BCO: B - The Church and its Members Flashcards
What is the visible church? Who are its members?
The visible church consists of all who make profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their children with them.
BCO 2-1 The visible church before the law, under the law, and now under the Gospel, is one and the same and consists of all those who make profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, together with their children-
What is the power of the church? How does it differ from that of the State?
The power of the church is exclusively spiritual. The power which Christ has committed to his church is vested in the whole body, the rulers and those ruled consisting in a spiritual commonwealth. This power is to proclaim, to administer, and to enforce the law of Christ revealed in the Scriptures.
Church: Power exclusively spiritual
Constitution derived from a higher source
State: Includes the use of force Derives from human reason and the course of providential events (BCO 3-4)
What is a particular church?
BCO 5-1 A particular church is a local congregation with a permanent governing body
What is a mission church?
BCO 5-1 A mission church is described in the same fashion as a particular church except that it has no permanent governing body and thus must be governed or supervised by others. Goal is to mature and be organized as a particular church as soon as this can be done decently and in good order
What two kinds of members does the church have? What are their respective rights and privileges?
Communing - all rights and privileges of the church (voting, office holding, and admission to the Lord’s table)-
BCO 6-2 Communing members are those who have made a profession of faith in Christ, have been baptized, and have been admitted by the Session to the Lord’s Table. (See BCO 46-4 for associate members).
BCO 6-4 Those only who have made a profession of faith in Christ, have been baptized, and admitted by the Session to the Lord’s Table, are entitled to all the rights and privileges of the church. (See BCO 57-4 and 58-4)
Non-communing members- entitled to baptism, pastoral oversight, instruction, and government of the church
BCO 6-1 The children of believers are, through the covenant and by right of birth, non-communing members of the church. Hence they are entitled to Baptism, and to the pastoral oversight, instruction and government of the church, with a view to their embracing Christ and thus possessing personally all benefits of the covenant.
Associate members- all the rights and privileges of the church except voting in congregational meetings and holding office in that church (6-4)
