March 25, 2008
Rejoicing in Rebuke
Have Christians forgotten that discipline is a gift from God?
For the past couple of weeks, Ur-banites have been wrestling with questions about church membership. Below, Ken Sande, president of Peacemaker Ministries, takes one of the big questions head on: how does a church discipline its members?
On January 18, 2008, The Wall Street Journal Online published an article by Alexandra Alter on church discipline entitled Banned from Church. When Alexandra interviewed me before writing the article, I explained the biblical basis for church discipline and acknowledged how churches have sometimes neglected or abused the process. I also described how properly applied accountability can help people break free from sinful and destructive conduct. I even provided examples of churches that had used loving discipline to stop crooks from defrauding elderly people, protect lonely women from being seduced, and move child sexual abusers to confess their crimes ("A Better Way to Handle Abuse").
Despite our conversation, Alexandra chose to paint an entirely negative picture of discipline by using the example of a 71-year-old woman who had been removed from her church for questioning her pastor's leadership. Examples of protecting the elderly, the lonely, and the helpless from abuse apparently did not fit into her preconceived notions of church discipline.
I'm sad, but not surprised, when secular writers present a negative stereotype of church discipline. What troubles me far more is how many Christians share these distorted views.
Like Ms. Alter, most Christians seem to see church discipline either as a harsh, legalistic, and unloving process, which true followers of Christ should never practice, or (also well illustrated in the WSJ article) as a handy tool for getting rid of inquisitive, irritating, or challenging members.
Neither of these views is biblical.
The Bible never presents church discipline as being negative, legalistic or harsh. True discipline originates from God himself and is always presented as a sign of genuine love. Consider these three verses: "The Lord disciplines those he loves" (Heb. 12:6). "Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law" (Ps. 94:12). "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline" (Rev. 3:19).
God's discipline in the church, like the discipline in a good family, is intended to be primarily positive, instructive, and encouraging. This process, which is sometimes referred to as "formative discipline," involves preaching, teaching, prayer, personal Bible study, small group fellowship, and countless other enjoyable activities that challenge and encourage us to love and serve God more wholeheartedly.
On rare occasions, God's discipline, like the discipline in a family with growing children, also may have a corrective purpose. When we forget or disobey what God has taught us, he corrects us. One way he does this is to call the church to lead us back onto the right track. This process of "corrective" or "restorative" discipline is likened in Scripture to a shepherd seeking after a lost sheep (Matt. 18:12?13).
Thus, neither restorative nor corrective discipline is ever to be done in an unloving, vengeful, or self-righteous manner. It is always to be carried out in humility and love, with the goals of restoring someone to a close walk with Christ (Matt. 18:15; Gal. 6:1), protecting others from harm (1 Cor. 5:6), and showing respect for the honor and glory of God's name (1 Pet. 2:12).
Biblical discipline is similar to the discipline we value in other aspects of life. We admire parents who consistently teach their children how to behave properly and lovingly discipline them when they disobey. We value music teachers who bring out the best in their students by teaching them proper technique and consistently pointing out their errors, so they can play a piece properly. We applaud athletic coaches who diligently teach their players to do what is right and correct them when they fumble, so that the team works well together.
The same principles apply to the family of God. We, too, need to be taught what is right and to be lovingly corrected when we do something contrary to what God teaches us in his Word. When this is done as God commands, it usually leads to repentance, change, and restored relationships (see 2 Cor. 2:5?11). But when people harden their hearts, it is entirely appropriate for a church to take the rare but necessary step of removing them from fellowship, both as a warning about the gravity of their sin and as a means to protect the innocent and weak from harm.
Practically, it is important to consider such things as legal liability issues and how to secure informed consent to a church's disciplinary practices. But the most important questions to ask are: Why has the church bought into the world's view of church discipline? Why are we afraid of carrying out a process that Jesus himself has commanded us to follow in order to protect his church and retrieve his lost sheep? And what can we do to show our people and the world that redemptive church discipline is truly God's gift and blessing to his church?
Ken Sande is the president of Peacemaker Ministries?, a lawyer, and the author of The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict (Baker, 2004).
