Discipline in Doctrine
Via F. Pieper, “Our Position in Doctrine and Practice Lecture – delivered before the 1893 Synod of Delegates of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other states.”
“That discipline in doctrine must remain standing in the first place is self-explanatory, for the right doctrine is the foundation for everything, or, to speak with Luther, there “where doctrine is false, living cannot be helped either.” But that discipline in living should also not be neglected follows naturally from the fact that all who remain lying in their deadly sins have no hope of eternal life. How, then, discipline in the church should be exercised and how carefully one must distinguish between sins of weakness and deadly sins, to avoid a situation where, as the blessed Dr. Walther expresses it, “the church discipline overextends and the whole Christian congregational life is transformed, contrary to the Gospel into a life under constant church discipline to the Law” – this is not the place to go into that in more detail. I would just like to mention this one thing: A church discipline that lacks the spirit of brotherly love, just outward and legalistically handled church discipline is poison and death for individuals and for the whole congregation, and before God, the greatest wrong; a discipline in heartfelt mercy, truly evangelically handled, is spiritual medicine and one of the most excellent parts of right Christian living. Luther says “Let all monks and holy orders, fused into one big lump, demonstrate that they can be said to have won a single brother.” But I have to break off from this point in order to be able to direct to a few more points of church practice.”
