“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” (John 13:34-35)
The last two weeks I shared with you parts one and two of a paper I wrote for my DMin class this semester. In those essays, I discussed the biblical foundation for church discipline and the constitutional form for our Presbyterian governmental church discipline. This post addresses the judicial process.
The Judicial Process of the “Rules of Discipline”
Before this paper addresses the judicial process,[1] it will consider the importance of the judicial process. This is where church members confuse the presbuteroi biblical administration and oversight over them. Considering the importance of dispensing mercy and not wrath, some proponents promote mercy only. Historically and theologically, these people are called antinomians, anti-, “no” or “against,” and -nomian, “law.” The teaching is that because of God’s merciful grace, Christians are released from obeying God’s law. Therefore, there is no reason the church should enact punitive discipline; our job is to promote “peace” within church life at all costs. Using only one example from Scripture,[2] there is an inductive inference why biblical counselors should not take this position, which deals with the subject of “purity and peace.”
A fundamental biblical truth becomes known when the tension between purity and peace confronts presbuteroi. If the decision goes one way, then the promotion of peace happens. If the decision goes another way, then the elevation of purity takes place. Consider Jeremiah 6:13-14, “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound [provided superficial treatment] of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace [shalom], peace [shalom],’ when there is no peace [shalom].”
Yahweh, speaking through Jeremiah, is telling His people why He is upset with them. It is because His leaders give lip service to peace. They keep saying that everything in God’s kingdom is peaceful, but truthfully, no peace can be found. What caused this lack of peace? Considering the prophet’s context, the prophet says it is a lack of purity. Jeremiah 5:30-31 states, “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?” Therefore, the problem in Jerusalem was no purity. God’s presbuteroi were not conducting their office by Scripture’s teaching, and the people did not demand their leaders to follow Yahweh. The principle holds true, without biblical purity, there is a lack of peace; biblical purity trumps peace.[3] And this principle holds accurate for the local church, the presbytery, and the denomination, even on matters such as Revoice.[4]
One, especially pastors, ruling elders, and biblical counselors, should not mistake the promotion of purity as a lack of love or mercy. Instead, promoting purity within a person’s immediate family or the church family is the ultimate act of merciful love. Through the BCO’s rules of discipline, Christians show each other that our concerns go beyond our institutional survival and expansion. They admit their need for shaping and molding into Christlikeness. People unconcerned with sin in their own lives or in the lives of those they love are not living out the holy love Jesus commanded His disciple to mark their lives, which distinguishes them from the rest of the world (John 13:34-35). Proper biblical discipline communicates to the church member (or counselee) the seriousness of the commitment we are making to them and the seriousness of the commitment they are making to the church (and to us), realizing that an undisciplined church makes it harder for others to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The rest of the BCO’s rules of discipline biblically unfolds the following way:
- Chapter 30 defines censures inflicted by church courts. In this chapter, the censures of admonition (30-2), suspension (30-3), excommunication (30-4), and deposition (30-5) are defined “for the better attaining of these ends.”
- Chapter 31 explains who the parties are in any case and provide the steps to begin the due process.
- Chapter 32 applies general principles about citation, charges, the official record of the case, statutes of limitations, etc.
- Chapter 33 addresses basic matters that apply to any case before a Session.
- Chapter 34 addresses special ministerial cases.
- Chapter 35 details what evidence is admissible and provided necessary information or evidentiary value.
- Chapter 36 discusses how to apply censures.
- Chapter 37 provides details on removing censures upon repentance.
- Chapter 38 discusses cases not needing due process.
- Chapter 39 explains how the proceedings of lower courts come under the supervision of higher courts.
- Chapter 40 records provisions of lower courts’ submission of their minutes to higher courts.
- Chapter 41 discusses how a lower court may “reference” a higher court for advice.
- Chapter 42 deals with appeals.
- Chapter 43 explains redresses
- Chapter 44 (vacated for the PCA’s future use)
- Chapter 45 discusses, dissents, protests, and objections.
- Chapter 46 completes “Part II: Rules of Discipline,” explaining jurisdiction.
Pastors, ruling elders, and biblical counselors must understand that church discipline is vital for their sheep and counselees, and the holy health of Christ’s bride. Those who embrace Presbyterianism appreciate that it is the nearest expression of biblical truth for one who cares for PCA members and churches. We should not miss the opportunities of the hour—firstly, to apply preventive discipline and then, when necessary, to apply punitive discipline to reclaim our brothers and sisters (Gal. 6:1-2; James 5:19-20). For church government is nothing less than the ways and means by which our King, Jesus Christ, is now at work in this world glorifying Himself. We do nothing less than apply Yahweh’s plans and provide a fit vehicle for His truth.[5]
[1] BCO 28 & 29 describes who shall receive the care of church discipline and defines what an offense is. The actual judicial process (i.e., “step d”) begins with BCO 30ff.
[2] Note: Moses’s dealing with the Israelites, the Judges, Ezekiel 32, Jesus dealing with the Scribes and Pharisees, among other passages of Scripture, could be considered examples, also.
[3] Don K. Clements, Presbyterian Primers, vol.1, Biblical Church Government (Narrows, VA: Metokos Press, 2003), 32.
[4] Revoice is a conference that promotes LGBTQ+ sympathies of which several PCA Teaching Elders take part. It is an issue many other PCA Elders laments because Revoice sympathizers promote “peace” and not “purity.”
[5] Lawrence R. Eyres, The Elders of the Church (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1975), vi-vii.
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