Essential Bible Doctrines

A survey of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible

by Nathan Parker

Part 3: Ecclesiology: The Doctrine of the Church

Introduction

Once a person has entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s personal Lord and
Savior, the person has now entered into a larger group of fellow Christians and believers in Jesus
Christ known as the church. Some mistake the word church for exclusively the physical structure
that Christians attend for worship services. Actually, the physical structure itself is not the
church, but rather the physical structure houses the church which is the group of Christians who
assemble themselves for the worship and witness of the Lord. This is not in any attempt to
diminish the role of physical structures used for housing the church. Since physical structures that
house the church are the physical locations where fellow Christians assemble themselves for the
worship and witness of the Lord, it is our duty when constructing new physical structures for
housing the church that we are giving the Lord our absolute best, as well as that we are diligent
about maintaining these physical structures that house the church in honor of the holiness of our
Lord.

The Greek word for church in the New Testament (ekklesia) which generally means assembly, is
also taken from the two words that together mean to call out. Therefore, a good definition of the
word church is a called out assembly. What an excellent definition of the church all of us as
fellow Christians should remember as we assemble ourselves together. We do not merely
assemble ourselves to a social gathering to catch the latest gossip from fellow Christians. We
assemble ourselves together as those who have been called out by the Lord for the purpose of the
worship and witness of the Lord. Because the Greek New Testament term for the church is
ekklesia, theologians refer to the doctrine of the church as Ecclesiology.1

Descriptions of the Church

There are four main descriptions of the church commonly used by Christians. The most common
description is the body of Christ or the body of believers. The church is considered the body of
Christ because Christ is the Head (chief authority) over the church. Additionally, Christians are
unified together as a collective group (body of people). Christians that transcend boundaries such
as geography, race, and language share a common bond together as members of this collective
body of Christ and body of believers. The body of Christ and body of believers is also nourished
by the spiritually-gifted ministers Jesus Christ has called to lead His church.2 Adrian Rogers
————————————
1
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 363.
2
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 365.
described the church beautifully when he said: “The church is not an organization with Jesus as
the president; it is an organism with Jesus as the head.”3

Another common description used by Christians concerning the church is the family of God.
When a person is born again (John 3:3-8) the person is born into a spiritual family that like the
body of Christ and body of believers transcends boundaries such as geography, race, and
language. All across the earth, every Christian has fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord who can
pray for each other and share a common bond collectively as the family of God.

Two of the more difficult to comprehend descriptions of the church are the bride of Christ and
the flock. The bride of Christ is primarily discussed in Ephesians 5. It is an illustration to show
that Christ loves His church in the same manner a husband is to love his wife. It is also used in an
end times sense in Revelation 19:7-9 concerning a future marriage supper the church will partake
in with Jesus Christ when Jesus Christ comes back to claim His church. A similar manner to the
Revelation marriage supper is how ancient Jewish husbands came and claimed their brides during
the wedding ceremony and marriage supper that took place after the espousal period (while like
an engagement in modern society, the espousal period was stronger and acted more like a full-
fledged marriage that awaited the marriage ceremony and honeymoon).4

The church is referred to as the flock which is an illustration that resembles a flock of sheep, with
Jesus Christ as our loving and caring Good Shepherd and Chief Shepherd (see John 10:11, 14).
There is a parallel to the flock illustration in the Old Testament to describe the nation of Israel,
although Jesus Christ extends the illustration in the New Testament to refer to the church that
comprises both Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) believers in Jesus Christ.5

Invisible and Visible Church

When studying the doctrine of the church, one generally comes across the words invisible church
and visible church and wonders how to understand these two distinctions for the church. The
invisible church does not mean that there is a group of people we cannot see that assemble
themselves with us for the worship and witness of the Lord. Instead, the words were used
throughout church history to describe saved versus un-saved people in the church. The invisible
church refers to every truly saved person who actually comprises the church (some theologians
have used the words true church or regenerate members to describe the collective group of
people). The word invisible is used because only God truly knows who in His church has actually
been saved. While other Christians can examine the outward conduct of others to determine
————————————
3
Adrian Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons (North Palm Beach, FL:
Adrian Rogers Foundation, 2011), A Conquering Church.
4
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 365.
5
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 366–67.
whether they believe a person is saved or un-saved, only God knows for certain which people in
His church are actually saved.6

