Corrective Church Discipline, Part 3

In this part of the sermon: This section details social discipline, which involves group activity ranging from partial avoidance to excommunication. Martin expounds on 2 Thessalonians 3, Romans 16, 1…

Paul's command 'not to eat' with immoral brothers is explained by the Eastern cultural context where eating together signified intimate social acceptance, as seen in criticisms of Jesus eating with 'Republicans and sinners.'

With such a one, know not to eat. And remember, in the Eastern context, eating was the, as it were, sacramental badge of social acceptance. Remember what they said of Jesus? He eats Republicans and sinners.

7:32 - 7:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details social discipline, which involves group activity ranging from partial avoidance to excommunication. Martin expounds on 2 Thessalonians 3, Romans 16, 1…

The Operation Rescue Movement is used as an example of people trying to impose biblical morality on 'those that are without' by force, which Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 warns against.

So, Paul focuses upon eat, not so much because somehow their food will defile us if they've touched it, but no, it's speaking of normal, intimate, social interaction with such a one not to eat. For what have I to do with judging them that are without? There's another text for the Operation Rescue Movement. They are seeking to impose biblical morality upon others by force.

8:04 - 8:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details social discipline, which involves group activity ranging from partial avoidance to excommunication. Martin expounds on 2 Thessalonians 3, Romans 16, 1…

The story of someone asking Jesus to arbitrate an inheritance dispute illustrates Jesus' refusal to judge 'those that are without' in matters of civil law, instead focusing on the sin of the heart.

And someone tried to force Jesus into that in a matter of economic litigation. My brothers, cheat me of inheritance. Great teacher of righteousness, step in. Man who made me a judge and a ruler over thee.

8:41 - 8:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details social discipline, which involves group activity ranging from partial avoidance to excommunication. Martin expounds on 2 Thessalonians 3, Romans 16, 1…

The analogy of a heathen or publican's house burning versus seeking friendship clarifies that treating someone as a 'heathen and a publican' in Matthew 18 means withholding unique Christian social interaction, not neglecting civil responsibilities.

So these texts, brethren, are very clear. Along with, of course, Matthew 18. Let him be unto thee as a heathen and a publican. If a heathen or a publican is burning, his house is burning, would you go in and rescue him?

9:30 - 9:42 Read in full sermon

The point: The church is obligated to try to reclaim members who leave disorderly, not to acquiesce in their irregular departure.

Martin quotes extensively from Benjamin Griffiths' 'A Short Treatise Concerning a True and Orderly Gospel Church' to demonstrate historical Reformed Baptist views on admonition, suspension, and excommunication, particularly regarding disorderly departures from the church.

In volume number 2, The Great Works of Christ in America, the Savoy platform makes that distinction on page 229 and following. And very interestingly, I went back through, recently, Griffiths. A short treatise concerning a true and orderly gospel church by Benjamin Griffiths. And this was reprinted several years ago.

10:52 - 11:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of the carnal desire to have a detailed manual of corrective discipline, as none exists in the Bible.

Martin quotes Durham's treatise on 'scandals as they are the object of church censures' to emphasize that the order and manner of discipline are not easily determinable due to the variety of cases, requiring prudence and wisdom from church officers.

but it's doomed to fail because none exist in the Bible. It is contrary to the genius of life in the new covenant in which God, having given us the spirit and the general principles of the word and enough specific case applications of those principles to furnish us unto every good work, we are not to be afraid to expect that anyone can give us in his constitution or church polity a detailed manual of all possible circumstances which warrant corrective discipline and what our actions ought to be in those circumstances. Durham, quoted in volume two of Bannerman, the Church of Christ, in a length...

17:02 - 18:31 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first warning cautions against seeking a comprehensive manual for discipline, arguing that the Bible provides general principles and case applications, but specific situations…

The analogy that 'when statutory law has no wise judges to interpret and apply it, injustice always follows' illustrates the need for wisdom and prudence in applying disciplinary principles, rather than a rigid manual.

And we wrestled. And we believe God's begun to give light. Someone has said, when statutory law has no wise judges to interpret and apply it, injustice always follows. When statutory, statutory law has no wise judges to interpret and apply it, injustice always follows.

21:17 - 21:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Fathers must ask the Lord to sort out emotional and psychological hang-ups and rivet their souls to God's Word regarding discipline.

The example of fathers struggling with the 'rod of correction' due to past abuse (leading to laxity) or past indulgence (leading to severity) illustrates how personal history can create unbiblical extremes in discipline, applicable to churches and overseers.

How often have I had to deal with men who have found it difficult to be faithful in the use of the rod because they were cruelly, unprinciply beaten by their fathers as a child. And the very thought of an instrument of punishment in the hand of a father conjures up such emotional and psychological negativism they can barely bring themselves to lay their hand, let alone a belt or a paddle, on the behind of their own children. And it's a reaction that's understandable, but as that godly father must say, Lord, sort out all of my emotional and psychological quirks and hang-ups and rivet my soul an...

