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Doctrine of the Church: A Reformed Perspective

PREFACE

COURSE INTRODUCTION JUSTIFICATION OBJECTIVES REQUIREMENTS BENEFITS CLASS RECORD

LESSON ONE: BIBLICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION A. THE PEOPLE OF GOD 1. Church 2. The Israel of God 3. The Family of God 4. Summary B. THE BODY OF CHRIST 1. Christ’s Body 2. Christ’s Bride C. THE TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT 1. The Old Testament Temple 2. The New Testament Temple D. THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BIBLICAL DESCRIPTIONS SUMMARY QUESTIONS

LESSON TWO: THE CHURCH, COVENANT, AND KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION A. FEATURES OF BIBLICAL COVENANTS 1. Promise 2. Oath 3. Sign 4. Summary Concerning Covenants B. THE COVENANT AND THE CHURCH 1. God’s Covenant with Abraham a. The Land b. The Seed 2. The Old Testament and God’s Covenant with Abraham 2

3. The New Testament and God’s Covenant with Abraham a. The New Testament on the Land b. The New Testament on the Seed 4. The Church as the Covenant Community C. THE KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH 1. God’s Promise Concerning David’s House 2. The Decline of David’s House 3. Promises Concerning David’s House 4. Fulfillment for David’s House 5. The Kingdom and the Church Today SUMMARY QUESTIONS

LESSON THREE: THEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION A. THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH 1. The Essence of the Church a. The Roman Catholic Idea b. The Greek Orthodox Idea c. The Protestant Idea 2. The Church as Militant and the Church as Triumphant 3. The Church as Visible and the Church as Invisible 4. The Church as Institution and the Church as Organism 5. Summary of these distinctions B. THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE CHURCH 1. Unity 2. Holiness 3. Catholicity 4. Apostolicity 5. Summary of the attributes C. THE MARKS OF THE CHURCH 1. True Preaching of the Word 2. Biblical Administration of the Sacraments 3. Faithful church discipline 4. Summary of the Marks of the True Church SUMMARY QUESTIONS

LESSON FOUR: THE CHURCH’S THREE-FOLD MINISTRY: BEFORE GOD, BELIEVERS AND THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION A. THE MINISTRY OF WORSHIP 1. Worship according to Scripture a. The preaching of God’s Word 3

b. Gifts for the poor c. The sacraments d. Prayer e. Summary of Worship according to Scripture 2. Worship in the name of Christ 3. Worship as the work of the Holy Spirit 4. Summary of the Ministry of the Worship B. THE MINISTRY OF NURTURE 1. Goals of Nurture a. Nurture in the knowledge of God b. Nurture in Obedience c. Nurture in Christ-likeness 2. Mutual Nurture 3. Summary of the Ministry of Nurture C. THE MINISTRY OF DISCIPLE-MAKING 1. God’s Missionary Character 2. God’s Missionary Promises 3. God’s Missionary Commission SUMMARY QUESTIONS

LESSON FIVE: THE MEANS OF GRACE

INTRODUCTION A. THE IDEA OF THE MEANS OF GRACE 1. The Basic Concept 2. The List of the Means of Grace 3. Historic Views a. The Roman Catholic View b. The Mystical View c. The Reformed View B. THE WORD AS A MEANS OF GRACE 1. The inspired word 2. Three qualities of the inspired word 3. Content of the preached word 4. Clarification in terms of three historic views C. THE SACRAMENTS AS MEANS OF GRACE 1. General comments about the Sacraments a. The Idea of a sacrament b. Christ’s Purpose for the sacraments c. The church’s Administration of the sacraments 2. The Sacrament of Baptism 3. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper SUMMARY QUESTIONS 4

LESSON SIX: AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION A. THE PLACE OF CHURCH AUTHORITY 1. The Place of All Church Authority 2. The Place of Church Authority on Earth B. OFFICES WITH CHURCH AUTHORITY 1. The Office of Every Believer a. Anointed Old Testament Leaders b. Anointed Son of God c. Anointed New Testament Believers 2. The Office of Deacon a. The Name of the Office of Deacon b. The Duties of Deacons c. The Qualifications for Deacons 3. The Office of Elder a The Name of the Office of Elder b. The Duties of Elders c. The Qualifications for Elders 4. The Office of Minister of the Word a. The Role of Elder b. The Role of Preacher/Teacher 5. The Question of Women in Church Office

C. DISCIPLINE UNDER CHURCH AUTHORITY 1. Methods of Discipline a. Discipline through the message b. Discipline through action 2. Steps of Disciplinary Action SUMMARY QUESTIONS

LESSON SEVEN: SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN CHURCH LIFE

INTRODUCTION A. SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND NATURAL ABILITIES B. THE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS C. THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS D. THE VARIETY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS 1. Variety of Duties 2. Variety of Abilities 3. Variety of Personalities 4. Variety of Gifts in General E. THE PRESENCE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS TODAY 1. The Issue 2. The Completion of the Apostolic Office 5

3. The Completion of Scripture’s Inspiration SUMMARY QUESTIONS

LESSON EIGHT: THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH AND CHURCH PLANTING

INTRODUCTION A. BIBLICAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT CHURCH PLANTING 1. God gathers His church. 2. The biblical church planter relies on God through prayer. 3. Church plants take unique forms due to their people’s unique gifts. 4. Church planting requires personal discipleship. B. FIRST STEPS IN CHURCH PLANTING 1. Plans and costs 2. Analysis of spiritual gifts 3. Early gatherings C. STARTING TO RUN 1. Evaluate the male leadership. 2. Begin Sunday worship services. 3. Organize. 4. Develop the church’s identity. 5. Call the organizing pastor. 6. Let other ministries follow. SUMMARY QUESTIONS APPENDIX

CONCLUSION

COORDINATOR’S MANUAL

1. WELCOME 2. RESPONSIBILITIES 3. MINTS PLAN OF COURSE INTRODUCTION 4. PLAN FOR THE FOUR FOLLOW-UP SESSIONS 5. HELPS FOR COORDINATORS 5a. Lesson Questions and Answers 5b. Essay Evaluation 5c. Test – Coordinator’s Copy 5d. Class Record 5e. Pedagogical Evaluation of the Instructor 6. FORMS FOR STUDENTS 6a. Alternative Reading Assignments 6b. Form for Reading Reports 6c. Suggested Essay topics 6

6d. Guidelines for Writing an Essay 6e. Guide for Title Page and Table of Contents 6f. Students’ Test – The Doctrine of the Church 6g. Course Evaluation by the Students

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 7

PREFACE

The church of Christ needs to learn about the biblical doctrine of the church. Christians should learn this doctrine, or teaching, because God’s Word presents it. Christians should eagerly search the scriptures to learn as much as they can from the Bible. Christians should learn this doctrine also because many have thought so little about what the Bible says concerning the church. People believe the church should preach the Bible. But many do not understand that the Bible should mold the life and ministry of the church. So this course contains important information because it seeks to present what God has said about His people.

We need to learn the doctrine of the church also because of the church’s vital role in offering salvation to sinners. The Gospel of Jesus Christ comes from God. Christ gave the church the mission of making disciples by declaring all that Christ has said. Since the Church handles the word of truth which can make men find salvation in Christ, the church must seek to do all within its power to fulfill its mission obediently and faithfully.

This course contains eight lessons concerning the church. But it covers three basic topics. First, the course presents what the church is. Lessons one through three help students understand what kind of people Christ formed when He formed His church. Second, the course discusses what the church does. Lessons four through seven explain the church’s mission, organization, and authority. Finally, this course shows how the doctrine of the church will concretely shape the church’s ministry. We use church planting as a concrete activity which reflects the biblical doctrine of the church.

We acknowledge that the church learned much about the biblical doctrine of the church through crises and heresies which afflicted the church. As a result, this course refers to history often. We do not seek to become argumentative when we point to errors and disagreements. Rather, we seek to show how God used history as a school house in which the church learned to read God’s word more carefully.

The author would like to express his dependence on church planters around the world. They advised him and recounted their own experiences to help the author understand the practice of church planting. These church planters include: Rev. Norman Brower, Rev. Bill Green, Rev. Phil Grotenhuis, Rev. Paul Murphy, Rev. Nollie Malabuyo, Rev. Samson Roberts, and Rev. Dana L. Stoddard, They gave wisdom and reflect much experience in church planting. The author sincerely thanks them. The author thanks Rev. Norman Brower also for the permission which he gave the author to include an email as an appendix. In the email, Rev. Brower stresses how, from personal experience, he knows the great value for church planters to persevere in the work and to rely continually through prayer on the Lord.

Finally, the author thanks Dr. Neal Hegeman for reading through the course and for giving valuable advice. His suggestions greatly improved this course. 8

We pray that the Lord will bless this course for His glory and for the edification of the church. 9

COURSE INTRODUCTION

JUSTIFICATION An introduction to the biblical doctrine of the church will help students understand more clearly the characteristics, resources and mission which Christ has given the church. It will also urge church leaders to think theologically about the work of the church and the service they render to it.

OBJECTIVES 1. Students will learn the basic elements of the biblical doctrine of the church. 2. Students will learn about the basic structure which Christ gave to the church. 3. Students will be encouraged to apply God’s word in their ministry within the church.

REQUIREMENTS 1. Attendance (15%) Students will attend class. 2. Class Homework (15%) Students will complete the home work of each lesson. 3. Reading (30%) Students will read 300 pages for BA or 500 pages for MA studies and write a review of the reading. Students must read from selected portions of Scripture and from assigned academic writings. Each student will present to the class a written report of one page per 100 pages read. a. Scripture Reading: 40 pages from the following: the Gospel of Matthew, Ephesians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus. (Read to learn what you can about how Christ wants the church to live.) b. Academic Reading: Remaining pages from the following: 1) John Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book Four. Available online at: http://books.google.com/books? id=RYHL_tt3EFoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Religion&ei=_Y8S TI7uApTCygTRkZ2MCw&cd=9#v=onepage&q&f=false. 319 pages. 2) Mark Dever. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004. 248 pages. 3) Philip Graham Ryken. City on a Hill: Reclaiming the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century. Chicago: Moody Press, 2003. 170 pages. 4) Students may not be able to find the books listed here. The coordinator can provide other titles and the addresses of approved internet sources which students can also use. 10

4. Project (20%) Bachelors level students must write a 10-page essay. Masters students must write a 15-page essay. The project provides students an opportunity to expand their knowledge received in this course. They can also learn more how to apply this knowledge to ministry in the church. The essay should fulfill one of the following requirements: 1) Take one teaching found in one of the lessons. Explain that teaching more thoroughly than the course does. Use many Bible references. Show what other authors (in books or the internet) have said on the teaching. 2) Take one teaching found in one of the lessons. Explain in much detail how this biblical doctrine affects your own ministry in the church. Use many Bible references to demonstrate how it applies the teaching to ministry. Show what other authors (in books or the internet) have said on the subject.

5. Final Exam (20%) Students will take a final exam.

BENEFITS 1. Students will learn about the body of Christ which Christ sent into the world. 2. Students will learn basic errors that have been taught about the church. 3. Students will evaluate whether their own ministry in the church follows the biblical pattern.

CLASS RECORD

Name of Level Attendance Homework Readings Project Final Final Student of (15%) (15%) (30%) (20%) Exam Grade Study (20%) (100%) 11

LESSON ONE

BIBLICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION

Since we will learn about the church in this course, we need to know what the church is. A short definition of the church on earth calls it, “the community of those who profess the true faith together with their children.”1 This definition stresses several things. First, it says that many people form the church together. Community refers to unity. So, something unites the people of the church. Second, the people of the church find unity in their saving faith in Jesus Christ. Many people do not believe in Christ for salvation. So they should not belong to the church. But believers in Christ should join the public community of Christians. Third, those in the church’s community proclaim the Christian faith together. They tell others about the Lord Jesus as savior. So this definition brings together some of the basic facts about the church.

The definition describes a true church. Sometimes churches have many members who do not trust in Christ. Sometimes even preachers and church elders do not trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Many groups of people call themselves churches. But they do not all form true churches. We will learn from the Bible about true churches.

This lesson will show how the Bible describes the church. Sometimes the Bible gives names for the church. These names explain what the church is like and what the church does. This lesson will explain the meaning of the most important names for the church.

We will list the names for the church in three groups. These groups mention the persons of the Trinity. The group names are: the People of God, the Body of Christ, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.2 These groups of names show us that the church belongs to the Triune God.

A. THE PEOPLE OF GOD

1. Church

The English word “church” translates the Greek word, ekklesia. It means “called out.” So “church” refers to God’s people, called out of the world by God to belong to Him.

When Jesus and the apostles lived, “church” also referred to a public assembly. Heralds, official government spokesmen, called people to come out of their homes for a

1 Louis Berkhof, A Summary of Christian Doctrine, British ed. (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2005) 124. 2 Edmond Clowney structures his book, The Doctrine of the Church, this way. Cf. Edmond Clowney, The Doctrine of the Church (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1974). 12 public assembly. We find an example of this meaning of the word “church” in Acts 19. People in Ephesus began a riot against Paul’s preaching. Other people heard about this and gathered together to watch what was happening. After two hours of riots, the city clerk quieted the crowd. At the end of the story Acts says, “After he had said this, he dismissed the church [literal translation]” (Acts 19:41). “Church” here refers to the public assembly of the citizens of Ephesus. It does not refer to Christians. By calling God’s people the assembly, the Bible teaches us something about the church. The church comes together—assembles—for worship in God’s presence.

The Greek word, ekklesia, reflects a Hebrew word in the Old Testament, Qahal. Qahal also refers to the assembly of God’s people. God’s people formed His Qahal when they gathered together before God’s presence. In Deuteronomy 4:10 Moses said, “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words.” The Hebrew Bible uses Qahal to mean the assembly of God’s people (or the activity of assembling) in Exodus 12:6; Numbers 10:1-10; Joshua 8:35; Jeremiah 26:17, and many other places.

The New Testament book of Hebrews also describes the church as God’s people assembled before Him in heaven. We do not assemble before God today at Mt. Sinai. We do not assemble in the city of Jerusalem. Rather, we gather in God’s presence when we assemble together for worship.3 We gather as a heavenly community. But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant. (Hebrews 12:22-24)

We learn from the Bible that God’s people assemble before Him. They have assembled before Him in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. We do as well whenever we assemble together to worship in His presence.

M. J. Bosma summarizes: The New Testament uses the word ecclesia, which among the Greeks meant an assembly of citizens called together in some public place. In the Christian sense ecclesia means a company of believers who constitute together one body in a certain locality, or a congregation, as the Church at Corinth, at Galatia. This word is also used to designate the whole body of christians [sic] collectively, the whole number of the saved in every time and place.4

3 Edmond P. Clowney, The Church, Contours of Christian Theology, gen. ed. Gerald Bray (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995) 31. 4 M. J. Bosma, Exposition of Reformed Doctrine, 5th ed. (Grand Rapids:Zondervan Publishing House, 1927) 232-3. 13

2. The Israel of God

According to the New Testament the church forms the Israel of God. Christians who trust in Christ belong to Israel, God’s people. According to Romans 9:6 the physical descendants of Israel do not all belong to God’s Israel: “For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” But other places in the New Testament also teach this.

Ephesians 2:12, 13 says, remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote his letter of Ephesians to a primarily Gentile (non-Jewish) congregation. They had not received the Jewish sacrament of circumcision. They had not belonged to Israel or God’s covenants with Israel (Ephesians 2:12). But Christ brought them into the Israel of God. Now Christians belong to God’s covenant people.

1 Peter 2 teaches this just as clearly: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9, 10)

In these verses the Apostle Peter uses phrases which describe Israel in the Old Testament. For example, in Exodus 19:5, 6 God said, Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. “A royal priesthood” from 1 Peter 2 strongly resembles “a kingdom of priests” in Exodus 19. The Bible calls both Israel and the church God’s “holy nation.”

1 Peter 2 shows that God has fulfilled Hosea 2:23. According to Hosea Israel did not love God. So God promised to go to others. He will call people outside of Israel. God will make them the people of God. In other words, God will make them the Israel of God. So the church forms the people of God, God’s new Israel.

3. The Family of God

Ephesians adds to the theme of people of God. It also calls the church the family of God. Like a family the church shares a common life. Christians have the same heavenly Father. Ephesians 4:6 says that all have “one God and Father.” Ephesians 3:15 says that Christians belong to God’s “whole family in heaven and one earth.” Ephesians 2:19 says, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s 14 people and members of God’s household.” So the Christian church forms one family of God.

This implies something important about the spiritual life of the church. According to John 1:12, 13 every Christian has been born by the power of God. So, all Christians share God as their Father. Therefore, the church consists of God’s family, God’s household.

4. Summary

These names all show us something similar about the Christian church. God has formed a community out of those who trust in Christ. Christians do not remain isolated. As disciples of Christ they form one gathering, one people and family.

B. THE BODY OF CHRIST

According to the Bible, Christ offered Himself on the cross. His sacrifice for our sins included His physical body. By suffering in His flesh, Christ gained peace between holy God and sinful men and between sinners.5 In one body Christ reconciled Jews and Gentiles to God through the cross (Ephesians 2:16). Christ’s physical death made the church Christ’s body and Christ’s bride.

1. Christ’s Body

This teaching includes several great truths about the church. We will mention two of them here. First, the name, “Christ’s body,” stresses the unity of the church. We see this in 1 Corinthians 12. The Corinthian church experienced many tensions over spiritual gifts. Many Christians there wanted more notice or more influence than the others. So each wanted to emphasize his own gifts or abilities. Therefore, the Apostle Paul explained that the body needs each of its parts. The eye, hand, and foot, each rely on the rest to help the body work. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1 Corinthians 12:21, 22). The body needs each part. Without the parts the whole will not live or work well.

The church resembles a physical body. Christ has given each Christian abilities, spiritual gifts, for service in the body. Some Christians speak well. Others serve well with their hands. Some can use their knowledge of computers; others help the church’s work by preparing food. Amazingly, Christ did not make all Christians the same. But all Christians in the church must work together. As in a body the members of the church form a united whole. So Paul wrote, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27).

This teaching about the body of Christ also stresses Christ’s headship. Ephesians 4:15, 16 says,

5 Clowney 63. 15

. . . speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow together in him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 5:23 also calls Christ the head of the church. This teaches that Christ possesses authority over the church (cf. Ephesians 1:22).

These two emphases clarify each other. As a member of the body each Christian gives his time, abilities, and financial gifts to the church’s ministry. As a member under Christ, the Head, each Christian serves and obeys Christ most of all. Christians always serve each other in obedience to Christ. Obedience to Christ always includes service in His body.

2. Christ’s Bride

According to the gospel Christ loved the church deeply (Ephesians 5:25). Christians must follow Christ’s love in all their relationships. But the Bible applies this truth most directly to the relationship of Christian marriage. According to Ephesians 5 the church belongs to Christ as His bride. As Christ loved the church, husbands must love their wives. Therefore, the Bible calls the church Christ’s bride, His wife.

Already in the Old Testament the Bible calls God’s people His bride. The prophet Hosea provides a very clear example of this. Hosea’s wife had become unfaithful to him. She lived like a prostitute. Hosea loved his wife, but she did not love him. Hosea’s marriage resembled God’s marriage with Israel in the Old Testament. God showed His love repeatedly to His people. He delivered Israel from Egypt. He also frequently delivered the people from their enemies. Yet often the children of Israel turned away from God. Throughout their land, people set up Asherah poles and high places. At these places they worshipped the false gods of their neighbors. They even offered their children’s lives to the red-hot idol Moloch. They also practiced divination and sorcery—fortune telling and contact with evil spirits (cf. 2 Kings 17:7-17). With each of these sins the people showed hatred for the true God. They committed spiritual adultery against God, their Husband.

Some Israelites (such as some of Judah’s kings and Daniel) recognized this. They understood Israel’s relationship to God as a marriage. They saw Israel’s idolatry as spiritual adultery. So they asked God to forgive the people (2 Chronicles 33: 10-17; Daniel 9:4-19). They wanted God to renew His marriage with His people.

The church exists as Christ’s bride. Christ has shown the church His amazing love. He gave up His life for the church. As Christ’s bride, the church has received the love of His own sacrifice for her. So Christians should experience amazement for the deep love of Christ. Christ has graciously treated the church as His bride. 16

C. THE TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT

In general pagans built temples as houses for their idols. They did not build temples primarily as places of worship. People did not to assemble in them for worship. Temples gave shelter to pagan idols. We see this, for example, in the story of Dagon in 1 Samuel 5:1-4. The Philistine city of Ashdod placed God’s ark of the covenant in the temple of Dagon. In the morning they found their idol Dagon with his face fallen to the ground. This took place in the temple of Dagon, Dagon’s house. We can learn something important from this about God’s temple.

1. The Old Testament Temple

We will comment on the tabernacle and the temple at the same time. God told Moses at Mt. Sinai to build the tabernacle. Sometimes “tabernacle” refers only to the small building in the middle of the courtyard (see Exodus 26:1ff). But we will use it to refer to the building and courtyard that surrounded it—the whole site.

The children of Israel lived in the desert at the time of Moses. For almost 40 years they traveled from place to place. So they made the tabernacle as a moveable temple. Instead of stone, the walls consisted of fabric and animal skins. The people could easily move these materials on their journey.

Later God told Solomon to build the temple in Jerusalem. This building stood in one place. So Solomon made the temple with stones and large pieces of wood. The temple was larger than the tabernacle. Yet the tabernacle and temple represented the same things. They represented God’s holiness and forgiving grace. They also represented God’s presence.

God made Himself present in the temple’s most holy place. Some English Bible translations call that room the holy of holies. Curtains formed the walls around the most holy place. As craftsmen made the curtains, they stitched shapes of cherubim (heavenly angels) in the fabric (Exodus 36:35-38). These walls showed that the most holy place symbolized heaven.

Craftsmen also made the ark of the covenant to stand in the most holy place. God called the lid of the ark “the mercy seat” or “the atonement cover” (Exodus 37:6). Craftsmen made the atonement cover with pure gold. They also formed two golden cherubim (angels) to stand on the atonement cover. Their wings stretched upward over the cover. Each golden cherub (heavenly angel) faced the middle of the atonement cover. Like the angels woven into the curtain walls, these angels represented the angels in heaven. So the atonement cover represented the throne of God, where God sits enthroned in heaven.

In Isaiah 6 Isaiah the prophet saw a vision of God on His throne. Angels surrounded Him. They declared the holiness of God (Isaiah 6:3). Isaiah’s vision teaches an important truth of the ark of the covenant. God lives in heaven with many angels 17 around Him. According to Hebrews 8:5, 6 the tabernacle and the things in it formed a “copy and shadow of what is in heaven.” The most holy place with its ark of the covenant represents heaven. God’s presence entered the most holy place.

We summarize these things for an important reason. The temple of God also formed His house. God lived in His temple.

2 The New Testament Temple

Many things changed in the New Testament. God no longer requires animal sacrifices at the temple. God does not command priests to present shed blood in the most holy place. God made these changes because Christ offered the lasting sacrifice for our sins. His sacrifice finally accomplished lasting forgiveness. So His sacrifice brought about these important changes.

Yet God still has a temple on earth. His temple no longer consists of stones and big pieces of wood. Rather He lives in His people. By His Holy Spirit He lives in Christ’s church.

The Bible calls the church the temple of God or the temple of the Spirit. Ephesians 2:21, 22 says this about the church: “In him [Christ] the whole body is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” 1 Peter 2:5 says about those who trust in Christ: “You . . . like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” According to all these verses, Christ has made His church His temple.

The New Testament church meets the requirements of a temple. A temple provides a dwelling place for God. Presently Christ lives in bodily form in heaven. But by His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in the church on earth. This should fill every Christian with amazement. As Berkhof says, “This figure [of temple] emphasizes the fact that the Church is holy and inviolable [unbreakable]. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit imparts to her an exalted character.”6

D. THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BIBLICAL DESCRIPTIONS

We have not mentioned all of the Bible’s descriptions. Nevertheless, we have summarized some of the Bible’s important descriptions of the church. We also demonstrated the Trinitarian identity of the church. We showed that this Trinitarian identity teaches us important truths about the church.

6 L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1941) 557. 18

But now we should put all of these descriptions together. Geoffrey Bromiley helps us put the parts together. He gives a list of descriptions of the church similar to the list of names that we have given list here. Then he concludes: These descriptions obviously open up great themes which we cannot pursue in the present restricted context. The following points, however, may be observed. (1) We are neither to isolate nor to oppose the various descriptions, nor to make any one a ruling principle, but rather to accept the rich and varied contributions that they all make toward a comprehensive view. (2) While the descriptions naturally have a symbolical character, they are not to be referred to an ideal or mystical or nebulous [unclear] church, but are to be seen as descriptions of the reality of the Church in contrast to present but passing aspects. (3) It is to be emphasized that this reality of the Church is in Christ and not in itself. Thus the Church is the Israel of God in Jesus Christ the true Israelite. It is the family of God in Christ the true Son. It is the planting of God in Christ the true vine or grain of wheat. It is the temple of God in Christ whose incarnate body is the dwelling place of God and therefore the foundation, cornerstone, and temple. It is the bride as the chosen and sanctified bride of this Bridegroom. It is the body, not as an independent or supplementary organism, but as He Himself is both body and head, and as it finds all its being and life and order and power in Him. This third point obviously underlies the other two. Christ can never be exhausted by any one description and therefore there is room for a wealth of varied imagery. Christ is true reality, and therefore it is in Him rather than in its faltering and passing manifestation that the true reality of the Church is to be found.7

We can summarize Bromiley’s points in this way. First, no description in this lesson can stand alone. Together they increase our understanding of the Church. Second, these descriptions teach us lasting qualities of the real church of Christ. Finally, Christ gives the church all of these qualities. The church’s existence always teaches us about the past work and present ministry of Christ.

SUMMARY

At the beginning of our study of the church, we have listed some of the Bible’s descriptions of the church. We have listed them under the three Persons of the Trinity. As the people of God (the Father) the church is God’s assembly, Israel, and family. As the body of Christ, the church is Christ’s body and bride. Finally the church is the temple of God the Holy Spirit. We also learned about these descriptions as a unit. They form one picture of the one church of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ gives the church each quality in the list.

In the next lesson we will learn about the church’s beginnings.

7 W. Bromiley, “Church,” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1979 ed. 19

QUESTIONS

1. Write at least two things that the definition of the church in this lesson emphasizes.

2. What did “church” mean when Jesus and the apostles lived?

3. What assemblies does the Bible mention when it refers to the church?

4. How does the New Testament show that the church forms the Israel of God?

5. What common life do members of the family of God share?

6. How does the church resemble a physical body?

7. Why did pagans build temples?

8. Which room symbolized God’s presence in the temple?

9. Why does the Bible call the church the temple of God?

10. What does the quotation near the end of the lesson mean when it says that the reality of the church is in Christ? 20

LESSON TWO

THE CHURCH, COVENANT, AND KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION

The Old Testament contains many topics which it continues to bring up. Many of these themes appear in the history, poetry and prophecies of the Old Testament. These themes often present God’s promises.

The promises which God repeats in all parts of the Bible include His promise to save His people from sin, His promise to send His Anointed One (the Messiah or Christ), and His promise to be the shepherd His people. We could mention many other repeated promises in the Bible. But we need most to remember something important about them. God kept each of these promises in the New Testament when He sent Christ. These promises, along with their fulfillments, form some of the most important themes in the Bible.

This lesson will present two important Old Testament themes. Both teach us important truths about God and His church. Both began when God made a covenant. God made the first of these two covenants with Abraham. He made the second of these covenants with David. The Old Testament contains many other covenants. In many cases people made covenants with each other. But we will present these two covenants, made by God, because of their importance for the church.

We present these two covenants for a very important reason. We need to understand that God began the church in the Old Testament. These covenants show that the church has a long history. Christ’s church began in the Old Testament.

We will proceed by following three basic steps. First, we will review basic features of covenants. This will help us understand what God did when He formed covenants with Abraham and David. Second, we will look at God’s covenant with Abraham. This will help us understand God’s claim on the church today. Third, we will look at God’s covenant with David. This will help us understand Christ’s kingdom today.

A. FEATURES OF BIBLICAL COVENANTS

Theologians have argued with each other for centuries about covenants. They do not agree on what a covenant is. They have written many books to disprove what other theologians have written. So they have made the study of covenants very complicated.

We believe that we can explain the idea of covenant very simply. We will mention three parts of most covenants. We can find these parts of covenants in the Bible. The Bible does not mention all of them every time someone made a covenant. But it mentions them enough for us to believe that these parts commonly belonged to all of 21 them. Many scholars will insist that we need to include more parts of covenants to understand them completely. But they will probably agree with the parts that we include here.

1. Promise

Sinclair Ferguson helps us understand the most important parts of a covenant. Covenant “refers to a promise confirmed [supported] by an oath of loyalty to the promise.” 8 In other words, a covenant stands on a promise. Some promises do not form covenants. But all covenants include promises. For example, God made a covenant with Noah by making a promise. God promised Noah that He would never destroy the earth with a flood (Genesis 9:8-11). God said, “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:11).

2. Oath

In the Old Testament people often took oaths when they formed covenants. An oath calls on God to punish if the covenant-maker does not keep his word. An oath is usually associated with maledictions [curses] when it is broken, . . . but with benedictions [blessings] when it is kept. . . .The oath is also associated with the promise, the contract between two parties, sometimes with legal enforcement and with the judgment of God.9

Ferguson’s definition of covenant, “a promise confirmed by an oath,” tells us that an oath confirms a covenant promise. An oath invites God to watch as someone makes the promise. It asks God to punish the person who does not keep the promise. It asks God to bless the covenant-keeper.

The Bible shows that people often included oaths in their covenants. We provide some examples.

Abimelech made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 21:34 (“treaty” in :27 means covenant). Before they formed their covenant, Abimelech said, “Now swear [take an oath] to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. . . . Abraham said, ‘I swear it’” (Genesis 21:23, 24; cf. :31,32). The two men supported their covenant with an oath.

We present a few more examples of oaths in covenant-making: Jacob made a covenant with Laban (Genesis 31:44). Laban invited God to judge between the two, and Jacob took an oath (:53). In Deuteronomy 29:12 God made a covenant with Israel. God sealed that covenant with an oath. In 2 Kings 11:4, when Jehoiada made a covenant with many soldiers, he “put them under oath.” In Ezekiel 16:8 God said, “I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you.”

8 Sinclair B. Ferguson, A Heart for God (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1985) 58. 9 F. C. Fensham, “Oath” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1986 ed. 22

These examples demonstrate the pattern. Both God and men formed covenants by giving promises, then taking oaths. These oaths supported the promises they made. So Zechariah in the New Testament calls God’s covenant with Abraham “the oath he swore to our father Abraham” (Luke 1:72, 73).

3. Sign

Frequently a sign accompanied the promise and oath. The oath “sometimes is accompanied by certain gestures [visible actions or gifts] to emphasize the seriousness of the occasion.”10 For example, Jonathan made a covenant with David (1 Samuel 18:3). Then he gave David his robe, tunic, sword, and belt (1 Samuel 18:4). He probably gave this gift as a sign of the covenant promise that he made to David.

When God made a covenant with Noah, God gave a visible sign of the covenant (Genesis 9:12). God caused a rainbow to appear. The rainbow would remind God of His covenant promise never to destroy the world with a flood (Genesis 9:14-16). God gave Himself the visible sign to insure that He would remember His covenant.

4. Summary Concerning Covenants

We began our discussion of covenants with this definition: “a promise confirmed [supported] by an oath of loyalty to the promise.” We learned that a covenant begins with a promise. People who make a covenant also swear an oath. Their oath invites God to take action when they either keep or break their covenant promise. So God may punish with death a person who breaks a covenant promise. Therefore, one writer has called a covenant a “bond in blood.”11 In other words, one may lose his life if he breaks his covenant promise. We also saw that people often added a visible sign—a visible deed or gift. This sign gives the partners in the covenant a visible reminder of their covenant.

We need to add one more point. The sworn promises of covenants do not promise merely unimportant things. Rather people formed covenants when they committed their lives to each other. They formed covenants to promise their life-long faithfulness. As we will see, God’s covenants with men also promise His eternal commitment and faithfulness to them.

B. THE COVENANT AND THE CHURCH

1. God’s Covenant with Abraham

In His covenant with Abraham God promised seed (children or offspring) and land. Often Genesis mentions both parts of God’s covenant promise in the same place. For example, in the beginning of Genesis 12, God sent Abram to the land that God would show him. Then God promised to make Abram a great nation (Genesis 12:1, 2). God’s

10 Fensham. 11 O. Palmer Robertson, The Christ of the Covenants (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980) 4. 23 early dealings with Abram (Genesis 12-15) stressed His promise of the land. His later dealings (Genesis 16-22) emphasized His promise of the seed.12

a. The Land

According to Genesis 12 God told Abram to travel to the promised land. Abram did. Then God said, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7). Later Abram traveled through the land until he reached the Negev, the southern area of the promised land (Genesis 12:6-9). During this journey Abram could see all of the land which he had come to own.13

Genesis refers to the land again in Genesis 15. Abram had no heir to receive the land except his servant. So God promised to give Abram descendants as numerous as the stars. God also repeated His promise of the land to them.

