An Introduction to Church Discipline

1. An Introduction to Church Discipline DUBAI INTERCULTURAL FELLOWSHIP JANUARY 2014 Dr. Rolan Monje

2. Outline • Precis of Church Discipline • Purpose of Church Discipline • Precaution of Church Discipline • Practice of Church Discipline • Paradigms of Church Discipline

3. Precis of Church Discipline • Two Actions – It’s about God acting as Father and the church acting as a family. • Two Kinds – It’s about forming convictions and correcting sinful ways.

4. Action of God as Father • Deuteronomy 8:5 "Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you." The Hebrew word translated "discipline" means "to chasten; to instruct." It is a correction which results in education. • Hebrews 12:10 "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." • Revelation 3:19 "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent."

5. Action of the church as family • 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 14 "Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you ... And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle..." • 1 Timothy 5:20 "Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.” • Titus 2:15 "These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority." The Greek word translated "rebuke" means also 'to bring to light, to expose, convict, or to set forth."

6. Two kinds of church discipline • Formative church discipline promotes personal growth among members. • Associated with teaching and preaching • Emphasizes training of mind and heart • Includes philosophy in receiving members • Focused on motivating, reminding, and ‘re-converting’

7. Corrective discipline (also called excisive discipline) is geared toward confronting sin. • Associated with reprimand and strong disapproval • Recognizes different kinds and levels of sin • Not to be administered for every infraction or transgression

8. Purposes of church discipline 1. To glorify God by obedience to his instructions.  2. To bring repentance to the sinner.  3.To maintain the purity of the Church in her worship.  4. To deter others from sin. 5. To prevent giving cause for God to set himself against the local church.

9. Precaution of church discipline 1. Leaders cannot claim infallible wisdom 2. Leaders should not be tentative or tolerant

10. Practice of church discipline • Admonitionis kindly reproving an offender, warning him of his guilt and danger, and exhorting him to refrain from such conduct in the future. • Rebuke is a reprimand, a strong, authoritative expression of disapproval. • Removal from the church roster is referred to in various ways (in the ICOC): “counted out of membership,” “taken out,” “former member,” “broken fellowship,” etc. • Shunningis the purposeful avoidance of a member (or withdrawal of fellowship) for the sake of protecting others in the church. This action is to be passed only for obstinate persistence in grave offenses. • Marking is the public naming of individuals (whether former church members or not) whose motives or actions present great threat to the church.

11. Paradigms of Church Discipline

12. “The unrepentant brother” • Matthew 18:15-18 • Private confrontation v.15  • Adding witnesses v.16  • Telling the church v.17 • Imposing separation v.17

13. “Forgive the repentant one” • Luke 17:3-5 1. Luke stresses the overwhelming need for forgiveness. 2. This need is correctly understood by the apostles, who then realize that their faith is not enough to meet the challenge. 3. Note the contrast: Luke 17 deals primarily with a repentant person, while Matthew 18 an unrepentant person.

14. “Removal from the fellowship” • 1Corinthians 5 must be studied as a whole. • Worldliness was taking its devastating toll of spiritual life in Corinth. The Corinthians showed a lack of concern for purity. They neglected the responsibility to discipline and suffered as a result.

15. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 …for the good of the offender (5:1-5) …for the good of the congregation (5:6-8), …for the good of the surrounding unsaved society (5:9-13).

16. Paul’s three concerns (1 Co 5) • The gravity of the sin of incest • The arrogance of the church in the matter • The neglect of church discipline (disfellowship/expulsion)

17. Application Guidelines(leadership learning in Manila) • 1. “Repentance over retribution” – Put a premium on repentance, which is the ultimate goal and will give greatest glory to God. • 2. “Private before public” – Deal with a sin involving the fewest members possible, adding as needed. • 3. “We over I” – Emphasize that the church corporately as God’s family imposes the discipline, and not one person only. • 4. “Process over punishment” – Offer a vision for the pathway to restoration.

18. The vital “end point” Deut 8:5 Knowthen in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.–Deut 8:5 Daniel 4:31-32 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”