There are often two choices at the gas pump: regular gasoline and diesel. The average person would unlikely be able to tell the difference between the two liquids if it were not for the clear marking at the gas station. Even though many people mindlessly fill up their cars week after week, mistaking the two liquids is the stark difference between being able to drive the vehicle or not. A car might run for a few minutes if the two are mixed, but it will eventually stop, and the vehicle will go from being a handy tool to utterly useless until it can be towed to a repair shop. Similar to how important vehicles are as tools for living, Christian churches are essential tools for God’s kingdom, but if their fuel is mixed, they will either become scrap or, at best, be sidelined while they are overhauled. The metaphorical fuel that makes churches useful to God is the Christians that make up its membership. Yet, if the genuine fuel of the church is mixed with non-believers, then the church will become faithless and ineffective. Church discipline is the biblical solution to ensuring the correct fuel is in the tank. Therefore, churches must carry out biblical church discipline or be unable to do the work tasked by God himself.
Church discipline is necessary because distinguishing between genuine Christians and fake is not as easy as hoped. Like gasoline and diesel, it can be difficult to tell the difference, yet the two serve very different purposes. Even the most vital, most faithful church will, by mistake, invite non-believers into its midst, but church discipline allows for the healthy correction of that error. Even the unbelievers themselves can be deceived about their standing before God. Jesus says in Matthew 7:22-23, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (ESV). This reveals that people who even act and talk in seemingly biblical ways will be surprised standing before Jesus. This person knows biblical words and even calls Jesus Lord, yet Jesus denies him as a worker of lawlessness. Therefore, church discipline allows churches to remain pure, and it helps unbelievers recognize before it is too late that they are diesel when they believe themselves to be gasoline.
The biblical practice of church discipline is described in the most detail by Jesus himself in Matthew 18:15-20. The process begins with a Christian recognizing sin in the life of another Christian. Jesus calls the person who comes to this realization to bring this to their attention, but this is to be done privately and without getting others into the situation. The desire is to regain the sinning brother or sister, and the sin might be put away. However, Jesus continues to say that if the sinning Christian refuses to listen, the next step is to bring another Christian along for another meeting so that more evidence may be obtained and confirmed. It is essential to recognize that this is still done in privacy and not expanded beyond the two or three people now involved. Again, the hope is that the sinner might be restored. Finally, if he refuses to listen to the smaller group, the issue should be brought to the church's attention, with the final consequence now being that this sinner should be treated as an unbeliever.
Jonathan Leeman makes the case that these steps produce in a church the expectation of transformation, the work of representing Christ to the world, evidence of the local church’s authority, and changes in thinking about membership so that it is considered a good, submissive act.1 In Leeman’s book on church discipline, he is right to argue that Christians should see church membership as an act of submission to Christ and his church because of the biblical truth of Ephesians 1:22, which says, “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” To be submissive to the church is rightly submissive to Jesus himself. A Christian’s submission to a church should be made because Christ gave authority to the church, and with this submission comes the possibility of discipline. Among other things, this field of activity is one of the proper places the church uses the authority bestowed on it. The church stands uniquely different from the world and its institutions. And why ultimately is the church unique? Because the church is where transformation takes place. The church is where diesel becomes gasoline, where people are transformed, and where sinners put off their former selves and are reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20). When such transformation occurs, God can work with a church full of such people to achieve his purposes for his glory.
It is also essential to consider the church leaders and the role church discipline takes in their work before God. The practice of church discipline is necessary because church leaders will have to give a particular account concerning the people God put under their stewardship, as Hebrews 13:17 makes clear. If there were no biblical way of adjudicating unfaithfulness in a God-honoring way, the already difficult challenge of faithfully leading a church would become impossible. Church discipline is one of the most potent means for a pastor to ensure they are faithful to keep God’s church’s purity to the level he demands: perfection (Matt 5:48). Transformation can be, at times, hard to see, but church discipline allows leaders to be accountable to God for their churches.
