Church Censures: Objections

"For the moment, all discipline sems painful rather than pleasant..."

There are two objections that are commonly voiced whenever the subject of church discipline comes up. The first is that discipline is harmful to sinners. It embarrasses them, it makes them feel unloved, it damages their self-esteem. The second objection is that discipline judges a brother's soul before God without warrant. We all know Matthew 7:1 (the world's favorite Bible verse) by heart from the number of times it gets quoted in these contexts.

How to respond? Firstly, Jesus Christ has commanded church discipline. By itself, this is sufficient to quash all objections. But there is more. Scripture sets forth this method of reclaiming erring brothers and demonstrates that it works (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). The lack of church discipline is indifference to the honor of Christ and the welfare of his flock. Exercising church discipline is no more an attempt to judge another's soul than is admittance to church membership in the first place, as prospective members should be examined as to the credibility of the faith they profess. The keys go together.

It is better that the honor of Christ and the cause of his truth be maintained than that 1000 sinners stay on the membership rolls to his dishonor. The results may be a smaller church, but it will be a more pure church. Our contemporary obsession with numbers and numerical growth is profoundly misplaced. We need to repent of it and trust God, not our marketing skills, for the increase.

"...but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11).

Tomorrow: The utility of church assemblies.