Study in2 Corinthians

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Church Discipline

Chap 2v5-11Presentation 03

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Introduction'Child takes parent to court over smacking'. That is a newspaper headline from Sweden where it is now unlawful for a parent to smack a child. There are many in other countries including the U.K. who in their determination to preserve children’s rights have undermined parental discipline. Indeed, the word ‘discipline’ is increasingly frowned upon in some quarters. But where there is no discipline or, an ineffective discipline then there is a break down of order in society. Politicians seem able to identify social disintegration but few are brave enough to suggest a lack of discipline is the cause.

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IntroductionIn this passage Paul speaks about the punishment inflicted by the church upon one of its members. A member, guilty of gross immorality, had eventually been disciplined by the church. The word ‘punishment’ used in v6 can be rendered 'public rebuke‘. Alongside this we have to lay the idea of public reconciliation from the phrase 'reaffirm your love for him' in v8. Paul had called upon them to give the man some kind of official warning, its purpose was to work repentance in his heart. The treatment clearly worked for Paul then encourages them to reinstate him to the life of the church fellowship.

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IntroductionThis pattern of rebuke and restoration is rare in many churches today. Infected by the spirit of the age many consider it intolerant and uncharitable to behave in this way. But scripture speaks of the value of discipline; "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness”. Heb.12v4-10The weakening of disciple in both home and church is due in great measure to the sentimentality of our age. There are five valuable and necessary lessons to learn:

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1. When The Christian Sins, The Whole Church Is Injured.In v5 we read, 'If anyone has caused grief he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent.' The church is not just a collection of individuals - it is a body of God's people with a corporate identity. The sin of one member hurts the whole. This is illustrated in the OT in the life of Achan who stole from Jericho what had been set aside as belonging to God cf Josh.7v1ff. The consequence of that action was the defeat of Israel's army when she marched against the little town of Ai- a town she could be expected to capture with both hands tied behind her back! The sin of one member hurt the whole!

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1. When The Christian Sins, The Whole Church Is Injured.Now whatever the offence of the individual referred to in Corinth, and there is strong reason to suppose it was gross moral sin, the damage caused could not possibly be contained in the private life of the individual concerned. Therefore, the church had to be involved in sorting it out because its inner life and health was implicated in the sin. Church discipline is an important means of demonstrating that we belong to one another. Now just as we cannot be indifferent towards the unacceptable behaviour of members of our own families, so we cannot be indifferent towards the behaviour our church family.

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In v6 we read that, the punishment inflicted upon the sinner by the majority was sufficient for him. The word ‘majority’ used here may indicate that there were still some in the church who had reservations about its use of discipline. Whether that is so or not , what is clear is that the church acted as a collective body. The church elders could recommend discipline but there would be no way they could enforce it. The task of discipline is that which ultimately belongs to the whole church as Jesus makes clear in Matt. 18v15-17…

2. Disciplinary Action Is Something Which The Church Must Take.

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“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”[ i.e. the discipline of excommunication].

2. Disciplinary Action Is Something Which The Church Must Take.

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Commenting on the discipline passage in Matt 18v15-22 Yoder writes,‘It gives more authority to the church than does Rome, trusts more to the Holy Spirit than does Pentecostalism, has more respect for the individual than Humanism, makes moral standards more binding than Puritanism, is more open to the given situation than the ‘New Morality'. If practised it would change the life of churches more fundamentally than has yet been suggested by the currently popular discussions of changing church structures. The church is not a club like a bowling club or a football club. Our participation in the life of the church involves participation in mutual care and discipline’.

2. Disciplinary Action Is Something Which The Church Must Take.

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Paul says, ‘The reason I wrote to you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything’ v9. John Calvin, was a prominent contributor to the Reformation of the church. As the Reformers sought to recover a truly biblical church, Calvin advanced this definition stating that the church was where ‘the word of God is truly preached and taught, the sacraments rightly administered, and church discipline faithfully exercised‘. Calvin recognised that discipline was not just a desirable but a necessary feature of church life. His view simply reflected the teaching of scripture. For Paul, the test of a church’s health was in her willingness to exercise discipline.

