Unity or Separation and Church Discipline
Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:19 pm
Here is a question I received and answered today in my email (I don't remember if we have a previous thread on this subject):
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Steve,
I have a question I have been thinking about and have heard some lectures relevant to the topic by you namely the unity in Christ series. My question is regarding trying to practically live out a unified view of scripture in regards to two tensions:
1) The call and reality for unity of Christians (Eph. 4:1-6 and John 17:20-23 to name only a couple)
2)
2) The passages for separating oneself from others who claim to follow Christ but do not hold to proper doctrine (romans 16:17-20, 1 Cor. 5:11, 2 Thes. 3:6, and 1 Tim 6:3-6, 2 John 1:9-11 – some of these may not be as relevant as others.
Therefore, how does one practically keep this tension? Perhaps you can point me to a lecture regarding this question if it would be simpler.
In my situation point 2 has been the theological support for a brothers separation from a corporate body of people. Once an elder of these people now he lives a much more isolated life having church with his family only on Sunday mornings in their home.
It is hard to re-establish the fellowship we once shared and I am concerned that he used point 2 as a justification for this separation when maybe his disagreements/issues were more peripheral issues than ones properly justifiable by those verses. (PS I do not accuse him of anything perhaps his convictions and choices were in line with scripture)
I hope that makes sense. Could you maybe clarify when and how it is appropriate or not to use these passages to cut fellowship? (or point me to a lecture that may be appropriate?)
Thanks,
P.
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Hi P.,
Church unity is based upon the shared features described in Ephesians 4:3-6. There are few true Christians who would reject any of those things Paul lists:
—One body (the body of Christ, comprised of those who embrace His headship)
—One Spirit (the Spirit of Christ, or Holy Spirit, the regenerator and occupant of every member of the body)
—One hope of your calling (this probably means the hope of becoming like Christ—sometimes called "the glory of God" Rom.5:2/Col.1:27)
—One Lord (Obviously, Jesus)
—One faith (either "the Christian faith" itself, or else the experience of justifying faith in Christ)
—One baptism (this refers to all being baptized into Christ Himself, rather than, for example, into Paul, Apollos, Cephas, etc. 1 Cor.1:12-13)
—One God and Father (all born again into God's family, and, therefore, brothers and sisters)
No doubt there are hundreds of lesser matters upon which Christians disagree (e.g., Romans 14:1-6), but none of them should separate those who share the common Christian heritage catalogued above.
Most of the scriptures about church discipline, or separation, have to do with sub-Christian behavior (or sins), not wrong opinions. We see this in Matthew 18:15-17 (the first and only passage in the teachings of Jesus on church discipline), as well as 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; 1 Timothy 6:3-6.
There are a few such scriptures which urge separation from those who are "divisive" or teaching wrong "doctrine," or, more properly, wrong "teaching" (e.g., Romans 16:17-20; Titus 3:9-11; Revelation 2:14-15). However, these dangerous "teachings" are not, generally, in the realm of disputed theological opinions, but again, teachings concerning behavioral norms. For example:
The dangerous teaching referred to in Romans 16 may very well be those teachings Paul abhorred earlier in the book: "Let us do evil that good may come"(3:8), "Let us continue in sin, that grace may abound"(6:1), "Let us sin since we are under grace, not law"(6:15). These are teachings that morally corrupt the Christian community.
Titus 3:9-11 is immediately preceded by the exhortation that "those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works"(v.8). Then comes the instructions to practice those who dispute this apostolic mandate.
The "doctrine (or teaching) of the Nicolaitans," which the church at Pergamum wrongfully tolerated, was closely associated with the "doctrine (or teaching) of Balaam," in the previous verse. Jesus describes this error as teachings that lead to fornication and idolatry. It was probably a form of antinomian gnosticism, which taught that one needn't live a holy life because we are saved by grace.
No doubt there are theological boundaries across which the believer may not cross without becoming a heretic and requiring discipline. One such doctrine would be the affirmation of the future resurrection (2 Timothy 2:18). However, we are not entitled to define those boundaries according to our theological tastes or fashions. For example, one cannot call another a heretic, and disassociate with him over such controversial differences as Calvinism Vs. Arminianism, or Dispensationalism Vs. Covenant Theology, or Cessationism Vs. Continuationism (of the charismatic gifts), or different views of final judgment. All of these are matters of interpretation which are mainly in the theoretical, not the practical or moral realm. Christians differing of such things need to learn to grow up and love each other.
When a moral infraction or a teaching that undermines holy living is found to be in the church, there is a call for discipline. If the sin is a personal wrong done by one member toward another, the discipline begins with a private confrontation, which could escalate to a public censure by the church and disfellowshiping of the unrepentant offender (Matthew 18:15-17). If it is a public sin, or one committed by a leader, the need for public confrontation cannot be avoided, though nothing should be said to the church without the certainty that wrong has been done, established by at least two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19-20).
In every case, the goal of church discipline is not the ventilate the church's anger, but to lovingly restore, through shame, the offender to repentance and restoration. Thus, delivering a man to Satan is intended to see "his spirit saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:5), or that the offender might "learn not to blaspheme" (1 Timothy 1:20). The offending party, if possible, should be reproved "that they may be ashamed"(2 Thessalonians 3:14). In all things, the goal of the church is love, forgiveness and restoration of the offender (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).
