Church Discipline E-Book

Jonathan Leeman

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Building Healthy Churches
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Seitenzahl: 144

Beschreibung

More and more church leaders, pastors, and members are looking for guidance on how to practice Church Discipline in a biblical way. Here is a contemporary and concise how-to guide that provides a theological framework for understanding and implementing disciplinary measures in the local church, along with several examples of real-life situations. Drawing on both Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5, this brief hardback helps leaders face the endless variety of circumstances and sins for which no exact scriptural case study exists, sins which don't show up on any list and need a healthy framework to be corrected appropriately in love. This volume is part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Look for upcoming, quick-read formats of the following marks of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, church membership, discipleship and growth, and church leadership.

Leseprobe

“Leeman airs the dirty laundry of our lives and talks about how to clean it up. He ventures into the tough area of pastoral application, which is sure to rouse good discussions, but again and again I found myself convinced. You will not fail to be helped by this book. Brief and biblical, wise and practical—this is the book on church discipline we’ve been looking for.”

Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC

“Far too few biblically grounded, pastorally sensitive books on church discipline remain in print today. I know of none that is as exegetically accurate, practically relevant, and filled with real-life case studies of how churches should deal with a wide variety of common situations. On top of all this, Leeman is helpfully succinct and remarkably clear. Highly recommended!”

Craig Blomberg, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary

“This book is an outstanding, one-of-a-kind theological work. Leeman has shown that church discipline is an essential dimension of the disciple-making process, and thus an extension of the preaching of the gospel itself. He shows that our overly-narrow focus on the ‘number of decisions’ might actually be hindering us from guiding people in the repentance that leads to life. I believe this will be the definitive work on church discipline, and our elders plan to use this work as our guide.”

J. D. Greear, Lead Pastor, The Summit Church, Durham, North Carolina

“One of the most neglected activities in the church today is the ministry of loving, courageous, and redemptive church discipline. This book provides a clear vision and practical guidelines for this vital aspect of life together in the body of Christ. I have seen many people freed from entangling sin by churches that lived out these principles, and I pray that more and more churches will recommit themselves to this restorative ministry.”

Ken Sande, President, Peacemaker Ministries

“Jonathan Leeman has become a discerning reader of the contemporary church. He combines biblical truth with sage counsel in this much-needed book on church discipline. If you’ve been afraid of that subject in your church, or unsure of how to lovingly correct sinning saints, this book provides the biblical argument and practical advice you need to get started well. This book will fire your imagination, stir your soul, and light your path.”

Thabiti Anyabwile, Pastor, Anacostia River Church, Washington, DC; author, What Is a Healthy Church Member?

“Many different ideas enter the minds of Christians when they hear the words ‘church discipline’—punishment, judgment, critical, unloving, excommunication. Jonathan Leeman sets the record straight by explaining what Jesus meant when he first introduced this concept of spiritual accountability. Leeman explains the purpose of church discipline and why it is necessary. The case studies illustrating situations requiring church discipline are worth the price of the book!”

J. Carl Laney, Professor of Biblical Literature, Western Seminary; author, A Guide to Church Discipline

Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus

Copyright © 2012 by Jonathan Leeman

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Dual Identity inc.

Cover image(s): Illustration by Wayne Brezinka for brezinkadesign.com

First printing 2012

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.

Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-3233-7

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-3234-4

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-3235-1

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-3236-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Leeman, Jonathan, 1973-

Church discipline : how the church protects the name of Jesus / Jonathan Leeman.

p. cm. — (9Marks : building healthy churches)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-3237-5 (hc)   ISBN 978-1-4335-3236-8 (epub)

ISBN 978-1-4335-3234-4 (pdf)

ISBN 978-1-4335-3235-1 (mobipocket)

1. Church discipline.  2. Church discipline—Case studies.  I. Title.

BV740.L442012262'.8—dc22

2011043829

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

CONTENTS

Series Preface

Preface: A Tale of Two Gospels

Introduction: A Framework for Discipline

PART 1: ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK

 1  The Biblical Basics of Discipline

 2  A Gospel Framework for Understanding Discipline

 3  When Is Discipline Necessary?

 4  How Does a Church Practice Discipline?

 5  How Does Restoration Work?

PART 2: APPLYING THE FRAMEWORK: CASE STUDIES

 6  The Adulterer

 7  The Addict

 8  The “Hits the News” Lawbreaker

 9  The Bruised Reed

10  The Nonattending Member

11  The Faithfully-Attending and Divisive Nonmember

12  The Preemptive Resigner

13  The Newly-Decided Unbeliever

14  The Family Member

PART 3: GETTING STARTED

15  Before You Discipline, Teach

16  Before You Discipline, Organize

Conclusion: Are You Ready to Begin? A Pastor’s Checklist

Appendix: Mistakes Pastors Make in Practicing Discipline

SERIES PREFACE

Do you believe it’s your responsibility to help build a healthy church? If you are a Christian, we believe that it is.

