What is church discipline?

Matthew 18:15-20

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.

¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

New International Version (NIV)

The answer

Church discipline is the faithful, loving process Jesus gave His church to address unrepentant sin among His people — the goal is never punishment for its own sake, but the sinner's restoration and the church's purity (Galatians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11). It is commanded in Matthew 18:15-17 and modeled in places like 1 Corinthians 5 and Titus 3:10-11.

The process Jesus gave (Matthew 18:15-17)

A stepwise path that grows wider only as the brother refuses to hear:

• Step 1 — Go alone. "If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone" (Matthew 18:15). The work begins privately, face to face, with the aim of "gaining your brother."
• Step 2 — Take witnesses. "If he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established" (Matthew 18:16). This echoes Deuteronomy 19:15's standard for any accusation and protects against a word against a word.
• Step 3 — Tell the assembly. "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly" (Matthew 18:17). The local church now bears the case — this is where formal discipline becomes the church's, not just the offended party's.
• Step 4 — Treat him as outside. "If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector" (Matthew 18:17). Paul applies this in 1 Corinthians 5:11 — "don't even eat with such a person" — meaning no affirming his sin, but also meaning the church still hopes for his return.

The spirit behind it

Discipline is restorative, not vengeful. Three marks keep it from becoming harshness:

• Speak the truth in love. "You which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1).
• Aim for repentance and forgiveness. "If he repent, forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4); and when discipline has done its work, "you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow" (2 Corinthians 2:7).
• Keep him as a brother, never an enemy. "Count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (2 Thessalonians 3:15).

When it must be applied — and to whom

• Open, unrepentant sin in the body. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 calls the church to act when a member is openly living in grave sin and the congregation is proud rather than grieving. The aim: "that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 5:5).
• Persistent false teaching or divisiveness. After a first and second warning, "avoid a factious man" (Titus 3:10-11), knowing he is "self-condemned."
• Only inside the church. "What do I have to do with judging those who are outside? … those who are outside, God judges" (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). Discipline is for those who name the name of Christ.

A verse to carry

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20). The whole aim — win the brother back.

Traditions differ on how exactly a local church carries out steps 3 and 4 (a small elders' meeting, a gathered congregational vote, a formal period of suspension before restoration) — your pastor or elders can tell you how your own church practices it.

Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026

Church discipline is Christ's loving, pastoral provision for safeguarding the purity of His church and reclaiming believers caught in persistent, unrepentant sin. Far from punitive retribution, it is a stepwise pursuit of reconciliation that reflects God's holiness and His relentless desire to restore the fallen.

The Pattern

Christ's Orderly Path from Privacy to Assembly

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.

Matthew 18:15 (NIV)

It establishes the foundational rule that rebuke begins in private to win back the brother rather than expose him.

In Matthew 18:15, Jesus establishes the foundational protocol for addressing sin within the household of faith: "go and tell him his fault between you and him alone." The divine goal from the opening step is never public exposure or vindictive humiliation, but winning back an estranged brother. This pastoral restraint builds upon the ancient moral law of Leviticus 19:17, which forbids silently harboring hatred in one's heart while commanding frank, honest rebuke. Sin is not to be swept beneath a veneer of false peace; it must be confronted directly, privately, and tenderly. If the errant member listens, fellowship is restored, the sin is covered, and the matter ends without wider knowledge.

Yet when private entreaty meets hardened refusal, Christ mandates a stepwise escalation designed to protect both the truth and the accused. Matthew 18:16 directs the believer to take one or two witnesses along, fulfilling the evidentiary safeguard of Deuteronomy 19:15 that every charge must stand on the testimony of two or three credible voices. These companions are not an execution squad; they serve as impartial witnesses to verify the facts and urge repentance. Only when obstinacy resists this intermediate counsel does Matthew 18:17 instruct the matter to be spoken to the entire assembly. If the sinner stubbornly defies the assembled congregation, he must be treated as a Gentile and a tax collector—no longer affirmed as a brother in good standing, but viewed as someone outside the covenant community in need of evangelistic conversion.

