Condensed Theology, Lecture 40, Ecclesiology 01, Attributes

8/6/2019 Condensed Theology, Lecture 40, Ecclesiology 01, Attributes

1/51

Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology


2/51

Ecclesiology:The Doctrine of the Church

What does the Bible teach aboutthe church?


3/51

A Beginning Definition


4/51

Defining the Church

The church is the assembly of thetrue and living God gathered intoone people by his work of

redemption in Jesus Christ.


5/51

Defining the Church The church is the assembly of the true and living

God gathered into one people by his work ofredemption in Jesus Christ.

Eph 5:25b: Christloved the church and gaveHimself up for her.

Acts 20:28: Be on guard for yourselves and forall the flock, among which the Holy Spirit hasmade you overseers, to shepherd the church of

God which He purchased with His own blood. All those Christ died to redeem are defined as the

church.


6/51


God gathered into one people by his work ofredemption in Jesus Christ. Rom 3:25-26: whom God displayed publicly as a

propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to

demonstrate His righteousness, because in theforbearance of God He passed over the sins previouslycommitted; for the demonstration, I say, of Hisrighteousness at the present time, so that He would be

just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. All those Christ died to redeem are defined as the church.


7/51



In the Septuagint (LXX; the Greek Old Testament),

the termevkklhsi,a

(ekklsa

, assembly, church) is usedto translate the Hebrew term that refers to thegathered people of God.

It is not accidental that the writers of the New

Testament, whose Bible was the LXX chose this termto refer to the gathered people of Jesus Christ.


8/51



Deut 4:10: Remember the day you stood

before the LORD your God at Horeb, whenthe LORD said to me, Assemble the peopleto Me, that I may let them hear My words so

they may learn to fear Me all the days theylive on the earth, and that they may teachtheir children.


9/51



Acts 7:38: This is the one who was in the

congregation in the wilderness together withthe angel who was speaking to him on MountSinai, and who was with our fathers; and he

received living oracles to pass on to you.


10/51



Heb 2:12: saying, "I WILL PROCLAIMYOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THEMIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILLSING YOUR PRAISE."

Ps 22:22: I will tell of Your name to my

brethren; In the midst of the assembly I willpraise You.


11/51



Heb 12:22-23: But you have come to Mount

Zion and to the city of the living God, theheavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads ofangels, to the general assembly and church of

the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, andto God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits ofthe righteous made perfect.


12/51



Matt 18:17: If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the

church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church,let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Jesus here understands the term church in Jewishterms, which is why the excommunicated sinner is

termed a Gentile and tax collector.


13/51



John 10:16: I have other sheep, which are not of this

fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear Myvoice; and they will become one flock with oneshepherd.

John 11:52: and not for the nation only, but in

order that He might also gather together into one thechildren of God who are scattered abroad.


14/51



1 Pet 2:9-10: But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal

PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FORGod's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaimthe excellencies of Him who has called you out ofdarkness into His marvelous light; for you once were

NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OFGOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but nowyou have RECEIVED MERCY.


15/51


God gathered into one people by his work ofredemption in Jesus Christ. Eph 2:12-19: remember that you were at that time separate from

Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to thecovenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Butnow in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought

near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who madeboth groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, byabolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandmentscontained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two intoone new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them bothin one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the

enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHOWERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; forthrough Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Sothen you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizenswith the saints, and are of God's household.


16/51

Defining the Church

The church is the assembly of thetrue and living God gathered intoone people by his work of

redemption in Jesus Christ.


17/51

The Attributes of theChurch


18/51

Attributes of the Church Because there was a rapid and immediate

departure from apostolic doctrine followingthe death of the apostles, early churchfathers felt the need to determine

attributes by which the true church couldbe identified.

We believe in one holy catholic andapostolic church (Nicene Creed).


19/51

Attributes of the Church1. One

2. Holy

3. Catholic

4. Apostolic


20/51


Unity:

OneChurch


21/51

Attributes of the Church: Unity The church has one head: the Lord Jesus

Christ. Eph 1:22: And He put all things in

subjection under His feet, and gave[Christ] as head over all things to thechurch.


22/51

Attributes of the Church: Unity The church has one Spirit: the Holy Spirit.

1 Cor 12:13: For by one Spirit we were allbaptized into one body, whether Jews orGreeks, whether slaves or free, and wewere all made to drink of one Spirit.


