Bob Russell is senior minister at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky.
Church discipline may be the most neglected teaching in the church today. It's seldom practiced. No one likes to confront another living in sin. I've never heard of a church leader who loves being on the discipline committee. It's so difficult to confront and legally risky to discipline that it's somewhat like getting wisdom teeth removed, we delay it as long as possible.
Since we're hesitant to teach and practice discipline, members of the
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What's Important Pastors should not be afraid to exercise church discipline against unrepentant sin. |
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 is one of several New Testament passages that commands the local church to practice discipline. "If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. "
To participate in the New Testament church automatically assumed a commitment to holy living. Any whose lives were flagrantly unrighteous were disciplined by others in the body. Second Thessalonians 3 deals with the final stages of church discipline. The earlier stages are outlined elsewhere in Scripture.
- A Christian who is caught in a sin should first be gently confronted with the anticipation of being restored (Matthew 18:15 & Galatians 6:1).
- If the disobedient person refuses to repent, he/she is to be confronted by two or three witnesses (Matt. 18:16).
- If there still is no restoration, the issue is to be brought before the church (Matt. 18:17)
- The church member who disregards these efforts and continues to live in flagrant sin is to be isolated from the fellowship. "Do not associate with him in order that he may feel ashamed" (2 Thessalonians 3:14).
A Necessary Function
Oddly, the one who does the confronting is often the one who is made to feel ashamed. Those close to the one being disciplined will charge, "Who are you to judge?" "Do you think you're blameless?" "What a self-righteous hypocrite you are!" The church leaders are even accused of "shooting their own wounded." But confronting a sinner is not shooting the wounded; it's trying to prevent fatalities. It's removing the bullet and disinfecting the wound. Just as wise parents may say to a rebellious child, "I love you too much to let you behave this way," so compassionate church leaders don't allow flagrant, continuous, anti-Christ behavior to go on.
The purpose of discipline is to motivate repentance and to prevent future transgressions in others. That's why the sinner is to be isolated. Those who dote over them because they feel sorry for them are enabling sinful behavior. Paul instructed the Corinthian Church not even to eat with the man living in incest (1 Corinthians 5:11).
The sinner is not to be treated as an enemy but warned as a brother. There should still be civility and compassion, but the church just can't go on as though nothing is wrong. That causes us to lose credibility. The church is about truth and holiness. It's also important to remember that the sinner who does repent is to be welcomed back and restored to complete fellowship (2 Corinthians 2:7).
Ten years ago the church could impress the world with excellent programming. In light of the current scandals and accusations of immorality against church leaders, the church must be a place of integrity and authenticity to get a hearing. That includes the disciplining of those who wander away from the faith and deliberately keep on sinning.
*This article originally was printed in The Lookout.
Bob Russell is an accomplished preacher at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., and author of 13 books. His latest, released in June 2002, is titled "Jesus Lord of Your Personality." His sermons are heard several times weekly on "The Living Word" a nationally syndicated radio program. He also writes a weekly column in The Lookout, a magazine printed by Standard Publishing.
