The SBJT Forum: Perspectives on Church Discipline

Editor’s Note: Readers should be aware of the forum’s format. William G. Travis, Bruce A. Ware, D. A. Carson, and C. Ben Mitchell have been asked specific questions to which they have provided written responses. These writers are not responding to one another. The journal’s goal for the Forum is to provide significant thinkers’ views on topics of interest without requiring lengthy articles from these heavily-committed individuals. Their answers are presented in an order that hopefully makes the forum read as much like a unified presentation as possible.

SBJT: What does the reformation ing for repentance, before invoking the teach us about church discipline? ban—up to two years. The shunning was William Travis: When sixteenth century not unrelievedly harsh, especially inside Anabaptists were baptized, the act was the family, but it was important to let the seen as more than an outward testimony sinning person know that he was not in to inward faith (though, of course, it was fellowship with other believers. that) and obedience to a New Testament Balthasar Hubmaier (c. 1485-1528) command. In addition, the newly bap- agreed with Menno, and went so far as to tized person pledged to live in newness argue “no discipline, no church.” Even if of life in the believing community, plac- adult baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ing himself voluntarily under its author- observed in the congregation, without dis- ity. Baptized believers constituted a holy cipline there is no real church. One of the brotherhood, in which members were sub- debates of the sixteenth century centered ject to discipline by the local congregation. on what the distinctive marks of the The model for such discipline was church were. Both Luther and Calvin Matthew 18:15-18, where Jesus laid out a contended for two marks: the Word of three-step sequence of seeking to win over God correctly preached, and the sacra- the erring person. If no change occurred ments rightly administered. Hubmaier after these efforts, the last resort was to added discipline as a third mark: disci- treat the offender as a Gentile and a tax- pline is esse, foundational, to the church’s collector, i.e., as someone outside the very being. believing community. The erring person The ban was a church matter—related must be put under the “ban” (excommu- to issues of religion, morality, and church nicated) and shunned by all others in the fellowship—not a civil matter. The William G. Travis is Professor of church. Menno Simons (1492-1559) saw Anabaptists did not contend for political Church History at Bethel Seminary in the whole process as an attempt to heal, punishments such as exile or imprison- St. Paul Minnesota. He holds a Ph.D. in not to amputate: the congregation issued ment; discipline was only internal to the American History from New York Uni- its judgment in a spirit of compassion, and congregation. By contrast, Martin Bucer versity. He is the co-author of Religious welcomed the repentant person back in a (1491-1551), reformer in Strasbourg, Traditions of the World, (Zondervan) and spirit of grace. He even suggested that the placed discipline ultimately in the hands How Great Thou Art (Multnomah). congregation should wait patiently, hop- of the magistrates. While some matters 84 could be handled by the congregations, and holds out the hope of a renewed life. he had the common sixteenth century Calvin placed discipline in the hands belief that the church and the state in a of the consistory, a group of elders both given city were roughly coterminous. In lay and clergy, with authority over the contrast to the Anabaptist belief that one churches. This turned out to be a mix of was banished from the church (the believ- state and church, because in Geneva the ing community) to the commonwealth town council nominated members to the (the unbelieving community), Bucer saw consistory. The Anabaptists saw Christian expulsion from the commonwealth as one society as consisting of Christian societ- of the forms of discipline. ies, local groups of believers, whereas John Calvin (1509-1564) argued that Bucer and Calvin saw Christian society as while discipline is not esse to the church, the whole Christianized order. Thus, it is nonetheless bene esse, essential to the while the magistrates in Geneva did not church’s well-being. Word and sacrament mete out punishments based on Matthew are better able to do their work when dis- 18, they did engage in some attempts at cipline is in place. Discipline brings honor controlling the society in general accord- to God, prevents the corruption of other ing to biblical concepts. members of the church, and can be the The seventeenth century Puritans in means of bringing the erring person back both Britain and America continued the to the fold. When discipline is not present, Reformed tradition by emphasizing the the churches run the risk of representing need for discipline in the church. On the a deformed gospel to the world. The Mat- one hand, they agreed with Anabaptist thew 18 passage is the primary basis for Hubmaier by virtually making discipline discipline, but 1 Corinthians 5 with its tell- a mark of the church. On the other hand, ing “expel the immoral brother” was they agreed with Calvin in contending applied by both Menno and Calvin to that the social order should be Christian- egregious cases of sinning: some situa- ized through legislation based on biblical tions are so public and odious that the concepts. The famous Two Tables debate congregation moves immediately to between Roger Williams and John Cotton excommunicate (though even here there in the 1630s illustrates this view, since is the hope for a repentant return to a Cotton contended (contra