ECCLESIOLOGY

Biblical Perspective
 Ecclesiology: Biblical Perspective

■ Introduction
■ Nature of the Church
■ Biblical Images of the Church
■ Mission of the Church
■ Government of the Church
■ Ordinances of the Church
 Ecclesiology: Nature of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ Introduction and Divine Intent
– Gathering and Training of Disciples
■ Chose 12 (Lk 6:12, 13)
■ Sent out to preach(Mark 3:13-15; Luke 10: 7-20)
■ Messiah
– The shepherd and His flock (Ps 23; 80:1;Matt 26:31; Lk 12:32;
John 10; 21:15)
– Upon the Rock (Matt 16: 17)
 Ecclesiology: Nature of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ The Church and the kingdom of God
– Rule of God
■ Redemptive rule of God in Christ (1 Cor 15:23-25
■ Against it is the kingdom of Satan (Matt 12:26)
■ The kingdom will come in glory at end (Matt 13:36-43)
■ Kingdom has come into history in the person and mission of
Christ (Matt 4:23)
– Role of the Church
 Ecclesiology: Nature of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ The Church local or Universal
– Local Church
■ Corinth (1 Cor1:2)
■ Thessalonians (1Thess 1:1)
■ Small group that meets in a house for fellowship (1 Cor 16:19
– Wider Geographical areas or Universal Church
■ Churches of Galatia (Gal 1:2)
■ Churches of Christ in Judea (1Thes 2:14)
■ Churches of Christ in Macedonia (2 Cor 16:19)
■ Churches of Christ in Asia (1 Cor 16:19)
■ Used in universal sense(Eph 1:22; 3:10; Col 1:18)
 Ecclesiology: Nature of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ The Church a faithful Israel
– God’s dealings with Israel (Gen 15:18; 17:2-7)
– God’s promises were predicated on Israel’s
obedience
■ Land promised to their fathers (Gen 15:18;Deut 1:7,8)
■ Endowed with unique physical, intellectual, and material blessings
(Deut 7:12-16; 28:1-6)
■ God renewed the promise with them after captivity(Isa:1, 2;
27:12,13; Jer 16:14-16; 29:10-14)
 Ecclesiology: Nature of the Church
Biblical Perspective
– Hosea 1:6,9; 2:18, Joel 2:27
– NT
■ “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not
beloved”(Rom
9: 25{Hosea 2:23}).
■ “It shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My
people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God” (Rom 9:26{Hosea 1:10}).
■ “But this is what was spoken by the prophets Joel: And it shall come to pass in the
last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Yours sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall dream dreams” (Joel 2:28-32)
■ “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward
in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but form God”
(Rom 2:28-29)
 Ecclesiology: Nature of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ The Church visible or invisible
– The Priority of Faith and Repentance
■ Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 18:3)
■ Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my
disciple (Lk 14:27)
■ Unless one is born a new, he cannot see the kingdom of God (Acts 2: 37, 38;
3:12-26; 4:7-12; Acts 16:30,31)
– Visible Dimension
■ 300 Acts 2:14-41; 120 added (Act 5:11); They grew 5000 (Acts 4:4)
■ Community faith devoted to the apostle’s teaching, fellowship with another,
prayers, worship together, support the needy (Acts 2:42, 44-46)
■ It is bodily, visible, tangible
 Ecclesiology: Nature of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ The Church visible or invisible
– Invisible Dimension
■ Parable of the wheat and tears (Matt 13:36-43)
■ I never knew you (Matt 7:21-23)
■ 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 (John 10:16)
 Ecclesiology: Images of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ Church as a Body
– 1 Cor 12:27(body of Christ)
– Rom 12:5 (body in Christ)
– Metaphor of oneness
– Introduced to deal with relations to one another
■ Church as a Bride of Christ
– The concept is drawn from Gen 2:24
– Jesus used the imagery (Matt 25:1-13)
– Paul used in Ephesians (5:25)
 Ecclesiology: Images of the Church
Biblical Perspective
– Church as a Temple
■ God has erected a people as a sanctuary (2 Cor 6:16)
■ Church was a ‘holy temple, (Eph 2:21)
■ Congregation (1 Cor 3:I6, 17)
■ Individual (1 Cor 6:19)
■ Growing into the dwelling place of God in the spirit (Eph
2:21) built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, chief corner stone (Mark 12:10)
■ The church is a ‘spiritual house,’ in which individual
believers are being built like living stones (1Pet 2:5) hewed
and shaped by the Lord for proper fitting
 Ecclesiology: Images of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ Church as a People of God
– OT idea of People of God (Ex 15: 13, 16; Deut 14:2; Hosea
2:23)
– NT perceive the church as continuation and the
consummation of God’s covenant community (1 Pet 2:9 Ex
19: 5,6)
■ NT uses the people of God and other terms related to Israel
for mixed Christian community and of gentiles and Jews (2
Cor 6:14-16; 1 Pet 2:9,10; Rom 9:25,26)
NT sees the church as the true Israel (Rom 9:6; Gal 6:16)
 Ecclesiology: The Mission of the Church
■
Biblical Perspective
Make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19; Acts 1:8)
■ Instruct believers (Eph 4:11-13)
■ Care for the Needy and Suffering (Jam 1:27; 2:1-7; 1 John 3:15-17)
– Separate from worldly alliances(2 Cor 6: 14-18)
– The salt of the world (Matt 5:13-16)
■ Glorify God (Eph 1:6)
■ The core of the mission
– The gospel (1 Cor 15:1)
– Jesus as the Christ (Acts 5:42)
– No human origin
■ The word of truth (Eph 1:13)
■ Revelation (Gal 1:12)
■ Word that cuts across all racial and social barriers (Rom 1:16, Gal 3:28)
■ Never obsolete (Jude 3)
 Ecclesiology: The Mission of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
– Interceded for them (Rom 8:26)
– Sanctified them (Rom 15:16; 2 Thess 2:13)
– He taught them (1 Cor 2:13)
– Lived in them (2 Tim 1:14)
– Empowered them ( 2 Cor 3:6)
– Preserved the unity (Eph 4: 3, 4)
 Ecclesiology: The Government of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ The Apostles’ Ministry
– No formal prescriptions of organization
– After His ascension (Acts 2:37, 42; 3:1; 5: 1-3)
– Persecution (Acts 14:23; 6:3)
■ Local Ministries
– Apostles (general and global ministry)
– Elders and deacons
■ Elders performed duties that were chiefly spiritual and supervisory
(Acts 20:17-28)
■ Labored among fellow believers and had charge over them in the Lord
(1Thess 5:12) Qualifications listed in 1Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:7-9
■ Deacons have spiritual as well as care of the temporal business of the
church (Acts 6:1-6; 1Tim 3:8-13)
 Ecclesiology: The Government of the Church
Biblical Perspective
■ Basic Principle
– Christ is the head and the source of authority in all
things.
– He exercises His authority through the leaders of the
church
– No room for structure of episcopal along monarchial
lines
■ Charismata and Institution
– Charismata
– Institution
 Ecclesiology: Church Authority
Biblical Perspective
■ The Ultimate Authority
– God is the source and ground of authority for the church
– Prophets
– Christ, The Word of God incarnate ( John 1:1-3, 14)
– Apostles (Mark 3:13, 14) Commissioned (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 17:3; Rom 10:17)

