Church Discipline

 

Isa 8:1 Moreover the LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 "And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah

 

Judah was being threatened by Syria and Samaria when the Lord gave this stunning prophecy to Isaiah. This prophecy was to be inked by Isaiah in front of two very reliable witnesses. These witnesses would be well known by the people of Isaiah’s day. (Uriah the priest, and Zechariah)

There is a well-known biblical truth espoused here in that a matter should be established by two or three witnesses. De 19:15  says, "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.”

The Apostle Paul mentions it in 2 Cor 13:1, “This will be the third time I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." (2 Cor 13:1)

 

And Jesus brought it up in the matter of the application of church discipline in  Mt 18:15-17, "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  16 "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

 

Church discipline is a very sticky topic and must be handled with cautious biblical application. Unfortunately, in most cases it is ignored for the very reason that it is a sticky situation, and the offender is allowed to continue in their rebellious behavior against God. That is not the loving thing to do.

 

How soon we forget the first part of this verse in that when sin is lovingly confronted, a brother (or sister) may be gained for the kingdom. What would you rather have? A restored brother or a ticked off unrepentant sinner?

 

We often hear that people have been “hurt by the church.” Many times that hurt has been felt by the application of church discipline. Sometimes the discipline was mishandled, but other times the attempt at correction was simply and brazenly ignored.

 

As for me, I want to belong to a Bible-believing church that has the guts to confront me if I should stray from the truth, and if I am in the wrong, I pray that I will have the guts to admit it, and with the Lord’s help correct my ways!