Church Discipline and the Faith Community Baptist Church Adultery Case

Church discipline is a difficult issue which is rarely, if ever, discussed in church. It is often unpleasant and deeply saddening.

But it exists, and the Bible teaches it. A church which is dedicated to the consistent preaching of God's Word must exercise church discipline to preserve the purity of the Gospel message.

Church Discipline

Church discipline was part of Jesus' teaching. Jesus taught His disciples how they should deal with fellow believers who sin against them. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus said:

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."

Here, Jesus was teaching His disciples to deal patiently with those who sin, first by speaking to the person privately, then by getting a few more fellow believers, and finally handing the matter to the church. If the person did not listen, then they were to treat that person like "a pagan or a tax collector". This is known as excommunication.

However, though Jesus told His disciples to treat the brother who sins like "a pagan or a tax collector", Jesus Himself loved sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:9-13). Excommunication is not meant to destroy the person who is in sin.

Wayne Grudem explains the purposes of church discipline in Systematic Theology:

1. Restoration and reconciliation of the believer who is going astray
2. To keep the sin from spreading to others
3. To protect the purity of the church and the honour of Christ

In Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, we read of one instance of church discipline. There was a case of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church, where a man was sleeping with his father's wife. The Corinthian church was in fact "proud" of it. Paul rebuked them harshly in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5:

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

Paul instructed them, "Expel the wicked man from among you" (1 Corinthians 5:13). Paul himself exercised church discipline on Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom he "handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme" (1 Timothy 1:20).

Those who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1). In fact, "[those] who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning" (1 Timothy 5:20).

Faith Community Baptist Church Adultery Case

 

Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) gripped the Singapore headlines recently. 

A woman in her late 30s was a member who was also employed as a worker in the church. She handled administrative and coordination work for the church, and was involved in the Marriage Preparation Course. 

She was married, and she had a relationship with a fellow colleague even though her divorce proceedings were not final. The church's suspicions about the relationship were confirmed when she became pregnant. According to Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong on his Facebook page, eight sessions of counselling were held. However:

Even after explaining to her why her relationship was wrong and unacceptable - based on the context and culture of the Church, as well as in the eyes of the Lord, she continued the relationship with the ex-colleague who himself was dismissed four months earlier in a separate case of misconduct involving a breach of confidentiality while working as a staff of FCBC.

She refused to confess and repent, to cease her sexual misconduct, and to come under the discipline of the pastors to assist her throughout the term of her pregnancy thereafter. The church fired her from her job on the basis of her adultery. She was about seven months pregnant when she was sacked. Nevertheless, Khong explained that while the church "could not offer her severance pay as she was being terminated on just grounds, [they church] encouraged her to apply for the LoveSingapore fund, knowing she would need financial assistance and emotional support".

The woman complained to the Ministry of Manpower, which directed the church to pay her about $7,000, including maternity benefits. The church refused, on the basis that its employees and members were expected to adhere to certain moral standards.

Eventually, the church compensated the woman, but made it clear to the ministry that it will not concede that the dismissal was unjust. According to Pastor Lawrence Khong, "We are a church. If we concede that the dismissal was unjust, it means we are condoning adultery and it will weaken our moral and spiritual authority in the organisation."

Was Faith Community Baptist Church right? 

The FCBC case was a case of church discipline. The Bible is clear that adultery is sin (John 8:1-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9). The church was correct to have called upon her to confess and repent from her sins. It was when she remained unrepentant that the church sacked her from her job. 

On the basis of these facts, FCBC's actions are entirely justified.