Mark Seven—Biblical Church Discipline

 What is Church discipline?  What comes to mind?  When most people think of Church discipline they think of something that is unpleasant, they think of punishment, they think of The Scarlet Letter, the Salem witch trials, and legalistic judgmental people.  But is that accurate?  Is that a fair representation of biblical Church discipline?  I think not.

 Church discipline is more than simply “unpleasant punishment”.  There are both positive and negative aspects of Church Discipline.  Jay Adams, in his book Handbook of Church Discipline, describes that there are preventive and corrective aspects of church discipline.  Others distinguish between formative and corrective discipline.  The word discipline  itself comes from the word disciple, which simply means a learner or follower.  The word involves the idea of knowledge, education, learning and order.  Some kind of order is necessary for knowledge and learning to flourish.  Yes, we can learn by chance and circumstances, but when there is some structure and order, learning can flourish.  So, we need to broaden our understanding of Church Discipline.

 Formative or preventive discipline speaks of the way in which the study, teaching, and preaching of Scripture serve to shape and mold the Christian by standards and principles.  Consider a portion of 2 Tim 3:16: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching…and for training in righteousness.”  Some examples of formative discipline would be:  Preaching on doctrine and its practical application the Christian life or teaching on various subjects of the Christian life and practice (marital roles, parenting, giving, evangelism, communication, etc.).  Consider the various calls in Scripture to love one another, stir one another up to love and good deeds, and encourage one another.  This is the “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” part of the Great Commission (Matt 28:20).  The vast majority of discipline that occurs in the Church is formative discipline. 

 Poor, shallow teaching, preaching, or studying will have a negative impact on this kind of discipline.  It will result in poor formative discipline.

“When Christians are fed a regular diet of truth from the Scriptures in such a way that they grow by it, there will be far less need for remedial discipline in the church.” Jay Adams, Handbook of Church Discipline, p.22-23

Think about the implications of this for a minute.  At the heart of strong formative or preventive discipline are strong preaching, teaching and studying of Scripture!  Formative discipline will impact corrective discipline.  Poor teaching, preaching, and study results in poor formative discipline, which results in a much greater necessity for corrective discipline.

 Corrective discipline involves confronting individuals with the Scripture to turn them from error to righteousness.  Returning to 2 Tim 3:16, we also see that: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable…for reproof, for correction”.  Notice that the starting point for this discipline is the same as with formative discipline; Scripture.  In both cases, the essential element is God’s Word.  Examples of corrective discipline are found in several very important passages of Scripture.  In Hebrews 12:1-14 we find that corrective discipline is sometimes painful, it is necessary, it is evidence of our Father’s love for us, it has kind intentions, it “yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness”, and, ultimately, it’s aim is the glory of God through holiness (v.10).  In Matthew 18:15-17 we learn that corrective discipline starts with Scripture, which defines the sin with which we are to confront our brother.  We learn that if it is between another Christian it should be dealt with privately at first.  The aim is repentance, restoration, the good of the person, but most importantly the aim is the glory of God!  In 1 Corinthians 5:1-11 we learn that notorious and/or gross sin is dealt with publicly.  Yet, again we learn that one of the aims is restoration: “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” (v.5b)  Mark Dever comments on this passage as follows:

“that man was deeply deceived.  He thought he could be a Christian while deliberately disobeying the Lord…Paul says that such a person is deluded, and that in order truly to serve such a deluded person and to glorify God, you need to show him the falsity of his profession of faith in light of the way he is living.” Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

Again, it is clear from the passage that the aim is the glory of God and the protection of the church, which is only manifest when the Church is distinct from the world, not like the world: “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.  For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.” (v.7)  After all, the Church is intended to display the glory of God! 

 In Galatians 6:1 we learn something about the spirit in which corrective discipline ought to be carried out.

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.  Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

In other words, corrective discipline ought to be conducted with a spirit of gentles and humility.

“When one brother trespasses against another, the offended brother is not to divulge the offense, but to go in a gospel way to the offender, and to use his endeavor to reclaim his brother; and if he repents, the offended brother ought to forgive him, Matt 18:15; Luke 17:3.”  Benjamin Griffith, A Short Treatise Concerning a True and Orderly Gospel Church (1743) in Polity

 This gives us a working framework for the biblical importance of both formative and corrective discipline in the local church.  There are other examples of corrective discipline which also could be considered in examining this subject (2 Thess 3:6-15; 1 Tim 1:20; 5:19-20; Titus 3:9-11). 

 The historical practice of church discipline also demonstrates its priority in the church.  For example, church discipline has been viewed, historically, as the third mark of a church:

Belgic Confession: The marks by which the true Church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin; in short, if all things managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church.  Hereby the true Church may certainly be known, from which no man has a right to separate himself.

Historic Baptists have written lengthy explanations of the order and practice of discipline.

