1 Corinthians 5:6-7 NKJV “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
God demands that His church remain holy and faithful. When a brother or sister persists in unrepented sin, the Bible commands us to act. This is church discipline. It’s not optional or cruel, it’s obedience to God, driven by love for the sinner and zeal for the purity of the body of Christ.
The Lord Jesus Himself gave the exact steps in Matthew 18:15-17 NKJV:
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
We must follow these steps precisely.
I. The Steps God Commands
Begin privately. Go to the person alone and confront the sin with clear Scripture. Speak with gentleness but firmness. Galatians 6:1 NKJV instructs, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” The aim is restoration and salvation.
If the sinner refuses to repent, take one or two faithful witnesses. This upholds the principle of Deuteronomy 19:15 NKJV: “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”
If the person still will not listen, bring the matter before the whole church. The congregation, and the church at large (We will discuss church hoppers in another article at a later time) must act as one body under Christ’s authority.
If the sinner refuses even the church’s call to repent, the church must withdraw fellowship. Paul commands in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 NKJV: “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.” He adds in 1 Corinthians 5:11 NKJV: “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”
This withdrawal is purposeful: “note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 NKJV). Shame can lead to repentance and salvation.
II. Why We Must Obey This Command
Discipline protects the sinner and the church. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul ordered the Corinthian church to deliver the immoral man “to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5 NKJV). The goal is always the soul’s salvation.
Sin spreads like leaven. Paul warns, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5:6 NKJV). If we tolerate open sin, it corrupts the entire body. Christ desires His church spotless, “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27 NKJV). We must purge sin to keep the church pure and faithful.
III. The Severe Consequences of Refusing to Act
When churches refuse to discipline sin, they disobey God and invite judgment. The Lord rebuked the church in Thyatira: “But I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20 NKJV). Because they tolerated sin, Christ threatened severe consequences unless they repented.
The same danger exists today. Untreated sin spreads, weak members stumble, the church’s reputation to the world is damaged or destroyed, and Christ’s name is dishonored. God warned the Ephesian church, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5 NKJV). Refusal to discipline can lead to the removal of the church’s lampstand and the souls involved to be tainted with sin before God just the same as the originator of the problem.
Paul’s question is just as relevant today: “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5:6 NKJV). To ignore this command is to claim wisdom above God’s. The result is spiritual ruin for individuals and the congregation.
CONCLUSION
Church discipline is a direct command from Christ and His apostles. We must follow every step exactly as Scripture directs. We must act with love, prayer, and unwavering commitment to truth, always seeking the sinner’s repentance and restoration.
We must be faithful in this matter. We must love our brethren enough to confront sin when it arises. We must keep the church pure as God demands. Obedience brings salvation to souls and honor to Christ. Refusal brings corruption and divine displeasure.
The faithful receive the crown of life: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12 NKJV).
Every congregation must obey God’s word in this vital duty. The purity of the church and the salvation of souls depend on it.
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