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The Severe Grace of Church Discipline (King’s Cross)

Grace Sensing on February 25, 2024
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Ministries of Word & Table (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #10) (King’s Cross)

Christ Church on June 18, 2023

Introduction

When God is at work, challenges arise from within and from without. Just as Jesus directed His disciples to feed the crowds that followed Him (Mk. 6:37), so too His Spirit leads His apostles to appoint men to address the needs of widows in the early church so that the Word can continue to multiply. 

The Text: “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration…” (Acts 6:1-15)

Summary of the Text

Administrative challenges accompany the success of the gospel, and right on schedule a complaint arises from the Hellenists against the Hebrews that their widows are being neglected in the daily service (Acts 6:1). The twelve apostles charge the congregation to appoint seven men over this table service, so they can continue in the ministry of the Word and prayer (6:2-4). The congregation chose seven good men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and the apostles ordained them, and the word of God increased and the disciples multiplied (6:5-7). 

Stephen, one of the seven new deacons, was particularly gifted with words and wonders, and a party of opposition arose, which when they were unable to resist his wisdom, convinced some men to falsely accuse him of blasphemy (6:8-11). They successfully got many people and leaders stirred up and brought him before the Jewish counsel, and while many false witnesses testified against him, God made his face like the face of Moses (6:12-15). 

Serving Tables

This text has traditionally been understood as the origin of the office of Deacons. While the noun is not used, the verb is used twice: “ministration/service” (6:1) and “serve” tables (6:2). The office of apostle was unique for the first century (eye-witnesses of Jesus, authorized to write the New Testament, Acts 1:8, 21-22), their ministry was passed on to elders (also called bishops), particularly the ministry of the Word (e.g. Lk. 1:2, 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Tit. 1:5-9). While all Christians are called to a general ministry of “service” (e.g. Mt. 20:26-28, Rom. 13:4-6, 1 Cor. 3:5, 1 Pet. 4:10), the word is also used to describe an office for qualified men (1 Tim. 3:8-13) who assist the elders (cf. Phil. 1:1) in a ministry of serving at tables, which we understand to include assisting the elders with the administration of worship, caring particularly for the material/physical needs of those within the congregation as well as those outside. 

Controversy as Opportunity

We have already seen this, but Luke doesn’t want us to miss it: when the Holy Spirit it as work, there will be controversies inside and outside the church, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, controversy is an opportunity for the gospel to go forth. When this internal controversy arises, the apostles understand that they must not be distracted from their assigned task and therefore conclude God is leading them to appoint new leaders to oversee this need (Acts 6:2-4). And the result is clear: “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith” (6:7). Likewise, we should be anticipating something similar coming with the controversy surrounding Stephen – more on that later (6:9). 

Like the Face of an Angel

Clearly, Stephen did his administrative work well, and in addition to those gifts, was also a gifted teacher and evangelist (6:8-10). Remember, the miracles of the first century were specifically given as confirmation of the Word of the apostles (cf. Mk. 16:20, 2 Cor. 12:12), but the thing that the Jews could not withstand was his wisdom with the Word (Acts 6:10). And while they brought all kinds of false words against him, his face had the authority of an angel of God, which reminds us of the face of Moses coming down from the mountain, having spoken to God face to face (Ex. 33:11, 34:29-35). Elsewhere Paul says that when Christ is preached in faith and received in faith an even greater light shines on our faces without a veil, changing us from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:7-18).

Applications

We are a growing community and congregation, and we should expect growing pains and needs. We want to preserve real community and personalism, but we should not resent wise administration. Large churches cannot pretend to be small churches. If you see a need, please say something. Just be aware that there are many moving parts to coordinate and sometimes the one who sees a need is gifted to fill it. But guard against all murmuring (e.g. 1 Cor. 10:10). 

We should expect controversy, including persecution, slanders, and lies, and we should expect many people to hear them and get caught up into them. And we should expect blessing to come with it: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…” (Mt. 5:10-12).

The Word is the tip of our spear. Read the word. Share the word. This word is our glory. It is the glory of a Holy God who freely saves sinners. This is the greatest wonder – that God takes hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh – that men and women may be born again – and that wonder truly cannot be resisted. But when resistance comes to that glory, we should be praying for more opportunities to preach this good word, and regardless, please pray regularly for those called to this particular ministry (cf. Eph. 6:19-20).

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Church Discipline and Life

Joe Harby on August 3, 2014

http://www.christkirk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/1787.mp3

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Introduction

A church that does not or cannot discipline errant members of the congregation is a church with AIDS. It has no means of fighting off infections—whether those infections are moral or doctrinal or both. The infections can be in the heart or the head, but the church has to be able to deal with them.

