Church Discipline
How should we react if we discover sin in the Church – either in the pew or in the pulpit? There shouldn’t be room for debate on how discipline is carried out in the Church because the Bible is very clear on this subject. This is an unpopular and greatly misunderstood subject, but it is critical that we get this right! We have a responsibility to protect each other from deception, therefore the Church cannot survive without accountability in our midst. We need strong leaders that can administer God-given authority with boldness and compassion. Jesus, as the Head of the Church, addressed this plainly, and here’s what he said:
“If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens, you’ve won your brother over. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he still refuses to listen, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” (Matt 18:15-17)
This general principle given to us by our Lord establishes the attitude we should have toward disciplining others, and as you can see, it clearly involves confronting them. This principle initially involves a certain amount of patience, compassion, and discretion, but it also makes no concession for those who refuse correction. Correction gets progressively more severe and more public as the offender refuses to repent. According to Jesus, those who continue in sin are to be removed from the Church. Each situation is unique in it’s own way and must be handled accordingly: for example, if a person is caught in the act of molesting a child in the Church nursery, obviously this escalates immediately.
It is not our responsibility to clean up the world, it is our responsibility to warn them. But, it is our responsibility to keep God’s house clean and holy:
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the Church? But, aren’t we supposed to judge those inside the Church? God will judge those on the outside, but you must remove the wicked person from among you!” (1Cor 5:12)
“For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet 4:17)
Church discipline is necessary in order to protect those who fall into the deception of sin:
“Rebuke them severely so that they may be sound in the faith.” (Titus 1:13)
It is also necessary to protect yourself from deception:
“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”
(Lk 17:3)
Church discipline should be a public display of authority if necessary to create a corporate expectation of holiness:
“Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest will be fearful of sinning.” (1 Tim 5:20)
The Bible tells us to remove people from the church who claim to be believers, but continue in willful unrepentant sin...and, not even to associate with them:
“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.” (1 Cor 5:11)
The mandate to break off fellowship with sinners inside the Church is not a suggestion, it is a scriptural command:
“We command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every believer who leads an unruly life and not according to the teachings which you received from us.” (2 Thes 3:6)
Judge not?
Many will read the above scriptures and be confuse by the word “judge”. They’ve heard these words of Christ without proper context: “judge not, lest you be judged”. Church discipline should be based on God’s standard, not traditions, the standards of society, or the biases of whatever religious culture a person identifies with (Catholic, charismatic, Baptist, etc.). As with all things in the Church, discipline should be guided by Holy Spirit discernment and not mere human thinking. We are not to judge by selfish human standards and motives, but we are expected to judge with a righteous Godly judgment as Jesus commanded:
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (Jn 7:24)
The goal of confronting sin in the Church should always be motivated by a loving desire to rehabilitate the sinner. Anyone who takes pleasure in the rebuking of others is corrupt, but anyone who is too cowardly to allow the rebuke of sin in their Church is also corrupt. We must discipline God’s children as gently as we can, but as forcefully as we must. We see this in the way that the Bible describes the preaching of God’s word:
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season – correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim 4:2)
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and instruction in righteousness. (2 Tim 3:16)
Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority, and let no one despise you. (Titus 2:15)
Contrary to popular thinking, Church leadership is not exempt from correction regardless of their title or position! This nonsense has been sown by celebrity preachers who live like spoiled rock stars without accountability, but it’s not Biblical. In fact, leaders should be held to a higher standard because of the potential risk for their corrupt influence over others:
“But those elders who are sinning, you are to correct before everyone, so that the others may take warning.” (1 Tim 5:20)
Jesus makes it clear that leaders who provide the wrong example will indeed be judged more harshly:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.” (Matt 23:14)
The Apostle James speaks of this as if it’s common knowledge...so, why isn’t it common knowledge in the Modern Church?
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1)
Love and patience?