Williams) that holy life). First Table commandments (the first four While agreeing with Menno on the of the Ten) could be enforced by legisla- need for excommunication and shunning, tion in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Calvin is somewhat more restrained in Appeal to the state to aid in church both regards here. Excommunication in discipline stopped after the new nation Geneva commonly took the form of was founded in 1789, but the Reformation barring from the Lord’s Supper, and that insistence on discipline as a part of church usually temporarily, and shunning was life did not end with the Puritans. In done in mild forms. Calvin used an oil and Democratic Religion: Freedom, Authority, and vinegar analogy to describe his approach: Discipline in the Baptist South, Gregory the vinegar of punishment should be Wills makes clear that the practice of dis- accompanied by the oil of a gentle spirit; cipline continued well into the nineteenth discipline punishes the sins committed century. Baptists, like other Protestants, 85 included discipline in congregational life SBJT: Why do many churches find as a matter of course. The Baptist example church discipline difficult and is particularly telling because of the seldom, if ever, practice it? And emphasis on freedom among Baptists— what, theologically, may give presumably the most freedom-conscious impetus to a revival of the practice of all Protestants. But the egalitarian of a healthy church discipline? implications of an emphasis on freedom Bruce Ware: I heard a comment recently (so-called “soul competence”) was that sounded plausible: “While John 3:16 coupled with an equally strong emphasis was once the most well-known Bible verse on authority and discipline; democracy in America, now that honor goes instead and authority were not opposites, democ- to Matthew 7:1, ‘Do not judge lest you racy was carried out within the lines be judged.’” Just try to raise the issue of of authority. Wills’s evidence is compel- holding someone accountable for miscon- ling: until after the Civil War, discipline duct, and watch how quickly the defenses was a common feature of Protestant come up: “Do not judge lest you be ecclesiology. judged.” There is no doubt that our cul- Both cultural and theological changes tural drift toward postmodern relativism led to the gradual diminishing of the use has rendered serious, judicious, and hard- of discipline in most American churches nosed evaluation of another’s alleged beginning in the late nineteenth century. misbehavior into a sort of moral wrong But it need not stay that way. Whether esse that is itself worthy of instant and judi- or bene esse, the end result of the use of cious rejection. As is often said now, the discipline is a purer church, both in its only “sin” that is not tolerated is intoler- general constituency—the whole congre- ance—a contradiction, to be sure, but gation—and in particular individuals (err- more importantly, it is a reality of life at ing persons might be brought back to the beginning of the 21st century. fellowship). Calvin was right: preaching, Just as the church is prone to absorb prayer, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and cultural values in other areas, so too is it discipline are means God uses to edify and here. How pious it can sound for people Bruce A. Ware is Senior Associate to sanctify the body of believers. to cite Bible passages like Matthew 7:1, or Dean and Professor of Christian Theol- Jesus’ words in John 8:7 (“he who is with- ogy at The Southern Baptist Theologi- Suggested Reading: out sin, let him cast the first stone”) to cal Seminary. Before coming to Davis, Kenneth R. “No Discipline, No legitimate non-action in the face of griev- Southern, Dr. Ware served as a profes- Church: An Anabaptist Contribution to ous violations of God’s standards of righ- sor at Bethel Theological Seminary, the Reformed Tradition.” Sixteenth Cen- teousness. How susceptible the church is Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, tury Journal 13:4 (Winter 1982) 43-57. to accepting all kinds of worldliness and and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. White, Robert. “Oil and Vinegar: Calvin immorality, all behind a veil of false but He is the writer of a number of articles on Church Discipline.” Scottish Journal pious-sounding expressions of tolerance. and served as the co-editor of Still Sov- of Theology 38 (1985) 25-40. Recognition of our common sinfulness ereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Wills, Gregory A. Democratic Religion: becomes the new paradigm within which Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace Freedom, Authority, and Church Discipline common acceptance is given to a greater (Baker). He is the author of a recent book in the Baptist South, 1785-1900. New variety and extent of this sinful expression. from Crossway entitled God’s Lesser York: Oxford University Press, 1997. In all of this one important truth is Glory. often lost: the standard by which each of 86 us is to evaluate our lives is nothing less mon difficulties and thereby avoid any than the perfect holiness of God himself “judgmental” attitudes toward one (Matt 5:48; Rom 8:29; Eph 1:4; 1 Pet 1:15- another. But, on the other hand, where zeal 16). Because this is true, the church must for holiness prevails, we see our common be a community in which we constantly sinfulness as an occasion for community call one another to grow, by God’s grace, accountability, all for the purpose of grow- to higher and more consistent levels of ing more and more like Christ. When com- conduct befitting that standard of holi- munity accountability becomes the norm, ness. But to do this, we must call one a healthy church discipline naturally takes another