Church Discipline Is Still In The Bible

Several years ago I did some research on my family tree. I found that in the early 1700's that one my ancestors had been turned out of the Church because he had missed church on two consecutive Sundays. Now I would admit that was going to the extremes when it came to Church discipline but it does remind us that Churches used to take Church discipline very serious. In our day it is rare to hear of Church discipline. It is rarely practiced by Churches in our day. Yet, I am reminded as I come to I Corinthians chapter 5 that Church discipline is still in the Bible.

Church discipline is a Biblical mandate. It is not a practice to be entered into hastily or rashly, but non-the-less is a practice to be observed by the Church. The Church is not to be on some spiritual witch-hunt, but when the need arises, it is to be observed and followed. In 1 Corinthians 5 we are given a Biblical rule and example of Church discipline. Let's consider the chapter and learn about the matter of Church discipline.

First, notice:

1. THE IMPURITY PAUL ADDRESSED!

As the chapter begins we learn that there was a serious case of immorality that existed in the Church. One of their members was guilty of a sin that needed to be approached and addressed. Notice verse one and consider the impurity that Paul addressed.

First, in Paul's words we see:

A. THE NEWS OF THE SIN.

Paul said, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you." Paul was not dealing with gossip, rumors, or suspicions. The words "reported commonly" speak of something that was actual and sure. The words "among you" imply that this was something that was known within the Church and even possibly without the Church. The members of the Church at Corinth knew what was going on. They were well aware of the sin that was being committed by this certain member. The wording of the text suggest this had been going on for sometime. It had been going on and the members knew that it had been going on.

As a pastor, it is impossible to always know how members live. There have been times when it came to light that some member was living in sin. Oftentimes, it was someone who I had the greatest confidence in and never imagined they were living as they were. People can be good at hiding and covering their sin. We never know what is going on the private life of others. But the case at Corinth was not private. It was public. Everyone in the Church was aware what was going on. If that was the case, you can be sure that many outside the Church were also aware.

Secondly, Paul revealed:

B. THE NATURE OF THE SIN.

Paul declared that the case of immorality within the Church was "fornication." The word originally came from two verbs that conveyed the ideal of selling bodies for lustful purposes. In time the word developed into a general word for all sexual immorality. The word encompassed everything from pre-marital sex, extra-marital sex, prostitution, to homosexuality.

The nature of this case was that it was a sin that was beyond the ordinary. Paul said that it was a sin "not so much as named among the Gentiles." Paul was saying, "You have a member living in a kind of sin that you rarely even hear being committed by the lost world around you."

What was this particular case of immorality? Paul says in the latter part of verse 1, "that one should have his father's wife." The word "have" indicates they were living together such as a husband and wife would in a legal situation. It seems there was a member in the Church that was living with his stepmother. The fact that Paul calls the woman "his father's wife," and does not say "his mother," suggest that it was his stepmother.

We do not know the background to this case. We do not know if the father and wife had divorced or if the father was dead. But in any case, the son was living in a sexual and immoral relationship with his stepmother and everyone in the Church knew about it.

How the people were responding to what was going was very troubling to Paul, for we also see:

2. THE INDIFFERENCE PAUL ABHORRED!

What was even more alarming to Paul was, that even though the Church was aware of this situation, they were doing nothing about it. Paul was aghast, but the Church was apathetic. They were neither bothered nor worried about a member living in open sin.

Paul speaks of:

A. THEIR ATTITUDE.

Paul says in verse 2, "And ye are puffed up." Paul has spoke of them as being "puffed up" several times. It was a condemnation of their pride and arrogance. They were so full of pride and so self-centered that they didn't care about what others were doing, even if it was immorality in the Church. All they cared about was having their way and getting what they wanted.

I have known those through the years that could care less what was right or wrong, as long as they had their way. They were so "puffed up" and so self-centered that they could care less what God said or anybody else. The Corinthians were the same. There was a member in their Church living in sin but all they could think about was themselves.