Then God arranged a mysterious ceremony. The ceremony displayed God’s oath to keep His promise. Abram must bring a heifer, goat, and ram. He must cut each in half. He must make two piles of the animal pieces—a half of each animal on each pile. Then God promised great events for Abram’s descendants. They will become slaves in another country for nearly 400 years. But God will restore them to the promised land. After the sun set, Abram saw a blazing firepot. It passed between the two piles of animal pieces. The firepot represented God’s presence to Abram. God moved between the piles of animal pieces. Then God made a covenant with Abram. God promised surely to give all the promised land to Abram’s descendants (Genesis 15:12-21).

Another chapter in Scripture shows us the meaning of this ceremony. Sometimes men made covenants with ceremonies like this one. Jeremiah 34:18 refers to such ceremonies: “The men who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.” In other words, these men had also walked between piles of animal pieces to make covenants with each other. By walking between the piles, they gave their oaths to keep their promises. Their covenant oaths asked God to witness their promises. But Jeremiah said that they had broken their covenant promises. So God will treat them like the cut-up animals in their covenant-making ceremony. In other words, God will send down His curse on them.

Now we return to God’s ceremony with Abram. Only God moved between the piles of slain animals. So God promised to keep His promise. Certainly God would give the land to Abram’s descendants. If not, God would slay Himself. The covenant-making ceremony illustrated this promise.

Hebrews tells us this about God’s covenant promise to Abram.

12 Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology: an Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007) 312. 13 Waltke 312. 24

We . . . want you . . . to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants. And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. (Hebrews 6:12-15)

So God witnessed as He made His solemn promise. God promised to give the land. If He did not give Abram and land, God would destroy Himself. God’s covenant included His promise of the land, His oath, and this visible sign of the oath.

b. The Seed

God also promised to give Abram children (Genesis 15:4, 13-18; 18:10). But Abraham’s wife Sarah did not give birth very soon. In fact, Abraham and Sarah became impatient with God. They decided that Abraham should marry Sarah’s servant, Hagar. With that marriage God gave Abraham his first physical son, Ishmael.

But God’s promise did not relate to Ishmael. God had promised a son for Abraham and Sarah. He gave them their son through a miracle. Isaac was born after Sarah became too old to bear children. God gave Abraham his promised child miraculously.

God also swore to give Abraham many descendants. In a later story Abraham obeyed God’s command to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-14). Then God said, “I swear [give an oath] by myself . . . that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (Genesis 22:16-17). So God added an oath to His covenant promise of many children.

God also gave a visible sign. In Genesis 17 God promised Abraham again, “You will be the father of many nations” (Genesis 17:4). Then God added the visible sign of circumcision. Abraham must circumcise every male in his household. Later, after Isaac was born, Abraham also circumcised him. God said the circumcision will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. . . . My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. (Genesis 17:11- 13)

So God made a covenant with Abraham concerning the promised land and the promised seed. God confirmed his promise regarding both with oaths and visible signs. 25

2. The Old Testament and God’s Covenant with Abraham

God kept His covenant promises to Abraham in the Old Testament. Even in Genesis Abraham’s family began to grow. The nation of Israel may have multiplied to 1 million people before the stories in Exodus began. Also, through the leadership of Moses and Joshua, God gave the nation the promised land.

However, God also warned Israel about unfaithfulness. To keep the land Israel must prove faithful to God. Moses told them, “Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers” (Deuteronomy 6:18). He also said, Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants. (Deuteronomy 11:8,9)

Even when Joshua died, much of the promised land remained unconquered (Judges 1). But Israel—due to its sin—found itself too weak to conquer it. God gave full possession of the land in David’s time. Nevertheless Israel soon lost much of this possession. After Solomon the nation split into two, sometimes-competing, nations. Soon afterwards invaders from Syria weakened the northern nation of Israel and captured some of the land. Later Assyria and Babylon took many of the children of Israel as captives. By the end of the Old Testament the Jews possessed a small part of the promised land.

God also warned Israel concerning their status as His people. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 shows how God promised to destroy them if they sin. “The LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known” (Deuteronomy 28:64). God threatened to tear them apart as a nation because of disobedience.

The prophet Hosea preached to the ten tribes who had left the kingdom of Judah. Hosea showed how God viewed the people in his day. Hosea named his children. Their names contained messages for Israel. He named one child Lo-Ruhamah—not loved —“for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them” (Hosea 1:6). Hosea named his second child Lo-Ammi—not my people—“for you are not my people, and I am not your God” (Hosea 1:9). God continued to show kindness to Judah. Yet He abandoned Israel, the larger portion of the physical descendants of Abraham.

As we will see, God’s promises to Abraham continued. But they did not continue as people expected. Due to the people’s sin many lost the promised land. Also due to their sin, many lost the privilege of belonging to Abraham’s family. 26

3. The New Testament and God’s Covenant with Abraham

a The New Testament on the Land

The New Testament continues God’s teaching about the land and seed promised to Abraham. In telling us about Abraham’s faith, the book of Hebrews refers to the promised land. Hebrews 11 says that Abraham did not receive the land which God promised. The children of Israel conquered it many years after Abraham died. Still Abraham believed that God would give a greater inheritance than the land that he saw. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)

The book of Hebrews tells us later that Christians belong to a heavenly city, which it calls Mt. Zion (Hebrews 12:22). It also says that on this earth “we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). So 1 Peter 1 says that Christians possess an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

Therefore, according to the New Testament, God promised Abraham and his descendants an inheritance in heaven. The promised land, where God told him to go, formed a visible sign of Abraham’s heavenly home.14 God promises the same heavenly city to Christians that He promised to Abraham.

b. The New Testament on the Seed

The New Testament also helps us understand God’s promise to Abraham about his seed. Already in the Old Testament God told Abraham that his promise about the seed did not concern all of Abraham’s children. In Genesis 17 God promised that Sarah, who was 90 years old then, would give birth to Abraham’s promised son. But Abraham said, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing” (Genesis 17:18)! Yet God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him, as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him” (Genesis 18:19). In other words, God’s promise did not concern all of Abraham’s physical children. God would give Abraham the seed only through Isaac.

Galatians tells us that God had primarily one Seed in mind. It says, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Furthermore, Galatians says that people become Abraham’s children by uniting to Christ by faith.

14 Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, Interpreting Prophecy: An Essay in Biblical Perspectives (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976) 42-3. 27

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)

So Christians, those who trust in Christ, have become Abraham’s children. Some of the verses that we read in Lesson One teach that the church, including believing Gentiles, has become Israel in the New Testament: remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12,13)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9,10.)

So the history of the church began in the Old Testament. The promises we trust in—the hope we possess in Christ—began in the Old Testament. When we read the Old Testament, we read about the beginnings of Christ’s church.

4. The Church as the Covenant Community

Before we close our discussion of God’s covenant with Abraham, we should notice the friendship with God which this covenant gives God’s covenant people. The people of Israel received this unique friendship at the beginning of God’s kind dealings with them. In Genesis 17 God told Abraham, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7). God promised Abraham a privileged friendship with Him. When God promised the people that He would deliver them from Egypt, He said, “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7). God emphasized the friendship of the covenant again in Leviticus 26:12: “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” These verses all mention friendship with God as the goal of His covenant.

But Israel’s spiritual condition declined. The people worshipped idols instead of the Lord. They lived like their pagan neighbors instead of following God’s word. So God promised to remove this friendship from them. He showed this when Hosea preached to the people. Hosea named his daughter “Lo-Ruhama”—not loved. Later Hosea named his son, “Lo-Ammi”—not my people. God explained: “for you are not my 28 people, and I am not your God” (Hosea 1:9). God also promised through Jeremiah to give a new covenant in order to restore the covenant friendship: “ The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the . “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

According to the New Testament God kept this promise when Christ came. In 2 Corinthians 6 Christ tells Greek Christians to avoid being “yoked” with unbelievers. Then Scripture gives the reason: “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16). According to this God gives the covenant friendship of the Old Testament to New Testament Gentile believers in Christ. And this covenant friendship will continue forever. In Revelation the Apostle John received a vision of the new Jerusalem in heaven. The vision presented the goal of all the history in the Bible. John wrote, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). So God will continue His covenant friendship with Christ’s followers forever. His covenant friendship with Abraham will continue forever.

C. THE KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH

1. God’s Promise Concerning David’s House

We also promised to look at God’s covenant with David. God gave His promise after David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. David wanted to build a temple—a house—for God and the ark. So David told Nathan, God’s prophet. But God told Nathan to return to David with news from God. David would not build a house—a temple—for God. Rather, God would build a house—a royal family—for David.

God gave David an amazing promise: The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, . . . and I will establish his kingdom. . . . I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. . . . My love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:11-16) 29

The Old Testament called God’s promise to David a covenant. Psalm 132 says, “The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: ‘One of your own descendants I will place on your throne—if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever’” (Psalm 132:11, 12). Another Psalm teaches the same. Talking to God the author wrote, “You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations’” (Psalm 89:3, 4).

These Scriptures give the same summary of God’s covenant promised to David: a descendant of David will rule forever.

2 The Decline of David’s House

During his reign David expanded the borders of Israel. Solomon inherited this enlarged kingdom. But Solomon did not continue in David’s whole-hearted love for God. Solomon married many pagan wives. To keep them happy, he built temples for their gods. Solomon also worshipped the pagan gods himself.

So God raised up enemies against Solomon. Nations that David had conquered left Solomon’s kingdom. Eventually the ten tribes of Israel left Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Due to Solomon’s sin, God made the kingdom much weaker and smaller.

Some of Judah’s kings encouraged the people in greater sin. During the rule of later kings, the people offered their children to the arms of red-hot idols. Using mediums and sorcery, they communicated with evil spirits. At times Judah’s sins surpassed the wickedness of their wicked neighbors (2 Kings 21:11). Judah and its kings deserved the wrath the judgment of God.

So God sent more invaders. Babylon brought Judah’s royal sons into captivity. Eventually Babylon destroyed most of Judah. Babylon dispersed Judah’s people. The descendants of David lived as servants in a wicked foreign nation.

David’s “house” seemed destroyed forever. Yet, after 70 years of captivity, some of the Jews returned to their homeland. But Judah did not return to form an independent strong kingdom. God’s promise concerning David’s “house” seemed empty.

3. Promises Concerning David’s House

Although Judah’s kings grew weaker over the years, God promised to restore David’s royal family. For example, Amos prophesied, “In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be” (Amos 9:11). God also promised through Isaiah, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his 30

government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom (Isaiah 9:6,7). Isaiah also said, “Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David” (Isaiah 55:3). Despite the decline of Judah’s king, God promised to raise up David’s descendant as king.

4. Fulfillment for David’s House

The New Testament shows that Christ fulfilled God’s covenant promise to David. According to Matthew and Romans Jesus was David’s son (Matthew 1:1; Romans 1:3). In Luke 2 Jesus was born in the town of David (Luke 2:4-7). So Jesus literally descended from David.

According to the apostles Jesus fulfilled what Scripture said about David. For example, the Apostle Peter cited Psalm 16:8-11. In it David said that his body would not see decay. Yet, according to Peter, David’s tomb still existed in Peter’s day. But David wrote about Christ, David’s great Son. Christ rose from the dead. His body did not see decay (Acts 2:25-32). So God fulfilled His covenant promise to David when Christ came. Christ lives forever. So Christ can rule on David’s throne forever.

The New Testament describes Christ’s present rule. He rules over everything for the welfare of the church. [God] raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:20-23)

Colossians 1:13 reminds us that God “rescued us from the dominion [kingdom] of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” As a result, the Christian remains safe throughout his life. As king, Christ overrules every evil plan to destroy His people. In Romans 8 the Apostle Paul wrote, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38, 39)

John’s visions in Revelation extend this picture of David’s Son. In Revelation 5 the elders find comfort in Christ. The said, “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Revelation 5:5). With a loud voice all heaven sang, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise” (Revelation 5:12)!

Christ presently rules over everything. 31

As King of the universe the Mediator so guides the destinies of individuals, of social groups, and of nations, as to promote the growth, the gradual purification, and the final perfection of the people which He has redeemed by His blood. In that capacity He also protects His own against the dangers to which they are exposed in the world, and vindicates His righteousness by the subjection and destruction of all His enemies. In this kingship of Christ we find the initial restoration of the original kingship of man.15

So the long history of the kingdom of David points to Christ. As David’s Son, He sits on the throne forever.

5. The Kingdom and the Church Today

We may say that the kingdom consists of Christ’s saving rule. The word, “kingdom” does not refer to His realm, the place of His rule.16 It stresses Christ’s influence over those who have received His grace, the influence of His rule. Berkhof states this more fully: The primary idea of the Kingdom of God in Scriptures is that of the rule of God established and acknowledged in the hearts of sinners by the powerful regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit, insuring them of the inestimable blessings of salvation, -- a rule that is realized in principle on earth, but will not reach its culmination until the visible and glorious return of Jesus Christ.17

The New Testament shows a close connection between the kingdom and the church. Jesus made a connection clear in Matthew 16. There Peter declared to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17-19)

Vos helps us understand the relationship between church and kingdom. So far as extent of membership is concerned, Jesus plainly leads us to identify the invisible church and the kingdom. . . . The kingdom . . . as truly as the invisible church is constituted by the regenerate [those who have received new the new birth by the Holy Spirit]; the regenerate alone experience in themselves its power, cultivate its righteousness, enjoy its blessings.18

15 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 410. 16 Geerhardus Vos, The Kingdom of God and the Church (Nutley: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1972) 22. 17 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 568. 18 Vos 86. 32

He also says, “The kingdom forces which are at work, kingdom-life which exists in the invisible sphere, find expression in the kingdom-organism of the visible church.”19

We cannot see Christ’s saving rule of the kingdom. We cannot see the Spirit’s work in a person’s heart. Yet a person enters the kingdom through the message of the gospel. A person repents and believes in Christ as he hears someone preach the gospel. Christ conquers the power of sin in a person’s life through the public ministry of the church. So the church serves the purpose of the kingdom. “In so far as the visible Church is instrumental in the establishment and extension of the Kingdom, it is, of course, subordinate to this as a means to an end.”20 We will learn more about the Church’s place in the Kingdom when we study the means of grace and the roles of church officers.

Therefore, the history of the church’s ministry began in the OT. David represented Christ as king. But Christ Himself came. Instead of ruling from Jerusalem, Christ rules from heaven. David’s rule affected the children of Israel. Christ’s saving rule affects Christians, those belonging to the church.

SUMMARY

We have looked at two important themes in the Old Testament. They explain the origins of the church. We found the church’s origins in God’s covenants. We learned about basic features of God’s covenants. They include God’s promises, God’s oaths, and the visible signs that God gives. We also looked at two foundational covenants in the Old Testament: God’s covenant of with Abraham (often called “The Covenant of Grace”) and God’s covenant with David. These two covenants form the beginning of the church.

In His covenant with Abraham, God formed His own people. He gave them the hope of an eternal inheritance. God formed His people in the Old Testament as a nation. God makes His people an international church in the New Testament.

In His covenant with David, God established His saving rule over His people. God ruled them through the reign of David’s descendants in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, God rules over His people through the reign of Christ. But Christ commands the church to rule on His behalf. Through the church’s ministry Christ builds and keeps His church.

So our study of the Old Testament investigates Christ’s church. Christ organized and ruled His people differently then than He does now. But then He established and same spiritual people that He establishes now. Believers in both time periods have been children of Abraham. David’s royal Son has also ruled both.

19 Vos 87. 20 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 570. 33

A closer look at Scripture will show something vitally important. We become Abraham’s children by faith in Christ. We submit ourselves to the rule of the kingdom by faith in Christ. The Bible presents Christ as both the Son of Abraham and the Son of David (Matthew 1:1).

QUESTIONS

1. According to the lesson, when did God fulfill His promises?

2. Write the names and give explanations of the three features of covenants.

3. What did God’s covenant promise to Abraham?

4. What inheritance did Abraham look for?

5. Who today are the children of Abraham?

6. Write three New Testament quotations from the lesson which show that New Testament Christians belong to the people of God.

7. What did God promise David?

8. How did God keep His promise to David?

9. What is Christ’s kingdom?

10. What does the church do for the kingdom? 34

LESSON THREE

THEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION

In Lesson One we looked at descriptions which the Bible gives of the church. These Biblical phrases provide pictures and explanations to help us understand the church’s glory and purpose. Christ uses Scripture to teach us about His church.

But Christ also uses history to teach us. We must understand the sentence which we have just read. We do not mean that, as time moves on, God gives new teachings about the church. Scripture remains complete (Revelation 22:18, 19). Also, we do not mean that we search outside the Bible to find God’s word concerning the church. We find God’s inspired teaching about the church in Scripture alone. However, events in history make us go back to Scripture. New teachings force us to compare them with Scripture. In the process, we discover teachings which we have not noticed in Scripture before. So Christ uses history to make us read Scripture more carefully.

This lesson contains truths about the church which Christians discovered in the Protestant Reformation. Before the Reformation, most of the Christian church in Europe belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. But God used men like John Hus, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox to improve our understanding of Biblical teaching. Theologians gave names to these new understandings. We will study some of these new understandings, these theological descriptions of the church.

These descriptions fall under the titles of the Nature of the Church, the Attributes of the Church, and the Marks of the Church.

A. THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH

The word, “Nature,” in the title of this section does not tell us much about what this section will study. We use this unclear word because this section presents some very general descriptions of the church. These descriptions tell about basic qualities of the church. They show us how the church resembles other human organizations. They also explain how the church differs from other human groups. So this unclear topic will include important teaching.

1. The Essence of the Church

Here we ask about the most basic element of the church. Who or what do we mean when we say, “Church.” If we could remove activities and officials from the church, what would still make it a church? 35

a. The Roman Catholic Idea

According to Roman Catholicism, church officials make up the church. Sometimes a person may say “church” to refer to the people who receive the sacraments from the priests. However, Roman Catholicism teaches that the church could exist without the people. The people belong to the church because they receive the sacraments from church priests. The people depend on ordained officials to belong to the church.

b. The Greek Orthodox Idea

The Greek Orthodox idea of the church closely resembles the Roman Catholic idea. It admits that the church consists of both the organization and the people. But it emphasizes the official organization when it mentions the church. The Greek Orthodox view differs from Roman Catholicism in some ways, however. For example, it stresses the authority of its bishops, councils, and synods. Roman Catholicism, in contrast, stresses the authority of the pope.21 Nevertheless, both Roman and Greek churches stress their hierarchies when they refer to the church.

c. The Protestant Idea

Protestants see the community of believers as the basic idea of the church. The great confessions (statements of faith) of the Protestant Reformation convey this understanding. For example, Article 27 of the “The Belgic Confession,” a Calvinist statement of faith, says, “We believe and confess one single catholic or universal church —a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by his blood, and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit.”22 This defines the church as a holy congregation and gathering of true believers. In other words, the people of Christ form the church.

On the next few pages we will explore the nature of the church more. We will list distinctions which theologians often use when they write or talk about the church. To clarify these distinctions, we will show the comparison between the Roman Catholic idea and the Protestant idea.

2. The Church as Militant and the Church as Triumphant

This distinction emphasizes the two places where the church of Christ exists. Some in the body of Christ still struggle on earth with sin, unbelief, and persecution. Others in heaven have already finished their conflict on earth. They have died, but they live with Christ (Philippians 1:20-24). Yet both belong to the same body of Christ, the same community of believers. “The church as militant” points to those who still fight against evil on earth. “The church as triumphant” indicates that some in the community of

21 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology 563. 22 Belgic Confession, 11 August 2009

So the distinction between the church as militant and as triumphant reminds us that the church exists today in two places, on earth and in heaven. Also, the two parts of the church perform different work. On earth the church fights the good fight of faith; in heaven the church praises God for the complete sacrifice of Christ.

But Roman Catholicism mentions another part of the church, the church as suffering.23 Roman Catholicism says that this part includes Christians who have died. But they still suffer to receive purging from their sins. According to this view they will join the church as triumphant only after they have suffered enough to receive complete cleansing of their sins. Catholicism calls this place of suffering purgatory.

3. The Church as Visible and the Church as Invisible

Theologians do not all use some of these names the same way. However, we are following Berkhof’s approach. He summarizes how most Reformed theologians use the phrases. Visible and invisible both describe the church on earth, the church as militant.

This distinction tells us about two ways the church on earth exists. We should understand the point made by this discussion. It will show up again. In one way the church on earth shows itself visibly. The church publicly performs its ministry which people can see—the preaching of the gospel, the practice of attending worship services, and the use of the sacraments. The church also appoints leaders and states its Biblical beliefs. Christians gather publicly to benefit from the church’s public ministry and to take part in their congregations’ observable life. These public features of life in the church show the church as visible.

Yet we cannot always see the spiritual unity of the church on earth. We cannot see the church’s fellowship with Christ in heaven. So the church on earth also enjoys invisible privileges and experiences. This invisible relationship with Christ reminds us of the church’s supernatural identity while it lives on earth.

Leaders of the Protestant Reformation saw the importance of this distinction between the church’s invisible and visible features. They believed that an invisible union with Christ forms the basic identity of believers. The church contains those who belong to Christ by faith. However, Roman Catholicism stressed the church hierarchy. It said the church contains priests, bishops, and the pope. Protestants stressed the church’s identity as Christ’s body of believers (the church as invisible). But they agreed that the church takes on a visible form and performs a visible ministry on earth (the church as visible).

Protestants got their view of the invisible and visible features of the church from Scripture. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:2 the Apostle Paul calls the church, “those

23 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology 565. 37 sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy.” This stresses the church’s invisible side. In 1 Corinthians 14:23 the whole church comes together for worship. This stresses the church’s visibility on earth. Both verses refer to the church as the people who trust in Christ, not as a church’s hierarchy.

According to 1 Corinthians 15:9 the Apostle Paul once persecuted the church of God. We know that he persecuted every Christian he could, “those who belonged to the Way, whether men or women” (Acts 9:2). In other words, Paul once persecuted the visible expression of the church.

These examples demonstrate the nature of the church. The church includes God’s people, called out of the world by God to belong to Him. As a body defined by God’s grace, the church enjoys an invisible union with Christ. As a body which serves Christ on earth, Christians form a visible church.

4. The Church as Institution and as Organism

This distinction points to two perspectives on the Church as visible. The church on earth visibly presents itself to the world in two basic different ways.

Perhaps we should understand the general difference between institution and organism first. “Institution” can refer to a group of humans working together under human management. Institutions include schools and businesses. They often include many people. Usually people know the names of those who provide the human leadership of an institution. “Organism” refers to a living being. We call trees, plants and people “organisms.” So an institution receives its unity from its leadership. An organism receives its unity from its life.

We call the church an institution because Christ appoints human leaders in the church. They serve under Christ’s authority. Yet they also give leadership to the body of believers. Church leaders, its elders and pastors, manage the congregation’s preaching, sacraments, and spiritual discipline. They represent the congregation before government officials. As an institution, the church on earth should live under the headship of its appointed leaders.

As an organism, the church on earth demonstrates its union with Christ as a living community. Church members pray for each other. They serve each other with their God- given abilities. Individuals in the church give their Christian testimony to non-Christians. The institutional aspect of the church serves this organic characteristic. “The Church as an institution or organization . . . is a means to an end, and this [the end or goal] is found in the Church as an organism, the community of believers.24

24 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology 567. 38

5. Summary of these distinctions

The church always consists of the body of believes in Christ. Yet we listed three distinctions in our thoughts about the church. Each distinction helps explain the nature of the church.

The distinctions which we gave focus on increasingly narrow aspects of the church. The church as militant and as triumphant reminds us that the church lives both on earth and in heaven. The church as visible and as invisible tells us that members of the church as militant enjoy relationships both to Christ and to each other. The church as institution and as organism shows us two sides of the church as visible (see illustration on next page). 39

Distinctions within the Church

Church as Militant Church as Triumphant

Church as Invisible

Church as Visible Church as Church Institution

Church as Organism

The church is both militant and triumphant. The church as militant has both invisible and visible characteristics. The church as visible exhibits the activity or life of both an institution and an organism. 40

B. THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE CHURCH

The list of the church’s attributes comes from the Nicene Creed. When it describes the church, it says, “And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church” (emphasis added).25 This description prompts theologians to refer to four attributes of the church: unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity.

We mention these attributes because they prompted much controversy in the Protestant Reformation. Understanding what the Protestants and Roman Catholics mean helps us understand church theologians when they write about the church.

1. Unity

Edmund Clowney explained the church’s unity when he wrote, Jesus Christ builds one church on the foundation of his apostolic witnesses. The unity of the new people of God is part of the good news proclaimed by Paul to the Gentiles. Israel’s Messiah, the Saviour of the world, by his cross broke down the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile. Gentiles, far from the God of Israel, were brought near through faith in Christ. The apostle Paul was ready to give his life in to order [sic] establish the unity that Christ accomplished in his body (Eph. 2:11-22).26

Clowney helps us recall one of the Apostle Paul’s main emphases. Jewish and Gentile Christians receive the same status in Christ. Both become children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament had kept Gentiles far away from God’s dealings with His people. But that distance no longer exists between God and Gentile Christians. The gospel of Christ makes all of Jesus’ true followers one people. Jesus said in John 10:16, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” So, all new Christians today join the one family of God.

During the Protestant Reformation an issue arose over what gives unity to the church of Christ. Protestants, like Martin Luther, spoke against some of the basic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Since the pope found Luther’s teachings so disagreeable, he declared that Luther no longer belonged to the church of Christ. As the Roman Catholic Church saw it, the church leadership—the hierarchy—defines the church. People who submit to teachings of the church’s popes and councils belong to Christ’s church. People who do not submit do not belong. Catholicism believes that the visible church as institution (see the first section of this lesson) sets the limits of the true church of Christ. Christ’s one church forms one institution. And the pope oversees that one institution.

25 The Nicene Creed, 12 February 2010, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/brannan/hstcrcon.iv.html?high light=nicene,creed#highlight. 26 Clowney, The Church 79. 41

But Protestants, like Luther, understood the church’s unity in a different way. They “asserted that the unity of the Church is not primarily of an external, but of an internal and spiritual character. It is the mystical body of Jesus Christ, of which all believers are members.”27 They believed that church as invisible (see first section of this lesson) explains the church’s unity. Union with Christ creates the church’s unity. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4, Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:3- 6). The Belgic Confession, a confession which expresses the convictions of Protestants, upholds this understanding of the church’s unity: We believe and profess one catholic or universal Church, which is a holy congregation of true Christian believers, all expecting their salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by His blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit.28

So Roman Catholics tend to define the church’s unity in terms of the church as institution. Protestants tend to see the church’s unity in terms of the church as invisible.

2. Holiness

According to the Bible, holiness primarily describes the separateness of God. God’s holiness refers to His distinction from us in a couple of ways. We can say that His holiness—His separateness—has two sides. First, God’s holiness refers to His absolute majesty.29 God asks through the prophet Isaiah, “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal” (Isaiah 40:25)? On such an occasion God refers to His holiness, His absolute majesty. Second, God’s holiness refers to His complete freedom from every form of evil. As the Holy One, God does no wrong and desires nothing evil. God remains separate from His creation because of His majesty and His freedom from sin.

Christians can possess holiness which resembles only one side of God’s holiness. When the Bible commands us to be holy (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16), it tells us to free ourselves from sin. It does not tell us to put on absolute majesty. As creatures we can never make ourselves greater than God made us. But we can, by Christ’s grace, resist sin. So the holiness of the Christian resembles only the second side of God’s holiness.

Roman Catholics and Protestants have disagreed over the meaning of the church’s holiness. Roman Catholics tend to define the church’s holiness in terms of the Church as institution. One Roman Catholic theologian wrote that the church is holy “‘in her dogmas, in her moral precepts, in her worship, in her discipline’ in which ‘all is pure and irreproachable, all is of such nature as is calculated to remove evil and wickedness, and to 27 Berkhof , Systematic Theology 572. 28 Belgic Confession, Article 27, 13 February 2010 http://www.ccel.org/ccel/brannan/hstcrcon.viii. xxvii.html. 29 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 73. 42 promote the most exalted virtue.’”30 According to this understanding the church’s holiness comes from its official ministry and sacraments, what the church as institution does.

Protestants believe that the church’s holiness refers primarily to the church as invisible. God makes the church holy, first, by giving Christians the gift of righteousness. By faith in Christ the Christian receives the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Apostle Paul refers to this holiness in Philippians 3. He said that he wanted to “be found in him [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith” (Philippians 3:9). This holiness consists of God’s view of the person who trusts in Christ. In Christ the Christian stands before God the Judge as righteous and holy.

But God also makes Christians holy by purifying their hearts and lives. The Holy Spirit makes the Christian a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). The Spirit continues to apply His sanctifying work so that the new creature in Christ lives a new life in Christ. The Bible commands Christians to put into practice the new life which the Spirit gives (Romans 12:1, 2; Ephesians 4:20-32; Colossians 3:1, 2).

Protestants believe we should call the church holy because it consists of Christians whom God makes holy. He gives them a holy status in Christ. His Spirit gives them the ability to begin a holy life. So the Apostle Paul describes the members in the church at Rome as “called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). This defines the church’s holiness in terms of its invisible union with Christ—in terms of the church as invisible.

3. Catholicity

The word “catholic” has an interesting history. The word comes from the Greek word, katholikos. The word refers to the universal, general, or whole. The New Testament does not use the word. But the early church fathers (church leaders in the second to fourth centuries—the 100s to the 300s) first used it to refer to what the church as a whole believed. Many severe errors entered the church during its early years. So the church fathers declared that the new teachings did not belong to the catholic faith, the faith which the whole true church believed together.

Later, “catholic” received an additional meaning. Smaller groups (Novatians, and Donatists who left the general church because it welcomed back those who had abandoned the faith during persecution) separated from the church. They agreed with the general church over the essential teachings of the gospel. Since these movements existed in only their small geographical areas, leaders in the church asked whether they could claim to belong to the catholic church.31 So “catholic” eventually referred both to the general church’s teaching and to its world-wide presence.

30 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 574. 31 Clowney, The Church 91. 43

As time progressed, the Roman Catholic Church believed that it alone could call itself the catholic church. No other church institution existed in virtually every nation. People should call it the only catholic church because “she is in possession of the fullness of truth and grace, destined to be distributed among men; and because she surpasses in number of member all dissenting sects taken together.”32 The Roman Catholic Church claimed exclusive use of the name catholic due to its understanding of the church as institution.

The Protestant reformers, on the other hand, claimed to teach what the early church taught. The Protestant church did not exist in as many places as the Roman church did. However, it taught the same gospel which the early church proclaimed. The institution of the Roman Catholic Church extended around the world. But the message which Protestants preached extended over time.33 So, one claimed catholicity in terms of region. The other claimed catholicity in terms of time and faithfulness to the gospel.

4. Apostolicity

The word, “apostolicity,” refers to Christ’s apostles. Christ carefully appointed His apostles. Mark 3:14 says that Christ called twelve of His followers apostles. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the church chose Matthias to replace Judas as an apostle (Acts 1:12-26).

Christ gave His apostles a very important work. The apostles served the church as witnesses of the ministry and resurrection of Christ (Acts 1:22). 1 John 1:1-4 says that John proclaimed what he heard, saw, and touched. Christ also appointed Paul as an apostle. Paul wrote that the time when He saw Christ qualified Him to serve as an apostle. “And last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:8, 9). In Acts 1 Peter urged the church to select as apostle a man who had witnessed Jesus’ ministry—from Jesus’ baptism to His ascension. So, if anyone doubted later whether Jesus rose from the dead, they could ask the apostles. The apostles witnessed for the entire church that Christ indeed rose. As witnesses to the resurrection, the apostles formed the church’s foundation along with the prophets (Ephesians 2:20).

The Roman Catholic Church has maintained almost from its beginning that it alone may claim the title “apostolic.” It says that Christ appointed Peter as its first pope. It says that the apostles set up the institution which has become the present Roman Catholic Church. So the Roman Catholic Church claims apostolicity by viewing the church as institution. Roman Catholics say that the apostles, led by Peter, founded their institution.

The Protestants viewed the church in a different way. They claimed to preach the gospel which the apostles preached. As Protestants saw it, the church stands on Christ as

32 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 575. 33 Clowney, The Church 91-2 44 its foundation. The apostles formed the church’s foundation only as they proclaimed Christ. Paul spoke of laying one foundation, Jesus Christ. Other teachers might build on that foundation with marble and wrought gold, or only with plasterboard, but they can lay no other foundation (1 Cor 3:1) [sic]. The apostle’s task was to build on the foundation laid by Jesus himself.”34 As Protestants understood their identity, they would remain apostolic as long as they preached the gospel of Christ’s apostles.

