2 of 3

I think everybody is pretty much just like Adam and Eve, whether you are black, rich, or from Thailand. In America, we've seen urbanization, the number of churches grow, a carnal increase of emphasis on numbers, budgetary demands like the need to continue to service the pipe organ or the number of staff or programs—all of this makes for naturally difficult soil for discipline. But in East Asian cultures, you find the concern about loss of face, which seems to be very helpful for church discipline. But even that has its own set of problems for a biblical, godly practice of church discipline. So you're not going to find a fallen culture that's going to be real friendly to following Christ.

What is the difference between biblical church discipline and voluntary accountability, like what many people practice in a twelve-step group or Weight Watchers?

Accountability is one aspect of church discipline. Church discipline is both formative and corrective, and it gives testimony to the authority of God and to our humility. It's a lot more than two 19-year-olds trying to make sure they don't view pornography.

In those rare cases when an active member must be expelled, why does it usually hinge on things like marital unfaithfulness? Aren't there other sins that are equally destructive that should be disciplined?

You have to consider what is provable, publicly demonstrable. You may deeply struggle with pride, which may be before God a far stronger issue. Your local church could help you deal with that. But other than a close friend pointing this out to you, there isn't something that can be brought before a church meeting.

In our church, non-attendance is the usual behavior that would get somebody excluded. You need something demonstrable.

When it comes to most sins, formative discipline is key. Hopefully we model holiness in our lives. Or we challenge people in little ways like, "Bob, I think you care too much which school you're getting into. What's going on with that?" Or, "Mary, why do you care so much what she is saying about you?" That kind of church discipline should be going on all of the time on all issues.

If a church wants to start taking church discipline seriously, what would you suggest?

My basic advice is not to do it—that is, do not do church discipline until your church membership is meaningful.

With most evangelical churches today, the membership is fairly meaningless. And it would be weird to have two deacons turn up on your front doorstep to confront you about adultery or gossip, because there's been no natural conversation about your spiritual life. Not only should we be talking about football and the weather after worship, but also about our own self-denial or lack thereof, our response to the Word just preached, the way we choked up at that older member's testimony, how we've cared for a distressed family, about our concern to evangelize Muslims in the area, and so on.

When it's natural to have serious conversations about real life with each other, that's when you can start practicing corrective discipline. And once you start doing these other things, once you see the culture of the congregation changed where it really is the shape of your discipleship and the center of your life, church discipline is as natural as can be.

Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Previous articles in this series include:

How Discipline Died | The church should stop taking its cues from the state.

next page... |  2 of 3

share this page

August 2005, Vol. 49, No. 8