Discipline in a New Testament Baptist Church
By Jim Murriner
Mt 28:18 - 20
18 “ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
20 “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
2Ti 3:16
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
2Ti 4:1 - 2
1“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;”
2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
In that there is a need for the church to teach all things which Christ gave us, and commanded us, and in that pastors are to teach the word, and in doing so, he is to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering, there is then a need that churches are taught to expect a clean life of those who are members of the body.
Eph 5: 25 - 27
25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
26 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”
27 “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
As we look at this study, we are to understand that the membership first of all must have a great love for one another.
John 13:34
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
John 15:12
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
John 15;17
“These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
1Peter 1:22
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently:”
1John 3:11
“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”
We are to walk in love. This means that our conduct is to be governed by love.
Eph. 5:2
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
We are to speak truth, but do it in love.
Eph 4:15
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
What ever we do in His Church we are to do it in love.
It is difficult to imagine what it would be like to live in a society where citizens could flaunt the rules and absolutely no consequences would follow – no fines, no imprisonment, etc.?
Can you conceive of a home environment where the children are allowed to do whatever they please with utterly no discipline imposed? Total chaos would reign in either of these instances.
Yet, there are countless churches of the Lord Jesus Christ across our land where little, if any, discipline of the wayward is ever enacted. Is it any wonder that our churches are weaker today than they have ever been?
The scriptures are very clear that The Lord's Church is to keep itself pure.
Mt. 18:15 - 17
15 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”
16 “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”
17 “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”
This verse also shows us that the church did indeed exist prior to the day of Pentecost.
Too often today our churches are condemning of those without, those in our communities, the lost around us, who have no spiritual life, and therefore cannot do the will of God. We however are not judges of the lost world around us but of the assembly in which the Lord has placed us.
1Cor. 5:12 - 13
12 “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?”
13 “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
Romans 15:14
“And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”
There are many other scriptures that teach, as Matt. 18:15 -17 that the church is to discipline its membership.
Romans 16:17-18
17 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”
18 “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
1Cor. 5:1 -13
1 “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.”
2 “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.”
3 “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,”
4 “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
5 “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
6 “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”
7 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”
8 “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
9 “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:”
10 “Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.”
11 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
12 “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?”
13 “But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
2Thess. 3:6
“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”
Titus 3:11
“Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”
