Feature Two
The Purpose Of Discipline
by J. Carl Laney
(Continued from Page 1)
What is to be done when we discover a Christian brother or sister has been ensnared by the clutches of sin? Usually we express shock (“I can’t believe that Joe would do something like that!”) and perhaps dismay (“What is the church coming to?”), and then we tell someone about it (“Say, did you hear what happened to . . .”). Such expressions of shock and dismay and gossip are often made under the guise of spirituality and concern (“I’m telling you this so you can pray for . . .”). Is this the way Paul would have us respond to a brother or sister who becomes entangled in sin?
Paul writes to the Galatians, “You who are spiritual, restore such a one . . .” Notice that Paul calls to action the “spiritual” Christians – those who are walking by the control of the Spirit and manifesting the fruits of the Spirit (Ga 5:16, 22 – 24). Warren Wiersbe, former pastor of Moody Memorial Church, offers this probing thought: “The way you and I respond to someone who sins indicates whether or not we are spiritual.” 1 Paul seems to be emphasizing that not all Christians, but Christians who are spiritually mature, should deal with sin in the lives of others. Not all may be qualifies. Those who are weak, easily tempted, or unable to forgive should pray for the sinner (1 Jn 5:16), but leave the task of correction to others.
The restoration
The “spiritual” have the responsibility to restore the Christian who has fallen into sin. This concept of restoration is the key to this passage from Galatians, and is also the foundation stone of this book.
Consider restoration in light of your attitude toward your car. If your auto loses traction in snow or rain and slips off the road into the ditch, what do you do? Abandon it? Leave it to rust or be stripped by vandals? Of course not! You call the towing company to pull the car out of the ditch and transport it to the repair shop. There workmen beat out the dents, repair the engine, realign the wheels and restore the vehicle to good running order. That is God’s attitude toward a fallen saint.
On May 8, 1981, mountaineers Jim Wickwire and Chris Kerrebrock were climbing Alaska’s Mount McKinley when they both fell into a deep crevasse. Chris fell into the crevasse first, pulling a sled loaded with supplies on top of himself. Jim landed on top of the sled. After about 45 minutes of delicate climbing, Jim worked his way out of the crevasse. But his climbing partner was pinned facedown “like a piece of wood in a vise” in the 40-foot-deep crevasse. Although Jim attached a rope to Kerrebrock and tried to pull him out, he was unable to free the fallen climber.
Chris began suffering from hypothermia as night approached. Jim, exhausted from his attempts to free his friend, climbed out of the crevasse for the last time about 9 p.m. He was in shock and emotionally shattered. Christ probably died sometime early the next morning. Jim stayed at the site for eight days, however, until lack of food forced him to leave the mountain. He had done his best, but was unable to extract the fallen mountaineer from the grip of the crevasse. 2
How often in the church we leave fallen Christians in the crevasse of sin without even taking the effort to restore them from their moral blunder. Certainly not all will be restored. Some might be so ensnared by sin that they are unwilling to repent and turn again to Christ. Some may resist the church’s best efforts to return them to the straight and narrow way. But may we as Christians not be guilty of abandoning a believer in the crevasse of sin when all he or she needs is a little help to get out!
God makes a significant investment in the lives of His saints. Peter writes that Christians are “not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold . . . but with precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pe 1:18-19). Paul calls the believer Christ’s inheritance” (Ep 1:18). God has an investment in the life of each believer. And it is encouraging to know that He never makes a bad investment! The concept of God’s investment in the life of each believer should motivate every believer to share in the process of restoration.
The meaning of restoration
Mature Christians are to restore the person who has fallen into sin. What does the word “restore” mean? In classical Greek the verb katartizo had a wide variety of meanings which can be gathered under one of two headings: (1) “to adjust, to put in order, to restore”; (2) “to equip or fully furnish someone or something for a given purpose.” 3 In the New Testament the word is used thirteen times, twice in quotations from the Old Testament (Ma 21:16; He 10:5). The basic meaning of the word is to “restore to its former condition.”
Katartizo is used in Ma 4:21 and Mark 1:19 with reference to James and John “mending” their torn or tangled fishing nets. During a summer sabbatical in 1983, I was privileged to visit Japan. Our family stayed several days in a Japanese inn at Katsura, a little fishing village on the Chiba peninsula. My children and I enjoyed watching the fishing boats unload their catches at the end of the day. The fish were placed in crates, covered with ice and then trucked to market. Near the area where the fish were being sorted and boxed sat a group of Japanese women with large spools of nylon cord, repairing fishing nets. The fishermen had made a sizable investment in the nets and could not afford to cast off such expensive equipment simply because of a tear. Careful, nimble fingers were busily restoring the damaged nets to their former condition.
Katartizo is used in Lu 6:40 in the sense of equipping someone for a purpose. There Jesus declares that a disciple will not be better-equipped than his teacher. In secular Greek the word is used of outfitting a ship for a voyage. In a military context it is used of an army, fully armed, equipped and prepared for battle. A ship sailing the Mediterranean without spare masts, sails, and ropes would be unthinkable (cf. Ac 27:19). A soldier entering battle without his sword, shield and helmet would be insane (cf. Ep 6:13). As the disciple must be equipped for ministry, the ship for a voyage and the soldier for battle, so must a fallen Christian be reoutfitted, trained and equipped for dealing with the temptations he or she will certainly face.
Katartizo is used by secular Greek writers to denote joining together, or setting, a fractured or dislocated bone. When my brother broke his arm, the physician didn’t just send him home with some pain pills. Neither did he amputate the injured limb. Instead, he carefully set the bone in the proper position and put the arm in a cast to immobilize it while the fracture mended. In the same vein, Paul may be employing the concept of “joining together” when he encourages the Corinthians to make an adjustment (katartizo) so that divisions and factions be avoided in the church (1 Co 1:10).
What implications does the meaning of katartizo have for our study of church discipline? First, the discipline of a saint is not designed to punish or destroy but rather to “mend” and “repair” someone who has been injured or damaged on the battlefield of life. Second, restoration involves equipping the saint with the spiritual principles necessary to avoid further injury and to meet the demands of the Christian life. Third, restoration is not simply the expression of forgiveness toward the sinner, but is a process of restoring the sinner to his former condition. The present tense of the verb katartizo in Ga 6:1 suggests the necessity for patience and perseverance in the process of restoration. 4
Drawing on the rich background of katartizo, Warren Wiersbe presents a challenging thought:
When a brother or sister sins, the first response of the spiritually minded believer is to restore him or her. He says, “I want this part of the body to be strong and healthy. I wasn’t this net to be catching fish. I want this soldier to be fighting. I want this ship to be carrying cargo.” 5
Does this attitude match our way of dealing with those who sin? Often we inwardly rejoice when another Christian stumbles, thinking that the exposure of someone else’s sin will make us look better. Or we broadcast the fallen Christian’s failure throughout the Christian community, making restoration much more difficult. Or we turn aside and either neglect or reject the brother or sister who sins. Paul says, “No, Christian! Don’t shoot the wounded soldier! Give him first aid and equip him to reenter the conflict!”
