Is Church Discipline Unloving? The Bible Says the Opposite.
For much of church history, discipline was simply part of what faithful churches did. A member caught in unrepentant sin would be lovingly confronted, patiently warned, and — if they refused to repent — removed from the fellowship of the church. Not out of harshness. Not out of pride. But out of love — for the individual, for the congregation, and for the watching world.
Then, somewhere in the twentieth century, churches quietly stopped.
In Understanding Church Discipline, Jonathan Leeman traces what was lost — and makes a compelling, compassionate case for recovering it. Church discipline, he argues, is not a relic of a harsher age or a weapon for controlling people. It is a profoundly loving act, commanded by Jesus himself, practised by the apostle Paul, and desperately needed by churches today. Far from being unloving, the failure to practise church discipline is what is truly unloving — to the sinner, to the congregation, and to the name of Christ.
This short, clear book is an invitation for churches to recover something important — and to discover that in doing so, they are not becoming harsher, but more loving.
What This Book Covers
Jonathan Leeman works carefully through the biblical basis, the loving rationale, and the practical implications of church discipline:
- What church discipline is — A clear biblical definition that distinguishes formative discipline (preaching, teaching, correction) from corrective discipline (confrontation and, if necessary, exclusion)
- Why churches stopped practising it — A brief, honest account of how and why church discipline disappeared from many congregations in the twentieth century
- What Jesus commands — A careful look at Matthew 18 and the pattern Jesus himself laid out for addressing sin in the church
- What Paul practised — How the apostle Paul handled cases of unrepentant sin in the churches he planted, and what that teaches us today
- Why discipline is an act of love — Four dimensions of love that church discipline expresses: love for the sinning individual, love for the whole church, love for non-Christian neighbours, and love for the glory of Christ
- How churches should practise discipline today — Practical, pastoral guidance for churches wanting to recover this neglected practice faithfully and graciously
What Readers Will Learn
- Why church discipline is a command of Jesus, not an optional extra for especially strict churches
- How the New Testament pattern of church discipline is rooted in love, not legalism
- What the four dimensions of love expressed in church discipline actually look like in practice
- Why failing to practise church discipline is itself a failure of love — toward the sinner, the church, and the gospel witness
- How to approach church discipline in a way that is humble, gracious, and genuinely oriented toward restoration
- What the difference is between formative and corrective discipline, and how both belong to healthy church life
- Why recovering church discipline is not about becoming harsher — but about becoming more faithfully loving
How to Use This Book
Understanding Church Discipline is short, focused, and pastorally grounded:
- Personal reading — Ideal for any Christian wanting to understand what church discipline is and why it matters
- Leadership training — A sharp, clarifying resource for pastors and elders thinking through how to practise discipline faithfully and lovingly
- New members classes — Helps new church members understand the church's responsibility to care for one another — even through difficult confrontation
- Small group discussion — Short enough to read together, weighty enough to prompt serious and honest conversation
- Pastoral gift — A book church leaders can confidently give to members who have questions about this often misunderstood practice
Who Should Read This Book
This book is for you if you are:
- A pastor or elder wanting to understand what the Bible teaches about church discipline and how to implement it wisely and lovingly
- A church member who has witnessed church discipline — or the painful absence of it — and wants to understand what Scripture says
- A new Christian wondering why churches take membership and accountability so seriously
- A small group leader wanting to think through what loving one another in community really looks like when sin enters the picture
- Anyone who has ever asked: Is church discipline really necessary — and can it ever truly be an act of love?
About the Author
Jonathan Leeman is the Editorial Director of 9Marks Ministries and an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. He holds a PhD in political theory and is the author of several highly regarded books on church membership, church discipline, and political theology, including Church Membership and Church Discipline in the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series. Jonathan is known for bringing rigorous theological thinking to bear on the practical questions of church life in a way that is accessible, compelling, and deeply pastoral. His work on church discipline in particular has helped countless pastors and churches recover a practice that is both biblical and profoundly loving.
About the Understanding Church Basics Series
Understanding Church Discipline is part of the Understanding Church Basics series — a collection of short, accessible books designed to help Christians and churches grasp the foundations of healthy church life. Each volume tackles a key question about what the church is, how it functions, and why it matters — with biblical faithfulness, clarity, and practical application.
Other titles in the series include:
