Of course, the quick answer to that question posed in the title is YES. Church discipline is very necessary to maintain the purity, holiness, and integrity of the Church.
When writing to the believers in the Corinthian Church, Paul tells them, ““In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 (NKJV)
Whoa! He told them to do what? Yes, these are sobering words from the apostle Paul. He was writing about a man in open, unrepentant sin who needed to be removed from the church’s fellowship. His sin was a corrupting influence on the family of God, and he showed no concern for it. This wasn’t a decision made out of anger or frustration, but rather a decision for the purity, holiness, and protection of the flock, and the man actually. It was done in obedience and hope. The end result could be that he might be shaken from his rebellion and ultimately turn back to God.
Paul mentions something similar in 1 Timothy 1:20, referring to Hymenaeus and Alexander, men who were spreading false teaching. Paul says he handed them over to Satan so they would “learn not to blaspheme.” That’s strong language, but again, the goal wasn’t punishment. The goal was to both correct the false teachings and protect the precious flock. Sometimes, the most loving thing the church can do is refuse to pretend that someone’s sin is harmless. Separation from the fellowship is an unfortunate consequence of unrepentant, persistent sin.
There’s a kind of spiritual covering and protection that exists within the body of Christ. We aren’t just individuals; we are members of one another (Romans 12:5). Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 that the body is interconnected. The eye needs the ear. The hand needs the foot. No part can say to the other, “I have no need of you.” When we walk in fellowship, we receive strength, encouragement, correction, and accountability. That’s what God intended the church to be.
When someone persists in sin and refuses to repent, and the church is forced to remove them from that fellowship, they’re now outside that circle of spiritual support. That’s what it means to be turned over to Satan. It’s not some curse and shunning. It doesn’t mean it’s not mean-spirited or harsh. It’s an act of obedience by the church’s eldership. The person in sin can’t pretend that all is well and continue to hurt others. They have lost the spiritual covering of the church and the joy of true, sweet fellowship. The hope is that they will feel the full weight and consequences of sin. On rare occasions, but sometimes, that’s what it takes for someone to finally come to the end of themselves and cry out to God.
Church discipline reflects the love of God by loving them enough to take sin seriously. The goal is always repentance and restoration. It may feel difficult in the moment, but grace often works through truth. And when the church stands together in love, even difficult decisions like this can become the path God uses to bring a rebellious person back home.
