Church%20Discipline

1
Church Discipline
What?
When?
Why?
How?
Who?
Why Not?
2
Church of Christ

• Identifiable body of baptized believers working
  and worshipping together.
• Voluntary relationship for the good of all.
• Honor and praise God
• Salvation of lost souls
• Cultivate qualities in the individual that are
  necessary for entrance into heaven
• Christians are to live in the doctrine of Christ
• Discipline is required to maintain this proper
  relationshipinstructive and corrective

3
Discipline

• Training or experience that corrects, molds,
  strengthens Esp. mental faculties or moral
  character.
• Primarily, an admonishing or calling to soundness
  of mind or self-control.
• Instructive preventive in nature education
• Corrective chastising or penalizing in nature

4
Why Practice It?

• Obey God (Mt. 1815-18 2 Thess. 36-15)
• Save the soul of the erring one (1 Cor. 54-5)
• Protect others in the church (1 Cor. 56)
• Keep the church pure (1 Cor. 57)
• Cause all of us to examine our lives (Acts 512
  1 Tim. 120)
• Be an example to the world (Mt. 513-16)

5
No Sin Exempt

• Those who sin against a brother (Mt. 1815-17)
• Fornicator, covetous, unclean (Eph. 53-5)
• Reviler, idolater, drunkard, extortioner (1 Cor.
  511)
• Blasphemers (1 Tim. 120)
• False teachers, divisive men (Rom. 1617)
• Heretics (Titus 310) Hypocrites (1 Cor. 1622)
• Liars, murderers, unbelieving, fearful (Rev.
  218)
• Homosexuals, adulterers, thieves (1 Cor. 69-10)
• Disorderly (2 Thess. 36)
• Those who forsake the assembly (Heb. 1025)

6
Who Should Be Disciplined?

• The brother or sister who refuses to repent of
  sin.
• Fellowship is not severed because of a particular
  sin being committed, but rather, because of an
  unrepentant attitude or disposition of heart
  toward the sin or sins committed.

7
When Do We Withdraw?

• Establish that sin has been committed
• Sin must be proved (1 Jn. 34 Mt. 1815-17)
• Proof of Achans sin shown to all (Josh. 722-23)
• Cannot act on hearsay (1 Tim. 519)
• Give sufficient time to reach the erring (Mt.
  1815-17)
• Time given for entire church to act
• Visits, cards, admonishments, prayers
• After all efforts failaction taken (1 Cor. 5)
• Withdrawallast step in long chain of efforts to
  save the erring brother or sister

8
Who Would Not Support Church Discipline?

• Other sinners (2 Cor. 1221-132)
• Ignorant and untaught (Lev. 517)
• Grumblers looking for a complaint
• Those who think they know better than God how to
  save the erring.
• Those with little faith (2 Cor. 57)
• Those who put fellowship with men above
  fellowship with God (Mt. 1037 Jn. 1242-43).
• Power-seekers (2 Sam. 154)

9
Corrective Church Discipline

• Appointed by God to save His erring children!
• Who are we to fight against God (Acts 539)?
• Who are we to question God (Rom. 920-21)?
• Can we withstand God (Acts 1117)?

10
How To Treat Those Who Have Been Disciplined?

• Public announcement (1 Cor. 53-5)
• Mark (Rom. 1617)
• Withdraw and Note (2 Thess. 36, 14)
• Admonish and Reject (Titus 310)
• Individual Practice of Discipline
• Proper support of whole body (2 Cor. 26)
• Do not keep company with him (2 Thess. 314)
• Do not associate with him (1 Cor. 511)
• Do not eat with him (1 Cor. 511)
• Do not receive him (2 John 10-11)
• Treat as a heathen and tax collector (Mt. 1818)

11
Reasons Given For Nor Practicing Discipline

• We are not to judge.
• Tear up church and do more harm than good.
• It will harden them in their sins.
• No one is perfect, we all sin.
• Their family will be upset if we discipline.
• Our other preachers never said much about this.
• We didnt withdraw from some in past years, its
  not fair to start now.

12
Questions

• Could I work on the same job?
• Could I eat in the same café?
• Could I accept invitations from other Christians
  if they also invited those who were disciplined?
• What if my spouse is disciplined?
• What about the parent-child relationship?

13
Are Family Members Exempt?

• Cut off From his people
• Gen. 1714
• Exod. 3033, 38
• Lev. 720-21, 25, 27
• Lev. 198 2329
• Num. 913
• Exod. 3228-29
• Lev. 101-7
• Deut. 136-11 2118-21
• Josh. 715-25 Deut. 2416
• 1 Sam. 313 1 Kgs. 1511-13
• Ezra 103, 4, 11

• Matt. 1034-36
• Matt. 1246-50
• Luke 962
• 1 Cor. 511
• 2 Thess. 36, 14-15
• Matt. 1815-17

14
Working With God To Save Souls

• God Has Done His Part
• Sacrificed His Son For Us
• Revealed Plan For Saving Souls
• We Must Do Our Part
• Warn the Unruly Gal. 61 1 Thess. 514
• Withdraw From Disorderly 2 Thess. 36
• Public Announcement 1 Cor. 54-5
• Private Application 1 Cor. 511
• Sinner Must Do His Part
• Repent, Confess, and Correct Acts 822