If the purpose of church discipline is to see transformed lives with the gospel's power and make the church healthy and effective. In that case, thankfully, Christians can look to the epistles for examples of Jesus’ instructions in action. The most well-known example of church discipline comes from 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, where Paul writes, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” In the church at Corinth, Christians get a glimpse of the sin and the process Paul calls the church to carry out. Mark Dever, in his book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, explains why Paul has such a visceral reaction to this sin, writing, Why did Paul say all that? Because he had come to hate the offender? No, but because that man was deeply deceived. He thought he could be a Christian while deliberately disobeying the Lord. Or perhaps he thought--and the church allowed him to think that there was nothing wrong with his having his father's wife. 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. Such delusion is what Christians and their churches must fight against. Tolerating something like the sexual immorality Paul is writing against in churches today will bring impurities in that will corrupt the church's effectiveness. Christians fight against such delusion with church discipline and remove such sinners from their midst.
In Titus 3:10-11, Paul writes of another person to be avoided, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” How can a church be useful to God and his purposes when such a person corrupts it? Paul in Romans 16:18 writes about a divisive person such as this, saying, “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” The answer is that the church cannot be rightly functional when someone such as this is working against God. Someone cannot seek their appetites and not corrupt the purposes of a church.
In some ways, this truth is easy to agree upon. If the church is battling sin that even the culture believes is repugnant, Christians are likely to be inclined not to tolerate such sin in their church. Of course, this does not prove universally true, or Paul would not have had to write to the church at Corinth as he did. Nonetheless, most people and even more so Christians are repulsed at the idea of a man having his father’s wife, but what happens when a church exits the realm of what is comfortable culturally and begins to deal with sins that are more tolerated in our modern society? The practice of church discipline becomes more difficult.
Another one of Paul’s warnings to the church about whom they should associate with is found in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, where Paul writes, “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” Beginning the process of church discipline against sexual adultery is one thing. In today’s context, it is another thing to start the process of church discipline against someone who is walking in idleness. Indeed, some sins are more severe than others, but that does not mean Christians should only deal with the serious ones. Paul calls the Thessalonians not to associate with the idle, so Christians today must do the same.
Christians need to remember the purpose they are seeking and the purpose of their church body, to serve and love God. If the context for doing things is for personal advancement or even primarily for improving other peoples’ lives, idleness might not matter. But, since the church’s purpose is to bring glory to God, idleness does get in the way, so church discipline is appropriate. This life does not represent a season of rest for the Christian but a season of labor. The faith will not last into the next generation unless there are people who are working hard to teach and train the next generation of believers. Idleness has no place in such important work. This is part of why Paul calls the Thessalonians to disassociate themselves from the idle and why churches should do the same today.
Any sin causes severe problems for a church’s effectiveness and in the life of the person whose life is manifesting the sin. Yet, in faithful churches that practice biblical church discipline, there are areas of life that seem to go largely untouched by churches, and sin does seem like it is allowed to persist, such as the sin of idleness. To illustrate the importance of church discipline to make the church useful to God and to address the issue of certain sins not being subject to discipline, two partly fictional cases will be presented and addressed: arrogance and non- attendance. Certainly, sins such as these are more difficult to evidence, but that does not remove a church's responsibility to address them.
First, beginning with arrogance. Brandon is a new believer and was saved from an artificial Christian community. He and his wife, who also confesses to being a believer, are eager to join a church and get involved. As many new believers experience, he finds a thrill in reading his Bible, evangelizing, and thinking about the new things he is learning from sermons. He loves the legitimate Christian community and is eager to be accepted. At first, he is happy and content with the small group he and his wife were assigned, but as the newness wears off, he commits himself to reading his Bible even more. He wants to make sure there is no reason anyone could question his faith at church, and he thinks this will ensure his faith will not be questioned. He also has discovered he is pretty domineering over his wife and has felt conviction during sermons about this, but then has later rationalized that what he is doing is simply leading his wife. His excuse is that, actually, too many husbands today do not lead their families.
