[Biblemat] The Buckhorn Teacher 4-15-07

[thornhill1]

    THE  BUCKHORN  TEACHER
"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." 2.Tim.4:2

Buckhorn church of Christ - Thomas Thornhill - editor. 13675 Hwy 341, Randolph MS 38864-9117. Tel. 662-568-2960. Cell 662-419-5378. E-mail thornhill1 at frontiernet.net 

 

Vol.5                                                   April 15, 2007                                                 No.24

 

CHURCH DISCIPLINE No.2

 

It is suggested that you read the previous issue for continuity. Hopefully these articles will be read and studied carefully.

 

After becoming a Christian one chooses to join a local church in order to be a part of "His (God's) own special people, zealous for good works," Tit.2:14b, and to "proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into the marvelous light," 1.Pet.2:9. One of the figures used in the New Testament to describe the local church is the "body of Christ. As such, the body is composed of many members, Rom.12:4-5; 1.Cor.12:14, 20, 27. This very concept of the church as a body should teach us the importance of discipline. As with a physical body, when a member becomes weak, sickly or useless it must either be healed or removed, lest it begin to contaminate the rest of the body. So, church discipline is important to the health of the Lord's body, the church. 

 

As pointed out in the last article it is inconsistent for us to insist that an individual follow God's plan of salvation for inclusion (fellowship) into the church, Acts 2:36-41, 47, and at the same time ignore His plan of exclusion (disfellowship) from the same body. The very scriptures, (the New Testament), that present God's plan for the alien sinner to be saved, also presents His plan of exclusion of fellowship from the same body for the erring child who has sinned and refuses to repent, 2.Thes.3:6-15; 1.Cor.5:1-13.  

 

The scriptures just mentioned clearly command discipline to be practiced by God's people. In addition to the above scriptures we find the following: Matt.18:15-17; Lk.17:3; Rom.16:17-20; 1.Cor.5:1-13; Gal.6:1; 1.Thes.5:12-14; Jas.5:19-20. Either we obey them or we are in rebellion against God! 

 

DISCIPLINE IS A NECESSITY. One might ask why is it necessary? Where there is no penalty attached to a violation of law, or the penalty is not enacted for the violation, then contempt for law ensues. There is neither respect for the law or the law-giver. When violations of law go unchecked (undisciplined) there is only confusion and chaos. Society cannot exist very long if no discipline is enacted upon law violators. Lack of discipline will bring rebellion and anarchy. This is one reason why civil government was ordained of God. "For he (civil government v.1) is God's minister to you for good, but if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath (discipline t.t.) on him practices evil," Rom.13:4. Crime and delinquency reign in society without discipline. Teachers in the classroom know that if proper discipline is not maintained there will be only chaos and confusion. Teachers must have discipline in the classroom if they expect order and respect. 

 

So it is with God. He has never tolerated man when they demonstrated disrespect and contempt for Him by trifling with His laws. If instructive discipline didn't work, then God used punitive discipline. The book of Judges closes with these words, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes," Jud.21:25; also 17:6. Because the children of Israel showed such contempt for God and His word, He later punished them by allowing them to be carried into captivity. Look at the penalty God imposed on Adam and Eve because of their sin, Gen.3:14-19.  God brought the flood upon the world when He saw that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts on his heart was only evil continually," Gen.6:5. He didn't tolerate Nadab and Abihu rebelling against Him by "offer(ing) profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them" Lev.10:1-2. They were burned to death before the people. 

 

God is no different today. His nature has not changed one iota. He will discipline those who refuse to listen to, and follow His word. And, that includes His church. He expects His "special people" (the church) to practice discipline, so she will be presented to Him when Christ returns as "a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish," Eph.5:27. 

 

WHAT IS DISCIPLINE? Maybe more people and churches would be in favor of practicing discipline if they really understood what it is. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Ed defines discipline -noun- "1. discipline teaching, learning, 1. punishment. 2. instruction. 3. field of study. 4. training that corrects, molds, or perfects the moral faculties or moral character. 5. control gained by enforcing obedience or order, orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior, self-control. 6. a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity."  -verb- 1. to punish or penalize for the sake of discipline. 2. to train or develop by training and exercise, esp. self-control. 3. to bring (a group) under control (ex -troops), to impose order upon." Summary. Discipline involves teaching, training, learning, instruction, exercise, molding, imposing or enforcing order, development, correction, punishment, penal action  

 

In the NT, the word "discipline" is translated from the Greek word "paideia." It is translated "training" in Eph.6:4 and means to "bring up, rear a child, to train and teach, educate, to chasten, discipline." Various forms of the word are found 8 times in Heb.12:5-11 showing the necessity of discipline by earthly parents and by God.  

 

>From these definitions we learn that church discipline includes instruction, training, admonition, correction, chastisement, and reformatory or penal action. There are basically two kinds of disciplinary actions that are to be taken. One is instructive, which is preventive in nature. The other discipline is punitive in nature and is harsher since it may include more severe corrective or penal action. Preventive discipline is preferred since it is better and less harsh that the cure    (to be continued next issue). 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070412/1abb3573/attachment-0001.html