Identity: Discipline of the Church
INTRODUCTION: The meaning, Webster, "Treatment suited to a disciple, education, training, subjection to rule, the habit of obedience." It is two-fold: (1) instructive, (2) corrective.
I. Instructive Discipline, Prevntative in Nature:
1. The work of the Bishops o Elders:
a. Feed the flock (Acts 20:2).
b. Tend the flock (I Pet. 5:2.
c. Take the oversight (I Pet 5:2).
d. Rule well by example (I im. 5:17).
e. Watch for souls (Heb. 1:17).
f. Must give account (Heb 13:17).
2. The attitude of the Churc:
a. Esteem them highly in lve (I Thess. 5:12-13).
b. Submit to them (Heb. 1: 17).
c. Obey them (Heb. 13:7).
d. Count them worthy of honor I Tim. 5:17).
e. Imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7).
3. A recognition of these duties will maintain God‘s order. To reject them results in anarchy and
in a state of spiritual bolshevism in the Church.
II. Corrective Discipline, Chastising or Penalizing in Its Nature:
1. Its importance.
a. The Lord wants a pure Church (Eph. 5:25-27; II Cor. 11:2-3).
b. To harbor sin, disorder, rebellion, wickedness in the Church brings the frowns and the
displeasure of the Lord on those guilty of doing so. A little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump (I Cor. 5:6).
c. Corrective discipline therefore has a two-fold purpose:
1. To save the Church (I Cor. 5:5).
2. To save the guilty party (1 Cor. 5:5).
2. Upon whom to be exercised:
a. Those who walk disorderly (II Thess. 3:6). One who persists in sin, rebels against the
teaching (I Cor. 5:11-13).
b. A busybody, troublemaker, one who will not 6:17; 2 Jn. 9-10; Titus 3:10-11).
3. The scriptural course to pursue(Matt. 18:15-18):
a. Pray for them (I Jn. 5:16).
b. Try to convert them (J as. 5:19-20).
c. Restore them ifpossible (Gal. 6:1).
d. Admonish them (I Thess. 5:14).
e. As a last resort, if they will not repent, withdraw from them (2 Thess. 3:6;
I Cor. 5:4-13).
f. In which case it is the duty of the Church as a Whole to support such action (I Cor. 5:9-13;
2 Jn. 10-11; Matt. 18:17).
Questions For Discussion:
1. Define the word "discipline."
2. Who are to have the oversight in preventing, if possible, rigid steps in discipline?
3. Name some ways how they may prevent the exercise of discipline.
4. What is to be the attitude of the Church toward the elders?
5. What does the Lord want the Church to be?
6. Why then, is corrective discipline sometimes necessary?
7. Who are to be disciplined?
8. What course is to be pursued in disciplining the disorderly?
9. How should the whole Church support the actions of the elders in withdrawal of fellowship?
10. How are those disciplined to be treated?