Discipline is a sign of love, even within the church
Part 2 of
an interview with Jeremy Kimble,
Author of
40 Questions about Church
Membership and
Discipline
In 40 Questions
about Church Membership and Discipline (Kregel Academic), Dr. Jeremy M. Kimble
recognizes and addresses questions church leaders and members have on the
subjects. With succinct chapters, this book is a practical resource for any
church leader, elder board, seminary student or new member seeking a
foundational understanding of how the church should function.
Church discipline is an often thorny topic, but Kimble
describes discipline as a proper demonstration of the biblical concept of love.
He writes that God disciplines those whom he loves, and thus a church who
claims to love its members without disciplining them contradicts Scripture and
offers a different kind of love than God does. Church discipline can potentially be a
painful process, but as a spiritual family we are called to work through such
matters faithfully and gently.
Q: How did you come to write a
book on church membership and discipline?
There has
been a resurgence of discussion about membership and discipline in recent years
due to the ministries of people such as Mark Dever, but there is certainly more
to be said. Because of this, the topic intrigued me, so I decided to write my
doctoral dissertation on the subject.
After
completing my degree, teaching in a Christian university setting and serving as
an elder in my local church, the ideas of membership and discipline continued
to make their mark on my thinking. I realized that if we want to persevere in
our faith and progressively grow as disciples, church membership and discipline
would be key factors in that growth. I am passionate about educating church leaders,
members, and seminary students about this important subject, which is why I
wrote 40 Questions About Church
Membership and Discipline.
Q: What is church discipline,
and why is it necessary for the church to function properly?
Church
discipline is divine authority delegated to the church by Jesus
Christ to maintain order through the correction of persistently sinning church
members for the good of those caught in sin, the purity of the church and the
glory of God.
Discipline is a practice that should occur regularly within the church, and it
is intended to keep God’s people on the path of perseverance and to exhort the
one under discipline to repent. This can be thought of in both formative and
corrective terms, the former referring to typical church life and practices
intended to help all Christians grow in their faith (e.g., preaching, teaching,
counseling, small groups, etc.), the latter referring to specific correction
meted out to those involved in ongoing, unrepentant sin. Discipline is necessary
and vital for the health of the church because it reminds us what we are doing
as members, namely, pursuing growth in love and holiness.
Q: Explain what you mean when
you write, “As counterintuitive as it sounds, discipline is a proper
demonstration of the biblical concept of love.”
Love
is not mere tolerance. Love is the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the
needs of others (2 Corinthians 8:1–15), the biggest need being conformity to
the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). To that end, God disciplines those
whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6–11), and thus a church who claims to love its
members without disciplining them contradicts Scripture and offers a different
kind of love than God does. Church discipline can
potentially be a painful process, but as a spiritual family we are called to
work through such matters faithfully and gently. As such, not only are we
called to go through this process in a loving manner, the very act of
discipline should be seen as an act of love.
Q: Many people may argue
excommunication, the final step of church discipline, is harsh, but why it is
sometimes necessary? How is excommunication often misunderstood?
When
people think of church discipline in general, they often just think of
excommunication, which they understand as “kicking people out of the church.”
What fails to be understood is typically churches follow a process from Matthew
18:15–20 before excommunication ever
happens. There we are told we should confront the individual multiple times,
long before excommunication is considered, with the hope they will repent of
their sin. If repentance never happens after this process, with grief and
sorrow the church must obey the teachings of Jesus and remove this person from
membership. However, this is to be done in love and with the hope the person
under discipline will repent and be restored. Thus, it is not merely “kicking
someone out.” If excommunication does occur, people should fervently pray and
take opportunities to encourage the person toward repentance since restoration
is the real goal.
Q: How are church membership,
discipline and discipleship all interrelated?
Church
membership is the front door of church life, and discipline (especially
excommunication) is the back door. When one comes into the front door of
membership they are ushered into a community that fellowships around the truths
of the gospel. They are committed to one another, encouraging each other to
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We seek to imitate
God, walking in love (Ephesians 5:1–2), and we aim to be holy because God is holy
(1 Peter 1:15–16). All that is described
here could also be deemed discipleship, as we continue in community to learn
from Jesus to live like Jesus. Discipline comes into play because at times we
are not in step with what Jesus is calling us to do, pursuing sin instead. When
this occurs, sin must be confronted with the hopes that the rebuke is heard and
the pursuit of faithful discipleship is taken up with renewed vigor.
Learn more about 40
Questions about Church Membership and Discipline and the other books in the
40 Questions series at www.kregel.com.
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