The Biblical Process of Church Discipline and Restoration
Purity of the church
The purity of the church is its degree of freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and its degree of conformity to God’s revealed will for the church.
(Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem, chapter 45)
One of the Signs of a More Pure Church is:
- Right use of church discipline
Right use of Church Discipline and Restoration
The instruction for church discipline is given by Jesus in Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 and following.
Mat 18:15-22 NASB “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. (16) “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. (17) “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (18) “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (19) “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. (20) “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.“ (21) Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (22) Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
The prescription for church discipline from Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 must be read in light of the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12-14. The goal of the process is restoration. If successful, you have “won your brother.”
Overview
Step 1 is to show him his fault privately. If he remains unrepentant, follow step 2: “take one or two more with you” to fulfill the principle of Dt. 19:15. If he still refuses to repent, step 3 requires that the matter be reported to the whole assembly, so that all may lovingly pursue the brother’s reconciliation. But failing that, step 4 means that the offender must be removed from the fellowship, and regarded by the church as “a Gentile and a tax collector”. Ultimately, the sin for which he is removed from the fellowship is hard-hearted impenitence. (MacArthur Study Bible commentary).
Step 1
Step 1 should be taken if any member visibly sees the sin of another in our church, not when they hear of it through gossip. But if they see someone sinning, as a member of the body of Christ, they should show them their sin privately and work to restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.
Step 2
If that person is unrepentant and does not listen, then step 2 should be taken. The purpose of bringing others is to further confirm the unrepentant sin of the person by acting as a witness and to assist in trying to restore the brother.
Step 3
If the person is still unrepentant after step 2, then the elders of our church should ensure that the person is fully aware of their sin and has a chance to repent before proceeding to step 3 (bringing the issue before the whole church). The elders should send the member a letter via registered mail that tells them of their sin, their lack of repentance, and that their sin will be announced to the church (or “assembly”) on a later (specific) date in time if they do not repent by a specific date in time. If they remain unrepentant after a reasonable amount of time and a clear disclosure to the person of their sin and of the upcoming announcement to the church, then step 3 will be taken. Step 3 is so that all of the body may be made aware of the general type of sin (not the specific details) of the unrepentant person and so they may lovingly pursue to reconcile them and bring them to repentance. The goal is to turn the sinner from the error of his way, which will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The time between step 3 and taking step 4 (removal from the fellowship) may vary based on the type of sin. If there is a factious person or someone spreading false doctrine, step 4 may need to be taken sooner to protect the body.
The members in our body must try to restore their brother or sister; so whenever they see them, this is the topic of discussion. If they see them in the grocery store, they should not ask how their job is going, but should ask when they will turn from their sin and come into a right relationship with Christ and His body, the church.
Before step 4 is taken, the church members should again be clear with the person that they are in sin and that the consequence of hard-hearted unrepentance is removal from the church and that they will be under God’s judgment and be delivered over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh, so that their spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Step 4
If there is still no repentance, the elders should send the member a letter via registered mail that tells them of their sin, their lack of repentance, and that their sin and removal from the fellowship will be announced to the church body on a later (specific) date in time whereby their membership is terminated. They will be removed from their roles; they’ve lost all of their privileges and the blessings that happen in the body of Christ and they are now to be treated as a gentile and a tax gatherer. The last step includes ostracism of the believer. The gentile had no part of the Jewish covenant. The tax collector was viewed as an outcast or a traitor. The church is to treat him if he were outside of the fellowship.
Paul expects the church to disassociate with all who said they were brothers, but had a consistent pattern of sin (1 Cor 5:11). We shouldn’t even eat with them as this is a sign of acceptance and fellowship. Paul goes on to tell us to “judge those who are within the church” and to “remove the wicked man from among yourselves” (1Co 5:1-13, see also Deut 22:21 and Acts 5:1-14).
In 2 Thess 3:6-15, Paul commands us (in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ) to keep away from every brother who leads an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition that we received from them (the apostles). A few verses later he says, “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2Th 3:14-15). Paul’s directions were not mere suggestions, but rather they carried the weight and authority of a judge’s court order which the apostles delivered and enforced. In verse 4, Paul says “We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command” (2Th 3:4).
What about when an elder or the pastor is in sin?
When the elders in our church continue in sin, they are to be rebuked in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning (1Ti 5:19-20).
When a fellow Christian sins against us and we rebuke him and if he repents, we are to always forgive him (Luk 17:3). Those who are spiritual at our church should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness (Gal 6:1). We should comfort him and reaffirm our love for him (2Co 2:7-8).
Is our church following the commands given to us in scripture? Are we following the discipline and church purity principles given? May we not allow a little leaven to leaven the whole lump of dough (1Co 5:6).