Such solemn action carries divine sanction. In Matthew 18:18, Christ reiterates the apostolic authority first enunciated in Matthew 16:19 concerning the keys of the kingdom: whatever the church binds on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever it looses on earth is loosed in heaven. This binding and loosing does not invent new standards of righteousness, but ratifies heaven's own verdicts revealed in the Word. Furthermore, Matthew 18:19–20 assures that where even two or three assemble in His name to execute these heavy pastoral responsibilities, the risen Lord is personally present among them, ratifying their solemn prayers and decisions.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Leviticus 19:17	Commands rebuking a neighbor plainly rather than harboring silent hatred in the heart.
Deuteronomy 19:15	Requires two or three witnesses to confirm every word before a charge can be established.
Matthew 18:15	Instructs confronting a sinning brother privately between two parties to win him back.
Matthew 18:16	Requires taking one or two witnesses if private admonition fails.
Matthew 18:17	Mandates telling the assembled church if unrepentance persists, and treating an obstinate sinner as an unbeliever.
Matthew 18:18	Confirms the heavenly authority behind the church's earthly binding and loosing.
Matthew 18:19	Assures the Father's agreement when two believers unite in solemn prayer concerning church matters.
Matthew 18:20	Promises Christ's presence in the midst of believers gathered in His name to decide.
Matthew 16:19	Christ grants the keys of the kingdom of heaven to bind and loose upon earth.

Grave Offences

Purging Unrepentant Wickedness from the Body

hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 5:5 (NIV)

It shows that corporate exclusion delivers the sinner to outward distress so his spirit may ultimately be saved.

In 1 Corinthians 5:5, the Apostle Paul commands corporate exclusion: "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved." When notorious, unrepentant wickedness embeds itself within a local flock, the assembly cannot remain passive. In 1 Corinthians 5:1–2, Paul confronted a scandal of shocking incest—a man cohabiting with his father's wife, a depravity condemned even among the pagans—yet the Corinthian church was boastful rather than mourning. Paul rebuked their arrogant indifference and insisted that the offender be immediately expelled from their ranks. As recorded in 1 Corinthians 5:3–4, though physically absent, Paul had already pronounced apostolic judgment, requiring the believers to assemble formally in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to execute the sentence.

To deliver an unrepentant transgressor to Satan is not an act of spiteful vengeance; it is the purposeful removal of the church's protective canopy, casting the sinner back into the domain of the evil one so that bodily chastening and the bitter harvest of worldly sorrow might shock him into repentance. The spiritual health of the wider flock is equally at stake. In 1 Corinthians 5:6–7, Paul warns that a little leaven leavens the entire lump. Tolerated sin is contagious, quietly corrupting the spiritual vitality of the whole body. Because Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed, the church must purge out the old leaven of malice and wickedness to walk in sincerity and truth.

This boundary is precise and absolute. In 1 Corinthians 5:11, believers are explicitly forbidden even to eat a meal with anyone who bears the name of a brother while persisting as a swindler, idolater, reviler, drunkard, or sexually immoral person. Such social and Eucharistic withdrawal preserves the church's testimony before a watching world. As 1 Corinthians 5:12–13 clarifies, the church does not presume to judge outsiders, whom God will judge in His own time; rather, obedience demands driving the wicked person out from the midst of the covenant assembly.

The passages

Passage	What it says
1 Corinthians 5:1	Addresses notorious sexual immorality within the church that even pagans condemn.
1 Corinthians 5:2	Rebukes the congregation's arrogant indifference and calls them to mourn and remove the offender.
1 Corinthians 5:3	Records Paul's apostolic judgment already passed upon the perpetrator as though physically present.
1 Corinthians 5:4	Orders corporate action gathered in the power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 5:5	Directs delivering the person to Satan for bodily destruction so that the spirit may be saved.
1 Corinthians 5:6	Warns that a small measure of unaddressed sin leavens the entire congregation.
1 Corinthians 5:7	Commands purging out the old leaven to remain unleavened, since Christ our Passover is sacrificed.
1 Corinthians 5:11	Forbids even sharing a meal with any professing believer who persists in flagrant sin.
1 Corinthians 5:12	Clarifies that the church does not judge outside unbelievers, but those within the flock.
1 Corinthians 5:13	Cites the divine command to drive out the wicked person from the assembly.

Divisive Heresy

Confronting Factious Men and False Teachers

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

Titus 3:10 (NIV)

It defines the apostolic boundary: a divisive person is warned twice, then severed from fellowship.

