The Progressive Nature of Church Discipline

CHURCH ARTICLE | Reagan McClenny | Lufkin, Texas

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”

After urging the brethren of Thessalonica to “…aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands…” in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, he reminds the strong and faithful brethren to “be patient with all.”

It has been rightly said of this verse, “The whole is an admonition against a too strictly disciplinarian spirit. The disorderly are not to be too hastily considered apostates, nor the fainthearted to be regarded as cowards, nor the weak called backsliders, nor are any to be hastily cast out; but the church, being slow to condemn, is to bear with offenders, and seek to reclaim them” (McGarvey/Pendleton).

The prevalent attitudes Christians should show to other Christians are patience and longsuffering. We should show patience and longsuffering even to those who are not what they should be. However, this patience, like God’s longsuffering, is not indefinite. Paul gives us more insight into what the brethren were to be “patient with” in his second letter to the Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 3:6, “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.”

Some of the brethren in the church in Thessalonica had stopped working to watch for Christ’s coming, and in so doing had become idle, disorderly busybodies. The time for withdrawing spiritual fellowship had come for these unrepentant brethren. Paul goes on to emphasize, however, that even when the time for patience and longsuffering has run out, the required discipline should be tempered with love and genuine care for the offender’s well-being.

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

The principle at work is that of PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE. Like God’s love, our love should never “run out,” but sometimes the patience – the opportunity to make it right without further discipline – is exhausted (see Matthew 18:15-20). Even still, if discipline is required to the point of withdrawing, it is love that drives the actions. It is a different manifestation of that love, but it continues to be grounded in compassion for their souls and compassion that desires a better future for them. Isn’t that love? Instead of allowing these to remain in the same old problems all their lives leading to a rude awakening on the judgment day, we seek to awaken them before that day occurs! Such discipline is not entered into with flippancy or pleasure, but with soberness and dread, when it must be done, for the well-being of all involved.

What made it necessary, in this passage, for this greater step to be taken? They were “walking” disorderly. Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 5, and 2 Thessalonians 3 all describe Christians living in habitual, unrepentant sin, but trying to still have “fellowship” and influence with the local church. This sin was not a one-time problem, where they had fallen and were seeking to get back up. Instead, the disorderly brethren in Thessalonica were perpetually and habitually idle. They were defiantly living a disorderly life even after being helped, warned, and admonished (even by Paul himself in this case). This wallowing in sin cannot be tolerated – when one is in sin, with no real, lasting attempt to get out of it. This passage describes one who is coming up with any excuse to remain in the desired condition, knowing the whole time that it is not what God wants, but he or she wants it this way, so that’s what he or she is going to do.

Be patient, but if someone refuses to change when given every opportunity, withdrawal is the next step.

What does this action accomplish?

1. It protects the congregation from the leavening influence of the one in sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). Protecting the church is an important consideration in church discipline, but not the primary emphasis of this article.
2. It shows a true love for that person in helping them realize their lost condition so they can return to the Father. We “do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” It forces the brothers or sisters in sin to face the facts of their situations. It gives them a very real, concrete choice of right or wrong. It is God’s way of trying to wake them up and show them how far they’ve fallen and how serious their condition is.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolators, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolator, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner – not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person.'”

Remember, this is a brother who is still trying to “pretend” to be a faithful Christian and have spiritual fellowship with the local church. If this is his situation, “do not even eat with such a one.” Our church discipline is forcing a CHOICE! Removing physical association is a visual/physical reminder of the choice the one in sin is making. Do you want to be a Christian or part of the world? The purpose is that he might “be ashamed” (2 Thessalonians 3:14). We are trying to get him to “come to himself” as the Prodigal son did, and choose to come back to God.

Is that love? Absolutely. In fact, in the example we have in the Corinthian church (a man in an ongoing sexual sin) Paul emphasizes that this is done out of love, and if one repents after this necessary action, we should “reaffirm” our love for them.

2 Corinthians  2:5-8, “But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent – not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.”

Why reaffirm? Love was already AFFIRMED! The text implies that we have already shown our love in “deed and in truth” by our actions – the love was there the whole time, only now we should reaffirm our love as a means of comfort to the returning prodigal brother or sister.

Some say that this kind of sharp discipline NEVER works in practical, real-world situations. Allow me to offer two replies to this line of thinking:

1. This is saying that I know better than God and despising the specific instructions given by the Father. This is HIS means of discipline to bring them back. Who are we to deny His discipline? We would not be so bold with the physical children of another. For example, imagine one of my daughters were to ask for a piece of candy, and I say, “No,” but she disobeys me and tries to get it anyway, so I send her to her room. What if another adult got the piece of candy, took it to her room and then scooped her up and brought her out? How would any parent respond to someone else denying his rightful discipline? Would we do this with God?
2. This is just flat NOT TRUE. It worked in the New Testament; it works today. I have seen it work even in the congregation with which I work. it is the last resort in the progression of discipline to appeal to the hearts of individuals. if their heart can be softened, and if they have a good and honest heart, then it can be their moment to hear, “Thou art the man!” and repent! Our use of congregational discipline is their opportunity, provoked by our genuine love, to come back into the grace of God and enjoy the benefits of being His children once more.

19.07.02 | GROW magazine