27-1. Discipline is the exercise of authority given the Church by the Lord Jesus Christ to instruct and guide its members and to promote its purity and welfare. The term has two senses: a. the one referring to the whole government, inspection, training, guardianship and control which the church maintains over its members, its officers and its courts; b. the other a restricted and technical sense, signifying judicial process.

27-2. All baptized persons, being members of the Church are subject to its discipline and entitled to the benefits thereof.

27-3. The exercise of discipline is highly important and necessary. In its proper usage discipline maintains: a. the glory of God, b. the purity of His Church, c. the keeping and reclaiming of disobedient sinners. Discipline is for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7); therefore, it demands a self-examination under Scripture. Its ends, so far as it involves judicial action, are the rebuke of offenses, the removal of scandal, the vindication of the honor of Christ, the promotion of the purity and general edification of the Church, and the spiritual good of offenders themselves.

27-4. The power which Christ has given the Church is for building up, and not for destruction. It is to be exercised as under a dispensation of mercy and not of wrath. As in the preaching of the Word the wicked are doctrinally separated from the good, so by discipline the Church authoritatively separates between the holy and the profane. In this it acts the part of a tender mother, correcting her children for their good, that every one of them may be presented faultless in the day of the Lord Jesus. Discipline is systematic training under the authority of God’s Scripture. No communing or non-communing member of the Church should be allowed to stray from the Scripture’s discipline. Therefore, teaching elders must: a. instruct the officers in discipline, b. instruct the congregation in discipline, c. jointly practice it in the context of the congregation and church courts.

27-5. Scriptural law is the basis of all discipline because it is the revelation of God’s Holy will. Proper disciplinary principles are set forth in the Scriptures and must be followed. They are: a. Instruction in the Word; b. Individual’s responsibility to admonish one another (Matthew 18:15, Galatians 6:1); c. If the admonition is rejected, then the calling of one or more witnesses (Matthew 18:16); d. If rejection persists, then the Church must act through her court unto admonition, suspension, excommunication and deposition (See BCO 29 and 30 for further explanation). Steps (a) through (d) must be followed in proper order for the exercise of discipline.

Disciplining of Non-communing Members