So no, church discipline is not fun. It is hard and uncomfortable and often messy. But is is good. It is good for the one caught in sin, and it is good for the church as a whole. And as we seek to be faithful to the word of God, the world watches. May we be a repentant people. May God be honored in His church.

When you hear the words “church discipline” and “excommunication”, what comes to your mind? Maybe you grew up Catholic and they bring a variety of thoughts to your head. Or maybe you’ve grown up in a typical Protestant church and have never seen it done or heard it taught. Maybe you’ve heard of church hurt stories or abuse, and you don’t know what to do with church discipline. In light of all this, I want to say something: Church discipline is not fun, but it’s good. I want to give you three reasons why I think church discipline is good.

But before I do that, I need to say this first: Church discipline is biblical. In Matthew 18, Jesus teaches us that there is a proper sequence of events when administering church discipline. Go to the person one-on-one, then take others with you, then take it to the church. This is the proper flow. And if someone doesn’t respond to these pleas for repentance, then it is the responsibility of the church to carry out excommunication. I say all of this to say that church discipline is good, even without my three reasons. Church discipline is good, because God made it. And because God is also good and wise, following Him actually is beneficial! Now on to my reasons!

Church Discipline is Good for the Sinner

When church discipline is carried out correctly, it is really good for the one who is caught in sin. Imagine what a lack of church discipline communicates.

Read More