to account when growth is shape. Therefore, as with so much else, we stunted and violations are egregious. pray that God would work mightily Community accountability is the back- within us, and within our churches, to bone of a vibrant theology of church dis- give us the longing to pursue “the sancti- cipline, and our common pursuit of fication [i.e., holiness] without which no holiness is what drives both community one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:13). accountability and corporate discipline. Jesus himself expected just such inter- SBJT: Do you think that a fallen personal accountability to occur. Consider Christian leader can ever be again the oft-cited text in Matthew 7:1-6. restored? If not, why not? But if so, After Jesus says what is commonly quoted under what conditions? (“do not judge lest you be judged”), he D. A. Carson: This question has become proceeds with instructions precisely about increasingly pressing, owing in no small how properly to bring an erring brother part to the number of Christian leaders to account. Recall that he warns to “take who have fallen into publicly acknowl- the log out of your own eye, and then you edged sin, often (but certainly not always) will see clearly to take the speck out of of a sexual nature. Substantial books have your brother’s eye” (7:5). What is often been written on the subject; I am certainly missed in this is that once the log is not going to resolve all the difficulties in removed, one has the obligation then to a thousand words or so. But perhaps I can help remove the speck from his brother’s set out what some of the crucial issues are, eye. In other words, Jesus expects us to in four points. be used in the lives of others to help them (1) The question posed is sometimes advance in holiness, just as they may be ambiguous, or even tendentious. “Do you D. A. Carson is Research Professor used likewise in our lives to help us to that that a Christian leader can ever be of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical grow. Church discipline is, most essen- restored?” The first response must be: Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He tially, the formal structure that grows out “Restored to what?” Suppose the sin is is the author of numerous commentar- of a healthy practice of corporate account- sexual. Does the restoration mean ies and monographs, and is one of this ability. “restored to this family”? That will country’s foremost New Testament The bottom line is this: where a sense depend on the spouse, and what the scholars. Among his books are Divine of common sinfulness breeds common spouse’s reaction will be turns on many Sovereignty and Human Responsibility acceptance of sin, accountability and dis- factors. More commonly “restored” in the (John Knox Press, 1981; reprint, Baker, cipline will seem foreign, even questioner’s mind really means “restored 1994) and How Long, O Lord?: Per- “un-Christlike.” After all, it is thought, we to the Lord.” The obvious answer is a joy- spectives on Suffering and Evil (Baker, must be more understanding of our com- ous “Yes!”—for however grievous the 1990). 87 sexual conduct, it is not in itself the to consensus on whether or not the unforgivable sin. But that does not neces- offender has been restored to the kind of sarily mean that the Christian leader who moral resolve that makes recidivism has been restored to the Lord, and perhaps unlikely. In biblical terms, the leaders restored to church membership and par- must determine if the former pastor is ticipation at the Lord’s Table (if we assume now truly “self-controlled” (1 Tim 3:2), that he or she has been excommunicated) and someone who knows well how to should also be restored to Christian lead- manage his own family (1 Tim 3:4). For ership. Not every Christian in good stand- these are among the domains where his ing in the church is qualified for every adultery has proved him unqualified to office in the church. So if someone has be an overseer, a pastor. (b) To what been removed from office for a biblically extent has his moral failure destroyed his justifiable reason, the question about res- credibility, both among the faithful and toration to that office now turns on whether with outsiders? or not that person now meets the biblically (3) It is the second of these two ques- mandated requirements of that office. tions that calls for further reflection. When (2) Whether or not the person in the fallen pastor’s supporters accuse the question meets the biblically mandated elders or the church of being unloving and requirements of that office now turns on unforgiving if they do not restore him to two related matters. To give the discus- leadership, and loudly remind everyone sion concrete form, let us suppose we are that adultery is not the unforgivable sin, dealing with a former pastor who has it is profoundly important to point out been disciplined for adultery, but who has that such arguments are nothing more repented, put himself under the care of the than red herrings. The real issue is public elders (pastors) of the church, and has credibility. Paul insists that “the overseer been restored to church membership must be above reproach” (1 Tim 3:2) and (assuming he was removed). Now the “must also have a good reputation with question arises as to whether or not he can the outsiders” (1 Tim 3:7). The “above be restored to pastoral office. The two reproach” category does not demand related matters to be explored are these: sinless perfection. Rather, what is (a) Is he in danger of committing the sin demanded is that the candidate have no again? This requires pastoral judgment as moral flaw for which many people to the measure of the repentance, the “reproach” him. Moreover, the fact that degree