3. The Practice Of Discipline Is A Necessary Mark Of The Church.

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We are often quick to wriggle out of our responsibilities. Jesus says, “If your brother sins go and tell him his fault" Matt. 18v15. But we instantly protest and a process of rationalisation begins in our minds and we say, 'It’s not really my business’ or, 'Just what constitutes sin anyway? or, 'I'm not qualified, either by holiness of life or by training to interfere.’ Others say, ‘Surely Jesus told us not to judge one another’ or, 'I think I'd better pray about it‘.Some cite mistakes that have been made in the past and by way of over-reaction are reluctant to engage in any kind of discipline instead they retreat to the 'least said soonest mended’ mentality.

3. The Practice Of Discipline Is A Necessary Mark Of The Church.

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There was doubtless an ultra tolerant lobby in Corinth. And clearly for Paul the issue that had blown up in congregational life had become something of a test case. Either the Corinthians would opt to be a ‘club’ and so write their own constitution or, they would be an apostolic church submitting themselves to the clear teaching of God's word. The issue of discipline is not left in a fog of ambiguity. It is clearly put. Today, any congregation that steps back from the exercise of discipline through fear, embarrassment or cultural conditioning is in grave danger of forfeiting its status as an apostolic church.

3. The Practice Of Discipline Is A Necessary Mark Of The Church.

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In v7 we read, 'Now instead you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.’

It is important to see that in the business of discipline, the church does not make any final judgements. That power lies with Christ alone. The power that he has bestowed upon the local church is that of ‘chastening’. And the goal of chastening must always be the restoration of the offender. And so Paul tells them to forgive the penitent brother to get alongside to comfort and encourage him lest he drowns in despair.

4. Church Discipline Is Intended To Be Remedial.

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When a church member is suspended for a season from a warm and loving fellowship, then immense social and emotional deprivation can result. Exclusion is painful. The fact that Christians can contemplate being separated from Christian fellowship without any sense of spiritual homesickness suggests a superficial bond. Paul argues that the penitent brother should not be deprived of fellowship indefinitely - the fact that he is grief-stricken by his excommunication suggests that his repentance is genuine. He feels himself a spiritual refugee, a misplaced person, who has no home either in the world or, in the church. He has learned the lesson of his chastening. Paul is saying, “Reaffirm you love lest the cure becomes more disastrous than the disease.”

4. Church Discipline Is Intended To Be Remedial.

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Some Christian fellowships have practised discipline with such severity that congregations have been split, marriages have been broken, children alienated from parents, emotions frayed and minds deranged.

Sometimes leaders have tied their people to them in slavish fear, demanding a personal allegiance that rightly belongs to God. All of this results in the crushing of fragile personalities rather than help foster their development.

5. Church Discipline Can Be Exploited By The Devil.

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Satan can push church discipline to extremes resulting in what appears as a witch hunt by tyrannical authority. Paul speaks of the devil ‘outwitting’ us. The verb carries the meaning of ‘defrauding someone by seizing more than one’s dues, suggesting that excessive discipline can actually push someone from the safety of God’s family into the very arms of Satan, where they clearly do not belong.

John Chrysostom, a famous preacher of the C4th says of this verse. “To take men by sin is Satan's proper work. For Satan to take men by the discouragements of an excessive sorrow for sin is far more than Satan's due. Repentance is our weapon not his”.

5. Church Discipline Can Be Exploited By The Devil.

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Discipline is necessary because sin injures the church. But that discipline must always be remedial, forgiveness and reconciliation must always be its goal. If not Satan will turn it against us and we will find ourselves living in an environment of recriminations and petty-mindedness. Loving discipline will always be a reluctant discipline. We must never derive any satisfaction from censuring others. Christians do not need a visual aid to drive home the point that love hurts. We have seen the cross where the righteous judge suffered for love of the sinner. Our sentimental age may have forgotten just how much love hurts but we who have the responsibility of discipline must never forget.

5. Church Discipline Can Be Exploited By The Devil.