Does Exclusion from Membership Amount to Excommunication?

Thoughts from John L. Dagg On page 73 (at the bottom of this link in the free electronic version - chapter 1, section 5) of John L. Dagg's Treatise of Church Order, he states that "none but baptized persons can be admitted to membership." One of Piper's points in his disagreement with Wayne Grudem is that those who are excluded from church membership because they have not been scripturally baptized are treated as though they have been excommunicated from the church. Dagg addresses this concern as it relates to communion, in his chapter on that topic. Although he is speaking about the inclusion or exclusion from the Lord's Table of one who believes in infant baptism, application can be made beyond that to speak to the issue of church membership for anyone not scripturally baptized (including those not claiming to be baptized at all). The bottom line is whether we are treating these ordinances according to the will of the Lord revealed in His Word. Dagg's interaction with this argument is below.

Argument 7.--To exclude a Pedobaptist brother from communion, is substantially to inflict on him the punishment of excommunication, the punishment inflicted on atrocious offenders. Such is not the proper treatment of a fellow disciple, whose error of judgment the Lord graciously pardons.

When an advocate of open communion excludes from the Lord's table an amiable neighbor, who does not give evidence of conversion, the exclusion is not regarded as a punishment. Neither ought our exclusion of the unbaptized; much less is it right to speak of it as the punishment inflicted on atrocious offenders. The churches have no scale of penalties adjusted to different grades of crime. When they excommunicate, they withdraw their fellowship, and this may be done for wrongs of very different magnitude. There is no necessity to class the error of pedobaptism with the most atrocious of these wrongs. The church which excludes a Pedobaptist from the Lord's table, does not design to inflict a punishment on him, but merely to do its own duty, as a body to which the Lord has intrusted one of his ordinances. The simple aim is, to regulate the observance according to the will of the Lord.

Grudem and Piper Discuss Necessity of Baptism for Church Membership

Is baptism by immersion (upon profession of faith in Christ) necessary for church membership? Does excluding someone from church membership amount to a de facto excommunication in terms of how the person is treated? A revision in Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology has generated some serious discussion between John Piper and Grudem. Justin Taylor drew attention to this matter at at his blog. Piper's thoughts are here and Grudem's response is here.

Concerning this issue, Southern Seminary has some relevant audio:

• Mark Dever's February 26, 2002, Gheens Lecture entitled "The Spiritual Church, John Bunyan and Baptism" (this was a controversy in Bunyan's day; Piper's view shares much with Bunyan)
• A Baptism Forum with Dr. Russell Moore, Dr. Tom Nettles, Dr. Stephen Wellum, Dr. Greg Wills and Rob Arnold, moderator (April 18, 2007)
• Greg Wills' lecture "Should the Water Divide Us? Baptism, Church Membership, and the Glory of Christ" (April 25, 2007)

Also, I was listening to Dever today on John L. Dagg (from a conference in which he also spoke on Bunyan), and he referenced Dagg's Manual of Church Order as a good resource for dealing with this issue.

UPDATE: This really generated a good bit of discussion! I'm glad Justin Taylor kept track of it. You can follow the discussion here, and you might also be interested in this recent book on believer's baptism, edited by Tom Schreiner and Shawn Wright.

John Piper Books for $5

 

On Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 28, all books are on sale for $5 at desiringGod.org.  (Click here for more info:  http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/690_all_books_for_5/) 

 

From the official announcement:

Every book in our store will be $5 on June 27-28, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

No limits, so spread the word.

(This sale is online only.)

If you take advantage of this offer, I have a few recommendations for your consideration.

 

1. God's Passion for His Glory – This book shook the foundations of my thinking by showing me why God does what He does.  He made man, not because He was lonely or needed us, but to manifest His glory.  Furthermore, God is glorified not just in making Himself known, but in being delighted in.  The message of Jonathan Edwards' "The End for Which God Created the World" is included in this half-Piper, half-Edwards book (along with many helpful footnotes).  What is the point?  God is glorified not just in His glory being seen, but supremely when it is seen and rejoiced in.  This book is not an easy or fast read (at least it wasn't for me), but it is well worth it, and if I could have only one book from John Piper, this would be it.

 

2. Don't Waste Your Life – I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager.  I have given this to some recent graduates.  The message:  a life spent suffering (and even dying) for the joy of making Christ known is not a waste.  A waste is trying to be "cool" now and living out your golden years with trivialities instead of living a life of radical sacrifice, service and intense devotion to King Jesus.

 

3. Let the Nations Be Glad: the Supremacy of God in Missions – This is a great theology of missions with important practical ramifications.  Piper says missions exists because worship doesn't.  The goal of missions is to take the Gospel individuals from all people groups.  A key implication is that those people who do not have the Gospel in their language need to become more of an emphasis in missions.

 

4. The Supremacy of God in Preaching – This is a fiery book on preaching and should be an encouragement for every faithful minister.  If you are a pastor or considering the pastorate, please read this book.  If you think your pastor would read it, you may want to get it for him.  I love when Piper recounts how God used a sermon where he did not even have clear application to encourage a struggling family – not with felt-needs mishmash but with a glorious display of the holiness of God.

 

5. Brothers, We Are Not Professionals – In some ways, this is Don't Waste Your Life for pastors.  The book is full of thought provoking pastors that goes against the grain of the CEO-mentality present in many circles of pastoral leadership and is a call for a radical God-centered, Gospel-focused, Christ-exalting, others-serving ministry that looks different from the business model and will bear lasting fruit for the glory of Christ and the joy of His people and preachers.

 

6. Preaching the Cross – I don't actually have this book yet, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the audio messages from which it is compiled.  The chapters are from the speakers at the 2006 Together for the Gospel Conference.  Piper spoke on why expositional preaching is particularly glorifying to God and had sage advice for preachers to be men whose sermons should be soaked in the blood of Jesus and singed with the fires of hell.  In other words, preaching is serious business, it is based on God's Word, the glory of God is paramount, and the eternal souls of men and women are our concern.  (The other messages are excellent as well.)

 

7. Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God – This book is by John's wife, Noël Piper, and is another book I have not read.  However, I bought it for my wife and she read it in two days.  It contains biographies of Sarah Edwards (Jonathan's wife), Lilias Trotter, Gladys Aylward, Esther Ahn Kim, and Helen Roseveare.  My wife found it very encouraging and wants to learn more about these women through whom God showed Himself strong and faithful.

 

(Note: Piper also has biographical works in The Swans Are Not Silent series, which I have read a part of and found helpful.  Titles include The Roots of Endurance (John Newton, Charles Simeon, William Wilberforce), The Legacy of Sovereign Joy (Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin), The Hidden Smile of God (John Bunyan, William Cowper, David Brainerd) and Contending For Our All (Athanasius, John Owen, J. Gresham Machen).  Piper strongly advocates making Christian biography a part of our reading diet and has modeled its importance in books such as these.)

 

I hope you are able to take advantage of this special offer.  Tolle lege – - take up and read!

 

Doug Smith