The Way of the Shepherd: The Biblical Foundation of Church and Church Discipline

Church discipline is an essential, often overlooked, and frequently misunderstood part of healthy congregational life.

Church discipline.

Those two words can bring a multitude of feelings and images to the reader who has had any experience with it. Frequently, people associate church discipline with "church hurt," evoking negative emotions of harsh, judgmental treatment which can cause division and church splits. On the other side, believers see discipline as something that Scripture speaks about, yet it is mainly absent from their local congregation in actual practice.

To the everyday Christian, "discipline" seems harmful and unnecessary when we worship a God who is full of grace and love (Eph 2:8-9; 1 Pet 5:10; 1 Jn 4:8). To push someone out of the church could seem the opposite of what God wants to do, bringing all people to himself (Col 1:20).

However, Jesus in the Gospel of Luke paints a different picture for us to consider, the image of a shepherd.

Responding to the accusation that He enjoys the company of sinful people; Jesus tells a parable about a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to bring one sheep back to its fold (Luke 15:1–7). When the shepherd finds his stray sheep, he calls all his friends together and says, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost!" Jesus then explains that this parable portrays God's joy in repentance and restoration.

This parable isn't the first time the Bible depicts God as a shepherd, however. Jesus is elaborating on a foundational depiction of the character of God. Throughout the Psalms (23; 80) and the prophets (Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11–24), we see God as a shepherd. This image so vividly captures who God is and what God does that Jesus also asserts that he is the Good Shepherd who lays his life down for His sheep (John 10:11–16). ...