Jonathan Leeman’s Church Discipline

Jonathan Leeman’s Church Discipline explores how the church protect Jesus’ name through discipline, divided into three parts. Part - 1 defines discipline, its necessity, execution, and restoration process. Part - 2 offers case studies to guide wise application of discipline. Part – 3 emphasizes teaching the congregation about the gospel’s call to repentance, obedience, and Christ’s lordship, church membership, and ensuring church documents reflect discipline expectations, with legal consent and unified leadership.

On page 39, Leeman’s definition of a Christian has illuminated the importance of discipline. He describes a Christian as someone who bears God’s name on earth, proclaims His gospel, and is united with His people. In essence, a Christian is an ambassador—whose identity and actions are inseparably intertwined. Everything an ambassador is, says, and does represent their king. Reflecting on this, if one fails to represent King Jesus through moral conduct, speech, or in any area of life, the church community is called to exercise discipline—either formative or corrective—depending on the severity of the sin. Thus, every Christian must strive to represent King Jesus faithfully and accurately.

As I read, a question arose in my mind: “When is discipline necessary?” In the chapter titled “When Is Discipline Necessary?” Leeman addresses this question with great clarity. He explains that discipline is required whenever a disciple strays from Christ’s path through sin. It becomes necessary when a discrepancy emerges between a Christian’s profession of faith and their conduct, failing to represent Jesus accurately as His ambassador. In the churches back home, discipline is a topic in complete disarray. Discipline is typically reserved only for cases involving eloping couples, murder (extremely rare), or divorced individuals. Meanwhile, issues like drunkenness, corrupt social workers, bribing government employees, gossip, slander, and more go unaddressed. This inconsistency has deeply troubled me.

Having understood when discipline is necessary, another question arises: “How do we discipline?” In the same chapter, Leeman explains that discipline typically occurs informally and privately, where a brother or sister in Christ lovingly confronts another’s sin. Occasionally, discipline becomes formal and public, often referred to as “church discipline” or excommunication. This formal action is appropriate when a member’s persistent failure to represent Jesus suggests they may no longer be a Christian, prompting the church to withdraw its affirmation of their profession of faith. This insight equips me to understand the church’s role to address sinning brothers and sisters effectively. Recognizing when either informal or formal discipline is required remains critical for the church.

I have grasped how the church should handle informal discipline, including through one-on-one discipling, and I appreciate how GCC Elders implement it via communion and preaching. However, formal church discipline is unfamiliar to me, and I was unsure when it should occur. On pages 54–55, Leeman explains that it applies to sins that are outward, serious, and unrepentant: first, the sin must be visibly or audibly manifest; second, it must be grave enough to warrant pursuit, allowing love to cover lesser offenses (1 Pet. 4:8); and third, the person must refuse repentance despite confrontation with Scripture, prizing the sin over Jesus. This clarifies the boundaries for formal church discipline.

The most enlightening section of Leeman’s book, spanning pages 55–63, explores “Paul and Jesus’s approaches” in 1 Corinthians 5 and Matthew 18. I previously believed that Matthew 18’s process should address minor sins, while 1 Corinthians 5’s approach was for major sins. However, Leeman persuasively clarifies that this distinction is flawed. In Matthew 18, an individual identifies a sin, seeks confirmation from two or three others, and then involves the entire church. Conversely, in 1 Corinthians 5, the church is already aware of the sin, starting near the end of Matthew 18’s process. The man in 1 Corinthians 5 is persistently unrepentant, and the church, rather than condemning his actions, has been approving his actions (5:2). This insight reshapes my understanding of how churches should apply these biblical models for discipline.

I deeply value Leeman’s insights on handling formal discipline cases, drawing from Matthew 18’s call for a careful judicial process: “that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (v. 16). He stresses that charges must be substantiated, evidence presented, and witnesses involved, advocating for a deliberate approach akin to the courtroom principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” This perspective is profoundly insightful. Often, churches rush into formal discipline with good intentions but cause harm due to impatience, undermining the true purpose of discipline. I believe formal church discipline should be carried out with precision, patience, and prayer.

I am amazed by Leeman’s God-given wisdom in this book, particularly his precise handling of church discipline. His discussion on restoration reinforces my convictions. He explains that restoration is similar to baptism: while baptism typically (but not always) signifies inclusion in church membership (e.g., the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:38–39), restoration likewise usually (but not always) involves reintegration into membership. Some suggest questioning an excommunicated member’s baptism, implying baptism is needed for restoration. I doubted this, and Leeman’s view aligns with my understanding, as seen in 1 Corinthians 5, where Paul calls for the excommunicated person’s restoration without questioning his baptism.

On page 95, Leeman’s analysis of Jill’s gambling addiction and her excommunication process is profoundly insightful, aligning with his criteria of outward, serious, and unrepentant sin. He explains that habitual gambling reflects poor stewardship of God’s resources, often driven by an idolatrous desire for unearned gain. It likely hinders generous giving to the church or the needy and fails to love one’s neighbor, thus misrepresenting King Jesus. Despite repeated warnings, Jill remained unrepentant, and her actions escalated to drunkenness and violence with a police officer. This assessment clarifies how such sins justify formal discipline, enlightening my understanding of the process.

Leeman’s analysis of non-attending members like Joe, who breach their church covenant and disregard Hebrews 10:24–25, deeply resonates with my pastoral experience. Joe’s absence suggests a lack of love for the church (1 John 4:20–21) and may conceal or precipitate further sin. Rather than pursuing immediate excommunication, the elders adhered to Matthew 18, presenting Joe’s case to the congregation and granting a two-month period for repentance. This delay facilitated time for repentance, prayer, and outreach while mitigating potential shock. With no response from Joe, the congregation unanimously approved his excommunication. This case study has clarified the process of formal discipline, reinforcing that it demands a careful assessment of sin, thorough evaluation of the individual’s behavior, and precise execution.

Leeman’s case study about Joe, who sought to divorce his wife, is highly relevant to my ministry context, making it particularly compelling. Several of Joe’s friends urged him to reconsider, and a pastor, during a forty-five-minute meeting, introduced the concept of church discipline. One week later, Joe sent a resignation letter to the church and simultaneously filed for divorce. Leeman’s assessment of Joe’s sin is insightful: most Christians agree that Joe’s stated reasons for divorce were illegitimate, violating the God-ordained marriage covenant and constituting a deliberate, high-handed sin, especially given the repeated warnings. I particularly admire Leeman’s wisdom in addressing Joe’s attempt to evade excommunication through resignation. He clarifies that such a move is invalid, as Christians are called to submit to the affirmation and oversight of local churches (ch. 2). Membership requires the church’s consent, just as resignation does; a person cannot unilaterally declare or renounce membership. Churches, regardless of polity, have processes to test and affirm a person’s profession of faith.

I recommend Jonathan Leeman’s Church Discipline to my pastor friends Taylor and Thomas, who serve newly planted churches in Northeast India. This book will illuminate the importance of protecting Jesus’ name through biblical discipline. By following Leeman’s guidance, they can ensure their churches are well-prepared to execute discipline wisely and effectively.