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Posts tagged church discipline

Christ's Spotless Bride -- The Three Marks of the Church Defined (Part Five)

Calvin’s Pulpit in St. Peter’s, Geneva

The First Mark of the Church Is the Pure Preaching of the Word

According to Michael Horton, “the church is the creatura verbi or `creature of the Word,’” in the sense that the Holy Spirit working through the preached word (God’s living and active speech–Hebrews 4:12-13) brings the church into existence. This indicates that the church is “always on the receiving end of its existence.”[1]

Horton continues, the Word . . .

always achieves its purpose (Isa. 55:1– “everyone who thirsts”). The proclaimed word is not simply the sermon, but the faith that is announced, confessed, sung, and witnessed to by the church–by those called to special office but also by the whole body in its general office as prophets, priests, and kings in Christ. Even singing in church is a form of proclamation: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16; cf. Eph. 5:19). Nevertheless, it is especially in its official preaching that this Word is a verbum sacramentale (sacramental word).[2]

Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck offers a thorough and helpful summation of the Word as the primary, but not the only mark of the true church.

That the Reformation rightly sought the key mark of the church in the Word of God cannot be doubted on the basis of Scripture. Without the Word of God, after all, there would be no church (Prov. 29:18; Isa. 8:20; Jer. 8:9; Hos. 4:6). Christ gathers his church (Matt. 28:19), which is built on the teaching of the apostles and prophets, by Word and sacrament (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20). By the Word he regenerates it (James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23), engenders faith (Rom. 10:14; 1 Cor. 4:15), and cleanses and sanctifies [the church] (John 15:3; Eph. 5:26). And those who have thus been regenerated and renewed by the Word of God are called to confess Christ (Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9), to hear his voice (John 10:27), to keep his Word (John 8:31, 32; 14:23), to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), and to shun those who do not bring this doctrine (Gal. 1:8; Titus 3:10; 2 John 9). The Word is truly the soul of the church.[3] All ministry in the church is a ministry of the Word. God gives his Word to the church, and the church accepts, preserves, administers, and teaches it; it confesses it before God, before one another, and before the world in word and deed. In the one mark of the Word the others are included as further applications. Where God’s Word is rightly preached, there also the sacrament is purely administered, the truth of God is confessed in line with the intent of the Spirit, and people’s conduct is shaped accordingly.[4]

To read the rest, follow the link below

Biblical Theology, Reformed ResourcesKim RiddlebargerJune 13, 2024The Three Marks of the church, The pure preaching of the word, the proper administration of the sacraments, church disciplineComment

An Exposition of Article Thirty-Two of the Belgic Confession

There is no subject which brings as much tension as the subject of church discipline. While church discipline is always a difficult thing to do, it is something we must do. A church which does not discipline erring members is a church which risks heresy in its midst, or which allows erring members to profess that they are Christ’s and then through shameful conduct bring disgrace to the master whom they claim bought them (cf. 2 Peter 2:1). While we are all sinners, we are not allowed to bring scandal upon the church, nor shame to its head, Jesus Christ.

We miss the whole point of church discipline if we see it as people often do, the self-righteous removing unpopular or victimized people from their midst. That is not what church discipline is about. Church discipline is about ministers and elders who have been called to shepherd the flock, driving savages wolves away from the sheep. No one likes doing it, but it must be done.

We come to the last article in the Belgic Confession dealing with the doctrine of the church. In Article Thirty-Two, our confession now fleshes out some of the practical ramifications of Paul’s exhortation to the church of Corinth, “but all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). As we have seen, the New Testament teaches that local churches are to be governed by elders together with the minister(s), and that these same churches are to be served by deacons who ensure that no one in the congregation goes without. Collectively, these men form the church council, which conducts the day to day business of the church.

We have seen that the local church is the visible manifestation of Christ’s invisible body, and that God equips the members of his church for service by giving us gifts of the Holy Spirit for the common good. Since the church is so important to the well-being of every Christian, the New Testament has no category for someone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, but who is also not a member of the local church. Our confession has also identified the three marks of a true church; the clear and consistent preaching of the gospel, the proper administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline. It is the third mark–church discipline–which is the subject of Article Thirty-Two.

To read the rest, An Exposition of Belgic Confession Article Thirty-Two

Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerAugust 26, 2022Decently and in Good Order, church disciplineComment

The Keys of the Kingdom

Church discipline is one of those subjects no one really wants to talk about. This keeps pastors and elders up at night and can create unease and tension in a congregation, For one thing, church members fear that such discipline entails church officers snooping around in someone’s private business and then outing their private sins to others in the church. For another, church members don’t wish to perceived as being judgmental toward others. If snooping is what biblical church discipline entails, then people would be right to be worried. Fortunately, this is not the case.

The prime example where church discipline is applied in the New Testament is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In chapter 5, Paul describes a situation in which a member of the church (presumably a prominent member) has “taken his father’s wife.” Paul seems utterly perplexed that someone could do such a thing. “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans” (1 Corinthians 5:1). Not only was this man’s behavior a violation of biblical morality, apparently his act was considered scandalous to pagans outside the church. Paul’s remedy for this was to excommunicate this man– “you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (v. 5).

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Wisdom from ConfessionsKim RiddlebargerJuly 23, 2021church discipline, key to the kingdom Comments