But when I write about church discipline, the topic expands into both biblical teachings, particularly ecclesiology, and practical church ministry. A healthy church is ultimately a biblical church. And there should be little debate about the biblical mandate for churches to exercise church discipline.

ThomRainer.com focuses on the local church, pastors and staff, and leadership. By its very nature, the blog is practical, often citing statistics and sociological research. There are many able persons who focus on areas I do not, such as key biblical and theological matters.

Still, if my blog, or any of my other writings for that matter, do not have biblical foundations, I am nothing more than an amateurish sociologist or a secular researcher. I must constantly ask if everything I write is in line with Scripture. Ultimate truth is found in His Word.

But when I write about church discipline, the topic expands into both biblical teachings, particularly ecclesiology, and practical church ministry. A healthy church is ultimately a biblical church. And there should be little debate about the biblical mandate for churches to exercise church discipline.

Yet the topic of church discipline seems to be primarily reserved for the theologians and a few pastors. Those of us who write about practical ministry and church health rarely mention this topic, even though it is a clear biblical practice. Allow me to note seven observations about church discipline.

1. Church discipline is thoroughly biblical. As examples, note the following passages in Scripture: Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; 13:1-3. Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12; and Titus 3:9-11.

2. Church discipline is rarely exercised by leaders in local churches. In my own denomination, church discipline began to wane in the 1870s, and is almost non-existent today.

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