Why I Still Believe in Church Discipline
The second book in the "Journey" series by Richard P. Belcher continued the same fiction story of Rev. Ira Pointer as he pastors a large downtown church, First Baptist. Finding that only about 50 members are active out of a membership roll of 1500 or so, Rev. Pointer is soon forced into dealing with the issue of purity in the church and what the Bible says about church discipline. As a theological novel, this book focuses on teaching theology through the medium of story telling again.
In this sequel, we learned how to outline Scripture, how to deal with false accusations and bullying, when to be quiet and when to speak up for oneself, and how a church should study unfamiliar doctrines. We studied what the Bible says about determining when someone is truly saved and how many in the church are not really regenerate. We discovered that it is much more difficult to try to purify an impure church full of unbelievers than it would be to start a church from a correct, biblically pure foundation to begin with.
But the main thing I learned in this book is that there are five main types of discipline in the church and that not only are these rarely taught, but they are rarely carried out correctly, even in churches that do practice church discipline. I don't usually like to tell the bottom line of a book, but I will break with tradition for this review. This should be only enough to whet your appetite for studying the subject further.
Five Categories of Sin Requiring Discipline
1. Serious sin committed by someone who is still unrepentant -- I Cor. 5:1-5
Most severe. The church is to turn him over to the devil for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The sin of one brother against another -- Matt. 18:15-18
Excommunication (treat as a heathen or publican) if the sinning brother refuses to listen to the church.
3. Sin which has overtaken a brother and has left him sorrowful and crushed -- Gal. 6:1
Restoration to Christ and the church by the spiritual members of the church in a spirit of meekness and humility.
4. One teaching false doctrine -- I Tim. 6:3-5
Excommunication (withdrawal from him) by the church.
5. One not walking as a Christian should walk in his daily life -- II Thess. 3:6, 14-15
Excommunication (withdrawal of fellowship), but he is not to be treated as a lost man but to be admonished as a brother.
The Discipline Responsibility of the Church
1. The church is the final authority in the matter of discipline.
2. The most spiritual of the membership of the church are to carry out the discipline. That should be the leaders.
3. The Bible is the authority concerning which sins in practice or doctrine one is to be disciplined for.
4. Repentance and restoration are to be hoped for in every case.
Clear Dangers to be Avoided in Discipline
1. Pride -- discipline should be conducted with humility.
2. Legalism -- the work of discipline is not just a set of rules to be followed coldly.
3. Extremism -- the church does not play Holy Spirit in church members' lives and make decisions for them.
4. Undisciplined discipline -- it must be structured and clearly principled, and must be fair and consistent in each case, and from one case to another.
5. Arbitrariness -- the discipline methods must be based on Scripture and the matters for discipline must be based on Scripture. They cannot be based on one's personal arbitrary choice.
6. Supremacy -- discipline is not the supreme work of the church, but rather is a necessary part of the work of the church.
7. Asceticism -- the work of discipline is not an end unto itself, nor is it a means to produce spirituality and growth by itself. (formative vs. reformative discipline)
I'm really enjoying this series!
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Oct 25, 2007
Oct 22, 2007
Book Review: A Journey in Grace
Richard P. Belcher has written what he calls a "theological novel." "A Journey in Grace" is a book that teaches theology through the fiction genre. While the story itself is often suspenseful and has many emotional swings to it, it is what is learned from this book that I highly recommend.
This is the story of a young man in seminary who lands his first pastoring job. While he begins as any other typical seminary student, Ira Pointer is driven to dig deeper into theology. Throughout the story, we learn some church and denominational history, some denominational differences, and the differences between Arminianism, Calvinism, and hyper-Calvinism. We also get a glimpse into seminary life, both in the classroom and out, in the professors' offices, and in daily interactions with other students. Organization, logic, and expository teaching abound in this story. The author is not afraid to tackle the "hard" verses on the subject of the Doctrines of Grace and he goes to the Greek roots when necessary. We learn about how a pastor is chosen in certain denominations and how and why churches change pastors. Through the power of a story, we learn about conflict resolution, taking the high road, and how to debate theological issues.
