A Word about Healthy Church Discipline

Today I want to share a word about healthy church discipline as I comment on Acts 5:1-11, which reads,

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”  But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

As we rebuild our ministries after COVID-19, we have been reviewing the characteristics of a healthy church as taught by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. One of those characteristics is Biblical church discipline, which reminds me of a story told by Dr. Landrum Leavell, who was then president of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Leavell had travelled to Moscow to meet with the leaders of Baptist churches there. During their conversations, the subject of church discipline came up. Dr. Leavell commented that Southern Baptists Churches did not implement church discipline very often, to which his Russian Baptist host replied, “And that is why you cannot find half of your church members,” which was a somewhat pointed, if accurate observation. 

It is very true that the churches in the SBC have over 14 million members, but far less than half of those are what we consider to be active members of our churches. That’s why one wag joked, “Do you know what the biggest church in the SBC is? It’s the down-home Baptist church. Just about everyone I ask in my town about church membership say that they are members ‘down home’!”

Church discipline is a difficult subject to get right. When it is ignored, churches are harmed, but when it is done poorly churches are also harmed. What does the Bible say about this delicate subject?

First, Church Discipline is a Serious Responsibility:

If nothing else is clear from our focal passage today, we can see that church discipline is a serious matter!

We often idolize the early church, but in fact, the early church had to negotiate more than a few sticky issues. In the New Testament we see teachings about how the church was to handle such sins as racism, misogyny, polygamy, sexual impurity, and interpersonal relationships. This reminds me that today we can find a warning of a hair dryer which cautions us from using it in a shower or bathtub, because someone used a hair dryer in a shower or a bathtub! In the same way, we know that the cautions about these issues we find in the Bible are because someone was racist, misogynist, polygamist, of loose morals, and just plan ornery!

From this story in Acts 5 we see how serious God takes the issue of the abuse of His church, the Bride of Christ. We also can see that God will not be mocked by those in His own Family. Misbehavior in the church is a serious issue to God, and in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, it cost them their mortal lives.

For God church discipline is evidently a life-or-death matter, so maybe a word to the wise is sufficient? If God is this serious about the behavior of church members, so should we be!

Second, Church Disciple is an Individual Responsibility:

Accountability in church is not something for which the pastor or church leadership is responsible. According to Jesus, it is everyone’s responsibility, as He taught in Matthew 18:15-17:

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

This is a well-known, if not well-practiced, passage of Scripture and the procedure directed by Jesus is understood by most believers. The sad fact is that few people who are offended by another church member do what the Lord directed us to do. Fewer still obey another clear teaching of Jesus regarding relationships in God’s flock. In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus instructed,

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Again, Christ’s guidance is clear here about how we are to act, but the key idea we often miss is this: whether we are the offender or the offended, we must take the first step!

It is a truism in management circles that “everyone’s job is no one’s job.” Managers are taught that a task must be assigned to an individual or a specific team to ensure that the job will get done. That is not the case with church discipline.

Church discipline is more like paying taxes, it is a universal requirement that you can shirk, but at your own risk!

Next, Church Discipline is also a Collective Responsibility:

Church discipline and accountability is not just for individuals, but for the church as a whole. Paul instructed the church at Corinth thusly,

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

Of course, while one purpose of church discipline is to make sure the witness of the church is above reproach, it is also designed to help restore our brothers and sisters who have fallen into sinful behavior, as Paul went on to tell the Galatians,

Brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 

Galatians 6:1

So, as we can see from these passages, accountability is not only good for church health, but it is also good for individual spiritual health.

Next Church Discipline is an Enduring Responsibility:

Church discipline is not a one-time event, because we are accountable to God for the duration of our lives. 

In Matthew 18, after Jesus had taught about how to address offenses between God’s people, Peter asked him a follow-up question. We can tell Peter had been thinking about what Jesus had said because in Matthew 18:21-22 we see this exchange,

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."

We know that the number in the Bible that represent perfection is seven, and so it seems as if Peter was putting a big number in front if Jesus, but Peter received back a surprise. Jesus, in saying that seven was not enough, and that seventy times seven was a better number, did not mean 490 times, but an infinite number of times, like the infinite forgiveness we have of our sin in Christ.

I have learned in my own love that when conflict arises, the path of humility is the best for me to take. I believe this is what Jesus was saying also. We have heard it said, “I’m done with you!” but we are never done forgiving our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Conclusion:

One of the most stressful events of my ministry career was when I was pastor of a church where two lay leaders were in conflict over a point of theology. These two men were individually lovely people, but their relationship deteriorated quickly, and it was starting to materially affect the fellowship in the church and the ability of the church to do ministry. 

I brought them together at a neutral site and explained to them that they were important leaders in the church and that they had to work out their disagreement for the church to be healthy. I told them that they could disagree, but they had to do so without being disagreeable. To my relief they received my counsel, and they learned to work together. They were never great friends, but they were good church members, and they learned to cooperate for the good of the church and the Kingdom.

I cannot claim any credit for that outcome; it certainly was the work of the Holy Spirit that brought those two men together. That experience does give us a model and an example of how accountability and church discipline can help produce a healthy church.

Church discipline may be awkward, it may be difficult, and it may cause fear to strike our hearts, but it doesn't make it any less important to the local church and its work for the Kingdom of God.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt