Pauls DIscipline For The Church

In Galatians chapter 1, you remember, he writes the Galatians. In verse 6, he said, I am amazed that you’re so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel. He confronts the fact that they had wandered off after judiizing false teachers who were teaching them legalism. I can’t believe you’ve done it. It’s not really another gospel at all. People are coming, distorting the gospel, I’m telling you. In verse 8, Though we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

And then in verse 10, he kind of concludes this section by saying, am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? Am I striving to please men? He was accused of being a man pleaser. He said, in no way do I seek to please men. And his confrontation here would indicate that that’s in fact the case. He confronted their deviation from the true gospel. In chapter 2, he confronts Cephas in verse 11, who was Peter, the great apostle Peter, who of course was with Jesus, who walked on water, who had such a miracle power in the early chapters of the book of Acts.

The great apostle Peter came to Antioch. You would have thought that Paul, who came late as an apostle, sort of after the original 12, you would have thought that he would have treated Peter with a special kind of dignity. Verse 11 says, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. Peter came and was corrupting the freedom that was theirs in Christ, was acting in a legalistic manner so as not to offend some Jews, and was thereby offending some believers. And Paul says, I confronted him to the face. It’s not a popular thing to do.

I don’t think popular would be the word to describe Paul, even if he was in the church today, let alone the world. Paul confronted sin. He confronted it because he wanted the sinner to be freed from the penalties, I should say the chastenings of sin. He wanted the sinner to be free from what God would do to him if he continued in sin. He wanted to enjoy, him to enjoy the blessings of obedience. And furthermore, he wanted the church to have its power, the church to have its impact. He wanted transformed lives to be on exhibit.

In 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 he says, if anybody will not work, verse 10, don’t let him eat. Well that’s pretty straight stuff. You don’t work, you can’t eat. You need to work with your hands. We hear about the fact that among you there are some leading and undisciplined life, doing no work at all, acting like busy bodies. And such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. Go to work, get a job, earn your food. 1 Timothy chapter 1 he said, when I was with you in Ephesus, Timothy, I took Chaimoneus and Alexander, who were shipwrecking the faith, who were twisting the truth and teaching error, and I threw them out of the church, he says.

I literally threw them out of the church. I turned them over to Satan so so they would learn not to blaspheme. Paul was confrontive. Yes, he was compassionate. Yes, he operated in the meekness and gentleness of Christ, as he said earlier in 2 Corinthians. Yes, he was loving. So loving that he wept tears over his people. Yes, he was merciful and kind and patient. Yes, he had given the Corinthians plenty of time to deal with issues in their lives. But there was one thing he was absolutely intolerant of in the church, and that was sin, because he knew it would not only infect, sicken and weaken, and even kill a church.

And it did do that. Some of the churches the Lord addresses in Revelation 2 and 3 literally died because of sin, but he was concerned with its impact on the life of the believer too, because he cut that believer off from blessing and joy. So he says, look, I’ve been patient in the past. The time has come. Mercy’s over. When I get there, I’m not gonna spare anybody. This is a warning, folks. This is a warning. He’s given it several times. Back in chapter 12 verse 14, for the third time I’m ready to come to you.

I’m coming. You better get ready. Then in verse 1 of chapter 13, this is the third time I’m coming to you. Then in verse 2, at the end of the verse, if I come again, he’s letting them know. These are all warnings. These are all warnings repeated for impact. And he says, look at it in verse 2, I have previously said, when present the second time. And he refers back to that sorrowful visit. I told you then that I would come again. And now, verse 2, absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past, and to all the rest as well, if I come again, I will not spare anyone.

I’ve told you repeatedly that when I come, I’m going to deal with sin. Here’s another warning. Warning after warning, I’m coming, I’m coming. First Corinthians chapter four, he said, look, I’m coming, I’m coming. And if I come, you decide whether I come in love or with a rod. Warning them over and over again to get their act together before he came. And when I come, he says in verse two, as I have warned all along, I am going to deal with those who have sinned in the past. And that is, that’s directly what is said down in verse 21 of the 12th chapter, concerned about those who have sinned in the past.

Perfect tense. The idea is that they literally have started sinning in the past. And the implication is they’re continuing to do it without repentance. I’m going to deal with those people who have a pattern of sin, which is known to you. And you know, they knew about sinners and didn’t do anything about it. First Corinthians five, he wrote them and said, how is it that you can have a man in your congregation, having a sexual relationship with his father’s wife, his stepmother, and you don’t do just tolerance. When I get there, I’m going to deal with that man.

So he says, you have people in sinful patterns in your church. They started in the past, it’s still going on. I’m going to deal with those people. I’m not going to spare any of them. And he says, I’m going to deal with all the rest as well. Who’s all the rest? Well, all the rest, which would include other people sinning, whose sin may not have been known. And then he’s going to deal with the whole church for not dealing with sin. And that’s exactly what he means back in verse 20 of chapter 12.

When he says, I may be found by you to be not what you wish. You’re not going to like what you get when I arrive. You’re not going to be happy with the poor who shows up. I’m afraid that when I get there, I’m going to find these patterns of unrepentant sin against the unity of the church, against the purity of the church. And I’m going to have to deal with it. And I’m going to deal with it. You say, is this a normal pattern for a pastor? Or is this just something special to the personality of Paul? No, I think this is an example for all of us.

I don’t think Paul hated this church. He loved them. He says that to them. Back in verse 15 of chapter 12, if I love you the more, I might be loved the less. He says, I’ll gladly spend and be expended for your souls. There wasn’t any question about his affection for them, his love for them. And that’s the reason for his discipline. The same thing you tell your children, I discipline you because I care, because I love you. Thank you for joining us in this exploration of Paul’s discipline for the church.

Until next time, remember to keep the faith, stay strong, and continue to shine your light in the world. To hear these daily devotions of your daily bread, please log on to goddess government.com. Goodbye, and may your faith always lead the way. [tr:trw].