# Anybody know of a good book Summarizing Biblical Church Discipline?



## Christusregnat (Oct 18, 2009)

In particular, what the appropriate steps are, when a trial is necessary, why a trial should be public, why a trial should always precede any kind of public censure, when an offense is public, and therefore not private ala Matthew 18.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,


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## discipulo (Oct 18, 2009)

Adam, Mark Dever's site has very good articles on Church Discipline

Discipline - 9Marks


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## toddpedlar (Oct 18, 2009)

Jay Adams has a brief, but valuable little book entitled The Handbook of Church Discipline that might get you started.

If you can find a copy, James Durham's "A Treatise on Scandal", published by Naphtali Press but now out of print, lays out very skillfully the distinctions you mention concerning public and private matters.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 18, 2009)

James Dickson Books has copies and Reformation Heritage Books may have it sometimes (I always tell them to order from James as he ahs the only like new copies left). Also check with Gospel Mission as they also know about James as a source and at one pointed indicated they would follow that up. I did make _Concerning Scandal _into a Kindle book but I wouldn't buy a Kindle just for that if you don't already have one.



toddpedlar said:


> Jay Adams has a brief, but valuable little book entitled The Handbook of Church Discipline that might get you started.
> 
> If you can find a copy, James Durham's "A Treatise on Scandal", published by Naphtali Press but now out of print, lays out very skillfully the distinctions you mention concerning public and private matters.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 18, 2009)

As far as process historically you can see the old Scottish compendium of Pardovan's Collections which is on Google books. I have no idea why the link has it under Minutes of the Westminster Assembly; but it gets there.


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## Christusregnat (Oct 18, 2009)

Thank you gentlemen!! These are GREAT resoucres!

Any other suggestions?

Cheers,


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## fredtgreco (Oct 18, 2009)

Adam,

I have not read it yet, but the book _Exposition of the Book of Church Order_ by F.P. Ramsay is cited frequently in SJC decisions. Since the PCA's BCO is in large part a revision of 19th century BCOs, it is relevant.

I found it on archive.org:

Internet Archive: Free Download: An exposition of the form of government and the rules of discipline of the Presbyterian Church in the United States


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## Christusregnat (Oct 19, 2009)

fredtgreco said:


> Adam,
> 
> I have not read it yet, but the book _Exposition of the Book of Church Order_ by F.P. Ramsay is cited frequently in SJC decisions. Since the PCA's BCO is in large part a revision of 19th century BCOs, it is relevant.
> 
> ...



Thank you so much Fred! I will definitely utilize this resouce.

Cheers,


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## Scott1 (Oct 19, 2009)

I'm reading through "Handbook of Church Discipline" by Jay Adams. Some provocative thinking there and would like to interact with some of the thoughts in there and on the topic generally.

Mr. Adams has 5 steps, and some ideas about church "hopping" and what "excommunication" means that are worth discussing.


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## Marrow Man (Oct 19, 2009)

The Adams book is excellent, so add my recommendation there.

There is also another very short treatise on discipline, but I cannot think of the author or title (it's currently at the church and I'm at home). I'm pretty sure it is put out by Banner of Truth and has a picture of a shepherd and sheep on the cover. Discipline is in the title (I think). Does anybody recall the work of which I'm speaking?


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## toddpedlar (Oct 19, 2009)

Marrow Man said:


> The Adams book is excellent, so add my recommendation there.
> 
> There is also another very short treatise on discipline, but I cannot think of the author or title (it's currently at the church and I'm at home). I'm pretty sure it is put out by Banner of Truth and has a picture of a shepherd and sheep on the cover. Discipline is in the title (I think). Does anybody recall the work of which I'm speaking?



Yup, I've got that too. It's Daniel Wray's "Biblical Church Discipline". I think it's out of print though - but Amazon seems to have some copies. His "The Importance of the Local Church" is also a very nice little booklet.


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## Wayne (Oct 19, 2009)

fredtgreco said:


> _Exposition of the Book of Church Order_ by F.P. Ramsay is cited frequently in SJC decisions. Since the PCA's BCO is in large part a revision of 19th century BCOs, it is relevant.[/url]




The relevant section from Ramsay's _Exposition_ is plugged into each page of the _BCO Project_ here

For instance, see his comments (scoll down the page a bit) on the nature and ends of discipline, here.

[shameless self-promotion. _mea culpa_]


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## Marrow Man (Oct 19, 2009)

toddpedlar said:


> Marrow Man said:
> 
> 
> > The Adams book is excellent, so add my recommendation there.
> ...



Yes, that's it! Thanks, Todd!


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## fredtgreco (Oct 19, 2009)

Wayne said:


> fredtgreco said:
> 
> 
> > _Exposition of the Book of Church Order_ by F.P. Ramsay is cited frequently in SJC decisions. Since the PCA's BCO is in large part a revision of 19th century BCOs, it is relevant.[/url]
> ...



Wayne,

Are you still looking for help with this project?


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## darrellmaurina (Nov 13, 2009)

toddpedlar said:


> Yup, I've got that too. It's Daniel Wray's "Biblical Church Discipline". I think it's out of print though - but Amazon seems to have some copies. His "The Importance of the Local Church" is also a very nice little booklet.



Just want to add my two cents here endorsing Daniel Wray's pamphlet.

It is one of the best brief summaries of biblical church discipline that I have ever seen, printed in a small pamphlet format that can be given to basically any biblically knowledgeable fundamentalist who is used to "tracts." It will explain from the Bible the need for church discipline and the steps that must be followed to do the discipline.

Obviously it isn't an exhaustive document, but it is helpful to give to Bible-believing people in this modern age of no church discipline whatsoever who sincerely believe in biblical inerrancy but often do not understand the most basic principles of what church membership means.


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## Notthemama1984 (Nov 15, 2009)

The Durham is on google books.

The dying man's testament to the ... - Google Books


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