The orginal article appreared here at Grace To You.
Few aspects of church life offend modern sensibilities more than the practice of church discipline. The contemporary dogmas of civility and tolerance keep it outside the doors of many congregations, fostering a culture of unrestrained carnality, unrepentant sin and false professions of faith.
Regardless of how liberal a church may be, there is always a threshold where escalating sin can no longer be ignored. It is unavoidable that there will be times when sin has to be dealt with through confrontation. And if the guilty party refuses to repent, the ultimate result may mean excommunication from the church. This is true chiefly when the offender’s sin has a potential to harm others, or when the offense brings a public reproach on the name of Christ.
“Church discipline” is the theological term used to describe the process Scripture outlines for dealing with sin in the flock. It’s a fitting term because, as with parental discipline, the main goal of church discipline is correction. It is successful when it brings about repentance and reconciliation. When it is unsuccessful, it ends in excommunication. But restoration of the sinner is always the desired goal.
Some time ago, we dealt with the subject on our radio broadcast. I was amazed at the letters we received from people who strongly felt that all forms of church discipline are inherently unloving. One listener, who admitted she heard only part of a broadcast, wrote:
The whole process of church discipline sounds incredibly controlling and uncharitable. I cannot believe that any church would ever threaten to excommunicate its own members for what they do in their private lives. And I cannot imagine a church making a public pronouncement about someone’s sin! What people do on their own time is their business, not the whole church’s. And the church is supposed to be where people can come to learn how to overcome sin. How can they do that if they have been excommunicated? If we shun our own members, we’re no better than the cults. I cannot imagine that Christ would ever excommunicate someone from His church. Didn’t he seek out sinners and avoid those who were holier-than-thou? After all, it’s not the people who are whole that need a physician. I’m glad my church does not excommunicate members who sin. There’d be none of us left! I thought the gospel was all about forgiveness!
Those comments reflect several common and widespread misunderstandings about the subject.
First of all, church discipline is not antithetical to forgiveness. In fact, Jesus outlines exactly how forgiveness should work when a believer’s sin affects the whole flock.
Second, biblical discipline is not about micromanaging people’s lives. The kind of offenses that require confrontation and biblical discipline are not unintentional transgressions, petty annoyances or matters of simple preference. They are serious violations of clear biblical principles—sins that hurt other believers, destroy the unity of the flock and sully the purity of the church. In such cases, sin must be dealt with. Such sins cannot be covered up. They are like leaven, and left alone their evil effects will eventually permeate the whole church (1 Corinthians 5:6).
