We are seeking authors for a new Discipleship E-zine coming out in the near future. If you are interested in submitting discipleship material please contact us.
“For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:4-5)
Discipling Through Discipline
Written by Rev. R. Dale Tedder, Jr.
True preaching of the Word of God; Proper observance of the sacraments; The faithful exercise of church discipline: During the time of the Reformation, these marks of the church were defined so that she might be sanctified or set apart from the world. The church was to be different than the world. Tragically though, what was once regarded as an essential mark that helped define what was and was not a true church of Christ, has now been relegated to the dustbin. Whether one speaks with laity or clergy, the perspective is the same: church discipline is out of date. It is often seen as cruel and unusual punishment and is not what "good Christian folk" spend their time worrying about. Furthermore, what is true on a small scale, (see the appendix), is also true of entire denominations. R.C. Sproul describes the proceedings of an undisclosed denomination concerning this very issue. And though he does not mention the name of the denomination, it could very well be any denomination in our culture today. Sproul writes:
"Several years ago a mainline Protestant denomination had a celebrated heresy case in which one of its ordained ministers refused to affirm the deity of Christ and flatly denied the vicarious atonement of Christ. The church handled this in a bizarre manner. First they reaffirmed their historic creeds and confessed anew their belief in the deity of Christ and His vicarious atonement. Then they ruled that the man's views were 'within the acceptable limits of interpretation of the creeds.' I call this bizarre because the church, though reaffirming its historic faith, decreed that a person who taught the exact opposite of the creeds was within the acceptable limits of interpretation of the creeds.
A few years later this same denomination faced another controversial crisis. A team of clergy and seminary professors composed a report on sexual ethics that sanctioned certain sexual behavior that is clearly condemned in the New Testament. Conservatives in the denomination were greatly distressed by this report and worked hard to get the church to refuse its adoption. The church subsequently refused to adopt the report. At this time the conservatives breathed a collective sigh of relief and rejoiced in their victory. But it was an empty victory. Those who prepared the report were not disciplined. The de facto result was though the church would not endorse the views expressed in the report, the church did not discipline those who taught them. This sent a message that though the report did not represent the official policy of the church, those who espoused the views within it could teach them with impunity. The conservatives won the de jure battle but lost the de facto war."[1]
I'll say it again: church discipline has fallen upon hard times in our day. The mere concept of it is a foreign notion to many and the slightest temptation to practice it is anathema to most. However, this is not just a subject for ivory tower academics or seminary students to hash out over late night coffee. Instead, church discipline is a biblical doctrine that effects the body of Christ daily. And yet, cases of officially sanctioned discipline are few and far between. But when these cases do arise, they command our attention because they seem to be so out of step in our present cultural climate. There are many reasons for ecclesiastical discipline being so repugnant to many in our culture today. Reasons ranging from rampant radical individualism to fear of being castigated as politically incorrect; an honest desire not to appear judgmental and intolerant to an i
mplicit or explicit repudiation of the whole notion of sin and shame are certainly leading candidates. R.B. Kuiper suggests that many churches fear that their membership will decrease and therefore "detract from their glory." "But," he says,
"the truth of the matter is that the church which fails to exercise discipline is sure to lose both its self-respect and the respect of those without. Strange though it may seem, the world today despises the church precisely because the church is so worldly, and the members of the church by and large take no pride in their membership because it carries with it no distinction. On the other hand, the faithful exercise of discipline is sure to enhance the church's glory."[2]
Whatever the reason, the neglect of discipline is guaranteed to end with injurious results for those who would be so bold as to abandon it. I therefore raise the question again: Why is something that is clearly mandated in scripture, so despised and disregarded today? I want to suggest that, in addition to the reasons listed above, a very significant contribution to this popular disdain stems from sheer misinformed ignorance relating to the nature of church discipline, especially at it relates to Christian discipleship. Our century has not seen a great deal written about church discipline. Thus, we have several generations for whom ecclesiastical admonishment and discipline are vacuous terms. Interestingly, in the same article, Sproul points out that it is indeed, a strange dichotomy in our culture today that churches can so steadfastly declare that discipleship of its members is of the utmost importance and yet neglect a key ingredient to that discipling process: discipline. J.I. Packer concurs. He writes,
"The Christian concept of discipline has the same breadth as the Latin word disciplina, which signifies the whole range of nurturing, instructional, and training procedures that disciple-making requires. …[T]here is no spiritual health without it…" [3] (emphasis mine)
For the rest of this essay, I want to show the essentiality of discipline in the process of Christian discipleship. However, before we continue with this line of thought, we need to first answer an important and fundamental question: What is church discipline? After all, there is little use in talking about its importance if we haven't the foggiest notion as to what it is in the first place. Thomas Oden offers this helpful definition:
"Admonition [or church discipline] is a duty owed by the pastoral guide to the parishioner… It involves correction when things go wrong and may require confrontation when they go amiss repeatedly. It is not a coercive act that would manipulate change, but a respectful dialogue that holds up possibilities for the voluntary redirection of behavior…"[4]
Why Church Discipline?
That brings us to the next question: Why should we exercise church discipline? Why should we care about the "redirection" of one's behavior? Well, aside from the very clear fact that God has commanded us to do so in his word, the answer is this: "The assumption is that the church is called to holiness of heart and life, to reflect the holiness of God amid the life of the world, and to manifest responsive behavior that is accountable to the mercy of God toward us."[5] In other words, that holy life that believers are decreed to pursue is slowly achieved, humanly speaking, through the participatory life of Christian discipleship. Furthermore, a key ingredient in that life of discipleship is discipline. Discipleship involves discipline. To attempt to emphasize a ministry of discipleship to the church without the proper functioning role of discipline reveals an unawareness of what true biblical discipleship is. Therefore, let us now examine three supporting reasons why we should restore proper church discipline to bring about greater fruitfulness in our Christ
ian discipleship.
First, orderly church discipline reflects the way God deals with his own children. In Hebrews 12:5-8, the author writes,
"And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.' Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons."
And what is God's purpose in this discipline? Verse 11 of that same chapter says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Albert Mohler comments on this passage. He writes,
"This discipline is often evident in suffering - both individual and congregational. Persecution by the world has a purifying effect on the church. This persecution is not to be sought, but if the church is 'tested by fire,' it must prove itself pure and genuine and receive this suffering as the Lord's discipline, even as children receive the discipline of a father….
God's loving discipline of His people is His sovereign right and is completely in keeping with His moral character - His own holiness. His fatherly discipline also establishes the authority and pattern for discipline in the church. Correction is for the greater purpose of restoration and the even higher purpose of reflecting the holiness of God."[6]
God commands his children to be holy, even as he is holy. Another way to say it is that an essential goal of the Christian faith is to conform to the likeness of Christ. This call upon believers' lives is not an optional part of Christian discipleship. Indeed, there is no discipleship without this pursuit. God disciplines his children so that they will be trained in the way that they must go. God corrects us when we err. He rebukes us when we rebel. He will not let his children sin with impunity. However, discipline is more than punishment and rebuke, though it certainly includes that. It is also aimed at enabling his children to faithfully finish the race set before them - individually and corporately. God disciplines us because he loves us. Thus, it is incumbent upon the church in every age to reflect this disciplining character of God. When the church is remiss in doing so, the church fails to be who God called her to be. Thomas Oden puts it this way:
"The active practice of disciplined Christian life is a sign of the true church. Where no Christian behavior is beheld, there can be no ekklesia. Where no attention is being given to daily walking the way of holiness, we have no right to expect the true church. Where the church is, there it is being authorized to order the life of discipleship and exercise discipline (by the use of keys or ecclesiastical discipline), according to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18:18."[7]
Second, taking our cue from our Lord, we discipline so that one who has fallen into sin might be restored, reconciled and nurtured back into the family of God. Oden asks why the church is called to lovingly admonish a brother or sister in Christ. His answer: "Because freedom is prone to sin, because correction needs the wider perspective of a caring partner, and because solitary self-correction is prone to self-deception.
… Though Christ is guileless and undefiled, and holy (Heb. 7:26), the church, which includes sinners, is both holy and always in need of purification and thus constantly pursues repentance, announces forgiveness, and seeks reconciliation…
The well-instructed Christian community is aware of its own sin, but this is not inconsistent with the desire to present itself holy before the L
ord insofar as possible. Church discipline is thought to be an important part of the proximate purification of the church. Without it, how could one envision a church that hopes to stand in good conscience before the Holy One?"[8]
Bringing glory to God is at the heart of this goal. Indeed, discipline, as a nurturing element of discipleship, attempts to awaken the one who has transgressed against God so that he or she may see God in his glory yet again. It is designed to help that believer get back on track in the life of holiness to which God has called all believers to live.
For What Are We Disciplined?
