What Do We Believe, about the Church?abilenebible.org/assets/what-we-believe---the... · Predestination, Call, Justification, and Glorification). Sanctification Is the Synergistic

What Do We Believe,

about the Church?The Doctrine of Ecclesiology

Systematic Theology So Far

� 1. Bibliology (Bible): How to Know God?

� 2. Theology Proper (God);

� 3. Christology (Christ);

� 4. Pneumatology (Holy Spirit): Know the Triune God.

� 5. Angelology (Angels): Know the Spiritual World.

� 6. Anthropology (Man): Know Ourselves.

� 7. Hamartiology (Sin): Know Our Problem.

� 8. Soteriology (Salvation): Know the Solution.

� 9. Ecclesiology (Church): Live as the Result.

� 10. Eschatology (End Time): Know Your Hope.

What Is Ecclesiology about?

� The result of salvation is the Church. The doctrine of

the Church is ecclesiology. It involves:

� (1) the doctrine of Sanctification and Practical

Theology,

� (2) the definitions of the Universal Church and the

Local Churches,

� (3) the rites of the Church,

� (4) the governments of the Church,

� (5) the dogma, councils and creeds of the Church

(the boundaries of faith),

� (6) the history of the denominations, and

� (7) the Church-and-State relationship.

Theology of Sanctification

and Practical Theology

� Soteriology Is the Theology of Salvation, which Is about God’s Monergistic Work in Saving Mankind (Election, Predestination, Call, Justification, and Glorification).

� Sanctification Is the Synergistic Work of God and the Saved People (the Church). It Is about Christian Life.

� It Belongs to the Doctrine of Ecclesiology;

� It Is Exposited in Practical Theology, in Contrast to Systematic Theology and Historical Theology.

� The Best Books in NT on Sanctification Are 1&2 Corinthians, and the second half of Ephesians.

� The above Mentioned Doctrines and Books Are the Most Neglected in Protestant Churches and Seminaries.

What Is the Church?

� ABC’s Brief Statement of Faith (“What We Believe”)

Said These about the Church:

� “The Church is composed of all believers. It is the body

and bride of Jesus Christ. It operates through small

local gatherings which are committed to one another

in love, to worship God with praise and thanksgiving,

and to glorify Jesus Christ through a consistent effort to

disciple each other by the preaching of the gospel,

and the exercise of spiritual gifts.”

� (John 14:2 on “Saved”; Eph 1:4 on “Chosen”; 1:22-23

on “Body”; 5:24-30 on “Bride”; 1 Cor 12:4-13, 27 on

“Gifts”).

What Is the Church?

� The Universal Church Is the Collection of All the Born-again Believers of Jesus Christ. It Is Also Called the Invisible Church, and Spreads Across All Boundaries (Places, Races, Nations, Cultures, Denominations).

� The Local Churches Are the Individual Congregations of Believers Who Gather Together to Practice Church Life (Worshipping God and Love One Another). It Is the Visible Church.

� It Can Be Identified by Specificity (Place, Denom. Etc.).

� Each Can Be Composed of True Believers (Members of the Universal Church), False Believers, Nonbelievers, and Yet-to-be Believers.

� The True Believers Are Sanctified in Different Levels.

What Is a Denomination?

� When a Church Is Called by Specificity that Identifies

Its Origin and Major Doctrines, and with an Overseeing

Organization above Each Individual Church, It Is a

Denominational Church.

� Denominations Are Formed due to Historical Reasons

on the Formation of the Organization.

� The Term “Denomination” Is Usually Reserved for the

Churches within Protestantism, although the Older

“Branches” of Christianity Are In-fact Denominations,

too.


� Due to the Battles with Heresies, the Universal Church

through Universal Church Councils (1-7) Decided the

Boundaries of Faith:

� Trinitarianism (1st, Nicaea): 1 God in 3 Persons

� Christology (4th, Chalcedon): Fully God, Fully Man; Divinity and Humanity Do Not Mix, Fuse, or Separate.

� There Non-Chalcedonian-Orthodox Churches (Cyrillism) in the Middle East (e.g. Coptic, Syrian Orthodox).

� The Major Branches of Christianity (Catholic, Eastern

Orthodox, Protestant) Are Trinitarian and Chalcedonian.


