Church discipline in the Pauline churches: a socio-theological approach

English: In this study church discipline in the Pauline churches, especially in the churches of the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, was investigated. Traditionally, when New Testament scholars approach church discipline, they tend to concentrate on the nature of the theological issue or on the Question of what kind of theological motive gave rise to the problem. Thus, they research the theological background of the particular offence, what kind of theological issue caused the problem, the background of the church discipline and/or what kind of theological perspective surfaces in the study of church discipline. Some scholars, however, oppose such a "theological approach" and follow another approach, the so called a "sociological approach." They investigate the social and cultural nature of the Biblical text and its environmental backdrop. Disregarding a theological approach, they have contributed studies with a broadened understanding of the sociological character of primitive Christian communities and a focus on the social and cultural conditions that characterized the Biblical world. In this study it is argued that it is not necessary that one approach should exclude the other. The relationship between a "sociological approach" and a "theological approach" should thus not be seen as exclusive and conflicting, but rather as complementary and synthetic. The guiding hypothesis of this study is thus that a combination of a sociological and a theological approach is the best way to explain the problems in the Pauline congregations in Corinth and Thessalonica. In Part II church discipline in the Thessalonian church is examined. The significant problem that occurred in the church of the Thessalonians was that some members of the congregation were idle and caused trouble to the believers and/or non-believers, interrupting other persons' business (2 Thess. 3: l l : cf. 1 Tim. 5: 13). I indicated that this problem embodied both theological and sociological issues: Theologically, there were (1) spiritual enthusiasm, (2) Paul's opponents, and (3) realised eschatology; sociologically there were (1) Hellenistic philosophy such as Epicureanism, (2) voluntary associations, and (3) the system of patronage. In Part III church discipline in the Corinthian church was investigated. The notorious problem that occurred in the church of the Corinthians was that a member of the congregation "has his father's wife" (1 Cor. 5: 1) and that the Corinthian church was proud of it (1 Cor. 5:2). I indicated that this problem of immorality embodied both theological and sociological issues: Theologically, there were (1) Judaisrn, (2) spiritual fanaticism, (3) Christian freedom, and (4) realised eschatology; sociologically, there were (1) Hellenistic philosophy such as Gnosticism, (2) Hellenistic religious cults, and (3) the system of patronage. This study concludes that the two approaches, a "sociological approach" and a "theological approach," should not be taken as exclusive or in conflict, but rather as complementary in order to reach a more suitable answer to the problem of the disorderly in the church of the Thessalonians and that of immorality in the church of the Corinthians.