From Discipleship Weekly

(a publication of the Presbyterian Church of Islip)

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A Word from Our Sponsor "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." --Matthew 12:35-37 The Heidelberg Catechism: Part 2- Of Man's Redemption Week 31: Church Authority and Discipline 83. Q. What is the office of the keys? A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline. By these two means the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and shut against unbelievers. [Matt. 16:18-19; Luke 24:46-47; I Cor. 1:23-24; John 20:21-23] 84. Q. How is the kingdom of heaven opened and shut by the preaching of the gospel? A. In this way: The kingdom of heaven is opened when it is proclaimed and openly testified to believers, one and all, according to the command of Christ, that as often as they accept the promise of the gospel with true faith all their sins are truly forgiven them by God for the sake of Christ's gracious works. On the contrary, the wrath of God and eternal condemnation fall upon all unbelievers and hypocrites as long as they do not repent. It is according to this witness of the gospel that God will judge the one and the other in this life and in the life to come. [John 3:31-36; 8:24; Acts 10:43; II Cor. 2:15-16] 85. Q. How is the kingdom of heaven shut and opened by church discipline? A. In this way: Christ commanded that those who bear the Christian name in an unchristian way either in doctrine or in life should be given brotherly admonition. If they do not give up their errors or evil ways, notification is given to the church or to those ordained for this by the church. Then, if they do not change after this warning, they are forbidden to partake of the holy Sacraments and are thus excluded from the communion of the church and by God himself from the kingdom of Christ. However, if they promise and show real amendment, they are received again as members of Christ and of the church. [Matt. 18:15-20; Luke 5:20-24; I Cor. 5:3-5, 11-13; II Cor. 2:6-11; II Thess. 3:14-15] Suggestions for discussion and review: How does the concept of "church discipline" fit with your understanding of what church is all about? Is there any sin so bad it cannot be forgiven, and communion with the church and God restored? * * * * * * * * * * The thing to do when you have made a mistake is not to give up doing what you were doing and start something altogether new, but to start over again with the thing you began badly and try, for the love of God, to do it well. -- Thomas Merton