In Titus 3:10, Paul lays down a clear, decisive apostolic boundary: "Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition." The flock of God is routinely threatened not only by moral failure, but by doctrinal corruption and factious behavior that undermine the gospel. Titus 3:11 explains the rationale for swift severance: such an individual is warped, thoroughly sinning, and self-condemned, having willfully chosen his faction over the unity of Christ's truth. Similarly, Romans 16:17–18 urges believers to keep a vigilant watch over those who cause divisions contrary to the apostolic doctrine, commanding the church to turn away from them. Such false teachers do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetites, exploiting naive minds with polished, seductive speech.

Pastoral fidelity demands protecting the household of faith from subversion. In Titus 1:10–11, Paul identifies insubordinate talkers and deceivers whose mouths must be stopped because they upset whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what they ought not. Titus 1:13 directs the minister to rebuke them sharply so that they may be sound in the faith. Where false doctrine calcifies into blasphemy, solemn apostolic censure follows. In 1 Timothy 1:20, Paul names Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom he delivered to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme. In 2 Timothy 2:16–17, he warns that irreverent babble spreads like gangrene, steadily devouring the unwary.

Discipline also governs the integrity of leadership. In 1 Timothy 5:19–20, the Apostle establishes that no accusation against an elder is to be entertained without two or three witnesses; yet those leaders who persist in sin must be rebuked publicly before all, instilling a reverent fear throughout the church. This defensive posture extends to hospitality. In 2 John 1:10–11, the Apostle John forbids welcoming or even greeting anyone who brings a false doctrine regarding Christ, warning that to extend fraternal fellowship to such an deceiver is to partake directly in his wicked deeds.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Romans 16:17	Urges believers to watch out for and avoid those who cause divisions contrary to sound doctrine.
Romans 16:18	Exposes factious deceivers who serve their own appetites and beguile naive hearts with smooth words.
1 Timothy 1:20	Names Hymenaeus and Alexander as handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
1 Timothy 5:19	Forbids receiving an accusation against an elder without two or three witnesses.
1 Timothy 5:20	Orders rebuking continuing sinners publicly so that the rest may stand in reverent fear.
2 Timothy 2:16	Commands avoiding profane and vain babblings that lead to more ungodliness.
2 Timothy 2:17	Warns that false teaching spreads like gangrene among God's people.
Titus 3:10	Instructs rejecting a factious person after a first and second warning.
Titus 3:11	States that such a divisive person is perverted, sinning, and self-condemned.
2 John 1:10	Forbids receiving or greeting anyone who comes bearing a false doctrine concerning Christ.
Titus 1:10	Rebellious empty talkers and deceivers must be recognized for their disruption of whole households.
Titus 1:11	Paul commands that the mouths of dishonest, subverting teachers must be stopped.
Titus 1:13	Paul charges Titus to rebuke false teachers sharply so they may be sound in faith.
2 John 1:11	Whoever greets or encourages an unrepentant false teacher participates in his wicked works.

Restorative Heart

Reclaiming the Wanderer with Gentle Mercy

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Galatians 6:1 (NIV)

It shows that the spiritual motive of discipline is meek restoration while guarding against one's own temptation.

In Galatians 6:1, Scripture reveals the supreme pastoral purpose governing all true discipline: "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." Church discipline is not an instrument of punitive vengeance, but of loving reclamation. In Luke 17:3–4, Jesus commands that if a brother sins, he must be rebuked, and if he repents, he must be fully forgiven—even if the cycle repeats seven times in a single day. When censure accomplishes its divine end, the church must pivot immediately to comforting the brokenhearted wanderer. Addressing the repenting offender in Corinth, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:6–8 that the punishment inflicted by the majority was sufficient; the church was now obligated to forgive, console, and reaffirm their love, lest the sorrowing brother be swallowed up by excessive despair.

Spiritual vigilance must temper every corrective action. In 2 Corinthians 2:11, the Apostle warns that an unforgiving, punitive spirit plays directly into Satan's designs, granting him an open door to fracture the church through unmerciful hardness. Even the intentional withdrawal commanded in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 and 3:14—where believers step back from any brother walking in disorderly idleness so that he may feel the weight of his shame—is governed by fraternal affection. As 2 Thessalonians 3:15 insists: "Do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." The disciplinary boundary is designed to produce godly grief, not alienation.

