|
 We
introduced this subject on the editorial page; indicating the
relation of initial instructive discipline to fellowship with
God. But discipline should not stop with the call of the gospel.
"Together" activities of the saints add another
dimension to fellowship — the joint participation or sharing
of "fellows" in their endeavor to serve God — and
this also calls for a type of discipline.
As
we "edify in love" (Eph. 4:16), or "teach and
admonish" in singing, or study, pray, and sacrifice
together; we are assisting one another to be faithful to the
Lord. We have need of one another (1 Cor. 12:14-f), and the more
we recognize and supply that need, the closer will be our
fellowship, the more effective our day by day "discipline
by example" Our spiritual brothers must become our peers,
whose approval or disapproval mean the most to us. This is the
sort of communion that gives meaning to the various scriptures
on corrective discipline, and without which they lose their
effectiveness.
Disfellowship
HAS meaning only to the extent that fellowship HAD meaning to us.
Would you rather your social companions go to hell than for them
to be embarrassed by the truth? Are you embarrassed that God's
people are different from those of the world? Is your relation
with Christ and the saints of secondary, or thirdary [sic],
importance in your life? If "Yes," then you will balk
at church discipline. You will neither be profited by it, nor
will you profit others in its application. Discipline works
only with those who to serve the Lord.
I
can hear it now. "Those people do not need
discipline." I fear this comes from
| |
brethren who view discipline as a means
of forcing people to serve the Lord. "The weapons of
our warfare are not carnal." (2 Cor. 10:) We can not force
the discipline of the gospel call, nor of Christian service,
upon anyone. We deal with adult men and women whose hearts must
be made captive to Christ.
Consider
our first example. "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" (Matt.
18:15-17). The object is to gain the man, not your way. The
clear message is that he is in the wrong, and you, your helpers,
and finally the whole church speaks in an effort to bring
him back into fellowship with God. The church can neither
put him in, nor take him out, of such fellowship except as he
is persuaded to act. Failing in this, they recognize him for
what he has made himself — "as one of those
without." Neither hate, spite, nor vindictiveness is
indicated here. Do you "hate" or "spite" a
non-member when you fail to call upon him for public prayer or
service??
In
1 Thes. 4:10-12 Paul "besought" those brethren to
quietly work and tend to business, but apparently some gave no
heed. So in 2 Thes. 3: he "commands" them to
"withdraw from every brother that walketh disorderly"
or "out of step" with apostolic teaching. "Note
that man, and have no company with him, that he may be
ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish
him as a brother" vs. 14-15). (continued next page)
[Previous
Article] [Next
Article]
|