Blessings!
Steve
------------------------------------------------------
Steve,
I have a question I have been thinking about and have heard some lectures relevant to the topic by you namely the unity in Christ series. My question is regarding trying to practically live out a unified view of scripture in regards to two tensions:
1) The call and reality for unity of Christians (Eph. 4:1-6 and John 17:20-23 to name only a couple)
2)
2) The passages for separating oneself from others who claim to follow Christ but do not hold to proper doctrine (romans 16:17-20, 1 Cor. 5:11, 2 Thes. 3:6, and 1 Tim 6:3-6, 2 John 1:9-11 – some of these may not be as relevant as others.
Therefore, how does one practically keep this tension? Perhaps you can point me to a lecture regarding this question if it would be simpler.
In my situation point 2 has been the theological support for a brothers separation from a corporate body of people. Once an elder of these people now he lives a much more isolated life having church with his family only on Sunday mornings in their home.
It is hard to re-establish the fellowship we once shared and I am concerned that he used point 2 as a justification for this separation when maybe his disagreements/issues were more peripheral issues than ones properly justifiable by those verses. (PS I do not accuse him of anything perhaps his convictions and choices were in line with scripture)
I hope that makes sense. Could you maybe clarify when and how it is appropriate or not to use these passages to cut fellowship? (or point me to a lecture that may be appropriate?)
Thanks,
P.
---------------------------------------------------
Hi P.,
Church unity is based upon the shared features described in Ephesians 4:3-6. There are few true Christians who would reject any of those things Paul lists:
—One body (the body of Christ, comprised of those who embrace His headship)
—One Spirit (the Spirit of Christ, or Holy Spirit, the regenerator and occupant of every member of the body)
—One hope of your calling (this probably means the hope of becoming like Christ—sometimes called "the glory of God" Rom.5:2/Col.1:27)
—One Lord (Obviously, Jesus)
—One faith (either "the Christian faith" itself, or else the experience of justifying faith in Christ)
—One baptism (this refers to all being baptized into Christ Himself, rather than, for example, into Paul, Apollos, Cephas, etc. 1 Cor.1:12-13)
—One God and Father (all born again into God's family, and, therefore, brothers and sisters)
No doubt there are hundreds of lesser matters upon which Christians disagree (e.g., Romans 14:1-6), but none of them should separate those who share the common Christian heritage catalogued above.
Most of the scriptures about church discipline, or separation, have to do with sub-Christian behavior (or sins), not wrong opinions. We see this in Matthew 18:15-17 (the first and only passage in the teachings of Jesus on church discipline), as well as 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; 1 Timothy 6:3-6.
There are a few such scriptures which urge separation from those who are "divisive" or teaching wrong "doctrine," or, more properly, wrong "teaching" (e.g., Romans 16:17-20; Titus 3:9-11; Revelation 2:14-15). However, these dangerous "teachings" are not, generally, in the realm of disputed theological opinions, but again, teachings concerning behavioral norms. For example:
The dangerous teaching referred to in Romans 16 may very well be those teachings Paul abhorred earlier in the book: "Let us do evil that good may come"(3:8), "Let us continue in sin, that grace may abound"(6:1), "Let us sin since we are under grace, not law"(6:15). These are teachings that morally corrupt the Christian community.
Titus 3:9-11 is immediately preceded by the exhortation that "those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works"(v.8). Then comes the instructions to practice those who dispute this apostolic mandate.
The "doctrine (or teaching) of the Nicolaitans," which the church at Pergamum wrongfully tolerated, was closely associated with the "doctrine (or teaching) of Balaam," in the previous verse. Jesus describes this error as teachings that lead to fornication and idolatry. It was probably a form of antinomian gnosticism, which taught that one needn't live a holy life because we are saved by grace.
No doubt there are theological boundaries across which the believer may not cross without becoming a heretic and requiring discipline. One such doctrine would be the affirmation of the future resurrection (2 Timothy 2:18). However, we are not entitled to define those boundaries according to our theological tastes or fashions. For example, one cannot call another a heretic, and disassociate with him over such controversial differences as Calvinism Vs. Arminianism, or Dispensationalism Vs. Covenant Theology, or Cessationism Vs. Continuationism (of the charismatic gifts), or different views of final judgment. All of these are matters of interpretation which are mainly in the theoretical, not the practical or moral realm. Christians differing of such things need to learn to grow up and love each other.
When a moral infraction or a teaching that undermines holy living is found to be in the church, there is a call for discipline. If the sin is a personal wrong done by one member toward another, the discipline begins with a private confrontation, which could escalate to a public censure by the church and disfellowshiping of the unrepentant offender (Matthew 18:15-17). If it is a public sin, or one committed by a leader, the need for public confrontation cannot be avoided, though nothing should be said to the church without the certainty that wrong has been done, established by at least two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19-20).
In every case, the goal of church discipline is not the ventilate the church's anger, but to lovingly restore, through shame, the offender to repentance and restoration. Thus, delivering a man to Satan is intended to see "his spirit saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:5), or that the offender might "learn not to blaspheme" (1 Timothy 1:20). The offending party, if possible, should be reproved "that they may be ashamed"(2 Thessalonians 3:14). In all things, the goal of the church is love, forgiveness and restoration of the offender (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).
Blessings!
Steve