The visible church, on the other hand, is anyone who assembles together with other Christians for
the worship and witness of God, and although many (and hopefully most) of these people
assembled are truly saved, some of the people in the visible church may not be truly saved and
have never entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior
(theologians sometimes refer to these as un-regenerate members). The people who have not
entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are either
intentionally deceptive and have entered the church in order to cause issues in the church in order
to weaken its effectiveness at the worship and witness of the Lord, or these are people who sadly
do not understand the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its salvation power, and these
people believe they are saved when they are actually not. Therefore, it is vitally important that
preachers proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of the message of
salvation continually from the pulpit to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the precious
message of the Gospel and salvation in Jesus Christ.7

The words invisible church and visible church have also been used to describe all truly saved
Christians, with the distinction that the invisible church describes Christians who have passed
away into heaven versus the visible church which is local churches of Christians who are alive in
the present age. The above discussion concerning truly saved versus un-saved people is more
commonly used, however, concerning the invisible church versus visible church.8

Universal and Local Church

In addition to the invisible church and visible church, there is also a distinction between what
theologians refer to as the universal church and the local church. The universal church consists
of everyone who has entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior, from the twelve apostles to every Christian in our present age. The universal church is the
collective family of God and body of believes and transcends boundaries such as geography,
race, and language. When a person enters into a saving relationship in Jesus Christ, that person
instantly become a member of the universal church.9

In early church history, the universal church was also referred to as the catholic church. This is
not to be confused with the Roman Catholic Church which is a specific denomination
(organizational and doctrinal structure) within the universal church. The words catholic church
————————————
6
Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological
Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 68.
7
Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological
Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 120.
8
Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological
Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 120.
9
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 364.
was used in early church history to mean the universal church. The church of Rome later adopted
the words to mean those who were members of the Roman Catholic Church.10

While the universal church is all Christians as a collective group, the local church is a specific
group of Christians who assemble themselves for the worship and witness of the Lord. Countless
local churches exist across the earth and have existed since the early church. During the early
church, most were concentrated in specific geographic areas (such as the local church in
Jerusalem, Ephesus, Corinth, etc.), and most Christians who were members of a local church met
in various homes as specific physical structures were not constructed for many of these early
churches. In our modern age, various local churches can be found in just about any geographic
area, most meeting in specific physical structures set aside to house the church, and most are of a
particular denomination with a certain structure of organization and doctrine.11

Israel and the Church

A question many theologians have debated over the years is if there is a distinction between the
nation of Israel and the church. Some theologians believe that the church has completely replaced
Israel as God’s chosen people. They believe that because the nation of Israel rejected Jesus Christ
as the Messiah, that God’s promises to the nation of Israel are no longer relevant for them and
have now been transferred to the church as the new Israel (this is what is known by theologians
as replacement theology).

The church has a vitally important role in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and only
those who have entered into a personal relationship of Jesus Christ (those who belong to the
universal and invisible church) are truly saved (see John 14:6). Additionally, the church is
comprised of both Jewish people (people who are from the line of the nation of Israel) and
Gentile (non-Jewish) people. However, the church is still a distinct group of people from the
nation of Israel. The church has not replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. Also, God’s
promises to the nation of Israel are still relevant and have not all been transferred to the church
(although the church can partake in some of the spiritual blessings given to the nation of Israel
such as salvation through the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel). The
church is not the new Israel. The church has a vitally important role to in modern history, but
there still awaits a time during the end times in which God will use the nation of Israel and fulfill
His remaining promises to them. This will be discussed more during the doctrine of the end
times.

