22 Mistakes Pastors [and Consistories] Make in Church Discipline

Since Scripture calls men to the roles of leadership in the church as pastors and elders, I will never experience what I would imagine would be one of their most difficult tasks: executing biblical, effective church discipline. Clearly church discipline is critical to the life of the church: the Belgic Confession, article 29, lists it as one of three marks of the true church. And yet so few seem to understand how it is supposed to work, even among those called to administer it.

This blog post by Andy Naselli, who shares principles from Jonathan Leeman's Church Discipline, provides great food for thought in this often misunderstood and misapplied area of church life.

Pastor and People

From a sermon titled "The Church's Marriage to Her Sons, and to Her God," by Jonathan Edwards:

A faithful minister, that is in a Christian manner united to a Christian people as their pastor, has his heart united to them in the most ardent and tender affection. And they, on the other hand, have their hearts united to him, esteeming him very highly in love for his work’s sake, and receiving him with honor and reverence, and willingly subjecting themselves to him and committing themselves to his care, as being under Christ their head and guide. Such a pastor and people are like a young man and virgin united in marriage, with respect to the purity of their regard one to another. The young man gives himself to his bride in purity, as undebauched by meretricious embraces. And she also presents herself to him a chaste virgin. So, in such a union of a minister and people as we are speaking of, the parties united are pure and holy in their affection and regard one to another. The minister’s heart is united to the people, not for filthy lucre or any worldly advantage, but with a pure benevolence to them and desire of their spiritual welfare and prosperity and complacence in them as the children of God and followers of Christ Jesus. And, on the other hand, the people love and honor him with a holy affection and esteem. Not merely as having their admiration raised and their carnal affection moved by having their curiosity and other fleshly principles gratified by a florid eloquence and the excellency of speech and man’s wisdom, but receiving him as the messenger of the Lord of Hosts, coming to them on a divine and infinitely important errand, and with those holy qualifications that resemble the virtues of the Lamb of God.

I hope your pastor matches the description here. I am thankful to say that ours does.

Love One Another

From a sermon titled “Christians a Chosen Generation, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a Peculiar People,” by Jonathan Edwards:


"Christians ought to bear with one another. They are the children of the same universal church of God; they are all the children of Abraham; they are the seed of Jesus Christ; they are the offspring of God. They are all of one family and should therefore love one another as family. It is very unbecoming those who are God’s offspring to entertain a spirit of hatred and ill will toward one another. It is very unbecoming to be backward in helping and assisting one another and supplying each other’s wants—much more, to contrive and seek one another’s hurt, to be revengeful one toward another. Let Christians take heed so to walk that they may not dishonor their pedigree. You are of a very honorable race, more honorable by far than if you were the offspring of kings and had royal blood in your veins. You are a heavenly offspring, the seed of Jesus Christ, the children of God. They that are of noble race value themselves highly upon the honor of their families, to dwell on their titles, their coats of arms, and their ensigns of honor and to recount the exploits of their illustrious forefathers. How much more careful should you be of the honor of your descent: that you in nothing behave yourself unworthy of the great God, the eternal and omnipotent King of heaven and earth, whose offspring you are!"

The Sick Body

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body (1 Corinthians 12:12).

When the church is happy, healthy, and at peace, it's easy to forget that we are a body--that we're organically connected and placed, by Christ, in a bond that ought not be broken. The hand, eye, ear, nose are all well, and at times like that, we're glad, if we're an ear, that the hand is okay, but we don't need to pay much attention to the hand, so we don't.

But when the church is divided in the ugliness of sin, when that bond is stretched so thin that it very nearly breaks, it might be the hand that is broken, but we, the ear, feel that pain, as do the nose, the eyes, and all of the rest of the body parts too. We're organically connected and have been placed in that bond by Christ, so pain in one part of the body affects us all. Some of the greatest hurts of this life are feeling betrayed, being deceived, watching people whose godliness we've admired and respected disappoint us with their arrogance, anger, and refusal to admit wrongdoing. It is during these times that we are reminded of our catechism that teaches us that we are inclined, by our nature, to hate God and our neighbor.

But even in this darkness are lessons to be learned. Especially in the darkness can be growth. And these are the lessons that we learn.

1. In a conflict or disagreement, usually there isn't one person or group who is completely wrong and one group that is completely right. While sickness in the body usually starts when one person offends another, it's very easy for the offended party to fall into the trap of sinning right back--whether by being angry, gossiping, or desiring revenge. We must not take sides and deepen the divide. We must do what is right, and encourage all others to do the same, in word and deed.

2. We need to remain humble at all times. It's easy to look at a person who has fallen into sin and think, "That could never be me." I would imagine that the person that we're looking at has probably had that same thought at some time. If conflict is ever to be resolved, if ever there is to be peace, it must start with us in our interactions with one another. And we must be willing to see our own failings and confess them.

3. People who fall into sin and refuse to acknowledge that sin tend to just keep on sinning more to cover up the sins that they have committed. As people fall into this trap, I think, "Wouldn't it just be easier to say you're sorry and get on with things? It has to be much harder to keep on plotting and scheming than it would be just to repent." If we know we have done wrong, our best course of action is to repent, and not to try to justify and scheme our way out of a difficult situation. It is the surest way to gain the respect and support of our brothers and sisters.

4. A quote from a forthcoming excellent book on Christ's parables by Dr. Bilkes of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary that I've been editing: "Christ's will is that His church be a place of humility and service. It should also be a place where there is joy when straying disciples return (see Matt. 18:13). And if one brother sins against another brother, there should be reconciliation through truth and repentance." The body will never heal unless we remember that our goal must be, ultimately, "reconciliation through truth and repentance"--not just proving someone else wrong, not proving we are right, and certainly not driving the offending parties from us without resolving the problems.

5. We must never lose sight that the people in the body--even the ones with whom we may disagree--are brothers and sisters in Christ. He has placed them in His church and has shown them mercy and love. How can we do any less?

6. When someone offers up repentance, we must accept it and close the book on the matter. We should not second-guess motives or genuineness. Mercy and grace must be our operating principles.

7. Gossip is not only wrong if what we are saying is untrue. We can say something true and still be guilty of gossip if our words are intended to make someone else look bad. Saying less in situations like these is more.

8. Finally, again from Dr. Bikes: "How often have we metaphorically stood with our hands around an offending brother or sister's 'neck' while ignoring our own sin before God, which is infinitely worse? In order to loosen our grip on the 'throats' of others and grant this kingdom forgiveness easily and quickly, we should often think of our great debt before God."

Our God is great and wise, and the one who can bring life from death can certainly bring about growth even in the darkness, even when the body is sick. Learning the lessons of the darkness will bring us back into the light of health and peace and will make the body stronger.

What lessons have you learned in the darkness?