An Historical View of Church Discipline and Restoration

The Council of Carthage (251 A.D.)

A key figure to the early development of the language used for organization and implementation of Church Discipline is Cyprian of Carthage (210-258 A.D.). He “developed a system based on Roman civil government that became normative for the Church for the next 1200 years until the Reformation in the 16th century”  . He did not create a new episcopal system; rather laid a better operating foundation.  During the time of Emperor Decius of Rome (201 -251 A.D.) there was widespread persecution of Christians. Christianity was still an illegal religion. The Romans believed that the gods were angry at them because they were not receiving proper honor, especially from the Christians. “In January 250, the Emperor ordered everyone throughout the empire to sacrifice to the pagan gods of Rome and to get an official written certificate from a locally established commission confirming that they had complied with the edict” . These certificates were called “Libelli”. According to Balfour , there had not been widespread persecutions of Christians in Carthage for decades – the result was a move for so-called Christians to comply with the edict (as many as three quarters of some congregations), sacrifice to the Roman gods, and bribe magistrates to falsify Libellis. These “compromising Christians were called the “Lapsed”. Many refused and were tortured, and imprisoned. The persecution lasted for 14 months. Those who kept the faith under duress were called “Confessors”. Emperor Decius’ successor Trebonianus Gallus, discontinued the policy of persecuting the Christians. The question became – What about the “lapsed”? How would the Church deal with this issue? There was much at stake here. There were those who “asked for readmission due to impending death from persecution and wished to die in the fellowship of the Church” .

There were many voices at the table. The Confessors believed their obedience to the faith “earned the right to decide the faith of the lapsed” . After-all, they took the easy path. They did not receive torture, imprisonment, deprivation of food, water, fresh air and light. They got off easy by recanting. It was the Confessors who should decide the fate of these traitors, not the Bishops. Another issue on the table was “When (if ever) should they be re-admitted?”