————————————
10
Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological
Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 37.
11
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 363–64.
Church Government

Churches of different denominations are organized into different forms of what theologians refer
to as church government (which is similar in structure to various countries that are organized into
different forms of political government) There are three main forms of church government:

Episcopal: Churches such as the Roman Catholic Church, Episcopal church (also known as the
Anglican church or Church of England), Lutheran church, and Methodist church are organized in
what theologians refer to as an Episcopal form of church government. The authority in an
Episcopal form of church government centers around an overseer (what theologians refer to as a
bishop) who manages a collection of local churches. The bishop makes decisions regarding
church matters such as ordaining ministers. The Roman Catholic Church is ultimately overseen
by a single bishop in Rome known as the pope. This form of church government forms a
hierarchy and is similar in structure to a monarchy form of political government such as in the
United Kingdom.12

Presbyterian: The Presbyterian church, as well as some other churches that fall under the
Reformed category of churches, are organized by what scholars refer to as a Presbyterian form of
church government. The authority in a Presbyterian form of church government centers on a
group of leaders referred to by theologians as elders. These elders are elected by various local
church congregations. There are multiple levels of these groups of elders, beginning with the
session (this group of elders oversees the local church), the presbytery (this group of elders
oversees a district of local churches) with the highest level being the synod or general assembly
(this group oversees all local churches of the church’s denomination). The Presbyterian form of
government is similar in structure to political form government that comprise both the United
States congress as well as the United States court system. It is similar in structure to the United
States Congress in that each local church elects elders to represent their local church on the local
church’s behalf. It is similar in structure to the United States court system as there are multiple
levels of leadership that can oversee and make decisions on church-related matters and pass
decisions up a chain of authority.13

Congregational: Churches such as the Baptist church, as well as Evangelical Free churches and
independent churches, follow what is referred to by theologians as a congregational form of
church government. Congregational churches are similar in government to a political democracy.
Every church member has a direct voice in the decisions that affect one’s local church.
Additionally, each local church stands on its own in the local church’s decision making process.
Other churches outside each local church do not have direct authority on the decisions made by
each local church.14
————————————
12
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 373.
13
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 373.
14
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 373–74.
In terms of evaluating the various forms of church government, I personally have always been a
member of a congregational (Baptist) church, as well as a congregational form of church
government is the form of church government that originally existed with the early church in the
New Testament. However, the as church began to become more established in the New
Testament, the church did take on more of an Episcopal or Presbyterian form of government with
at least some hierarchy involved with various bishops or elders overseeing groups of churches.
Additionally, even modern churches who adhere to a congregational form of government tend to
use some form of additional denominational structure outside each local church. A good example
is the Southern Baptist Convention. While each Southern Baptist church is independently
governed with a congregational form of church government, all Southern Baptist churches are
members of a larger group of individuals holding meetings with a president overseeing the
direction of the Southern Baptist Convention in terms of its doctrine and mission work.

Church Membership

The Bible refers to those who belong to the church as the members of the church (what
theologians refer to as church membership). Church membership is different from membership in
other organizations of the world or memberships in which people pay regular membership fees
(such as a country club or shopping warehouse). The sole requirement for church membership is
for a person to enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. Only
people who have entered into this saving relationship can truly be considered a member of the
church. When a person enters into this saving relationship, one is immediately a member of the
universal church (the body of Christ, body of believers, family of God).

However, once a person has entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s Lord
and Savior, the person is encouraged to become a member of a local church in the geographical
area in which one lives. The first time a person wishes to become a member of a local church
after entering into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior, the person
will wish to become a member of a local church by one’s profession of faith. The person will also
wish to participate in the ordinance of baptism (this will be discussed more in the ordinances of
the church) shortly after one enters into this saving relationship. The person will become a
member of the local church of one’s choosing and assemble with other fellow Christians for the
worship and witness of the Lord.

Should one wish to become a member of another local church for any reason (such as the person
has moved to another geographic area or the Lord has called the person to another local church),
one can usually move one’s church membership from one local church to another by means of a
letter between local churches. If it is impossible for a person to move one’s membership from
one local church to another by means of a letter (one example is if the local church the person
was a member of is no longer in existence), the person may wish to transfer one’s membership by
means of one’s statement of faith. The difference between one’s profession of faith and one’s
statement of faith is one’s profession of faith is usually for a person who has recently entered into
a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior and is waiting to be baptized by
the local church whereas one’s statement of faith is for a person who has been a longtime
Christian and has already been baptized by another local church .
Church Leadership