Designed for high schoolers and adults, my children and I loved this book! We read it out loud and used it as a daily Bible study. Of all that we have studied so far on the Doctrines of Grace, this was by far the most clearly presented, logical, and understandable. We have a much firmer stance now on many points of theology, all from a good story.
I did buy the rest of the series of fifteen books and will be reviewing them here throughout the coming year. Each book covers a different theological topic. Since I bought a whole set, I have a duplicate of this first book "A Journey in Grace," which I will give away free to the first person to contact me through email. I highly recommend this series.
This is the story of a young man in seminary who lands his first pastoring job. While he begins as any other typical seminary student, Ira Pointer is driven to dig deeper into theology. Throughout the story, we learn some church and denominational history, some denominational differences, and the differences between Arminianism, Calvinism, and hyper-Calvinism. We also get a glimpse into seminary life, both in the classroom and out, in the professors' offices, and in daily interactions with other students. Organization, logic, and expository teaching abound in this story. The author is not afraid to tackle the "hard" verses on the subject of the Doctrines of Grace and he goes to the Greek roots when necessary. We learn about how a pastor is chosen in certain denominations and how and why churches change pastors. Through the power of a story, we learn about conflict resolution, taking the high road, and how to debate theological issues.
Designed for high schoolers and adults, my children and I loved this book! We read it out loud and used it as a daily Bible study. Of all that we have studied so far on the Doctrines of Grace, this was by far the most clearly presented, logical, and understandable. We have a much firmer stance now on many points of theology, all from a good story.
I did buy the rest of the series of fifteen books and will be reviewing them here throughout the coming year. Each book covers a different theological topic. Since I bought a whole set, I have a duplicate of this first book "A Journey in Grace," which I will give away free to the first person to contact me through email. I highly recommend this series.
Mar 4, 2007
The Diligent and Organized Beaver
Well, it took me long enough, but I am getting back to my animal personality theory by Smalley and Trent today. The first article was about the lion; the second animal that we look at is the beaver. The typical character traits for the beaver, and those which you should identify in your own self, are these: (Remember that you will not necessarily have ALL these traits in order to be considered a beaver, but a majority.)
The beaver's motto in life is "How was it done in the past?"
Again, taken from their book, "The Two Sides of Love," here are some typical traits of a beaver.
Beavers keep a close watch on their emotions. They are very reserved, cautious, and controlled in displaying any affection, and rarely praise others. While beavers may be very committed to relationships in their life, it may not show up much on the outside. They don't wear their heart on their sleeve.
Beavers do read the instruction manual. There is a right way to do things, and beavers will seek out that right way. They will carefully read the entire instruction manual instead of throwing it away. Stress in life is greatly reduced for a beaver when they have instructions to follow. Unfortunately, relationships do not fall into an instructional manual-type category, so flexibility is not their strong point.
Beavers are very careful when making decisions. They do not make too many bad decisions in life because they take the time to carefully weigh everything out before making a decision.
Beavers look at issues critically when it comes to problem solving, taking things apart and going into detail. Often tending to be perfectionistic, this skill in problem solving can also be a great weakness in relationships, as they pick people apart as well. Beavers get their motivation for doing things in an extreme orderly manner from their deep-seated desire to do everything right.
"If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." Doing things right, with precision and accuracy, is extremely important to a beaver. "A place for everything, and everything in its place." This natural strength of spotting things that are wrong is very valuable for many detailed professions and heads off many mistakes.
Beavers tend to turn their anger on themselves, which can often turn into depression, when they should learn to ask for help instead. They get angry when they make mistakes, and are very sensitive to criticism. Clear directions and being able to ask informational questions are as important to beavers as the need to have a strong sense of support and being in a noncritical environment. Beavers will slow down under pressure.
Beavers tend to focus on the past, but having faith in the future can be quite a challenge. Beavers much prefer to plan everything out ahead of time, not trusting tomorrow to take care of itself.
There are certain jobs and professions which only a beaver can do and we should be very thankful for the beavers in our lives. Like all the animals, a beaver who is extreme, though, can push people far away, so a beaver has to work hard on being loving. (This is dealt with extensively in the book; I am really just covering the personality traits here.)
Two of the animals that are often closely related (in this personality quiz) are the lion and the beaver. I have very strong beaver tendencies as well.
Next time, we will check out the ever-playful otter.
- Deliberate
- Controlled
- Reserved
- Predictable
- Practical
- Orderly
- Factual
- Discerning
- Detailed
- Analytical
- Inquisitive
- Precise
- Persistent
- Scheduled
The beaver's motto in life is "How was it done in the past?"
Again, taken from their book, "The Two Sides of Love," here are some typical traits of a beaver.
Beavers keep a close watch on their emotions. They are very reserved, cautious, and controlled in displaying any affection, and rarely praise others. While beavers may be very committed to relationships in their life, it may not show up much on the outside. They don't wear their heart on their sleeve.
Beavers do read the instruction manual. There is a right way to do things, and beavers will seek out that right way. They will carefully read the entire instruction manual instead of throwing it away. Stress in life is greatly reduced for a beaver when they have instructions to follow. Unfortunately, relationships do not fall into an instructional manual-type category, so flexibility is not their strong point.
Beavers are very careful when making decisions. They do not make too many bad decisions in life because they take the time to carefully weigh everything out before making a decision.
Beavers look at issues critically when it comes to problem solving, taking things apart and going into detail. Often tending to be perfectionistic, this skill in problem solving can also be a great weakness in relationships, as they pick people apart as well. Beavers get their motivation for doing things in an extreme orderly manner from their deep-seated desire to do everything right.
"If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." Doing things right, with precision and accuracy, is extremely important to a beaver. "A place for everything, and everything in its place." This natural strength of spotting things that are wrong is very valuable for many detailed professions and heads off many mistakes.
Beavers tend to turn their anger on themselves, which can often turn into depression, when they should learn to ask for help instead. They get angry when they make mistakes, and are very sensitive to criticism. Clear directions and being able to ask informational questions are as important to beavers as the need to have a strong sense of support and being in a noncritical environment. Beavers will slow down under pressure.
Beavers tend to focus on the past, but having faith in the future can be quite a challenge. Beavers much prefer to plan everything out ahead of time, not trusting tomorrow to take care of itself.
There are certain jobs and professions which only a beaver can do and we should be very thankful for the beavers in our lives. Like all the animals, a beaver who is extreme, though, can push people far away, so a beaver has to work hard on being loving. (This is dealt with extensively in the book; I am really just covering the personality traits here.)
Two of the animals that are often closely related (in this personality quiz) are the lion and the beaver. I have very strong beaver tendencies as well.
Next time, we will check out the ever-playful otter.
Feb 20, 2007
I am Lion, Hear Me Roar
One of my very favorite activities in the world is teaching Bible studies. Although I am taking an extended break while my children are growing up, one Bible study in particular stands out to me. As a board member for PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel), a military group for Christian women of all denominations, I was concerned that we should have a summer Bible study, especially for all the new women who would be arriving during the summer and would want to meet other people. We had about a one-third turnover each summer, so this was a significant amount of ladies looking for new friends. All the other women had other obligations that summer, so I taught the class.
Lynn has a short blurb on her blog about secular personality tests and I am NOT a fan of pop psychology, but there is one personality test in particular that I actually enjoy. It is not new, but what attracts me to it is the fact that it encourages me to become more like Jesus and it teaches me how to be a friend. I will explain all that later.
This is Gary Smalley's and John Trent's animal personality test that this particular Bible study was based upon. There are four animals: the lion, beaver, otter, and golden retriever. Being labeled one animal or another does not mean that you have to have all the traits of that animal. You will be the animal that you score the highest for, so keep track of the number of traits you feel describe you for each animal. Each person usually fits into one or possibly two categories and I will cover them one at a time. At the end, I will explain how this test, and Bible study, transformed my life.
In the meantime, I will start with the test and characteristics for the lion. Notice the biblical character traits that are listed for each animal. This is significant. Here are the traits for a lion:
A lion's motto is "Let's do it now!"
Taken from their book, "The Two Sides of Love," here are some typical traits of a lion.
Lions are born leaders. Although it is true that some leaders are made, not born, it is more often true that they are born that way. God did create some natural leaders and they are called lions.
Lions like to accomplish things with immediate results. They like to take charge and feel very strongly that life is a series of problems they need to solve or challenges they need to meet.
A lion's time frame is now! Lions are not upset, they are just extremely intense. If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right now. This one characteristic often causes others to feel afraid of lions, while lions often don't see it themselves.
Lions are decisive. Lions need to lead, take control, and accomplish things; these all involve making decisions quickly. Lions often don't ask for advice when making these decisions and sometimes fail to get the necessary facts.
Lions want the Reader's Digest version of communication. They eschew small talk and are anxious to get right into the meat of the conversation. They want to stick to the subject and are focused on the efficiency aspect of communication so they can get back to work.
Lions often feel challenged by questions. Rather than seeing a question as a reasonable request for information, lions sometimes see them as a personal challenge instead.
Lions are not afraid of pressure or confrontation. Lions thrive on tension. Unless they're careful, this tendency can cause lions to hurt other people's feeling without even realizing it. Lions can be so strong that they win every verbal battle but end up losing the war for their family's hearts.
These are the natural bents of a lion, but not every lion has all these character traits. As you will see throughout the traits of all four animals, each character trait can be used for good or for bad. It is important to recognize which traits apply to you.
As for me, if you haven't figured it out already, I am a full-blown lion, but that was easily explainable when I recently found out that I am directly descended from Attila the Hun!
Come back tomorrow to find about the beaver.
Lynn has a short blurb on her blog about secular personality tests and I am NOT a fan of pop psychology, but there is one personality test in particular that I actually enjoy. It is not new, but what attracts me to it is the fact that it encourages me to become more like Jesus and it teaches me how to be a friend. I will explain all that later.
This is Gary Smalley's and John Trent's animal personality test that this particular Bible study was based upon. There are four animals: the lion, beaver, otter, and golden retriever. Being labeled one animal or another does not mean that you have to have all the traits of that animal. You will be the animal that you score the highest for, so keep track of the number of traits you feel describe you for each animal. Each person usually fits into one or possibly two categories and I will cover them one at a time. At the end, I will explain how this test, and Bible study, transformed my life.
In the meantime, I will start with the test and characteristics for the lion. Notice the biblical character traits that are listed for each animal. This is significant. Here are the traits for a lion:
- Takes charge
- Determined
- Assertive
- Firm
- Enterprising
- Competitive
- Enjoys challenges
- Bold
- Purposeful
- Decision maker
- Leader
- Goal driven
- Self-reliant
- Adventurous
A lion's motto is "Let's do it now!"
Taken from their book, "The Two Sides of Love," here are some typical traits of a lion.
Lions are born leaders. Although it is true that some leaders are made, not born, it is more often true that they are born that way. God did create some natural leaders and they are called lions.
Lions like to accomplish things with immediate results. They like to take charge and feel very strongly that life is a series of problems they need to solve or challenges they need to meet.
A lion's time frame is now! Lions are not upset, they are just extremely intense. If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right now. This one characteristic often causes others to feel afraid of lions, while lions often don't see it themselves.
Lions are decisive. Lions need to lead, take control, and accomplish things; these all involve making decisions quickly. Lions often don't ask for advice when making these decisions and sometimes fail to get the necessary facts.
Lions want the Reader's Digest version of communication. They eschew small talk and are anxious to get right into the meat of the conversation. They want to stick to the subject and are focused on the efficiency aspect of communication so they can get back to work.
Lions often feel challenged by questions. Rather than seeing a question as a reasonable request for information, lions sometimes see them as a personal challenge instead.
Lions are not afraid of pressure or confrontation. Lions thrive on tension. Unless they're careful, this tendency can cause lions to hurt other people's feeling without even realizing it. Lions can be so strong that they win every verbal battle but end up losing the war for their family's hearts.
These are the natural bents of a lion, but not every lion has all these character traits. As you will see throughout the traits of all four animals, each character trait can be used for good or for bad. It is important to recognize which traits apply to you.
As for me, if you haven't figured it out already, I am a full-blown lion, but that was easily explainable when I recently found out that I am directly descended from Attila the Hun!
Come back tomorrow to find about the beaver.
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