The goal of church discipline is to “turn a sinner from the error of his way,” which “will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (Jas 5:20). The goal is to gain or win our brother (Mat 18:15). This implies that because of his sinful state, he was a loss. Each child of God is valuable to the church, but when in sin they are a loss. So the primary goal is to restore and win back our brother (not to expel him immediately).
Judgment is to begin with the household of God. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged (1 Peter 4:17, 1Co 11:31).
If a member of our church turns from the truth, we should seek to turn him from the error of his ways. We should not think we are doing him or the church or our witness any good by ignoring and allowing his sin to continue.
Our church should pray about and decide how we will handle church discipline when there is recurring sin in the life of our members. May we judge ourselves rightly!
Restoration
If someone wants to be restored after the 4th step of discipline, they need to meet with the elders and they must be convinced of their repentance and judge whether it’s sincere or not. They should be united on whether it’s sincere or not. Then an announcement should be made from the pulpit (once they are restored), they should be announced being put back into the body of Christ. They are now a fully-fledge member of the body. Just as in the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:21-24, when the son came back and said ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son’…the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.‘ And they began to celebrate. We too must rejoice when any sinner is repentant and is restored! In fact, we should have a party to celebrate.
What are the objections to Church Discipline?
1) It’s unloving: doesn’t it contradict the commandment to “love thy neighbor”
a. However, 2John 1:6 says And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
b. Heb 12:5-11 shows that even God disciplines those he loves.
c. Church discipline is not punishment, it is the discipline designed to restrain and to restore a person to a right relationship with Jesus Christ.
2) It’s unbiblical: doesn’t Matthew 7:1 say “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.”
a. The context of Matthew chapter 7 reveals that this passage is speaking out against hypocrisy, not about judging those in the church. Verse five says: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
b. Sin has to be dealt with and we are commanded in scripture to do so. People seem to be afraid to use names in church discipline, yet Paul did it and John did it.
c. If guilt is clearly established, then the person has judged themselves already. As long as they refuse to repent they pronounce themselves guilty.
3) It’s unnecessary:
a. Couldn’t we be sued for doing church discipline?
i. Church discipline that’s done fairly and without defaming the character of the person won’t warrant lawsuits. If the 4 steps are taken with clarity, patience and love, there should not be a problem. If we had membership, we could have those wanting to join the church sign that they waive their rights to sue the church and waive their rights to terminate their membership when in the process of church discipline.
b. Doesn’t it cause divisions in the body?
i. Obedience to Jesus and His Word is more important than an artificial unity built on disobedience and compromise. A lack of discipline will contribute to greater disunity.
c. We are all sinners, so how can we condemn others?
i. Yes, we are all sinners. If we are persisting in sin, we too should go under the church’s discipline. We ourselves are condemning nobody. We only pronounce the judgment of Christ upon those who bring the condemnation upon themselves by persisting in sin.
ii. The issue is not that everyone may have sin, but rather that a person is unrepentant and unwilling to turn from their sin that brings further steps in church discipline.
How would our church start practicing Biblical Church discipline?
The first step is to teach the subject of church discipline on a Sunday morning and then teach it again in other venues. The second step is to make sure our membership roles are as current as possible so we know who is really attending the church. You can only practice church discipline on regular attendees (or if they are attached to our body in any way, such as a Bible Study).
Our church should not accept a resignation of membership from someone in the process of church discipline. The point of church discipline is primarily to restore a believer. If after the 4th step of their removal from the fellowship has completed with no unrepentance from the sinning believer, then their membership is then terminated. If we had membership, we could have those wanting to join the church sign that they waive their rights to sue the church and waive their rights to terminate their membership when in the process of church discipline.
Church Discipline and Restoration Verses
Mat 18:15-22 NASB “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. (16) “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. (17) “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (18) “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (19) “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. (20) “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.“ (21) Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (22) Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
1Co 5:1-13 NASB It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. (2) You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. (3) For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. (4) In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (5) I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (6) Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? (7) Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. (8) Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (9) I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; (10) I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. (11) But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler–not even to eat with such a one. (12) For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? (13) But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.
2Co 2:5-11 NASB But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree–in order not to say too much–to all of you. 6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, 7 so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
Tit 3:10-11 NASB Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, (11) knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
2Th 3:6-15 NASB Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. (7) For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, (8) nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; (9) not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. (10) For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. (11) For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. (12) Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. (13) But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. (14) If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. (15) Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Luk 17:3-4 NASB “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. (4) “And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Jas 5:19-20 NASB My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, (20) let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
1Ti 5:19-20 NASB Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. (20) Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
Gal 6:1-2 NASB Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. (2) Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
Pro 12:1 NASB Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.
Heb 12:5-11 NASB and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; (6) FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” (7) It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (8) But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (9) Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? (10) For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. (11) All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
1 Peter 4:17 NASB For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1Co 11:30-32 NASB For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Additional Church Discipline references for study:
Mat 18:12-14; Mat 5:23-24; 1Ti 1:20; 2Sa 12:13-14; Acts 5:1-14
