Church discipline is one of the most controversial subjects in all of scripture. Many churches do not practice it because it seems unnecessary while other do because it promotes health in a local church. Why does the church need to practice church discipline? Mark Dever wrote:
Church discipline should be practiced in order to bring sinners to repentance, a warning to other church members, health to the whole congregation, a distinct corporate witness to the world, and ultimately, glory to God as his people display his character of holy love.
Some Christians are confused by church discipline and some find it really strange that it is even happening in some churches. Jared C Wilson helps us identify 5 ways to keep church discipline from being weird:
Recently, the subject of church discipline has hit the radar in many circles due to some high profile controversies and scandals. The way some churches appear to poorly exercise church discipline is as distressing as the way many Christians reacted to the concept. There has been a collective incredulity about church discipline as some kind of “strange fire” in the evangelical world.
I can’t help but think that this aversion is partly because, as God has built his church, his church leaders have not always kept up with what makes a church a church. So even to mention the idea of a church disciplining its members strikes tenderhearted and undereducated Christians as weird, mean, and legalistic. How do we work at keeping church discipline from seeming weird? Here are 5 ways:
1. Make disciples.
2. Create clarity about church membership.
3. Teach the process.
4. Follow the process.
5. Practice gospel-centeredness.
Read the entire post here.
Other Recommended Resources:
Church Discipline by John MacArthur
Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus by Jonathan Leeman
The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline by Jonathan Leeman
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