25:29 - 26:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for deliverance from native tendencies to laxity or severity, and for enablement to walk the razor's edge of biblically balanced discipline.

An anonymous quote about persons embracing erroneous sentiments and then overcorrecting, thinking the more remote they go, the nearer they come to truth, illustrates the danger of swinging to unbiblical extremes in discipline.

And brethren, I plead with you to cry to God that as you enter upon anything that has to do with corrective or radical church discipline, that you cry to the Lord in your own heart among your fellow overseers. Lord, keep us from all of our native built-in tendencies either to laxity on the one hand, severity on the other, and enable us to walk the razor's edge of biblically balanced discipline. Now listen carefully as I quote, I don't know who stated this, but it's so perceptive. Persons who have embraced sentiments which are not which afterward appear to them erroneous often think they can ne...

27:30 - 28:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for deliverance from native tendencies to laxity or severity, and for enablement to walk the razor's edge of biblically balanced discipline.

The example of someone moving from Arminianism to hyper-Calvinism by overcorrecting illustrates the danger of swinging to unbiblical extremes in doctrine, paralleling the danger in church discipline.

See what he's saying? Here's someone who's been an Arminian all his life. I mean a real Arminian. Thought that, or maybe a semi-Pelagian, that man had inherent ability to believe, a semi-Pelagian, alright?

28:27 - 28:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Let the word of God, not popular opinion, determine what constitutes 'extremes' in discipline.

Martin quotes Cotton Mather from 'Magnolia Christia Maricana' to underscore the need for balance in discipline, being neither 'over-strict or rigorous, nor too indulgent or remiss,' but proceeding with meekness and a desire to win the offender's soul.

If you've been in a context where there was carnal severity, you will be tempted to get further and further away from that into what you think is balance, but which will indeed be carnal laxity. Listen to Mather again. Volume 2, page 230 in the section on church polity. That's Mather's Magnolia Christia Maricana, The Great Works of Christ in America.

29:45 - 30:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Every sin is heinous and while there are more heinous and less heinous sins God's judgment of that matter may differ widely from ours.

Martin quotes Abraham Kuyper from 'Glorious Body of Christ' to warn against making artificial distinctions between 'great' and 'small' sins, emphasizing that all sin is heinous and the offender's attitude is paramount in discipline.

Those churches which still exercise some discipline today are ordinarily much less concerned about the beliefs of their member than about their behavior. This is a grave mistake. And then he deals with the necessity of disciplining error and errorists. He says the Roman Catholic Church makes a sharp distinction between venial and mortal sins.

35:59 - 36:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Never allow the fear of a wrong judgment to paralyze us from proceeding in obedience to the word of God; rather, pray, seek wise counsel, and proceed in dependence on the Spirit.

Martin quotes John Owen from his works on excommunication, emphasizing that prayer is absolutely required for the administration of church discipline to have Christ's authority and blessing, as it is a 'horrible profanation' without it.

of his people is given to us in Matthew chapter 8. And here as in so many other areas Owen is of great help in volume 16 of his works in which he is dealing with the whole subject of excommunication. Owen writes as follows again the manner of its administration that is the administration of church discipline according to the mind of Christ may be considered and here unto are required and then Owen lists three things that must accompany the exercise of church discipline if that discipline is indeed to have both the authority and the blessing of Christ attending it. He lists in these three thing...

40:59 - 42:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Never allow the fear of a wrong judgment to paralyze us from proceeding in obedience to the word of God; rather, pray, seek wise counsel, and proceed in dependence on the Spirit.

Martin continues quoting Owen, who lists lamentation (mourning) and a due sense of Christ's future judgment as the second and third required attendant activities for the proper administration of church discipline.

or of mourning quoting now page 170 so the apostle reproving the church of Corinth for the omission of it when it was necessary tells them that they had not mourned that the offender might be taken away from among them 1 Corinthians 5 2 it is not to be done without mourning and then he goes on to enlarge bringing other scriptural data to underscore this second necessary attendant and then the third necessary attendant is what Owen calls a due sense of the future judgment of Christ for we herein judge for Christ in the matters of his house and of his kingdom and woe to them who dare pronounce t...

43:50 - 45:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Never allow the fear of a wrong judgment to paralyze us from proceeding in obedience to the word of God; rather, pray, seek wise counsel, and proceed in dependence on the Spirit.

Martin quotes James Bannerman from 'The Church of Christ' to acknowledge that fallible men will make wrong judgments in discipline, but the fear of error should not paralyze the church from exercising its God-ordained duty, as its role is ministerial.

let me state one final word and that is this as in the administration of civil law so in the administration of the censures of the church mistakes will be made there are times when fallible men will make wrong judgments but if as in the civil court the fear of making a wrong judgment paralyzes those involved from ever making any judgment then there is a complete relinquishment of the very institutions ordained of God on the one hand the civil governor who is instituted of God to punish evil and the institution of church discipline which is given not only for the punishment and the restoration ...

45:19 - 46:47 Read in full sermon