� The Early Church (Apostolic, Patristic) Was “Denomed” by the 5 Major Bishoprics: Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Rome, and Alexandria (in Egypt).

� After the Roman Empire Adopted Christianity in 325, the 5 Bishoprics Remained (Ephesus Replaced by Constantinople) as Parts of 1 National Church.

� The Eastern Orthodox Church Today Is the Remnant of the Roman State Church, even though the Separation Was Later in 1054. It Puts the State > Church, Tradition > Organization/Leader.

� The Roman Catholic Church Was the Result of the Fall of the Western Empire to the Goths, Formed by Pope Gregory I in 590, though It Claim to Began from Peter. It Puts the Church > State, Organization/Leader > Tradition.

The New Boundary of Faith

Formed in the Reformation

� The Boundaries of Faith Divide the Orthodoxy (Correct

Belief) from the Heresies (Deviations).

� Beyond (Mono)-Theism and Trinitarianism, the

Reformation Expanded the Boundary of Faith to the

“Five Alones” of Reformation:

� Protestants: Salvation Is by “Faith Alone, Grace Alone, and Christ Alone”; Authority Is “Scripture Alone”; Life Is for

the “Glory of God Alone.”

� Catholic: Salvation Is by “Faith + Works, Grace +

Sacraments, and Christ + Mary”; Authority Is “Scripture + Church/Pope”; Life Is for the “Glory of God + Glory of Man.” This May Be a Caricature, but Carries the Essentials.


� After the East-West Split in 1054, the Church Was “Denomed” by Doctrines and Organizations.

� The Protestant Reformation in 1517 Created More Denominations.

� There Were 5 Major Ones:

� Lutheran: Following Martin Luther (Church-State Unity)

� Reformed-Presbyterian: Following John Calvin, John Knox

� Anglican: English State Church since Henry VIII

� Puritanism => America

� Wesleyanism/Methodism: Following John Wesley

� Baptist: Following the Anabaptists (Church-State Separation).


� After the Second Great Awakening (c.1820s), Many

New Denominations Were Formed: e.g. the

Reconstruction Movement (Following Thomas and

Alexander Campbell, Trying to Restore the “Primitive

Church”), Came 3 Denominations : the Churches of

Christ, Christian Church, and the Disciples of Christ.

� From Wesleyanism (Holiness Movement) Came both

the Progressive (in the Direction to Liberalism), and the

Pentecostalism (in the Direction of Charismatism), both

Created More Denominations, the Latter also Many

Independent Churches.


� The Protestants Are Divided into 3 Schools of Thought: Liberalism (from Lutherans in c.1800), Evangelicalism (from the Moravian Brethren in 1727), and Charismatism (from 1900). They Are Spread Out among All Denominations.

� The American Civil War (1860s) Split the Northern and Southern Denominations. Generally the Northern Churches Went Liberal, and the Southern Ones Remained Conservative.

� The Liberalism-Fundamentalism Debate (c.1900) Split All Denominations. Fundamentalism (1900s) Became Evangelicalism (1950s), Emphasizing the Inerrancy of the Scripture (as in Fundamentalism) and the Centrality of Spreading the Gospel (as Namesake of Evangelicalism).


� The Fundamentalists-Evangelicals Agree on

Soteriology of the Reformers, but Differences on the

Eschatology (Amillennial of the Reformed vs. the

Premillennial-Dispensationalists), Ecclesiology

(Congregational Rule of the Baptist vs. Elder Rule of

the Presbyterians), and Pneumatology (Charismatic vs.

non-charismatic) Remained and Further Divided.

� New Denominations or Independent Churches Kept

Appearing.

� An Independent Church Is One without a Supra-

Organization over the Local Church. They Can Still Be

Classified as Certain “Kinds” or Churches.

What Is This Church?

� ABC’s in-detail Statement of Faith (“Practices and Beliefs,”Later “Membership Class Manual”) States:

� “Abilene Bible Church is a non-denominational church. There is no organizational superstructure over this local assembly.”

� So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. (Act 9:31)

� “Theologically we believe that the Universal (“catholic”) Church (biblically the Body of Christ and the future Bride of Christ) is composed of all individual born-again believers of Jesus Christ from all backgrounds, united by the same Holy Spirit who dwells in each believer.”