To change the image, the church is constituted by Word and sacrament. A large number in the reformation tradition have also added discipline to this, but I would prefer to think of the garden itself as growing Word and sacrament only. Discipline is the fence that keeps the deer out. Discipline is not part of the very definition of the church, but without a fence, you won’t have a garden for very long. Fences are essential to gardens, but don’t themselves grow in the garden.

Obviously, a message like this is being preached for a reason—we do have some possible discipline cases in process, and we wanted you to be prepared for this as a congregation. But know that we do not operate on a hair trigger, and we would be delighted to have this be a message that turns out to be more theological than practical.

The Text

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner —not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person’” (1 Cor. 5:9-13).

Summary of the Text

Christians often get this text exactly backwards. Paul says that of course we are going to have to associate with dissolute pagans—but we try hard to be prissy about that kind of thing. And he says that we must of course not associate with those inside the church who live like this. This is in fact what distinguishes Christian morality from dry rot moralism. The former guards inside, the latter guards against the other. Pay special attention to that phrase near the end—do you not judge those who are inside? But what happens if we are diligent in this? Trying to guard the church against hypocritical profession is a sure fire way to draw the charge of . . . hypocrisy. Think about it for a moment.

The Five Reasons for Discipline

First, we are to discipline in order to glorify God, and this occurs because obedience glorifies God. We know from His Word that God intends discipline for His church (Matt. 18:15-19; Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5; 1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6-15; 1 Tim. 5:20; 6:3; Tit. 1:13; 2:15; 3:10; Rev. 2:2, 14-15, 20). God tells us what to do, and because we are His people we are called to obey Him. This answers the objection, “Who do you think you are?” We do not discipline in our own name, or on our own authority.

In the second place, we are to discipline in order to maintain the purity of the church. If we measure the “success” of discipline by whether or not the offender is restored, we will be forced to conclude that sometimes it “didn’t work.” But conducted biblically, church discipline always purifies the church (1 Cor. 5:6-8). It also prevents the profanation of the Lord’s Table (1 Cor. 11:27). It always works.

Third, we are to discipline to prevent God from setting Himself against the church. If we have a choice to distance ourselves from sin, and we choose rather to identify ourselves with it, then what will a holy God do with us (Rev. 2:14-25)?

Fourth, we are to discipline in a desire to restore the offender. We are not promised that the offender will be restored, but this end is nonetheless one of our goals. But at the same time I put this reason fourth for a reason. This rationale is clearly set forth in Scripture (Matt. 18:15; 1 Cor. 5:5; Gal. 6:1). This answers those who think “discipline is harsh and unloving.” The goal is not to destroy the offender; the goal is a confrontation in which we formally protest the fact that the offender is destroying himself.

And last, we are to discipline in order to deter others from sin. The Bible teaches that consequences for sin deter (Ecc. 8:11; 1 Tim. 5:20). The objection here is that “people sure wouldn’t want to mention any of their spiritual problems around those elders!” But the issue in discipline is always impenitence. But if he struggles against sin, as all of us do, then he will find nothing in church discipline except an aid and comfort in that struggle.

Conclusion

Many misunderstand what is actually being done in discipline, or what discipline requires. Discipline is not necessarily shunning or avoiding. It is rather avoiding company on the other’s terms. The heart of church discipline is a refusal of the Supper, which is why church discipline is called excommunication. The person is exiled from (ex) the Table of the Lord (communion). So the individual under discipline is denied access to the Lord’s Supper, as well as that general communion which that Supper seals. The offender must not be denied kindness, courtesy, opportunity to hear the Word preached, the practical duties owed to him by others, or anything else due him according to the law of love. Fundamentally, he is being denied only one thing: the right to define the authority of the Christian faith for himself.

Discipline is inescapable. Either we will discipline those who love what is sinful, or we will discipline those who love what is righteous. But as long as the antithesis between the two exists (which is to say throughout history) we must choose one way or the other. A refusal to discipline those who are threatening the integrity of the church is actually a form of discipline directed against those who love the peace and purity of the church, and who labor and pray for it.

One last thing—the encouragement that is found in this. The doctrine of adoption should be precious to us. And the Bible teaches that absence of discipline is a serious indication that God has not adopted us—which is far more terrifying than the prospect of discipline. This truth applies equally to congregations as to individuals.

“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:4–13).

What then should our response to discipline be? God is our Father, Christ our brother. Therefore, lift up your hands that were hanging down. Strengthen your feeble knees. Walk on the straight path, with Christ just ahead of you.

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