Practicing Church Discipline

‘Don’t Do It!’ Why You Shouldn’t Practice Church Discipline
by Mark Dever

Before You Discipline, Teach This First
by Greg Gilbert

Those Toxic Non-Attenders
by Matt Schmucker

The Preemptive Resignation—A Get out of Jail Free Card?
by Jonathan Leeman

Grabbing a Dog by Its Ears: The Role of Witnesses
by Stephen Matteucci

Pastors’ and Theologians’ Forum
with Various Contributors

Book Review: Walking Together: A Congregational Reflection on Biblical Church Discipline, by Wyman Richardson
by Jonathan Leeman

Cleaning up the Rolls
by Matt Schmucker

Editor’s Note:

Church discipline is one place where everything in a church’s life collides. Theory and practice collide. The doctrines of God, sin, judgment, redemption, and eschatology collide. Sometimes personalities collide. And, hopefully, sin and grace collide.

This means that practicing discipline well requires good pastoral and theological sensibilities. So we’re devoting a second eJournal in a row to the topic, both to exercise our own sensibilities and yours. Mark Dever and Greg Gilbert provide counsel on what to do before you practice discipline. Matt Schmucker, both in his new article and in the one from the archives, offers advice on dealing with the non-attenders. Stephen Matteucci considers the importance of the one or two witnesses in Matthew 18. And I tackle the question of whether a member can resign his or her membership in order to avoid discipline altogether.

Finally, several pastors recall lessons they’ve learned the hard way in the forum, where Bob Johnson states the conclusion of the matter well: discipline in a church should be as normal and regular as preaching, teaching, and evangelism. That’s a tough idea to accept, and one more reason we think it’s worth coming back to this issue yet again. May Christ’s bride be made ready.

—Jonathan Leeman