08.31: Some Anabaptist views on church discipline
©Pilgram Marpeck, Judgement and Decision
Since the almighty eternal and merciful God has made his wonderful light break forth in this world and [in this] most dangerous time, we recognize the mystery of the divine will, that the Word is preached to us according to the proper ordering of the Lord, whereby we have been called into his fellowship. Therefore, according to the command of the Lord and the teachings of his apostles, in Christian order, we should observe the new commandment in love one toward another, so that love and unity may be maintained, which all brothers and sisters of the entire congregation should agree to hold to as follows:
(ii) Peter Riedeman, Account, 1542
CONCERNING EXCLUSION
Paul says, "Put away from among yourselves what is evil." Therefore in the fear of God we observe and watch over one another, since the one would protect and keep the other from all wrong and from such evil as deserves exclusion. Therefore do we watch over one another, telling each his faults, warning and rebuking with all diligence. But where one will not accept the rebuke, but disregards it, the matter is brought before the church, and if he hear not the church, then he is excluded and put out.
If, however, one be discovered in the gross and deadly sins of which Paul says, " If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or a thief or a robber, with such an one ye must not even eat." Such an one is put out and excluded or separated from the church without admonition, since the judgement of Paul is already spoken.
And if one is so excluded, we have nothing to do with him: have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet is he called to repentance, that perchance he may be moved thereby and return the more quickly to God; and where not, that the church may remain pure and innocent of his sin, and bear not guilt and rebuke from God on his behalf.
In all such eases, however, a distinction is made, that he who sins willfully be punished according to the weight of his sin; and the more wilful the sin, the sharper the punishment. If, however, he sin in the haste of the flesh and not willfully or recklessly, but through the weakness of the flesh, he is punished, but not completely separated from the church or excluded from all fellowship; but he is not permitted to use the Lord's greeting, to give or accept "Peace," that he may humble himself before God for his sin, and thereafter watch all the more carefully against it.
CONCERNING READMISSION
Now when one is excluded we have no fellowship with him until he has truly repented: though he may run with entreat} and desire, he is not accepted until he has received from the church the good report of a truly repentant life; yea, he is not accepted until one senses that the Lord has again drawn nigh to him, been gracious to and accepted him. When, however, this is recognised, the church likewise offers him the hand, that is, she does what she has been commanded by God, so that he is accepted by her and is counted once more a member of the church. But as in the beginning one is received into the church by means of a sign (that is baptism ), so also after he fell and was separated from the church he must likewise he received by a sign that is through the laying on of hands, which must be done by a servant of the gospel. This indicates that he once more has part and is rooted in the grace of God. When this has taken place he is accepted again in full love all suspicion, complaint and disinclination are swept away and cut off — lest Satan should get the advantage of us—and one has a right and completely trusting heart toward him as toward all the other members of the church. Therefore is it so long postponed until, as has been said, the grace of God is once more felt to be at work in him, drawing the confidence of the church once more towards him.
(iii) Pilgram Marpeck, Judgement and Decision, 1542
First of all, every individual must possess true and diligent discernment of conscience and heart if he is to have a true and certain judgement that the self-made freedom of the flesh be not taken for the liberty of Jesus Christ. This self-made freedom is and remains the most profound slavery from which release is never possible. To act in accordance with self-made freedom is to sin, and to be led into wickedness and the hardest slavery of sin, for whoever commits sin is the slave of sin. It makes no difference that this self-made carnal freedom always adorns itself with the dead letter and, posing as the true liberty of Christ Jesus the Lord, covers itself with a false, lying appearance. It finally brings forth no fruit except open depravities, sin, and shame. Such is the case with the hypocrites who, by their own choice to live according to human law and its coercion, since about and, without knowing anything about it? assume the appearance of the Spirit.
Now the true believers are forbidden to condemn all these people before the right time (1 Cor. 4[5]) that is, until their fruit, which is open vice, appears. Christ says " By their fruits (he does not say by the blossoms or the foliage) you shall know them.'' For the day of the Lord will reveal everything. But some vices are revealed and clear before that time, for every man expresses that which is within the treasure of his heart. Whether it be before or at the time of the last day, to cover or reveal sin is in God's hands. For no one may judge the heart until the fruit appears or until the outpouring of the treasure of the heart occurs. Only God, through the Holy Spirit, may judge.
