"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright. and godly lives in the present age..." ( Titus 2:11-12 )
In learning what a true church of Jesus Christ looks like, we see in the Scriptures and affirmed by church fathers, faithful and sound Bible teachers, and Reformation theologians ( and yes, even AI. It's a crazy age we live in, isn't it?) that the marks of a true church are: 1.) The true preaching of God's Word. 2.) The proper administration of the sacraments. 3.) Church discipline. There are other components, but these are the main ones.
Thanks for joining me in this journey. I'm learning a lot too!
When you think of "church discipline" you might be like me and your mind goes to that well-known passage in 1 Corinthians 5 where the Apostle Paul is sharply rebuking the church for not removing a congregant who is having relations with his father's wife. In fact, they are boasting about it, and Paul says that this type of sexual immorality isn't even tolerated among pagans.
That is certainly a form of much needed church discipline that is grossly lacking in the church today. However, I wanted to draw attention to another form, more widespread, that involves us all, all the time. Or it should anyway.
God often refers to us in the Scripture as his sheep, and one thing I've recently taken notice of concerning this metaphor is how much time my little flock here at Healing Brook spend eating. I think they eat so much that I just take their grazing for granted. But think about that.
Sheep eat and eat and eat, and then at dusk, satisfied and healthy, they begin to find places to bed down for the night. When they wake up in the morning, they slowly make their way back out to the sunny pasture and begin to eat again.
Keeping this in mind, I read in our doctrinal class text book, John Frame's "Concise Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Christian Belief" that although Matthew 18:15-20 lists the steps of discipline to be taken in cases where the teaching of the church has not had its desired effect, John Frame says that the first form of church discipline is "teaching."
That's right - church discipline goes back to the first mark of a true church, the true preaching of God's Word. I never saw this before. ( This truth is all over Titus and 1&2 Timothy which are the pastoral epistles and ones I'll rely heavily upon in these blogs.)
Paul leaves Titus in Crete with instructions to put things in order and appoint elders in every town. Elders, Paul directs, must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught; so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." ( Titus 1:9 )
Again, when I think of the term "church discipline" I think of being called into the pastor's office and getting a good scolding for engaging in gossip you know, something of that nature. But here Paul is saying that first elders ( all pastors are elders ) must be able to teach sound doctrine "then" rebuke if necessary, if someone goes off the rails into false teaching.
Jesus told Peter in John 21 to "feed" his sheep and lambs, and to "tend" them.
Similar to parenting, discipline takes many forms and "training" is the most often used. My grandchildren were here at the farm this past week, and this concept was reinforced to me as we, meaning all family members, continually taught the kids by instruction and action what was acceptable to God and not, good behavior and bad. Even Jonah has begun to teach his younger sisters what he has learned. It's a beautiful God-given principle to behold.
And in the church when these biblical truths are not in place, for instance, a man sleeping with his father's wife, another form of church discipline should occur, like Paul's strong rebuke because "a little leaven leavens the whole lump." ( verse 8 ) Sometimes the unrepentant person must be put outside of the church for the good of the flock until that person repents and can be restored to fellowship. ( verse 13 )
John Frame goes on to say concerning teaching being the first form of discipline that the church must make clear what behavior is acceptable to God. This makes sense. And it must present the gospel in such a way as to motivate obedience. Remember that people aren't motivated by denunciations and scolding nearly as well as they are motivated by the love of Jesus for them and the joy of living a godly life." ( page 303 )
As Paul instructed Titus ( and Timothy ), the elders were to teach the Word and "not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined." ( Titus 1:7-9 ) So God has strict instructions on how his shepherds are to care for his sheep.
I know that some instances of church discipline are complicated and painful, so I don't want to make light of it. I'm merely saying that as lay-people, like sheep, we should desire to feed on God's Word continually, whether sitting under sound teaching and preaching in our churches or studying, examining, and meditating on Scripture ourselves.
This training will discipline us and grow us into strong, mature sheep as well as keeping us out of the shepherd's office. Or worse, wandering from the flock.
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Happy Monday!
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