In order for a local church to maintain its distinctive nature, discipline must be administered. Discipline is instruction given to cause a disciple to form a certain kind of attitude or conduct.
Preventative discipline is teaching intended to edify, warn, and instruct.
Corrective discipline is teaching intended to convict, exhort, restore, and straighten.
Both forms of discipline are necessary. They are designed for the good of the subject.
A local church has the right and obligation to keep itself pure by withdrawing from its unfaithful members who refuse to repent. Christians cannot ignore sin and expect to receive God’s approval.
Let’s notice different situations that Jesus and His apostles mentioned where corrective discipline is to be administered by a local church.
Jesus said that sometimes personal offenses will arise among Christians (Matt.18:15-17). When that occurs, the offended person is to go to the offender and explain the nature of the offense. If the offender does not repent, then the offended is to take 1 or 2 others with him and again meet with the offender. If the offender does not repent, then the matter is to be taken before the church. If the offender refuses to repent, then the church is to basically withdraw fellowship from him. In other words, he is no longer to be regarded as a faithful member of the church.
The apostle Paul instructs Christians to “note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Rom.16:17). Christians are to identify false teachers within the church and exclude them from the fellowship of the church. The word “note” means to fix one’s eyes upon, to direct attention to, to identify. The word “avoid” means to turn away from. The apostle Paul instructs Christians in a local church to withdraw from immoral brethren in their midst (1 Cor.5). It is possible for a child of God to so act that his exclusion from fellowship of faithful members of the church is required by the Scriptures. When that is the case, in order for the church to be faithful to Christ, it must exclude its fellowship from such offenders. Those who, because of a misguided sense of love, tolerance, and compassion, refuse to exclude such a member from the fellowship of the church are in rebellion against God in so refusing. The apostle Paul instructs Christians, “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 which he received from us” (2 Thess.3:6). “Walking disorderly” is a general term referring to any member of the church who lives in rebellion against God. The particular sin in the context of 2 Thess.3 is idleness, but the expression “walking disorderly” applies to any kind of spiritual disorderliness. Christians are to “withdraw” from such members. The word “withdraw” means to draw away from or take back. What is it Christians “take back” and in what sense do they “draw away from” a member? Their fellowship or recognition of him as a faithful member of the Lord. He or she is to be excluded from their fellowship. If an elder of a local church commits a known, public sin, and on the basis of 2 or 3 witnesses, he refuses to repent of it, then he is to be rebuked before all that others may fear (1 Tim.5:19-20). The apostle Paul said, “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Tit.3:10-11). A divisive member of the church is one who espouses and follows false doctrine. He is to be admonished by faithful members. When he will not repent, then he must be rejected by faithful members.
In all of these different situations, these steps are to be taken in order to save lost souls and to keep the church pure. Let’s make sure we do what the Lord has said in these matters.
-Scott Vifquain
Preventative discipline is teaching intended to edify, warn, and instruct.
Corrective discipline is teaching intended to convict, exhort, restore, and straighten.
Both forms of discipline are necessary. They are designed for the good of the subject.
A local church has the right and obligation to keep itself pure by withdrawing from its unfaithful members who refuse to repent. Christians cannot ignore sin and expect to receive God’s approval.
Let’s notice different situations that Jesus and His apostles mentioned where corrective discipline is to be administered by a local church.
Jesus said that sometimes personal offenses will arise among Christians (Matt.18:15-17). When that occurs, the offended person is to go to the offender and explain the nature of the offense. If the offender does not repent, then the offended is to take 1 or 2 others with him and again meet with the offender. If the offender does not repent, then the matter is to be taken before the church. If the offender refuses to repent, then the church is to basically withdraw fellowship from him. In other words, he is no longer to be regarded as a faithful member of the church.
The apostle Paul instructs Christians to “note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Rom.16:17). Christians are to identify false teachers within the church and exclude them from the fellowship of the church. The word “note” means to fix one’s eyes upon, to direct attention to, to identify. The word “avoid” means to turn away from. The apostle Paul instructs Christians in a local church to withdraw from immoral brethren in their midst (1 Cor.5). It is possible for a child of God to so act that his exclusion from fellowship of faithful members of the church is required by the Scriptures. When that is the case, in order for the church to be faithful to Christ, it must exclude its fellowship from such offenders. Those who, because of a misguided sense of love, tolerance, and compassion, refuse to exclude such a member from the fellowship of the church are in rebellion against God in so refusing. The apostle Paul instructs Christians, “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 which he received from us” (2 Thess.3:6). “Walking disorderly” is a general term referring to any member of the church who lives in rebellion against God. The particular sin in the context of 2 Thess.3 is idleness, but the expression “walking disorderly” applies to any kind of spiritual disorderliness. Christians are to “withdraw” from such members. The word “withdraw” means to draw away from or take back. What is it Christians “take back” and in what sense do they “draw away from” a member? Their fellowship or recognition of him as a faithful member of the Lord. He or she is to be excluded from their fellowship. If an elder of a local church commits a known, public sin, and on the basis of 2 or 3 witnesses, he refuses to repent of it, then he is to be rebuked before all that others may fear (1 Tim.5:19-20). The apostle Paul said, “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Tit.3:10-11). A divisive member of the church is one who espouses and follows false doctrine. He is to be admonished by faithful members. When he will not repent, then he must be rejected by faithful members.
In all of these different situations, these steps are to be taken in order to save lost souls and to keep the church pure. Let’s make sure we do what the Lord has said in these matters.
-Scott Vifquain