What is church discipline? Justification for inquisitions and crusades? Emotional abuse? Studying the motive behind, and manner of a discipline case in the first century church of Corinth reveals it is none of these. Instead, the spiritual discipline which the Bible envisions offers a remedy in an age enslaved to personal freedom and individualism, and deliverance from the destruction which occurs as a result.

Imagine stepping into a community were people view their accomplishments honestly and accurately; where no one cares about who gets the credit; where people see their work as one. This is what the Church is supposed to be a taste of–an experience of something different than what we normally know. The Corinthian church is in danger of losing this, and the Apostle Paul knows what’s at stake.