Church Discipline

I spent five years heavily involved in the Southern Baptist and United Methodist churches. If you had asked me during that time what my thoughts were on church discipline, I would have cocked my head in confusion. "Church discipline? What's that?"would have been my response. The fact is, denominational churches do not practice nor preach church discipline even though the Bible commands it in places like 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Thessalonians 3.

One of the members of the Corinthian church was living in sin. Specificially, he "had his father's wife" (1 Cor. 5:1). In other words, he was having sexual relations with a woman that was married to his father. This was a deplorable act and Paul chided the Corinthian Christians for their lax approach to this immoral brother. Paul commanded them in verses 4-5, "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." This sinful brother was not to be tolerated. Instead, he was to be "delivered to Satan." He was already serving Satan by living in sin, and it was important for the church to acknowledge the man's spiritual condition.

Why was it important to discipline this man? Well, in verses 6-7 Paul makes the point that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump...therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened." When the church tolerates sin among its members, the church becomes impure. By withdrawing from a wayward brother or sister in Christ, we are in effect purifying the church.

So what does church discipline involve? Are we just acknowledging a sinful Christian's spiritual condition and apostasy from God? No, there's more to it than that. In 1 Corinthians 5:11, Paul adds, "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person." The inspired apostle clearly tells us that when a brother or sister in Christ is living in sin, we are to cease normal social interaction with them. Think about it. If we continue to socialize and eat with the errant Christian, will they not feel justified in their sin? Will they not have less incentive to repent if we ignore their sin and act like everything's okay?

And so 1 Corinthians 5 tells us two things regarding the errant Christian.

1. There is to be a public acknowledgment of the errant brother's condition in the church assembly.
2. On a private basis, we as Christians are not to socially interact with the errant Christian.

Later, in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, Paul says, "But 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 he received from us," and then in verse 14, "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." This only reinforces what was said in 1 Corinthians 5.

How can we ignore this command? It may not be pleasant, but it is given to us by God and therefore we must submit to it.

What are your thoughts?