Church discipline is not an option; it is God’s mandate to His church, for the benefit of the sinner, and for the purity and benefit of the church.
Lecture Outline Detailed Outline Remember ItIn the preceding verses our Lord calls attention to how strongly God feels about those whose sin causes “little ones” to stumble (Matthew 18:6). He also emphasizes the eternal consequences of our sin. They are so serious that we would be better off to pluck out or cut off any body member which prompts us to sin and pay an eternal penalty for sin (Matthew 18:7-11).
It seeks the spiritual wellbeing of the sinning saint. It removes sin from the church and it reminds all that God takes sin seriously.
a) Private rebuke, b) witness confirmation of sin and further rebuke, c) informing the church so that the whole church will carry out discipline if repentance does not result, d) putting the wayward saint out of the church, while handing him over to Satan for more serious chastening -but all with the goal of repentance and restoration.
- From Matthew chapter 18, what should motivate you to take church discipline more seriously?
- Aside from failing to initiate church discipline, what are other areas in which we might fail in carrying out church discipline?
- What role should elders play in the discipline process? For example, should an elder initiate discipline for a sin someone else has brought to his attention? What are things the elders should or should not do?
- Identify the major church discipline texts (there are several, in addition to Matthew 18) and integrate these into one document that could guide the discipline process in your church.
Discipline in the Kingdom, by S. Lewis Johnson
Bearing Burderns: How One Sinner Relates to the Sin of another (Gal 6:1-5), by Bob Deffinbaugh
Peter’s Capitulation and Paul’s Correction (Gal 2:11-21), by Bob Deffinbaugh
Freeloaders and the Christian Work Ethic (2 Thess 3:6-18), by Bob Deffinbaugh