Saturday, January 24, 2009

Church Discipline and Holiness

Criticism of "Protestant" church discipline, with a positive example illustrated in this video by Dr. James White (just under 15 minutes long):



This is partly to provide balance to my criticism of Rome in these two recent posts (first post) (second post). Notice that Rome is not alone in failing to do proper church discipline. The fact that I've pointed out Rome's mistake in this error doesn't let those "Protestant" churches that do the same thing off the hook.

-TurretinFan

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

TF,

so true:::>

Rom 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
Rom 2:2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.
Rom 2:3 Do you suppose, O man--you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself--that you will escape the judgment of God?
Rom 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Rom 2:5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
Rom 2:6 He will render to each one according to his works:
Rom 2:7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
Rom 2:8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Rom 2:9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
Rom 2:10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
Rom 2:11 For God shows no partiality.

Let our judgment come through us "sent" from Heaven and not our wretched hearts:::>

1Co 6:1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
1Co 6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
1Co 6:3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!


I am confident TF, by how you judge, that mostly your judgments are true and you are to be commended for that!

It gives me great confidence myself as I learn from you herein!

Thanks

Anonymous said...

OSAS - no discipline needed. right?

Turretinfan said...

A) I hold to perseverance of the saints, not OSAS.

B) Discipline is aimed at the spiritual benefit of people, but not necessarily their salvation (unless they are unsaved hypocites that need to be made aware of that fact).

C) I can see why a legalistic religion would need discipline to procur salvation, but that's not what church discipline is primarily there for.

-TurretinFan