■ Apostolic Authority
– Antecedent authority (Gal 1:8,9)
– Speak with the authority granted them (2 Cor 10:8)

■ The Authority of Scripture

 Ecclesiology: Church Authority
Biblical Perspective
■ Authority in the Local Church
– They selected local elders (Acts 6:1-6)
– They appointed messengers to be sent (Acts 11:22)
– They bore the responsibility for purity in doctrine (1 John 4:1)
– They exercise church discipline (Matt 18:15-18)
■ Authority of the Universal Church
– Acts 15
 Ecclesiology: Characteristics of the Church
■ Faith
– The church is community of believers (Act 4:4, 32; 5:14; 15:5;
18:27)
■ Fellowship
– With Christ (Acts 3:21)
– With members (Acts 2:42)
■ Oneness
– One faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all (Eph 4:
4-6)
– Visible unity as evidence in Jesus prayer (John 17:21, 23)
– This bond is not found in ecclesiastical organization but in
preaching of the word of God
 Ecclesiology: Characteristics of the Church
■ Holiness
– The holiness of the church resides in its separateness from the world in
response to the gospel call (2 Tim 1:9)
– Connotes a consecration to God which finds its expression in character and
conduct
■ Universality
– Matt 28:19
■ Apostolicity
– The church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Christ himself being the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20)
– NT sees the succession between the apostles and today apostolic witness
is conceived as a continuous line of faithfulness to the testimony of the
apostles sustained by the Holy Spirit.
 Ecclesiology: Characteristics of the Church

■ Faithful Remnant
– False prophets (Matt 24:4, 24)
– Tribulation (21,22)
– Revelation 20:6 persecution and tribulation that last 1260 days.
– The arrival of “the time of the end” God would call a remnant (Rev
12:17)
– Characteristics of the of the remnant (Keeping the commandments
of God and holding fast the faith)
– The context of the end-time the mission and message is (Rev 14:6-
12; 18:1-4) God’s appeal to sinners to accept His gracious gift of
salvation
 Ecclesiology: Ordinance of the Church
■ Introduction
– Ordinance—a practice ordained by the Lord
– Sacrament—derived from the Latin Sacramentum which was applied
to things sacred or mysterious.
■ Baptism
– Origin
■ Jewish Proselyte/ rite administered by John the Baptist
■ John Baptist
– Christ
– Christian
 Ecclesiology: Ordinance of the Church
■ Baptism
– Command
– “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19).
– Meaning
■ Baptizō
– Washing (Mk 7:4; Lk 11:38)
– Christ’s suffering and death (Mk 10:38,39; Lk 12:50)
– Links to saving events of Jesus (Rom 6: 3,4,6-8, 11-13,18)
 Ecclesiology: Ordinance of the Church
■ Baptism
– Baptized into one body (1 Cor 12:13)
– Believer’s baptism (Acts 2:37,38)
– Baptism and the Holy Spirit
■ Connected(Acts 2:37)
– HS precedes baptism (Acts 10:44)
– It follows (Acts 2:37, 38)
 Ecclesiology: Ordinance of the Church
■ Lord’s Supper
– Participation in the body of Christ (1 Cor 11:16).
– Table of the Lord (1 Cor 11:21).
– Breaking of bread (Acts 2:42).
– Eucharist—connotes giving thanks before partaking
elements (Matt 26:27).
– Paschal meal (Exod 24).
■ “Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed
for us” (1 Cor 5:7).
 Ecclesiology: Ordinance of the Church
■The Lord’s Supper
– The meaning
■ Memorial (1 Cor 11:24)
■ Present reminder
– “Because there is one loaf, those who many are one body for they
all partake of the same loaf” (1 Cor 10:16,17).
■ A forward look
– “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor 11:26).

– I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that
day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom (Matt
26:29; Mk 14:25; Lk 22:16, 18).
 Ecclesiology: Ordinance of the Church
 The Lord’s Supper
– Symbolic Elements (Matt 26:26-28; 1 Cor 11:24, 25)
– Foot washing (OT hospitality rite)
■ Integral part of the Lord’s Supper (John 13:1-17)
■ Cleansing