Church Discipline
Its Practice and Purposes
The Necessity of Restoration
October 2, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Goal of Community Discipline 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Part B The Goal of Church Discipline: Restoration I. The Cause of the Discipline (2:5) II. The Restoration from Discipline (2:6-8) A. The Time of Restoration (2:6a) B. The Participants in Restoration (2:6b) C. The Nature of Restoration (2:7a) 1. Extension of Forgiveness ● forgive beautiful, to give generously, beneficial, grateful 2. Extension of Encouragement ● comfort summon, beseech, exhort, appeal, encourage, exhort D. The Necessity of Restoration (2:7b) ● excessive greater or more ● overwhelmed to drink down or gulp to consume or use up to overcome or drown E. The Summary Statement of Restoration (2:8) 1. The Fact of Reinstatement ● reaffirm ratify, annual, make a legal decision 2. The Fact of Fellowship III. The Bases of Restoration from Discipline (2:9-11) A. Obedience (2:9) ● test to examine or verify ● obedient to give ear or listen B. Forgiveness (2:10) 1. Paul’s Leadership in It 2. Corinth’s Need for It 3. Christ’s Example of It 4. Satan Thwarted by It ● advantage greediness, exploitation, defrauding ● schemes thoughts, concepts, plans, or resolve
Restoration of the Corporate Body
September 25, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Goal of Community Discipline 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Part A The Goal of Church Discipline ● Understood Individually ● Understood Corporately ■ The Book of 2 Corinthians ■ The Context of 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 I. The Cause of the Discipline (2:5) A. The Action that Occurred (2:5a) ● sorrow physical pain or mental anguish to vex, irritate, offend, or insult 1. Sorrow Understood Positively 2. Sorrow Understood Negatively B. The Result that Occurred (2:5b) II. The Restoration from Discipline (2:6-8) A. The Time of Restoration (2:6a) ● sufficient person–competent, qualified or able for a task things–adequate or large enough ● punishment a judicial ruling regarding an infraction against such civil rights penalty B. The Participants in Restoration (2:6b) ● majority almost everyone; everyone
Support for the Restoration
September 18, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Goal of Community Discipline Galatians 6:1-10 Part B I. The Scenario (6:1) A. The Problem: Caught in a Sin (6:1a) B. The Solution: Restoration (6:1b) C. The Manner: With the Proper Attitude (6:1b9-d) II. The Procedure of the Restoring Brother (6:2-6) A. Lend the Proper Support (6:2) 1. The Nature of the Support (6:2a) ● bear take up, to carry or lift a load; or to carry something away ● burden weight, an oppressive weight, an unmeasurably great weight 2. The Reason for the Support (6:2b) B. Maintain the Proper Perspective (6:3-5) 1. On Himself (6:3) ● deceives to deceive one’s mind or to lead one’s mind astray 2. On His Work (6:4-5) ● examine to test to ascertain genuineness; to approve ● bear to carry a designed load C. Communicate the Word of God (6:6) III. The Response of the Fallen Brother (6:6-10) A. To the Word (6:6) ● share fellowship, association, communion, or close relationship B. To God (6:7-9) 1. He Recognizes the Inescapable Nature of God (6:7a) 2. He Recognizes the Inescapable Nature of Consequences (6:7b-8) ● The Principle of Consequences Stated ● The Principle of Consequences Applied ■ corruption deterioration or decay 3. He Recognizes the Necessity of Great Effort (6:9) ● lose heart to lost one’s motivation to accomplish something C. To Others (6:10) ● opportunity to a decisive point in place, situation, or time
The Goal: Restoration
September 11, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Goal of Community Discipline Galatians 6:1-10 Part A The Practice of Church Discipline The Purpose of Church Discipline The Goal of Church Discipline ● The Nature of Goal ● The Goal Itself: Restoration ■ The Role of the Individual in Restoration (Gal. 6:1-10) ■ The Book of Galatians ▫ The Context of Galatians 6 ▫ The Reality of Ongoing Sin Restoration: The Manifestation of Spirit Produced Love I. The Scenario (6:1) A. The Problem: Caught in a Sin (6:1a) 1. The Context of the Problem (6:1a1) 2. The Nature of the Problem (6:1a2-10) ● caught to anticipate or forecast (active) to be taken by surprise, overtaken, seized unawares (passive) ● trespass to fall beside or false step B. The Solution: Restoration (6:1b) 1. The Parties Involved (6:1b1-4, 6-8) a. The Limited Number b. The Spiritual Character 2. The Result Pursued (6:1b5) ● restore put in order, repair, or make complete to arrange, adapt, or adjust something to a particular condition based on its usage, purpose, or end C. The Manner: With the Proper Attitude (6:1b9-d) 1. An Attitude of Tenderness (6:1b9-13) ● gentleness a humble, submissive, and teachable spirit a considerate and charitable approach to others 2. An Attitude of Watchfulness (6:1c) ● look to notice something so as to scrutinize, observe, or inspect it 3. An Attitude of Humility (6:1d)
The Aftermath of Church Discipline