5. Summary of the attributes

When we looked at the nature of the church, we said that we would mention the distinctions mentioned there again. We have referred to some of the distinctions repeatedly in describing the church’s attributes. We mentioned them as we compared the Roman Catholic understanding of them with the Protestant view.

The Roman Catholic Church consistently defines the church’s unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity in terms of the church as institution. Protestants define these same attributes in terms of the church as invisible and the visible church as organism. Protestants want to stress the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit as He continually applies the gospel of Christ. They want to keep the emphasis we made in Lesson One, that the church consists of God’s people who profess faith in Christ. So we describe God’s people as those who find their unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity in Christ.

C. THE MARKS OF THE CHURCH

Berkhof helps us understand the topic which we call “the marks of the church” when he writes, “Little need was felt for such marks as long as the church was clearly one. But when heresies arose, it became necessary to point to certain marks by which the true Church could be recognized.”35 In other words, as time went on, the church’s organization began to break apart. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church separated from each other. Protestants left the Roman Catholic Church. And Protestants separated into different groups of churches. Seeing this multiplication of church organizations, people could see that not all of them belonged to the true church of Christ. Some of them taught doctrines which contradicted the gospel of Christ. “It was felt ever increasingly that it was necessary to point out some marks by which the true Church could be distinguished from the false.”36

The Protestant Reformers especially raised the topic of the marks of the church. They continued to affirm the attributes of the church from the Nicene Creed [unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity]. They protested, however, against the external and institutional way in which the Roman Catholic

34 Clowney, The Church 74. Clowney actually quotes 1 Corinthians 3:11. 35 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 576. 36 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 576. 45

apologists [defenders] interpreted them. . . . They pressed for a biblical and spiritual understanding of the church’s attributes. Above all, the Reformers emphasized the meaning of apostolicity. To be apostolic, the church must be built upon the doctrine of the apostles (1 Cor. 3:10-11; Eph. 2:20; 3:4-5). Not the pretended chair of Peter, but the teaching of Peter was the real mark of apostolicity. The Reformation made the gospel, not ecclesiastical organization, the test of the true church.37

Our presentation of the marks of the church promotes this same understanding. The gospel, not an ecclesiastical organization, makes a church a true church. The marks of the church help us separate a true church from a false one. They help Christians to decide which churches can offer real Christian fellowship. They help Christians to know which church to join when they look for a church.

We list three marks which help us identify a true church of Christ.

1. True Preaching of the Word

According to the Bible, God gives saving grace as men and women trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. But they will not believe if they do not hear the gospel. They will not hear if no one preaches to them (Romans 10:14). So a church where people possess eternal life will preach to the people the gospel of Christ as the word of God presents it.

However, some will misuse the Bible when they try to preach it. For example, Acts 2:22 says that Jesus was a man. The verse does not say that Jesus was only a man. Yet, some preach from this verse that Jesus was only a man. And this claim denies the parts of the Bible which say that Jesus is also God (see John 1:1-3; Colossians 2:9; Romans 9:5). This shows that churches can use the Bible to preach a false message.

We do not believe that any church can preach the gospel perfectly. Sin effects us deeply. It limits our understanding of Scripture. Sometimes sin gives preachers wrong motives. Yet the true church must believe and preach the primary elements of the gospel of Christ. When a church’s most basic teachings contradict the gospel of Christ, it no longer exists as a true church of Christ.

2. Biblical Administration of the Sacraments

The sacraments declare without words the same which the Bible and true preaching declare with words. Both the sacraments and Scripture tell us to trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, for moral cleansing, and for daily spiritual strength. Christ personally appointed two sacraments. He instituted baptism (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

37 Clowney, The Church 101. 46

Churches should not use the sacraments wrongly. Churches perform the sacraments in an unbiblical way when they make claims about the sacraments which the Bible does not make. Or they use the sacraments improperly when they make up sacraments which Jesus did not give the church. Or they abuse the sacraments when they include people whom the Bible says should not receive the sacraments. Most of all, they abuse the sacraments when they use the sacraments to misrepresent the gospel. So, true churches use the sacraments in a way that declares the gospel of Christ.

3. Faithful church discipline

True churches declare that those who repent and believe in Christ for salvation have received salvation. They also declare that people who do not repent or believe do not belong to the people of God. Church discipline refers partially to the true church’s proclamation concerning who receives salvation.

Discipline also includes the church’s practice of urging its members to repent of their sin. Sometimes people refuse to repent of their sin in order to follow Christ. So, church elders must approach them personally to urge them to restore their hearts and lives to Christ. When the unrepentant continue to refuse, the true church will declare that they no longer belong to the body of Christ (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5). Possibly this severe action by the church will cause the person to examine himself and to turn to Christ again in repentance and faith.

4. Summary of the marks of the true church

The marks of the church state what the true church actually says and does. It proclaims the gospel of Christ from Scripture. It performs the sacraments in a way that agrees with the gospel. It applies to people’s lives the gospel’s command to repent and believer.

We need always to understand the purpose of this particular list of three marks of the church. Every true church must include at least these marks. At times people have come up with other marks of the Church. One writer, for example, promotes Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.38 Among other things his book urges churches to understand conversion, evangelism, and church membership according to the Bible’s teaching. We believe that lists like the one this book suggests can help church leaders very much. They remind pastors and elders to include important parts of church life which the Bible commands. However, different lists of “marks” have different purposes. The author of Nine Marks attempts to describe a church which follows fully the commands of Scripture. The three marks which we have learned from church history show that every true church of Christ must include at least these basic elements. The church must proclaim, live according to, and apply to people’s lives the true gospel of Christ.

38 Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004). 47

SUMMARY

We have looked at important features of the church which church history helped people see in Scripture. First, we summarized how different church traditions define the church. Some define the church as an organization led by its officials. Others see the church primarily as the body of Christ inhabited by believers in Christ. We learned about different perspectives or viewpoints which we can consider to understand the church. We looked at these viewpoints by looking at the church as triumphant and as militant, as invisible and as visible, as organism and as institution.

We also summarized attributes and marks of the church. Most branches in the church agree on the attributes of unity, holiness, apostolicity, and catholicity. However, they have different understandings concerning the meaning of these attributes. The Protestants put forth the marks of the true church in order to define more clearly how they interpreted the attributes of the true church of Christ.

QUESTIONS

1. What does this lesson mean when it says that Christ uses history to teach us?

2. What do Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestants each teach about the essence of the church?

3. Explain the difference between the church as visible and the church as invisible.

4. Explain the difference between the church as institution and the church as organism.

5. Explain the different ways the Roman Catholics and Protestants define the church’s unity.

6. What does “apostolic” mean?

7. List the marks of the true church.

8. How does preaching sometimes misuse the Bible?

9. How does the message of the gospel in Scripture differ from the message of the sacraments?

10. List at least two main activities which church discipline includes. 48

LESSON FOUR

THE CHURCH’S THREE-FOLD MINISTRY: BEFORE GOD, BELIEVERS AND THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

So far, we have tried to define the church. We have learned how the church forms the people of the Triune God. We have seen the church’s relationship to God’s covenant and kingdom. We have explained different ways theologians refer to the church. So far, then, we have described the church’s existence.

Beginning with this lesson, we will look at the church’s ministry. In some lessons we will study primarily the activities of the church as institution. Later we will explore the life of the church as organism. Yet all of the remaining lessons will explore some part of the life and work of the visible church of Christ.

We begin with the church’s three-fold ministry. Theologians do not usually write about “the church’s three-fold ministry.” The history of theology has not used this as a common expression which books on the church try to explain. However, we refer to the church’s three-fold ministry to summarize whom the church serves. Christ has appointed the church as militant to serve Him, its members, and the world. In other words, the church lives before three audiences. The church serves the true God, those who trust in Christ, and the non-Christian world. We call its ministry to them its “three-fold ministry.”

We can say that everything which the church does belongs to its three-fold ministry. But this lesson will not point to everything that the church does. Rather, we will mention one activity which the church performs before each audience. The church must worship the triune God. The church must nurture those who trust in Christ. The church must make disciples of all nations.

A. THE MINISTRY OF WORSHIP

The visible church makes itself most visible when it assembles as the body of Christ to worship God. Even where governments forbid Christian worship, the most visible expression of the church appears in the secret worship services of assembled Christians. This helps us understand the great importance of the church’s worship.

The purpose of worship also gives it great importance. When Christians gather to worship, they join each other to glorify God. The whole purpose of worship—and, indeed, of human existence—is to give glory to God. In fact, this is what the word “worship” means. It comes from the old Anglo-Saxon term “worth-ship.” This is exactly what worship is: giving honor to God for His supremacy, and thereby 49

acknowledging His genuine worth. True worship is doxological; it gives praise to God.39 So the church’s worship possesses great worth because of the message of worship: the infinite worth of God.

This part of Lesson Four will present principles which ought to govern worship in every Christian church. In a general course on the church, such as this, we cannot give specific advice for the details of worship. Also, we cannot describe in detail how people in different cultures should worship. Nevertheless, we can state general truths which describe the church’s ministry of worship.

In the Protestant Reformation, church reformers believed that the church had departed from Scripture concerning many of its practices, including worship. We will mention three principles for worship which they rediscovered from Scripture. We will see how Hughes Oliphant Old, a scholar on the worship of the Protestant Reformation, summarizes their conclusions.40

1. Worship according to Scripture

The Reformers did not promote this principle to teach that every detail of worship— every word used and every action performed—must obey a specific verse of the Bible. Rather, “they had in mind that Christian worship should be in obedience to God’s Word as it is revealed in Holy Scripture.”41 Martin Bucer, one of the early Protestant Reformers, believed that only the worship which God asks of us will really serve Him.42

The founders of the Reformation asked how the apostles worshipped God. They wondered what activities the apostles included in their worship. They found clues to the answer in Acts 2:42. It says, “They [the early church in Jerusalem] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” From this the reformers concluded that worship according to Scripture included the following activities.

a. The preaching of God’s Word

On one level Scripture ought to fill the entire worship service. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). In other words, the thoughts of Scripture should influence the entire worship service.

The preached message especially ought to proclaim what Scripture says. It should make God’s word clear to all who listen. Scripture declares that God uses His 39 Philip Graham Ryken, City on a Hill (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003) 63. 40 Hughes Oliphant Old, Worship that is Reformed According to Scripture, Guides to the Reformed Tradition, ed. John H. Leith and John W. Kuykendall (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1984) 1-8. 41 Old, Worship 3. 42 Old, Worship 3. 50 word to give life (1 Peter 1:23-25). God’s people must also live daily according to God’s word (Matthew 4:4). Preachers too easily wander from Scripture to preach their own ideas which they want others to hear. But those who preach must make sure that their messages come from Scripture. They must declare what Scripture says.

b. Gifts for the poor

Acts 2:42 also says that Christians in the apostolic church devoted themselves to “the fellowship.” The Greek word for fellowship refers to sharing. The New Testament teaches two things concerning fellowship—sharing—between Christians. First, it teaches that Christians share in the salvation blessings which Christ gives them. For example, though Christ offered Himself on the cross only once for our sins, all true Christians share (receive together) the forgiveness which Christ gives those who trust in Him.

Second, the New Testament shows that Christians actively share with each other. Acts 4:32-37 and Acts 6:1-7 show how frequently Christians shared their possessions with one another. Also 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 provide an example in Scripture where the Apostle Paul encouraged Gentile Christians to share their wealth with poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. So, during the time of the Apostles, Christians shared their wealth generously with one another.

Christian fellowship, then, refers to the grace in Christ which Christians share and the practice of sharing God’s gifts. The Heidelberg Catechism summarizes these two components of “fellowship.” It explains the meaning of the fellowship of the saints (also called the communion of the saints) by mentioning both features of sharing. The communion of the saints means: First, that all and every one, who believes, being members of Christ, are in common, partakers of him, and of all his riches and gifts; secondly, that every one must know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other members.43

The Protestant Reformers understood “fellowship” in Acts 2:42 to refer to the second feature of sharing. So their deacons received gifts for the poor each Sunday. We could extend this meaning slightly to say that worship includes giving our offerings to the Lord.

43 Heidelberg Catechism, 25 February 2010

c. The sacraments

In the New Testament Christ personally introduced two sacraments to church life. Before He ascended, He appointed the church to baptize (Matthew 28:19, 20). In the Upper Room He gave His disciples the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:17-26). The mention of “the breaking of bread,” in Acts 2:42 probably refers to the Lord’s Supper. So the Protestant Reformers understood that worship in the apostolic church included the sacraments. We will take a closer look at the sacraments in Lesson Five.

d. Prayer

Acts 2:42 says that the apostolic church gathered to pray. The Bible often tells Christians to present their requests to God in prayer. Through prayer, the Christian demonstrates his faith in the Lord.

However, public worship should also include public prayer. The Apostle Paul probably had prayer public during worship in mind when He instructed pastor Timothy how to pray. He wrote, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). In Acts 4:24-30 the church assembled to pray for boldness in the persecution which they faced. When Christians gather for worship, we should understand that their worship will include prayer to the Triune God.

e. Summary of Worship according to Scripture

As we said at the beginning of this section, worship according to Scripture does not require us only to repeat Scripture when we worship. However, the Protestant Reformers gave us an example of using Scripture to organize what we do when we worship. They found in Acts 2:42 the basic activities which they performed in their worship services. The Heidelberg Catechism, a confession which the Protestant Reformation produced, demonstrates the influence of the thinking which we have summarized here. In asking how God wants us to obey the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11), it says, First, that the ministry of the gospel and the schools be maintained; and that I, especially on the sabbath, that is, on the day of rest, diligently frequent the church of God, to hear his word, to use the sacraments, publicly to call upon the Lord, and contribute to the relief of the poor. . . .[italics added]44 We also ought to look to Scripture as our guide for worship.

44 Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 103, 27 February 2010

2. Worship in the name of Christ

Hughes Oliphant Old found another characteristic of the worship of the Protestant reformers. They sought to worship in Jesus’ Name.

Philip Graham Ryken presents this disturbing thought: God is dangerous, and thus it is not altogether safe to come into His presence. Just ask Moses. Or Nadab and Abihu. Or Uzzah. Or Isaiah. Or Job. Or Ananias and Sapphira. All of these people had close encounters with the God of glory. In some cases they were utterly destroyed by the terror of His majesty. In other cases they were simply undone by the brightness of His glory. But in every case they discovered that it is not completely safe to worship a God who is glorious in His holiness.45 The examples which Ryken gives show that we need a mediator when we worship holy God.

The New Testament shows us how the church lived by faith in our mediator, Jesus Christ. Christians served others in Jesus’ name (Matthew 18:5; Acts 3:6). The church gathered to worship in Jesus’ name (Matthew 18:20). The church baptized in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38), prayed in Jesus’ name (John 14:14; 15:16; 16:23), preached and taught in Jesus’ name (Acts 5:41). Their worship demonstrated their distinctive Christian identity.

Jesus’ name refers to “His person and work as the Savior of sinners. It is the name of salvation.”46 So, to worship in Christ’s name means to worship God on the basis of Christ’s suffering and death for sinners. This means all sermons must proclaim the gospel of Christ as they apply God’s word to the people. The songs which Christians sing in church must reflect what Christ has done. Prayer must respond to God’s forgiving grace as we receive it by faith in Christ. Worship must acknowledge God’s holiness and justice. It must also declare God’s grace, which He revealed when He sent Christ into the world. What takes place in Christian worship cannot be appropriate for the public assembly of any other religion.

Christians should want to worship God in Jesus’ name. Christians form Christ’s body. What an important New Testament concept this is that the church is the body of Christ, and how vividly the first Christians understood that they were all together one body, the body of Christ. They understood their worship to be part of the worship which the ascended Christ performed in the heavenly sanctuary to the glory of the Father (Heb. 7:23-25; 9:25; 10:19-22; 13:15).47

45 Ryken, City 68-9. 46 Ryken, City 69. 47 Old, Worship 6. 53

So we have seen how the name of Christ sets Christian worship apart. Christians claim Christ, trust in Christ, proclaim Christ, and belong to Christ. The church demonstrates this when it gathers to worship the true God.

3. Worship as the work of the Holy Spirit

The worship of the Protestant reformers exhibited an additional quality. They believed that the Holy Spirit worked through them when they worshipped in Jesus’ name.

If we think that our worship becomes a performance which we present to God, we probably misunderstand the mystery of Christian worship. Our worship does not consist only of activities we perform for God to see and hear. Rather, in true worship, God worships Himself in some way.

Hughes Oliphant Old explains. The Scriptures are particularly clear about prayer being the work of the Holy Spirit. As the Apostle Paul tells us it is the Holy Spirit who cries out within us when we pray (Rom. 8:15-17). The Apostle tells us that when we pray, “Our Father,” it is the Holy Spirit praying within our hearts (Rom. 8:15). The hymns and psalms that are sung in worship are spiritual songs, that is, they are the songs of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:25; Eph. 5:19). Even the preaching of the church is to be in the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:8). Jesus promised to us that when we present our testimony before the world it is not we who speak but the Holy Spirit gives us utterance (Mark 13:11). Christian worship is inspired by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, directed by the Spirit, purified by the Spirit, and bears the fruit of the Spirit. Christian worship is Spirit-filled.48

The Protestant Reformers understood that the Holy Spirit makes true worship possible. That believed that holy God desires to make us holy. When God makes us holy, we will declare His holiness. It is the Holy Spirit who purifies our worship by his continual work of sanctification. By purifying the worshipers the worship is made pure. When we worship, having our minds enlightened by the Spirit, our lives cleansed by the Spirit, our wills moved by the Spirit, and our hearts warmed by the Spirit, then our worship is transformed from being a mere human work into being a divine work. But if worship is a divine work, it is God’s saving work among us. It is God’s work of building up the church.49

This truth enables us to call worship edifying. “Edifying” refers to what builds up. True worship edifies. It builds up the church in the Christian faith. But human acts of worship do not build the church up. Rather, the Spirit builds Christians up through the preaching of the word, the use of the sacraments, prayer and financial gifts all performed

48 Old, Worship 6. 49 Old, Worship 7. 54 in Jesus’ name. “Worship is the work of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ to the glory of the Father.”50

4. Summary of the Ministry of the Worship

We began this lesson by saying that the church performs its worship for God. Therefore we let God tell us how to think about worship. God loves worship which we perform according to Scripture. He desires worship which we offer to Him in Jesus’ name. He moves in every part of true worship with the active presence of the Holy Spirit.

B. THE MINISTRY OF NURTURE

He who would evangelize those without the church while neglecting the building up of those within the church is . . . like the head of a family who is moved with deep compassion for the . . . children of his neighbor but neglects to feed his own. . . . He is like a general who leads his army forth to conquer other lands but fails to keep strong the base of operations in his own land.51

The church must seek to strengthen those who claim Christ by faith. We can readily understand why the church needs to care for its members. The Apostle Paul told the elders in Ephesus that savage wolves will come in and not spare the flock (Acts 20:29). The Bible says that the devil prowls around seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). Our own sin tempts us to wander from God. So with spiritual danger all around, the church should serve Christians with care and encouragement.

1. Goals of Nurture

Nurture constitutes one of the goals of the church as an institution. Edmund Clowney helps us summarize the goal of nurture in the organized church. “The goal of the triune nurture of the church is found in God himself. It is to know the Lord, to do the Lord’s will, and to be like the Lord.”52 We will describe each part of this goal.

a. Nurture in the Knowledge of God

In Philippians 3 the Apostle Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10, 11). When Paul became a Christian, his former ambitions gave way to this desire to know Christ. In the past he prided in his Jewish heritage, his legalistic obedience, and his zeal to defend Judaism against Christians. But Christ changed Paul and his goals. “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus

50 Old, Worship 8. 51 R. B. Kuiper, The Glorious Body of Christ (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1967) 169. 52 Clowney, The Church 143. 55 my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things (Philippians 3:8). Clearly, knowing Christ became very important in Paul’s life.

But what does knowing God include? For Paul . . . to know Christ included not only confessing his deity (Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:15-16; Rom 9:5), and trusting in his saving work, but also experiencing Christ’s presence in his heart through the Spirit (Col. 1:27; Rom 8:9-10). Suffering deepened that experience. Paul well knew that Christ’s sufferings for him, and not his sufferings for Christ, atoned for his sin. Yet by following the Saviour in the way of the cross he found deep, even joyful satisfaction.53

In other words, Paul understood that he belonged to Christ. He came to know that everything he hoped to receive from God, every promise of God that he believed, and every ability he had to obey God came from Christ by faith. He came to know himself correctly as he learned of Christ’s abundant grace for him.

The ministry of the church as an institution aims to let Christians see this abundant grace of Christ for them. The sermons in worship present Christ’s rich mercy. The conversations which pastors and elders have with church members should point them to Christ’s ability to help them in all their problems. When Christians fear death, the church of Christ must encourage them to rely on the promise of eternal life which the gospel of Christ offers us through faith in Christ. In all these ways the church seeks to nurture Christians in the knowledge of God.

b. Nurture in Obedience

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Obeying Christ’s commands, however, often becomes a very great challenge for the Christian. Sometimes Christian do not know how Christ’s commands apply to the situation they face. Sometimes Christians know what Christ wants them to do. But they do not want to do what Christ says.

So the church must nurture Christians by teaching them the commands of God. Pastors can preach, for example, on the meaning of the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In these places, and in many others, the Bible gives very direct instruction concerning Christ’s will for our lives. The nurture which the church provides must include such teaching.

The church also needs to teach Christians how to resist temptation to sin. The church needs to urge its members to pray for strength to resist it. The elders of the church can urge Christians to encourage one another concerning the temptations they face. The church can pray together about the danger of temptation which all Christians face in their daily lives. The leaders in worship can ask God to give each one strength to

53 Clowney, The Church 143-4. 56 resist Satan’s temptation. The church provides nurture in obedience, its teaching, and in the way it encourages fellowship in the church.

The church also gives nurture which encourages obedience by teaching Christians that God disciplines us. Hebrews 12 says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:5, 6). So, when Christians face difficulties and persecution, the church must encourage them to believe that difficulties come from God’s hand. And God gives Christians trouble to strengthen them. As Christians learn to see God’s involvement in their difficulties, they will grow in obedience.

c. Nurture in Christ-likeness

The Apostle Paul commands Christians to living which resembles Christ’s service to us. He wrote this to the Philippian Christians: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). He continues by describing Christ’s self-sacrifice for the body. Christ possesses complete divinity. Yet He emptied Himself and became man. Furthermore, as man, Christ humbled himself to death on the cross. Only afterwards did God the Father exalt Him again. For Christ, humility and suffering formed the pathway to glory.

So preaching in church must show Christians that God desires our humility and sacrificial service. The church must display like-mindedness which consists of “having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose” (Philippians 2:2). This unity partially consists of a unity of service which resembles Christ’s sacrificial service for us. Often conflict in churches arises because people believe they deserve more influence in the body. They believe that public recognition gives them honor. They do not desire the honor of humbly serving others as Christ served them. So preaching, pastoral care, and encouragement by the elders must constantly encourage Christians to grow in humble service.

2. Mutual Nurture

So far we have emphasized how the leaders of the church must try to nurture the flock of Christ. Yet we must also acknowledge that individual members must nurture one another. Individual members ought to encourage each other regarding the service others supply in the life of the church and the progress each makes in seeking to mature as Christians. Christians engage in mutual nurture when they have freedom to give each other godly advice. They practice mutual nurture when they willingly accept this advice. Hebrews 10:24 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” George McFarland informs us that this command at times includes rebuking, lovingly showing a person his sin.54 Each Christian should pursue the goal of

54 George McFarland, “Mutual Edification,” The Communion of Saints, ed. Philip Graham Ryken (Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2001) 126. 57 nurturing others with the love, help and correction they need to grow in their Christian lives.

3. Summary of the Ministry of Nurture

We live at a time when men and churches want to enjoy success. People often define success in terms of increased numbers. So, a church seems more successful to some when more people worship at their house of worship. Sometimes churches work exclusively to attract people who have not yet come to their church. In the process churches often pay no attention to faithful Christians who have worshipped in their presence for years. Even these faithful Christians need spiritual care. So churches should preach, teach, and serve their members helpfully. They should desire to see Christians mature in the Christian faith and life. They should also desire to see their members caring for one another.

C. THE MINISTRY OF DISCIPLE-MAKING

We have commented at some length on the church’s ministry to God and to Christians. We must also mention the church’s ministry to non-Christians. We mean the mission which Christ gave the church to disciple the nations.

This appointment, to make disciples of the nations, deserves much attention. Perhaps an author with more capability in the subject than this one should guide us. Yet we need to include the ministry of disciple-making in order to present a balanced description of the church’s tasks.

We have chosen in this point of the lesson not to present a list of missionary methods. We will not recommend any particular method of evangelism. Rather, we will demonstrate from the character and work of God why God values the ministry of disciple-making. We will base this part of Lesson Four on introductory insights presented by C. John Miller.55

1. God’s Missionary Character

Frequently churches place on themselves the full burden of making disciples. We can thank the Lord when churches understand the urgency of evangelism. We want to encourage churches to consider how they can actively engage in evangelism. Yet we misunderstand evangelism if we believe that only we take part in the work.

All genuine human missionary activity comes from the missionary activity of God. Miller wrote: From the beginning of biblical revelation, God makes it clear that He has a missionary concern for mankind. When Adam and Eve fled His presence after the fall, He called them to faith and repentance with the promise that

55 C. John Miller, Evangelism and Your Church (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1980) 9-13. 58

their seed would be His people, and would someday produce a victor who would crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15). . . . God . . . is a missionary God who cannot rest until He has established a knowledge of Himself in every corner of the earth. . . . His message to the nations is, “I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:8, NASB). . . . This desire of God’s [sic] to reveal Himself stems from His nature as an inexhaustible fountain of life.56 Miller stresses that God planned from the beginning to give the true knowledge of Himself to sinners. God desires to reconcile sinners to Himself. God will destroy the devil’s power over many sinners. He will draw them back to Himself. So the disciple- making which the church performs began in the character of God.

The prophets spoke of God’s missionary plan. They promised that God’s temple would become a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:6-8). They said that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11); God intended to open the eyes of the blind and free captives from prison (Isaiah 42:7). We discover the missionary character of God in many places of the prophets.57

2. God’s Missionary Promises

Miller continues by summarizing God’s missionary promises. The Bible stimulates our faith in Christ’s work by expressing it in the form of trustworthy promises: God promises to bring the fullness of Christ’s life to mankind and to fill the world with His glory through the ministry of Christ’s Spirit (Isa. 44:1-5; Joel 2:28-30; John 4:14; 7:37-39; 10:10; 15:1- 11). In particular, these Christ-centered promises inspire us with the confidence that the harvest is plenteous (Luke 10:1-2), that the elect are a multitude that no man can number (Rev. 7:9), and that the cross reveals a saving mercy which confronts all men everywhere with God’s desire for their salvation (John 3:16-17; 1 Tim: [sic] 1:15; 2:4-6).58 According to this summary God promised: 1) the coming of Christ, the Savior; 2) a great number of saved people; and 3) God’s method of saving the lost, namely through the cross of Christ.

These promises of God form the basis the gospel promise which the Church declares. Jesus said that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The Apostle Paul told the jailer in Philippi to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved (Acts 16:31). Romans 10:13, quoting Joel 2:32, says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” God promised to give salvation through Christ, His Son. So the church declares that God promises to save those who trust in Christ.

56 Miller 9-10. 57 Miller 9-10. 58 Miller 11. 59

The church must explain the need for salvation very carefully. The gospel does not directly offer rescue from all our problems. With man’s fall into sin many problems also entered the human experience. With sin came sickness, poverty, war, suffering, and loneliness. These problems ought to convince people that they need the Lord. But the gospel does not promise that the Lord will remove sickness, war, and loneliness as soon people trust in Christ. Rather, the gospel promises relief from the problem which lies at the root of the others. The gospel promises God’s forgiveness of our sins. When a person repents of his sin and trusts in Christ, God forgives him for Christ’s sake. God also graciously teaches in His word how we can deal with the many problems we face in life. He promises to remove every problem when Christ returns again. Yet the promise of the gospel focuses on our primary problem: our sin and God’s just wrath on it. The church must continue to proclaim that promise in its ministry of disciple-making.

3. God’s missionary commission

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Christ states His qualifications. As creator of everything He possesses all authority over everyone and everything. As God He accompanies His followers wherever we go. We call Him omnipotent (all-powerful) and omnipresent (everywhere- present). So He has the right to send the church. He also has the ability to protect the church in its mission.

Christ also states the church’s work. The church must make disciples of all nations. This summarizes the church’s mission in the world. We desire to lead people to become disciples of Christ.

Christ also indicates the method which the church will use. First, the mission assumes that the church will go to where the people are who need salvation. Literally, Jesus said, “Having gone, make disciples.” In Acts 1:8 Jesus told His apostles that the church would go increasingly outward with the gospel. They would serve as Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, where they received the Holy Spirit. They would go out to Judea, the region which surrounded Jerusalem. They would go still further out to potentially hostile Samaria. They would go with the gospel to the ends of the earth. The book of Acts shows how the Holy Spirit guided the church in its expanding work. The Spirit gave the church its birth in Jerusalem (Acts 2). After persecution began there, the church scattered through Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:2). Acts 8 shows how Philip preached the gospel to people in Samaria and to an official from Ethiopia. Then Acts 9 begins the story of the Apostle Paul, who eventually carried the gospel to the Rome (Acts 28:16). People regarded Rome as the center of world power. In similar ways, we usually 60 strengthen local churches first. Then we send out missionaries whom the local church can support. We hope eventually to send them “to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus also told the church to baptize those who come to faith. The church must baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this way the church, with Christ’s authority, places God’s mark of ownership on the new Christians. The church will also welcome new believers into the fellowship of the church. New Christians belong to Christ. They also belong to the church.

Finally, Christ commanded the church to teach everything He has commanded. This ministry of teaching continues throughout a Christian’s life. The church should not limit its teaching to new Christians. Teaching belongs to the nurture which the church gives its members. Sometimes this teaching will warn those in the church to avoid false teaching. The Apostle Paul wrote pastor Timothy, “Command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths. . . . The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:3-5). Sometimes the church’s teaching will aim to have Christians adopt godly behavior. Paul told Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and . . . useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). The teaching must equip Christians to follow Christ in every situation they face.

So God’s missionary commission says, having gone, make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them. Christ adds His assurance to this commission. He rules over everything. He will accompany the church everywhere.

C. John Miller expresses the hopefulness which God’s missionary commission should give us. As has often been noted, the Great Commission is Christ’s missionary command directed to His body, but it is also an announcement of Christ’s sovereign conquest of the whole earth and His expressed intention to claim every inch of it for the honor of the triune God.59

SUMMARY

We began by saying that we intended to describe important parts of the church’s three- fold ministry. We mentioned the church’s ministry to three different audiences: God, Christians, and the world. We attempted to describe general principles which should characterize these ministries. The church’s worship of God should follow Scripture in various ways, set forth Christ’s name, and rely on the Holy Spirit’s activity in our worship. The church’s nurture of Christians should include its official teaching and pastoral care. Nurture should also come from the relationships between those who belong to the Christian fellowship. The church’s ministry to the world consists of making disciples in Jesus’ name.

59 Miller 11. 61

In each part of its three-fold ministry the Church serves the triune God. We do all for God’s glory, in Christ’s name, depending on the Spirit to make our ministry effective. So, in all that the church does the true God receives the honor and praise.

QUESTIONS

1. According to the Protestant reformers, how can we find out what activities we should include in worship?

2. How did the Protestant reformers apply the words “the fellowship” in Acts 2:42 to their worship services?

3. How does the Bible teach us to include public prayer in our worship services?

4. What does it mean to worship God in Jesus’ name?

5. Why can we say that true worship edifies (builds up) the church?

6. The lesson gives three goals for nurture of the church’s official ministry. Name them.

7. What does the lesson mean by “mutual nurture”?

8. What does the lesson mean when it describes God’s missionary character?

9. What do God’s missionary promises promise?

10. How does the book of Acts follow the plan laid out in Acts 1:8? 62

LESSON FIVE

THE MEANS OF GRACE

INTRODUCTION

With Lesson Four we began to discuss what the church does in its ministry. We referred to the church’s ministry of worship, its spiritual nurture of Christians, and its mission to the world. We stated also that the church performs other kinds of ministry which the lesson did not mention.

Now we need to understand the effectiveness of ministry in the church. Do sinners need only to receive the church’s ministry to become Christians? Do Christians need only to attend worship services to grow in their Christian faith? How do the church’s acts of ministry become effective?

These questions bring us to the topic of the means of grace. This topic teaches us which activities the church should most engage in. The subject helps explain why some acts of church work typically enlarge the kingdom of God and others generally do not. It helps us understand how to seek effectiveness in the church’s ministry.