of his spiritual restoration, the this pastor must have “a good reputation nature of the resolve and the accountabil- with outsiders” is surely worth thinking ity that he will display in the future. Let about. Sometimes a church is so sentimen- us be quite frank: the number of people tally attached to its pastor that even when (including pastors) who offend in this area he falls into grievous sin, many in the and then offend again is extremely high. church, perhaps even the majority, will be Quite apart from the moral obligation of happy to let him remain in pastoral office, the elders to protect the flock from a provided he shows adequate signs of predatory pastor (and in this litigious repentance. But what about the outsiders? society, that obligation has many dimen- Do they look at his adultery, nod know- sions to it!), there is an obligation to come ingly, and smirk? Is Christ’s name 88 debased, not only because the pastor has some years the integrity of his home life committed adultery but also because the coupled with the depth of his biblical church has indicated it does not mind knowledge convince more and more being led by a man who cannot keep his people that he can be trusted with more. zipper up? Has this pastor so lost his Perhaps he begins to preach once in a credibility that when he preaches on any- while. And so, over a long period of time, thing to do with morality and integrity, a he may regain a great deal of public con- surfeit of polite sighs will escape from fidence, and be restored to some measure either the believers or the unbelievers or of spiritual leadership. from both? But this sort of path to restoration to (4) In this light, then, the elders must pastoral office implicitly means two ask tough questions not only about how things. First, it is doubtful if this man will this fallen pastor is doing in himself, but ever regain the authority he had before his also about how his credibility has been fall. Too many people will know what has affected, both with the church and out- happened, and they will never be able side. If they are satisfied with the pastor’s entirely to forget it. Even if they agree that improvement in the former domain, they the man has regained substantial credibil- must nevertheless ask the hard questions ity, when he deals with certain themes in the latter domain. At this juncture the they will inevitably remember his own prospect of the fallen pastor being restored egregious failure. And second, this model to active pastoral leadership is nothing of restoration presupposes that the more more than the question of how (or if) he prominent the pastor before the fall, the can regain public credibility. more unlikely is his full restoration to At this juncture I break with some hard- public trust after the fall. His very promi- liners, who insist that restoration to pub- nence means that more people will be lic office must be ruled out, precisely devastated by this tumble, and more out- because this sort of public credibility is siders will make snide comments, ensur- forever forfeit. I am not so sure. I am quite ing that his restoration will take longer, certain that the kind of three month, self- be more difficult, and perhaps prove im- imposed withdrawal of Jimmy Swaggart, possible. followed by his self-declared fitness for return to pastoral office, is a sad joke. In SBJT: Why must churches be C. Ben Mitchell is associate profes- theory, however, I cannot see why a man cautious and careful in restoring sor of bioethics and contemporary cul- could not regain credibility by starting the practice of church discipline? ture at Trinity International University and over again, beginning at the bottom, prov- C. Ben Mitchell: Along with the current Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He ing faithful in small things. Perhaps he revival of interest in ecclesiology among serves as a consultant on biomedical begins by cleaning the building, by park- Baptists and other evangelicals, there has and life issues for the Southern Baptist ing cars for the elderly in the church lot, been a revival of interest in church disci- Convention’s Ethics and Religious Lib- by attending the prayer meetings. Perhaps pline. Recent works by Southern Baptists erty Commission and is a senior fellow after some years his participation in a have included important discussions of with The Center for Bioethics and house group is of such humility and of the doctrine. Gregory Wills examines Human Dignity in Bannockburn, Illinois. such quality that he is occasionally asked church discipline in the antebellum south Dr. Mitchell is the general editor of the to address the group. Perhaps with time in his exacting study, Democratic Religion: New International Dictionary of Bioeth- he becomes a faithful deacon, and after Freedom, Authority, and Church Discipline ics (Paternoster, forthcoming in 2001). 89 in the Baptist South, 1785-1900 (Oxford a biblical pattern of church discipline University Press, 1996). Wills argues that would do well to pay attention to this the influence of American individualism distinction and to place a great deal of essentially eviscerated effective church emphasis on the formation of biblical discipline. By the 1920s, church discipline Christians. To attempt corrective disci- virtually disappeared from Baptist pline, without first seeking to form dis- churches in the South. ciples, is a sure recipe for disaster. Without Donald Whitney briefly takes up the attention to formative discipline, correc- subject of church discipline in a volume tive discipline either will seem capricious meant to encourage church members, or will consist of calling disciples back to Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church practices they did not know were