23/51

Attributes of the Church: Unity The church has one foundation: the Lord

Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 3:11: For no man can lay a

foundation other than the one which islaid, which is Jesus Christ.


24/51

Attributes of the Church: Unity The church is one.

Eph 4:4-6: There is one body and one Spirit, just as alsoyou were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord,one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who isover all and through all and in all.

John 10:16: I have other sheep, which are not of thisfold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice;and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

Gal 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is

neither slave nor free man, there is neither male norfemale; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.


25/51

Attributes of the Church: Unity The unity of the church is not only something

that is true of the church, But something that ought to be kept and pursued

by the church.

Rom 15:5-6: Now may the God who givesperseverance and encouragement grant you tobe of the same mind with one another accordingto Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may

with one voice glorify the God and Father of ourLord Jesus Christ.


26/51

Attributes of the Church: Unity The unity of the church is not only something

that is true of the church, But something that ought to be kept and pursued

by the church.

Eph 4:3: being diligent to preserve the unity ofthe Spirit in the bond of peace.

Phil 2:2: make my joy complete by being of

the same mind, maintaining the same love,united in spirit, intent on one purpose.


27/51

Attributes of the Church: Unity The unity of the church is not only something that is true

of the church, But something that ought to be kept and pursued by the

church. John 17:20-23: I do not ask on behalf of these alone,

but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Meand I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that theworld may believe that You sent Me. The glory whichYou have given Me I have given to them, that they maybe one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me,

that they may be perfected in unity, so that the worldmay know that You sent Me, and loved them, even asYou have loved Me.


28/51

The Attributes of the Church: Unity Unity is not uniformity (1 Corinthians 12)

Unity is not to be achieved at the expense ofsound doctrine (1 Cor 1:10-13).

Unity is not merely invisible, spiritual unity (John

17:22-23). Unity is not the same thing as anti-

denominationalism, or non-denominationalismnon-denominational churches can be even more

sectarian than traditional denominations (everychurch is its own denomination).


29/51


Sanctity:

HolyChurch


30/51

The Attributes of the Church:

Sanctity

Like personal sanctification, the church is

holy both definitively and progressively.


31/51


Sanctity The church is holy because it has been sanctified by

Christ. 1 Pet 2:9: But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal

PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FORGod's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaimthe excellencies of Him who has called you out of

darkness into His marvelous light. John 17:15-19: I do not ask You to take them out of the

world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are notof the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify themin the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the

world, I also have sent them into the world. For theirsakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also maybe sanctified in truth.


32/51


Sanctity The church is holy because it has been sanctified by

Christ.

1 Cor 1:1-2: Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christby the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, To thechurch of God which is at Corinth, to those who havebeen sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with allwho in every place call on the name of our Lord JesusChrist, their Lord and ours.

1 Cor 3:16-17: Do you not know that you are a temple ofGod and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any mandestroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for thetemple of God is holy, and that is what you are.


33/51


Sanctity The church is holy because it has been

sanctified by Christ. Eph 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, just as

Christ also loved the church and gave Himself

up for her, so that He might sanctify her, havingcleansed her by the washing of water with theword, that He might present to Himself the

church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkleor any such thing; but that she would be holyand blameless.


34/51


Sanctity The church is also called to holiness 2 Cor 6:14 -7:1: Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what

partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowshiphas light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, orwhat has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or whatagreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the templeof the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM ANDWALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY

SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIRMIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOTTOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. And I will bea father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Saysthe Lord Almighty. 7:1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let

us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit,perfecting holiness in the fear of God.


35/51


Sanctity The church is also called to holiness

1 Pet 1:15-16: but like the Holy One whocalled you, be holy yourselves also in all yourbehavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE

HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY. Eph 4:24: and put on the new self, which in

the likeness of God has been created in

righteousness and holiness of the truth.


36/51


Sanctity Sanctity does not involve excluding fellow

Christians (nowhere in the Bible are Christianscalled to divide with one another over issues ofdoctrinal or practical purity, except in the finalstep of punitive church discipline).

Sanctity is not absolute purity this side of glory:The purest churches under heaven are subjectto mixture and error, and some have

degenerated so much that they have ceased tobe churches of Christ and have becomesynagogues of Satan (Confession 26.3).


37/51


Sanctity

Church C: Holiest

Church B: Holier

Church A: Holy

Doctrinal and practical heresy


38/51


Catholicity:

CatholicChurch


39/51


Catholic

The term catholic is derived from the

Latin catholicam, which means universal(not Roman Catholic; as such RomanCatholic is a conflicted moniker).