September 4, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Purpose of Community Discipline 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (Part C) The Church and Ongoing Sin The Church’s Answer to Sin ● The Need for Church Discipline ● The Failure to Practice Church Discipline I. The Case for Discipline (5:1-5) II. The Basis of Discipline (5:6-8) III. The Focus of Discipline (5:9-13) A. The Focus Stated (5:9) ● associate to be in a joint relationship; to mix it up 1. The Danger of One’s Associates Described Biblically 2. The Danger of One’s Associates Expressed Socially B. The Focus Explained (5:10-13a) 1. Who is Not Included (5:10) a. Their Identity Stated b. Their Identity Defended c. Their Identity Explained 2. Who is Included (5:11-13a) a. Who He Is (5:11a) ● called name or naming b. What He Does (5:11b) c. What They Should Do (5:11c) 1) The Extent of Their Response 2) The Disposition of Their Response a) Stated b) Explained d. Why They Should Do It (5:12-13a) C. A Restatement of Discipline (5:13b) ● manifests an obedient humble heart before God ● prevents the spread of sin throughout the congregation ● provides opportunity for correction to take place ● allows the church to manifest its true nature ● manifests that the church truly acknowledges Christ’s sacrifice
A Biblical Example: Public Rebuke
August 28, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Purpose of Community Discipline 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (Part B) I. The Case for Discipline (5:1-5) A. The Sin (5:1) B. The Church’s Response (5:2) C. The Apostle’s Response (5:3) D. The Apostle’s Judgement (5:4-5) 1. The Authority of It (5:4a) 2. The Place of It (5:4b) 3. The Participants in It (5:4c) 4. The Action Itself (5:5a) ● deliver handing over or turning over 5. The Outcome (5:5b) 6. The Purpose (5:5c) II. The Basis of Discipline (5:6-8) A. The Statement of the Attitude (5:6a) B. The Statement of the Basis (5:6b) C. The Responses to the Basis (5:7-8) 1. Immediate: Purify the Body (5:7) a. The Response (5:7a) ● clean purge or separate something from something else b. The Need for the Response (5:7b) c. The Reasons for the Response (5:7 c-d) 2. Ongoing: Live in That Purity (5:8) a. The Response (5:8a) b. How Not to Live (5:8b) ● malice badness, wickedness and vice ● wickedness maliciousness or sinfulness c. How to Live (5:8c) ● sincerity authentic, real, without mixture ● truth truthfulness of life, conduct and mind
A Biblical Example: The Sin and Response
August 21, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Purpose of Community Discipline 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (Part A) The Practice of Church Discipline I. The Problem (18:15a) II. The Process (18:15b-17) A. Private Rebuke (18:15b-d) B. Witnessed Rebuke (18:16) C. Public Rebuke (18:17a-b) D. Excommunication (18:17c-d) III. The Promises (18:18-20) A. God’s Sovereign Power (18:18) B. God’s Sovereign Answer (18:19) C. God’s Sovereign Presence (18:20) The Importance of Jesus’ Commands The Practice of Church Discipline The Purpose of Church Discipline ● The Background of 1 Corinthians ● The Context of 1 Corinthians 5 I. The Case for Discipline (5:1-5) A. The Sin (5:1) 1. The Sin’s General Description ● immorality any unlawful sexual interaction/relationship 2. The Sin’s Extreme Nature 3. The Sin’s Specific Designation B. The Church’s Response (5:2) 1. What It Was (5:2a) ● arrogant blowing or puffing something up a. The Corinthians’ Problem with Pride b. The Corinthians’ Prideful Rejection of Spiritual Authority c. Implication 2. What It Should Have Been (5:2b) a. They Should have Spiritually Grieved b. They Should have Practiced Church Discipline ● removed to lift up or take up in order to carry away c. Implication C. The Apostle’s Response (5:3) 1. Paul’s Decision: Guilty ● judged the process of judging or the outcome of that process ● The Nature of Christian Judgement: Discernment 2. Paul’s Authority
Private and Public Rebuke
August 14, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Practice of Community Discipline Matthew 18:15-20 Part B I. The Problem (18:15a) II. The Process (18:15b-17) A. Private Rebuke (18:15b-d) B. Witnessed Rebuke (18:16) ● take to take to oneself or to bring along with 1. Its Old Testament Practice 2. Its New Testament Application C. Public Rebuke (18:17a-b) D. Excommunication (18:17c-d) 1. The Practice Explained 2. The Practice Defended III. The Promises (18:18-20) A. God’s Sovereign Power (18:18) 1. The Object of That Power ● bound bind . . . shall be bound; bind . . . shall have been bound ● loose loose . . . shall be loosed; loosed . . . shall have been loosed ● whatever anything, a situation, or a person 2. The Effect of That Power a. As Found in Matthew 16 1) The Nature of the Keys 2) The Implementation of the Keys b. As Found in Matthew 18 B. God’s Sovereign Answer (18:19) 1. The Condition of the Promise ● agree harmony, agreement, or concord ● anything deed, occurrence, task, or matter 2. The Nature of the Promise C. God’s Sovereign Presence (18:20) 1. The Time and Place of the Promise 2. The Nature of the Promise
The Problem and the Process
August 7, 2011 • Roger Skepple
Message Outline: The Practice of Community Discipline (Part 1) Matthew 18:15-20 Part A The Contextual Framework of Community Discipline ● The Marks of the New Testament Church ● The Context of Matthew 18 I. The Problem (18:15a) A. The Persons Involved 1. The Fact of Christian Brothers 2. The Nature of Christian Brothers a. Its Priority b. Its Newness c. Its Unity B. The Situation Involved 1. The Nature of the Situation ● sins missing the mark or goal 2. The Particulars of the Situation II. The Process (18:15b-17) A. Private Rebuke (18:15b-d) 1. The Nature of the Rebuke a. The Meaning Rebuke ● reprove punish, condemn, convict, or examine b. The Need for Rebuke c. The Manner of the Rebuke 2. The Place of the Rebuke a. The Need for Privacy b. The Challenge to Privacy 3. The Intent of the Rebuke