Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ²¹  So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you;  as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

 ²²  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

 ²³  “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them;  if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”  John 20:19-23.

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The climax of this passage is this last verse in which Jesus hands the keys of the kingdom to the disciples.  “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;  and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:19. 

Who, but our LORD Jesus, is worthy to be in charge of church discipline?  I speculate that the disciples felt that way, and I also speculate that likely feeling in the disciples is why Jesus first proclaims peace on them, twice, before making this climactic statement.  Jesus also first empowers them by the Holy Spirit, so they can fulfill their duty to discipline.

Discipline was probably the last thing on the minds of the disciples as to what they wanted to do.  It is also probably the last thing on the minds of ministers and other elders today as to things that they want to do.  Ministers and other elders also need peace and to be filled with the Holy Spirit to accomplish their duty as well, and they themselves and the congregation should pray that their minister and their elders receive peace and to be filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to handle this duty of church discipline.

The importance of discipline can be seen in The Belgic Confession.  It is one of the three marks of a true church.

Article 29:  Of the marks of the true Church, and wherein she differs from the false Church.

We believe, that we ought diligently and circumspectly to discern from the Word of God which is the true Church, since all sects which are in the world assume to themselves the name of the Church.  But we speak not here of hypocrites, who are mixed in the Church with the good, yet are not of the Church, though externally in it;  but we say that the body and communion of the true Church must be distinguished from all sects, who call themselves the Church.  The marks, by which the true Church is known, are these: if the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein;  if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ;  if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin:  in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church.  Hereby the true Church may certainly be known, from which no man has a right to separate himself.  With respect to those, who are members of the Church, they may be known by the marks of Christians:  namely, by faith;  and when they have received Jesus Christ the only Savior, they avoid sin, follow after righteousness, love the true God and their neighbor, neither turn aside to the right or left, and crucify the flesh with the works thereof.  But this is not to be understood, as if there did not remain in them great infirmities;  but they fight against them through the Spirit, all the days of their life, continually taking their refuge in the blood, death, passion and obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, “in whom they have remission of sins, through faith in him.”  As for the false Church, she ascribes more power and authority to herself and her ordinances than to the Word of God, and will not submit herself to the yoke of Christ.  Neither does she administer the sacraments as appointed by Christ in his Word, but adds to and takes from them, as she thinks proper; she relieth more upon men than upon Christ; and persecutes those, who live holily according to the Word of God, and rebuke her for her errors, covetousness, and idolatry. These two Churches are easily known and distinguished from each other.