Posted by UrL Scaramanga on March 25, 2008
Comments
I have had to ask people to leave the church in times past. The key to discipline I feel as a pastor is to bring those people to a place of repentance. I dealt with a situation for 6 months trying to have the person get to a place of repentance but they never did. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, asking them to leave but in light of protecting the flock, it was absolutely necessary. Sin must be dealt with! I believe the church has gotten soft on sin. Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle. You can deal with sin in love which will lead to repentance.
Posted by: Troy Maxwell at March 25, 2008
Excellent post. I've been meditating on 1 Corinthians 5, as well, and its implications. I really appreciated how you explained the necessity and love of Church discipline. Thanks.
Peace.
Posted by: britt mooney at March 25, 2008
The modern church is not like the early church and so some of the primary reasons for church discipline are no longer achievable. If someone gets kicked out of a church, they drive down the street to the other 4 churches that don't have a problem with what they are doing. Its an ineffective tool and I would argue culturally, not relevant.
Now the way its painted in this article does sound nice but thats an ideal that is never met. So do we keep practicing something when people consistently do it wrong? Or do we stop because doing it wrong causes more harm than not doing it in the first place?
I have had more than my share of well-intentioned Christians who think they are doing it 1) carried out in humility and love, with the goals of restoring someone to a close walk with Christ, 2) protecting others from harm, and 3) showing respect for the honor and glory of God’s name.
Most of them have been misinformed and taken it out of context and simply pushed me away because they don't agree with decisions I am making even though I could run around them with Biblical reasons for what I am doing...
Go figure...
Posted by: PomoProphet at March 25, 2008
I've never known of an instance when shunning led to repentance. The sole specific instance Sande provides, detailed in his referenced article "A Better Way to Handle Abuse," is of an abuser who confessed after people went and talked to him. The church needs more talk. less judgment.
Posted by: Roger Kruger at March 25, 2008
Ummmm....since when did age make a person's opinion or behavior sacrosanct?
It sounds like the lady had a point, but we don't know the manner in which she went about "making her case". Church by-laws are not Scripture and while I agree with her position--as outlined in the article--we still don't know the tenor of the disagreement and how she comported herself.
For all we know, she could have been a grandmother with double knee replacements who served the church, gave sacrificially, and developed a spirit of entitlement about "her" church and for all her good work was bringing discord to the church...again, for all we know.
In my church leadership experience I've seen many folk who disagree with leaders and then go on the warpath. That is sowing discord--even if they are right in principle.
It's not about the substance of the disagreement, it's many times the manner in which congregants communicate their disagreement.
The Alter article also mentions a different situation, a lawsuit, where a church leader described a gossiper as spreading the spirit of Satan.
Well...hate to say it (not really), but that's a pretty accurate description of the effects of gossip. I've seen more church torn apart by "pillars" who didn't get their way on something.
Bottom Line:
Sheep don't lead shepherds. If we're not talking about biblical morality, orthodox doctrine, or proper disposal of funds, folk need to be very careful about how they treat and approach their leaders...even when they might be making a mistake. I repeat, sheep don't lead shepherds.
Posted by: nc at March 25, 2008
A careful read of Matthew 18, the primary place we find a process for dealing with sinful behavior, will give some specific insight. One thought is that asking someone to leave is a last resort not a reaction to un-repentance. Over my years in ministry I have walked through Matthew 18 more than a dozen times and only once did it not lead to repentance and restoration.
Matthew 18 lays out a process for us to walk through and when we do it is very effective. I also use the processes principles “go to your brother” all the time and most all the time it heads of having to go any further. .
If a brother sins against you… go show him his fault between the two of you. If he listens… you have won your brother. This is not outdated, it is simply poorly practiced.
If he refuses take witnesses… one or two. Still not outdated but highly practical. If he listens you won your brother… if not take it to the church. If he listens you won your brother… if not treat him as a tax collector or pagan.
It usually never has to get this far but what is important to note is what Jesus adds here.
Three statements: You have my authority What you bind or lose is bound or loosed…
You have my ear… What you ask here will be responded to by my Father… you have my presence… Where ever two or three are gathered (the witnesses) I am in the midst.
