The Scandal of Undisciplined Disciples: Making Church Discipline Edifying

by James Durham

Publisher:

Reformation Heritage

, 2022

Overview

Mention church discipline and people often react in discomfort. But did you know that Jesus made discipline a test of whether a church meets His approval (Revelation 2–3)? In The Scandal of Undisciplined Disciples, James Durham helps us to understand the matter by defining the nature of discipline and explaining when it is necessary. He identifies practical issues related to administering church discipline and shows how we can know when a case has been satisfactorily resolved. He also explains why simply leaving a church fails to address the issue and even provides practical advice for unfortunate instances when discipline is defective. Now presented in modern English, Durham’s classic treatment on the importance of church discipline can be used to edify a new generation.

Key Features

• Helps to understand the matter by defining the nature of discipline.
• Explains when discipline is necessary.
• Identifies practical issues related to administering church discipline.

Contents

• 1. Why Does Church Discipline Matter?
• 2. When Is Church Discipline Necessary?
• 3. How Should Church Courts Handle Disciplinary Cases?
• 4. When Has a Discipline Case Been Satisfactorily Resolved?
• 5. What Practical Issues Arise in Administering Church Discipline?
• 6. Why Does Separation from a Church Fail to Address the Issue?
• 7. What Should Church Members Do when Discipline Is Defective?

Praise for The Scandal of Undisciplined Disciples

This is an accessible ‘go-to manual’ for ministers and elders to consult in carefully navigating through myriad disciplinary situations. Durham fills in nuanced details between the degrees of censure in Reformed confessions and books of church order to best address varying circumstances. Such discerning advice of a seasoned pastor properly balances scriptural responsibilities of ecclesiastical governors while also speaking to church members about avoiding further stumbling by stubbornness or schism—all to everyone’s edification.

—Grant Van Leuven, pastor of Puritan Reformed Presbyterian Church, San Diego, California

Product Details

• Title: The Scandal of Undisciplined Disciples: Making Church Discipline Edifying
• Author: James Durham
• Publisher: Reformation Heritage
• Print Publication Date: 2022
• Pages: 184
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• ISBNs: 9781601789631, 9781601789648, 1601789637, 1601789645
• Resource ID: LLS:SCNDLNDSCPDFYNG
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-10-04T21:35:22Z

About James Durham

James Durham (1622-1658) served as minister at Black Friars church in Glasgow, a chaplain to King Charles II, and a minister at the Inner Kirk of the cathedral in Glasgow. Known for his piety, wisdom, and scholarship, Durham stands as one of the great Scottish Presbyterians of the seventeenth century.