I’ve predicted often through the years that the Loony Right would grow even crazier than they already are as they are inexorably pushed toward the margins of society. Here is an example of it, a push for more widespread “church discipline.”
Church discipline is, basically, a demand by the club for more stringent observance of the club rules.
In recent years the SBC has experienced a resurgence of interest in church discipline, both in publication and practice. I believe it is fair to attribute this resurgence to 9Marks Ministries. Mark Dever has spoken and written on church discipline on many occasions, and the January issue of the 9Marks Journal focuses on church discipline.
Most would agree that church discipline is both biblical and necessary. Several New Testament passages address church discipline. Jesus gave instructions about the procedure for church disciple in Matthew 18:15-17: “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (NASB). In these verses Jesus prescribes a three-level approach to disciplining a wayward brother—one church leader goes alone; several church leaders go together; and the matter is brought to the church.
Notice the comments:
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“I am of the opinion that the state of the church in the USA is where it is due to lack of proper church discipline.”
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“It [discipline] was forgotten because churches and pastors started caring more about numerical growth instead of spiritual growth. Churches that have either no membership or a membership that is accountable to nothing is not a church modeled after New Testament churches.”
The problem, of course, is that evangelical Christianity is in its sad condition because it rests upon an untrue narrative and its decadent, cult-like ethics do harm. Christianity cannot be saved except by returning to the Bronze Age in which it was born — which won’t happen.
The more interesting problem is shaping the post-Christian world.