This week we will read the following chapters together; Monday - 1Cor. 5, Tuesday - 1 Cor. 6, Wednesday - 1 Cor. 7, Thursday - 1 Cor. 8, Friday - 1 Cor. 9. It has been exciting to see so many of you coming back on board and adding your comments to the process. Thanks for your faithfulness on this journey! We are almost at the half way point.
Paul continues to talk in chapter 5 about church discipline. The early church was a rigorous place where accountability was practiced and church discipline was common. When John and Charles Wesley began the Methodist movement they exercised strict church discipline among the growing bodies of believers. In each case, the constant care and pruning served to keep the movements alive and fresh. We may think that exercising church discipline would kill a church, but history tends to tell us just the opposite.
I have had a few occasions in my time as a pastor to exercise church discipline in the fellowships I have pastored. Each time I did this with fear and trembling and MUCH prayer, and each time I was told by District Superintendents that they either did not support me, or would not cover for me if things went badly. In each case, it was a painful awkward process, and in each case I have lived with regret. However, in each case the fellowship as a whole has prospered.
I know some of the reasons why we are hesitant to exercise church discipline. It is unpleasant and painful. I also believe that as pastors we are required to move in this area far more often than we are willing, and I believe the church suffers when we refuse to exercise our responsibility. When necessary I will still step out and exercise my duties as a pastor and bring order and discipline to the church, but I will do so with prayer and fear before God who alone knows the heart.
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
4 comments:
Church discipline? What's that? :-P
I'd be trembling myself if I were to do something like that, Bill. Maybe part of the reason we're so scared to act with church discipline is that we're afraid of being held accountable. Not that we do anything "bad" per say, but I'm sure you know as a Pastor how people look to you for advice on everything - and as a "role model" of sorts, even though we've seen in the bible that it clearly says to only look to Jesus for an example...but that's a different story. People can always find flaws in people, so it's hard to "be the one to throw the first stone," isn't it?
I have worked with Young Life kids, and it's really hard to call them out on the things they know they've done wrong. Sometimes, they're afraid to share things with me, other times, they're completely honest. Either way, they CERTAINLY look to me for an example, and ABSOLUTELY find any faults of mine that might show up!
God bless all,
Marshall
Hey Marshall,
The only caution I'd make, and I'm sure you already know this, is the purpose of church discipline and the purpose of stoning.
The purpose of stoning is to kill and eliminate the offending person.
The purpose of church discipline is restoration. We want to restore the fallen brother or sister to fellowship with Christ and the church.
When it works, it is a beautiful thing to watch. When it doesn't - oh boy.
Bill
Yeah - let's keep them with Jesus, not kill them. I get'cha. I wasn't thinking stoning either. :-P. Not my kind of gig.
Thanks!
Marsh
How does Paul's recommendation about who to eat with compare with Jesus' practices? I don't get it. Does Paul just mean in the context of actually being part of a congregation together?
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