� “Practically the Universal Church is composed of many Local Churches, which were often formed due to historical reasons into many traditions, denominations, and schools of thought. This division is part of life, which we must accept as fact, but try to minimize its adverse effect.”

� When they had appointed elders for them in everychurch, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Act 14:23)

� Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the HellenisticJews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. (Act 6:1)


� “While we do not have organizational affiliations,

theologically and spiritually we may be classified as a

“Conservative Evangelical Protestant Church.”

� “As Christians, we believe in Biblical Monotheism and

Trinitarianism. As Protestants, we believe in salvation by

faith alone. As Evangelicals, we believe in the

inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, and the duty to

tell the gospel to the world. As Conservatives, we are

neither charismatic (we do not promoting tongues)

nor anti-charismatic (we recognize that God heals

and gives us both authority and power for spiritual

warfare).”


� Due to the Fact that the City Is a Denominational Town, ABC Is Nondenominational, and It Offers Fellowship More than Membership.

� “Membership in ABC is open to born-again believers of all backgrounds. The only criterion is to believe in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, and that the Bible as the sole divine special revelation, from which we build up our Christian theology and philosophy of life.”

� 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female;for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:26-29)


� Membership in ABC is really a fellowship of believers in Christ.When the believer or the family agrees with our foundation beliefs, and decides to identify with ABC as the home church, they become members of ABC. “Members are attenders.”

� For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. (1 Cor 12:12)

� Members of ABC try to love and take care of one another as extended family members. They are placed in the communication network and listed in the membership directory, and will be consulted when new leadership is appointed. The congregation can recommend and pose objections, while the ordination is decided by the elder board.

� 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. (1 Cor 12:26-27)

What Is Church

Government?

� Churches Are Ruled by:

� either (1) Elders [including the Pastor] [PresbyterianChurch Government, from the 1st Century],

� or (2) Bishops [Overseers, the Supra-Pastor of Pastors in a City or Region, Episcopalian Church Government from the 2nd Century],

� or (3) the Congregation [Democratic, CongregationalChurch Government, from the 17th Century].

� The Bible Has Only Evidential Support of the Presbyterian Church Government. Other Ones Are Historical Development due to Need.

� There Are No Absolute Rights or Wrongs on This. We Choose to Be as Biblical as Possible.

ABC as Organization

� Legally, the Abilene Bible Conference Association is chartered as a Texas non-profit corporation for the oversight of the ministries of (1) Abilene Bible Church, (2) the "Truth for Today" television ministry, and (3) the Living Bible Studies ministry, which includes printed literature, audio recording and online ministries. The corporation is conducted by a board of directors, who are the elders of Abilene Bible Church.

� 1Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (Rom 13:1-2)

ABC as Organization

� “As an organization, the leadership of ABC is composed of a pastor, a board of elders, staffs, deacons, and other lay leaders. The elder board is the highest governing body which makes final decision on all issues of the church.”

� 5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. (Tit 1:5-9)

� 17The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preachingand teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages." (1 Tim 5:17-18)

ABC as Organization

� “New elders are appointed by the existing elders, who

should recommend the candidate to the

congregation, who may voice concerns during the

given time and cause the reevaluation or negation of

the appointment. Once appointed, the elders may

serve their life time.”

� “In the case of the lacking of elders other than the

senior pastor, the pastor may appoint a “Council to

the Pastor.” They are elder-quality men according to

the pastor, but they only agree to serve without the

elder-title.”

What Is a Church Rite?

� Rites Are the Formal Ceremonies a Church Perform.

� The Catholics Have 7 “Sacraments” (Related to

Salvation), the Protestants Have 2 “Ordinances” (as

Dictated by the Bible).

� Some Protestant Church also Practice Foot Washing,

which the Bible Recorded an Example, but Did Not

Commanded Observance.

� “Two ordinances are observed in ABC: Believers water

baptism and the Communion (the Lord's Supper).”

Our Ordinances

� Baptism by water is an outward testimony of the inward baptism by the Holy Spirit. The testimony is an announcement to the world, visible or invisible, that the believer belongs to Christ. The spiritual baptism happens at the moment of conversion, which is the moment of regeneration, when a person by faith believes in JesusChrist as the Son of God and savior of man, and receives Him as personal Savior and Lord. All believers should do baptism as a first act of obedience. ABC believes that total immersion is the biblical way of baptism. The emersion symbolizes the old life dying with Christ, while the rising up symbolizes the new life walking with Christ; the former means accepting Jesus as savior;the latter as lord.

