Apostolic leaders must enforce church discipline from the patterns…

Apostolic leaders must enforce church discipline based on the patterns set by scripture, especially the pattern set by Jesus Christ, as found in Matthew 18:15- 17.

 This pattern must be strictly followed by the elders of local churches and apostolic fellowships who know that “God loves righteousness and hates wickedness” (Psalm 45:7).

 The primary purpose of church discipline is to protect the church flock and to bring correction to sin.

 There is no tolerance for abusing children, physically or emotionally, or the sexualization of children by the trans-gender mutilation of their bodies by drugs and surgeries, nor pedophiles having sex with children.

 Jesus Christ said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their necks and be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).  Those in the church leadership who do so must be disciplined more severely than the church members.

 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:48b).

 If the person is on staff, they should be fired immediately, not given the opportunity to resign. They, like any other church member, must be put out of the church, only quicker, until full repentance and restoration have taken place.

 What about excommunication?

 Neither church elders nor apostolic leaders can assign someone to hell. They don’t have that authority or power, only God has that power. Yet, they have the authority and power to deny communion to a non-repentant. They can declare with certainty that someone who has committed a grievous sin against a child, especially while in church leadership, should be excommunicated from that church or apostolic fellowship.

 This should humble us. As the saying goes, “There but by the grace of God go I.” This is an antidote to overcome judgmentalism. Apostle Paul said, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone of you do not think of yourself more highly than you ought but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” ( Romans 12:3).

  Paul also said, “But by the grace of God, I am what I am.” (1Cor 15:10)

And so are we!

© 2024 John P. Kelly