Healthy, Growing Churches (6)

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed … Galatians 2.11

Epistle to the Galatians 1.2.12-13
Marius Victorinus (280-363)
“Perhaps indeed he would at this point have kept silent about the sin that he says he reproved in Peter, for it was enough that Peter had been corrected by popular reproof and Paul’s open accusation. But it is profitable and extremely requisite for this letter. He has two reasons for relating the incident. First, his own gospel was not reproved, and he himself, when he reproved Peter, heard no reproof from Peter. Next, this too, as I said, was extremely pertinent: it is because the Galatians thought that they needed to add to the principles of the gospel to obtain life … that this letter is being written to them. Hence it is very good to tell the story, because it is this very fault that was reproved by Paul in Peter and by the people also.”

Sometimes what we must say to one another within the Body of Christ can be difficult. Jesus established the practice of church discipline within His churches because this is an important tool for keeping churches on the path to health and growth. Church discipline begins with church members taking responsibility to help one another resist the devil, recognize and repent of sin, and walk together in the way of holiness. If we are accustomed to talking with one another about the things of the Lord, and thus sharing His love and truth, it will be easier for us to say the hard things of admonishment and correction when they’re needed. If our fellow church members know that we love them, when we need to say hard words to them, they’ll listen and appreciate our rebukes – as Peter did Paul’s (cf. 2 Pet. 3.15, 16).

Are the people in your church taught to practice church discipline with one another? Should they be?

T. M. Moore

Organizing with the Spirit
The Lord Jesus is building His Church. His Word is the blueprint, His Spirit is the General Contractor, and we are all builders together of the Body of Christ. But are we doing our work God’s way, or ours? The Spirit has His ways of organizing our work, and we do well to understand as much as we can about His methods. This is the argument of Dr. Kent Miller of Michigan State University, and you can watch our Conversation with Dr. Miller, and download a free copy of his paper on the subject, “Organizing with the Spirit,” by clicking here.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations from Church Fathers are from the Ancient Christian Commentary Series, published by InterVarsity Press.