� 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6:3-5)

Our Ordinances

� “Water baptism carries the inherent meaning that the believer is cleansed, purified and have become a member of the Church, the present Body of Christ, and the future Bride of Christ. Baptism in the name of Jesus is equivalent to the Trinitarian baptism in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. While the baptism of John implies that the believer is ready to receive Christ as lord and king in his full glory. The Trinitarian baptism implies the belief that the Full Kingdom of God is delayed till Christ’s Second Coming, but the Church is the Spiritual Kingdom of God during the Church Age.”

� 1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven (= kingdom of God) is at hand." (Matt 3:1-2)

Our Ordinances

� 3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And

they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:3-5)

� 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son

and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20)

Our Ordinances

� We do not practice infant baptism, since it is not for a believer. We do child dedication, which is an encouragement on the parents to raise the child in God’s way. For those who transfer membership, we recognize former baptism, no matter what way it was conducted, as long as it was a believer’s baptism. For those who were baptized as a believer, but not in the way of emersion, we would be happy to baptize them in the biblical way, but only if the believer so desires. Generally speaking, baptism is the believer’s initiation into the Church. Spiritual baptism is the initiation into the Universal Church; water baptism into the Local Church.

� Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Pro 22:6)

� For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Cor 12:13)

Our Ordinance

� The Lord's Supper is a renewal ceremony of our New Covenant with Lord Jesus, in which believers are forgiven of their sins, given the Spirit of God, with the understanding and the willingness toobey the spirit of the Law, and made into heirs together with Jesus Christ.

� 31 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 …, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will allknow Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer 31:31-34)

� 26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spiritwithin you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your fleshand give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (Ezek 36:26-27)

Our Ordinance

� The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The unleavened bread symbolizes Christ’s sinless life given as a replacement of the lives of the believers in God’s judgment; the grape juice represents Jesus’ blood which he shed, as well as the wine which he will drink at the wedding of the Lamb with the Church at the Second Coming.

� 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

Our Ordinance

� The Lord’s Supper is a serious ceremony with God’s special presence. So it is good to have a regular communion, when the believers confess their sins and recommit to Christ.

� 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. (1 Cor 11:23-31)

Our Ordinance

� ABC observes the Lord’s Supper at each Sunday

morning worship service, since biblical examples were

weekly communion on Sundays.

� On the first day of the week, when we were gathered

together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. (Act 20:7)

� On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. (1 Cor 16:2)

Our Ministries

� WORSHIP:

� Abilene Bible Church recognizes the whole process of

Sunday service as worshipping God, including the

singing, communion, teaching, and fellowship.

� Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with

thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16)

� While the Church is not the building, but the collective

whole of all regenerated believers, the gathering of

believers to worship God together is a special

situation, commanded by God for our benefit.

Our Ministries

� EVANGELISM:

� Of all the truths the church is here to share, the Gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is an important part.

� 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:18-21).

� The short devotion given during our communion time each Sunday morning is often coupled with an evangelistic message.

Our Ministries

� DISCIPLESHIP:

� The church exists primarily to equip believers for the work of the ministry through teaching God‘s Word.

� 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ (Eph 4:11-15)

� Besides discipleship through the constant teaching of the Word of God, Abilene Bible Church strives to provide steps of training courses for believers to grow from new converts to maturity believers to servants of Christ. Mentoring can be arranged by request.

Our Ministries

� IN ADDITION WE ALSO DO:

� MINISTRY TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH:

� MISSIONS:

� BENEVOLENCE:

� STEWARDSHIP:

� Our View of the Kingdom of God: Church = Spiritual Kingdom; Greater than the Visible Kingdom; Going to the Full Kingdom.

� Our View of the Church-State Relationship: Neither United Nor Separated. Christians Have Civil Duties, but This Word Is Not Our Home.

Documents

What Do We Believe, about the Church?abilenebible.org/assets/what-we-believe---the... · Predestination, Call, Justification, and Glorification). Sanctification Is the Synergistic