Is a Church in Sin If They Do NOT Practice Discipline?
By Brothers, that's the question I'm left asking as I prepare for Bible study tonight. We're considering 1 Corinthians 5:1-2:
"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."
I hadn't considered the question (Is a church in sin if they do not practice discipline?) until I read Calvin's comments on this passage:
"It appears that Churches are furnished with this power—that, whatever fault there is within them, they can correct or remove it by strictness of discipline, and that those are inexcusable that are not on the alert to have filth cleared away. For Paul here condemns the Corinthians. Why? Because they had been remiss in the punishment of one individual. Now he would have accused them unjustly if they had not had this power. Hence the power of excommunication is established from this passage. On the other hand, as Churches have this mode of punishment put into their hands, those commit sin (offend God), as Paul shows here, that do not make use of it, when it is required; for otherwise he would act unfairly to the Corinthians in charging them with this fault." (Commentary on 1 Corinthians, pp. 181-182)
So, what do you think? And how does this view square with the advice we often give--proceed slowly and with a lot of teaching before you begin to practice church discipline?
Thabiti Anyabwile's Posts
Comments | RSS Subscribe
I'm with Calvin - failure to do the positive commands of Christian is as much sin as failure to avoid the negative prohibitions.
And re: "So, what do you think? And how does this view square with the advice we often give--proceed slowly and with a lot of teaching before you begin to practice church discipline?"
That implies that you would not yet begin until the teaching reaches a certain level. But if a church has a situation as egregious as the Corinthian church, would you REALLY advise not beginning the steps of church discipline immediately, starting with confrontation of that member?
"of Christian" - yikes. I of course mean "of the Bible." Sorry.
In Corinth - Paul notes that even the pagans knew that what the guy is doing is wrong.
If the church needs to "teach" that the behavior is wrong, there's something seriously up...or down.
Church discipline between believers (if it follows Matthew 18) begins with "teaching" that the person has sinned against another. If they ignore that, the one sinned against takes 2 or 3 with them. If they still ignore that, the one sinned against takes it to the church, who tries to "educate" the one who committed the sin.
If this approach is followed, how much more slowly should it proceed?
Is a Church in Sin If They Do NOT Practice Discipline?
So, what do you think?
Depends if there is someone or some people who are doing something that needs church discipline.
If so, then there is a sin of omission by the elder/leaders of that church if they fail to practice discipline (assuming that they are aware and not ignorant about the sin that needs to be corporately addressed.)
Furthermore,
Is a Church in Sin If they do not practice discipline in a timely manner?
Let's consider the clergy pedophile crisis in the Catholic Church.
Q: Is a local parish/diocese in sin if they do not practice discipline?
Answer: Even the secularists and non-Christians think it's wrong, even criminally wrong.
Q: Is a Church in Sin If they do not practice discipline in a timely manner?
Same Answer: Even the secularists and non-Christians think it's wrong, even criminally wrong.
Of course the church that doesn't adhere to the Bible is in sin. One of the problems is developing a fellowship that lives in the "soup" of Christ-exalting, spiritual care with/for each other. Then discipline isn't out of line, others have been in that person's life, and the whole thing is seen as part of the restorative process. Even removing someone from the fellowship is an act of care.
Situations like this - if handled properly - can really develop a church. They must live their highest priorities.
Thabiti!
This perhaps doesn't answer your question directly....
But I've been studying 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 for a sermon this Lord's Day: the other case of discipline in Corinth. And its interesting that the opposite problem rears its head later on.
In 1 Corinthians 5, the church are slow to practice discipline in the case of immorality; in 2 Corinthians 2, the church are slow to offer forgiveness in the case of repentance. Paul is equally adamant, that just as they have no right to continue to include the immoral sinner, neither do they have the right to exclude the repentant brother.
On the question you raised: I think it must be a sin. But as others have said, only biblical teaching can expose to the erring church its failure to discipline. This necessarily involves at least some period of time where the likes of Matthew 18 and 2 Corinthians 5 are taught.
Is there a who associated with this question? Or are you asking are the church members in general sinning if they don't have a biblical based policy on church discipline? Who is responsible for ensuring the church has a biblical model for church discipline and practices it? I've read where most Christian fellowships have no idea what the Bible says about church discipline and even if they understand the truth of God's Word, don't have any policy on how this is handled.
So, I would say no, the church in general is not sinning, but maybe the leadership, that God has called to lead, is.
The presupposition here is that there is sin in the church that falls under the 1 Corinthians 5 prescription for church discipline. With that said I would ask, as a way of answering, if the Elders at CHBC and all of CHBC knew that a member was known to be living with his girlfriend, refusing to get married and refusing to change the situation, would they (the Elders) be sinning by allowing this couple to continue undisciplined? YES, would be my answer because the Elders at CHBC are shepherds. Think back to all the shepherd imagery in scripture and how God treated the wicked shepherds of Israel, it wasn't fun. There is an incredible void when it comes to discipline, makes me think of: The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline by Leeman. Too many pastors do not teach church discipline as a doctrine that shapes the culture of a church. Therefore when someone does require discipline everyone is blown away because they have no idea where it comes from, so they now have a problem on top of the sinning member. Churches cannot just start axing people without the proper biblical foundation. It must be taught and expected, that way people will know what the consequences are.
I do a lot of analyses of sermons preached in my city. What our churches avoid most of all is discipline. And it has made the common complaint (I don't go to church because of all the hypocriters there) valid indeed; that is, valid for Christians to say, for non-Christians do not belong in church.
Post new comment