Healing the Wounded: The Costly Love of Church Discipline [Paperback]

John White (Author), Ken Blue (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Intervarsity Pr (October 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877845336
• ISBN-13: 978-0877845331
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,642,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John White was born in Liverpool, England, on March 5, 1924, and grew up in Manchester. After serving as a reconnaissance photographer in the Fleet Air Arms during World War II, he completed medical training at Manchester University. He later participated in a variety of short-term missions efforts (including Bible smuggling!) and captitalized on many opportunities to encourage Christians behind the Iron Curtain during the beginning of the Cold War.

On June 25, 1955, White married Laureate May O'Hara. From 1955 to 1964 he served as a medical missionary with New Tribes Mission. Later he was appointed associate general secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students of Latin America.

White emigrated to Canada with his family in 1965 and later completed his residency in psychiatry in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He next filled the post of associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and also served locally as pastor of Church of the Way.

He wrote 25 books as well as numerous articles and study guides. A much sought-after speaker, he lectured around the world at churches, conferences and leadership events. During his later life, White moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, helping to plant a Vineyard church there (Surrey Vineyard) and becoming involved in the larger Vineyard Christian Fellowship.

John White died in 2002, but his written ministry lives on, with over 1.5 million of his books in print.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wounded Healing, Though No Hebrew Scriptural Guidance, February 10, 2012

By 

Bradley P. Hayton - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Healing the Wounded: The Costly Love of Church Discipline (Paperback)

If the goal of Christian counseling is discipleship - psychological, spiritual, and behavioral - then we cannot ignore the issue of church discipline. Church discipline functions like Christian courts in that they keep sin between believers within the church fellowship, and thus are a testimony to the world about love, justice, and reconciliation, a demonstration of the character of God.

This book, written by one of evangelicalism's prima donna psychiatrists, is a tender account of tough love. The goal of church discipline is reconciliation and restoration of broken relationships, between God and people, and between people and people. Sin of every form has infected the church. Sin causes fevers, pain, hurt, and sickness. Although the authors don't attest to it, counselors seem to merely treat the inflammation with aspirin, and not really heal the wounds. Counseling is not enough, and the wounds are deep. The church as a body must get involved in healing its wounded with a love that is deeply biblical and greatly effective.

This volume is both a theological treatise and a practical guide that gives many illustrative examples. It is written by people sympathetic to psychology and counseling, and yet biblical enough to discern the distinct ministry and mission of the church body. It is a book about confession, redemption, reconciliation, restoration, and freedom. Pastors will find the book a great encouragement and are given timely advice. Psychologists and counselors are given great insights into how a body heals itself through biblical processes, and thus do not have to so often operate independently from the body.

Although this volume has great value, the authors would have greatly benefited from the examination of Old Testament precedents in church discipline. Like so many evangelicals, the authors only examine the New Testament for guidance, and leave out the rest of Scripture, like the Marcionites of early Christianity. Thus, they fail to understand the purpose and nature of civil government, both in biblical and church history, and have a tendency to make sins merely personal rather than sins against God, the church, or the state. The Old Testament provides excellent case examples of church discipline that are ignored in this volume, and would be invaluable in helping students in its application. And yet this book is not about cheap grace. God hates sin, and it must be dealt with through grace and mercy, discipline and forgiveness.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important Book in our Lukewarm Church Age, June 24, 2009

By 

A. Stanton "joe consumer" (los angeles, ca) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Healing the Wounded: The Costly Love of Church Discipline (Paperback)

The book is extremely practical, in that it clearly sees through false forgiveness. That is, attempts at forgiving when there is no real REPENTANCE of SIN. How often have we heard that we need to UNCONDITIONALLY forgive? Unconditional LOVE is taught in the Bible, but not unconditional forgiveness. True forgiveness means that we can FULLY accept a formerly sinful Christian back into fellowship, and FULL TRUST can be re-established. How many times have you heard, "we are to forgive our brother, BUT NEVER FORGET THEIR SIN." That is NOT true forgiveness. If God forgave like that, God would always keep us at arm's length.

Bottom line: this book is a MUST-READ for EVERY Christian. Send a copy to every person you know that is in full-time Christian ministry. That is, if you really care for Jesus and His Church, and our witness to the unsaved!