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Writer's pictureBrandon Boone

Church Discipline

“Blessed are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”

Are we called in scripture to confront sin head on? From our pulpits? In our small groups? In our homes? In our relationships?


I believe we are, but what does that mean and what does it look like in the life of the Church?


We often cite the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 on the practical steps of what we know as Church Discipline, but we forget the heart behind it by not reading the four verses prior in 10-14 and after in 21-22. Jesus is speaking from a place of rescue and restoration, using the illustration that a man should leave the 99 to restore the one lost sheep to the fold. After explaining this principle, Peter, being Peter, asks how many times he should forgive his brother who has sinned against him, to which Jesus ups the ante and says, “Not 70 times but 7 times 70.” The idea presented in Matthew 18 of going to your brother in private to confront willful sin, then with witnesses, then with the backing of the local church body, is couched between rescuing a lost sheep and Peter learning to forgive his sinful brother 490 times. These are loving, compassionate, care-filled verses that should provide hope for all of us in that the Church is a hospital for the hurting, not a hall of fame for the holy.


All throughout Paul’s letters to the churches of his age, he corrects issues within the local bodies and carries the theme of addressing sin. Just to provide a few examples:


  • In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul deals with deviant sexual sin in their midst and is upset that it hasn’t been addressed sooner.
  • In 2 Corinthians 2, he encourages forgiveness and comfort for a fallen brother to restore him back to the body after discipline.
  • In Galatians 6, he again refers to gentleness and restoration after a transgression has been identified.
  • Ephesians 5:11, Paul warns to expose the works of darkness.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:14, we are instructed to admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, and help the weak.
  • 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, he explains the process beautifully for willful disobedience within the body by the phrase, “Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”
  • 1 Timothy 5 shows Paul instructing Timothy to openly rebuke those who willfully persist in sin to keep the church healthy.
  • Titus 3:10-11 once again talks about removing oneself from those stirring disunity after the process of multiple attempts to correct their behavior.

So now that we have established that it is indeed a biblically sound doctrine practiced all throughout scripture, why is it so critical? Allow me to break the efficacy of this idea into three components that will help provide a greater understanding of the need for restorative Church Discipline today.


All Sin is primarily upward in nature


David said in Psalm 51, “Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Sin in its essence is man’s offense against his Creator who, as the scripture says, is “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Unrepentant sin, at its core, is the created telling the Creator, "You are wrong, and I am right." Church discipline is vital in that it defends and solidifies the supreme honor and glory of God. Arguably, one of the most tragic verses in all the Bible is Romans 2:24: “The name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.” God has a desire for a bride that is spotless and without blame, according to Ephesians 5:27, and an unrepentant church body might as well be a “spiritual leopard” walking around. The lost and dying world must see a sharp contrast in the world they walk among every day and the bride of Christ. If we are allowing willful, unrepentant sinfulness to parade itself within our midst, then we are not portraying the true Church and by default not magnifying Christ. The Greek word for Church in the New Testament is “ekklesia,” derived from “kaleo” meaning (to call) and the prefix “ek” which means (out). If we are the Called Out Ones, then what have we been called out from if worldly lifestyle practices go unaccounted for and are allowed to persist on full display? When we forsake the call to lovingly address sin in our body, we are ultimately calling the very glory of God into question. This is a serious matter that offends the namesake of the God we serve.


All sin presents outward damage in the body


When Paul instructed a young Timothy to publicly rebuke the sinfulness of a member of his flock in 1 Timothy 5:20, it was, as he put it, so “others may also fear.” Sometimes this manifests itself in hard conversations behind closed doors that end up saving marriages and causing those surrounding the situation to see the gravity of sin. Often these hard moments of loving correction can steer a soon-to-be wayward sheep slipping on the rocks of peril to make their way back to the Good Shepherd. The health of the entire body of Christ is paramount if we intend to be a light in a dark world. When sin is openly rebuked, it often serves as a warning of impending danger to the whole church. If we allow a root of bitterness to go unchecked, it will quickly spread through the entire body, according to Hebrews 12:15. I love strawberries when they are in season but often forget they are available for snacking in my refrigerator in the hustle and bustle of life. One thing that shocks me is how quickly they can go bad once a single strawberry decays in the container. It’s as if the decay of the one berry spreads rapidly while unattended to, and it becomes a mess sorting the healthy fruit from the decay once the process ensues. Paul puts it nicely in 1 Corinthians 5:6 by saying, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Discipline is a critical part of sanctification in the life of the believer, and no one is exempt from the need to be compassionately called to repentance. In fact, Paul confronts the Apostle Peter in Galatians 2 for his hypocrisy as he distanced himself from Gentile believers. Slipping back into the dangerous cliffs of legalism, Paul calls Peter out because his love for Peter and the Church is great. Peter’s actions were no doubt affecting those around him in the faith negatively. Think of it: Paul put this rebuke of an early Church father that had walked with Jesus in a publicly read letter to the Galatian church.


All sin inwardly harms the individual


The ultimate reality of the Church (Big C) is that we are made up of a collection of individuals. We are all of one body, but members with uniqueness that make the idea of the collective Bride of Christ so much more magnificent. If we say we care about the Church and we love God but have no concern for the spiritual health of the individual who sits in the seat next to us, we are living a lie. 1 John 4:20 reminds us, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” The intent behind Church Discipline is to win our brother (Matthew 18:15), restore the sinner (Galatians 6:1), and save his soul in the day of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:5). Sometimes shame will arise in the heart of those in the midst of sin when confronted by those around them. Let this be the tool of correction that God uses to awaken a dull heart and revive spiritual life that has once been marred by an unwillingness to waver from hardness. The act of compassion, though sometimes difficult to carry out, is necessary to rescue those who have fallen by the wayside in need of help that only a brother or sister can provide. You would be amazed at those who are truly relieved when the weight of the sin they are carrying is pulled off their shoulders. What joy in ushering them into the throne room of the same One who would welcome the prodigal home from the pigpens and run out to meet them halfway down the road.


On Friday, September 27, 2024, the lives of thousands of people changed drastically here in the beautiful area we call the Smoky Mountains. Specifically, many of our close neighbors within miles of my home were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Record-level rainfalls caused flooding that washed away entire family legacies. The number of lives lost is unknowable, and the time it will take to return roads, water tables, homes, schools… life if you will, back to normal is unfathomable. I saw numerous stories of heroism and people who barely escaped disastrous consequences, even death, with the help of another.


One story in particular stood out to me. Save Our Allies, a great rescue organization that was heavily involved in evacuating Afghan allies during the military withdrawal of Afghanistan, served in the flood relief efforts of Helene. They sent a call for help for a special rescue operation in Western North Carolina to Aerial Recovery, a team of former special operations members who donate their time to rescue. A single message was sent over the radio, “The situation is life or death.” They rushed to fuel the helicopter and created a safe area in the hills to land in the midst of rushing rivers as they rushed in to save an 11-day-old baby born premature. They then coordinated a roof landing with a medical team waiting on top of Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. That little baby is safe and healthy, along with its mother, thanks to men of character stepping in and taking on a difficult feat. This act of bravery and deep care made me reflect on the Church today.


What if there’s a spiritual application we need to draw from this compassionate act? What happens when your brother or sister is spiritually stranded in sin and in need of rescue? Is your brother in Christ—and the risk of you offending or creating “church hurt”—worth the rescue? Is the purity of the body of Christ and the spiritual health of His bride worth the labor of love? Is God’s glory enough to motivate you to action?


I truly believe it is.

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