Introduction
One of the signs of the weakness of the modern church is her failure to discipline sin. In many modern churches, church discipline is unheard of. But the fact is that discipline is inescapable: there will always be discipline; the only question is what standard will govern that discipline. Some object to church discipline because “how can you know their heart?” or it seems “mean” or “hurtful,” but all sin is mean and hurtful. Church discipline can be carried out sinfully, but failure to discipline is also a sin against Christ who commands it, against those in sin, and against everyone affected by their sin.
What is Church Discipline?
Church discipline or “censure” is confronting sin in the church. It’s our immune system (cf. Rev. 3:1). Most church discipline takes place as Christ by His Holy Spirit convicts individuals to confess and repent of their sin (cf. Jn. 16:8, Ps. 32, 51). Church discipline also takes place privately between individuals in the church: between a husband and wife, a brother and sister, mother and child, friend to friend, etc. Occasionally, when sin continues unrepented, the church acts formally to call someone to repentance. And if/when those appeals go unheeded, the Bible teaches that Christ has given authority to the Church to remove the unrepentant individual from among those recognized as members of Christ (1 Cor. 5:1-13, Mt. 18:15-17, 1 Tim. 1:19-20, Mt. 16:18-20, 18:18-19, Jn. 20:22). From these texts and others, the Church has historically summarized the reasons for practicing church discipline as: 1) to restore the erring, 2) to warn the people of God, 3) to preserve the health, peace, and unity of the Church, 4) for the honor of Christ and His gospel, and 5) to prevent the wrath of God from falling on the Church. This week, I want to focus on the latter four, and next week, we will focus on the first.
The Text: Paul rebukes the Corinthians for tolerating a man in their midst who is sleeping with his father’s wife (1 Cor. 5:1). He says that the Corinthians are arrogant and should be mourning (1 Cor. 5:2). Paul says this man should be removed from the church, and instructs the Corinthians to do this formally when they gather together as the church in the name and power of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 5:2-4). Paul says that they are to “deliver this man to Satan” for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit might be saved (1 Cor. 5:5). Paul rebukes the “boasting” of the Corinthians, and admonishes them for not understanding how sin works like leaven (1 Cor. 5:6). It seems likely that the Corinthians were proud of their outreach efforts or perhaps their grace to this man, but Paul says that Jesus became the Passover lamb in order to set us free from the old Egypt of malice and evil (1 Cor. 5:7). Paul references a previous letter in which he had exhorted the Corinthians about this very thing, but apparently they thought he merely meant not to associate with sexually immoral unbelievers (1 Cor. 5:9). But Paul says that would be impossible in this world, and what he had in mind is someone who bears the name of “brother” who continues in sin, not even to eat with them (1 Cor. 5:10-11). Paul says that God judges those outside the church, but that the church must judge itself and purge evil from its midst (1 Cor. 5:12-13).
To Warn & to Preserve the Church
Perhaps the most insidious lie about sin is that it is mostly harmless (cf. Gen. 3:4). “Now the works of the flesh are evident… I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21). Paul warns Timothy, a young pastor, to wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience so that he does not shipwreck his faith like Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim. 1:19-20). Peter warns about false teachers “who will secretly bring in destructive heresies… They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls” (2 Pet. 2:1ff, cf. 2 Tim. 3:1-9). Paul warns the Ephesian elders: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God… I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-29). “Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence” (Prov. 19:25). “Bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). We practice church discipline because the devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8), because sin would shipwreck our faith, because wolves seek to divide and devour the flock of God, because the leaven of malice and evil is real (1 Cor. 5:6-8). There is no sin so small that it cannot drag to Hell, and there is no sin so great that Jesus cannot bear it.
For the Honor of Christ & His Gospel
The flip side of the lie that says sin is mostly harmless is the implication that God has designated certain things as sinful for no good reason: He is an arbitrary, stingy, cranky God. But the Bible teaches that God is all goodness and joy: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps. 34:8). “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Ps. 100:5). “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11). It is very important to point out that this goodness and steadfast love and fullness of joy includes forgiveness and mercy for sinners (Rom. 5:6-8). Perhaps some will admit that God is good in general, but insist that He isn’t good to me. He is withholding good from me. But the Bible says, “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Ps. 84:11). Again, “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Ps. 34:10). “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:12-13). When someone persists in sin, they are insisting that God is not good, His law is not good, and that His grace in Jesus is not good. We practice church discipline in order to proclaim the superabundance of the goodness and glory of God in Christ Jesus. We practice church discipline because we are jealous for the honor of our Savior.
Conclusion
Hebrews says that we have come to a mountain far greater than Sinai, and if they did not escape God’s wrath in those days, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven (Heb. 12:25). Paul told the Corinthians later that it was because of their sin that some were sick and some had died (1 Cor. 11:30). Judgment begins with the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17). God disciplines those He loves (Heb. 12:7). But “blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (Ps. 1:1). “‘Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty’. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 6:16-7:1). Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; let us keep the festival.