Theology - The Church (WCF 25-26; WLC # 61-66, 69, 82-83, 86) Flashcards
What is the universal or catholic church?
- Worldwide church wherever the gospel is proclaimed and sacraments administered rightly
- It is the whole number of the elect, those members of the invisible church, grafted by faith into Him.
- WCF 25.1: The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
What is the visible church?
- It is all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, and of their children.
- WCF 25.2: The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.
What are the attributes of the church? Prove from Scripture.
Holy: set apart from unbelief and sin; dedicated to the service of God
* 1 Pet 2:9-10…”you are a holy nation, a royal priesthood”
* Eph 5:25-27…”Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…to make her holy”
Catholic: not limited ethnically or spatially (as in the case of Israel) but rather includes “all those throughout the world who profess the true religion”
* Eph 4:4-6…”there is ONE body…”
Apostolic: founded upon the authority and teaching of the apostles
* Eph 2:19-20…”built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone”
What are the marks of the church?
- Preaching of the Word
- Proper administration of the sacraments
- Exercise of church discipline
o Cf. Acts 2:42-44
Who is the head of the church?
- Jesus Christ the Lord.
- WCF 25.6: There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof.
- Eph 2:19-20…”Christ Jesus is the chief cornerstone”
- Eph 1:22…”appointed Him to be head over everything”
- Col 1:18…”He is the head of the body, the church”
Define three basic forms of church government.
Episcopal (Prelacy, Monarchical)
* Asserts that Christ has given administration of his church, directly and exclusively to an order of bishops, who form the line of succession from the apostles themselves. These bishops are separate, independent, and self-perpetuating. The actual people of the church have no share in the governance of the church.
Congregational (Independent)
* Maintains that each individual church is a complete church. There is no dependency upon other churches. The balance of power does not rest in a bishop, but rather lies with the members of the church and their officers elected as functionaries. These churches may choose to join together in fellowship. However, the decisions rendered are only advisory and not authoritative for any individual church unless the congregation so desires.
Presbyterian
* Affirms both Christ as the head of the church and the importance of the individual churches to govern their own affairs. It is accomplished through representative bodies. The local church session (of elders) is the most basic. The regional presbytery is an assembly of the elders from the local congregations in a specified area. The next level extends to the national level with synods and general assemblies. The larger assemblies do have the power to impose certain limitations on the autonomy of local churches at the same time as they seek to promote the growth and welfare of churches, to guarantee the rights of its members, and to give fuller expression to the overall unity of the universal Church.
What are the principles of Presbyterian church government? Support your answer from Scripture.
- Christ is the king and head of the church (Eph 2:19-20)
- The office bearers are chosen by the people (Acts 1:22-26)
- The office of bishop and elder are identical (Tit 1:5-7)
- In each church there is a plurality of elders (Phil 1:1; Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim 5:17)
- Ordination is an act of the presbytery, that plurality of elders aforementioned (1 Tim 4:14; Acts 6:6)
- The privilege of appeal is to the assembly of elders, and they exercise the right of government in their corporate character (Acts 15)
What is the role of women in the church? Support from the Scriptures.
- Women should be welcomed to fulfill any duty a non-ordained member of the church is permitted to perform.
- Women are a crucial and significant part of the church, just as any other member of the church, in possession of the full rights of the children of God. Women should seek to use their gifts in a manner that edifies and encourages the body of Christ.
- The one role that the Scriptures forbid that a woman should have is that of authority over a man, which the PCA interprets to mean, not holding an ordained office in the church.
- 1 Tim 2:12…”I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man”
- Women should be encouraged to make their own contribution to the life and well-being of the church within the parameters outlined in the Bible. Certainly evangelism, discipleship and teaching of other women, compassionate service, leaders in children ministries, and many other roles are excellent avenues through which women may exercise their gifts for the building of the church and the kingdom of God.
May women serve as officers in the church? Support your answer from Scripture.
Women may not hold an ordained office in the church.
* 1 Tim 2:12…”I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man…”
* 1 Tim 3 and Tit 1, in laying out the description of leaders/elders, only mentions males…”must be the husband of one wife”
What is “subscription?”
- Subscription refers to the vow of a church officer to submit himself to the system of doctrine and the confessional standards of the PCA, as outlined in the WCF.
- There are four possible views surrounding the issue of the 2nd ordination vow
The substance of doctrine view
* Too loose! Removes the distinctiveness of the Westminster standards.
The vital to the system view (good faith subscription in the PCA?)
* A session must determine if a scruple expressed by a candidate as an exception affects any of the articles essential to the whole system.
The very doctrine of the Word view (how you have to describe your exception to presbytery)
* The WCF and its catechisms are the expression of the very doctrines of the Word, and therefore, scruples are limited to exceptions taken over the exact wording of a proposition. They cannot question the substance of any part of the documents.
The very word of doctrine view
* Elevates the standards to the level of Scripture itself! Ignores its subordination to the Bible.
The session/presbytery needs to be satisfied that the candidate’s answer does not allow him to hold a view that might destroy the unity of the system of doctrine established as the standard for the PCA
What privileges do Christians share?
- Fellowship/union with Christ and one another in love.
- WCF 26.1: All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.
- 1 Jn 1:2-3…”we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ”
What duties do Christians owe one another?
- Holy fellowship
- Communion in worship
- Conducing the mutual good for each other in the inward and outward man
- WCF 26.2: Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.
Does the “communion of saints” deny the right of private property? Explain.
- Scripture teaches that Christians can own property and exercise control over it (part of the creation mandate). Though we should be generous with what God has given us…
- WCF 26.3: This communion which the saints have with Christ, doth not make them in any wise partakers of the substance of his Godhead; or to be equal with Christ in any respect: either of which to affirm is impious and blasphemous. Nor doth their communion one with another, as saints, take away, or infringe the title or propriety which each man hath in his goods and possessions.
- Eph 4:28…”doing something useful with his hands that he may have something to share with those in need”
- Acts 5:4…”didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your own disposal?”
- Acts sharing all things implies that they had private property which they used for one another’s good
What authority does the church possess?
- The “keys to the kingdom”
- The power “to retain and remit sins”
- The power “to shut the kingdom to the impenitent” and “open the kingdom to the penitent sinners”
- WCF 30.2: To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed; by virtue whereof, they have power, respectively, to retain, and remit sins; to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word, and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the gospel; and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.
