Church Governments

Lesson 11

The New Testament Authority To Administer Discipline

WARNING: This lesson may be controversial and offensive, but only to the immature Christian who has no interest in running the race that is set before them.

One of the responsibilities of all authority is to keep order and to enact judgment and discipline when necessary. In every venue of life, authority figures wield the right to rebuke, correct, discipline, and even punish. The world’s authorities are authorized to do more than just correct. They can also punish. For example, employers can fire, teachers can eject from class, principals can suspend from school, police can arrest, and the military can dishonorably discharge and will even court-martial and hang. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is no different.

Discipline is different from correction. Discipline is what comes after correction is ignored. The escalation of correction is as follows:

Instruction—Correction—Admonition—Rebuke—Discipline

Discipline—The practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.

Anyone in any kind of authority is given some level of authorization to discipline if rules are not followed. It should come as no surprise, then, that we would also find authority to discipline in the local church; which is the household of God, the army of the living God, the

KINGDOM CONSEQUENCES

Many Christians ignorantly believe they can live or act any way they want to within the confines of the local church ministry and not face any confrontation. This is totally unscriptural. According to the Bible, there are to be consequences for living a dirty and rebellious Christian life. Aside from a public rebuke, the Bible prescribes, in some scenarios, EXCOMMUNICATION! Gulp! Shocking? It shouldn’t be. After all, even a bar will kick you out if you get too . . . sinful.

NT DISCIPLINE/PUNISHMENT

Throughout the New Testament, we find discipline being enacted in only four different ways, they are:

1. Resistance

2. Demotion

3. Excommunication

4. Death

RESISTANCE AND DEMOTION

The first level of discipline enacted upon a Christian who refuses to heed correction and rebuke is resistance. God will use resistance and frustration to discipline a stubborn saint. To the spiritually sensitive Christian, this is most miserable and effective.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. – 1 Peter 5:5c NKJV

If God is resisting you, you will know it. Your life will be difficult and miserable. The Spirit of God that is resisting you might, at times, also bear witness with church leadership to also resist you and, in effect, not use you in the ministry.

But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. – Acts 15:38 NLT

Here, Paul refused to use John Mark because of his lack of faithfulness to the ministry, considering John Mark had abandoned Paul and Barnabas on their first trip. Not taking John Mark with them on their second missionary trip would have been an act of church discipline. On an encouraging note, John Mark was eventually able to redeem himself (2 Timothy 4:11).

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; – 1 Timothy 1:12

Paul was promoted to ministry after he was found faithful. It stands to reason, he could have been demoted if he was ever found unfaithful. Demotion is a form of discipline and spiritual resistance.

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. – Psalm 75:6-7

God distributes promotion and demotion, and He usually uses mankind to do so. Thankfully, humility and repentance can reverse these forms of discipline.

EXCOMMUNICATION

Stepping up a level in spiritual discipline, we find actual excommunication. This is a very biblical form of discipline. Should demotion and resistance fail to humble the stubborn or train the guilty party, it may be necessary to actually put them out of the church in order to prevent the leaven of rebellion from spreading.

SIX NT REASONS TO EXCOMMUNICATE

Church leaders have a right, and are actually commanded, to excommunicate stubbornly sinful Christians for the following six reasons:

1. Unwilling to repent of an open sin (trespass)

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen (pagan) man and a publican. – Matthew 18:17

2. Sowing discord

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them (shun, eschew). – Romans 16:17
A man that is an heretick (schismatic) after the first and second admonition (rebuke) reject (shun, avoid). – Titus 3:10

A heretic is someone who uses bad or differing doctrine to split a church.

3. Disobedient to doctrine

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. – 2 Thessalonians 3:14
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. – 1 Timothy 6:3-5

4. Apostasy, teaching heretical doctrine

Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. – 1 Timothy 1:20
And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. – 2 Timothy 2:17-18
A man that is an heretick (schismatic) after the first and second admonition (rebuke) reject (shun, avoid). – Titus 3:10

5. Gross immorality

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed [sex with his step-mother] might be taken away from among you. – 1 Corinthians 5:2

6. Refusal to get a job

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly (no show at work), – 1 Thessalonians 5:14a
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly (out of ranks, idle, no job), and not after the tradition which he received of us. – 2 Thessalonians 3:6

Thankfully, humility and repentance can reverse this form of discipline. The Corinthian fornicator was excommunicated but found repentance and was allowed back into the church.

DEATH

The final and most extreme form of New Testament discipline is death. We might say, if you refuse to get it right, you get to go home early. This is the final straw and is irreversible.

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. – Acts 5:3-5

Not only was this an open rebuke in front of the whole assembly, but it was also an instant rendering of judgment. Ananias and his wife Sapphira both dropped dead in the church service.