This is significant to note that when the process is followed, difficult as it may be, uncertain as the end result might be… I will give you my authority, my ear and my presence to restore and if necessary, remove a brother. Not out of date just out of fashion or poorly used.
Posted by: leoskeo at March 25, 2008
I personally have seen a brother put under church discipline repent by deed. Despite his protests against what he considers his needless expulsion, he says that he knew it was done out of love. And in fact, his life did change away from the sinful, self-destructive pattern and back into a place of greater health. After more than six years of repeatedly self-centered and self-destructive behavior, is it coincidence that he changes after the discipline? I don't believe so.
We may not look like the good guys, but our brother's life has been positively changed through the events of discipline. And that's the hope, right? The point of church discipline in the individual's life is to force a crisis to promote godly change.
To be honest, I don't buy pomoprophet's arguments. Discipline is a command from God not subject our judgments and it does work. It is, in my experience, the ones that don't understand how human hearts work that don't value church discipline...ones that don't realize that true, perpetual separation from God because of unrepentant sin is worse than the hurt of tense relationships.
Posted by: Paul Dalach at March 26, 2008
roger wrote,
The church needs more talk. less judgment.
hallelujah. the only difference between (sweeping, overreaching, lumping-everyone-together term coming...) evangelicals and the Pharisees of Jesus' day is the color of our robes.
troy wrote,
Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle.
then i'd suggest we do like jacob did with esau and send some messengers to try and calm Him down.
i think there's even a book out now that argues that church discipline is the key to church growth. "hey - does your church lean more to calvinism or arminianism?" "actually, we lean more to darwinism - survival of the legalist."
Posted by: mike rucker at March 26, 2008
I agree, in part, with the one poster up thread who has pointed out, "It sounds like the lady had a point, but we don't know the manner in which she went about "making her case". Church by-laws are not Scripture and while I agree with her position--as outlined in the article--we still don't know the tenor of the disagreement and how she comported herself."
I've been disciplined by the church, and I've seen discipline administered. And the common thread through all of it is that that church discipline is very subjective.
Each case is different from the next, and treated differently as well...and I think that is a very good thing.
Posted by: sheerahkahn at March 26, 2008
Sadly, most of the comments negative of Sande's article argue against the practice of church discipline from pragmatic, not principled, reasons -- "they haven't seen it work." Do we really want to go down that road? Did Christ call us to obey him only when we see obedience to his comamndments work? I could list msyelf and many other pastors who have seen it work. But that just pits one form of pragmatisim against another. Rather, let us listen to Jesus commands, act wisely in implementing them, and leave the results to God.
Posted by: Alfred Poirier at March 26, 2008
To Mike, a messenger was already sent; his name was Jesus. But that aside I agree with Alfred why can't we just do as Christ asks and leave the outcome to him? The point in Discipline is to bring the straying party to repentence and back into fellowship, and to avoid infecting the rest of the flock. Sin left unchecked can and will grow like a disease, and since we are the "BODY" of Christ, if a part of us is infected we will all be affected. And I'm sure there are many a Pastor out there who can personally testify to the destructive results of that.
Posted by: Rich at March 27, 2008
Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle.
What we consider perfection is FAR different than what Christ considers perfection. We are never going to be the worldly definition of holy and perfect. Let's be very, very careful when we these images start dancing in our minds.
Sheep don't lead shepherds.
If we are discussing pastors, remember that they are human [sheep] too. We all are following our Shepherd and all need guidance. Yes, we should respect our elders/pastors/ leaders and not give advice when unnecessary (and not see criticism when there isn't any). But if someone goes off-track, then a little nudge does good. (Who pastors the pastor?) The trick is to avoid becoming lemmings on a hamster wheel.
Posted by: Sara at March 31, 2008
The Lord of the church is the one who disciplines his body. It is unusual to find observations on 1 Cor. 5:2 that interpret it correctly as the Lord who takes away the unrepentant person (lit. "that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you" - ie by God, in response to prayer (here, " mourned"). I accept that there may be necessary disciplinary procedures, but surely the best recourse (after admonition and challenge) is heartfelt prayer to the Lord Jesus to deal with the problem in HIS church.
Posted by: Ralph Bowles at April 2, 2008