The Doctrine of the Church
· The church is the community of all true believers for all time (Eph. 1:22-23).
· The invisible church is the church as God sees it, and the visible church is the church as Christians on earth see it.
· The marks of a true church are right preaching of the Word and right administration of the sacraments, plus attempting to function as a church.
· The purity of the church is its degree of freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and its degree of conformity to God’s revealed will for the church.
· The unity of the church is its degree of freedom from division among true Christians.
· The primary purposes of the church are ministry to God (worship), believers (nurture), and the world (evangelism and mercy), (Eph. 4:11-13).
· The power of the church is its God-given authority to carry on spiritual warfare, proclaim the gospel and exercise church discipline.
· A church officer is someone publically recognized as having the right and responsibility to perform certain functions for the benefit of the whole church (elders and deacons).
· Plural local elders seems best to represent the NT pattern of church leadership.
· The invisible church is the church as God sees it, and the visible church is the church as Christians on earth see it.
· The marks of a true church are right preaching of the Word and right administration of the sacraments, plus attempting to function as a church.
· The purity of the church is its degree of freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and its degree of conformity to God’s revealed will for the church.
· The unity of the church is its degree of freedom from division among true Christians.
· The primary purposes of the church are ministry to God (worship), believers (nurture), and the world (evangelism and mercy), (Eph. 4:11-13).
· The power of the church is its God-given authority to carry on spiritual warfare, proclaim the gospel and exercise church discipline.
· A church officer is someone publically recognized as having the right and responsibility to perform certain functions for the benefit of the whole church (elders and deacons).
· Plural local elders seems best to represent the NT pattern of church leadership.
· Forms of church government include:
- Episcopalian: leads with priests; final authority is outside the local church.
- Presbyterian: has elders, some of whom have authority beyond their local congregations.
- Congregational: has all final governing authority resting with the local congregation.
- Episcopalian: leads with priests; final authority is outside the local church.
- Presbyterian: has elders, some of whom have authority beyond their local congregations.
- Congregational: has all final governing authority resting with the local congregation.
· The primary means of grace in the church are:
- Teaching of the Word
- Baptism
- The Lord’s supper
- Prayer for one another
- Worship
- Church discipline
- Giving
- Spiritual gifts
- Fellowship
- Evangelism
- Personal ministry to individuals
- Teaching of the Word
- Baptism
- The Lord’s supper
- Prayer for one another
- Worship
- Church discipline
- Giving
- Spiritual gifts
- Fellowship
- Evangelism
- Personal ministry to individuals
· The two ceremonies (ordinances) Christ commanded his church to perform are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
- Baptism symbolizes dying and rising with Christ and having sins washed away (Rom. 6:1-11).
- The baptistic view holds that baptism is appropriately administered only to those who give a believable profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The paedobaptist view holds that infant children of believers should be baptized.
- The Lord’s Supper is to be observed repeatedly by believers as a sign of continuing in fellowship with Christ (Matt. 26:26-29). It primarily symbolizes our participation in the benefits of Christ’s death, spiritual nourishment, the unity of believers, affirmation of Christ’s love for us and the blessings of salvation, and affirmation of our faith in Christ (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
- Baptism symbolizes dying and rising with Christ and having sins washed away (Rom. 6:1-11).
- The baptistic view holds that baptism is appropriately administered only to those who give a believable profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The paedobaptist view holds that infant children of believers should be baptized.
- The Lord’s Supper is to be observed repeatedly by believers as a sign of continuing in fellowship with Christ (Matt. 26:26-29). It primarily symbolizes our participation in the benefits of Christ’s death, spiritual nourishment, the unity of believers, affirmation of Christ’s love for us and the blessings of salvation, and affirmation of our faith in Christ (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
· Worship is the activity of glorifying God in his presence with our voices and hearts (Col. 3:16). The results of genuine worship are (1) we delight in God; (2) God delights in us (3) we draw near to God and he draws near to us; (4) God ministers to us; (5) unbelievers know they are in God’s presence.
· Spiritual gifts are any abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church (1 Cor. 12:7-11; 28). They are given to equip the church to carry out its ministry until Christ returns.
- Prophecy is telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind (I Thess. 5:20-21).
- Teaching is the ability to explain Scripture and apply it to people’s lives (2 Tim. 2:2).
- Healing serves as a sign to authenticate the gospel message, to show the kingdom of God has come, to bring comfort and health to show God’s mercy, to equip people for service, and to provide opportunity for God to be glorified (James 5:14-15).
- Speaking in tongues is prayer or praise spoken in syllables not understood by the speaker (1 Cor. 14).
- Interpretation of tongues is reporting to the church the general meaning of something spoken in tongues (1 Cor. 14:5).
- Prophecy is telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind (I Thess. 5:20-21).
- Teaching is the ability to explain Scripture and apply it to people’s lives (2 Tim. 2:2).
- Healing serves as a sign to authenticate the gospel message, to show the kingdom of God has come, to bring comfort and health to show God’s mercy, to equip people for service, and to provide opportunity for God to be glorified (James 5:14-15).
- Speaking in tongues is prayer or praise spoken in syllables not understood by the speaker (1 Cor. 14).
- Interpretation of tongues is reporting to the church the general meaning of something spoken in tongues (1 Cor. 14:5).