The Narrow Path Ministries

Many people see the unhealthy lack of church discipline in today's church culture, and many more see the many bad examples of church discipline. Both of these observations I believe to be true. Surely the Bible teaches church discipline. Can anyone share instances of healthy church discipline? I believe we need this today. Thanks.

I have been on the receiving end of church discipline that I believe was a bad example. It takes a huge mental and emotional toll on a person and Steve's message about refusing to be offended has played a part in being able to remain relatively healthy through the whole ordeal.
So I am asking the above question because I just hope that there is discipline happening in a good way.

Being cut off by leadership from the body really sucks, it is the worst thing that I have ever been through and it still hurts.

Hello brother,

Sorry I can't offer much help to you in your current situation. My church-going days have been somewhat limited. I have never been under church discipline myself. Having said that, the pastor of one church I attended (and contributed heavily to), when I questioned the format of a bible study group that they had asked me to lead, reminded me that there were plenty of other churches that I could attend. When I met with him, he tried to tell me that my wife was in agreement with him, when in actuality, she had been questioning our attendance at this church longer than I had. It was not a good feeling. Maybe that's why my church attendance has been somewhat limited.

I am reminded of Steve's teaching about the corporate church and the universal church represented in two circles. If you put all the members of the corporate church in one circle, and all the members of the universal church in another circle, the two circles overlap. Every corporate church will have true believers in it. But, some true believers won't necessarily be in the corporate church. And some unbelievers will be in the corporate church.

The great part is that, even if the corporate church doesn't accept you, the Lord still does. Of course, I am not in a position to judge you or the church you attend(ed), and as such, I don't truly know the situation. But I would just encourage you to remain close to the Lord, keep in prayer, and remember that they can't kick you out of the universal church, if you truly are there.

Keep your chin up.

Thanks John

I have been at a new fellowship for about a year and a half now. All of the weight of the old rejection and being cut off reared it's ugly head recently. And although the body that I now fellowship with is great, there are old friendships and relationships from my old church body that are tainted and there perspective of me skewed by a one sided account that if I seek to bring balance to could just be divisive and unhealthy.