Brandon really reads his Bible a lot, and he prays too. Other people in his small group have been confessing they struggle to read their Bibles and pray consistently, which makes Brandon feel relieved, and he begins to think he has all this Christian life figured out pretty well. The more he thinks this, the more often he argues about the Bible with his small group leaders, and the more he is frustrated with those same leaders for not taking his suggestions, like the time he suggested a new arrangement for the chairs. In increasing boldness and annoyance, he is now telling his friends that his spiritual maturity is outpacing everyone in his small group and perhaps even the whole church.
This situation is difficult because it does not receive the public attention sins such as sexual adultery, murder, or business misdealing might receive. Despite this, such a person can bring down an entire ministry or even an entire church. God instructs his people through the words of Paul in Romans 12:16, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” If Brandon was charismatic enough, able to sow enough discord, and his arrogance was left unchecked, people around him might begin to be convinced and begin to agree with him. Best case, the leaders of his small group will be vilified, and the church could split in the worst case. Neither of these outcomes would be suitable for the effectiveness of the church. The process of church discipline ought to be started in such a case, seeking restoration but also not failing to take it seriously because the profile of Brandon’s sin is smaller than adultery.
Next, concluding with church non-attendance. Laura was saved as a young adult in the church she went to all her life with her parents. Upon moving back after a time away at college, she works to become active in her church again. She attends Sunday mornings, joins a new small group, and even signs up to serve regularly. She is very comfortable at her church and feels at home. She remembers all the excellent teaching she received on what it means to be a church member. However, as time goes on, she becomes very busy with her new career. The pressure is high, and she wants to succeed. She does not stop coming to church or small groups, but soon she is missing more than before. She also decided to stop serving for a season. She reassures herself and others that it is just a season, and she will be back consistently and will restart serving soon. Despite the reassurances, she seems to come less and less and seems increasingly consumed with her work. A couple of her close friends move away at different points. Soon enough, she drops out of her small group.
This is another problematic situation because Laura has given plenty of reassurances to the people around her that everything is all right. Her waning commitment is slow and not that apparent week to week. Moreover, she is legitimately busy with her work, and there are likely many people in the church who are busy with work. Is the church going to bring discipline against everyone who works a lot? Counterculturally, yes, a church should consider this a case for church discipline. Hebrews 10:24-15 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” There is no doubt Laura is neglecting to be faithful in her attendance, and she can stir up no one to love and good works if she is not coming.
These two examples illustrate times when church discipline is needed and are examples of areas often avoided by even the faithful churches. These examples do not argue that every sin should be adjudicated through church discipline. Jonathan Leeman argues that church discipline is necessary when sin is outward, serious, and unrepentant.3 He is precisely correct with these helpful criteria. Although the two examples were not illustrated through the whole process of church discipline, the hope would be that Brandon and Laura would quickly repent and correct their ways. Moreover, these examples were of outward sins that those around them could see or hear, even if it was somewhat difficult. The most challenging of Leeman’s three criteria is what it means for sin to be serious.
The level of what Christians are willing to tolerate must be dictated by Scripture and not by society's inclinations. Scripture allows Christians and church leaders to decern the criteria necessary to bring about a healthy church body able to carry out its responsibilities before God. The practice of church discipline allows churches to practice the standards of righteousness that Christians are called to – being able to tell the regular gasoline from the diesel – to be effective for the kingdom.
The church in Thyatira received praise, except there was one big issue, they tolerated a sinner in their midst. Revelations 2:20 reads, “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” It is tempting to fall into the reasoning that if a church receives commendations except that they tolerate a sinner, it is not serious, and the focus should be on the success. However, accepting sin will eventually lead to a church becoming diluted to the point that it receives the condemnation that the church in Laodicea received. Revelation 3:15–17, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”
Christians must keep the church useful, and God has provided a way through church discipline. Churches must carry out biblical church discipline or be found useless, and their work spat out by God.
Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013.
Leeman, Jonathan. Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus. Wheaton, IL: Crossway,
2012.
Comentarios