One of the most difficult experiences in the life of a church occurs when it has to impose church discipline on a member of the church. We’ve had to do that just a few times in the almost 19 years that I’ve been here, and it’s always been a huge source of concern. Church discipline is difficult, but it’s sometimes necessary, and when we have to do it, we must do it the right way.

In today’s passage, Paul refers to a situation in which the church in Corinth imposed some kind of discipline on one of its members. The church likely asked Paul for his thoughts regarding this situation, and in our text today, Paul tells the church what to do. His instructions here are helpful for any church as it faces the potential of church discipline on a member.

Let’s see what Paul tells us about the matter of church discipline.