Church Discipline

[Aaron56]

I’ve been part of and have administrated several incidences of church discipline. In all cases I knew the offender intimately. Most repented and returned to the church.

We meet in each other’s homes only using a rented building when we need to. The church is not a public place, it is “the called out of God”. It is an exclusive club whose membership is determined by the Lord. Calling a building a church and inviting the public to attend is something not found in scripture. In this set up, “church discipline” has no place and no support from the Lord: the people can be strangers, even worldly, and we have no authority over worldly people. Some of the examples above, cited as “discipline”, are actually something else akin to guarding the gates of entry. Simply removing someone from a meeting, just to remove them, is not discipline. It’s “security”.

 

[Genez]

I’ve been part of and have administrated several incidences of church discipline. In all cases I knew the offender intimately. Most repented and returned to the church.

We meet in each other’s homes only using a rented building when we need to. The church is not a public place, it is “the called out of God”. It is an exclusive club whose membership is determined by the Lord. Calling a building a church and inviting the public to attend is something not found in scripture. In this set up, “church discipline” has no place and no support from the Lord: the people can be strangers, even worldly, and we have no authority over worldly people. Some of the examples above, cited as “discipline”, are actually something else akin to guarding the gates of entry. Simply removing someone from a meeting, just to remove them, is not discipline. It’s “security”.

Yes... Removing them from the fellowship is the way.

Like when Paul admonished the Corinthians to do in regards the to the young man sleeping with his mother and other problems.
They were told to keep away from him and have no fellowship. 1 Corinthians 5:1-12...

He later repented..

 

[ParticularWife]

At 77 and Churched all my life, I would like to run a Poll and see how many have been in a Church that exercised Church Discipline?

When I was younger in the PCA, never. Now that I'm in the opc I can think of a few incidents, mostly with new members. However, people who are inclined to bring on church discipline are probably not going to go the OPC very long, they'll go back to the PCUSA, which believes church discipline is a form of fascism.

 

[Aaron56]

Yes... Removing them from the fellowship is the way.

Like when Paul admonished the Corinthians to do in regards the to the young man sleeping with his mother and other problems.
They were told to keep away from him and have no fellowship. 1 Corinthians 5:1-12...

He later repented..

In each case, the offenses were severe enough even the unbelievers knew better. Still, most repented. Others went to church buildings and bragged about how they "escaped a cult". You know, because telling someone that chasing women, while married, is wrong is something only cults do.

 

[ParticularWife]

. Others went to church buildings and bragged about how they "escaped a cult". You know, because telling someone that chasing women, while married, is wrong is something only cults do.

This reminds me of some of the atheists I see talking about their frightening Fundamentalist childhood, and your find out they went to a milquetoast, mainline Methodist church.

 

[Genez]

Too bad, it's more about socializing and having a social protocol.....

Then someone actually being capable of teaching accurate and detailed expository teaching.
I'm not trying to be sarcastic..... But, it is pitiful how watered down teaching of the Word of God has become.

 

[Genez]

When I was younger in the PCA, never. Now that I'm in the opc I can think of a few incidents, mostly with new members. However, people who are inclined to bring on church discipline are probably not going to go the OPC very long, they'll go back to the PCUSA, which believes church discipline is a form of fascism.

We all here do not know what you are talking about.

What the heck is? PCA ... OPC ... PCUSA????

I'm pretty sure we would know what they are if you just would have said what they are.

Do you KHTOL?

 

[Aaron56]

Too bad, it's more about socializing and having a social protocol.....

Then someone actually being capable of teaching accurate and detailed expository teaching.
I'm not trying to be sarcastic..... But, it is pitiful how watered down teaching of the Word of God has become.

Oh, it's worse than that. These people knew me personally. I had walked with them in the Lord for about 5 years.

After I had called the woman's husband to account (he was caught using dating sites for hook-ups) and forbade him from attending our gatherings, the wife defended him for wanting "social interaction". I said to her "You've been with me for 5 years and haven't heard a word I've said".

They went down the road to a Sunday Box and were extolled for their bravery for leaving a cult. Since then, at least one of their leaders was caught in a sexual scandal. Not surprisingly, he was adulterous with another man's wife. When you do shoddy work yourself, you don't call for the home inspector.

 

[ThereRoseaLamb]

At 77 and Churched all my life, I would like to run a Poll and see how many have been in a Church that exercised Church Discipline?

I think now days it's more of a church split. People just disagree and leave. But I have seen church discipline not long ago. We had an unwed couple attending our church that had a baby. They let people know in the church that they were living together but were not going to get married in order to cheat the gov't. One of the ladies in the church got the women together and gave her a baby shower. Our pastor wasn't pleased. So he took the couple aside and said that they needed to make things right and get married. They got angry with him and left the church. I think a couple followed. We only have a small country church but the pastor felt he had to do what was right. Sunday he got up at the pulpit and told the congregation what he said and what happened. And that was the end of it. He's a very easy going guy but he will speak up when there is an issue.