Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 6
When Jerry and his wife confessed premarital sins to the bishop, he was “put off the church” for months, yet Jerry contrasts that with Scripture: “Christ is very near… He doesn’t put you outside”; what does this raise about the relationship between church discipline and Christ’s welcome, and where do you feel defensive—or relieved—about Jerry’s critique?
Another way to ask: Jerry felt pushed away from church after confessing, but says Christ doesn’t push you out. How should church discipline fit with Jesus’ welcome, and what part of Jerry’s critique makes you feel defensive or relieved?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Jerry’s contrast raises the tension between a church process that temporarily distances people and the immediate nearness of Christ to repentant sinners. He appreciates the freedom they felt after confession, yet he questions whether being “put off” matches the way Scripture presents Jesus’ open-armed welcome.
- He describes the discipline: the bishop “decided he’d put us off the church,” for “maybe six months or so,” before being “back in relationship.”
- He admits it was “very shameful,” and he resisted being “known for who I really was.”
- Yet he also testifies confession helped: “It felt good walking away from that… freeing.”
- His critique is explicit: “when I read the scriptures now, Christ is very near to us. He doesn’t put you outside. He’s there with his arms open.”
- He frames it as “just the way they did it,” suggesting he isn’t merely attacking but comparing practice to Scripture.