There was also:

B. THEIR APATHY.

Paul added, "and have not rather mourned." What was going on the Church should have been very disturbing. It should have grieved them as if someone had died. But instead, they were neither bothered nor broken. It was like Paul saying, "What do you have to be proud about? You have a member living in a way that lost people would never think of living. Instead of being proud, you ought to be grieved."

Sin in the Church ought to be a very grievous matter. As a matter of fact, sin in the life of the Christian ought to be a very grievous matter. Sin ought to break our heart whether it is in our own life or in the Church. It is a sad day when we know longer bothered by sin. It is a tragedy when the Church either condones or ignores sin within its fellowship. Paul was aghast! How could they ignore what was going on? How could they allow such behavior by one of their members? Indifference is always to be condemned especially when it comes to sin.

Because sin in the church must not be taken lightly, thirdly we see:

3. THE INSTRUCTIONS PAUL ASSIGNED!

Paul begins to make it clear that sin could not be tolerated in the Church. He uses such phrases as "taken away" (Vs.2), "deliver such a one" (Vs.5), "purge out" (Vs.7), and "put away" (Vs.13), to make it clear the matter had to be dealt with. In verse 3 Paul declares, "For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed." Paul was saying that that even though he was absent, he had already come to a decision about what must be done.

He then describes certain steps they were to take as if he were there with them to lead them. Concerning the guilty one, there were certain actions to take. First, we see:

A. THE PROCEDURES OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE.

Paul says in verse 4, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ." They as a congregation were to deal with the matter. They were to come together and the matter was to be taken up and handled in a certain fashion. How were they to deal with the matter?

They were to do so in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were to deal with the matter by the authority of the Lord Jesus. Someone might question, "But why make such a big deal about the matter?" They were to do so because the Lord Jesus Himself authorized them.

The Lord Jesus commands Church discipline. It is His Church and His orders are our mandate. Sin cannot be tolerated in the Church because He commands that sin be dealt with in the Church. As a church, we must deal with sin because our Lord said so.

They were not only to deal with the matter by the authority of the Lord Jesus but also under his auspices. They were to deal with the matter "with the power of the Lord Jesus." They were to handle the matter as he had instructed them to do. Church discipline is not doing things by Roberts Rules of Order. It is doing it by the Bible. It is doing it the way Jesus told us to do it.

Now when I consider what the Lord said about dealing with sin in the Church, I believe I Corinthians 5:4, is the final step in the process. I think of what Jesus taught in Matthew 18 about Church discipline. We read in Matthew 18:15, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."

The guilty is to first be approached on an individual basis. The object of approaching the brother is reconciliation and repentance. Church discipline always has this objective. Its ultimate goal is the restoration of a fallen brother.

If the first step fails, then we read in Matthew 18:16, "But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established." The guilty is be approached by two or more. In our day, we might say, the pastor is to first approach the guilty seeking repentance. If that doesn't work, then he is to be approached by the pastor and deacons.

If that doesn't bring repentance then Jesus said in Matthew 18:17, "If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican."

Understanding what Jesus said about Church discipline and the steps that are to be taken, as I said earlier, it is my opinion that the gathering of the Church as Paul described in I Corinthians 5:4 is the last step in the order. All measures seeking repentance have been exhausted and the Church is left with no other recourse but the discipline the sinning member.

In verse 5 Paul explains what that discipline is to involve. He says, "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." There are a lot of opinions about what Paul meant when he spoke of turning the sinning member over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. It is my opinion that Paul is simply telling the Church to dismiss the member from the fellowship of the Church that he might experience the full consequences of his sin.

Sin always has consequences and many of those consequences show up in a physical way. Paul was saying, "Turn him loose and let him go. He will reap the consequences of a sinful life." He would not lose his salvation for his spirit would be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. But he would experience the destruction of his body, the physical consequences of a sinful life. He could even possible experience death as a result of those consequences.