Ultimately, this earthly practice mirrors the heavenly Father's own heart. In Hebrews 12:5–6 and 12:11, Scripture reminds believers that the Lord chastens every son He loves, and though all discipline seems painful for the moment, it subsequently yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those trained by it. The risen Christ Himself declares in Revelation 3:19 that those He loves, He rebukes and disciplines, calling them to earnest repentance. When a wanderer is successfully reclaimed, James 5:19–20 rejoices that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering saves his soul from death and covers a multitude of sins.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Luke 17:3	Instructs disciples to rebuke a sinning brother and forgive him if he repents.
Luke 17:4	Requires repeated forgiveness even if the brother repents seven times in a day.
2 Corinthians 2:6	Notes that the punishment inflicted by the majority on the sorrowful offender is sufficient.
2 Corinthians 2:7	Urges forgiving and comforting the penitent so he is not overwhelmed by excessive grief.
2 Corinthians 2:8	Plea to reaffirm love toward the repenting brother who has borne the church's censure.
2 Corinthians 2:11	Warns against excessive harshness lest Satan take advantage of unforgiving severity.
Galatians 6:1	Calls the spiritual to restore an overtaken believer in a spirit of meekness and self-watchfulness.
2 Thessalonians 3:14	Directs taking note of any disobedient brother and avoiding company with him so he is ashamed.
2 Thessalonians 3:15	Forbids treating the disciplined person as an enemy, commanding his admonition as a brother.
James 5:19	Speaks of any believer who errs from the truth and is brought back by another.
James 5:20	Declares that converting a sinner from error saves a soul from death and covers many sins.
2 Thessalonians 3:6	Believers are commanded in Christ's name to withdraw from any brother walking in disorderly idleness.
Hebrews 12:5	The Lord disciplines those He loves as sons, urging them not to faint under correction.
Hebrews 12:6	God scourges every son whom He receives, revealing paternal love through corrective chastening.
Hebrews 12:11	Chastening yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
Revelation 3:19	The risen Christ declares that He rebukes and disciplines those He loves, calling them to repent.

Church discipline, practiced according to the Word of God, is never the church acting as an adversary, but a spiritual family calling a straying brother or sister home. Handled with meekness and fidelity to Christ, it guards the honor of Jesus' name, preserves the congregation from the leaven of sin, and keeps the door of forgiving love wide open.

49 passages, each cited once.

How the major Christian traditions read this

All faithful traditions confess that Christ gave His church the authority to address unrepentant sin through loving admonition and, when necessary, exclusion from communion, always seeking the offender's repentance and restoration (Matthew 18:15-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5).

Catholic

In the Catholic Church, discipline is an exercise of the power of the keys entrusted by Christ to Peter and the Apostles (Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18). Canon law governs this medicinal process, primarily exercised by the bishop and ordained pastors. Censures like excommunication or suspension bar an unrepentant person from receiving the Holy Eucharist and the other sacraments, not as vindictive punishment, but to awaken true contrition (1 Corinthians 5:5). When the sinner repents and receives the Sacrament of Reconciliation (John 20:23), the censure is lifted, restoring full communion with the Body of Christ.

Scripture: Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18, 1 Corinthians 5:5, John 20:23

Orthodox

In the Orthodox Church, discipline is understood through the lens of spiritual therapy (epitimia). The Church is a hospital for souls, and the bishop or priest acts as a physician applying medicine to heal sin's disease (Galatians 6:1). Canonical discipline—such as temporary exclusion from the Holy Eucharist, assigned fasting, or extra prayers—is never punitive legalism, but a pastoral boundary to guard the sacred mysteries and call the sinner to metanoia, or transformation of heart. St. Paul's command to admonish the unruly as a brother directs our pastoral care (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).

Scripture: Matthew 18:17-18, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, Galatians 6:1, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

Lutheran

We hold that church discipline belongs to the Office of the Keys, the spiritual authority Christ gave to His church on earth to forgive the sins of penitent sinners and retain the sins of the impenitent (Matthew 18:18; John 20:22-23). The pastoral ministry publicly exercises this on behalf of the congregation. If a person persists in open, unrepentant sin despite private admonition, the church must bar them from the Lord's Supper (the minor ban) and, if stubbornness remains, publicly declare them excluded from the assembly. The sole purpose remains gospel reconciliation: absolution upon repentance.

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-18, John 20:22-23, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, Matthew 18:18

Reformed & Presbyterian

In the Reformed tradition, church discipline is one of the three essential marks of a true church, alongside the pure preaching of the Word and the right administration of the sacraments. Following Christ's ordinance in Matthew 18:15-18, the keys of the kingdom are administered by the eldership (the session or consistory) rather than a single prelate or the whole town (1 Timothy 5:17). Discipline guards the honor of Christ, keeps the Lord's Table pure, and delivers the unrepentant over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved (1 Corinthians 5:5-7; Heidelberg Catechism Q. 85).