The church is not a disorganized group of individuals. God has called various men throughout
history to be involved in the leadership of the church. While Jesus Christ is the ultimate authority
of the church, there are God-ordained men who have been placed in authority to lead and guide
each local church to fulfill the worship and witness of the Lord. There are two main categories of
leaders of the church:

Elders: The first category of leader of the church is what the Bible refers to as elders. Other
words used to describe elders are overseers, bishops, ministers and pastors. The word pastor is
the most widely used word to describe elders in modern churches. Elders are to preach and teach
to their local church congregations (see 1 Timothy 3:2), lead local church congregations to the
worship and witness of the Lord (see 1 Timothy 5:17), act as a shepherd to the flock while
always remembering Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd and Good Shepherd (see Acts 20:28),
and ensure the local church does not fall into doctrinal error (see Titus 1:9). While most local
churches have a single, primary elder (generally known by the modern words senior pastor),
larger church congregations usually have multiple elders (pastors) overseeing various specific
ministries in a local church. While this discussion will not go into detail into the biblical
qualifications of elders, one can read these qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9
(Additionally, I have written a couple of articles on the subject people can refer to by searching
my blog archives). Some local churches adhere to a distinction between the pastor (or pastors)
and elders, but such a distinction is not seen in the Bible. Both words describe the same
individual.15

Deacons: The other category of leader of the church is what the Bible refers to as deacons. The
word comes from a Greek word that means servant. The origination of deacons points back to
Acts 6:1-6 where the Apostles chose men to take care of the physical needs of some of the
members of the local church congregation, allowing the Apostles to devote more time to prayer,
as well as studying and teaching the Word of God. Deacons are those who serve the local church
congregations and local church elders by taking care of some of the needs of the local church
congregation that allows the elders to focus more on their ministry duties. While this discussion
will not get into the qualifications of deacons, one can read the qualifications of deacons in 1
Timothy 3:8-13. Some local churches consider every member of the church staff that is not an
elder a deacon (including the pianist, church secretary, and custodian). Such is unlikely the case
in light of what the Bible considers deacons. Additionally, some modern churches have fallen
into structuring the deacons as acting as a form of “board of directors” (or board of deacons) in
which the elders (pastors) report to the deacons (instead of the reverse) and can be hired or
terminated by the deacons, effectively making the deacons the ultimate ruling body of the church.
Such a case is not seen in the Bible and has become an unfortunate misuse of authority.16

————————————
15
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 370–71.
16
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 371–72.
Ordinances of the Church

There are two rites (similar to rituals) which have been commanded by Jesus Christ for the
church to participate in. Most Christians refer to these as the two ordinances of the church. The
Roman Catholic Church (as well as some churches during the Reformation period) refers to these
two ordinances as sacraments. Additionally, the Roman Catholic Church recognizes seven
sacraments of the church, not two ordinances. However, the word ordinances is a more fitting
word to describe these two rites of the church, as the word sacraments has caused some to
mistakenly believe these two ordinances can somehow contribute to the salvation of a person.
These two ordinances do not at all contribute to the salvation of a person, as people are saved
solely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not by works (see Ephesians 2:8-9). While these
two ordinances are not a requirement in order for a person to be saved, they are both commanded
by Jesus Christ to be obeyed by the church for those who have been saved by grace though faith
in Jesus Christ. Failure to obey these commands of Jesus Christ will not result in a loss of
salvation, but they do result in disobedience to clear commands of Jesus Christ that every
Christian should obey. The two ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.17

Baptism

The first ordinance of the church commanded by Jesus Christ is what Christians refer to as
baptism. One of the primary passages in the Bible concerning baptism is found in Matthew
28:18-20. Scholars of different church denominations have debated both when a person should be
baptized, as well as the mode of baptism used on a person.18

In terms of when a person should be baptized, some church denominations baptize the babies of
their church members (allowing these babies to be members of the church before entering into a
saving relationship in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior), then follow up with a second
baptism (what is generally referred to as a confirmation) after they have entered into a saving
relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (allowing these people to continue to be
members of the church). However, this was not the way people were baptized according to the
Bible and the early church. People first entered into a saving relationship in Jesus Christ as their
Lord and Savior. Only then did they proceed with being baptized. Baptism is an outward
declaration of an inward transformation. Because the biblical timing of baptism always followed
after a person entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, only
believers in Jesus Christ should be baptized. This is what many Christians have referred to as
believer’s baptism. The Bible does not affirm the baptism of babies or those who have not
entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.19

