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Church Polity
[Organization & Polity]Church polity refers to the systems and structures by which a church appoints its officers, makes decisions, and exercises governance and discipline. It is broadly divided into three forms: episcopal, presbyterian, and congregational.
Revelation 3:19
[Bible Verses]A verse from the letter to the church in Laodicea in which Christ declares that he rebukes and chastens those he loves and commands zeal and repentance. It is frequently cited in preaching as a basis for understanding discipline as an expression of love.
James 4:11-12
[Bible Verses]A passage in the Epistle of James teaching that to speak evil of or judge a brother is to judge the law, and that God alone is lawgiver and judge. It is frequently cited as a warning against slander and condemnation, and discussion of it also addresses how such judgment differs from legitimate discernment and church discipline.
Calvin's Geneva
[History]Calvin's Geneva refers to the period of the Reformation in Geneva from 1536 to 1564, during which John Calvin was active in the city. During these years Geneva established a new church order, church discipline, and system of education, and it became a center of Reformed Protestantism.
Proverbs 23
[Bible]Proverbs 23 belongs to the section known as "the words of the wise." It teaches proper conduct at the table, warns against greed for wealth, gives instruction on disciplining children and honoring parents, and vividly depicts the ravages of drunkenness.
2 Corinthians 2
[Bible]2 Corinthians 2 is the chapter in which Paul explains why he wrote to the church at Corinth with many tears instead of returning to them, and urges the church to forgive and comfort a man who had been disciplined. He then describes the apostolic ministry by likening himself and his co-workers to "a sweet savour of Christ."
Galatians 6:1
[Bible Verses]Paul's exhortation that believers who walk by the Spirit should gently restore a brother who has fallen into a fault, while watching themselves lest they also be tempted. The verse is frequently cited in discussions of the spirit in which church discipline and mutual admonition among believers should be carried out.
1 Corinthians 9
[Bible]In this chapter Paul affirms that as an apostle he has the right to receive support from the church but explains that he has not used that right, for the sake of the gospel. He then urges self-discipline, drawing a comparison with the self-control of runners in a race.
1 Corinthians 5:9–10
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul clarifies that his earlier instruction to the Corinthian church "not to company with fornicators" did not mean cutting off relationships with people outside the church. It is frequently cited in discussions of church discipline and of the Christian life in the world.
Colossians 3:21
[Bible Verses]Colossians 3:21 is a verse in the household code of Colossians that exhorts fathers not to provoke their children to anger. Paired with 3:20, which speaks of children's obedience, it sets limits on parental authority. It is frequently cited alongside Ephesians 6:4 in sermons on the family and in discussions of child discipline.
Deuteronomy 19:15
[Bible Verses]Deuteronomy 19:15 is an Old Testament legal provision directing that guilt not be established on the testimony of a single person but confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. The New Testament cites it several times, and it is frequently invoked in discussions of church discipline and of procedures for handling accusations.
Monastery
[History]A monastery is a community of people who withdraw from the world to cultivate their faith through prayer, labor, and ascetic discipline, or the dwelling place of such a community. Monasticism originated in the deserts of Egypt in the third century, and monasteries became a central institution of the medieval Western church.
Forms of Church Government
[Christian Life]Forms of church government classify church organization according to who holds decision-making and disciplinary authority in the church. They are commonly divided into episcopal, presbyterian, and congregational polity.
Contemplative Prayer
[Controversies]Contemplative prayer is a form of prayer that uses few words and rests silently in the presence of God. Some embrace it as a spiritual discipline, while others regard it as a departure from biblical prayer.
Hermit
[Christian Life]A hermit is a person who lives alone in a remote place apart from the world, cultivating faith through prayer and ascetic discipline. The tradition originated with the monks of the Egyptian desert in the third and fourth centuries.
Ephesians 6:4
[Bible Verses]Ephesians 6:4 exhorts fathers not to provoke their children to wrath but to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is frequently cited in discussions of parental authority and responsibility and of approaches to discipline.
Church Disputes
[Controversies]Church disputes are conflicts among church members over matters such as pastoral calls, finances, church discipline, and denominational affiliation. The principal issues are whether members may bring suit in civil courts and to whom property belongs when a church divides.
Council of Trent
[History]The Council of Trent was a council of the Roman Catholic Church held from 1545 to 1563 in Trent (Trento) in northern Italy. In response to the Reformation, it defined Catholic doctrine and reformed the internal life of the Church.
First Vatican Council
[History]The First Vatican Council was a council of the Catholic Church convened by Pope Pius IX at the Vatican in Rome in 1869–1870. It is best known for defining papal primacy and papal infallibility as dogma.
Christian Ethics
[Doctrine & Theology]Christian ethics is the field of theology that examines, in light of the Christian faith, what is right and how Christians ought to live as individuals and in society. It is also called the study of Christian ethics.