Church Discipline

By Byron Gage

(from a tract written in Lafayette, LA with Ted Lafferty in 1980's for an attorney)

See the Accompanying FlowChart

INTRODUCTION:  The problems which exist and the solutions which are proposed in the area of church discipline are “legion”. That Biblically oriented church discipline is not uniformly practiced is an understatement. And, with the current concern over legal ramifications and negative publicity such as was seen in the lawsuit against a church of Christ in Collinsville, Oklahoma, the situation may get worse before it gets better.

 However, those who will not have the truth must not deter those who will have nothing else. Scripturally sound and lovingly administered discipline is a requisite for the faithfulness of a local church. It is to this end that a study of this kind is formulated. This material was originally organized by Byron Gage and another member of the church (who has since left the faith) in Lafayette, Louisiana and presented to an attorney in an effort to help his understanding of the obligations of a local church in the area of corrective discipline.

 CHURCH DISCIPLINE

 CASE I

 Luke 17:3‑4 "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

 This passage tells the Christian sinned against to 'rebuke' ('to allege as a crimination; hence, to reprove, chide, censure, rebuke, reprimand" Analytical Greek Lexicon) the sinning brother.  When the brother repents, the sinned against party is obligated to forgive him.  This passage does not deal with the unrepentant brother.

 CASE II

 I Thessalonians 5:14 "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all."

 This passage exhorts the Christian to warn the unruly ('irregular in conduct, disorderly" ibid.). His attitude must always be one of patience in correcting errors.

 CASE III

 Galatians 6:1‑2 "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

 This passage commands the Christian to restore ('to restore to a forfeited condition, to reinstate' ibid.) one who has fallen into and been entrapped by sin. It is for the benefit of the sinner and to keep others from sinning. Brotherly support requires that Christians help one another eradicate sin from their lives.

 NOTE: The three passages above deal with the individual's responsibilities toward the erring brother. The next passage begins with the individual's responsibility and then shifts to the responsibility of the church when the erring brother's response is negative.

 CASE IV

 Matthew 18:15‑17 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to. hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

 If the erring brother's initial response is one of repentance, the sinned‑against party is to forgive him and forget the matter. If it is one of denial or refusal to repent, then the sinned‑against party is to take witnesses and try again to gain the brother. If the response is again rejection, then the matter is to be brought before the church. If the response is again negative, and the evidence indicates that the charges are valid, the church is obligated to treat the brother as an outsider. In this case, the sin was private in nature but becomes public as a result of the rejection of efforts to restore the erring party.

 NOTE: The next four passages deal with the church's responsibility in matters of sin which are public knowledge.

 CASE V

 I Corinthians 5:1‑13 "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles‑‑that a man has his father's wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For ! indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, concerning him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new batch, since you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

 "I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone who is called a brother and is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner‑ ‑not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore, put away from yourselves that wicked person."

 Here is an actual case of a man in the church whose conduct was not consistent with Divinely established moral codes. It was publicly known. The church at Corinth was reprimanded by the apostle Paul for not dealing with the situation. He then gave instructions for the disciplining of the erring brother. He was to be 'put away from' them. This was done in an effort to (1) cause him to want to repent, and, (2) to purge (cleanse) the church of the influence (leaven) of such an one. This is a social ostracism ('not even to eat with such a person'). The action was formalized in an assembly of the church ('when you are gathered together').

 Should the violator cease attending the assemblies to avoid disciplinary action or for any other reason, the duty of the church remains virtually the same. The need to 'purge' (cleanse) the church of the 'leaven' (influence) of the erring individual remains because the influence remains. Should obvious and open violation of God's laws be ignored, others may be tempted to follow the erroneous course (see Romans 16:17, below, on 'offences'.)

 NOTE: The passage below indicates the conclusion of the case described in the passage above and tells of the favorable result of the Corinthian church's action and their attitude toward the repentant brother.

 2 Corinthians 2:3‑11 "And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, l should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but to some extent‑‑not to be too severe‑‑all of you. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to confirm your love to him. For this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, whom I have forgiven I have forgiven it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. "

As a result of the putting away of the man, he repented of his error (See the passage from I Corinthians). The church was now obligated to receive him back into their midst with full forgiveness and confirmation of love.(5) the one being disciplined must be advised of his sin and the effects the sin has on his spiritual condition (as is consistent with the definitions of words such as 'admonish', 'encourage', and 'tell'); and (6) the one being disciplined must not be considered an enemy but as an erring brother who is still a member of the church who is subject to the conditions of discipline established in the Scriptures.

 The apostle indicates that his prior command to put him away was also for the benefit of the church to see if they (the church members) were obedient to the truth or not and to see if they would be cleared of the matter (of not having administered discipline to the erring brother in the first place).

 CASE VI

 Romans 16:17 "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them."

 Any who would cause division in the church and any who would cause offences (Gk. skandala, Eng. scandal, 'scandal, offence, cause of indignation, stumbling block' ibid.) must be 'noted' and 'avoided'.

 CASE VII

 11 Thessalonians 3:6‑7, 14,‑15 "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you ...And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

 The Church is commanded to withdraw ('to shrink, withdraw from, avoid, shun' Ibid.) from every brother who walks disorderly (the same Greek word as 'unruly', see 1 Thessalonians 5:14) above, 'irregular in conduct, disorderly', ibid.). He is to be 'noted' and no company is to be kept with him. He is still counted as a brother and is not 'kicked out of the church, but is to be admonished (warned, see I Thessalonians 5:14, above). This admonition continues even after withdrawal in hope of his repentance.

 Conclusion: In summary, the obligations of the individual and the church in disciplinary matters are clear from the Scriptures. The twofold purpose of all discipline is

 (1) to affect the repentance and reformation of the erring brother, and

 (2) to purify the church of the influence of sin in order to protect the other members from participation in the same.

 Since the church of Christ uses the Bible exclusively as its sole rule of faith and practice in all religious matters, we strive to keep our doctrines and actions as consistent with the teachings of the Bible as is humanly possible. The accompanying flow chart entitled 'Church Discipline' will illustrate Biblical directives concerning Church Discipline to those who may be unfamiliar with the subject. One must consider all of the passages listed on the chart to obtain an overall picture. After considering what the Bible says on the subject, one must conclude that, when considered cumulatively, the Scriptures indicate:

 (1) Church discipline is not a choice or a right to be exercised by the members, but rather is an obligation to be carried out by them;

 (2) when the offences are private in nature, the discipline is to be conducted in a private manner (one‑on‑one if possible) unless such an approach proves fruitless after which the matter becomes the concern of the church as a whole;

 (3) when offences are public in nature, the church is obligated to make a judgment in the matter and act as the Scriptures direct in a manner consistent with that judgment;

 (4) church discipline is to be conducted with patience and concern for the erring brother;

 (5) the one being disciplined must be advised of his sin and the effects the sin has on his spiritual condition (as is consistent with the definitions of words such as 'admonish', 'encourage', and 'tell'); and

 (6) the one being disciplined must not be considered an enemy but as an erring brother who is still a member of the church who is subject to the conditions of discipline established in the Scriptures.