norma- (Moody Press, 1996). Whitney maintains tive for Christian faith and practice. that church membership only makes sense Especially in an age such as ours, new in a context in which church discipline is converts cannot be expected to know what practiced. counts as normative Christian behavior. Most recently, Mark Dever, has contrib- For example, some new Christians may uted to the discussion on the role of church not know that premarital cohabitation is discipline in his volume, Nine Marks of a wrong. Pastors and their churches must, Healthy Church (Crossway, 2000). One of in this post-Christian era, spend more time the leading indicators of the health of a and energy on Christian discipleship than local congregation is its commitment to in previous eras in which Christendom the “regular practice of church discipline.” shaped social practices more pervasively. Interestingly, none of these books were Furthermore, because church discipline published by the denominational publish- has been so little practiced in American ing company, Broadman & Holman Press. churches in the past century, pastors must This renewed interest in church disci- be patient with their churches as they try pline, while welcomed, also warrants to bring them into conformity with bibli- several cautionary observations. First, cor- cal patterns of ecclesiology. More than one rective church discipline is not the only eager pastor, seeking to institute church form of church discipline. Patrick Hues discipline in a congregation unprepared Mell (1814-1888), president of the South- to deal with the subject, has found him- ern Baptist Convention for over seventeen self unemployed and looking for another years, published his own examination of congregation. Dever is right. Church dis- the biblical doctrine of church discipline cipline is one of the marks of a healthy under the title, Corrective Church Discipline church, but, frankly, it may be one of the in 1860. Mell begins by dividing the topic latter marks to appear in the process of into two major categories: formative church reformation. church discipline and corrective church Second, caution is due because of a his- discipline. Formative church discipline tory of abusive church discipline. One rea- includes the preaching, teaching, and dis- son church discipline ceased among cipleship ministries of the church. These evangelical churches was American indi- ways of “disciplining” believers are foun- vidualism. Another reason churches dational and primary to corrective church stopped disciplining their members was discipline. Churches wishing to return to because of arbitrary or extrabiblical ration- 90 ales for discipline. Legalism sometimes as a surrogate mother for her sister. While dictated the reasons for discipline rather I have very serious reservations about than the biblical witness. We must be both practices, neither of them rise to the certain, therefore, that corrective church level of corrective discipline. Why not? discipline is reserved for the clearest and First, it is not clear that either woman most obvious of infractions of normative sinned. Christian churches and denomi- Christianity. Appropriate corrective disci- nations are still in the process of develop- pline always aims to restore disciples to the ing ethical guidelines to inform these way of the Lord Jesus. Abusive power kinds of decisions. There remains great games and the flexing of theological diversity in the churches as to whether muscles have no place in church discipline. these kinds of reproductive relationships This means, in practice, that corrective are sinful or merely imprudent. Second, discipline should be reserved for rebellion in most churches, there has been little or against clear commands of God revealed no formative discipline aimed at the new in scripture. For instance, violations of the reproductive technologies like egg dona- Ten Commandments would constitute tion and surrogacy. In fact, while there are grounds for corrective discipline. Having increasing numbers of infertile couples other gods than the one true God, mak- utilizing these technologies, most ing idols, lying, thievery, adultery, etc., churches are silent on these issues. Sadly, would be sins worthy of discipline. Yet we have few formative resources to offer even here there is a problem. Many evan- couples who are considering these gelicals would not be strict sabbatarians. arrangements and technologies. Until To create categories for corrective church churches begin to examine and teach what discipline around matters of Christian the Bible says about procreation, mar- liberty would wrongly bind the con- riage, and family and the relationship science of another believer. Furthermore, between them, we dare not discipline church leaders must remind themselves members for disobeying what they could constantly that the goal is correction and not have known. Someone once said, “You restoration, not retaliation and vengeance can never go back to where you’ve never against the fallen party. The apostle Paul, been.” Christians cannot obey what they after all, reminds the Galatians that a spirit do not know. Church discipline, therefore, of meekness is to permeate appropriate must include both formative and correc- discipline: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken tive components—in that order. in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentle- ness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 RSV). As we face the challenges of the future, churches that practice discipline will be increasingly tempted to exercise it in dubious cases. I have been asked recently whether corrective discipline is warranted in a case where a woman sold her ova for $80,000. In another case, a woman served 91