V. Ecclesiology (on the church)

A. What the church is.

1. The use of the name: “church”.

2. The attributes of the church:

a. Holy (in Christ and principally)

b. Catholic (universal: of all nations, tribes, tongues, and languages).

c. Apostolic (built upon the truths of God’s Word as taught by the apostles).

d. Oneness (in Christ the church is finally brought as one body to glory).

3. The marks of the true church:

a. Pure preaching of the gospel.

b. Proper administration of the sacraments.

c. Church discipline.

4. Various distinctions concerning the church.

a. The Church Triumphant (church in glory).

b. The Church Militant (in suffering).

1) Invisible—viewed from the aspect that its members have the life of Christ in their hearts.

2) Visible—the “invisible” Church as it becomes manifest through the walk and work of its members.

a) As organism.

b) As institution.

B. The government of the church.

1. Various forms of church government.

a. Romish and Episcopalian (hierarchy, or rule from top down).

b. Independentism or Congregationalism (rule from the bottom by majority vote of the people.

c. Reformed or Presbyterianism

2. Reformed church government:

a. A consistory composed of elders and deacons ruling over local churches.

b. Classis—regional gatherings of representatives of local consistories.

c. Synod—a broader gathering of representatives of each classis.

3. Church discipline:

a. Proper procedure according to Matthew 18:

1) In private sins, one first must speak to the individual who sinned.

2) If this fails, one must come with one or two witnesses.

3) Then, the sin of the individual must be brought to the attention of the consistory.

b. The requirements or procedure of a consistory in discipline:

1) First a consistory must labor with the person committing sin.

2) Then the consistory, if there is no repentance, must proceed with the steps of discipline or censure.

C. The means of grace:

1. The preaching of the Word.

a. The official proclamation of Christ through the Church.

b. It is the necessary means for sustaining and upbuilding the life of Christ in us.

2. The sacraments:

a. Baptism (a sign of the new birth within the Christian).

1) Water as a sign of the washing away of the filth of sin.

2) The reasons for infant baptism and also sprinkling.

b. The Lord’s Supper (a sign of continued nourishment).

1) The elements in the Supper: broken bread and poured out wine.

2) The idea of “close” communion in opposition to “open” communion.

3) The three differing views of the Lord’s supper:

a) View of Transubstantiation (Roman Catholic—the bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of the Lord).

b) View of Consubstantiation (Lutheran—Christ’s body is in and under the bread and the wine.)

c. Reformed view: a spiritual partaking of the body of Christ.