Lastly, I believe it would be helpful to look at a couple of reasons why one would be disciplined. There are, of course, more than two reasons for disciplinary action. However, I want to examine two that scripture addresses at length. Oden describes these two important criteria. He writes,
"In the traditional literature there is a distinction between adiaphora ('issues on which salvation does not depend') and fundamental Christian teaching. Admonition may focus on these fundamental issues, denials of core doctrinal affirmations such as the triune God, the atoning work of Christ, or salvation by grace through faith. According to some pastoral writers, moral misdeeds and ethical judgments may also require careful examination and compassionate admonition. If you are going to have a community of prayer that seriously seeks to be a holy community, you cannot, according to this classical ecclesial understanding, simply ignore either doctrinal or moral discipline. So, undesirable behaviors like theft or blasphemy or fraud or adultery, which are by consensus regarded as contrary to Christian character, are therefore subjects of sensitive corrective dialogue."[9]
In his letters, the Apostle Paul continually addressed both the doctrinal and the moral breakdown of the churches to whom he wrote. Mohler comments, "In the second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul offers… instruction, combining concern for moral purity and doctrinal orthodoxy…"[10] This same pattern can be seen in all of his letters, and indeed, all throughout the New Testament. The role of "doctrine and practice" in the life of the Christian is emphasized to be of central importance, not just for one's present life here and now, but for all eternity. Paul writes, in 1 Timothy 4:16, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (emphasis mine). Therefore, we shall now examine both the doctrinal and moral emphases in church discipline.
Doctrinal Faithfulness
Adherence to correct doctrine is not optional for the Christian. The teaching, receiving and living of it are clearly ordered in Scripture. Indeed, Jesus and the Apostle Paul always included them together; doctrine and obedience or faith and practice. Who we are (doctrinally) shapes how we live (practically). How we live shapes who we are. There is an essential reciprocity between these two aspects of Christian faith and discipleship. Here are just a few representative verses that support fidelity to doctrine.
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Acts 2:41-42 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their numbers that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be a
ble to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
1. Timothy 6:3-4 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions…
2. Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
.Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
.Titus 2:1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
.Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need to ask someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
And what is the course of action, according to Scripture, for those who do not teach, receive or live by sound doctrine? Again, I will let Scripture speak for itself.
.2 John 9-11 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
.Galatians 1:8-9 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
.2 Peter 2:1 There will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bring swift destruction on themselves.
Mohler summarizes these texts by suggesting that:
."the church must separate itself from these heresies - and from the heretics! The permissive posture of the church in this century has allowed the most heinous heresies to grow unchecked - and heretics to be celebrated."[11]
While this may seem severe in our day, our negative reaction to this kind of corrective discipline merely reveals just how out of step we are in the history of the church.
Moral Purity
As I stated earlier, Christian believers are called to reflect the likeness of their Savior. They are called to be perfect just as their heavenly Father is perfect. They are called to be holy because their God is holy. They are called to pursue lives of righteousness. They are called to be obedient to God's word. Thus, reprehensible moral behavior is inconsistent with and in violation of this high calling of the Christian. However, it is more than sinful actions that warrant the rebuke and correcting of discipline. So too, the church should be concerned about the attitudes of its members as well. Gilbert Bilezikian writes,
."For the sake of scriptural consistency and in order to be credible, church discipline should oppose sins of attitude with the same severity as for 'gross sins.' The NT condemns immorality, murder, and drunkenness - but along with them envy, jealously, anger, selfishness, complaining, and criticism. Each of those vices is an impediment to entering the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).[12]
Disciplinary action for the sake of moral purity in the life of the believer complement
s the "positive" efforts of Christian discipleship. Discipleship includes more than pointing the right way, but it also shows the detrimental and sinful nature of taking the wrong way.
But there is more than the nurtured life of the believer at stake here. While it is true that restoration and reconciliation are the goals of discipline when a brother or sister sins, it is also true that when he or she repents, they are to be received back into the fold. I want to affirm that the spiritual welfare of the individual believer is of utmost importance in the practice of church discipline. However, the sins of one life touches more lives than just his own. Just as disease in one part of the body can spread to damage the whole body, so too can sin begin in what seems to be an isolated individual, but soon spread throughout the body of Christ. Conversely, the righteousness of one can also spread throughout Christ's body for its well being. Addressing this reality, Kuiper says, "This spiritual welfare of the individual member is a means to the end of the promotion of the purity and edification of the church as a whole."[13] I believe this is a very important point that needs to be constantly held up before our individualistic culture. A culture that screams for its rights and privacy as individuals wants nothing to do with this kind of thinking. However, Christian discipleship requires that those within the church - the family or community of God - cannot sit idly by and tolerate the sins of even one within their midst, for this would lead both the individual and community to living lives unworthy of their calling.