To deliver such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. – 1 Corinthians 5:5

This was the man who acted like a Christian in right standing but was openly having sex with his step-mom. Paul’s judgment on him was death. Paul commanded the whole church of Corinth to deliver this man into the custody of satan for a death sentence. Thankfully he repented and turned the situation around.

For he that eateth and drinketh [this cup] unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. – 1 Corinthians 11:29-31

Death is the possible end result for those who refuse to honor the Body of Christ.

Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. – 1 Timothy 1:20

These two ministers had left the true faith and had become heretics. Paul delivered them to the school of satan that they might learn to not be blasphemous. It may have ended in the same result as the Corinthian fornicator, but that is only speculation.

As we can see from these many verses, there is very much a biblical precedent of discipline for those Christians who refuse to submit to correction and instruction. Be quick to obey the Word that you might avoid discipline. Amen!

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Church Governments

Lesson 11

The New Testament Authority To Administer Discipline

**WARNING: This lesson may be controversial and offensive, but only to the immature Christian who has no interest in running the race that is set before them.**

Discipline is different from correction. Discipline is what comes after correction is ignored. The escalation of correction is as follows:

Instruction—Correction—Admonition—Rebuke—Discipline

Discipline—The practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.

Anyone in any kind of authority is given some level of authorization to discipline if rules are not followed. It should come as no surprise, then, that we would also find authority to discipline in the local church; which is the household of God, the army of the living God, the

KINGDOM CONSEQUENCES

NT DISCIPLINE/PUNISHMENT

Throughout the New Testament, we find discipline being enacted in only four different ways, they are:

1. Resistance

2. Demotion

3. Excommunication

4. Death

RESISTANCE AND DEMOTION

The first level of discipline enacted upon a Christian who refuses to heed correction and rebuke is resistance. God will use resistance and frustration to discipline a stubborn saint. To the spiritually sensitive Christian, this is most miserable and effective.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. – 1 Peter 5:5c NKJV

If God is resisting you, you will know it. Your life will be difficult and miserable. The Spirit of God that is resisting you might, at times, also bear witness with church leadership to also resist you and, in effect, not use you in the ministry.

But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. – Acts 15:38 NLT

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; – 1 Timothy 1:12

Paul was promoted to ministry after he was found faithful. It stands to reason, he could have been demoted if he was ever found unfaithful. Demotion is a form of discipline and spiritual resistance.

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. – Psalm 75:6-7

God distributes promotion and demotion, and He usually uses mankind to do so. Thankfully, humility and repentance can reverse these forms of discipline.

EXCOMMUNICATION

SIX NT REASONS TO EXCOMMUNICATE

Church leaders have a right, and are actually commanded, to excommunicate stubbornly sinful Christians for the following six reasons:

1. Unwilling to repent of an open sin (trespass)

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen (pagan) man and a publican. – Matthew 18:17

2. Sowing discord

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them (shun, eschew). – Romans 16:17

A man that is an heretick (schismatic) after the first and second admonition (rebuke) reject (shun, avoid). – Titus 3:10

A heretic is someone who uses bad or differing doctrine to split a church.

3. Disobedient to doctrine

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. – 2 Thessalonians 3:14

4. Apostasy, teaching heretical doctrine

Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. – 1 Timothy 1:20

And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. – 2 Timothy 2:17-18

A man that is an heretick (schismatic) after the first and second admonition (rebuke) reject (shun, avoid). – Titus 3:10

5. Gross immorality

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed [sex with his step-mother] might be taken away from among you. – 1 Corinthians 5:2

6. Refusal to get a job

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly (no show at work), – 1 Thessalonians 5:14a

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly (out of ranks, idle, no job), and not after the tradition which he received of us. – 2 Thessalonians 3:6

Thankfully, humility and repentance can reverse this form of discipline. The Corinthian fornicator was excommunicated but found repentance and was allowed back into the church.

DEATH

The final and most extreme form of New Testament discipline is death. We might say, if you refuse to get it right, you get to go home early. This is the final straw and is irreversible.

Not only was this an open rebuke in front of the whole assembly, but it was also an instant rendering of judgment. Ananias and his wife Sapphira both dropped dead in the church service.

To deliver such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. – 1 Corinthians 5:5

For he that eateth and drinketh [this cup] unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. – 1 Corinthians 11:29-31

Death is the possible end result for those who refuse to honor the Body of Christ.

Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. – 1 Timothy 1:20

These two ministers had left the true faith and had become heretics. Paul delivered them to the school of satan that they might learn to not be blasphemous. It may have ended in the same result as the Corinthian fornicator, but that is only speculation.

As we can see from these many verses, there is very much a biblical precedent of discipline for those Christians who refuse to submit to correction and instruction. Be quick to obey the Word that you might avoid discipline. Amen!

Listen Along:

WARNING: This lesson may be controversial and offensive, but only to the immature Christian who has no interest in running the race that is set before them.

**And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen (pagan) man and a publican. – Matthew 18:17**