Jesus commands you to make disciples (Matt. 28:18–20). Jude says to build yourselves up in the faith (Jude 20–21). Peter calls you to use your gifts to serve others (1 Pet. 4:10). Paul tells you to speak the truth in love so that your church will become mature (Eph. 4:13, 15). Do you see where we are getting this?

Whether you are a church member or leader, the Building Healthy Churches series of books aims to help you fulfill such biblical commands and so play your part in building a healthy church. Another way to say it might be, we hope these books will help you grow in loving your church like Jesus loves your church.

9Marks plans to produce a short, readable book on each of what we call the nine marks of a healthy church, plus one more on sound doctrine. Watch for books on expositional preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, church membership, church discipline, discipleship and growth, and church leadership.

Local churches exist to display God’s glory to the nations. We do that by fixing our eyes on the gospel of Jesus Christ, trusting him for salvation, and then loving one another with God’s own holiness, unity, and love. We pray the book you are holding will help.

With hope, Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman Series editors

PREFACE

A Tale of Two Gospels

Which “gospel” do you believe in?

Your answer to that question will have a direct bearing on what you think about church discipline. Therefore, it’s worth making sure we are talking about the same gospel before we talk about anything else.

Here are two subtly different versions of the gospel. The first one will probably shut down any talk about church discipline. The second one will start the conversation.

Gospel 1: God is holy. We have all sinned, separating us from God. But God sent his Son to die on the cross and rise again so that we might be forgiven. Everyone who believes in Jesus can have eternal life. We’re not justified by works. We’re justified by faith alone. The gospel therefore calls all people to “just believe!” An unconditionally loving God will take you as you are.

Gospel 2: God is holy. We have all sinned, separating us from God. But God sent his Son to die on the cross and rise again so that we might be forgiven and begin to follow the Son as King and Lord. Anyone who repents and believes can have eternal life, a life which begins today and stretches into eternity. We’re not justified by works. We’re justified by faith alone, but the faith which works is never alone. The gospel therefore calls all people to “repent and believe.” A contraconditionally loving God will take you contrary to what you deserve, and then enable you by the power of the Spirit to become holy and obedient like his Son. By reconciling you to himself, God also reconciles you to his family, the church, and enables you as his people to represent together his own holy character and triune glory.

So what do you think? Which of these two gospels better characterizes what you believe the Bible teaches?

The first version emphasizes Christ as Savior. The second version emphasizes Christ as Savior and Lord.

The first version points to Christ’s new covenant work of forgiveness. The second version includes both this and the Spirit’s new covenant work of regeneration.

The first version points to the new status that Christians have as children of God. The second version includes both the new status and the new job description that Christians are given as citizens of Christ’s kingdom.

The first version points to a Christian’s reconciliation with Christ. The second version points to a Christian’s reconciliation with Christ and Christ’s people.

If your understanding of the gospel stops with the first version, you will not have much use for the topic of church discipline, or for this book. But if you embrace the second one, then there is a longer conversation to have. Aside from being an explicit biblical mandate, church discipline is an implication of the second version.

Everything affirmed in the first version is true, but there’s more to say. Left to itself it tends to yield a belief in cheap grace. The second version, I believe, is a more robust account of the biblical gospel, and is more likely to lead to an understanding of the kind of grace that calls Christians to take up their crosses and follow Jesus in holy mission.

TWO RESPONSES TO CHURCH DISCIPLINE

My guess is that many church leaders over the last century would have affirmed the additional elements of gospel 2, at least if they were filling in test answer-sheet bubbles with a no. 2 pencil. But that’s not what they have preached from the pulpit. It’s not what they have said to Mr. and Mrs. Jones when they’ve brought six-year-old Johnny to their office and asked for him to be baptized.

Church leaders want to reach outsiders, but this good desire produces a bad temptation—to slim down the gospel to something skinnier. It’s comparatively easy to talk about God’s grace, unconditional love, and faith. It’s harder to talk about God’s holiness, Christ’s lordship, a Spirit-given repentance, and the new covenant reality of the church. All of these things make demands on a person. They produce the need for accountability. And when you build a church on a gospel that makes few demands and offers little accountability, church discipline just doesn’t make sense.