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Whoever, therefore, establishes, commands, prohibits, coerces, drives, punishes, or judges before the time the good or evil fruit is revealed, lays claim to the authority, power, and office of the Holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ and, contrary to love, goodness and grace, nuns ahead of Christ Jesus. For the Son of God himself has committed this office and work to the Holy Spirit of God, and the office is to be carried out after his earthly, human life. With reference to this work, he says "The Holy Spirit will come and judge because of sin, judgement, and righteousness." This Spirit now does the judging and searches the hearts, for the Holy Spirit has his work and good fruit in the children of light in order to reveal them before men Similarly, the spirit of wickedness, who often and in many ways disguises himself as a spirit of light, has his work in the children of darkness. These, too, are driven by the Holy Spirit to do their own works in order that by the power and finger of God they may be known and revealed by their fruits.
Therefore, even if one is concerned about a lapse and sees the leaves and blossoms of evil appearance, one ought to warn and admonish, but not judge, before the time of the fruit.
The Lord does not say: "By their blossoms or leaves," but rather, "by their fruits you shall know them.'' For love also covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4[8]) and judges all things in the best light. Even though it is concerned about evil appearances and evil fruit, it nevertheless always hopes for the best.
In the same way, Christ covers our sin and shame in the love and grace which leads to improvement. Whoever presumes to decide and judge, before the revealing of guilt, is a thief and a murderer (Jn. 10[1]). He runs ahead of Jesus Christ, who alone is the revealer of good and evil in the heart.
On the other hand, if the sin and wickedness, evident from the revealed fruit, is revealed through wrath in the righteousness of Christ, one must be ready to judge and decide with Christ, the true Judge; otherwise, he too, is a thief and a murderer. He runs behind Jesus Christ and not with Christ. All the elect of God, with Christ, judge in this time with the sword of the Spirit through the Word, and not, as the world does, with the carnal sword. They will also decide at the last judgement.
No one may judge except he who has first judged and sentenced his own life through the grace and mercy of God, whereby he has pulled the beam out of his eye. Then, very properly, in patience, humility, meekness, and love, he may with the greatest care pull the sliver out of his brother's eye without hurting or irritating the eye. That is, after all, how he has been treated by God. And whoever brings someone to Christ in a different way for judgement, as the Jews brought the adulteress to him in the temple, will find himself, together with the hypocritical Jews, running from Christ and the adulteress in the temple. Open sinners will enter the kingdom of God before these do. Christ tolerated them less than the adulteress. All transgression is adultery before God, to whom man is betrothed.
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Even the world does not judge anyone on the basis of hearsay, suspicion, or appearance, but only on the words of the accused and of reliable witnesses. Christ also commands his own that all testimony must be substantiated by two or three witnesses. Only when evidence has been presented before the church, and he will not hear, does the judgement begin with tribulation, anxiety, sorrow. The other members of the body of Christ experience great pain and suffering for at stake is a member of the body of Christ the Lord. They must lose a member in order that the other members, who are well, are not hurt and the whole body destroyed, be it eye, foot, or hand. It should be pulled out or cut off according to the commandment of Christ, our Head: " If your eye offends you, or your hand, or foot," etc. The other members of the body of Christ will not be able to do this without great pain and tribulation. If the member is honourable and useful to the body, the tribulation is so much greater. It cannot possibly happen easily or simply. The natural body cannot lose a member without pain. Nor does it immediately cut it off, even if it is failing and weak; rather it uses all kinds of medicines. As long as it is not dead and is only painful, the body bears it with patience and long-suffering, and delays the penalty to allow for improvement. If, however, it allows the body no rest, nor improves by any medicine from the Lord Jesus Christ, through suffering and pain, it must be cut off in order that the other members of the body of Christ remain healthy in the fear and love of God and the neighbour, to whom alone the judgement to retain and to forgive sin has been committed (Mt. 16[l9]; 18[15-19]; 20[23]).