Church Discipline (Part 1)

 

Facing up to Church Discipline

 

More Than Worth It: Costs and Benefits of Church Discipline
by Wyman Richardson

A Church Discipline Primer
by Jonathan Leeman

 

Church Discipline in Historical and Cultural Perspective

 

Was Dagg Right?
by Gregory A. Wills

Informed Consent: Biblical and Legal Protection for Church Discipline
by Ken Sande

Discipline in the Mainline—Is It Possible or Even Wise?
by Kevin DeYoung

 

Church Discipline Resources

 

Polity on Church Dicipline: A User’s Guide
by Bobby Jamieson

Book Review: Handbook of Church Discipline, by Jay Adams
by Jonathan Leeman

Book Review: The Transforming Community, by Mark Lauterbach
by Jonathan Leeman

Book Review: Discipline with Care, by Steven McQuoid
by Jonathan Leeman

 

Editor’s Note:

Tough love. Who wants it!? Who doesn’t prefer cushy love, or chocolate and rose-petaled love, or even beatific vision love!

Western culture doesn’t seem to understand tough love. Love today means unconditional acceptance. If you love me with conditions, you don’t love me. You’re judgmental and intolerant.

God knows better. He knows we’re finite and fallen. Therefore, his love challenges us at the very points of our finitude and fallenness for our good, and that’s not comfortable.

Church discipline is just such an uncomfortable act of tough love, which is why 9Marks would like to spend two issues of the eJournal considering this important topic. In this issue, Wyman Richardson and Greg Wills help us to count the cost of practicing or not practicing church discipline. Ken Sande offers some legal counsel. And Kevin DeYoung, a pastor in mainline Protestant land, offers words of warning to evangelical land, a land where tough love increasingly has to shout to be heard.

In case you are new to the topic of church discipline, I offer a primer and review three good books on the subject. Also, check out Bobby Jamieson’s user’s guide to the intimidating but inimitable Polity volume.

When asked what she learned from 1 Corinthians 13, my three year old daughter said, “Love is patient, love is kind. Love is huggy and kissy.” Yes, she is a darling. But I must ask, shouldn’t we expect deeper sentiments from our church’s leaders?

—Jonathan Leeman

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