In verse 11, Paul says, "with such an one no not to eat." Paul was speaking of their fellowship with such a person. He was saying that there was to be no spiritual fellowship with the sinning believer. When the Church broke fellowship with the individual, the message to that individual was to be that sin has consequences. It was not a case of a church snubbing it nose at someone who had fallen, but taking steps to show an unrepentant member that sin could not be tolerated.

It is my opinion that Paul's admonition not only involved spiritual fellowship but all social fellowship as well. Oftentimes when a Church takes steps to discipline a member, friends may sympathize and say to him, "I'm sorry that the Church was so hard on you." I think that is wrong, because the objective of discipline to teach the lesson that sin has consequences. The hard steps that are taken are to break the sinning member and bring him to repentance.

Such steps are never easy for either a church or for a believer, especially if it is someone they love and care about. The sinning believer must always know that we love them and if they repent they will be received. But if they refuse to get right with God, there are consequences and that even involves the fellowship of both the Church and Christians. Paul's instructions involve excommunication, not communication.

Why were such measures to be taken by the church? Secondly, we see:

B. THE PURPOSE OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE.

Again, someone might say, "I don't see why we have to be so hard on someone." It is not that we are being hard on someone but a matter of being hard on something. Paul explains why the Church must take steps of discipline when there is sin in the church.

He said in verse 6, "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" Sin is like one rotten apple in a barrel. If left, it will eventually lead to the spoiling of the whole barrel. When we let sin go in the Church in one member, it is sending a message to all the members that it doesn't matter how they live. A high standard lifts others to that standard. A low standard lowers the standards of others. Sin in the Church will eventually affect other members. That's why Paul said in verse 7, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump."

Paul then reminded them of the Passover and how leaven was forbidden. Paul says, "For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." Leaven is a type of sin and therefore was forbidden during the Passover. Paul was saying that there can be no fellowship with Christ with unconfessed sin in the life.

If there is to be fellowship with Christ, sin in the either the life of a Christian or the Church must be purged. Again, Paul is speaking of sin that was public and known. It is impossible to know every sin in the Church and it would bring devastation to the Church if we started trying to find out. But when there is known sin and it is not dealt with, our fellowship with Christ is broken. We are deal with sin with "sincerity and truth."

In closing Paul reminded them of a former letter he had wrote them. He writes, "I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators" (Vs.9). He had written them previously and told them not to have fellowship with those living in immorality. Now he clarifies what he had meant for he says in verse 10, "Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world."

Paul was saying, "I want you to understand that I did not mean that you should not contact with everyone who is not living for God. The world in which you live is full of such people. Sin is what sinners do and we should expect no less. The only way you could avoid total contact with such people would be to be removed from the world." He wanted them to understand that he was speaking of a sinning Church member. They were not to have fellowship with an unrepentant brother. What Paul is making clear is that sin cannot be tolerated in the Church. It must be dealt with publicly and procedurally.

In verse 11 we find that Paul not only spoke of the situation in Corinth as worthy of Church discipline, but he also listed other matters that demand Church discipline. Paul says, "if any man that is called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." In this list Paul speaks of sins that cannot be tolerated by the Church. He makes it clear that Church discipline is not to be limited to sexual immorality. He mentions such things as covetous, someone who defrauds others for the sake of personal gain.

The word "railer" is interesting. It speaks of someone who slanders, runs down others. It is not unusual to hear of someone tearing down the preacher, church leaders, and members within the congregation. All too often we endure such things and let them wag their tongue, but Paul declared that such behavior is to be corrected and not allowed.

The word "extortioner" speaks of a swindler, cheat, crook. Many a testimony of a Church has been hurt by a crooked businessman, etc., within a Church. Such a person is to confronted and not condoned.

In closing, may I say that Church discipline is a painful and difficult step to take. Oftentimes the people involved are those we love and are close friends. Yet, when there is sin it must be dealt with and cannot be tolerated.

We must never forget that Church discipline is still in the Bible.