Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology

Ecclesiology: The Doctrine of the Church

What does the Bible teach about the church?

The Mission and Structure of the Church

The Churchs Three-Fold Mission

Three-Fold Mission
Worship Nurture Witness

Three-Fold Mission
Worship

Worship

The church is defined as a community of true worshippers John 4:23-24: "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Phil 3:3: for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

Worship

The churchs destination is an eternity of true worship Rev 4:9-11: And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. Rev 22:8-9: I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God."

Worship

The church therefore exists to worship God [T]he primary reason why the Christian should go to church [is] to worship God. In todays church climate this is a radical idea. Nevertheless, Christians should go to church not to evangelize, not to provide a comfortable consumer-friendly setting for the unchurched, not even primarily for the benefit which fellowship with other Christians provides, and definitely not just for lectures and devotionals, but in order to worship God (Robert L Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998) 872).

Worship

The church therefore exists to worship God [T]he primary reason why the Christian should go to church [is] to worship God. In todays church climate this is a radical idea. Nevertheless, Christians should go to church not to evangelize, not to provide a comfortable consumer-friendly setting for the unchurched, not even primarily for the benefit which fellowship with other Christians provides, and definitely not just for lectures and devotionals, but in order to worship God (Robert L Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998) 872).

Worship

The church therefore exists to worship God Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesnt. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad!, 11).

Three-Fold Mission
Nurture

Nurture

Acts 2:42: They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Matt 18:15-17: "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 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. <Turn to Eph 4:4-16>

Nurture

Nurtured by the word of God Eph 4:14-15: 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; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ. Matt 28:20: teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 1 Pet 2:2: like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.

Nurture

Nurtured by the Lords Supper

The Lords Supper is a meal 1 Cor 10:16: Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

We

grow by communion with him: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil 3:10-11).

Nurture

Nurtured by the exercise of our gifts Eph 4:7-8, 11, 16: But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teacher.16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. 1 Cor 12:7: But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Nurture

Nurtured by the exercise of our gifts 1 Pet 4:10-11: As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Three-Fold Mission
Witness

Witness

Matt 28:18-20: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Witness

This is accomplished both by the way we live and by what we say. Notice that I have not said that the churchs witness can be accomplished either by the way we live or by what we say. Neither have I said that the churchs witness is accomplished primarily by the way we live and secondarily by what we say, or primarily by what we say and secondarily by the way we live. The witness of the church is clearly a both/and proposition.

Witness

John 13:34-35: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. 1 Peter 3:15: but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

Witness

Col 4:5: Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Witness

In addition, the witness of the church is a witness of an assembly, of a communityit is a corporate mandate. Matt 28:18-20: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The Structure of the Church

The Churchs Structure

The church accomplishes its mission in the world vis--vis a specific structure, Which begins with the delineation of two offices of leadership in the church:

Elder Deacon

The Churchs Structure

Its Leadership

The Churchs Structure: Its Leadership

The ultimate and supreme leader of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 4:15: but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ Eph 1:22-23: And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Col 1:18: He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 1 Pet 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The Churchs Structure: Its Leadership

Christ entrusts the leadership of the church to the office of rule in the church the office of the eldership. 1 Tim 5:17: The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

The Churchs Leadership

Elders

The Churchs Leadership: Elders

In Scripture, the office of the eldership is given more than one name, each of which contributes something unique to our understanding both of the function and character of the office.

Titus 1:5-6: 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, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 1 Tim 3:1-2: It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach

The Churchs Leadership: Elders

In Scripture, the office of the eldership is given more than one name, each of which contributes something unique to our understanding both of the function and character of the office.

Acts 20:17, 28: From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.28Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

The Churchs Leadership: Elders

In Scripture, the office of the eldership is given more than one name, each of which contributes something unique to our understanding both of the function and character of the office.

1 Pet 5:1-2: Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness.

The Churchs Leadership: Elders

In Scripture, the office of the eldership is given more than one name, each of which contributes something unique to our understanding both of the function and character of the office.

Eph 4:11-12: And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. 1 Tim 5:17: The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

The Churchs Leadership: Elders

Terminology for the ruling office of the church:

Elder: Hearkens to the Old Testament idea of the older, male leaders who rendered decisions for and represented the people of their clan. Overseer: This title emphasizes guidance, oversight (obviously), care, and leadership. Pastor (lit. shepherd): Highlights leadership, authority, care, guidance, protection, and nourishment. Teacher: This denotes the instructive function, both corrective and formative, of the ruling office of the church.

The Churchs Leadership

Deacons

The Churchs Leadership: Deacons

Though the diaconate (= deaconate, board of deacons) does not exercise rule in the church, this does not mean that deacons are not leaders; Otherwise there would be no need to distinguish them from among the congregation at large.

The Churchs Leadership: Deacons

Phil 1:1: Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. 1 Tim 3:8: Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain

The Churchs Leadership: Deacons

Deacons (as the name indicates) are the churchs official servants, the managers of the bodys service, especially with reference to the ministry of mercy. The Greek word group from which the English deacon comes indicates that the service rendered typically involved the meeting of physical needs through the allocation of material and monetary resources. See R W Glenn, Local Church Leadership, 22.

The Churchs Leadership: Deacons

In addition, in what may be called a prototypical passage concerning the office of the deacon, Acts 6:1-6, it is clear that the deacons function may be construed more broadly than simply attending to physical needs through the allocation of material and monetary resources. <Turn to Acts 6:1-6 (notice esp. vv 2-3).

The Churchs Leadership: Deacons

Finally, one particular qualification indicates that the deacons role is managerial. 1 Tim 3:12: Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. The deacons of Acts 6 are no exception. The Jerusalem church was large, seven men were hardly sufficient to accomplish such a large task themselves, without employing the members of the believing community.

The Churchs Leadership: Deacons

So the office of deacon is an office of leadership in the church that serves at the pleasure of the eldership to manage the ministry of the congregation in order to enable the elders to carry out their own duties to Gods people.

The Churchs Structure

Modeling the Church

Modeling the Church

The church is a body in which every member has a role to play in the carrying out of the mission of the church. Some will serve as what are called special officers in the church: elders and deacons. Most, however, will serve in accord with their spiritual gifts in what may be called the general office of the believer. Acts 15:4: When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. <Turn to 1 Cor 12:1-31>

Modeling the Church

This every-member concept from Scripture allows us to develop a model for church that may be graphically represented in the following way:

Modeling the Church: Top View (Christs View of the Church)

G G G G G G G G G D G G G G D G G G E Legend G = General Office E = Elders D = Deacons E G G G

Modeling the Church: Side View

Christ

Elders

Deacons

Congregation