about that person?
What should the church do when a member commits sexual immorality? Do we say, "It’s complicated and it’s none of our business. Besides, everyone is doing it these days—and we didn’t discipline so-and-so for doing it last year"?
The church must never forget that the Bible is our management manual, and that the Bible makes the church responsible for disciplining its members.
Church discipline is not a pleasant subject. It is one of the least talked about subjects within the church. Many are afraid to discuss it. We would much rather talk about the "victorious Christian life."
But we cannot lead victorious Christian lives until we understand Christian discipline. The more we learn about what God teaches on this subject, the better equipped we will be to handle crises in our personal lives, our families, and our churches.
A Problem at Corinth
The New Testament church in Corinth lacked discipline. Paul discovered that the church hadn’t properly dealt with sin in its midst. Specifically, we read in 1 Corinthians 5:1 that "there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife."
Here was a clear case of disobedience within the church, explicitly forbidden by Old Testament law (Leviticus 18:8), and a case that Paul says would disturb even the heathen. As shocking as this act of immorality was, Paul was even more shocked by the church’s complacent attitude toward the sinner. Rather than being grieved by the sin, they were proud and arrogant (1 Corinthians 5:2, 4:18).
Paul was angry! These people were his converts and disciples, and therefore he proceeded to rebuke them. "Now gather the entire church and put this man out of your fellowship," he told them. "Send this man back to Satan’s world. Don’t allow him to pervert the purity of the church."
"But that’s cruel," you say.
No, it was not cruel. It was done to humiliate the man and to point out his immorality, so that he could repent and be restored to the fellowship. Discipline is not carried out merely to punish, but to awaken people to their sin. It is not carried out in cruelty to destroy, but rather in love to produce conviction, sorrow, repentance, and restoration.
God does not enjoy having to exercise discipline any more than you or I do. We worship a God who wants us to live in victory, and who desires that we be content even in the midst of mounting pressures and problems. Love, joy, and peace are the fruit of his Spirit.
Why, then, aren’t his people filled with love, joy, and peace? Because of sin! Sin kills joy. Satan is the murderer of love, joy, and peace (John 8:44). And we are his slaves as long as we persist in making excuses for our sin, and in refusing to seek cleansing and restoration.
Disobedience leads to unhappiness! When a church steps away from the truth, when it compromises God’s holy Scriptures, a wall of darkness surrounds the congregation. But when a church is obedient, there is love among the members, praises to God our Father, and a sense of happiness in the worship.
Discipline Leads to Brokenness
How would your church have handled the situation in 1 Corinthians 5? It’s a difficult question, because few congregations know quite how to deal in a biblical way with public or known sin. As a result, usually no action is taken by the church against the sinner, and the outside observer labels the members of the church as "hypocrites." Continue »