“We judge it necessary that a Day monthly be appointed particularly for Discipline, and not to manage such affairs on the Lord’s-day, which should be spent on the publick Worship of God, of a different nature…tho in small Congregations perhaps a day in two or three Months may be sufficient.” Benjamin Keach, The Glory of a True Church and its Discipline Displayd’ (1697) England

 “Quest. ‘How is a Church to proceed in case of open and notorious Scandals?’  The Answer is, ‘the matter of Fact, as such, being beyond all question; the Church is to proceed immediately to censure, to vindicate the Honour of Christ and his Church, and to manifest to the World their just Indignation against such Notorious Offenders, and wait for a well-grounded and tried Evidence of his true Repentance under that Ordinance of Christ which is appointed to that end.’” Keach, Ibid.

Many other works in historic Baptist documents reveal a commitment to the practice of Church Discipline.

“Southern Baptists excommunicated nearly 2 percent of their membership every year” in pre-Civil War days…their churches grew at twice the rate of the population growth.” Greg Wills, Democratic Religion

It is clear that church discipline was a common and necessary practice in the history of the church. 

 But why should churches practice Church Discipline?  It seems so harsh and confrontational!  The Most obvious answer is that it is biblical.  Here are five reasons offered by Mark Dever

1. For the good of the Person Disciplined (1 Cor 5:1-5; Gal 6:1; 1 Tim 1:20).
2. For the good of other Christians, as they see the danger of sin (1 Tim 5:20).
3. For the health of the church as a whole (1 Cor 5:6-8)

• “Paul tells the Corinthians that the lamb (Christ) had been slaughtered, and that they (the Corinthian church) were to be the unleavened bread.  They were to have no leaven of sin in them.  They, as a whole church, were to be an acceptable sacrifice.”

     4.  For the corporate witness of the church (Matt 5:16; John 13:34-35; 1 Cor 5:1; 1 Pet 2:12).

     5. For the glory of God, as we reflect His holiness (Eph 5:25-27; Heb 12:10-14; 1 Pet 1:15-16; 2:9-12; 1 John 3:2-3).  “That’s why we’re alive! (Gen 1:27; Lev 11:44a; 19:2; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; 1 Pet 2:12; Col 1:21-22; Rev 22:15

• “Our lives are the storefront display of God’s character in His world.  We cannot finally determine what others think of us, and we know that we are to expect such strong disapproval that we will even be persecuted for righteousness.
• “Greg Willis has written that, to many Christians in the past, ‘A church without discipline would hardly have counted as a church.’”
• “When discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with it.” John Dagg

 How do members of the church contribute positively to the practice of church discipline?  Consider the following principles:

• Receive the Word of God with meekness (James 1:21)
• Learn to recognize chastisement as evidence of God’s love (Heb 12:5-10).
• Humbly accept correction from others (Prov 27:5-6; 1:7).
  • “We will walk together in brotherly love, as becomes the members of a Christian Church, exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other and faithfully admonish and entreat on another as occasion may require.” Covenant
  • Paul Tripp: “We need the loving courage of honesty and the humility of approachability.”
• Take seriously our responsibility to discipline others (Matt 18; 1 Cor 5)
• Don’t forget to rejoice (2 Cor 2:6; James 5:19-20)

 It is obvious that formative discipline (teaching and training) is preferred over corrective discipline (correcting and reproving) in the mind of most people.  It will serve us all well to be diligent in formative discipline, in order to diminish the need for corrective discipline.  However, we will never remove the necessity of corrective discipline, altogether, for it is an instrument of grace in God’s arsenal of sanctification.  Therefore, we must overcome the discomfort of biblical discipline through faithful obedience to the Lord, love for one another, and most importantly a supreme love for His glory.

For Fathers to Consider

 “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Gen 18:19)

 Here are a few excerpts from research I have done on the family over the past several years.  I believe it would be best to let the quotations stand on their own, without my commentary.  Enjoy!

 “Healthy families make a healthy community.  Spiritually strong families make a strong church.  Only as every family is made a spiritually growing and responsible family unit can the church rely on it to fulfill its mission; only then will it yield its time and talents, its sons and its daughters, for the extension of the Kingdom of our Lord.  No congregation is stronger than the families that make up its membership.  A parish is more accurately evaluated by the caliber of its families than by the number of its communicants.” [1]

“The benediction that falls upon the homes of a country is like the gentle rain that descends among the hills.  A thousand springs are fuller afterward, and along the banks of a thousand streamlets flowing through the valleys the grass is greener and the flowers pour out richer fragrance.  Homes are the springs among the hills, whose many streamlets, uniting, form like great rivers society, the community, the nation, the Church.  If the springs run low the rivers waste; if they pour our bounteous currents the rivers are full.  If the springs are pure the rivers are clear like crystal; if they are foul the rivers are defiled.  A curse upon homes sends a poisoning blight everywhere; a blessing sends healing and new life into every channel.  Homes are the divinely ordained fountains of life.”  J.R. Miller in Home-Making (1882)