We should add at this point that the Bible does not use the phrase, “means of grace.” The phrase came into use when issues concerning the effectiveness of the church’s ministry arose in church history. We refer to “means of grace” as a convenient way of naming an important point of biblical truth. The truth matters more to us than the name which we give to it.

A. THE IDEA OF THE MEANS OF GRACE

1. The Basic Concept

To explain the basic idea of the means of grace, we will define the phrase in terms of its two primary words. By “grace” we refer to God’s saving (and strengthening) grace. Churches have disagreed over whether God displays other kinds of grace. We will not deal with that question here. The word “grace” in the phrase “means of grace” points to God’s saving and strengthening grace. God’s saving grace converts the unconverted. His grace also strengthens mature Christians continually. The Christian’s life constantly includes repentance of sin, faith in Christ, and obedience to God’s word. All of these result from God’s grace.

By “means” we refer to the tools, instruments, or activities which God uses to give grace. For example, Acts 16 describes Lydia’s conversion this way: “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14). According to this verse, God Himself gave Lydia saving grace. But He used the gospel which Paul preached to give His grace to her. So, we may call the preaching of the gospel (or the word of God) a 63 means of grace. God used the means (or instrument) of His word to give saving grace to Lydia.

Protestant theologians do not all use the phrase “the means of grace” in the same way. For example, Philip Hughes defines “means of grace” as the “media through which grace may be received.”60 Many evangelical theologians use the phrase this way. This definition includes personal prayer and Bible study as means of grace. However, some say “the means of grace” refers only to the ministry which God gave the church alone to perform. They agree that God uses personal Bible reading as a medium ‘through which grace may be received.” But they want to limit the term to official church ministry which God uses in the lives of Christians. Students should know about this difference in meaning when they read what theologians say about the subject.

2. The List of the Means of Grace

Let us look at different lists of” “the means of grace” which theologians have given.

Theologians who have much in common differ on the means of grace that they list. James Boice, for example, lists seven means of grace: assurance, knowledge, Bible study, prayer and worship, fellowship, service, and the return of Christ.61 Other theologians would disagree with this list. For example, he lists assurance and the return of Christ. But these do not refer to ministry which the Christian individual and churches perform. Yet Boice illustrates very well how theologians understand the means of grace to include a list of various means.

Philip Hughes also finds in scripture a list of various means of grace. His list includes Holy Scripture as the primary means of grace. He also lists preaching (proclamation) of the gospel, personal witness and evangelism, These, he writes, constitute means of saving grace. God uses them to give new life to the spiritually dead. Hughes also lists what he calls the means of strengthening grace. These include the exposition (explanation) of Scripture, private Bible study, prayer, Christian fellowship in worship and witness, and the sacraments.62 Hughes reasons that the Holy Spirit uses this second list to strengthen those who already trust in Christ. Every Christian helps his faith to grow when he participates in the opportunities which Hughes lists.

Louis Berkhof, along with still other theologians, limits his discussion of the means of grace significantly. Berkhof writes, “Strictly speaking, only the Word and the sacraments can be regarded as means of grace, that is, as objective channels which Christ has instituted in the Church, and to which He ordinarily binds Himself in the communication of His grace.”63 Berkhof limits his list to official acts of ministry which Christ has uniquely appointed the church to perform. So we can see how theologians who agree on what the means of grace do disagree on what the means of grace include.

60 P. E. Hughes, “Means of Grace,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 1984. 61 James Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1986) 453- 6. 62 P. E. Hughes, “Means.” 63 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 604-5. 64

We will limit our discussion to the list which Berkhof gives. We do this for two reasons. First, this course presents the doctrine of the church. The church’s ministry with the word and sacraments (as we understand this ministry broadly) constitutes the most basic work of the church. Second, what we learn about these official means of grace will also help us understand how God also makes the private reading of Scripture, prayer, and Christian fellowship effective in people’s lives.

3. Historic Views

We attempt to sharpen our understanding of the idea of the means of grace by summarizing three views which existed at the time of the Protestant Reformation. In reality a greater variety of views on the means of grace existed at the time. However, we list these three views because they most clearly contrast with each other. Together they help us understand the idea of the means of grace.

a. The Roman Catholic View

Roman Catholicism has taught that Christ always gives His grace through the church’s performance of the sacraments. Roman Catholicism uses the Latin phrase, ex opera operato (by the doing it is done) to summarize its theology of the means of grace and of the sacraments. The teaching says that those who receive the sacraments receive power to do good works. The Spirit of God has bound Himself to equip sinners whenever the Church administers the sacraments.

b. The View of the Mystics

Mystics reacted strongly to the Roman Catholic view. Instead of depending on the means of grace, mystics denied that we need the means of grace. They said that God does not bind (limit) Himself to use physical means. “God, or Christ, or the Holy Spirit, or the inner light, work directly in the heart, and both the Word and the sacraments can only serve to indicate or to symbolize this internal grace.”64 As the mystics saw it, people belittled God when they talked about the means of grace. Talk about God using physical means only tries to limit what God can do. The mystics stressed God’s absolute freedom to do whatever He pleases. Roman Catholics said that God attached the His work of grace to the church’s performance of the sacraments. But the mystics said that God would not use the physical sacraments to give His grace. They did not expect God to use the sacraments to extend His grace any more than He might use the weather, a noon meal or the song of a bird. As they saw it, God has not set anything apart as a means by which He will impart saving grace.

64 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 607. 65

c. The Reformed View

The Reformed view constitutes yet another way to understand the means of grace. Like the mystics, the Reformed insisted on God’s absolute freedom to do whatever He pleases. The Holy Spirit, like the wind, blows wherever He pleases (John 3:8). But like Roman Catholicism they said that God uses means to give grace. God imparts salvation where His church serves people with the means of grace. However, Reformed theologians did not merely combine some ideas from Catholicism and some from Mysticism. Rather, the Reformed understanding formed its own unique perspective.

According to this view God has not committed Himself always to give saving or strengthening grace to every person who receives the means. For example, when people hear the preached word, God moves some hearers to faith in Christ. Others reject God’s word. The preached word does not produce new life in every listener. But God the Holy Spirit will save sinners where the preaching of His word takes place.

According to this view, God does not promise salvation to everyone who hears the preached gospel or takes part in the sacraments. The Holy Spirit commands the church to administer the means of grace. The God has decided how He will use them. But He promises to use the means of grace to gather sinners to Christ. The Spirit will work where the church faithfully proclaims the word of God and gives the sacraments.

Confessions of the reformed churches express these convictions. For example, the Heidelberg Catechism says: Q. 65. Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith only, whence does this faith proceed? A. From the Holy Ghost, who works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel, and confirms it by the use of the sacraments.65 This answer expresses both essential teachings of Reformed churches concerning the means of grace: 1) the Holy Spirit gives faith, and 2) He uses the preaching of the gospel and the sacraments to give and strengthen that faith.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, also expresses this conviction of Reformed churches. It says, Unto this catholic and visible Church, Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world; and doth by his own presence

65 Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 65. 66

and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto.66 (WCF XXV.3) This statement refers both to the Spirit’s gift of faith and His use of means. The “oracles . . . and ordinances” include the preached word and the sacraments. The confession declares that God makes them “effectual” by His Spirit.

This understanding depends on the Holy Spirit to give effectiveness to the church’s ministry. It implies that Christians should pray for effectiveness in their ministry. It seeks to acknowledge the lordship of the Triune God in church ministry.

B. THE WORD AS A MEANS OF GRACE

1. The inspired word

The Bible uses a variety of meanings when it refers to God’s “word”. For example, John 1:1 mentions the Word. As John continues, he explains that he writes about the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible sometimes refers to God’s decree (command) as His word. Psalm 33:6 says, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” Isaiah 55:10, 11 also refers to God powerful promises as His word. After promising God’s people that nations will come to them to find God, God’s prophet wrote, As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth . . . so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. These verses provide examples of where God’s word does not refer specifically to Scripture.

“The word as a means of grace” refers to Scripture. God has given His inspired word for the church to declare it to the world. As the church declares God’s word to the nations, God uses the preached word as a means of His grace.

2. Three qualities of the inspired word

The Apostle Paul taught pastor Timothy about this. In 2 Timothy he teaches Timothy how Scripture can keep Christians strong as they face the world’s lies and attacks. He gives three qualities of Scripture which explain its power.67 First, the Bible comes from God. The Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” This means that “The Bible is the creative product of the Holy Spirit, and thus is bears God’s own perfection and authority.”68 Our words come from our mouths. Similarly, God’s inspired word comes from His mouth. Human beings wrote the words of Scripture. Yet, as they wrote, God governed them. They wrote exactly what He wanted to say to the church.

66 Westminster Confession of Faith, 10 September 2010 < http://www.ccel.org/ccel/anonymous/ westminster3.i.xxviii.html. 67 Ryken, City 42-44. 68 Ryken, City 42. 67

The Apostle gave another quality of Scripture. The “Scriptures . . . are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). In other words, the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures with the purpose of giving salvation. Scripture contains God’s wisdom concerning all that it mentions. Yet its main purpose includes giving the gift of faith in Christ. Those who place their faith in Christ receive salvation from their sins. All of this teaches that God gave Scripture as a means of grace. It also shows us why the church’s primary purpose involves the preaching of God’s word. Christ commanded His apostles to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Making disciples requires the church to preach the Scriptures “which are able to make wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Therefore the church must proclaim the gospel of Christ whenever it preaches from the word of God. It proclaims the gospel from the perspective of the verses which the sermon declares.

2 Timothy 3 gives a third quality of Scripture. God’s inspired word equips His people for holy living. “All Scripture is God-breathed . . . that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). We noticed at the beginning of this lesson how Philip Hughes mentioned both saving grace and strengthening grace. The second quality—that Scripture makes us wise to salvation— shows one way in which Scripture serves as a means of saving grace. This third quality describes strengthening grace. The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture to equip God’s people for every good work. Through Scripture He gives Christians maturity to their lives.

So God has told us how He will use His inspired word when the church preaches it. He will give salvation to those who believe. He will give increasing strength to Christians.

3. Content of the Preached Word

We need to explore briefly what the church must preach. We will let Berkhof summarize for us. The Churches of the Reformation from the very beginning distinguished between the law and the gospel as the two parts of the Word of God as a means of grace. . . . The law comprises everything in Scripture which is a revelation of God’s will in the form of command or prohibition, while the gospel embraces everything, whether it be in the Old Testament or in the New, that pertains to the work of reconciliation and that proclaims the seeking and redeeming love of God in Christ Jesus. And each one of these two parts has its own proper function in the economy of grace. The law seeks to awaken in the heart of man contrition on account of sin, while the gospel aims at the awakening of saving faith in Jesus Christ. The work of the law is in a sense preparatory to that of the gospel. It deepens the consciousness of sin and thus makes the sinner aware of the need of redemption. Both are subservient to the same end, and both are indispensable parts of the means of grace.69

69 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 612. 68

Berkhof continues by referring to church history. Many have said that the law and gospel contradict each other. They said that the law only condemns sinners. They have also believed that the gospel contains no commands. Yet the law and gospel go together. God gave the law to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). The gospel motivates us to fulfill our obligations to God.

Gospel preaching which God uses to give His grace fulfills three duties. First, it declares God’s law which condemns us. Second, it urges us to flee to Christ. In Him God frees us from the law’s curse. Third, it urges Christians, “in view of God’s mercy” (Romans 12:1) to follow God’s commands. Therefore, Gospel preaching declares God’s word in a specific way. To serve as a means of grace, it exposes our sin with God’s word. It also proclaims God’s saving grace in Christ.

4. Clarification in terms of three historic views

Perhaps we should go back to the three historic views of the means of grace. We want to understand what they teach us about Scripture as a means of grace. First, the Roman Catholic view of the means of grace says that by performing the means of grace, the church gives the grace of Christ to people. But Scripture does not teach that everyone who hears the gospel message will believe. Romans 10 demonstrates that Israel did not receive salvation merely by hearing the word of God. According to the last chapter of Acts some who heard the Apostle Paul preach did not believe in Christ. “Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe” (Acts 28:24). So the preaching of God’s word does not always impart God’s grace. Second, the Mystics taught that people do not need Scripture or preaching to receive salvation. According to them, God works directly in people’s hearts. Yet Christ converted Lydia’s heart as Paul preached the gospel to her (Acts 16:14). 1 Peter 1 says to Christians, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God . . . And this is the word that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:23, 25). God has used His preached word to give grace. Third, the Protestant reformers understood the truth that God has made the word necessary for men to come to faith in Christ. Yet the power of the word comes from God the Holy Spirit, Who moves in men’s hearts as He desires. This third view, we believe, conforms to what God’s word teaches.

Therefore, the church must preach the word of God. God promises effectiveness. He has appointed the preaching of the gospel as the church’s primary means by which He imparts grace. The Holy Spirit adds His power to the church’s preaching. This explains the last verse of Acts 2: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

We need to add a brief comment about personal Bible study. We have limited our discussion in this lesson to the church’s use of the word. We have done this because this course studies the Doctrine of the Church. Yet we also acknowledge that the private use of Scripture and prayer also constitute means by which God gives grace. This Word of God was not given exclusively to the church as institute, to the office-bearers, but to all believers (John 5:39 and Acts 17:11), in order 69

that with patience and comfort of the Scriptures they should have hope (Romans 15:4) and in order that they should mutually teach and admonish each other.70 If we wish to grow in our personal faith, we need to read and study Scripture. God has appointed Scripture for us to receive nourishment by His grace. But the Holy Spirit must always add His power. The Spirit makes our reading of Scripture effective.

Therefore we ought to accompany the church’s preaching and our personal reading of the Bible with prayer. By prayer we rely on God to add the blessing of His grace to His word.

C. THE SACRAMENTS AS MEANS OF GRACE

God decided that He would also give strengthening grace through the sacraments. We will make a few points about the sacraments. Then, we will examine each sacrament briefly.

1. General comments about the Sacraments

a. The Idea of a sacrament

We will follow Berkhof explain the idea of a sacrament. He describes parts of the sacraments which form the idea. Three parts must be distinguished in the sacraments, namely, (1) The outward and visible sign. Each one of the sacraments contains an external element. This consists of water in baptism, and of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. One who receives merely this may be said to receive the sacrament, but does not receive the whole, nor the most important part of it. (2) The inward spiritual grace signified. The sign points to something that is signified, and this is the internal matter of the sacrament. It may be called righteousness of faith, Rom. 4:11, the forgiveness of sins, Mark 1:4, faith and repentance, Mark 1:4; 16:16, or communion with Christ in His death and resurrection, Rom. 6:3, 4; Col. 2:11, 12. (3) The union between the sign and the thing signified. This really constitutes the essence of the sacrament. Where the sacrament is received in faith, the grace of God accompanies it.71

In other words, Christ gave the sacraments as external signs or symbols of His saving grace. But Christ also gave them to provide strengthening grace to the hearts of Christians. As the believer lets the sacraments direct his faith to Christ, the Spirit gives the believer greater confidence in Christ’s grace.

70 Herman Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith, trans. Henry Zylstra (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1956) 540. 71 Berkhof, Summary 136. 70

We recognize as sacraments only those ceremonies which Christ appointed for this use. For example, Ephesians 5:22-33 shows how marriage provides a picture of Christ’s relationship with the church. Yet God did not give the marriage relationship as a sacrament. He created marriage in Genesis 2:19-25 before mankind fell into sin. Marriage existed before mankind needed a sign of God’s saving grace. In the Old Testament God gave circumcision and the Passover as sacraments of His grace which His people receive. In the New Testament Christ gave baptism (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Lord’s Supper (see Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) as sacraments. God has given other many occasions for us to remember and praise Him. But Christ gave only two ceremonies as sacraments.

b. Christ’s Purpose for the sacraments

We have listed the sacraments, along with Scripture as means of grace. But this does not mean that God uses the sacraments in the same way that he uses Scripture. Scripture and the sacraments communicate differently to us. Scripture provides God’s inspired words for us to hear and read. The sacraments give us symbols to see, handle, and taste. Scripture has a greater importance than the sacraments. One must normally understand the word of God to receive salvation (Romans 10:14, 15). One does not need to receive the sacraments in order to receive Christ’s grace. Scripture addresses a larger audience than the sacraments do. The word must go out to the whole world. Christ gave the sacraments to the church.72 So, we call both the word and sacraments means of grace. Yet they fulfill different purposes. The sacraments give believers confidence in God’s grace which Scripture promises to them.

We mean this when we call the sacraments signs and seals. Romans 4:11 calls circumcision, the sacrament which God gave Abraham, a sign and seal. Romans 4 explains first how Abraham received salvation. Abraham did not receive God’s saving grace by performing good works. Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3 quoting Genesis 15:6). Abraham did not receive salvation through the sacrament of circumcision. Abraham received the gift of righteousness before he received circumcision. So what purpose did circumcision fulfill? “He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised” (Romans 4:11). Circumcision strengthened Abraham’s faith in God’s promise (oath) to save him.

As a sign, circumcision reminded Abraham of God’s promise to save him. Baptism and the Lord’s supper remind Christian believers today of Christ’s promise to wash away their sins and to keep them continually. As a seal, circumcision assured Abraham that God would indeed do what He promised. God used circumcision both to remind and reassure Abraham that he had received God’s grace by faith. As seals, baptism and the Lord’s supper both reassure Christians today that Christ accomplished salvation for them. Christ gave the sacraments to help us as signs and seals, as pictures and promises, and as reminders and reassurances. The sacraments do not add to the teaching which Scripture gives about salvation. But the Holy Spirit uses them to deepen

72 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 616. 71 the Christian’s confidence in the gospel of Christ. Indeed, most Christians can testify that the sacraments have comforted and assured them.

We want to repeat that our view of the sacraments does not agree with the views of the mystics and Roman Catholics. We should not regard the sacraments as unspiritual, as mystics do. God does not belittle the sacraments because they make use of physical water, bread and wine. We should not imagine that sacraments work like sacred magic, as Roman Catholicism implies.73 God does not impart grace automatically when the church performs the sacrament. Christ commands us in His word to receive His grace by faith. He also urges us with the sacraments to receive His grace by faith in Him. Like a benediction of the Word, pronounced upon the people of God, so the sacraments are a word of divine power, given in visible form. Faith accepts the benediction and receives the grace pronounced for what it is. So, too, must the sacraments be received [by faith] for what they are.74

c. The church’s Administration of the sacraments

Let us think, for a moment, about how the church should manage the use of the sacraments. Christ gave the sacraments to reinforce the preaching of the gospel in our hearts and minds. Therefore ministers of the word should perform the sacraments in worship services where they also proclaim the gospel of Christ. Christ gave the sacraments for the church. Therefore the church should offer the sacraments to the church. Scripture, in fact, prevents the church from offering the Lord’s supper to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:1-8) or to those who do not respect its holy significance (1 Corinthians 11:27-32). Finally, all grace comes through Jesus Christ. Therefore, the church should urge those who take part in the sacraments to go to Christ and seek grace from Him.

2. The Sacrament of Baptism

Baptism symbolizes the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ. Christ grants this washing in the beginning of the Christian life (1 Corinthians 6:11) as well as throughout the Christian life. In the Old Testament God symbolized the spiritual washing of His people with the sprinkling of blood (Hebrews 9:19-22). So in the New Testament God uses water to symbolize spiritual cleansing (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Both the sprinkled blood and water point to the blood of Christ by which the Christian receives cleansing from his sins (Hebrews 9:13-14). Baptism serves believers as a sign and seal of washing in Jesus Christ.

Sometimes the Bible refers to baptism as though it actually washes away our sins. For example, Titus 3:5 seems to refer to baptism when it speaks of “the washing of renewal” (or of regeneration). Also, the Apostle Paul preached in Jerusalem, “Be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 16:5). These verses seem to say that baptism washes our sins away. Yet this “sacramental language” really stresses

73 Clowney, The Church 272-6. 74 Clowney, The Church 276. 72 the close relationship between the sign and seal of baptism. The Heidelberg Catechism explains: God speaks thus not without great cause, to-wit, not only thereby to teach us, that as the filth of the body is purged away by water, so our sins are removed by the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ; but especially that by this divine pledge and sign he may assure us, that we are spiritually cleansed from our sins as really, as we are externally washed with water.75 God actually gives the washing which baptism signifies to those who trust in Christ. Christians should rest assured of this. So, to assure Christians of the reality, the Bible sometimes refers to the symbol as though it were the reality itself. Furthermore, the Spirit will use baptism to assure Christians of this washing.

3. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s supper symbolizes the Christian’s daily union with Christ. This sacrament includes the activities of eating and drinking. The bread and wine signify Christ and His sacrifice for our sins. The eating and drinking signify the Christian’s faith. Jesus once described faith as eating. He said, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. . . . For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. John 6:35, 55, 56

In these verses Jesus spoke symbolically. He makes this clear a few verses later. Then He said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe” (John 6:63, 64). Clowney explains: Partaking of Christ by faith is eating the true manna, the bread of heaven given for the life of the world. At the same time, the work of the Spirit in opening the heart to believe gives life by enabling the believer to feed on Christ, the only Source of life.76

So, once again, we see the Bible using “sacramental language.” It describes the symbol (bread) as though it replaces the symbolized (Christ whom the Spirit gives to us to give life).

The Heidelberg Catechism explains the reason for this way of speaking: Christ speaks thus, not without great reason, namely, not only thereby to teach us, that as bread and wine support this temporal life,

75 Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 73. 76 Clowney, The Church 286. 73

so his crucified body and shed blood are the true meat and drink, whereby our souls are fed to eternal life; but more especially by these visible signs and pledges to assure us, that we are as really partakers of his true body and blood by the operation of the Holy Ghost as we receive by the mouths of our bodies these holy signs in remembrance of him; and that all his sufferings and obedience are as certainly ours, as if we had in our own persons suffered and made satisfaction for our sins to God.77

In other words, during the supper Christians do not remember all the distinctions which exist between the symbol and the symbolized. Rather, they eat and drink in Jesus’ name. At the same time they trust in Christ as their savior and sacrifice. And the Spirit makes the sacrament His seal. With the Lord’s supper the Spirit gives reassurance to the Christian that Christ has fully paid for all his sins.

So Christ gave the Lord’s supper as a means of grace. In the supper He gives strengthening grace by the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit.

SUMMARY

This lesson introduced the topic of the means of grace. It promised to explain the source of effectiveness in church ministry.

God has appointed certain human activities as means (tools) by which He imparts grace. He has given the church the word and the sacraments. He commands the church to use them as its primary activity of service. He promises that the Spirit will use this human activity to give God-given eternal life.

We pointed out differing views in church history concerning the means of grace. Mystics refuse to use the means of God. They believe that God does not stoop to use earthly, physical means to give His grace. Roman Catholicism, on the other hand, relies exclusively on the means of grace, especially the sacraments. It declares that God will give grace whenever the church performs the sacraments. However, the Reformed believe that God works through the means of grace. Yet the Spirit uses them freely in His divine wisdom.

77 Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 79. 74

So this lesson first gives the theology which outlines our discussion of the means of grace. Then we looked at the primary means which Christ has given the church: preaching and the sacraments. The church must serve Christ faithfully in its use of them. With each means, the church must proclaim Christ as the source of grace. In each of these activities the Christian must trust in Christ. As church officers and members take part as God’s word commands, the Spirit of Christ imparts Christ’s saving and strengthening grace. The Spirit will make the church’s use of these means effective in the lives of many.

QUESTIONS

1. Explain the idea of the means of grace.

2. Why does Berkhof limit his list of the means of grace to the Word and sacraments?

3. How do Roman Catholics and Mystics disagree in the understanding of the effectiveness of the means of grace?

4. What expression of God’s word do we have in mind when we speak of the means of grace?

5. List and write at least four Bible verses from the lesson which teach us that God uses Scripture as a means of grace?

6. What should be the content of the preached word? Explain what each part is.

7. Explain Christ’s double purpose for the sacraments in the life of the Christian.

8. According to this lesson, how should the church administer the sacraments?

9. What do we mean by “sacramental language”?

10. What does the Lord’s supper signify and seal? 75

LESSON SIX

AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION

Beginning with Lesson Four, we have discussed what the church does. We looked at its service to God, to the members of the church, and to the world. We also learned about the effectiveness of the church’s ministry. God the Holy Spirit will move forward in His mission of giving salvation through the church’s use of the means of grace. These teachings give us an understanding of the church’s task.

But we must also learn how the church organizes itself. God’s word states what the church must do. It also tells us many things about how the church must perform its mission. The body functions under its head. The church needs some of its members to have authority to manage the church’s public life and ministry. This lesson will discuss this authority in the church.

We will discuss three topics concerning authority in the church. First, we will look at the place of authority in the church. Various church congregations view the place of church authority differently. For example, some believe that church authority belongs to a few church officials who rule over many churches. Another view says that church authority belongs to all the members equally. These different views concerning where authority belongs in the church produce different types of church government. So the place of church authority becomes an important topic for us to consider.

Second, we will learn about those who hold office in the church. By “office” we mean a position of authority in the church. Christ wants the church to appoint some of its members to have spiritual authority over the rest. Those with authority receive their position of office (their authority) from Christ. They must use their authority to help the church fulfill its mission. This topic of church office has great importance in church life.

Finally, we will discuss how church authority sometimes requires official church discipline. Sometimes church members who claim to believe in Christ refuse to follow Christ. They refuse to live as Christ’s disciples. If they continually refuse to repent, the church must remove them from the church’s membership. This removal belongs to what we call “official discipline.” Those who have authority in the church—who hold office— will perform this official discipline. So discipline also has a very important part in church life.

Now, we begin our important discussion of authority in the church. 76

A. THE PLACE OF CHURCH AUTHORITY

1. The Place of All Church Authority

We will discuss very soon which people on earth possess church authority. However, we must remember, first of all, that Christ possesses all authority in the church. He told His apostles that all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him (Matthew 28:18). Colossians 1:18 says, “He is the head of the body, the church.” Jesus told His disciples, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am” (John 13:13). The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1 that God raised Christ and seated Him in the heavenly realms “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. . . . God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body” (Ephesians 1:21-23). This means that Christ has supremacy (full rule) in the church. So, all authority in the church comes from Christ.

The Bible also teaches that Christ appointed some in the church to exercise authority on His behalf. After reminding us of Christ’s ascension, Ephesians 4 says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11,12). These people do not claim their positions of authority merely because they want to possess authority. Rather, Christ appoints them. So, those who possess authority in the church must yield to Christ’s word in everything they do. The authority they exercise does not belong to them. It comes from Christ.

2. The Place of Church Authority on Earth

But where does Christ place His authority in the church? At least four basic views have continued in the church for some time. We will mention and describe them.

The Erastian view (named after Erastus, 1524-1582) says that authority in the church comes from the government or state. According to this view, officers of the church received their authority from the government. The government uses the church to maintain order in society. So ministers of the word serve the state. This view contradicts what we have said already. The Bible teaches that Christ has all authority in the church.

The Episcopalian system says that Christ entrusted authority to a few successors (or replacements) of the apostles. According to this view Christ first gave authority to His apostles. As the apostles died, Christ handed their authority on to another generation of selected bishops or supreme church rulers. In church systems which believe this the top officials of a denomination have all authority. They delegate their authority to assistants who work under them. Examples of this system include Roman Catholicism, Episcopalianism (Anglicanism), and some expressions of Methodism.

The Congregational system assumes that all members of the church possess equal church authority. This belief produces a system of church government in which all 77 members together make the all important decisions in the church. For example, all the members decide when to remove a member from the church membership.

The Presbyterial system (based on the Greek word presbyter, elder) says that Christ gave primary authority in the local church to local elders. Frequently churches which believe this work together in many ways. They send out missionaries, publish church educational materials, and study what God’s word says about important issues facing the churches. Like the church in Acts 15 they seek advice from each other to grow in wisdom and understanding. Yet local elders have the responsibility of the spiritual oversight over the members of their churches. This view matches Paul’s comment in Titus 1:7-11. Each church must have its own elders. Also, according to 1 Timothy 3:5, these elders must manage God’s church. So Christ requires local churches to preach the word, observe the sacraments and exercise spiritual discipline. Local church elders have received authority to carry these out in their congregations.

The elders of a church under the presbyterial system of church government work together as a team. They discuss the congregation’s spiritual needs together. They discuss how to discipline the members of their flock. They make sure that the preaching in fact proclaims God’s word and offers the grace of the gospel of Christ. Churches use different names to refer to this team of elders. Some call it the Board of Elders, or the Session, or the Consistory. Elders must understand that they provide spiritual rule over their congregations as a team. They should attempt always to serve the congregation as a united body which serves Christ in their church.

Students should ask themselves important questions about their churches. Each should understand where spiritual authority exists in his church. Each should ask whether the system of authority in his church follows the biblical pattern. We will look at the biblical pattern more carefully in the next section of this lesson.

B. OFFICES WITH CHURCH AUTHORITY

The Apostle Paul’s letters to pastors Timothy and Titus perhaps help us the most to understand where Christ has placed authority in the church. These letters guide us in organizing the church with more clarity than most other parts of the Bible do. We have reasons for saying this. The New Testament tells us most about the life of Christ and the first generation church which immediately followed Him. So, Acts tells us about what Christ continued to do through His apostles after He ascended into heaven (cf. Acts 1:1, 2). Most of Paul’s letters address errors and disputes in the church which existed in his day. But Paul’s “Pastoral Letters” (to pastors Timothy and Titus) more directly give instructions for the church as it continues after the apostles. We learn there what the church looks like in the generations which have followed the apostles. These letters tell us about deacons, elders, and pastors.

We will review some of the Bible’s teachings concerning these offices. Yet before we do, we need to understand that every Christian received an office, a responsibility to serve, in the church of Christ. 78

1. The Office of Every Believer

a. Anointed Old Testament Leaders

We begin the topic by learning about the practice of anointing. When God rejected King Saul as king, He commanded the prophet Samuel to anoint David instead. Then Samuel “took the horn of oil and anointed him [David] in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power” (1 Samuel 16:13). We see three elements of David’s anointing in this verse: 1) God appointed David to serve as king over Israel; 2) God set David apart for the work with the ceremony of anointing; 3) God sent His Holy Spirit on David to empower and equip him for the office of king. So anointing indicated God’s appointment, God’s public sign of the appointment, and God’s gift of the Spirit’s power for the appointment.

We should notice that the next verse, 1 Samuel 16:14, says that the Spirit had departed from Saul. This does not mean that Saul lost his salvation when God had David anointed. Rather, God no longer placed His Spirit Saul to enable him to serve as King. The people continued to think of Saul as their king. But God began to deliver them from their enemies through David, God’s anointed (e.g. 1 Samuel 17).

The Old Testament shows repeatedly how prophets, priests, and kings received anointing for their offices, their appointments from God (e.g. Leviticus 8:12; 1 Kings 1:39; 19:16). Certainly many of these officials did not acknowledge the true God. But God put the ceremony of anointing in place to teach that His kingdom would not advance without the blessing of His power, His Spirit. Only specially appointed people received an anointing.

But the Old Testament promised a day when all God’s people would be prophets. Once Moses prayed that all God’s people would be prophets (Numbers 11:29). The prophet Joel promised that God would answer this promise. Through him God said, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit on those days. (Joel 2:28, 29) God promised that all His people would receive an anointing from Him.

b. Anointed Son of God

The Bible presents Christ as the Anointed One. The Hebrew word, Messiah, and the Greek word, Christ, both mean the anointed one. Christ’s name shows that He came with God’s appointment, and God’s Spirit. When Jesus received baptism from John, the Holy Spirit descended on Him. The Father declared that Jesus was His Son. Christ did not receive oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. He received the Holy Spirit Himself. Then, as the Anointed One, Jesus went in the power of the Spirit to the desert to be tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1). He performed all the works of His ministry and submitted to 79 crucifixion on the cross as the Anointed One. God the Father accomplished salvation for sinners through the anointed Jesus Christ.

c. Anointed New Testament Believers

The Bible teaches that Christ sent His Spirit to anoint the whole church for ministry today. He promised to send His Spirit so that His disciples could speak of Christ’s witnesses (Acts 1:8). On Pentecost Christ anointed the church for the work of missions. 1 John 2:20 says, “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” Facing unbelief all around them, Christians possess the Holy Spirit who gives them power to remain faithful to the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12 enlarges our understanding of the Spirit’s equipping for service. It says, “We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Apostle Paul says this to prove that every Christian has meaningful ministry to perform in the body of Christ. Christ did not give the Holy Spirit only to convert us. He also gave the Spirit to equip us for service. The Spirit gives each believer a combination of gifts so that each can serve Christ wholeheartedly (cf. Romans 12:3-8).

The Heidelberg Catechism stresses the anointing which each Christian has received: Q. 32. But why art thou called a Christian? A. Because I am a member of Christ by faith, and thus am partaker of his anointing; that so I may confess his name, and present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him: and also that with a free and good conscience I may fight against sin and Satan in this life and afterwards I reign with him eternally, over all creatures.78 We see in this answer the biblical teaching of the Christian’s anointing. Christ sent His Spirit to equip the whole church and each Christian to declare the gospel, serve others in thankfulness, fight sin, and rule eternally. Each Christian possesses different abilities to help others do this as well. Theologians call this responsibility of each Christian, “the priesthood of all believers.” The name teaches that every Christian can offer his life as a living sacrifice to Christ (Romans 12:1, 2).

Christ appointed leaders in the church to equip the members of Christ’s body to fulfill their responsibilities and ministry. Ephesians 4 says that Christ gave to the church some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,

78 Heidelberg Catechism, Q & A 32. 80

attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11- 13)

This explains the purpose of the ordained offices in the church. Christ does not appoint elders and deacons merely to manage the church. Rather, they must enable the members of the body to serve Christ there. Members of the congregation possess gifts which the officers of the church do not have. Elders and deacons must so supervise the church that they enable the members to use their gifts meaningfully and effectively.

Christ’s followers need to work together as a unified body. So Christ has designed that the church recognize some of its members as it leaders and rulers. Their ordination to church office gives the recognition the leaders need to fulfill their task of leadership. With the priesthood (and anointing) of all believers in mind, we turn to the ordained officers of the church.

2. The Office of Deacon

a. The Name of the Office of Deacon

The word, “deacon,” comes from a Greek word which means servant. A related English word, diaconate, closely resembles the spelling of the Greek word. The verb which resembles the noun refers to giving personal, practical service. For example, the verb can mean to wait on tables (cf. Luke 17:8, John 12:2) or to care for someone (cf. Romans 15:25).79 So Greek-speakers referred to “deacons” in their normal conversation about servants.

b. The Duties of Deacons

We learn about the duties of deacons from the story in Acts 6:1-7. As the church grew, it faced problems which came with growth. The church gave food to its widows. But it did not serve all its widows equally well. Widows who came from local Jewish communities received assistance. But widows who came from Greek communities did not. So “Grecian Jews complained against Hebraic Jews” concerning this favoritism (Acts 6:1). Clearly, the ministry of practical assistance needed better supervision.

The apostles decided that this problem needed a solution which would not distract the church from its primary mission. The apostles must continue in the ministry of the word and prayer (Acts 6:2-4). The church must appoint men who will supervise the practical care which the widows of the church need (Acts 6:3). So the church appointed seven deacons.

In the centuries which followed the apostles, the church gradually forgot the purpose of the deacon’s office. Eventually deacons served bishops and priests by caring for utensils which priests used during the Mass. When other church officials were absent, deacons read Scripture or sermons during worship, baptized, and represented bishops at

79 “diakoneo,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1985 ed. 81 conferences. They received offerings and presented them to the priests who consecrated the offerings on the altar.80 During this time before the Protestant Reformation, the church lost the unique biblical office of deacon.

In the Protestant Reformation the church of Geneva, Switzerland perhaps best restored the office of deacon. Geneva’s deacons had two functions: 1. To receive, and seek out, contributions in money, goods, and skills, and to distribute them among the needy. . . . No collection-plate was passed during the Genevan service. Gifts could be left in the money-box stationed in the narthex [church entry]. . . . 2. The second function assigned the Genevan congregations’ deacons is indicated by the term “hospitallier”. This has reference to the fact that the central charitable institution of Geneva was called the “hospital”. There the sick were lodged and cared for, and in addition the same building served as an old people’s home, as a refuge for homeless refugees fleeing persecution, and as temporary quarters for any who were without warmth and shelter. The administration of the hospital was under the Genevan deacons.81 According to these authors, deacons in Geneva probably kept a list of what each church member gave to the poor. They continued to remind church members of their obligations to assist the poor. This example of Geneva demonstrates how the duties of deacon may include both merciful care shown individually and the management of institutions which offer mercy to many in Christ’s name.

The Bible says little more about the duty of the deacons. The New Testament comments at greater length about the church’s duty to the poor in its midst. For example, the Apostle Paul stressed repeatedly the need of Gentile Christians to contribute to the needs of poor Christians in Jerusalem. Apparently they suffered because of famine (Acts 11:28) and persecution (Acts 8:1). The Apostle Paul devotes 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:1; 9:1-4) to this subject. But he also refers in other places to his effort of raising money for the poor church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25, 26; 1 Corinthians 16:1- 4). Possibly, the Apostle would have delegated this work to deacons if the office of deacon were firmly in place throughout the church. Each church today should have deacons or should pray that the Lord will provide them.

c. The Qualifications for Deacons

When the apostles agreed that the church needed deacons, they told the church to choose godly men. The said, “Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:3, 4). We need to look at these qualifications.

80 Gerard Berghoef and Lester De Koster, The Deacons Handbook: A Manual of Stewardship, (Grand Rapids: Christian’s Library Press, Inc.,1980) 69-70. 81 Berghoef and De Koster, Deacons 71. 82

Some Bibles and scholars indicate that the apostles stated two kinds of requirements for deacons. First, deacons must “have a good reputation” (which the translation used in this course interprets as “known;” this means that the church must know firsthand about their godly character). Members of the church need to trust that the deacons will really assist the poor with the gifts which the church gives. So, deacons need a good reputation to encourage trust in the church’s ministry of compassion.82 Second, deacons must be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Their lives must demonstrate the Holy Spirit’s influence on them. The next two chapters of Acts show how effectively the Holy Spirit used two of these deacons, Stephen and Philip. This second requirement teaches that deacons must demonstrate that they will rely on the power of God when they fulfill their diaconal duties.

First Timothy 3 presents a similar picture of a deacon’s qualifications. It says, Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. (1 Timothy 3:8-10) However, these verses add the requirement that, during a period of time, the deacon has demonstrated his worthiness of a good reputation. The church should not choose him to serve as deacon until is has confidence that his faith has endurance and that the Holy Spirit has produced the fruit of holiness in him.

By looking at the title, work and qualifications of deacons, we see that Christ wants holy men to carry out this important work.

3. The Office of Elder

a The Name of the Office of Elder

The New Testament uses two Greek words to refer to the office of elder. Presbuteros, elder, forms the basis of our word Presbyterian. Episkopos, overseer, gives us the English word Episcopal. The New Testament uses these two words to refer to the same office. We see this, for example, in Titus 1. The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus the pastor, “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders [prebuterous] in every town, as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). The apostle tells Titus about the qualifications which the elder must possess. Then he writes, “Since an overseer [episkopon] is entrusted with God’s work he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain” (Titus 1:7). So the Apostle Paul refers to the same person as an elder (presbuteros) and an overseer (episkopos). Acts 20:17, 28 also uses both words to refer to the same church leaders.

82 Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Acts of the Apostles, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1990) 222. 83

Though the words refer to the same church officers, they make different points about those who hold the office. “Elder” teaches that church elders should possess spiritual maturity. “Overseer” reminds us of the work of elders. They must manage, or oversee, the spiritual life of the church. The Apostle Paul assumed this when he asked, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church” (1 Timothy 3:5)?

So the names for this office show us that the church needs men who demonstrate spiritual maturity to oversee the life of the church.

b. The Duties of Elders

In the Old Testament, God ruled His people through elders. Already in Exodus 18 Israel received godly men as judges or elders who ruled over the nation (Exodus 18:13-26). Exodus 24:1 refers to 70 of Israel’s elders (see also Numbers 11:25). When Israel entered the promised land, elders continued to hold influential positions in the cities (Deuteronomy 19:12; Joshua 20:4; Judges 8:14). The elders of Israel continued to have influence when kings began to rule (1 Kings 8:1, 3; 20:7. After the Old Testament Jewish synagogues continued under the leadership of councils of elders. So the Old Testament contains a long history of rule by elders which God continued in the New Testament church.83

Surprisingly, the New Testament does not give us an extended list of duties for elders. However, we can gain a general impression by looking at various places in Scripture. James 5:14 refers to elders making a pastoral visit to the sick in the church. In Acts 15 elders joined the apostles to discuss the important question of whether Gentile Christians needed to receive circumcision (Acts 15:6, 23). 1 Timothy 4:14 refers to the body of elders who laid their hands on Timothy when he received his pastoral ordination. Scripture probably describes the work of elders when it refers to the gifts of leadership (Romans 12:8) and administration (1 Corinthians 12:28). It also probably refers to them when it mentions the church’s leaders (Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24) and pastors or shepherds (Eph 4:11). In general, elders give spiritual oversight in each congregation. Therefore, the apostles, who also gave spiritual oversight, sometimes they called themselves elders (1 Peter 5:1; 2 John 1; 3 John 1).

Sometimes elders must rebuke sin and unbelief in the church’s presence. In Titus 1 the Apostle Paul reminds Titus of rebellious talkers and deceivers who ruined whole Christian households. People sometimes promote falsehood merely to gain money (Titus 1:10-11). So Paul wrote “rebuke . . . [Christians who follow them] sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth” (Titus 1:13, 14). Later in this lesson we will see how elders must carry out spiritual discipline against church members who refuse to repent of their public sins. So the elder’s spiritual supervision includes the difficult work of confronting sheep who have decided to follow wolves.

83 J. B. Taylor, “Elder,” The New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed. 84

God wants each Christian congregation to live under the spiritual oversight of elders. The Apostle Paul ordained elders in every church in Asia (modern western Turkey) (Acts 14:23). Paul commanded pastor Titus to appoint elders in every church in Crete (Titus 1:5).84 Elders provided basic oversight in New Testament congregations. Their oversight included management of the congregation and pastoral care of the members.

c. The Qualifications for Elders

When the Apostle Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every town, he also gave Titus a list of spiritual qualifications for elders. This list of qualifications closely resembles the list which Paul gave Timothy in 1 Timothy 3. The church may not appoint men who would merely like to serve as elders. Also, successful businessmen do not necessarily have the qualifications necessary to lead in Christ’s church. So we should look at the qualifications which Paul gave Titus.

The requirements listed [in Titus 1] occur in three groups: (1) The person who is going to occupy such an important post must be of deservedly high reputation and if married (which will generally be the case) a good family-man (verse 6) [see also 1 Timothy 3:2, 4, 5, 7]. (2) He must not be the type of person who in his desire to please himself has lost interest in other people (except to vex [upset] them!) and who, if embroiled in a quarrel, is ever ready with his fists. A list of negative characteristics is given: qualities which the overseer must not have (verse 7) [see also 1 Timothy 3:3]. (3) All his actions must give evidence of the fact that both in deed and in doctrine he wishes to be a blessing to others. A list of positive characteristics is given: qualities which the overseer must have (verses 8 and 9) [see also 1 Timothy 3:2].85 We will take note of each group of qualifications.

First, the elder must have a good public reputation. “Blameless” in this context does not mean that the elder has no sin. Rather, he should be free enough from the sins found in this list that his life does not make his work as elder ineffective. The elder, if married must remain faithful to his wife. If a father, he must demonstrate godly wisdom in his leadership of his children. Often a man’s family relationships reveal his character most clearly. So the elder’s family life contributes much to his reputation. Therefore, in stressing the elder’s reputation, the Apostle Paul illustrates it by mentioning the elder’s family life.

Second, the elder must keep himself free from the works of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-21). Sin gives all of us the tendency to treat others proudly, to show anger quickly, to act violently, and to treat people dishonestly. But the elder’s life must

84 G. S. M. Walker, “Presbyter, Presbytery,” The New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed. 85 William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1957) 346. 85 demonstrate that God’s grace has overcome these tendencies in his life. If the elder lives like the world, how can he encourage members of the church to live as Christ desires?

Third, the elder must demonstrate the qualities of holiness. He must treat others graciously, lovingly, and with self-control. He must also demonstrate his loyalty to biblical teaching. Church members remember an elder’s life when they listen to his teaching. Elders must teach Christians concerning the Christian life. So their lives must show that they know how to live it.

These qualifications reflect the duties of elders. God does not want elders who can serve as experts in management or finance. God wants shepherds who guide sheep. So, church elders must show that they possess the faith and life which they urge church members to possess.

4. The Office of Minister of the Word

a. The Role of Elder

1 Timothy 5:17 refers to elders who labor in the word and in teaching. We call these teaching elders “ministers [servants] of the word.” We also call them “pastors” (meaning, shepherds). This last title can mislead us. Maybe we think only of ministers of the word as pastors. Yet all elders serve the church as shepherds or pastors. Ministers of the word, along with the elders, fulfill the role of shepherd.

The New Testament only gradually lets us know about ministers of the word in the New Testament church. When the apostles lived, they devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:2, 4). However, the apostles eventually died. So the task of preaching and teaching God’s word fell on some of the elders whom God calls to that purpose.

Berkhof explains the origin of the office of the minister of the word this way: In the course of time two circumstances led to a distinction between the elders or overseers that were entrusted only with the government of the Church, and those that were also called upon to teach: (1) when the apostles died and heresies arose and increased, the task of those who were called upon to teach became more exacting and demanded special preparation, II Tim. 2:2; Tit. 1:9; and (2) in view of the fact that the laborer is worthy of his hire, those who were engaged in the ministry of the Word, a comprehensive task requiring all their time, were set free from other work, in order that they might devote themselves more exclusively to the work of teaching.86

This history has prompted much debate over the position which a minister actually possesses. Does he serve as an elder who teaches? Or does he fulfill an office which we should distinguish from the eldership? We will not discuss these questions

86 Berkhof, Systematic Theology 586. 86 here. But we want to notice that the work of minister includes the work of elder. Both must give the church spiritual supervision. Nevertheless the minister has a unique additional task. He must also preach and teach.

Since the work of ministers includes the work of elders, we conclude that ministers must meet the qualifications for elders which we presented in this lesson. Also the Greek words for elders, presbuteros (elders) and episkopos (overseers), describe ministers of the word. Therefore, in supervising the spiritual life of the church, ministers of the word and elders must work as one body in the church. The minister’s preaching must reflect the spiritual concerns which all the elders have for the church. This unity in leadership between elders and ministers arises from the fact that ministers have received the role of elder.

b. The Role of Preacher/Teacher

In his letters to pastors Timothy and Titus, the Apostle Paul instructs them concerning their preaching. For example, he wrote Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). Let us summarize what Paul wrote to preachers about preaching.

First, the preacher must watch after his own life. He must hold on to the faith with a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19). The preacher must believe the gospel which he preaches. He must train himself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7). He must pursue this training because society around him pursues deceiving spirits, false teachings, and godless myths (1 Timothy 4:1-3, 7). So the preacher must carefully watch his life and teaching. He must also persevere in them (1 Timothy 4:15, 16; 6:6-12).

Second, the preacher must expose the errors of false teaching in society. He must also command Christ’s flock to avoid them (1 Timothy 4:6, 11). Those who resist this sound teaching demonstrate their pride, foolishness, unhealthy interest in conflict, and greed (1 Timothy 6:4-5). The church must learn how falsehood differs from God’s truth.

Third, the preacher must teach Christians to pursue holy living. He must believe that Scripture came from God to be profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and instructing Christians in righteousness. Therefore, he must correct, rebuke and encourage in every occasion which requires these actions (2 Timothy 3:16-4:2). This means he must teach all groups in the church to follow sound doctrine (Titus 2:1-10). He must teach slaves and masters to respect each other (1 Timothy 6:1-2). He must teach the rich to put their hope in God and to demonstrate generosity (1 Timothy 6:17-19). He must teach Christians to subject themselves to authorities and to live peaceably (Titus 3:1, 2). Always, the preacher must remind the church of the gospel by which Christ saved and changed them (Titus 3:3-7).

So preaching must proclaim God’s word. But it must preach God’s word relevantly. It must speak about the world in which we live. It must call the church out of the world to follow Jesus Christ. Preaching must constantly present Christ’s saving 87 grace. Only Christ’s grace can give us power to resist the world’s teaching and to entrust ourselves to Jesus’ grace. In this way the minister of the word declares the gospel of Christ as an overseer of the church.

5. The Question of Women in Church Office

We need to discuss, at least briefly, the practice of some churches of ordaining women as deacons, elders, and ministers of the word. In past decades people have discussed this practice increasingly. More churches than in the past ordain women to Church office today. We cannot bring up every issue that people have raised concerning this practice. We will merely state some implications of the issue and what we believe the Bible plainly teaches.

First, we must think about what this issue does or does not imply. Some people say that the church needs the ordination of women to permit women to serve fully in the church? However, we do not accept this viewpoint. Some men have never been ordained as elders or deacons. Yet they can serve fully in the church of Christ. Non- ordained women may teach the youth of the church, teach and counsel other women, assist the poor inside and outside the church, advise elders and deacons regarding the needs of individuals, serve with the preparation of food at church events, visit the sick, inform the church about issues in the community which affect the church, serve the church with the expertise they have acquired from their education and work, and pray for the church. Women may provide leadership in ministry to women, in Bible studies, in the spiritual nurture of children, as well as other capacities. Often women can serve in the life of the church more energetically than many men can. Each church will make its own decisions concerning how men and women will serve in the church. But each church should offer its women abundant opportunities for service.

However, we believe the Bible designates only men as candidates for church office. We see this in several places. When the Jerusalem church selected deacons, the apostles said, “Choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). The Greek work for “men” refers to males, not to persons in general. The Apostle Paul wrote, “A deacon must be the husband of but one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2). He also wrote that an overseer (elder) must be “the husband of but one wife;” “He must manage his own family well. . . . (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)” (1 Timothy 3:4, 5). In others words, the church must appoint as elders only those men who—if they are husbands and fathers— manage their own homes as men of God. Also, the Apostle Paul wrote this concerning worship services: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent for Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1 Timothy 2:11-13). This seems to recall Genesis 2:21-22 where God created the woman to assist her husband, but not to rule over him. These basic teachings from Scripture compel us to urge churches to ordain only godly men to its offices. 88

C. DISCIPLINE UNDER CHURCH AUTHORITY

In 1 Corinthians 5 the Apostle Paul wrote about a very serious moral problem in the Corinthian church. A man had his father’s wife (1 Corinthians 5:1). Even most pagan men did not do this. Apparently members in the church took pride in their tolerance of this man (1 Corinthians 5:6). So the Apostle Paul warned the church about the seriousness of the situation. He also told them to hand the man over to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:5). They must remove the man from the church’s membership and regard him as a pagan. As we will see, the elders must take this action to protect the church. A serious spiritual problem in the church required significant action.

This situation and Paul’s command teach us about the church’s duty to discipline its members. Paul’s instruction assumes that we place ourselves under the spiritual care of elders. Members of the visible church consist of professing Christians (and their children) who place themselves under the supervision of the church elders. The elders must encourage them to continue in the Christian life or warn and discipline those who do not.

We will explore two parts of discipline under church authority. We will see the two methods that elders use to discipline with authority. The church disciplines through its message and its actions.

1. Methods of Discipline

Jesus spoke about the church’s discipline when he said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19; see 18:18). The person with the keys of the kingdom will determine who enters the kingdom of heaven and who does not. So Jesus entrusted authority to the church which determines who will be saved and who will not. We will look at two ways the church exercises this authority.

a. Discipline through the message

Jesus first spoke about the keys of the kingdom when He responded to Peter’s confession (Matthew 16:13-16). We looked at this moment in Jesus’ teaching at the end of Lesson Two. Peter had just declared for all the disciples that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. So Jesus expressed His approval of Peter’s confession. Furthermore, Christ said that He would build His church on this “rock,” the confession which Peter had just made. Christ will gather into His church men, women, and children who trust in Him. By faith they will declare that they have found all they need for salvation in Christ, the rock. Then Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus did not call the man Peter a rock in every circumstance. Later in this same chapter He said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me” (Mathew 16:23). Only as Peter declared the gospel, which Christ alone accomplished, 89 did he exist as the rock. By declaring the gospel of Christ Peter would open the kingdom to those who believe and close it to those who disbelieve. Later, in Matthew 18:18, Christ gave the same authority to the rest of the disciples. With their Gospel proclamation Christ would make His church stand forever.87

This proclamation of the gospel—that a person can receive salvation in Christ alone—has the effect of discipline. It tells everyone not to look for salvation in any other religion, philosophy, or human goal. If a person wants to receive eternal salvation, he must repent of his sins and trust only in Christ. Elders practice discipline through the message when they require the preachers in their churches to preach only this true gospel of Christ. They must demand preaching which proclaims full salvation in Christ, found only in Christ. This will shape those who listen in faith.

b. Discipline through action

Jesus also said that the action of the church would constitute the keys of the kingdom. He described the church’s removing an unrepentant sinner from its membership. When the person continues to refuse the elders’ warnings, the church should “treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector.” Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). Jesus does not guarantee His approval of every decision made by the church elders. Sometimes elders sinfully promote their own interests. However, when church elders urge the repentant to submit to Christ as Savior and Lord, and when sinners continue to resist, then Christ performs what the church declares. He removes the sinner from the kingdom of heaven. Jesus assured the biblical church of this. He summarizes this topic by saying, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).

Perhaps we can let the Heidelberg Catechism summarize the two methods of discipline which we have presented: Q. 83. What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven?

A. The preaching of the holy gospel, and christian discipline, or excommunication out of the christian church; by these two, the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers, and shut against unbelievers.

Q. 84. How is the kingdom of heaven opened and shut by the preaching of the holy gospel?

87 Clowney, The Church 40. 90

A. Thus: when according to the command of Christ, it is declared and publicly testified to all and every believer, that, whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by a true faith, all their sins are really forgiven them of God, for the sake of Christ's merits; and on the contrary, when it is declared and testified to all unbelievers, and such as do not sincerely repent, that they stand exposed to the wrath of God, and eternal condemnation, so long as they are unconverted: according to which testimony of the gospel, God will judge them, both in this, and in the life to come.

Q. 85. How is the kingdom of heaven shut and opened by christian discipline?

A. Thus: when according to the command of Christ, those, who under the name of christians, maintain doctrines, or practices inconsistent therewith, and will not, after having been often brotherly admonished, renounce their errors and wicked course of life, are complained of to the church, or to those, who are thereunto appointed by the church; and if they despise their admonition, are by them forbidden the use of the sacraments; whereby they are excluded from the christian church, and by God himself from the kingdom of Christ; and when they promise and show real amendment, are again received as members of Christ and his church.88

2. Steps of Disciplinary Action

In Matthew 18 Jesus gives us steps which individual Christians and the church should take when a sinner in the church refuses to repent. Christ begins with “If your brother

88 28 April 2010

First, if someone who professes the Christian faith sins against us, we should go to him and privately show him his fault. We should understand some of Jesus’ concerns here. In the first place, we desire to keep the matter as private as possible. So we do not tell other people about the offense. We visit the offender privately and explain how we believe he sinned against us. Also, we do not accuse the other person with confidence that we know everything. When this teaching appears in Luke, Jesus says we should rebuke the person in a tentative manner.89 We may approach the person and say, “As far as I can see, you have wronged me in such and such a way, but if you have an explanation, I am ready to hear it before passing final judgment.”90 This may begin a conversation which ends the matter. The person who offended us may repent and seek our forgiveness. We must forgive when he asks for it (Matthew 6:14,15). When we forgive, we give up the right to bring the matter up again. Or the person may show how we misunderstood what happened. In that case, we may ask him to excuse us for misunderstanding what took place.

Second, maybe the person will not listen to us. Then, Jesus says, we must take one or two others to go with us to the person (Matthew 18:16). The additional people will serve as witnesses to the discussion which continues with the person who sinned against us. They did not witness the sin. But they witness the ongoing conversation. They work for reconciliation between us and the offender. However, if they cannot help the two sides reach reconciliation, they should join us in telling the church elders about the issue.

So, third, we tell the church. This means that, in most cases, we tell the elders of the church.

At this point private sins and public sins begin to receive the same treatment. The first two steps we have mentioned so far concern private sins. These matters do not reach the elders’ attention until we follow the first two steps. But sometimes church members commit sins which many people instantly know about. In this case, the sin immediately reaches the attention of the elders. So this third step forms the first step in which the elders officially become involved with a person who committed a public sin.

The elders must investigate the accusation against the individual. They must also speak to him. If they have found him defending his sin, they must try to show him his sin and urge him to repent. If the person refuses to repent, the elders must eventually tell the church that they are working pastorally with him. They should not tell the congregation many of the details. They seek, rather, to ask the church to pray for the individual.

89 Jay Adams, Handbook of Church Discipline (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986) 50. 90 Adams 50. 92

Finally, if the person does not repent, the elders must remove the unrepentant sinner from church membership and “treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector (Matthew 18:17). This means the church will begin to treat the person as a member of the world, not of the church of Christ. Scripture provides this command in Matthew 18:17 and in 1 Corinthians 5:2, 5, 7, 13 in the case where a man had his father’s wife. During this entire process, the elders should record what they have done—with reasons— to enable follow-up work if that becomes necessary in the future.

The church should pray that the Lord will bring the sinner back to Himself. In 2 Corinthians 2:6-8 we learn the result of the discipline which the Corinthian church imposed on the man who had his father’s wife. He repented. Therefore Paul tells the church, “I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him” (2 Corinthians 2:8). The elders should teach the church members to accept the reconciled man back, to treat him as a brother, and to encourage him in the Christian life. The steps of discipline which Jesus gave in Matthew 18 often produce the wonderful fruit of restoration in Christ.

Elders should understand the authority to discipline which Christ has given them. They should follow the steps Christ gave for disciplinary action. They should proceed in the confidence that Christ will build His church. He will also discipline His church. They will pray for the favorable result which only Christ can produce: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

SUMMARY

We began this lesson by saying that Christ has placed authority in the church. We listed different views concerning where Christ has placed His authority. We concluded that Scripture teaches that Christ gives authority to elders who must rule their local congregations according to God’s word.

Next, we learned about three offices which Christ gave to the church. Scripture tells us that churches need deacons, elders, and ministers of the word. We learned about the scriptural names, duties, and qualifications for each office.

Finally, we took special note of discipline which Christ wants the church— especially its elders—to perform. They must insist that ministers of the word proclaim God’s word so that Christians receive discipline from what God’s word says. They must also make sure that they perform the disciplinary action which Christ commands when one of their members refuses to heed the gospel of Christ. Elders should always seek the goal of biblical discipline, the restoration of sinners to Jesus Christ.

QUESTIONS

1. Where does the Bible teach that Christ has all authority in the church? 93

2. Name the four different views of church government which this lesson mentioned. According to each view where does authority in the church belong?

3. What offices in the church does this lesson describe?

4. What two functions did deacons in Geneva have?

5. What do the two Greek words for the office of elder teach about elders?

6. What three groups of qualifications should characterize church elders?

7. How does the minister of the word serve as an elder?

8. How does the minister of the word serve distinctly from the other elders?

9. What two methods do elders use to practice discipline in the church?

10. List the steps of disciplinary action which Jesus gives us. 94

LESSON SEVEN

SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN CHURCH LIFE

INTRODUCTION

In Lesson Three we referred to two perspectives on the church as visible. We described the church as institution and the church as organism. As an institution the church displays visible unity by its ministry under the supervision of its ordained leaders. As an organism the church exhibits visible unity by the shared life of all its members. Both kinds of unity exist side by side in the visible church today.

After Lesson Three we gave most of our attention to the ministry of the church as institution. Lesson Four presented the church’s three-fold ministry: the ministries of worship, nurture, and disciple-making. We certainly believe that Christians can gather informally to worship God together. We also agree that individual Christians make disciples. Yet we focused more on the organized ministry of the church under the supervision of the elders and ministers of the word. We also limited our discussion of the means of grace to the means which ministers of the word administer when the church gathers for public worship. Our treatment of authority on the church also focused on the officers of the church. Much of our discussion, therefore, has treated topics which affect the church as institution.

This lesson explores more the life of the church as organism. It looks at the unique spiritual gifts which Christ has given each Christian. Often Christians exercise their gifts during the church’s official worship. For example, the minister uses his gift of teaching when he preaches to the congregation. Also, musicians exercise their musical gifts when they lead the congregation in singing songs of praise during the worship service. Yet, most often individual Christians use their gifts of evangelism, hospitality, generosity, and encouragement when church leaders have no knowledge of it. These Christians show that they belong to the body of Christ. They contribute to the spiritual life which Christians share in their daily experience. This lesson on spiritual gifts brings that part of church life into focus.

We will look at matters which help us understand the spiritual gifts. First, we will seek to define a “spiritual gift” and explore its relationship to a natural ability. Second, we will explore where the spiritual gifts come from. Third, we will see what Scripture says about Christ’s purpose in giving them. Next, we will look at the variety of the spiritual gifts. Finally we will ask which gifts remain in the church today.

A. SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND NATURAL ABILITIES

By “spiritual gifts” we mean gifts which God has given Christians to make it possible for them to help others significantly in their Christian lives. These gifts offer a great variety of help. Sometimes they enable someone to provide “practical” help which lifts noticeable burdens in someone else’s life. Sometimes spiritual gifts enable someone to 95 teach God’s word so that they clarify for others the meaning of Scripture. Some people receive from God the ability to encourage those who grieve. In every case they give important help to others in the body of Christ.

Theologians disagree over the relationship between “spiritual gifts” and natural abilities. Notice two opposing ways by which some have defined these gifts. For example, one author defines spiritual gifts as those benefits of God’s favor that equip the saints to accomplish specific tasks. A gift is “a capacity for service which is given to every true Christian without exception and which is something each did not possess before he became a Christian.”91 According to this understanding, a Christian receives his spiritual gifts at or after his conversion.

However John Stott suggests another understanding. He wrote, is it not a priori unlikely that God will give a spiritual gift of teaching to a believer who in pre-conversion days could not teach for toffee, or a spiritual gift of encouragement to a brother or sister who by temperament is unsympathetic and unfriendly? It would not be impossible to God. But would it not be more in harmony with the God of the Bible, whose plans are eternal, to suppose that his spirituals gifts dovetail with his natural endowments? . . . Thus, a man may be a gifted teacher before his conversion, and may after it be given the charisma of teaching to enable him to expound with insight, clarity and relevance. Or he may have a sympathetic disposition by nature, but after conversion be given the spiritual gift of ‘encouragement’ to enable him to exercise a specifically Christian ministry of ‘encouragement in Christ’ (Phil. 2:1) both by his Christian instruction (e.g. 1 Thes. 4:18; Tit 1:9) and by the warmth and strength of his Christian faith (Rom. 1:12).92

This second understanding seems to match how God used the Apostle Paul. Before his conversion to Christ, Paul had received an excellent education in Scripture and Judaism. At one time he said, “Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers” (Acts 22:3). He gained a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament. Therefore, as an apostle, Paul possessed the skill, for example, to correct Judaizers in his letter to the Galatians. He quoted Scripture frequently to make his points. Beginning with His conversion to Christ he gained the ability to organize his knowledge to proclaim the gospel with it. It seems, therefore, that God often uses our natural abilities and uses them as spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ.

91 Thomas Martin, “Gifts and Graces,” The Communion of Saints: Living in Fellowship with the People of God, ed. Philip Graham Ryken (Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2001) 99. The author quotes Ray C. Steadman, Body Life (Glendale, Calif.: Regal, 1972) 40. 92 John Stott, Baptism and fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1964) 93-4. 96

On the other hand, when Christ makes a sinner a new creature, that new Christian also gains new insights from his new relationship with Christ. For example, the new Christian can explain, as he could not before his conversion, how he grieves over the death of a loved one as one who has Christian hope. Perhaps we see spiritual gifts as often related to our nature abilities—but not always.

B. THE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

The New Testament teaches clearly that Christ gives Christians their spiritual gifts. For example, Ephesians 3 says, to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. . . . It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:7, 11, 12) These verses show us that various gifts (“grace”) equip Christians for different responsibilities in the body of Christ. It also states that Christ “apportioned” (distributed) different gifts to different people. So the spiritual gifts came from Christ.

In another place, the Apostle Paul also wrote, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). John Stott helps us see various ways in which the Apostle Paul describes the divine Source of the gifts. The apostle’s purpose is to emphasize that, although the gifts are diverse, there is only one Giver. He states this truth three times, each time relating the gifts to a different Person of the Trinity (‘the same Spirit’, ‘the same Lord [Jesus]’, ‘the same God [the Father]’).93 This reminds us that the Spiritual gifts do not come from Christ alone. The Triune God provides these gifts for the church needs. God gave the gifts to equip the church for ministry.

We learn important lessons from this. First, if we wish to perform meaningful ministry in the body of Christ, we ought to pray for this. Gifts which genuinely help other Christians come from God. Second, we ought to pray that our use of our gifts will indeed bless others. Scripture says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). This teaches us to look to Christ to give us a way to serve in the body and to give effectiveness when we serve.

C. THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

God gave gifts to each Christian to bless the whole body of Christ. He did not give us abilities so we could become more important. The gifts which He gave enable us to serve others. As we serve others in the body of Christ, they receive help, encouragement, and courage. So, as Christ gave gifts to each Christian, He also gave them to the church.

93 John Stott 87. 97

We notice a few places where the New Testament teaches this. For example, Ephesians 4 teaches that Christ gave gifts to equip apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13) Other places in the New Testament mention other gifts. But each gift mentioned here involves speech and teaching. The Apostle Paul continues by telling us the purpose of this biblical teaching. The teaching of God’s truth gives stability and confidence to protect us from following the changing opinions of our evil society. Also, as Christ anchors Christians in the truth of His word, they can speak the truth in love to each other. They will build each other up in Christian love (see Ephesians 4:14-16). So God gives teaching gifts to some Christians to protect the whole church from error and spiritual danger.

We should value the unifying effects of sound teaching compared to the disruptive effects of error and heresy. Error includes any departure in belief or practice from the truth of God’s word. Since no one understands and obeys perfectly, every Christian follows some sort of errors. But heresy refers to more serious error. Theologians usually define it as “a denial of any biblical truth that is essential to believe for salvation.”94 In other words, one cannot hold to a heresy and also possess salvation. Sometimes an error so directly contradicts the Christian faith that that one cannot follow both. We call such a serious error, a heresy. To spare the church from errors and destructive heresies, God has placed some in the church to have the gift of sound teaching. When we heed their biblical teaching, we keep ourselves safe for eternity.

The Apostle Paul refers to the purpose of our gifts also in 1 Corinthians 12:12- 31). He shows God’s wisdom in giving a great variety of gifts to the church. He reminds us that our physical bodies need ears, eyes and hands. The body works best when each bodily organ does its part. Therefore, we should not divide the body up into parts that have importance and parts which do not. Each part has importance in a physical body. Similarly Christians form the body of Christ. The body of Christ should not divide itself into groups of people who have importance and people who do not. Each person belongs for the benefit of the rest.

So Christ blesses the whole church as He gives gifts for service to each believer. By giving each one a unique combination of personal strengths, characteristics, and abilities, He enriches the church immensely.

94 Thomas Martin 104. 98

D. THE VARIETY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Perhaps we ought to remember the great diversity of gifts which Christ has placed in the church. The New Testament demonstrates the vast range of which we can find in the church today. We will look at this variety from a few perspectives.

1. Variety of Duties

1 Corinthians 12:28 says, “And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.” The first “gifts” on the list—apostles and prophets—refer to tasks (duties) which some in the early church received from Christ. Ephesians 4:11 refers to evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These also refer, in some cases, to individuals who hold publicly recognized positions. They possess publicly recognized duties within the church. Christ has placed a variety of individuals in His church who possess differing duties or responsibilities.

2. Variety of Abilities

Romans 12:3-8 refers to Christians who can serve, teach, teach, encourage, lead, and show mercy. It commands us to use our abilities with as much energy and effectiveness as we can. Sometimes people use these abilities privately, in one-on-one meetings. Life in the church as organism constantly features efforts such as these to help individual Christians. When Christians see a need in another Christian’s life, many do what they can to help and strengthen him. Romans 12 refers to the variety of abilities which Christians possess in the body of Christ. Since each Christian displays a unique combination of abilities, no one else in the body can claim not to need other Christians who belong (1 Corinthians 12:14-26).

3. Variety of Personalities

Sometimes a person’s unique contribution to life in the body of Christ comes from his unique personality. For example, Romans 12 mentions those who can encourage and show mercy (Romans 12:8). We might call such people “encouraging” and “merciful.” 1 Peter 4:11 mentions those who speak and those who serve. It seems to distinguish groups of gifts which individuals sometimes possess. For example, sometimes a person who says very little can serve others by extending practical help which one who speaks— such as a teacher—cannot give. Sometimes we say that an individual possesses a “quiet” personality. According to 1 Peter 4, that personality will determine the gifts he can use in the body of Christ.

4. Variety of Gifts in General

John Stott refers to five places where the New Testament lists gifts which Christ gave the church. He makes these summary observations. 99

In the first list recorded at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 12 nine gifts are included. It is also true that the second list at the end of the same chapter comprises nine, but only five of these coincide with gifts in the earlier list. So, even in 1 Corinthians 12, thirteen gifts appear to be mentioned. Then there is a list of seven in Romans 12 (five of which do not occur in either list of 1 Corinthians 12), and a list of five in Ephesians 4 (two of which are new), while just two gifts are cited in 1 Peter 4, one of which (‘whoever speaks’) has not received a specific mention previously. It is not always clear, as we try to compare the five lists, which gift corresponds to which, but it is almost certain that twenty or more distinct gifts are referred to in the New Testament altogether. Further, there is no reason to suppose that the total of these five lists represents an exhaustive catalogue of all spiritual gifts. . . . No single gift occurs in all five lists, and thirteen gifts occur only in one of the five lists. The arrangement seems almost haphazard, as if to draw attention to the fact that each is a limited selection from a much larger total. Besides, do we not know, from history and experience, of gifts which the Holy Spirit has given to individuals, which are not included in any of the biblical lists? Was not Charles Wesley’s ability as a hymnwriter [sic] as much a charisma [spiritual gift] as his bother John’s gift as an evangelist? . . . Or does not our experience of the variety of evangelistic gifts from God suggest that there maybe [sic] a gift of crusade evangelism, another of home evangelism, another of friendship evangelism, another of casual contact evangelism, another of teaching evangelism, another of literature evangelism, and many more kinds besides? I venture to suggest that, as with deeper experiences, so with spiritual gifts: our God is a God of rich and colourful diversity.95

We agree with this conclusion. Scripture teaches us principles which govern our use of our gifts in the body of Christ. But Scripture does not list all the gifts which Christ has given.

E. THE PRESENCE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS TODAY

1. The Issue

So far we have summarized a few important biblical teachings concerning spiritual gifts. Most of the material in this lesson does not cause controversy in the church. Most Christians agree with what we have written so far.

Yet, we need to acknowledge that the topic of spiritual gifts also brings conflict to the Christian church. Christians disagree over whether all of the gifts which Scripture lists still exist today. Do Christians, for example, still possess the gifts of apostleship and

95 Stott 88-89. 100 tongues today? Do some Christians have the gift of healing? Churches have split over these questions.

In this general and brief course we cannot cover the wide extend of these questions. We need to consult a complete theology on this subject. However, we do choose to comment on two very important matters which affect how we answer some of the questions we have raised. We will look at the completion of the apostolic office and completion of Scripture.

2. The Completion of the Apostolic Office

We expect to show that Christ designed the gift of apostleship to last for only the first generation of the church. If we accept this, we may also conclude that some other gifts, which the New Testament lists, belonged only to the first generation of the church. For example, 2 Corinthians 12:12 refers to “the things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles.” If the office of apostle has come to an end, have any of these gifts that mark an apostle come to an end? We raise this question only to show the possible relevance of this topic. In this course, we can discuss only the issue of whether the gift of apostleship has come to an end.

The word, “apostle,” refers to a sent person who speaks with the sender’s authority. In this sense, we may call a missionary an apostle. The missionary has been sent to declare the gospel of Christ. The New Testament uses the word several times to refer to sent people who do not belong to Christ’s apostles. For example, the word shows up in 2 Corinthians 8:23 to refer to representatives or messengers from various churches. Since the churches sent them, the verse calls them “apostles.” Acts 14:4, 14 uses the word to refer to Paul (an apostle of Christ) and Barnabas (not officially an apostle of Christ). But these verses may mean that the church of Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2). These examples include most of the places where “apostle” in the New Testament does not refer only to the apostles of Christ.

During His ministry on earth Christ appointed twelve of his followers to become His apostles (Luke 6:13). The gospels name them (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6;14-16). Sometimes the gospels refer to “the twelve apostles” (Matthew 10:2; maybe Luke 22:14) and sometimes to “the twelve” (Matthew 26:14). Clearly, Christ set these men apart from the rest of His followers to fulfill a unique task.

The death of Judas also confirms the uniqueness of the twelve. After Judas betrayed Jesus, he hanged himself (Matthew 27:1-10). Afterwards, Scripture refers to the remaining apostles as “the eleven” (Luke 24:9; Acts 1:26). Furthermore, after Jesus ascended to heaven, they decided to elect a replacement for Judas. The replacement must have been with Jesus from the time of His baptism to the time of His ascension (Acts 1:22). By lot they chose Matthias. He joined the eleven to give witness with them of Jesus’ resurrection. Once again Christ had twelve apostles. 101

The requirement—that the apostles accompanied Jesus during these three years of public ministry—shows us that Christ’s apostles belonged to only one generation of the church. Ephesians verifies this conclusion. Ephesians 2:20 says that Christ has built the church “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” The word, “foundation” refers to the beginning, the initial stage of a building project, the part of the building which the builder sets in place first. So Christ gave apostles and prophets for the church’s beginnings. Ephesians 3:5 also points out that prophets existed during this foundational period of the church. After Christ ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit revealed that God would include Gentiles in the people of God. The Spirit revealed this “to God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5, 6). These passages in Ephesians imply that prophets also appeared in the New Testament church only during its beginnings. Prophets did not necessarily witness Christ’s three years of public ministry. But they assisted the apostles in laying the church’s foundation correctly. So Christ gave some gifts to the church for its beginning to give it a foundation, a solid beginning.

Now we must mention the Apostle Paul. He did not accompany the twelve throughout Jesus’ public ministry. But Christ gave Paul an exceptional revelation. At the beginning of 1 Corinthians 15 Paul lists various times when Jesus appeared after He rose from the dead. Jesus appeared to Peter, to the twelve, to more than five hundred, and to James (a son of Jesus’ mother, Mary) (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Last of all Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul adds, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). Interestingly Paul mentions his apostleship along with the fact that he saw the resurrected Christ. He did not accompany Jesus during the three years of Jesus’ public ministry. Yet he could witness to the resurrection of Christ as the twelve could.

Though the apostles whom Christ appointed have died, we may still call the church “apostolic” (see Lesson Three). We do not mean that the apostles live in the midst of the church today. However, we mean that Christ has founded the church on what His apostles taught. The New Testament consists of what Christ’s apostles and their associates wrote. Ephesians 2:20 reminds us that Christ founded the church on the apostles and prophets. Though the apostles have died, their teaching ministry continues in Scripture. The apostolic church remains faithful to the teaching of Christ’s apostles. The office of apostle has ceased. But the effectiveness of their work remains.

3. The Completion of Scripture’s Inspiration

When the Holy Spirit inspired men to write the Bible, He also told God’s people not to add to Scripture.96 For example, as Moses prepared the children of Israel to enter the promised land, he said, “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you” (Deuteronomy 4:2). When the people obeyed this command, they followed the example of God Himself. So, after reviewing the Ten Commandments, Moses said, “These are the commandments the Lord

96 O. Palmer Robertson, The Final Word: A Biblical Response to the Case for Tongues and Prophecy Today (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1993) 52-84. 102 proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly . . .; and he added nothing more” (Deuteronomy 5:22). Later, after giving the people many commands about where to worship, Moses said, “See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32). Immediately afterwards God warned Israel against following false prophets who perform miraculous signs and wonders (Deuteronomy 13:1, 2). Even these amazing works which the false prophets perform should not convince people to follow them. They should resist “prophets” who contradict God’s word by adding to or subtracting from it. So the Old Testament commanded God’s people not to change God’s word.

The New Testament ends with a similar warning: I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19) So, Scripture’s final command declares that we should accept it as a completed book. The inspiration of God’s word has come to a close, has reached its completion. This warns us to guard against people who say they have the gift of giving new revelation from God.

We can see this truth also when we understand the sufficiency of Scripture. The sufficiency of Scripture teaches that the Bible contains all the revelation we need to know God as He wants us to, to believe in Christ, and to understand how God wants us to live. The doctrine does not say that an individual Christian knows everything he needs to know. Rather, in Scripture God has given everything we need. In the fellowship of the church, Christians learn from each other the meaning of Scripture. As history progresses, Christians today learn from how believers of the past understood Scripture. But in every case, we depend on Scripture as God’s completed revelation to learn what God teaches us.

The Bible teaches the sufficiency of Scripture. For example, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Here the Apostle Paul urges Timothy to stay with Scripture. It will equip him thoroughly in everything he needs to do as a Christian and a pastor. Galatians 1:6-9 gives a strong warning against listening to additional “gospels” which the church heard. The Apostle Paul announces God’s curse on all who change the gospel which he preached. This shows us the sufficiency of the gospel preached by Christ’s Apostle Paul. So we believe that Scripture teaches its own sufficiency. Therefore, we should not rely on those who say that their spiritual gift will supply the church with new revelation from God which possesses the same authority that Scripture has. The inspiration of God’s saving revelation has come to a close.

Perhaps we should answer a question which may arise: does not Scripture say, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt” (1 Thessalonians 5:20)? And doesn’t the 103

Apostle Paul also encourage the use of the gift of prophesying (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 10)? Indeed, the Apostle Paul wrote these things. We will let O. Palmer Robertson explain how Protestant theology has historically viewed the place of these verses in biblical history: The Apostle’s interest in the role of these particular gifts takes a significant turn in the letters written during the middle days of his career. He speaks in Ephesians of the ‘apostles and prophets’ as the foundation on which the church is being built (Eph. 2:20). He refers to the revelation concerning the nature of the church that has been made known to ’God’s holy apostles and prophets’ (Eph. 3:5). He speaks of those whom God appointed to be apostles and prophets, along with evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11). While these particular offices are seen as still functioning in the church, they are being presented as providing a foundation of revelation on which the church as a whole can be built. But the level of interest in the gifts of tongues and prophecy declines dramatically in the last writings of Paul. In his first letter to Timothy, the gift of prophecy is not mentioned except with reference to the prophecy that had been uttered earlier at the time of Timothy’s ordination (1 Tim. 1:18; 4:14). The gifts of tongues and prophecy are nowhere mentioned in Titus or 2 Timothy, except for the mention of the prophetic revelations constituting the Scriptures of the old covenant (2 Tim. 3:16). What has happened? Is it to be concluded that these gifts related to new revelation still were functioning widely at this late date in the apostolic age, since no command forbidding them has been issued? The precise opposite would seem to be the case, particularly in the light of Paul’s extensive remarks regarding the phenomenon that appropriately could substitute for the unending continuation of these revelational gifts. In his last letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul employs a number of phrases underscoring the importance of holding to the sound teaching that has been provided them. Titus is told that an elder in Christ’s church ‘must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine’ (Tit. 1:9). The erring must be rebuked sharply, ‘so that they will be sound in the faith’ (Tit. 1:13). . . . In a most forceful way, young Timothy is charged to ‘keep as the pattern of sound teaching’ the things he has heard from Paul (2 Tim. 1:13). He must ‘guard the good deposit’ that has been entrusted in him (2 Tim. 1:14), referring to the doctrine he has been taught. Envisioning a development that stretches across four generations, Paul (the first generation) admonishes Timothy (the second generation) to entrust to reliable men (the third generation) who can teach others also (the fourth generation) the teachings he has received from the Apostle (2 Tim. 2:2). Timothy must show himself to be a good workman, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). . . . These many references to an established body of doctrine in 2 Timothy and Titus point to a different circumstance than that which was 104

addressed in Paul’s earlier writings. The complete absence of reference to the gifts of prophecy and tongues in these later letters contrasts radically with the circumstance prevailing in the earlier correspondence with the Thessalonian, Corinthian and Roman churches. Now the Apostle is concerned to make provision for the church’s ongoing need for the truth in the future. Along with the other apostles, he will soon be gone. He locates God’s provision for the future not in an ongoing experience of the special gifts of tongues and prophecy, but in the established revelation that has been provided during the years of the apostolic age. There is ‘the deposit’ of truth, there is ‘sound doctrine’, there is ‘the tradition’, there is ‘the faith’, there is the ‘trustworthy message’. It is not that there was no awareness earlier of a ‘deposit’ of faith, a body of doctrine to be believed, for reference can be found in Paul’s earlier writings to this kind of phenomenon (cf. 2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6). But the completeness, the sufficiency of a tradition of teaching that had been received came only at the end of the apostolic age.97

According to this view, as the inspiration of the New Testament came to a close the need for saving revelation outside the Bible came to a close. According to this view, the spiritual gifts which gave revelation outside of Scripture to the early church have ceased.

SUMMARY

This lesson presents biblical teachings about the spiritual gifts. We began with topics concerning those gifts on which most Christians agree. We discussed how the spiritual gifts probably resemble many of a person’s natural abilities. But after a person’s conversion, he can use his abilities to serve Christ and the members of the church. We saw from Scripture that, as the Source of spiritual gifts, the Triune God gave to each Christian the abilities he has to serve in the body of Christ. We reviewed the purpose of these gifts. Christ gave them so that each Christian would need others in His body to become complete and well-grounded in the faith. When we noticed the great variety of gifts which the New Testament mentions, we concluded that Scripture does not list all of the gifts which Christ has given to the church. In the first part of the lesson we deal with these matters which stir up little controversy.

We also approached additional issues which have presented conflict in the church. We raised the question whether all of the gifts mentioned in the New Testament still exist in the church today. We did not answer that question completely. However, we mentioned two truths which we believe affect how we look for an answer. First, we tried to show that the office of apostle no longer exists in the church. Christ appointed apostles to serve as witnesses to His resurrection and to form the main part of the foundation of the church. With the apostolic foundation of the completed New Testament in place, the church no longer needs new apostles. Second we sought to explain why Paul’s earlier writings encourage the use of prophecy though his later letters

97 Robertson, The Final Word 75-77. 105 do not. Church leaders in the apostolic age wrote Scripture under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit finished that body of inspired writing, the church no longer needed additional inspired revelation. In general, the end of this lesson tried to show that the gifts which Christ gives the church today do not conflict with the completion of the apostolic office and the completion of Scripture’s inspiration.

QUESTIONS

1. What do the two views about spiritual gifts and natural abilities say about their relationship.

2. Who, does Scripture say, gives Christians their spiritual gifts?

3. What purpose does God have when He gives spiritual gifts to Christians?

4. How many gifts has Christ given to His church?

5. How did this lesson describe the variety of gifts in the church?

6. What issue does the “presence of spiritual gifts today” raise?

7. What does the lesson mean by “the completion of the apostolic office?”

8. Why, according to the lesson, do many believe the apostolic office has ceased?

9. What does the lesson mention the completion of Scripture’s inspiration?

10. What did this lesson teach you that you did not know before? 106

LESSON EIGHT

THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH AND CHURCH PLANTING

INTRODUCTION

This lesson deals with an important practical work of the church. We will discuss the work of church planting. Church planting helps fulfill the commission which Christ gave the church, His command to make disciples. However, we will not merely describe the activity of church planting. Many church planters have sources, more complete than this course, to guide them. So we will see how the doctrine of the church effects the way the church plants churches.

We begin this lesson by reviewing what this course has taught so far. The first three chapters describe the church of Christ. The church forms the people of the Triune God (Lesson One). The church consists of the New Testament people of God which God began with Abraham in the Old Testament (Lesson Two). The Church forms the covenant people and the citizens of Christ’s kingdom. We also gave theological descriptions of the church or parts of the church. Lesson Three explains the meanings of the Church as triumphant and militant, as visible and invisible, and as institution and organism. In this way we learned about the existence of the church.

Lessons Four through Seven present what the church does. The church’s work consists of its three-fold ministry (Lesson Four). The church worships God, nurtures believers, and conducts evangelism in the world. We showed from Scripture that the Holy Spirit’s use of the means of grace (Lesson Five). The Spirit works independently in sinners as He decides to give and nurture Christian faith in them. But in the church He uses the inspired Word—Holy Scripture—and the sacraments to give this grace. We saw that Christ has placed authority in the church (Lesson Six). Christ appoints church officers to have authority in the church. He gives elders the authority to discipline their spiritual flocks. We looked at the different spiritual gifts which enable all members of the church to serve others in unique ways (Lesson Seven). This variety of gifts helps ensure that the church has the abilities it needs to fulfill its full ministry as a body. So, how do these teachings help the church planter?

The author of this course needed help to write this lesson. He has never planted a church. So he consulted church planters in North America and Central America, in India and the Philippines for advice. He asked them how they approached the planting of their churches. He also studied published and online sources to learn about the subject. Hopefully, these sources have equipped him to write this lesson meaningfully.

We acknowledge the great difficulty of giving real help to church planters working in many diverse situations. Different cultures confront church planters with unique challenges. Also, we cannot merely quote officials of mission boards. Without realizing it, they often describe the work of planting churches with phrases that others do 107 not understand. We want this lesson to offer genuine help and practical advice to students in many places. We hope the advice arises from a biblical doctrine of the church. May the Lord make this lesson a blessing and help to students.

A. BIBLICAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT CHURCH PLANTING

Anyone who accepts the task of planting a church approaches it with some assumptions. These assumptions include basic beliefs about what happens in church planting and what the church should do during the process. Sometimes church planters have beliefs about their work which will mislead them. Possibly they depend more on man’s skill than on the power of God. For example, many church-planters have used man-centered techniques; and many people have joined their growing churches. But this does not mean that those who join the church have come to faith in Christ. Possibly the church planter gave them false reasons to join. Maybe he encouraged them to join without teaching them the Gospel of Christ. Some church planters who see amazing results do not base their work on biblical assumptions. In this section we wish to present some assumptions —basic beliefs—which come from the Bible.

1. God gathers His church.

Lessons One and Two insist that God’s people form the church. These people belong to the Triune God by faith in Jesus Christ. This means God gathers them to become His people.

According to the Bible, God—not man—builds the church. The Bible teaches this truth in several ways. For example, when Peter professed Jesus as the Christ, Jesus said he would build His church on this truth which Peter stated (Matthew 16:18). Jesus did not say that the disciples would build His church. Christ continues to build His church even today. Romans 8:29, 30 confirms this. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified, those he justified, he also glorified.” These verses together teach that God builds the church by the gospel of Christ.

The book of Acts tells the story of Christ building the church. Acts 1:1ff implies that the story of Acts will show what Christ continues to do and teach. The book of Acts tells us the amazing story of the New Testament Church’s original miraculous growth (cf. Acts 2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1; 9:31, 35, 42; 11:21, 24; 14:1; 16:5). Acts also tells us that the Lord Himself caused the church to grow. The last sentence of Acts 2 says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Acts 9:31 says that the church in Galilee and Samaria grew as the Holy Spirit encouraged it. Acts 11:21 says that the church in Antioch grew when the Lord’s hand was with them. Acts 13:2 says that the Holy Spirit told the church in Antioch to send Paul and Barnabas to the work which God had called them to do. Acts 16 tells the story of a vision which Paul received from God. A man from Macedonia called Paul to come over and help the Macedonians (Acts 16:6-10). So Christ’s Spirit guided the missionaries. The Spirit 108 encouraged the church as it grew. And the Lord added to the church those who were saved. Since the Triune God builds the church, each church planter must ask, “What message does God want me to preach and what methods does God want me to use?”

The church’s growth in Acts shows us that Christ’s church consists primarily of people. The church needs organization, institutionalization. A congregation will worship God, nurture its members, and make disciples of the nations. However, the basic identity of the church does not come from how it organizes itself or what it does. Rather, as the opening lessons teach, the church at heart consists of the people whom God gathers by the gospel of Christ.

2. The biblical church planter relies on God through prayer.

The New Testament grew while Christians joined in earnest prayer. C. John Miller shows this as he stresses the central place of prayer in the life of the early church. These Christians had been shown the vital link between prayer and the work God gave them to do. They knew: —that the Lord taught His disciples to seek the gift of the Spirit through earnest prayer (Luke 11:1-13); —that the Lord commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were filled with the power of the Spirit (Luke 24:49); — that His disciples obeyed the Lord by waiting in constant and united prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13-14; 2:1-4); — that the apostles were unalterably committed to prayer as their first priority in ministry (Acts 6:4); — and that one of the four distinguishing features of their newly born church was its being devoted continually to the practice of public prayer (Acts 2:42). In short, what the church of Jerusalem had discovered was that the work of the gospel required the gift of the Spirit’s filling, sought in fervent prayer.98

One church planter, whom the author of this lesson consulted, verified this insight. He wrote, There is a danger [that] the Church that doesn’t do evangelism will disappear in [the] course of time. And the evangelism that doesn’t have the follow-up work of the churches will also lose its fruit after a course of time. Let’s see some steps that are working for us to plant the churches in the town and villages in India. . . . 1. We choose a village or town first and will pray before we go and set up the things for open air gospel meetings. 2. We pray until we get the peace of the Lord as a green signal.99

98 C. John Miller, Evangelism and Your Church (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.: 1980) 39. Miller acknowledges missiologist Harvie M. Conn for this insight. He cites as one source: Harvie M. Conn, “Luke’s Theology of Prayer,” Christianity Today XVII (December 22, 1972) 6-8. 99 Samson Roberts, e-mail to author, 17 May 2010. 109

This church planter gives additional steps which he follows for church planting. But he emphasizes from the beginning the role of prayer in his approach to the task. The beginning of his approach merely follows the pattern of the apostles in the book of Acts. The church will go out to plant churches, as Lesson Four implies in the third part of the church’s three-fold ministry. But the role of prayer in church planting demonstrates that the Lord Himself gathers His people through the church’s prayer-filled efforts. (see the Appendix to this lesson, step 1)

3. Church plants take unique forms due to their people’s unique gifts.

We showed in Lesson One that the church consists of the people of the Triune God. We emphasized in Lesson Seven that God gives each Christian a unique combination of spiritual gifts. Therefore each Christian will make unique contributions to the life of the church. This implies that each church plant will consist of a unique group of people. So no church plant will exactly resemble any other. And no emerging church will develop precisely the same ministry which another church performs.

The uniqueness of each church plant implies two important truths for church planters to understand. First, a church planter cannot inflexibly follow the blueprint which another church planter has drawn up. Certainly church planters can learn from the experience and advice of other church planters. Yet, the people of one church plant will possess different gifts from the people of another. One church plant will face obstacles which no other church plant confronts. So each church plant will develop differently. Second, the church planter must learn to use the variety of gifts in the church which God has given him to lead.

4. Church planting requires personal discipleship.

The Apostle Paul told pastor Timothy to entrust to others what Paul had taught him. He wrote, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul provides the pattern for teaching in the life in the church. Most teaching in the church will come from members of the local church body who have personally learned God’s word from others.

This pattern for sound teaching matches the pattern of authority that Christ designed for the church. Lesson Six stresses that church elders must tend to their local spiritual flocks. They must practice personal discipleship. The spiritual care and teaching which a church provides rely on a personal relationship between the human shepherds and the sheep. One church planter stressed this when he told the author about his general approach to church planting. He wrote, “ People need to “convert” from individualism to a sense of “congregation” – “church” – “body of Christ.” I would . . . emphasize evangelism by personal bible study, a semi-rigorous pre-membership class, and required bible study classes for all who wish to serve as deacons, elders, Sunday 110

School teachers – and indeed, the whole church. . . . Some contexts differ – [some] people come into the church more “easily,” but I am . . . convinced of a personal, discipleship model.100 All of the activities which this missionary stresses imply that the church lives like a body. And its leaders know the people.

B. FIRST STEPS IN CHURCH PLANTING101

1. Plans and costs

Most church planting efforts begin with planning. These plans rest on specific assumptions concerning who will plant the church. For example, planners will decide whether or not an existing church will plant the new church. They will decide how much the church plant will depend on the mother church for funds. They will decide how they will encourage God’s people to pray for the church plant. They will decide how to gather people to form the initial core group.

During this original planning stage Dana Stoddard tells church planters, “You and your congregation must commit yourselves to sacrifice for the joy of the harvest and the joy of serving the Lord.”102 He assumes that a congregation will send the church planter. This follows the example of the church in Antioch which sent Paul and Barnabas to go to other cities to preach the Gospel (Acts 13:1-4). The sending church will support the new work by contributing finances and probably by sending leaders and members to form the core group. When this happens, the sending church will notice the great loss of some of its own personnel. Nevertheless, the sending church should suffer such losses gladly. In this way Christ builds His church in new places.

2. Analysis of spiritual gifts

At the beginning of the planting process, and continuing throughout, Stoddard urges pastors and church planters to identify the people who have the gift of attracting non-Christians to the church. He writes, “Some folks are external folks: They function most effectively outside the congregation, between the church and the world. Some are internal folks. ¨They function most effectively inside the congregation. It is like “pitch” and “catch” [referring to the North American game of baseball]. The external folks are your “pitchers” who effectively “pitch” disciples to the internal folks who are the “catchers”! Both are important!”103

Relying on the diversity of gifts in the church (see Lesson Seven), Stoddard urges churches to keep the “pitchers” free from other responsibilities in the church. They serve the church best by serving outside the congregation. Stoddard advises “mother” churches to send some of their “pitchers” to the new church plant. Especially they should receive

100 Bill Green, e-mail to author, 28 August 2008. 101 The rest of this lesson relies extensively on Dana L. Stoddard, “‘To the Next Town’: Thoughts on church planting,” Presbyterian Journal 21 August 1985: 6-7. 102 Stoddard 6. 103 Stoddard 6. 111 training about the city of the new church plant. They should learn the church situation of the new city.

Every church should use its “pitchers” appropriately. Only some in the body have the special gift of interacting effectively with non-Christians by attracting them to the gospel. The church should set them aside for this unique task. Also the church plant should use its “catchers” properly. Perhaps they can teach new Christians best about growing in the faith and obeying God’s word. A person’s gifts determine where he can serve best in the ministry of planting churches. The church leadership should pray for discernment to know where each member belongs in its ministry.

3. Early gatherings

Lesson One points out that the Greek word “church” refers to a public assembly. We can call the church the gathering of God’s people or the gathering of Christians. This gathering begins soon in the process of church planting. We also learned that God gathers His people through the preaching and teaching of Scripture as a means of grace (Lesson Five). So we should expect the first gatherings of a church plant to center around God’s word. As we have said before, the doctrine of the church helps us proceed in planting a new church.

Most church planters who wrote the author reported that they began their church plants with Bible study groups. After these groups grew, they began public worship services. Eventually the gatherings of believers became complete churches.

The author of this course worked with a church planter who began to gather the original group in a community park. He started this process by preaching there on consecutive Sunday evenings during the summer. As the summer came to a close, he guided the group, which came weekly to hear the preached word, to attend Sunday evening worship services in a community building. Eventually this group became a church.

One church planter who wrote the author lives in India. He wrote that Hindu and Muslim people—the largest religious groups in India—will usually not go freely to a church. So He begins church plants with carefully advertised open-air Gospel meetings. He expects that, after three or four days of these meetings, he will gather some new converts. Then he places a trained pastor in the community who will begin a bible school (bible study) and conduct follow-up work. The pastor’s work will result in the formation of a small church, which “will later grow as they pray and live a Kingdom life.”104

Each of these approaches gathers interested people by presenting God’s word to them early in the process of church planting. They meet in a great variety of places. They plan different kinds of events. Yet God’s word remains central as they seek to teach the gospel of Christ to people who have never heard or believed it before.

104 Samson Roberts. 112

These first steps involve human planning, human analysis of spiritual gifts, and human proclamation of the gospel of Christ. Yet they also require prayer. None of the church’s efforts will have an effect unless the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—uses these activities to plant saving faith in the hearts of those who hear the word.

C. STARTING TO RUN105

Eventually the church planter will ask when the plant should become a church, organized under its own leadership. Stoddard gives the following suggestions.

1. Evaluate the male leadership.

This step assumes that Scripture requires the church to restrict the officers of minister of the word, elder, and deacon to the qualified men of the church. The church planter, and the organizing church’s leadership, must find out whether the core group includes men to whom the Lord has given the gift of eldership. The church planter must certainly look to 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 for guidance in this. Elders are not so much made by training as they are given as gifts by the Lord of the harvest. This question [Are there men in the interest group whom the Lord has gifted as elders?] is critical because it is presumptive to assume that the leadership material will come at a later date. Let’s face the hard fact: You don’t have a viable new work until you have existing male leadership internal to the group. If it is not there— continue some relationship with the “mother” congregation. . . .106

The church planter must also evaluate the leadership which can form a body of elders. They need to exhibit boldness, creativity, and vulnerability necessary in the life- and-death struggle that the new work will face.107 The demands on elders in a church plant require a unique kind of spiritual leadership which a long-established church does not require. If the core group possesses the men it needs for elders, it can probably advance to further steps. In this initial stage of the congregation’s formation the biblical teachings concerning authority and the church spiritual gifts (Lessons Six and Seven) have great influence on when the church plant may advance.

This does not mean that the church can do without the gifts and ministry of women. A church needs the gifts, ministry and leadership of women for many areas of church life. But the author has observed that usually churches have more women than men. If a church displays a shortage of members, it usually has a greater shortage of men than of women. As a result a group’s readiness to become a congregation frequently depends on a sufficient number of godly men who can give biblical leadership. So the church planter needs to evaluate more than the number of people who gather around God’s word. He needs also to ask whether the group contains biblically qualified leaders.

105 Here I use one of the headings in Stoddard’s article, p. 7. 106 Stoddard 7. 107 Stoddard 7. 113

2. Begin Sunday Worship Services.

Stoddard urges that the church plant move swiftly after biblical leadership within the core group exists. He writes, with a North American setting in mind, “Form a roll [list of core group members], name the new work. Establish a checking account and select a local treasurer. Then as a matter of principle, have the new work pay for whatever it can. That’s healthier.”108

In a different cultural context, beginning a local organizational identity (the Church as an institution, Lesson Three) may require different changes. In this part of the emerging church’s development, the church must assume its own public identity. This identity centers on its worship. Yet it includes taking other organizational steps.

3. Organize.

By “organization” we mean the step by which the church becomes fully distinct from its “mother” church. The church will ordain its own elders. This assumes that the church planter has trained them for their task probably during the evaluation step mentioned on the previous page.

Much difference of opinion exists over how quickly a worshipping group should have its own body of elders. Some urge that a “development” stage, lasting one to two years, take place before the church assumes independence.109 Stoddard, on the other hand, urges that organization come quickly after worship services begin. This does not mean the new church will have all the financial resources it needs. It may still depend financially on its “mother” church and other congregations for some time. However, organization does mean that authority in the new church (Lesson Six) will become local. Stoddard reasons that a new worshipping body should live as a body of Christ under its own elders as soon as possible. If local leaders must work under the authority of the “mother” church, they have responsibility but no authority. “Men work best when they have responsibility and authority.”110 So the independence of a church under its own office bearers helps the church mature most quickly.

The new church also needs to define who belongs to the flock of the elders. Due to its denominational relationships, each congregation will have its expectations concerning what its members should understand and believe about the gospel and the Christian life. The church planter has much to do to make sure that the members of the new church meet the standards which the new church sets in place.

4. Develop the church’s identity.

108 Stoddard 7. 109 Steven L. Childers and J. Allen Thompson, “Seven Season of Church Planting & Multiplication,” 2004, Church Global Advancement, 3 June 2010 . 110 Stoddard 7. 114

At this stage Stoddard advises, “Learn the new ‘organism’”111 (cf. Lesson Three). He means that, early in a new congregation’s life, its leadership needs to evaluate what kind of congregation the Lord has formed. Its members possess unique abilities, histories, and ages (Lesson Seven). Each person also relates to the others with a different style. When the leadership understands the strengths and needs of the new congregation, it knows better the needs to address in sermons, the needs the members have for nurture, and the strengths the congregation has for evangelism (Lesson Four).

5. Call the organizing pastor.

Quite possibly the church planter will not possess the gifts to shepherd an organized congregation. Planting a church requires a unique set of gifts. Possibly the church planter needs to move on and plant another congregation. In that case, after organization the congregation needs to receive its own organizing pastor. Due to its understanding of authority in the church (Lesson Six) each congregation will follow its own method of receiving a pastor. Stoddard urges that the church call the organizing pastor when financial self-sufficiency “is within one-to-two years of the new work’s grasp.”112 The organizing pastor should pursue a purpose which includes nurturing the congregation’s members to disciple their neighbors.

6. Let other ministries follow.

Sometimes pastors and churches desire to begin other ministries soon after the church begins. For example, they may want to begin a Christian day school, a Christian orphanage, or publishing ministry. They desire to spread the knowledge of Christ in many ways. The danger exists that new churches will attempt these ministries too quickly. Sometimes churches hope to use these ministries to promote evangelism. However one experienced church planter wrote the author, “Schools should serve an existing covenant community – they are rotten ‘evangelistic’ tools. Too expensive and not effective in evangelism at all.”113

The church should not form independent ministries to do the work of the church. Other ministries have important roles. But the church must make sure its people have the personnel and finances to contribute to these additional ministries without endangering the unique ministry of the church. Christ appointed the institution of the church to have the central place in the Christian’s life. Other ministries fill supporting roles. To use the terminology of Lesson Three, the church as organism makes its outward appearance primarily through the church as institution.

111 Stoddard 7. 112 Stoddard. 113 Bill Green. 115

SUMMARY

We have brought this course on “The Doctrine of the Church” to a close by discussing church planning. We do not believe that this lesson discusses church planting thoroughly. However, we believe that the doctrine of the church should effect how the church conducts church planting. Therefore this lesson refers repeatedly to earlier lessons. These references seek to demonstrate the relevance of the biblical doctrine which this course presents. While planting a new church, a church planter or “mother” church demonstrate what they believe about the church. So we hope this lesson encourages students to evaluate what they believe about Christ’s church and how they will seek to work in the church.

This lesson began with assumptions, basic beliefs, that the church planter should embrace. These assumptions include the truths that God gathers His church, that, therefore, church planters must rely on God through prayer, that each church plant will exhibit a unique character, and that church planters must disciple personally those who attend the activities of the church plant.

We reviewed early steps which a church planter should take. These steps include planning and preparing for the various costs of church planting. They also require an analysis of how each person can participate in gathering and discipling non-Christians. Early steps also include beginning an event where people can come together to learn the Gospel of Christ.

Finally, we looked at steps to take when the assembly of people approaches becoming a church. The church planter must identify the men who can serve as elders. When he has completed this step, Sunday worship services may begin. Soon afterwards the church should organize and identify itself as a new congregation of Christ. The new congregation needs to identify its strengths for service. It needs its organizing pastor. Finally, is should postpone additional ministries, outside the church, until the church has the strength and personnel to support them.

Hopefully, as this lesson proceeded from step to step, the student could recognize the doctrine of the church which church planting attempts to express and embody.

QUESTIONS

1. What did you learn from this lesson that you did not know before?

2. What in this lesson do you disagree with?

3. Give several examples from the lesson of how the doctrine of the church affects church planting.

4. What role did prayer have in the book of Acts? 116

5. In what ways will church planting prove costly?

6. If a “mother” church plants another church, why would it evaluate the gifts in its membership?

7. Name four steps which the lesson suggests when a church begins to “run”?

8. List ways the doctrine of the church effects how a church conducts church planting.

APPENDIX

The author asked various church planters to present five basic steps for church planting. He received the following e-mail from an experienced pastor and church planter. He found it very thoughtful. He believes students will benefit reading it in complete form. Possibly students will find “disagreements” between the lesson’s recommendations and this e-mail. The author acknowledges that each church planter follows his own style. He also believes that this e-mail essentially agrees with the doctrine of the church which this lesson assumes. Admittedly this church planter reflects his North American context. However, the author believes that church planters in other places will benefit from much of his advice.

The following “five basic steps” for church planting, as I see them, are as follows:

1. Scripture and Prayer: The church planter must daily saturate his own mind and heart with Scripture so as to quicken his faith and confidence in God’s power to equip him for the arduous [difficult] task before him. He must also fervently pray for God’s clear leading, the strengthening of his own heart in grace and the Spirit’s work in those He has chosen to become part of the new church plant. He should also solicit the faithful prayers of a few close friends who hearts share the same vision for extending Christ’s kingdom.

2. Making Contacts: The church planters must prayerfully focus much time on finding individuals and families who will talk about spiritual things and with whom he can share his burden and vision for planting a new church. The best ways for finding interested prospects are to visit door to door and to ask initial contacts to submit names and addresses of friends whom they think might be interested.

3. Contact List: The church planter should keep an accurate record of names, addresses and helpful information of those who show any level of interest in the new church, so he can daily pray for them and follow up with appropriate Christian literature and interesting information about the church to be planted. 117

4. Gathering First Prospects: The church planter must carefully plan and execute get-acquainted times for Bible study, spiritual conversation, singing, prayer and attractive presentations of the vision for the new church plant. From the very beginning it is imperative to introduce people, to make them feel welcome and to establish relationships.

5. Holding First Service: The church planter must formulate a plan for the first service of worship with information about the date, time, place of worship and a brief description of the purpose and order of the worship service. The first service should be widely publicized using local newspapers, radio, TV, signs/posters, letters, emails, telephones, etc. The first service should be simple but Biblical, reverent, evangelistic and friendly with good singing and the use of familiar tunes. Simple sermons notes or outlines can be good, too. At first, hymns and Scriptures can be included in the bulletin to make it easy for all to participate. He should also make an effort to contact each family or person who attends the first service during the following week and to encourage them to come again the next Sunday. A coffee fellowship time following worship can be a great time to begin bonding people together. Attendance and offerings can be reported in the bulletin each week at least for a few months to encourage people to continue in their attendance and giving. Many will watch with interest as the numbers grow.114

114 Norman Brower, e-mail to author, 3 June 2010. 118

CONCLUSION

This course deals with important topics of the doctrine of the church. It attempts to rely on Scripture for the convictions which it expresses. It uses conclusions reached in church history to help clarify that teaching of Scripture. In covering this doctrine, we have surveyed the kind of people which Christ formed when he formed the church, the ministry Christ has given the church to do, and an example—church planting—which demonstrates the relevance of this doctrine to real church life.

The first three lessons deal with who the church is. We learn from Scripture that the church consists of the people of the Triune God. In Lesson One we find that Scripture calls the church the people of God, the body of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Lesson Two shows how Scripture describes the covenant people whom God promised to Abraham and the kingdom people whom God promised to David. These two topics demonstrate that the church continues the people of God which He began in the Old Testament. Lesson Three deals in depth with the truth that Christ formed the church to consist primarily of the people whom He saved. The lesson also explains the unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity of the church. It reviews the marks of the true church, which include the pure preaching of the word, the biblical administration of the sacraments, and the faithful discipline of its members. These opening lessons explain what kind of people Christ gathers as He builds His church.

Lessons four through seven explain what the church does. Lesson Four explores the three-fold ministry of the church. The church serves three audiences. In worship it faces the true God; with spiritual nurture is seeks to strengthen Christians; and in its missionary endeavor it addresses the world. In each of these activities Scripture defines the church’s message. Lesson Five discusses the means of grace. God has chosen to accomplishes His work through the church’s ministry. But the church must insure that it engages in the ministry which Christ has given it. Christ gave the means of grace to the church, the word and sacraments. Christ assures us that He will advance His kingdom when the church faithfully uses them. Lesson Six treats the topic of authority in the church. Though Christ has all authority in the church, He exercises it through biblically ordained office bearers. The lesson explores the roles, names, duties and qualifications of the offices of deacon, elder, and ministry of the word. Lesson Six also presents Scripture’s teaching concerning the need for spiritual discipline in the church. Lesson Seven discusses the spiritual gifts which Christ has given to the church. We expressed the belief that Christ often uses a person’s natural abilities; but He gives them a new purpose in the kingdom of God. The lesson explores how the gifts come from Christ for the benefit of members of His body. We also gave reasons to believe that not all the gifts present in the apostolic age exist in the church today. So Lessons Four through Seven describe the church’s mission and work.

The last lesson covers the topic of church planting. However, the lesson does not provide an exhaustive guide for the subject. Rather it provides enough to demonstrate that the doctrine of the church proves helpful in church planting. Hopefully the student can see the relevance of this doctrine to all parts of the church’s existence and ministry. 119

May this course praise the Lord of the church. May it encourage church leaders and all its members to rely on Christ and His word as they perform the ministry of the church. 120

COORDINATOR’S MANUAL

1. WELCOME

We have written this brief manual to assist coordinators; they play a significant role in the teaching of a MINTS course. If you plan to work as coordinator of this course, we welcome and thank you. You have accepted a crucial part in training students who want to learn God’s word. We highly value your work as coordinator. The Lord can use your service to build up the kingdom of God in the lives of students.

This manual will tell you what you need to know to assist students in taking this MINTS course. Since you plan to be a coordinator, we assume you are highly responsible and capable of working independently. However, since MINTS provides this course, we ask you to meet certain expectations for students to fulfill the course requirements.

The topic of the course makes the work of the coordinator extremely important. This course is called, The Doctrine of the Church. This exceedingly important topic should impress students in three basic ways. First, the doctrine of the church helps students understand the church’s identity. Christ formed the church to be His people. This understanding differs from other views of the church. Students who wish to show leadership in the church need to understand the church’s basic identity. Second, the doctrine of the church helps students understand what the church does. Churches have functioned as political parties and as mere social gatherings. But Christ has given the church a unique work to perform. This course should make students aware of the Church’s distinct task. Third, the doctrine of the church needs to have relevance for those who participate in the life of the church. We hope this course helps students understand the practical significance of the doctrine which it sets forth.

This course also gives attention to error. The doctrine of the church became clear from Scripture as parts of the church followed error. This course hopes to lead students to recognize error which they may have heard about or even believed themselves. We hope that this course significantly shapes students to live as faithful participants in the body of Christ.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES

The task of the coordinator begins long before the course is taught. The coordinator should fulfill two primary responsibilities before the class takes place. First, the coordinator must prepare the students. The coordinator makes sure that students are recruited and registered. Students who wish to receive academic credit must understand that they probably need access to the internet. They should come knowing what to expect. So the coordinator both organizes the class and informs students what to expect.

Also, the coordinator must arrange for adequate places. Before the course begins, the coordinator should arrange for a place where students can meet for the course. We 121 ask coordinators to provide a place where the teacher will stay and eat. From the time the teacher arrives at the airport to the time he leaves, the teacher is the guest of the study center.

The coordinator also takes part in leading the students. The course progresses in two phases. The teacher leads during the time of orientation. The coordinator leads during the remaining times of follow-up. The time which the teacher and the coordinator take up is somewhat flexible, but the orientation and follow-up combined should last a total of 15 hours. The chart on the following page helps explain the teacher’s and coordinator’s roles.

The coordinator must be present during the first phase of “orientation.” In the orientation sessions the teacher will introduce the students to the topic of the course, present the main ideas of the course, invite discussion, make sure the students understand their assignments and requirements; he will also assign a project topic for each student to pursue. During the follow-up phase the coordinator supervises the class. On the following pages, the “Plan for the Four Classes” will define the coordinator’s work.

Once the course begins, the work of the coordinator consists primarily of the following activities: a. Keep record of names and attendance for sessions and classes. b. Receive homework when students must have it completed. Give points according to Requirement 2 in the course Introduction. c. Lead the group in discussing the questions and answers of the lessons. d. Listen to oral reading reports. Give points according to Requirement 3 in the course Introduction. e. Lead students in listening to oral project reports. Give points for projects according to Requirement 4 in the course Introduction f. Hand out the exams and grade them according to answers given in this manual. Give points according to Requirement 5 in the course Introduction g. Hand out evaluations for students to complete and return them to the teacher.

When students have finished the course, the coordinator will complete the necessary record keeping and report grades to the teacher.

A table summarizes course activities and most of the coordinator’s responsibilities: 122

3. MINTS PLAN OF COURSE INTRODUCTION

Attendance Lessons Oral Reading Reports Essay Final Exam

n 1 hour Summarize o i 1 & 2 t a

t 1 hour Summarize Schedule Oral Reading

n 3 & 4 Reports e i

r 2 hours Summarize Assign TTTR:

O 5 & 6 1) Essay Topic, 2) Title Page, 3) Table of Contents page, & 4) Page of References. 1 hour Summarize Give information about final 7 & 8 Exam

p 2 hours Q & A of 25% of students give reports. Correct TTTR U

- 1 & 2 5 min. report; 5 min. group

w Discussion for each student. o l

l 2½ hours Q & A of 25% of students give reports. Student returns with

o 3 & 4 5 min. report; 5 min. group completed TTTR. F Discussion for each student. 2½ hours Q & A of 25% of students give reports. Each student presents his 1st 5 & 6 5 min. report; 5 min. group draft to another student. Discussion for each student. Other student gives a critique. 3 hours Q & A of 25% of students give reports. Final draft handed in to 7 & 8 5 min. report; 5 min. group Student takes final exam. It coordinator. Discussion for each student. is graded by a fellow student. In last hour the coordinator adds all points and gives each student his final grade. 123

4. PLAN FOR THE FOUR FOLLOW-UP SESSIONS

We suggest that the sessions which the coordinator leads follow the following plan.

Session Number 1 (2 hours)

1. Welcome and open with prayer (5 min.). 2. Take attendance. One point for every class hour attended. If missed or late, lose one point (5 min.). 3. Check homework for Lessons 1-2. Two points for completed Lessons. Lose one point for late work (10 min.). 4. Discuss the questions and answers for Lessons 1-2 (30 min.). 5. Listen to the reading oral reports of 25% of the class. 5 minutes each (30 min.). 6. Correct the TTTR portions of the project essay: essay topic, title page, table of contents, and page of references; coordinator gives suggestions (30 min.). 7. Prepare for next class: remind what lessons to be done and who has oral reports (5 min.). 8. Close with prayer (5 min.).

Session Number 2 (2½ hours)

1. Welcome and open with prayer (5 min.). 2. Take attendance (5 min.). 3. Check homework for Lessons 3-4. Two points for lessons complete. Lose one point for late work (10 min.). 4. Discuss the questions and answers for Lessons 3-4 (30 min.). 5. Listen to the reading oral reports of 25% of the class. 5 minutes each (30- min.). 6. Receive corrected project TTTR assignment from students. Discuss first draft of essay which will be due next time (60 min.). 7. Prepare for next class: remind what lessons to be done and who will present oral reports (5 min.). 8. Close with prayer (5 min.).

Session Number 3 (2½ hours)

1. Welcome and open with prayer (5 min.). 2. Take attendance. One point for every class hour attended. If missed, a one- page report of missed hour to be submitted next class (5 min.). 3. Check homework for Lessons 5-6. Two points for completed lessons. Lose one point for late work (10 min.). 4. Discuss the questions and answers for Lessons 5-6 (30 min.). 5. Listen to the reading oral reports of 25% of the class. 5 minutes each. (30 min.). 124

6. Receive first draft of project essays. Each student read his essay to another. They offer each other advice. (60 minutes). 7. Prepare for next class: remind what lessons to be done and who will present oral reports (5 min). 8. Close with prayer (5 minutes).

Session Number 4 (3 hours)

1. Welcome and open with prayer (5 min). 2. Take attendance. One point for every class hour attended. If missed, a one- page report of missed hour to be submitted next class (5 min). 3. Check homework for Lessons 7-8. Two points for completed lessons. Lose one point for late work (10 min). 4. Discuss the questions and answers for Lessons 7-8 (30 min). 5. Listen to the reading oral reports of 25% of the class. 5 minutes each. (30 min.). 6. Receive final draft of student essays (5 min.). 7. Give final exam (45 min.). 8. Enter students’ final scores for all course requirements (45 min.). (While coordinator is completing student scores, students will receive and fill out evaluation the course evaluation and pedagogical evaluation.) 9. Close with prayer (5 minutes).

5. HELPS FOR COORDINATORS

Coordinators will need a number of documents to assist them in leading the course. We provide a brief description of each of them. The documents appear on the pages which immediately follow.

5a. Lesson Questions and Answers: The coordinator should lead group discussions of the questions and answers at the end of each lesson. We provide the answers which the author suggests; hopefully, this will help the coordinator guide discussions so that students will discover whatever answers they could not get on their own. 5b. Essay Evaluation: Those who grade essays can use this list to help them remember the important elements which affect the grade. 5c. Test – Coordinator’s Copy: The coordinator’s copy supplies answers to enable coordinators to grade the students’ tests. 5d. Class Record. The coordinator will complete this form and send it to the MINTS teacher. 5e. Pedagogical Evaluation of the Instructor. The coordinator will complete this form and send it to the MINTS Academic Dean. 125

5a. LESSON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Lesson One

1. Write at least two things that the definition of the church in this lesson emphasizes. The definition emphasizes: that many people form the church together, that people of the church find their unity in Jesus Christ, and that the members of the church proclaim the Gospel together.

2. What did “church” mean when Jesus and the apostles lived? It meant God’s people whom He called out; it also referred to a public assembly.

3. What assemblies does the Bible mention when it refers to the church? Israel formed an assembly in the Old Testament; each local church assembles when it gathers for worship; and God’s people in heaven assemble around His heavenly throne.

4. How does the New Testament show that the church forms the Israel of God? The answer should refer to at least some of these verses: Romans 9:6; Ephesians 2:12, 13, 1 Peter 2:9, 10.

5. What common life do members of the family of God share? They share new life because God gave it when He gave them the new birth.

6. How does the church resemble a physical body? Like a body, the church forms one being; yet it also consists of many parts which must work together.

7. Why did pagans build temples? To have houses for their gods.

8. Which room symbolized God’s presence in the temple? The most holy place.

9. Why does the Bible call the church the temple of God? God the Holy Spirit lives in the church.

10. What does the quotation near the end of the lesson mean when it says that the church’s reality comes from Christ? Each description that this lesson presents was true of Christ first. By grace He made the description apply to the church as well. 126

Lesson Two

1. According to the lesson, when did God fulfill His promises? Mainly when Jesus came.

2. Write the names and give explanations of the three features of covenants. Promise: A covenant always includes a basic promise, made by the covenant- maker. Oath: The covenant-maker adds an oath to support his promise. An oath asks God to witness the making of the promise. It asks God to punish the covenant-maker if he breaks the covenant promise and to bless the covenant- maker if he keeps the promise. Sign: a visible reminder of the promise and oath.

3. What did God’s covenant promise to Abraham? God promised him seed and land.

4. What inheritance did Abraham look for? The book of Hebrews says that Abraham looked forward to a heavenly city as his inheritance.

5. Who today are the children of Abraham? Galatians says that Christ is Abraham’s Son. Also all who trust in Christ by faith belong to Abraham as his children.

6. Write three New Testament quotations from the lesson which show that New Testament Christians belong to the people of God. Students could include three of the following: 2 Corinthians 6:16; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:12, 13; 1 Peter 1:4; 1 Peter 2:9, 10; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:3.

7. What did God promise David? God promised that David’s son would rule forever.

8. How did God keep His promise to David? God the Father appointed Christ ruler; Christ rules from heaven. He will rule forever.

9. What is Christ’s kingdom? Christ’s kingdom is His saving rule. As King he guides everything so that His people will be saved, will remain safe, and be glorified in eternity.

10. What does the church do for the kingdom? Through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ the Church commands people to come under Christ’s authority. In this way it commands people to enter the kingdom of Christ. 127

Lesson Three

1. What does this lesson mean when it says that Christ uses history to teach us? We find God’s inspired teaching about the church in Scripture alone. However different events and struggles in church history have helped the church understand the Bible’s teaching about the church more clearly.

2. What do Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestants each teach about the essence of the church? Each defines the church using a different basic idea: Roman Catholicism defines the church as that which its ordained officials govern; Eastern Orthodoxy see the church mostly as that which its church councils govern; Protestants view the church as the people of God.

3. Explain the difference between the church as visible and the church as invisible. The church as visible emphasizes the public ministry which the church performs on earth. The church as invisible emphasizes that the church on earth enjoys spiritual fellowship with Christ in heaven.

4. Explain the difference between the church as institution and the church as organism. As an institution the church receives its unity from its leadership. As an organism the church receives its unity from its shared church life.

5. Explain the different ways the Roman Catholics and Protestants defined the church’s unity. Roman Catholics said the church receives it unity from the unity of the under the pope. Protestants said the church receives it unity from unity with Christ which each believer has received.

6. What does “apostolic” mean? The word means founded on the apostles.

7. List the marks of the true church. They include: the true preaching of the word, the biblical administration of the sacraments, and faithful church discipline.

8. How does preaching sometimes misuse the Bible? Sometimes, as an example, people use a verse in the Bible to support a teaching which contradicts what the whole Bible teaches.

9. How does the message of the Gospel in Scripture differ from the message of the sacraments? Both declare the same Gospel of Christ. However Scripture declares with words. The sacraments declare without words. 128

10. List at least two main activities which church discipline includes. Church discipline includes publicly declaring that people must repent and believe in Christ in order to receive salvation. Church discipline also exists when the church elders approach unrepentant members personally and urge them to restore their hearts and lives to Christ. Church discipline includes declaring that the unrepentant no longer belong to the body of Christ.

Lesson Four

1. According to the Protestant reformers, how can we find out what activities we should include in worship? They believed in worship according to Scripture. This means they believed the Bible tells us how to worship God.

2. How did the Protestant reformers apply the words “the fellowship” in Acts 2:42 to their worship services? They believed it referred to sharing with the poor the blessings which God gave them.

3. How does the Bible teach us to include public prayer in our worship services? Acts 2:42 and Acts 4:27-30 provide examples of it. Also 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 commands it.

4. What does it mean to worship God in Jesus’ name? It means to worship God on the basis of Christ’s suffering and death for sinners. It also means that the sermon, songs and prayers will refer to Him as the basis of the Christian’s faith and hope.

5. Why can we say that true worship edifies (builds up) the church? The Holy Spirit uses these activities to build up the church—including individual Christians—while we perform them in worship.

6. The lesson gives three goals for nurture of the church’s official ministry. Name them. Nurture in the knowledge of God. Nurture in obedience. Nurture in Christ- likeness.

7. What does the lesson mean by “mutual nurture”? Individual Christians must nurture each other through the encouragement, godly advice, and even rebukes which they give each other.

8. What does the lesson mean when it describes God’s missionary character? God has decided that He himself will save countless lost people through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Scripture He pursues His plan to save them. 129

9. What do God’s missionary promises promise? God promises to reconcile sinners to Himself. He promises to save them through Jesus Christ. He promises the forgiveness of sins to all who repent and trust in Christ for salvation.

10. How does the book of Acts follow the plan laid out in Acts 1:8? The church proclaimed the Gospel to increasingly distant places as Acts 1:8 says. It preached first in Jerusalem, then in surrounding regions, and finally in Rome.

Lesson Five

1. Explain the idea of the means of grace. God the Holy Spirit uses physical means (tools or methods) to give us grace. He does not use these means every time we use them. But He normally He saves the unconverted and strengthens Christians with the means that He has chosen to use.

2. Why does Berkhof limit his list of the means of grace to the Word and sacraments? Because Christ has appointed the church uniquely to use these means in its ministry.

3. How do Roman Catholics and Mystics disagree in the understanding of the effectiveness of the means of grace? Roman Catholics say that God gives grace every time the church uses the means of grace. Mystics say that God does not use physical means to give His divine grace.

4. What expression of God’s word do we have in mind when we speak of the means of grace? Scripture.

5. List and write at least four Bible verses from the lesson which teach us that God uses Scripture as a means of grace? They include: Acts 16:14; Acts 28:24; Romans 10:14, 15; 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; and 1 Peter 1:23, 25.

6. What should be the content of the preached word? Explain what each part is. The law: everything in Scripture which gives us God’s commands and prohibitions. These parts of Scripture convince us of our sins. The Gospel: every part in Scripture where God presents His work of salvation through Jesus Christ and proclaims God’s redeeming love towards sinners. God uses these parts of Scripture to create faith in Christ.

7. Explain Christ’s double purpose for the sacraments in the life of the Christian. 130

As signs they symbolize Christ’s saving grace. As seals they assure Christians that God, for Jesus’ sake, indeed saves and remains with those who trust in Christ.

8. According to this lesson, how should the church administer the sacraments? The sacraments should accompany the preached word. The church should perform them only for members of the church.

9. What do we mean by “sacramental language”? The Bible occasionally describes the sacraments as though they performed the grace which they symbolize. For example, Jesus said that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to remain in Him. He really means that we must believe in Him to receive the forgiveness of His sacrifice. But Jesus describes the eating and drinking as though that gives the grace which true faith in Him actually receives.

10. What does the Lord’s supper signify and seal? The Christian’s daily union with Christ.

Lesson Six

QUESTIONS

1. Where does the Bible teach that Christ has all authority in the church? Some examples: Matthew 28:18; Colossians 1:18; John 13:13; Ephesians 1:21- 23.

2. Name the four different views of church government which this lesson mentioned. According to each view where does authority in the church belong? Erastian view says the state (government) has authority over the church. Episcopalian view says Christ entrusted church authority to successors of the apostles who, today, consist of the top church officials. Congregational view says all members possess equal church authority. Presbyterial view says Christ appointed church elders to exercise authority in the church.

3. What offices in the church does this lesson describe? Deacons, elders, and ministers of the word.

4. What two functions did deacons in Geneva have? First, they received and sought out gifts and skills that could be distributed to the poor. Second they managed the “hospitals” which gave help to the sick, homeless and persecuted. In other words, they showed mercy both individually and through institutions. 131

5. What do the two Greek words for the office of elder teach about elders? Presbuteros means “elder” and points to their spiritual maturity. Episcopos means overseer and points to their task to give spiritual supervision.

6. What three groups of qualifications should characterize church elders? First, they should have a good public reputation. Second, they should keep themselves free from the works of the flesh. Third, their deeds and beliefs must demonstrate holiness.

7. How does the minister of the word serve as an elder? Like the elders, the minister gives spiritual supervision to the church.

8. How does the minister of the word serve distinctly from the other elders? The minister of the work must preach and teach. The elders do not fulfill this role.

9. What two methods do elders use to practice discipline in the church? They supervise the preaching of the word and they take action when a church member does not repent of his sin.

10. List the steps of disciplinary action which Jesus gives us. 1) Approach the person who sinned against you and ask how he understood what he did. If repentance and reconciliation do not result, follow the following steps: 2) Bring others to witness your conversation with the offender so see if they can help reach reconciliation. 3) Tell the church (elders) to see if they can help those involved to repent and reach reconciliation. 4) Remove the unrepentant sinner from the church. Hopefully the removed person will eventually repent and return to Christ and the church.

Lesson Seven

1. What do the two views about spiritual gifts and natural abilities say about their relationship. One view says that the spiritual gifts do not resemble the natural abilities a person had before conversion. The second view says that the spiritual gifts often make use of a person’s natural abilities. The Spirit often uses a person’s natural abilities and gives the Christian a new purpose: to serve Christ and His church with these gifts.

2. Who, does Scripture say, gives Christians their spiritual gifts? Sometimes the New Testament lists Christ or the Spirit as the source of spiritual gifts. But the New Testament also teaches that these gifts came from the Triune God. 132

3. What purpose does God have when He gives spiritual gifts to Christians? We receive spiritual gifts to have the ability to serve in the body of Christ. The combined gifts of all Christians unite the church in the truth and build the church up in love.

4. How many gifts has Christ given to His church? The New Testament mentions at least twenty different gifts. However, when we look at various lists in the New Testament, we conclude that God has probably given many more gifts to Christians. We probably cannot list them all.

5. How did this lesson describe the variety of gifts in the church? Christ gives to the church a variety of duties, of abilities, and of personalities. Each kind of diversity contributes to the variety of gifts in the church.

6. What issue does the “presence of spiritual gifts today” raise? It raises the question whether all the gifts which the New Testament mentions are present in the church today.

7. What does the lesson mean by “the completion of the apostolic office?” The phrase refers to the teaching that Christ gave apostles to the church to last only for the first generation of the church. Therefore, according to this view, the church does not have apostles today.

8. Why, according to the lesson, do many believe the apostolic office has ceased? Here are several reasons: Christ appointed only thirteen apostles (“the twelve” and Paul). The apostles served as witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. The apostles formed a significant part of the church’s foundation (along with prophets).

9. How does the lesson define the completion of Scripture’s inspiration? This teaching says that the Holy Spirit no longer inspires new scriptures. The Bible exists in its complete form. Therefore, this view says, we should not think that spiritual gifts exists in the church today by which people give revelation equal in authority to Scripture’s authority.

10. What did this lesson teach you that you did not know before? (Each student will give his own answer.)

Lesson Eight

QUESTIONS

1. What did you learn from this lesson that you did not know before? Student will give his own answer. 133

2. What in this lesson do you disagree with? Student will give his own answer.

3. Give several examples from the lesson of how the doctrine of the church affects church planting. Student will give his own answer.

4. What role did prayer have in the book of Acts? The Lord used the church mightily as it prayed to Him for the Gospel to advance through them.

5. In what ways will church planting prove costly? The “mother” church will give up some of its leaders and workers, and contribute financially to the work.

6. If a “mother” church plants another church, why would it evaluate the gifts in its membership? The “mother” church will look for people who have the gifts of attracting non- Christians to the church and people who have the gifts of teaching them.

7. Name four steps which the lesson suggests when a church begins to “run”? 1) Evaluate the male leadership, 2) begin Sunday worship services, 3) organize, 4) develop the church’s identity, 5) call an organizing pastor, 6) let other ministries follow.

8. List ways the doctrine of the church effects how a church conducts church planting. Some ways include: 1) it tells the church to use Scripture (a means of grace) as the message for gathering the people to come to Christ, 2) it tells the church to preach both about the law and the Gospel, 3) it tells the church what mission the new church should pursue (worship God, nurture Christians, evangelize the world), 4) it tells the church to appoint biblical leadership when the Lord gives biblical leaders, 5) it tells the church how to use each member in its ministry (according to their spiritual gifts), 6) it tells the church to guard the new church from unbelief 134

5b. ESSAY EVALUATION

Include following elements in evaluating an essay.

1. CONTENT

Did the essay introduce, develop, and summarize the topic?

2. PRESENTATION

Did the essay include the appropriate title page, and table of contents?

3. LANGUAGE

Did the essay use proper English grammar, as well as sentence and paragraph structure?

4. DOCUMENTATION

Did the essay correctly use resources, quotations, footnotes, and bibliography?

5., APPLICATION

Did the essay apply its ideas to the Christian’s thoughts or life? 135

5c. TEST - COORDINATOR’S COPY – THE DOCTINE OF THE CHURCH

Student’s Name ______Date ______

___B_ 1. What did “church” mean when Jesus and the apostles lived? a. I referred to the leaders of the Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem. b. It referred to God’s people whom He called out; it also referred to a public assembly. c. It referred mostly to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. d. It referred only to New Testament Christians.

___A 2. Why did pagans build temples? a. To have houses for their gods. b. To provide the poor a place to stay. c. To make their religion visible to the community. d. To show that their religion was important.

__ D 3. Why does the Bible call the church the temple of God? a. God wants His people to worship in temples. b. Like temples, the church has leaders who stand as pillars. c. God wants the church to stand tall in the world. d. God the Holy Spirit lives in the church.

___A 4. What did God’s covenant promise to Abraham? a. God promised him seed and land. b. God promised him that his children would never experience a famine. c. God promised that Abraham would become perfect. d. God promised that Abraham’s children would never be defeated.

B 5. Who today are the children of Abraham? a. Only the Jews are Abraham’s seed. b. Galatians says that Christ is Abraham’s Son. Also all who trust in Christ by faith belong to Abraham as his children. c. Only Jews and Ishmaelites belong to Abraham’s family. d. All people are children of Abraham.

A 6. How did God keep His promise to David? a. God appointed Christ ruler; He rules from heaven. He will rule forever. b. David will rise from the dead to rule forever. c. In the future Jewish kings will rule forever. d. God kept David from dying. 136

C 7. How do Roman Catholics and Protestants define the church? a. Both define the church as the invisible people of God. b. Both define the church as the saints who have died and now live in heaven. c. Roman Catholics define the church as that which church officials govern; Protestants define the church as the people of God. d. Only Protestants define the church as that which church officials govern.

A 8. Explain the difference between the church as visible and the church as invisible. a. The church as visible emphasizes the public ministry which the church performs on earth. The church as invisible emphasizes that the church on earth enjoys spiritual fellowship with Christ. b. The church as visible emphasizes the visible building. The church as invisible emphasizes an invisible building. c. The church as visible refers to Christians living on earth. The church as invisible refers to Christians who have died. d. The church as visible emphasizes that Christ wants some Christians to tell others about Him. The church as visible emphasizes that some Christians may keep their faith secret.

D 9. What are included in the marks of the church? a. Only the true preaching of the word. b. The sacraments and unity. c. The true preaching of the word, faithful church discipline, and apostolicity. d. The true preaching of the word, the biblical administration of the sacraments, and faithful church discipline.

C 10. According to the Protestant reformers, how can we find out what activities we should include in worship? a. They believed the Bible and tradition tell us how to worship God. b. They believed that each congregation should decide how to worship God. c. They believed the Bible tells us how to worship God. d. They believed the government should tells us how to worship God.

D 11. How does the book of Acts follow the plan laid out in Acts 1:8? a. Christ Himself preached the Gospel in Jerusalem, the surrounding regions, and finally in Rome. b. Acts tells us mostly what happened after the Gospel reached Rome c. The apostles each went to where Acts 1:8 tells them to go. 137

d. The church preached the Gospel first in Jerusalem, in surrounding regions, and finally in Rome. A 12. Explain Christ’s double purpose for the sacraments in the life of the Christian. a. As signs they symbolize Christ’s saving grace. As seals they assure Christians that God, saves them. b. As means of grace they save everyone who receives them and they condemn those who do not. c. They remove the sin we are born with and they free us from mortal sin. d. As seals they reward and bless those who question their personal salvation.

C 13. What does the Lord’s supper signify and seal? a. The creation of the world. b. Adam’s first sin. c. The Christian’s daily union with Christ. d. The anointing of Christ’s apostles.

A 14. How does the minister of the word serve distinctly from the other elders? a. The minister of the work must preach and teach; the elders do not fulfill this role. b. The minister also serves as deacon; the elders do not. c. The minister prays for the church; the elders do not. d. The minister visits the widows; the elders to not.

D 15. What two methods do elders use to practice discipline in the church? a. They preach and they supervise preaching. b. They discipline and they excommunicate. c. They supervise worship and they help the deacons. d. They supervise the preaching of the word and they take action when a church member does not repent of his sin.

B 16. Name the four different views of church government which lesson six mentions. a. Democratic, Totalitarian, Republican, and Despotic. b. Erastian, Episcopalian, Congregational, and Presbyterial. c. Totalitarian, Episcopalian, Congregational, and Individual. d. Apostolic, Disciplinarian, Presbyterian, and Individual.

B 17. How many gifts has Christ given to His church? a. Twelve. b. The New Testament mentions at least twenty. Christ probably gives many more. c. Two: one for Jews and another for Gentiles. d. Seven, for each of the seven churches. 138

D 18. How did this course describe the variety of gifts in the church? a. Christ gives the church a variety of buildings. b. Christ gives the church a variety of apostles. c. Christ gives the church a variety of sacraments, books in the Bible, and languages. d. Christ gives the church a variety of duties, of abilities, and personalities.

C 19. How does the course define the completion of Scripture’s inspiration? a. The Holy Spirit inspired the complete New Testament. b. The Holy Spirit inspired the complete Old Testament. c. The Holy Spirit no longer inspires new scriptures. d. When Holy Spirit inspires a new biblical book today, that book is complete.

B 20. In what way does the course say that church planting will prove costly? a. The “mother” church will probably destroy itself as it plants another church. b. The “mother” church will give up some of its leaders c. The church planter will not have time to visit his friends. d. The church planter will not belong to a church. 139

5d. CLASS RECORD

Course Name ______

Dates ______

Coordinator ______

Name of Student Level Attend- Home- Read- Project Final Final of ance work ings Exam Grade Study (15%) (15%) (30%) (20%) (20%) (100%) 140

5e. PEDAGOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE INSTRUCTOR

Name of the Instructor ______

Course ______Place ______Date ______

1. Were you able to observe that the Instructor, as well as the students, was learning? o Yes o No o I do not know

2. In your opinion, what did the Instructor learn during the course?

3. Did the Instructor come to the class well prepared to teach this course? In what ways was he/she prepared or not prepared?

4. Did the Instructor adjust his/her teaching method to the learning style of the students? o Yes o No o I do not know

5. Make a list of five things you have learned during this course 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. Is the Instructor knowledgeable in the subject matter he/she is teaching about? o Yes o No o I do not know

7. In what way has this course caused you to become more involved in the service of Christ?

8. Did the Instructor establish good communication with the students? o Yes o No o I do not know

9. Identify these points of communication:

10. Has the Instructor shown that his/her teaching is not only “head knowledge” but that it has reached his/her heart? o Yes o No o I do not know

11. How has the Instructor shown that his/her teachings come from the heart?

12. Were the teachings motivational? o Yes o No 141

o I do not know

13. What were you motivated to do as a result of taking this course?

14. Were both the Instructors and students prepared to take this course? o Yes o No o I do not know

15. How much time in class were spent in this course? ______hrs.

16. How much time did it take you to do the homework? ______hrs. (not counting special project or extra readings)

17 How much time did you spend completing the extra readings? ____hrs. How many pages did you read? ______

18. How much time did it take to do the special project? _____hrs.

19. At what educational level did you take the course? o Certificate o Bachelor o Master

20. What tuition did you pay for the course? ______How much did books and materials cost? _____

21. Would you recommend this course to another student? o Yes o No o I do not know

22. Were you prepared to teach this course to others? o Yes o No o I do not know

23. Mention five ways in which you were prepared in this course to teach others. 1. 2. 3. 4.

24. What suggestions would you make to improve this course? ______

25. If you were to teach this course, where and when would you do so? ______

Thank you. 142 143

6. FORMS FOR STUDENTS

We provide documents which the coordinator will hand to the students at the appropriate time. A brief description follows. The documents appear on the pages which immediately follow.

6a. Alternative Reading Assignments for The Doctrine of the Church course: Sometimes students cannot find the books on the list of assigned readings. Coordinators may provide them this list of sources. The list internet sources. Students can use them to fulfill their reading assignments. 6b. Form for Reading Reports. This form tells students what information to include for each book or article read in a reading report. It also informs students about the content that a reading report should include. 6c. Suggested Essay Topics. This list merely suggests topics which students may choose for their essays. In each study center no two students should choose the same topic. A student may write on a topic which this list does not mention. However, the student must receive permission from the teacher of coordinator. 6d. Guidelines for Writing an Essay. These guidelines give extensive information concerning how students should write, organize, and document their essays. 6e. Guide for Title Page and Table of Contents. This guide gives the form students should use for the first pages of their essays. 6f. Students’ Test – The Doctrine of the Church. This is the test which the coordinator will copy and give to the students for the final exam. 6g. Course Evaluation by the Students. The coordinator should hand it to students during the last class. Students should fill out the evaluation and return it to the coordinator before they leave. 144

6a. ALTERNATIVE READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH COURSE

Douglas Bannerman. The Scripture Doctrine of the Church. http://books.google.com/books? id=QdUrAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Scripture+Doctrine +of+the+Church&lr=&ei=pZ4STN6kLJWKzgTu_tzoCg&cd=1#v=onepa ge&q&f=false. Read 300 continuous pages.

John Gill. Body of Practical Theology. Books II, III. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/gill/practical.html. 120 pages

Hugh Oliphant Old. The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Christian Church. Vol 6, The Modern Age. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007. http://books.google.com/books? id=g0VIuJJpEO8C&pg=PA245&dq=Reformed+ %2B+Church&lr=&ei=UaQSTKqRAozszATbgdGpCw&cd=39#v=onepa ge&q=Reformed%20%2B%20Church&f=false. This website contains extended excerpts. Read 300 continuous pages.

Philip Graham Ryken, ed. The Communion of Saints: Living in Fellowship with the People of God. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2001. 190 pages.

Richard D. Phillips, Philip G. Ryken, Mark E. Dever. The Church: One, Holy Catholic, and Apostolic. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2004. 130 pages. 145

6b. FORM FOR READING REPORTS

Please follow this form when writing a reading report. Write a separate report for each book or article. Write at least one page for ever 100 pages that you read. Your report on each book or article should include: 1) Biographical Information and 2) the Report itself.

Bibliographical Information of each book or article

Title.

Author.

Page Numbers.

City of Publisher.

Year of Publication.

Report

Brief Summary (Write a summary of what the author says, without giving your own opinions).

Evaluation (Give your own opinion of what the author says and explain why you hold to your opinion. Give reasons for your opinion.)

Personal Application. (State how this reading will affect your life and ministry. Explain whether the book was helpful and how it helped. Make specific points).

Write Questions which this reading makes you ask. 146

6c. SUGGESTED ESSAY TOPICS

The teacher or coordinator must approve the essay topic. The following list merely suggests topics that may arise from each of the first seven lessons. Hopefully, this list will encourage students to formulate their own topic based on this course.

Lesson One: Biblical Descriptions of the Church Write a summary of the New Testament’s teaching of the church as the body of Christ. Include at least three applications that the Bible gives of this truth.

Lesson Two: The Church, Covenant, and Kingdom Write a summary of the New Testament’s teaching of the kingdom of God. Include at least three applications that the Bible gives of this truth.

Lesson Three: Theological Descriptions of the Church Write a summary of what the New Testament says about how a congregation must show unity in Christ. Include at least three specific applications of this truth.

Lesson Four: The Church’s Three-Fold Ministry Write a summary of what 1 and 2 Timothy teach about the pastor’s ministry in a worship service.

Lesson Five: The Means of Grace Write an essay on what the Bible says about using the Bible it in pastoral care or evangelism.

Lesson Six: Authority in the Church Explain the Bible’s teaching concerning the qualifications for elders or deacons.

Lesson Seven: Spiritual Gifts in Church Life Write an essay which explains the gift of discernment and how the Bible says people should us it. 147

6d. GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AN ESSAY

INTRODUCTION

As essay analyzes a specific topic in order to inform, explain, persuade, or defend an opinion. Or a person writes an essay to interest readers in a topic. We would not call an essay fiction or comedy. Rather, an essay has a more serious, formal, and academic style. Write your essay in prose, not poetry. Teach the reader by giving new ideas or information.

The following guidelines will help you write an essay:

1. Decide on a unique and specific idea.

Your essay should express your ideas. It should not repeat ideas which others have written. It does not merely report on the results of research. Rather it expresses your personal reflection. You may write the ideas of other people. But you use these ideas to support your own point of view. Or possibly you will use other people’s ideas to show what you do not believe.

As author you should have one thing in mind which you want to write about. For example, an essay may try to convince the reader that Christ did everything necessary to pay for all our sins, that Augustine had the most influence of any theologian in his time, or that Genesis 3 explains all the problems of humanity. The different parts of the essay present evidence or arguments which support the central idea, illustrate the idea, or show contrasting views about the idea. However, the content of the different parts of the essay should not stray from the main point of the essay as a whole.

2. Do Careful Research.

The student should think much about the topic that he wishes to study. He should read and collect information and quotes. He should write down the bibliographical information for the quote or ideas. This information includes: the author’s name, title, city of publication, publishing company, and year. Use cards, a notebook, or notes in a computer word processor. Afterwards, organize the notes into groups according to the topic. You should begin focusing on what you consider important. Discard the information that does not relate to your topic. Concentrate on a few ideas that related to the central them of the essay.

3. Write an Appropriate Title.

The title of the essay should clearly communicate the main theme. It should refer to a general idea. It should point to a specific topic. For example, if you want to write about the physical consequences of the Fall in Genesis 3, the title should not be, “Man’s Problem.” Also, it should not limit the essay to too specific a point, such as “Why Women Give Birth in Pain.” Rather, a title like “The Physical Consequences of the Fall 148

According to Genesis 3” defines the topic specifically without limiting your essay too much.

4. Organize your Ideas with a Good Outline.

An essay should have at least three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction stirs up interest in the essay. It also explains what the author will write about in the essay. The body contains the development of the theme, the topic of the essay. The body normally has several subdivisions. The conclusion summarizes the argument of the essay. The conclusion also points to the most important points of the essay.

In a well-organized essay, the reader can easily follow the main ideas. The writer should imagine himself having a discussion with the reader. The writer should anticipate questions that the reader will ask and answer those questions. The reader should understand the flow of thought by looking at the introduction, titles of the sections in the body, and the conclusion.

You can organize your essay in a variety of ways. 1) If you want to inform the reader about something historical, you may organized the essay in chronological order. 2) If you wish to analyze a philosophical idea, you may want first to give the historical background, explain how people express the idea in our day, and finally give a biblical analysis of the thought. 3) If you wish to persuade the reader of your point of view about something, you may use a logical order. You would first present an idea which you believe to be true, then a second idea, and finally a logical conclusion. 4) If you hope to arouse interest in a cause, you may present different elements of the problem in order of increasing seriousness. 5) Sometimes you may choose to use several illustrations to demonstrate a truth. Then you should organize them to point toward the central idea, like the hands of a clock that meet in the center. 6) If you want to write about a new idea, you may show its similarities to other ideas and then show how it differs from those ideas. 7) Possibly you will analyze an event. You will show the cause, then the effects of the event. 8) You may give new information by giving definitions and classifications. So, one can use many ways to organize an essay. But the writer should decide how to organize it. Then, he should remain consistent with the plan.

Make a good outline to assure good organization. The body of the essay (all but the introduction and conclusion) normally has at last two main divisions, each with at least two subdivisions. If you have only one subdivision, you do not have a subdivision. Main divisions of an essay should contain ideas that have equal importance, but distinct content. The subdivisions should contain ideas that support the main division. Subdivisions should have equal importance compared to each other.

The traditional system of numbering uses Roman numbers for the main divisions, capital letters for the subdivisions, numbers for the next subdivisions, and small letters for the next, as follows: 149

The Letter of Romans

I. Doctrine

A. Sin

1. The wrath of God against sins 2. All men are sinners

B. Justification by faith

C. Sanctification by faith

D. Eternal security

II. Practical Exhortations

A. Love

B Submission to authorities

etc.

The introduction and conclusion of the essay do not have numbers or letters. The headings of a traditional outline look like this:

INTRODUCTION

I.

A.

1. 2.

B.

II.

III.

CONCLUSION 150

Alternative classification systems are acceptable. For example, the numerical system will look like this:

INTRODUCTION

1. 1.1 1.2 2. 2.1 2.2 3. 3.1 3.1.1 3.1.2 3.2 CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY

The student needs to use one system consistently. He should not mix classification systems.

5. Write Coherent Paragraphs.

A paragraph is the key unit of the essay. Review each paragraph to make sure that:

1) All the sentences of the paragraph deal with the same subject.

2) The paragraph has normally from three to ten sentences. If a “paragraph” contains only one sentence, that sentence should be placed in a longer paragraph.

3) Normally you should introduce and summarize the central idea of a paragraph in the first and last sentence.

4) Other sentences contribute to the main point of the paragraph by supporting it, giving contrasts to it, or illustrating it.

5) Write sentences which the reader can read easily. Separate long sentences into two or more shorter sentences. Avoid incomplete sentences which lack main verbs.

6) Include transition words and phrases when you come to a change in thought (such as “however,” “furthermore,” and “on the other hand”). The reader needs to see the relationship between different points. Try reading the paragraph out loud. If you cannot read it smoothly, you probably need to change the paragraph. 151

Remove sentences from a paragraph that do not relate to its main theme. They may belong better to another paragraph; they may contain material for which you should write a new paragraph; or they may have no place in this essay.

6. Use Footnotes Properly.

Show where you found a quotation or idea by using footnotes. You may use one of the two formats which we illustrate here. However, you must consistently use only one format. An essay should not use two formats for footnotes.

a. The MLA Style (Modern Language Association)

This style puts the least necessary footnote information in parentheses in the essay. It takes advantage of the full information given in the bibliography at the end of the essay.

For example, if the bibliography lists a book this way:

Marcuse, Sybyl. A Survey of Musical Instruments. New York: Harper, 1975. then you need to write only the author’s name and page number within the text:

(Marcuse 197).

If your bibliography lists more than one work which the author has written, write a short version of the title in your footnote:

(Marcuse, Survey 197).

If you mention the author’s name in the essay to introduce the quote or idea, give only the page number as your footnote:

(197).

b. Chicago Manual of Style

This style gives more information in the notes. You should put a number in the text, after the quote or idea, in superscript as seen here115. Then give the footnote information at the bottom of the page (see that bottom of this page). Note a specific example at the bottom of the page116:

On the other hand, it you have full information in the bibliography, you may write only the author, title, and page number in your footnote. The reader can find the rest of the 115 Author [first name then last name], Title of the Book [in italics or underlined] (city of publication: publishing company, year) [between parentheses, with a colon between city and publisher, a comma before the year] page or pages [where you found the idea or quote]. 116 Federico Garcia Lorca, Bodas de Sangre (Garcelona: Ayman, S.A., 1971) 95. 152 information in the bibliography at the back of the essay.

An example appears at the bottom of this page117:

7. Include a Bibliography.

At the end of the essay, you should include a bibliography. List all the books, articles, and websites that you used for the essay. Arrange them alphabetically according to the authors’ last names. The format for the bibliography differs slightly from the footnote. The author’s last name goes first in a bibliography. The bibliography does not include parentheses or page numbers. Do not indent the author’s last name. But if the item uses more than one line, indent the lines which follow. Look at the bibliography of this course. Note how periods in the bibliography replace some commas in the footnote. Also, note the following examples.

Garcia Lorca, Federico. Bodas de Santre. Barcelona: Ayma, S.A., 1971.

Marcuse, Sybyl. A Survey of Musical Instruments. New York: Harper, 1975.

8. Use Available Helps.

Use the following sources for other help with editing and style:

1. Joseph Gibaldi, ed., MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1999. This is the official guideline for MINTS.

Some web sites contain portions of the MLA standards: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c08_o.html

2. The Chicago Manual of Style. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press.)

See also the following web site for exercises to improve your grammar and writing style.

http://go.hrw.com/hhb/

You may also use the following book for reference:

Kate L. Turabian. A Manual for Writers. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, latest edition.

117 Federico Garcia Lorca, Bodas de Sangre, 95. 153

6e. GUIDE FOR TITLE PAGE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

TITLE OF THE ESSAY

NAME OF THE AUTHOR

NAME AND CODE OF THE COURSE

Name of the Professor

Name of the Educational Institution

Date

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Classical Style)

TITLE OF THE ESSAY

INTRODUCTION

I. A. 1. 2. B. 1. 2. II. A. B.

CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY 154

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Numerical Style)

TITLE OF THE ESSAY

INTRODUCTION

1. 1.1 1.2 2. 2.1 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.2 3. 3.1 3.2

CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY 155

6f. STUDENTS’ TEST – THE DOCTINE OF THE CHURCH

Student’s Name ______Date ______

___ _ 1. What did “church” mean when Jesus and the apostles lived? a. I referred to the leaders of the Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem. b. It referred to God’s people whom He called out; it also referred to a public assembly. c. It referred mostly to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. d. It referred only to New Testament Christians.

___ 2. Why did pagans build temples? a. To have houses for their gods. b. To provide the poor a place to stay. c. To make their religion visible to the community. d. To show that their religion was important.

__ 3. Why does the Bible call the church the temple of God? a. God wants His people to worship in temples. b. Like temples, the church has leaders who stand as pillars. c. God wants the church to stand tall in the world. d. God the Holy Spirit lives in the church.

___ 4. What did God’s covenant promise to Abraham? a. God promised him seed and land. b. God promised him that his children would never experience a famine. c. God promised that Abraham would become perfect. d. God promised that Abraham’s children would never be defeated.

5. Who today are the children of Abraham? a. Only the Jews are Abraham’s seed. b. Galatians says that Christ is Abraham’s Son. Also all who trust in Christ by faith belong to Abraham as his children. c. Only Jews and Ishmaelites belong to Abraham’s family. d. All people are children of Abraham.

6. How did God keep His promise to David? a. God appointed Christ ruler; He rules from heaven. He will rule forever. b. David will rise from the dead to rule forever. c. In the future Jewish kings will rule forever. d. God kept David from dying. 156

7. How do Roman Catholics and Protestants define the church? a. Both define the church as the invisible people of God. b. Both define the church as the saints who have died and now live in heaven. c. Roman Catholics define the church as that which church officials govern; Protestants define the church as the people of God. d. Only Protestants define the church as that which church officials govern.

8. Explain the difference between the church as visible and the church as invisible. a. The church as visible emphasizes the public ministry which the church performs on earth. The church as invisible emphasizes that the church on earth enjoys spiritual fellowship with Christ. b. The church as visible emphasizes the visible building. The church as invisible emphasizes an invisible building. c. The church as visible refers to Christians living on earth. The church as invisible refers to Christians who have died. d. The church as visible emphasizes that Christ wants some Christians to tell others about Him. The church as visible emphasizes that some Christians may keep their faith secret.

9. What are included in the marks of the church? a. Only the true preaching of the word. b. The sacraments and unity. c. The true preaching of the word, faithful church discipline, and apostolicity. d. The true preaching of the word, the biblical administration of the sacraments, and faithful church discipline.

10. According to the Protestant reformers, how can we find out what activities we should include in worship? a. They believed the Bible and tradition tell us how to worship God. b. They believed that each congregation should decide how to worship God. c. They believed the Bible tells us how to worship God. d. They believed the government should tells us how to worship God.

11. How does the book of Acts follow the plan laid out in Acts 1:8? a. Christ Himself preached the Gospel in Jerusalem, the surrounding regions, and finally in Rome. b. Acts tells us mostly what happened after the Gospel reached Rome c. The apostles each went to where Acts 1:8 tells them to go. 157

d. The church preached the Gospel first in Jerusalem, in surrounding regions, and finally in Rome.

12. Explain Christ’s double purpose for the sacraments in the life of the Christian. a. As signs they symbolize Christ’s saving grace. As seals they assure Christians that God, saves them. b. As means of grace they save everyone who receives them and they condemn those who do not. c. They remove the sin we are born with, and they free us from mortal sin. d. As seals they reward and bless those who question their personal salvation.

13. What does the Lord’s supper signify and seal? a. The creation of the world. b. Adam’s first sin. c. The Christian’s daily union with Christ. d. The anointing of Christ’s apostles.

14. How does the minister of the word serve distinctly from the other elders? a. The minister of the work must preach and teach; the elders do not fulfill this role. b. The minister also serves as deacon; the elders do not. c. The minister prays for the church; the elders do not. d. The minister visits the widows; the elders to not.

15. What two methods do elders use to practice discipline in the church? a. They preach and they supervise preaching. b. They discipline and they excommunicate. c. They supervise worship and they help the deacons. d. They supervise the preaching of the word and they take action when a church member does not repent of his sin.

16. Name the four different views of church government which lesson six mentions. a. Democratic, Totalitarian, Republican, and Despotic. b. Erastian, Episcopalian, Congregational, and Presbyterial. c. Totalitarian, Episcopalian, Congregational, and Individual. d. Apostolic, Disciplinarian, Presbyterian, and Individual.

17. How many gifts has Christ given to His church? a. Twelve. b. The New Testament mentions at least twenty. Christ probably gives many more. c. Two: one for Jews and another for Gentiles. 158 d. Seven, for each of the seven churches. 159

18. How did this course describe the variety of gifts in the church? a. Christ gives the church a variety of buildings. b. Christ gives the church a variety of apostles. c. Christ gives the church a variety of sacraments, books in the Bible, and languages. d. Christ gives the church a variety of duties, of abilities, and personalities.

19. How does the course define the completion of Scripture’s inspiration? a. The Holy Spirit inspired the complete New Testament. b. The Holy Spirit inspired the complete Old Testament. c. The Holy Spirit no longer inspires new scriptures. d. When Holy Spirit inspires a new biblical book today, that book is complete.

20. In what way does the course say that church planting will prove costly? a. The “mother” church will probably destroy itself as it plants another church. b. The “mother” church will give up some of its leaders c. The church planter will not have time to visit his friends. d. The church planter will not belong to a church. 160

6g. COURSE EVALUATION BY THE STUDENTS

Name of the course______Course time/schedule ______Name of the Instructor being evaluated ______Place where the course was given ______

Please evaluate according to the following criteria.

1. Was the Instructor prepared to teach the course? o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______2. The course requirements were explained: o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______3. How important is this course for your service to the Lord? o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______4. The Instructor’s efforts to listen to your questions and seek to answer them were: o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______5. The availability of course materials was: o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______6. To what extent was this course taught from a Biblical and Christian perspective? o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______7. Was the course material relevant for your life’s context? o Not good Comments: o in some ways ______o in many ways ______o very much so ______8. What were the classroom conditions like? o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______9. The costs for the course are: o not good Comments: o regular ______o good ______o excellent ______10. Is this course worth teaching to others? o Not good Comments: 161 o maybe ______o yes ______o definitely so ______162

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adams, Jay E. Handbook of Church Discipline. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House 1986. Adams provides an excellent guide to help us follow Jesus’ commands in Matthew 18:15-17.

Bavinck, Herman. Our Reasonable Faith. Trans. Henry Zylstra. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1956. Bavinck’s work summarizes many doctrinal topics comprehensively and faithfully.

The Belgic Confession. 11 August 2009

Berkhof, Louis. A Summary of Christian Doctrine. 1938. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2005. Berkhof summarizes concisely the material found in his much larger Systematic Theology.

---, Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1941. Berkhof’s work continues to be a standard work partially because it is informed by church history.

Boice, James. Foundations of the Christian Faith. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1986. This noteworthy pastor presents important parts of the Christian life. This may have more devotional value than scholarly usefulness.

Berghoef, Gerard and Lester De Koster. The Deacons Handbook: A Manual of Stewardship. Grand Rapids: Christian’s Library Press, Inc.,1980. The authors provide a thorough description of the office of deacon and the work which deacons can do to fulfill the duties of their office.

Bosma, M. J. Exposition of Reformed Doctrine. 5th ed. Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House, 1927. Bosma’s work covers the whole spectrum of systematic theology using simple terminology.

Bromiley, Geoffrey W. “Church.” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 1979. Old Testament scholar summarizes very well the main points of the doctrine of the church.

F. F. Bruce. This is That: The New Testament Development of Some Old Testament Themes. Exeter: The Paternoster Press Ltd. 1978. Bruce follows the history of important Old Testament themes and shows how God fulfilled them in Christ in the New Testament.

Childers, Steven L. and J. Allen Thompson. “Seven Season of Church Planting & Multiplication.” 2004. Church Global Advancement. 3 June 2010. http://www.newchurches.com/mediafiles/Steve ChildersSevenSeasons.pdf. This website describes the process of church planting from beginning to end as a series of seven “seasons.” It states the goal of each “season” and suggests activities for each.

Clowney, Edmond P. The Church. Contours of Christian Theology. gen. ed. Gerald Bray. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995. This volume is Clowney’s last, and perhaps best, work on the church.

---. The Doctrine of the Church. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1974. Clowney treats the church as the people of the Triune God. This is only one of his writings on the church. 163

Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004. Dever provides a balanced guide for church leaders who want to nurture biblical churches.

“diakoneo.” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. 1985 ed.

Fensham, F. C. “Oath.” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 1986. The article summaries the the use of oaths in the Bible and in general society during the times the stories in the Bible took place.

Ferguson, Sinclair B. A Heart for God. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1985. Ferguson’s short book presents basic Biblical truths for the Christian life.

Heidelberg Catechism. 25 February 2010

Hendriksen, William. Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1957. This series of commentaries contains trustworthy comment on all the books of the New Testament.

Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. Interpreting Prophecy: An Essay in Biblical Perspectives. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976. Hughes summarizes in plain English a Reformed interpretation of God’s promises in the Old Testament.

---. “Means of Grace.” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 1984. This short article explains the importance of the means of grace.

Kistemaker, Simon J. Exposition of the Acts of the Apostles. New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1990. This commentary gives sound, though non-technical, interpretation of the book of Acts.

Kuiper, R. B. The Glorious Body of Christ. London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1967. Kuiper helps us understand the ministry of the church with simplicity and clarity.

Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity and Liberalism. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1923. Machen shows how Liberalism embraces the naturalism of humanistic philosophy while Christianity believes in the transcendent God. In his chapter on the “The Church,” that author demonstrates that only Christianity understands the church’s identity as the people brought together by divine grace.

Martin, Thomas . “Gifts and Graces,” The Communion of Saints: Living in Fellowship with the People of God. ed. Philip Graham Ryken. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2001. This chapter helpfully distinguishes the Christian’s gifts from graces and provides a general biblical perspective on both.

McFarland, George. “Mutual Edification.” The Communion of Saints. ed. Phillip Graham Ryken. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2001. The author describes the mutual care that takes place in biblical church life.

Miller, C. John. Evangelism and Your Church. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1980. Miller instructs churches concerning the theological basis and the essential methodology of evangelism.

Nicene Creed, The. 12 February 2010

Old, Hughes Oliphant. Worship that is Reformed According to Scripture. Guides to the Reformed Tradition, ed. John H. Leith and John W. Kuykendall. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1984. This work provides an excellent summary of the principles of worship as the Protestant Reformation summarized them.

Robertson, O. Palmer. The Christ of the Covenants. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980. Robertson’s book has become a standard work on covenants. It represents the so-called mono-covenantal view.

---. The Final Word: A biblical Response to the Case for Tongues and Prophecy Today. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust. 1993. This author argues convincingly that tongues in the New Testament declared inspired speech and that the inspiration of God’s speech ceased with the close of the apostolic age.

Ryken, Philip Graham. City on a Hill: Reclaiming the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003). The author provides a biblical description of the church’s ministry which church leaders will find helpful

Stoddard, Dana L. “‘To the Next Town’: Thoughts on church planting.” Presbyterian Journal. 21 August 1985: 6, 7. This author, who planted several churches, gives advice based on his own insights and experience. Since the Bible shapes his outlook on his work and he keeps his writing free from bureaucratic jargon, his advice will prove helpful to church planters around the world.

Stott, John. Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press. 1964. This short work provides excellent answers from Scripture concerning the work of the Holy Spirit today.

Taylor, J. B. “Elder.” The New Bible Dictionary. 1962. This brief article covers the role of elders in the national life of Old Testament Israel.

Vos, Geerhardus. The Kingdom of God and the Church. Nutley: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1972. This Reformed classic helps clarify the distinct nature of Christ’s church and kingdom.

Walker, G. S. M. “Presbyter, Presbytery.” The New Bible Dictionary. 1962. The short article gives a good overview of the role of elders in the New Testament.

Waltke. Bruce K. An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007. This large work covers much of the theology of the Old Testament.

Westminster Confession of Faith. 10 September 2010

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