Unconditional love does not mean unconditional fellowship, and there is good reason for that. Consider Church leaders in the book of Acts, they had enough love for the Church to endure imprisonment, beatings, and death, unlike any Christian I’ve met in the modern Church. And yet, they refused to spare anyone’s feelings, because they knew that it only takes one drop of poison to contaminate the entire well. It is sometimes necessary to eradicate a few corrupt members to save the entire body. It is not a cruel and heartless doctor that chooses amputation, when faced with a limb full of uncontrollable infection:
“A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.” (Gal 5:9, Mt 13, 1 Cor 5)
“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” (1 Cor 15:33)
The Bible describes correction as a normal, healthy part of the church family. And just as with your earthly family, sometimes all your children need is encouragement to do what is right. Other times they need to be corrected with a stern warning. And yet, other times a sharp rebuke with consequences is necessary. Jesus demonstrates this discernment in his earthly ministry. Consider when the Pharisees bring the woman caught in adultery to him. Jesus corrects this woman’s sin by telling her to “stop sinning”, but he does it in a gentle, compassionate way:
“...‘Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, Lord,’ she answered. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Now go and sin no more.’ (Jn 8:10-11)
Let us pay close attention, Jesus did not want to condemn this woman according to the law, which required her to be stoned to death and cast into Hell. But, he did judge her behavior and required her to stop sinning! Jesus is not giving this woman a suggestion, he is giving her a command which has an implied ultimatum with consequences for refusing to obey. Why did Jesus give this woman a gentle, private command, and yet the Pharisees who dragged her there received harsh public rebukes? A clue is found in the scripture above. This woman is humble and repentant, she calls him “Lord”. The Pharisees on the other hand were arrogant and defiant. The severity of correction a person needs depends on the level of humility in their heart. There is a big difference between those who are losing their battle with sin, and those who put up no fight. Some are ignorant and need instruction, some are weak and need help, but some are rebellious and must be removed.
We see this played out in Paul’s letters to the churches. When gentle correction fails to get results, he turns up the heat and starts making threats.
“What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1Cor 4:21)
“I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them.” (2 Cor 13:2)
“I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal harshly with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.” (2 Cor 13:10)
And when the founding Apostles threatened discipline there was good reason to be fearful. Those in the early Church always had the memory of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) in the back of their minds. If you are unfamiliar with this event, the short version is this: this couple lied to Church leaders, which was disrespectful to the authority of the Holy Spirit in that church, God was angry and took their lives...they dropped dead right there in the Church! This is not some strange one time occurrence, Paul makes it clear that some in the Church are sick or die early because of sin within the Church:
“For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.” (1 Cor 11:29-31)
The Church leaders of the Bible demonstrated an uncompromising authority that demanded results. Paul actually surrenders certain sinners in the Church over to Satan so that they will become desperate enough to repent:
“Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Tim 1:20)
Listen to how Paul does the same thing to a member of the Corinthian Church. He pronounces judgment over this brother and commands the Church to join him in turning this man over to Satan:
“Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.” (1 Cor 5:3-5)
This is the Bible and yet it doesn’t fit anywhere into the modern American Church! We have lost all sense of what holy authority looks like, it’s extreme because God’s standards for his entire Kingdom are extreme. The cross was not given to overlook sin, it was given to overcome sin by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit (grace). There is much patience and mercy in the process of God working out your salvation, as long as you are repentant and
“work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 12:12-13)
Where did discipline go?
Before you can testify in a court of law, you are required to swear that you will “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”. Because, if you add anything to the truth or leave anything out, it is no longer the truth. The American Church has been focusing almost entirely on one aspect of the gospel message for decades: “Jesus Loves You”. And, although this is a beautiful truth about Jesus, it leaves out some essential details. We should celebrate and declare that “...God is love” (1 Jn 4:8), without omitting the other, more outstanding attribute of God’s nature. The angels do not stand before his throne crying - love, love, love. The one attribute of God that is declared day and night, without ceasing for all eternity is this:
“Day and night they never stop saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev 4:8b)
“And they were calling out to one another: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.’” (Is 6:3)
It’s a mistake to preach God’s love without his holiness because they are inseparable. It is the holiness that makes it possible for him to give love unselfishly. He is able to consistently make sacrifices even for his enemies, unlike corrupt humans who can barely love their neighbor or keep a marriage in harmony. We have failed to impress upon people how absolutely righteous God is in every imaginable way. He is a God of love, but it’s not just humans that he loves, he also loves justice! Therefore, the God who does indeed loves humans, will also be a terrifying judge for those same rebellious humans. Many have taken God’s love as permission to have a casual attitude about sin. When in fact, his love will not stop him from casting them into the fiery lake of Hell by the billions! His love makes a way for mercy but his holiness demands justice!
We’ve been majoring on love for decades because it’s easy to preach and easy to listen to, it makes the crowd happy. Whereas the mention of sin, repentance, holiness, and judgment do not fill seats or offering buckets. But, telling people that Jesus loves them does not address the problem.
The problem is: They don’t love him back!
Jesus repeatedly makes it clear that he measures our love for him by one thing – obedience!
“Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me...” (Jn 14:21)
“And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments...” (2 Jn 1:6)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15)
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments...” (1 Jn 5:3)
“If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love…” (Jn 15:10)
We no longer give correction in the modern Church because we no longer demand or expect obedience. We must start preaching the holiness of God once again. We must repent of taking sin so lightly and restore our beloved Church to an attitude of purity. We must be honest about sin in our own life, as well as in our church. And please...stop making excuses for leaders who are obviously living in sin. You are helping them pave the road to their own destruction by defending them and stuffing their pockets with money!