Church Discipline and the Role of Congregational Worship

An academic position paper exploring the theological framework of church discipline. This piece argues that discipline should serve as an avenue for restoration and soul care rather than isolation, examining how churches can maintain gospel integrity while keeping doors open for spiritual healing.

The heartbeat of the church is to proclaim the hope and restoration of the gospel to all that may come and have ears to hear. This mission should permeate through every ministry offered within the church, including congregational worship. To be under church discipline is not a punishment upon the believer, but rather an urgent admonishment for the believer to respond to their sin with repentance and a changed lifestyle. For the church, to prioritize church discipline is to “help the individual Christian and the congregation grow in godliness.”1

Because the heart of church discipline is for the Christian to turn away from their sin and back to Christ, the church must continue to allow the individual to attend congregational worship services. What better place for an individual who has hardened their heart or fallen into sin? To allow the individual to participate in congregational worship puts them in a place to be in the presence of God through the proclamation of the Word through music, scripture reading, and preaching. It is only in cases when the individual is a physical threat to the body that they should not be allowed to participate in congregational worship.2 

The church must consider that if they were to ask a member to stop attending congregational worship services due to living in unrepentant sin, then the church would need to consider banning every member in the church that is not a believer living in sin, or other church attenders living in sin that don’t hold to membership. The Church must be careful not to execute a brash ban order. The church is not Buckingham Palace, where only those who meet a certain standard may attend, but rather a hospital in the middle of a war zone. 

However, the church must take seriously those who are in membership and in positions of authority and leadership. Sin destroys everything in sight with no regard for those affected.
“Sin hinders fellowship among believers and with God. In order for reconciliation to occur, the sin must be dealt with.”3  While discipline is primarily about reconciliation and restoration for the individual, it is also vital for preventing sin from spreading throughout the church.

While a hospital is a place for the desperately wounded, it is also a professional place that has employed capable physicians who have been entrusted to tend to the sick and dying. Those in membership and in positions of authority must take seriously the work of soul care in the church. A nurse who sees no need to wash her hands before tending to a patient is a danger to the most vulnerable. It is much the same that a Christian who refuses to tend to their sin is a hazard to the spiritually sick, as they have been infected by their own sickness that is continually destroying their fellowship with God (1Jh.1:6 ESV). Those that are infected by a virus are not to be the ones tending to the sick because the risk of a mass spread of disease will destroy all who come into contact.

The illustration given brings much weight to how the church must consider church discipline. A leader that refuses to walk as an example that is worthy of the position given must be examined and brought before the church for discipline. The church must consider the depth of their sin and assign discipline that is appropriate for the situation. 

The church must consider that by allowing those under church discipline to continue to attend congregational worship,  that the church must stand united on how to treat those under discipline. Members should not shame the individual nor should they pacify the issue. Their engagement should be centered on edification towards the Christian with a focus on repentance of their sin. The church’s motivation should always be for an individual to be restored back to membership (Gal.6:1).

Church discipline brings much discomfort and nuance, but is necessary for a healthy church. Members should care for the individual under discipline as their brother rather than as someone who is less than. Those in leadership should only disclose the discipline to those needed. Discipline doesn’t need to be on display for the entire church 6. Typically, only when excommunication from membership does the entire church membership need to be informed of the situation. This is modeled after Jesus’ instructions on discipline being a gradual progress from a private meeting to a meeting of two or three others (Matt.18:15-17).

The Church is Christ’s bride, who represents Him as His ambassadors before the world. If the local church is to preach a gospel that is salvation and a transformed life dedicated to following Christ in purity out of obedience, then the church must stand firm to walk in obedience. There will come moments when the church will be called to discipline those who are close friends, those with large influence in the church and individuals who have been impactful in the ministry. The church must not withhold godly discipline from those who are favored lest they run the risk of destroying the churches integrity and gospel influence. 

Notes
1.Jonathan Leeman, A Church Discipline Primer, 9marks, March 10th, 2010,https://www.9marks.org/.
2. Leeman, "A Church Discipline Primer."
3. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology 2nd edition (Grand Rapids MI, Zondervan Academic, 2020) 1102-1003.
4.Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1105.

Bibliography

Erikson, Millard,Christian Theorlogy 3rd Edition(Grand Rapids MI, Baker Acedemics,2013).
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology 2nd edition (Grand Rapids Mimage,,I, Zondervan Academic, 2020).
Leeman, Jonathan,A Church Discipline Primer, 9marks, March 10th, 2010,https://www.9marks.org/.