The Purpose of Church Discipline

Since we have been working through 1 Corinthians 5, I thought this summary of the Purposes of Church Discipline by Leeman would be helpful...

1. Discipline aims to expose. Sin, like cancer, loves to hide. Discipline exposes the cancer so that it might be cut out quickly (1 Corinthians 5:2).

2. Discipline aims to warn. A church does not enact God's retribution through discipline. Rather, it stages a small play that pictures that great judgment to come (1 Corinthians 5:5). Discipline is a compassionate warning.

3. Discipline aims to save. Churches pursue discipline when they see a member taking the path toward death, and none of their pleading and arm-waving causes the person to turn around. It's the device of last resort for bringing an individual the repentance (1 Corinthians 5:5).

4. Discipline aims to protect. Just as cancer spreads from one cell to another, so sin quickly spreads from one person to another (1 Corinthians 5:6).

5. Discipline aims to present a good witness for Jesus. Church discipline, strange to say, is actually good for non-Christians, because it helps to preserve the attractive distinctiveness of God's people. Churches, remember, should be salt and light. "But if the salt loses its saltiness...," Jesus said, "It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Matthew 5:13).

Church Discipline: How The Church Protects The Name of Jesus, Jonathan Leeman