Church discipline is the process by which a Christian community corrects one of its members who has seriously gone astray. The word can sound frightening, but in the New Testament it is nothing like blind punishment: it follows clear steps, is carried out gently and always aims to restore the person. God is a God of order, and the Church must be too.
In which cases?
The Bible warns about several situations:
- those who cause divisions (Romans 16:17-18);
- those who live in disorder (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 11);
- those who deny the central truths of the faith (Titus 3:10; 2 John 10);
- those who live in immorality (1 Corinthians 5:1-5).
The steps of Matthew 18
Jesus describes a step-by-step process (Matthew 18:15-17):
- speak to the person privately: “go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone”;
- if nothing changes, go back with one or two witnesses;
- then bring the matter before the church;
- if the person persistently refuses to repent, exclude them from fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:5).
The attitude matters as much as the procedure. We are to act “in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1), treat the person as a brother and not as an enemy (2 Thessalonians 3:15), with sorrow and without mockery, and be ready to forgive (2 Corinthians 2:7).
Why discipline?
The course gives three reasons: to protect the Church’s witness before the world (Matthew 5:13-16), to stop evil from spreading (1 Corinthians 5:6-7), and above all to help the person find their way back into fellowship with God (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). The goal is not to exclude, but to bring back.
Two texts that are often misunderstood
The wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). Some conclude from it that we should never try to keep the Church pure. But Jesus himself explains that “the field is the world” (v. 38). As D. A. Carson points out, the parable is about believers and unbelievers being mixed together in the world until the judgement, not about discipline in the Church.
“Judge not” (Matthew 7:1-5). This text condemns hypocritical judgement. It does not forbid discernment: a few verses later, Jesus asks us to recognise false prophets by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-16). Paul entrusts the Church with judging those who are inside it (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).
This discernment is exercised within the proper framework, with respect for the established leaders and in unity. Not judging does not mean giving up discernment, and exercising discipline never means giving up love.