And yet, there is even more at stake than the blemish of the church. For just as the sins of one will reflect upon the church at large, it will also cast a pall over the Savior of the church as well. Again, Kuiper correctly notes,
."As the welfare of the individual member is a means to the end of the welfare of the church body, so the welfare of that body is a means to the glorification of its Head. And that is a way of saying that the church which neglects discipline is not only destroying its own glory but also shows a serious disregard to the glory of Christ."[14] Conclusion
The Apostle Paul said he was not ashamed of the gospel for it was the power of God unto salvation. Similarly, we need to declare to our culture that we will not be ashamed of church discipline, for it is an essential element of Christian discipleship, a fundamental mark of the church and a way in which we bring glory to our holy God and Savior who calls upon us to exercise it with vigor, compassion and faithfulness. Scripture and daily experience clearly teach that discipline must be a vital part of discipleship in the life of the church. Kuiper poignantly remarks,
."The faithful exercise of discipline is in very deed a mark of the true church. The church which is not deeply concerned about the honor of Christ simply is no church of His. On the other hand, passionate love for Christ and a consequent consuming zeal for His glory will impel the true church to be faithful in discipline."[15]
Appendix: The Rejection of Church Discipline - Two Case Studies
Meet Bill. Bill was an associate pastor at a small rural church. As the associate pastor of that church, part of Bill's responsibility was to minister to the youth. While he served this church, one of the youth under his care left her home and moved in with her boyfriend. Thus, my friend Bill, being concerned for her walk with the Lord, sought to counsel her as to the nature of the poor decision she had made and how she needed to repent of her present situation. My friend labored with her and her family for over a year. There was no rush to judgment on his part. There was no witch trial being formed. He faithfully met and prayed with them in hopes of restoration. He understood this to be the biblical model of church discipline. And yet
, there was no repentance and no change in behavior. My friend then went to his senior pastor, the shepherd of this flock, so that he might receive support for the next step: going with one or more witnesses to the young person and her parents. My friend was then told that the members of this family that he was "attacking" were third generation members of the church. He was told that he would have no support on this crusade. He was asked why he was making such a big deal about this anyway. After all, it was suggested, should we not just pray for her instead? Nothing came from my friend's effort. He now pastors another church.
Meet Mike. The second example I would like to share involves both Mike and the senior pastor of his church. After hearing some troubling sermons and receiving "hearsay" reports about questionable beliefs of the pastor concerning the gospel, my friend Mike decided to cut through all of the rumor and innuendo and go straight to the source. He made an appointment with the pastor and asked him directly about the issues he was concerned about. The pastor confirmed my friend's greatest fear: that the gospel of Jesus Christ was being dangerously compromised. Thus, my friend, in an effort to be faithful to scripture returned with another believer to confront the pastor and call him to repentance over this grievous sin. The pastor rebuffed them both and said there was nothing of which to repent. Again, seeking to be faithful to God and his word, my friend asked the committee of his church that ruled on such matters, to convene so that this concern might be addressed officially by the church. In a mockery of judicial procedure and theological integrity, the committee ruled that the pastor would not be disciplined. The reason: though it was confirmed that the pastor did indeed believe what he was being accused of, he did not preach it from the pulpit, and therefore, was not a problem to the church. My friend and his family are now searching for a new church family.
PS. Both of these men were asked to repent of their sin. What was their sin? Attempting to divide the body of Christ over trifles. These men of integrity simply desired to be faithful to the biblical commission to exercise church discipline, but were subsequently branded heresy-hunters, closed-minded, intolerant and a litany of other warn out cliches used to discredit a person without foundation. By the way, both of these stories are true. And sadly, there is no shortage of examples that could be offered. Endnotes [1] R.C. Sproul, Tabletalk, "The Discipline of Discipleship," September 1996, pp. 6-7. [2] R.B. Kuiper, The Glorious Body of Christ, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p. 305. [3] J.I. Packer, Concise Theology, Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1993, p. 220. [4] Thomas Oden, Pastoral Theology, San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1983, p. 206. [5]Ibid., p. 208. [6] John Armstrong, ed., The Compromised Church, Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1998, pp. 177-178. [7] Thomas Oden, Life in the Spirit, San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992, p. 301. [8] Oden, Pastoral Theology, p. 208. [9] Ibid., pp. 217-218. [10] Armstrong, p. 179. [11] Ibid., p. 183. [12] Walter A. Elwell, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible: Volume 1, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988, p. 633. [13] Kuiper, p. 310. [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid.
Articles 
