When to Exercise Church Discipline

by Kyle Ellison

The question of when to exercise church discipline is both agonizing and grueling, one that elders and members must grapple with from time to time.

Elders feel the weight of this without a doubt, since they are charged with watching for the souls of those under their care.  “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Hebrews 13:17).

It is true that at times we may be too quick to jump into “discipline mode” before:

• We have the facts of the ongoing offense, if there be any such thing.
• We have sufficiently exhausted every other effort to correct the one erring in sin.

Church discipline must never be used as a tool to carry out or exact revenge. It must never be used to grind an axe, get even, or embarrass someone. In fact, it would be better not to exercise it at all than to do so with impure motives.

The dilemma often arises when we must judge whether a member is acting wayward due to discouragement, life circumstances, sorrow, grief, or pain — or if they are acting wayward because of flagrant disregard for God and His Word. If the former, we need to exercise great patience and tender love, even to the point of exhaustion.

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1).

Sometimes a brother or sister is habitually absent from the assembly, but before we jump to discipline, perhaps we would do well to ask: Why?
What in the life of a believer hinders them? Is it a recurring sickness? Is it sorrow upon sorrow? Is it deep depression? Does it come from hurt in the local body? Perhaps it is needful to begin by looking at ourselves to see if we could have contributed to this lack of desire to assemble.

Now, there are times when a brother or sister is openly and flagrantly living in sin or rebellion. Sin in the camp will bring weakness, division, and hurt to God’s people (Joshua 7:12), and it cannot be tolerated by those who willingly refuse to repent and make correction. It is of utmost importance that an eldership act quickly if this individual considers themselves right with God and attempts to bring their acceptance of sin into the group of God’s people.

If such sinful behavior is “commonly reported” (I Corinthians 1:11), if it is witnessed, and if the individuals have been reasoned with privately, with witnesses, and before the church to no avail (Matthew 18:15–17), then it becomes necessary to “tell it to the church” and let them be as a “heathen” to you — that they might feel the pain of this in their life and turn back from their current trajectory.

The overarching point is this: church discipline is a tool in the toolbox of restoration. It should come after all other attempts have been exhausted, after the ongoing offense has been confirmed, and when there remain no other options.

For the sake of the purity of the church (I Corinthians 5:9) and for the sake of the soul that is erring (I Corinthians 7:5), we must act when discipline is necessary. But we must also act with wisdom, caution, and love at the center of all that we say and do.