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The Sinews of Christ's Body—Church Discipline according to John Calvin

The Sinews of Christ's Body – Church Discipline according to John Calvin

Daniel YK LEE

For Calvin, church discipline was so crucial to the well-being of the Christian Church that he was prepared to defend its exercise even to the point of jeopardizing his own ministry in Geneva. This essay shows that the reformer sought to arrive at a theological account , as well as a practical arrangement, of the church discipline within the basic tenets of Reformation theology. Under the sole headship of Christ and the notion of the church as communiosanctorum, the jurisdictional and disciplinary authority is harnessed to the service of the Word of God, and firmly regulated with a lawful assembly, an accountable procedure, and restrictions on its measures. In this way, Calvin's teaching of church discipline demonstrates the intricate relation between authority and freedom, communal and individual life, and ecclesiastical and civil government.

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Message from the Editor of Issue 48

Editor's Note: Wu Guojie Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the number of people infected worldwide has exceeded 250 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 5 million. This number does not include poor third-world countries with weak testing capabilities and inability to determine the cause of death. Due to the epidemic, the lives, economy, and travel of people around the world have been affected to varying degrees; for example, people have to wear masks when going out, maintain social distance, the number of gatherings is limited, quarantine is required when entering the country, travel has been greatly reduced, related industries have laid off employees, and unemployment has Rates thus increase and so on. In this environment, church gatherings have also been affected to a considerable extent. During the period when the epidemic was severe and gatherings were restricted, physical church gatherings were suspended, and online live broadcasts and video conversations became necessary alternative modes; even if the epidemic eased and physical gatherings reopened, online Synchronization has also become the new normal. In the face of this disaster, which is called the "pandemic of the century," what resources does the Christian faith have that can help the church respond and turn the crisis into an opportunity? This issue of "Sandow Journal" takes "Epidemics and Disasters" as the theme, and brings together different scholars to discuss it from the perspectives of the two Testaments, doctrinal theology, and practical theology, hoping to enlighten modern Christians on how to deal with the challenges of this era. ...