 The Father needs to have alertness, initiative, courage, and vision: “Would he (Adam) have taken the fruit if he had paused to reflect on the millennia of pain and suffering that would be caused by this one bad choice?… What are the long-term implications of the choices you make today?  What difference will it make that you have (or neglect) family worship and Bible instruction?  How will your grandchildren be affected by your prayer life today?  How will your children be shaped by your choice of vocation?  By where you choose to live?  By the church to which you belong?  By how you choose to educate them?  By your policies concerning peer-grouping or entertainment or driving privileges?  The choices you make today, even many that may seem insignificant, will shape the lives of your descendants and reverberate through eternity.  Adam didn’t think ahead.  Jesus did (Heb 12:1-2).  You and I must.” [2]

 “The home is the primary arena for living out the Christian life.  In the home sin, hurt, reconciliation, and healing occur daily.  In the home the ignorant are taught, the rebellious disciplined, the repentant restored, the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed.  In the home the relationship of Christ and His bride, the church, is exhibited in the relationship of husband and wife.  The home is the place where proper roles and relationships are learned and practiced.  The Christian home is a sanctuary, an oasis of holiness, sanity, and beauty in the midst of an evil, insane, and ugly world…Someone has suggested that most men would be barbarians but for the domesticating influence of women and children…The rigors of family life also develop the man himself by providing a training ground, thus preparing him for his larger dominion tasks in this world.  A man must prove his skills as a family shepherd before he is considered ready to become a shepherd of God’s sheep, an elder in the church (1 Tim 3:5)…So families are at the center of God’s plan, and fathers are crucial to the welfare of families.” [3]

 Of all the studies recently published, the most telling related to the fathers role in discipleship is this: according to a report published by The Baptist Press ^[7] if a child is the first person in the household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5% probability everyone in the household will follow. If the mother is first, there is a 17% chance everyone else in the household will submit to Christ. Here’s the clincher: If the father professes Christ first, there is a 93% probability that everyone else in the house will heed the Gospel call. [4]

 “There is something very sacred and almost awe-inspiring in the act by which a wife, at her entrance into the marriage state, confides all the interests of her life to the hands of him whom she accepts as her husband.  She leaves father and mother and the home of her childhood.  She severs all the ties that bound her to her old life.  She gives up the friends and the friendships of her youth.  She cuts herself off from the sources of happiness to which she has been accustomed to turn.  She looks up into the face of him who has asked her to be his wife, and with trembling heart yet with quiet confidence she entrusts to him and to his keeping all the sacred interests of her life.  It is a holy trust which he receives when she thus commits herself to his hands.  It is the lifelong happiness of a tender human heart capable of ineffable joy or unmeasured misery.  It is the whole future well-being of a life which may be fashioned into the image of Christ, or marred and its beauty shattered for ever…

    Every husband should understand that when a woman, the woman of her own free and deliberate choice, places her hand in his and thus becomes his wife, she has taken her life, with all its hopes and fears, all its possibilities of joy or sorrow, all its capacity for development, all its tender and sacred interests, and placed it in his hand, and that he is under the most solemn obligations to do all in his power to make that life happy, beautiful, noble and blessed.  To do this he must be ready to make any personal sacrifice.  Nothing less than this can be implied in loving as Christ loved his Church when He gave Himself for it.” [5]

 “The spirit of Christ alone will enable us to live together in perfect peace and love.  The presence of Christ in the home is a perpetual benediction.  We cannot be selfish, we cannot wrangle and strive, we cannot be bitter and unkind, we cannot be irritable and unreasonable, when conscious of the presence of Christ.  If only we can make Christ an abiding guest in our home, and if we can keep ourselves aware of His being with us, our household life cannot help but grow wondrously sweet.” [6]

[2] Philip Lancaster, Family Man, Family Leader: Biblical Fatherhood as the Key to a Thriving Family (The Vision Forum, Inc., San Antonio, TX: 2007), 72-77.

[3] Philip Lancaster, Family Man, Family Leader: Biblical Fatherhood as the Key to a Thriving Family (The Vision Forum, Inc., San Antonio, TX: 2007), 131-2.

[4] Scott Brown, The Greatest Untapped Evangelistic Opportunity Before the Modern Church, Vision Forum Ministries, Uniting Church and Family Website, March 22, 2006.

[5]J.R. Miller, Home-Making (San Antonio: The Vision Forum, Inc., 2001, originally published 1882), pp. 34,38.

[6] J.R. Miller, Secrets of Happy Home Life (Solid Ground Christian Books: Vestavia Hills, Al, 2002—First published in 1894), 6-7.