Picture a congregation that has been weaned on the spiritual milk of “just believe” and “unconditional love.” Suppose you tell this congregation that it should consider excommunicating little Johnny because he is no longer six but twenty, and has not darkened the door of a church building since graduating from high school two years ago. Not only will you confuse that congregation, you will be running smack dab against its understanding of Christianity, like veering a car into oncoming traffic.

“You’re judgmental.”

“Why would an unconditionally loving God discipline anyone?”

“That sounds like legalism. We’re saved by faith, not by works!”

“Once saved, always saved.”

In other words, you will get run over.

But now picture a different congregation, one whose leaders have taught the members the gospel using the whole counsel of God. These members have been asked to count the cost of following Jesus from before they made professions of faith. They have heard that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in Spirit, the pure in heart, the peacemakers (Matt. 5:4–9). They have heard that the heavenly Father will cut off every branch of Christ’s vine that bears no fruit because the real gospel actually changes people (John 15:2). They have heard about the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow: One looks like feeling sorry for yourself. The other looks like eagerness, indignation, fear, longing, and zeal (2 Cor. 7:10–11).

The second congregation is more likely to understand that God the Son really unites people to himself and to his family for life and growth. It will understand that God the Spirit really creates a whole new existence inside of people—that true Christians change. Tell these members that twenty-year-old Johnny has been absent for two years. They won’t shrug their shoulders and sigh, “Once saved always saved,” and get on with their work of singing praise songs. They will get on the phone and try to find Johnny, ask him for lunch plans, see how he’s doing. They will call him to account for his claim to be a Christian. They might even, as a last-ditch effort to help him, excommunicate him. They love him too much not to. They love his non-Christian friends and colleagues too much not to.

SALT AND LIGHT

It is God’s Word that gives life to the spiritually dead, but God means for his Word to be set against the backdrop of transformed lives. Transformed lives make a church’s witness vivid and provocative. The world doesn’t need a Christianized shadow of itself. It needs something full of light and flavor, something distinct.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matt. 5:13–16)

Salt is useful because it’s distinct. Light is attractive to those standing in the dark because it’s . . . not the dark.

INTRODUCTION

A Framework for Discipline

The main purpose of this book is not to persuade you about church discipline. It’s to help the already-persuaded know how and when to practice it. Along these lines, it’s important to see how the gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a theological framework for approaching church discipline. Church discipline, both formative and corrective, is an implication of the gospel. We will better understand how to approach it practically if we move through the gospel to get there.

That means my approach to the topic of church discipline is a little different than others have taken. Writers on church discipline from past centuries sometimes made lists from the Bible of which sins warrant church discipline. The idea was to give church leaders a basic guide for checking their own pastoral crises against.

Works on discipline from writers in our own day typically walk readers through the steps Jesus laid out in Matthew 18:15–20. They explain how to approach the sinner in private, then with two or three, then with the church. They pay less attention to different kinds of sin, and the widening-circle approach of Matthew 18 is treated as the catch-all.

There’s much to commend both of these approaches, but my method is a little different. I hope to establish a theological framework that accounts for the variety of approaches that the scriptural authors themselves take. For instance, Paul has a different approach in 1 Corinthians 5 than Jesus does in Matthew 18. Paul simply tells the church to exclude the sinner with no mention of first giving a warning. Why? Some writers have said that it’s because the sin is “publicly scandalous.” But that would seem to make the church’s decision about who belongs to the kingdom of heaven depend on the evolving moral standards of society, which strikes me as strange. Is there not a theological connection between Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5? I believe that there is, and we find it by considering church discipline in light of the gospel.

A theological-framework approach also helps leaders face up to the endless variety of circumstances and sins for which no exact scriptural case study exists—sins that don’t show up on any list. If you have spent any amount of time as a pastor (or as a human), you know that sinners (like you and me) are endlessly creative. People don’t always follow recipes when they cook up their sin; each pot of yuck is homemade and tastes a little different. My goal in part 1, therefore, is to establish a theological framework that helps church leaders approach the many different situations they find themselves facing.

TOUGH QUESTIONS

We at 9Marks receive a variety of church discipline questions from pastors seeking counsel. Here are a few that have recently rolled through my e-mail inbox:

Can you discipline a nonmember?What should we do if one of our members completely abandons the faith and stops calling himself a Christian?Should a church accept the resignation of someone who is in unrepentant sin?