Removing a person from church membership is what a church must do when the reverberating of God’s Word appears to have grown utterly silent in someone’s heart. Given a choice between obedience to God’s Word and a particular sin, the individual chooses the sin. And he shows no sign of wanting to do otherwise. It’s not any sin, of course. It’s an unrepentant sin. It’s a serious sin. And it’s a sin that can be seen with the eyes or heard with the ears. The Lord has not given us the ability to judge the heart, so a church should not discipline for suspected sins of the heart, like pride or greed. We can only assess by external fruit (Matt. 3:8; 7:17-20). But based on that external fruit, discipline must happen when a person’s profession of faith in God’s gospel Word no longer appears credible.
— Jonathan Leeman (b. 1973), Theologe, Buchautor, Präsident von 9Marks und Ältester
Related Bible passage: MAT.18.15-17
Topics: Church & Congregation, Guilt & Forgiveness, Ethical Questions
Occasions: For Reflection
Jonathan Leeman
Jonathan Leeman (* 1973) ist ein US-amerikanischer Theologe, Buchautor und Präsident des evangelikalen Netzwerks 9Marks. Bekannt ist er für seine Arbeiten zur Ekklesiologie, in denen er verbindliche Gemeindemitgliedschaft, biblische Ältestenschaft und eine differenzierte politische Theologie vertritt. Für Bibelleser bieten seine Veröffentlichungen theologische Anstöße zum Verständnis der lokalen Kirchengemeinde und zum verantwortungsvollen Umgang mit Autorität.
All quotes by Jonathan Leeman (31)
The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.
Tim Keller
The Church is not a cultural club, but the family of Jesus.
Pope Francis
The Bible in the pulpit must never supersede the Bible at home.
John Charles Ryle
In essential unity; in nonessentials liberty; in all this charity.
Rupertus Meldenius
Henry Ward Beecher
Philip Yancey
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
In a congregation, every person must be able to be as their heart truly is.
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf