Doctrine: What is the Church (Part 2a)
In continuing our doctrine series on the church, I will now begin to break down the definition that I gave in ‘part 1b.’ I will break the definition down into 3 separate posts. This post will focus on the first part of the definition which reads,
“A local visible church is a body of ’baptized believers in Christ’ covenanting together through creeds and confessions…”
A local visible church. In contrast to the universal Church which speaks of all believers who have ever lived past, present, and future, the local church is a group of people meeting together visibly. A local church can meet together in a church building, warehouse, home, outside in a park, etc, etc. But just because a group of people are meeting together visibly, there must be certain things in place defined by Scripture for this ‘group’ to be called a ‘local church.’
is a body of ‘baptized believers in Christ.’ Now we get into the fun stuff. The local church is a group of people meeting together yes, but should anything be said to describe these people? First of all, these people must be believers in Christ. They must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he literally raised from the dead to defeat sin and death. Those who are not believers can still be a part of the ‘gatherings’ though they should not be listed in church membership. This is why church membership is important – it points out a truly redeemed church where people can be held accountable in giving and church discipline, involved in community and service, and granted by Scripture a continuationist position at the Lord’s table for the Lord’s supper.
Not only must they be believers in Jesus but they must be baptized. As a Baptist, this is where I come to differ with my Presbyterian brothers and sisters. Presbyterians baptize infants and grant them (even throughout childhood and teenage years) membership into the local church even though they are not believers in Jesus. Baptists hold in very high esteem a believer’s church only. Baptism should be seen as an initiatory ordinance into the church, whereas the Lord’s Supper should be seen as a continuationist ordinance.
Romans 10:9; Acts 2:38; 8:12; 9:18; 10:48; 11:16; 16:15; 22:16; Romans 6:3; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 15:29; Galatians 3:27.
covenanting together through creeds and confessions. If baptized believers in Jesus are meeting together visibly and locally, by what consensus are they meeting together? Here I will change the word ‘meeting’ together to ‘covenanting’ together. They ‘meet’ together as baptized believers in Jesus only because of and through the new covenant. Creeds and confessions are important because it outlines what the local church actually believes. A statement of confessions clearly summarizes a local church’s beliefs about the Trinity, salvation, the church, etc., etc.
The Veritas Network offers the following doctrinal affirmations as a summary of our foundational beliefs and absolute convictions. Although in holding to these confessions, we affirm that sole authority for truth is found in the infallible, inherent, and authoritative Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and that the conscience is not bound by these confessions, as they are simply guidelines.
The Abstract of Principles 1858
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy 1978
The Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 1987
Good start on the church, Greg. In a day where individuals rule, our spiritual lives get privatized as well. I agree that we must look outside of ourselves to the Scriptures first and then as guides the confessions (a succinct summary of Scriptures if their good) to understand God. I don’t understand why we as a generation shy away from creeds and confessions.
Good post. You place a huge emphasis on church membership. Can you give some biblical references for this? All of the references refer to baptism. I’m by no means against church membership, but today I think we put way too much emphasis on the numbers and making it official. Not being on a church roll does not make one any less of a member of that local body.
Amanda, I agree! I do think the numbers game can become idolatrous if not careful! I can even get caught up with how many hits the sight gets and often forget that The Veritas Network exists for the glory of God and not how many hits we get a day. Although, as far as numbers in churches, I have heard it said that numbers represent people and because people have souls numbers therefore are important (though not to the point of losing integrity and tickling peoples ears).
Church membership is not prescriptive in Scripture. There is no verse in all of Scripture that discusses church membership saying that we must have it. The closest that we can come to is Romans 13 and Hebrews 13:17. Hebrews 13 says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves” (Hebrews 13:17). A major and crucial role of an elder is to shepherd his flock. In healthy churches, there is an ethos created by the elders where the church body understands that the elders/pastors were placed over them by God to lead them and shepherd them. In realizing this, there has to be some form of submission to the leadership of the church. I am all for congregational church government, but I am also for churches understanding that their pastors will stand before the Lord one day and give an account of how they led their flock. Church membership not only places the emphasis on the individual Christian being counted out and set apart as a member, but it also allows the church (i.e., the pastors/elders) to hold them accountable. Such instances when this would be necessary are giving, attendance, community, serving in the local congregation, AND it also allows church discipline to take place when needed because this member of a local congregation has been set apart under the authority of the elders of a local congregation.
Membership, I believe, rightly allows pastors and elders to be good stewards of their flock.
Good question!