A Sober Discourse on the Right to Church Discipline

In 21st American Evangelicalism, the title of this article has likely offended a slew of individuals already. How so, you might ask. It is built upon a few fundamental assumptions that have fallen upon hard times. One, the church is an identifiable institution; church membership exists in a tangible, visible, and identifiable way. Two, that identifiable institution has the ability to discipline members who step out of line. Three, not only does the church have that ability, but they have the obligation and the right. Additionally, members have the obligation and privileged-right to receive said discipline with joy and thanksgiving to God for that blessing. Church discipline is just that. It is a blessing. 

Because individuals today tend to be so, well individualistic, many have lost sight of this important reality. Rather than seeing discipline as a tool in the hands of the Sovereign God for their sanctification, and the conformity of the corporate body, moderns tend to view it as an attack upon their autonomy. In a sense they are correct. Autonomy posits that every man is a law unto himself. Church discipline does not allow for this position. Rather, it recognizes this type of autonomy as wicked and uses all of the tools at its disposal to reconcile the wayward saint to the truth. It wields the law of God for good on those who are being devoured by the enemy of their soul. Autonomous-man can not tolerate such an attack upon their Highest Good. To attack their ability to declare good and evil is seen as nothing short of blasphemy, legalism, and hatred.

Why the need for this sober discourse?

Without going into detail, because frankly the details are unimportant and not yet known fully, the Reformed world was rocked this morning by the announcement of the removal of a prominent pastor due to his sin. Rightfully so, many were blindsided by this revelation. It is a good thing that it came as a shock. Who wants to live in a world where this type of thing is so common that it is ordinary news? But the need for sobriety comes at this point. There is a sense in which we ought not be shocked at all. What I am hearing and reading from various corners of the web should cause us to stop, shut up, grieve, evaluate our own walk, and thank God for the faithfulness of a local church; for the blessing of church discipline (And may we never lose sight of the reality that what is being used as cannon fodder by some, was a devastating blow to an entire congregation of our brothers and sisters, as well as the families involved).

The very few public details of this particular case do not leave the reader with much to go on. But what the reader does have to go on is also voluminous. A leader sinned in such a way as to disqualify himself in the eyes of his co-elders. This particular leader has such a public platform that his collapse will inevitably have far-reaching ramifications. Yet, out of faithfulness to God and for the good and restoration of the guilty, and for the good of the victims, the elders of this church denied autonomy as a rational standard and clung to God’s standards of care. This is exactly the type of leadership that a church needs and is one of many reasons that a plurality of elders is a blessing to the people of God. 

We ought to be mature enough to recognize multiple realities at the same time. Sin sucks. But we have a good and gracious savior. Sin has consequences. But the Lord is building his church and has given her the tools necessary to accomplish her task. It is a shock when seemingly faithful men are caught in their sin. But no man is free of temptations and only One man is able to lead His church sinlessly. If you take your eyes off of Him, your doom is waiting behind a corner and will find you. 

A Right to Church Discipline?

Contrary to popular belief, rights come from God, not from man. As such, what God defines as a right is always a right, and what man identifies as a right, is usually a wrong. We have a right to church discipline. Both corporately and individually. Corporately, it is the duty of God’s royal priesthood to guard the Holy Nation from uncleanliness. When a serpent wriggles into the garden we can either step on its head or let it roam free and bite the sheep. A good shepherd, because he has identifiable sheep, knows where to be on guard. This is the right of the church. It is the corporate duty of the saints to smash snakes. It is also the corporate duty of the saints to tend to the wounds of the sheep who have been bitten. Unfortunately, rather than helping slay dragons, many sheep have drunk deeply from the well of autonomy and tag team with the snake by biting the hands of their shepherds.

Sobriety demands that we identify, and distinguish, between the snake and the sheep who has been bitten. Online discourse allows for rapid-fire commentary and encourages quick, uninformed, often callous statements that are unbecoming of sheep. Now I’m not saying that we need to close our eyes to the reality around us. Be on the lookout for snakes. But wisdom would dictate that we are slow to open our mouths too widely until the blessing of church discipline has reached its final conclusion. Ideally, that conclusion is the full reconciliation of the guilty party to the Law-word of God and the making whole of the innocent victims. In the mean time, may we pray for those who have been abused and impacted. May we praise God for the blessing of church discipline. May we evaluate our own hearts lest we become blind to our own proclivity for sin and stumble. And may we never take our eyes off of the One who actually provides the sacrifice for the sins that so easily entangle us.