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-18, 1 Corinthians 5:5-7, 1 Timothy 5:17

Anglican & Episcopal

Anglicans understand discipline as pastoral order preserved by the parish priest under the authority of the bishop. The Book of Common Prayer instructs the minister to repel from the Holy Table anyone who is an open and notorious evil liver or who has done wrong to his neighbours, until he openly repents and amends his life. Guided by St. Paul's instructions (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; Titus 3:10), discipline aims to maintain the dignity of the sacraments and restore the offender to fellowship, balancing episcopal oversight with pastoral discretion.

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-18, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, Titus 3:10

Baptist

We believe Christ vested the final earthly authority for discipline in the gathered local congregation itself, under His headship (Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5:4). Because the church is a regenerate membership, open and scandalous sin must be addressed according to Matthew 18:15-17. If private entreaty and witnesses fail, the matter is brought before the entire assembly. Excommunication—removing someone from church membership and the Lord's Table—requires the congregational vote (2 Corinthians 2:6). Its purpose is restorative, seeking the brother's repentance while preserving the purity of Christ's church (Galatians 6:1).

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, 2 Corinthians 2:6, Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18:17

Methodist & Wesleyan

Methodism was born in mutual accountability through class meetings, bands, and societies, where members watched over one another in love. We exercise discipline to nurture holiness of heart and life. When unrepentant sin disrupts the body, the pastor and local church leadership follow Matthew 18:15-17, warning the offender with meekness (Galatians 6:1). If repentance is refused, the person is removed from membership and the Lord's Table. The discipline is never retributive, but a gracious means to convict the heart and reclaim the straying soul (James 5:19-20).

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1, James 5:19-20

Pentecostal & Charismatic

We see church discipline as the Holy Spirit's means of keeping the temple of God holy and spiritually empowered (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5). Pastoral leadership and elders handle disciplinary issues prayerfully, leaning on the discernment of the Spirit. Unrepentant sin quenches the Spirit's power within the assembly. Therefore, loving confrontation follows Matthew 18:15-17, culminating in suspension from ministry or membership if unrepentant. The burning aim is always spiritual deliverance, healing, and personal revival under the grace of God (Galatians 6:1-2).

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Galatians 6:1-2

Non-denominational & Evangelical

In evangelical and non-denominational churches, discipline rests strictly on the direct commands of the New Testament without external denominational machinery. We practice Matthew 18:15-17 directly: private appeal, confrontation with witnesses, and bringing persistent unrepentance before the local church or its elder council. The final measure is formal removal from fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). We emphasize that discipline must always be bathed in grace, aiming not to condemn, but to win back the brother or sister into walking in the truth (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

Where they differ

Locus of final disciplinary authority

Catholic

Vested hierarchically in the bishop and pastoral clergy under canon law.

Orthodox

Administered therapeutically by the bishop or the spiritual father.

Lutheran

Administered by the called pastor acting for the congregation.

Reformed & Presbyterian

Exercised by the court of ordained elders in the session.

Anglican & Episcopal

Exercised by the parish priest under episcopal oversight.

Baptist

Decided by the vote of the assembled local congregation.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Carried out by the pastor and the church leadership council.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Led by pastors and elders with spiritual discernment.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

Determined by autonomous elder boards or the congregational body.

Scripture: Matthew 18:17, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, Hebrews 13:17

Status as a mark of the church

Catholic

Subsumed under apostolic governance rather than a standalone mark.

Orthodox

Understood as holy medicine within the sacramental life.

Lutheran

Flows from the Gospel and sacraments without being a third mark.

Reformed & Presbyterian

Explicitly confessed as one of three essential marks of the church.

Anglican & Episcopal

Viewed as necessary pastoral order rather than an explicit third mark.

Baptist

Essential ordinance maintaining a regenerate and covenantal church membership.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Vital practical means of holiness rather than a formal mark.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Vital practice for preserving the Spirit's power and holiness.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

A direct biblical command vital to healthy church life.

Scripture: Matthew 18:18, 1 Corinthians 5:6-7

Your pastor can tell you where your church stands.

Scripture cited

• Galatians 6:1
• Luke 17:3-4
• 2 Thessalonians 3:15
• James 5:19-20
• 1 Corinthians 5
• 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
• Titus 3:10-11