Review: "40 Questions About Church Membership and Discipline"

40 Questions About Church Membership and Discipline by Jeremy M. Kimble is the third volume I have read in this series.  I appreciate the format of the series.  Each volume has forty questions on a topic.  In forty short chapters, the author attempts to give biblical answers to the question.  Each question/chapter ends with a succinct summary and questions for reflection.  A well-formatted series for personal or group investigation.

The author begins with the question of whether church membership and discipline are important – to which he answers in the affirmation.  Membership is important because Christian is a community religion, membership makes the “invisible church visible,” the Church is its believing membership, and, discipline is prescribed in the Scripture, discipline shows the love of God, and it fleshes out the idea of perseverance (17-18).

As he goes forward, he stumbles, as I read him:

He explains that church membership in the old covenant was by family, whereas there has now been a change such that only believers can become members (42-43).  When?  Where?

By the time, the reader arrives at page 64, the author explains:

In order to become a church member, one must be able to profess faith.

In order to become a church member, one must be baptized.

Since infants – and probably children until the age of ??? – cannot make a profession of faith they cannot be baptized, and cannot become members of the church.

At this point, if the reader did not know it yet, one will say to oneself, “Oh, this book was written by a Baptist!”

These “arguments” that the reception to the covenant have been changed and argument that since infants can’t make a profession of faith, they can’t be baptized and can’t be received into membership, seem rather far-fetched to me.  But, I understand – to a point – where the author is coming from.  These arguments may be accepted in the Baptist Church, but making them so foundational in the book make it less useful for a wide audience.

Beginning on page 141, the author addresses church discipline – based largely on Matthew 18.  He well argues that one ought to confront an individual one on one, then with two or three, then before the congregation – and the point of discipline if reconciliation – the reception back of the person who was persisting in unrepentant sin.

I was confused by question 29 in which the author asks about what out to be done for a leader caught in unrepentant sin.  After noting the seriousness of such sin, he says to go through the Matthew 18 process, and, if he confesses before the congregation and repents, he should be forgiven “and, most likely, be removed from office” (196).

So, there cannot be full forgiveness and restoration of the church leader?  What about Peter and Paul and their conflict?  Paul called out Peter, he repented, and he continued in his leadership position?

For the good of this volume, it is equally off-balanced by the assumption of Baptist theology and some questionable conclusions.  There is good, and I recommend that.  For the rest, I hope there is a second edition that is more universal in its use for the church – with some clarity given on issues noted as well.

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[This review appears on my blog and on Amazon.com.  I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.]