The church is universal in three ways:

Geographically catholic

Socio-economically catholic Ethnically catholic


40/51


Catholic Geographic Catholicism

Acts 1:8: but you will receive power when the HolySpirit has come upon you; and you shall be Mywitnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea andSamaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

Rom 10:18: But I say, surely they have never heard,have they? Indeed they have; "THEIR VOICE HASGONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIRWORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.

Col 1:23b: the gospel that you have heard, whichwas proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and ofwhich I, Paul, was made a minister.


41/51


Catholic Geographic Catholicism

Rom 15:19-20: in the power of signs and wonders,in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem andround about as far as Illyricum I have fully preachedthe gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the

gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that Iwould not build on another man's foundation.

Rom 15:24: whenever I go to Spain-- for I hope to

see you in passing, and to be helped on my way thereby you, when I have first enjoyed your company for awhile.


42/51


Catholic Socio-economic Catholicism

Gal 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek,there is neither slave nor free man, there isneither male nor female; for you are all one inChrist Jesus.

Col 3:11: a renewal in which there is nodistinction between Greek and Jew,circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,

Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all,and in all.


43/51


Catholic Ethnic Catholicism

Gal 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek,there is neither slave nor free man, there isneither male nor female; for you are all one inChrist Jesus.

Col 3:11: a renewal in which there is nodistinction between Greek and Jew,circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,

Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all,and in all.

Th A ib f h Ch h


44/51


Catholic Ethnic Catholicism

Matt 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and theHoly Spirit

Rev 5:9-10: And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are Youto take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, andpurchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe andtongue and people and nation. You have made them to be akingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon theearth.

Rev 7:9: After these things I looked, and behold, a great

multitude which no one could count, from every nation and alltribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne andbefore the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm brancheswere in their hands.

Th A ib f h Ch h


45/51


Catholic The new Together for the Gospel document expresses

the catholicity of the church well when it says,

We affirm that God calls his people to display his gloryin the reconciliation of the nations within the Church, andthat Gods pleasure in this reconciliation is evident in thegathering of believers from every tongue and tribe andpeople and nation. We acknowledge that the staggeringmagnitude of injustice against African-Americans in thename of the Gospel presents a special opportunity fordisplaying the repentance, forgiveness, and restorationpromised in the Gospel. We further affirm that

evangelical Christianity in America bears a uniqueresponsibility to demonstrate this reconciliation with ourAfrican-American brothers and sisters (Article XVII).


46/51


Apostolicity:

Apostolic Church

Th Att ib t f th Ch h


47/51


Apostolic The church is apostolic in the sense that it is founded on

the doctrine preached by the apostles with the authority

of Christ under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Eph 2:20: having been built on the foundation of the

apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being thecorner stone.

Acts 2:42: They were continually devoting themselves tothe apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breakingof bread and to prayer.

John 17:20: I do not ask on behalf of these alone, butfor those also who believe in Me through their word.

Th Att ib t f th Ch h


48/51


Apostolic The church is apostolic in the sense that it is founded on

the doctrine preached by the apostles with the authority

of Christ under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Gal 1:6-9: I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting

Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a differentgospel; which is really not another; only there are some

who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel ofChrist. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, shouldpreach to you a gospel contrary to what we havepreached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said

before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching toyou a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to beaccursed!



49/51


Apostolic The church is apostolic in the sense that it is

founded on the doctrine preached by theapostles with the authority of Christ under theinspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Matt 10:40: He who receives you receives Me,

and he who receives Me receives Him who sentMe.

Rev 21:14: And the wall of the city had twelve

foundation stones, and on them were the twelvenames of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.



50/51


Apostolic The church is apostolic in the sense that it is founded on the

doctrine preached by the apostles with the authority of Christ underthe inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father willsend in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to yourremembrance all that I said to you.

John 16:13: But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guideyou into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but

whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you whatis to come.

2 Thess 2:15: So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to thetraditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or byletter from us.

2 Thess 3:6: Now we command you, brethren, in the name of ourLord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leadsan unruly life and not according to the tradition which you receivedfrom us.


51/51

Attributes of the Church1. One

2. Holy3. Catholic

4. Apostolic

Documents

Condensed Theology, Lecture 40, Ecclesiology 01, Attributes