3 of 3

Now we are ready to understand why alienation and sin in the church must be dealt with, why accountability is essential, why reconciliation is not optional. It is inconceivable that Christ should be at war with himself. Alienation between followers of Jesus is tantamount to slicing open the body of Christ. Reconciliation between followers is the healing of that wound.

It is also inconceivable that Christ should sin. That is why Paul recommends that a flagrant sinner be separated from the church and handed over to Satan "so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord" (1 Cor. 5:5). Christ cannot ignore the sin or division in his body any more than you or I can ignore a growing, cancerous tumor.

Then again, reconciliation between followers or restoration of a sinner is as if a wound is healed, a cancer cured, and full health and vitality restored to the body, Christ's body.

High demand, indeed. High reward, especially.

David Neff is editor of Christianity Today.

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. (July 22, 2005)

Shaping Holy Disciples | Mark Dever says church discipline is not about punishment or self-help. (July 25, 2005)

Spheres of Accountability | The dynamics of discipline in the megachurch. (July 26, 2005)

Keeping the Lawyers at Bay | How to correct members while staying out of court. (July 27, 2005)

More articles on church discipline or the need for it from CT includes:

To Judge, or Not to Judge | Christ commanded us not to judge others, but aren't there times when common sense or prudence requires it? (June 29, 2005)

The Evangelical Scandal | Ron Sider says the movement is riddled with hypocrisy, and that it's time for serious change. (April 13, 2005)

Canterbury Crackup | Eschewing church discipline has come back to haunt Anglicans. A Christianity Today editorial (Dec. 03, 2004)

Weblog: Debates on Debates on Church Discipline | Catholic bishops will issue statement on Communion as a Matthew 18 lawsuit is reinstated against a Texas Bible church. (June 18, 2004)

Articles from our sister publication, Leadership Journal, include:

Taking Church Membership Seriously | Why it's time to raise the bar. (April 18, 2005)

Church Discipline Really Works (pt. 1) | When you make it loving and redemptive. (Jan. 24, 2005)

Church Discipline Really Works (pt. 2) | How to find courage (and avoid lawsuits) when confronting sinning believers. (Jan. 31, 2005)

Mark Dever's Nine Marks site has a section on church discipline.

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Theological Seminary, wrote a series on church disciple. It is available on his website:

Should a Church Discipline Members Over Politics? | None of us wants to see churches identified as "Republican Baptists" and "Democratic Baptists." Such partisan identifications violate the autonomy of the church as the Body of Christ.
Mohler also covered this topic on his radio show.

The Disappearance of Church Discipline—How Can We Recover? Part One | The decline of church discipline is perhaps the most visible failure of the contemporary church.

The Disappearance of Church Discipline—How Can We Recover? Part Two | The disappearance of church discipline has weakened the church and compromised Christian witness.

The Disappearance of Church Discipline—How Can We Recover? Part Three | Spiritual leaders of the church are to confront a sinning member with a spirit of humility and gentleness, and with the goal of restoration.

The Disappearance of Church Discipline—How Can We Recover? Part Four | When should the church exercise church discipline?

first page |  3 of 3

share this page

August 2005, Vol. 49, No. 8