————————————
17
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 375.
18
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 378.
19
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 379.
The mode of baptism used on a person has also been debated by scholars of different church
denominations over the years. Some churches participate in either pouring or sprinkling the water
over the head of the person being baptized. Others participate in completely immersing the
person being baptized in a large area of water (such as a tub, river, or lake) then raising up the
person being baptized shortly after fully immersing the person in water. The mode of immersion
is the most accurate mode of baptism according to the Bible for numerous reasons. First, the
word baptize in the New Testament comes from a Greek word which means to immerse. During
New Testament biblical times, the Greek word for baptize was originally used in a general sense
meaning to immerse and later applied to the biblical practice of baptism. Second, various
passages in the New Testament mention either much water or coming up out of the water with
reference to baptism (see Matthew 3:16, John 3:22-23, Acts 8:36-38), which makes a strong case
for immersion being the most biblical mode of baptism. Third, prior to the birth of the church,
Gentiles who professed faith in God is the Jewish religion of Judaism were immersed as a sign of
their acceptance of God and the Jewish religion (what was known as mikveh immersion)
.Additionally, baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and a
Christian who is baptized identifies belief in this death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
(see Romans 6). Baptism by immersion is the only mode which fully pictures the death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ.20

The ordinance of baptism needs only to occur once to a person who has entered into a saving
relationship in Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. The only time in which a person may wish
to be re-baptized is if their first baptism had taken place before they entered into a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. That is the one time when a person
should consider being re-baptized in order to properly align one’s baptism in full obedience to the
commands of Jesus Christ and their salvation in Jesus Christ.

Lord’s Supper

The other ordinance of the church commanded by Jesus Christ is what Christians refer to as the
Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is taken from the Last Supper Jesus Christ had with His
disciples in the upper room the evening before His crucifixion (see Luke 22:15, 17, 19-20). The
Last Supper was taken from a Jewish feast known as the Passover supper (see Exodus 12 for a
discussion on the Old Testament Jewish Passover supper). Another passage in the Bible
explaining the importance of the Lord’s Supper is found in 1 Corinthians 11:24-26. Like baptism,
scholars of different church denominations have also debated how a person should view the
Lord’s Supper.21

The Roman Catholic Church’s belief of the Lord’s Supper is what theologians refer to as
transubstantiation. Those who affirm this view believe that the bread and wine (or juice) of the
Lord’s Supper actually transform into the literal body and blood of Christ. This view is taken
————————————
20
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 379–80.
21
Charles Stanley, Handbook for Christian Living (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2008), Lord’s
Supper.
from an overly literal reading of the sayings “This is My body” and “This is My blood” from
Jesus Christ during the Last Supper. However, Jesus Himself was present during the Last Supper
when He originally began this ordinance with His disciples. He also was passing around bread
and wine (or juice) during the Last Supper, not literally cutting Himself up and passing it around
to His disciples. Additionally, Jews (which comprised all twelve of His disciples) were forbidden
by the Old Testament instructions to drink blood. Therefore, His disciples were not engaging in
any form of cannibalistic literal eating of Jesus Christ’s body or drinking His blood. The belief of
transubstantiation is easily refuted when examining the context in which the Last Supper took
place.22

The Lutheran Church’s belief of the Lord’s Supper is what theologians refer to as
consubstantiation. While the Lutheran Church does not believe the bread and wine (or juice) of
the Lord’s Supper fully transform into Jesus Christ’s literal body and blood, they do believe that
the body and blood of Jesus Christ are somehow still alongside the bread and wine (or juice). The
phrase in, with, and under the bread and wine (or juice) is used by Lutheran scholars to refer to
the Lord’s Supper. This belief is again taken from an overly literal reading (though not quite as
literal as the Roman Catholic Church reading) of the sayings of Jesus Christ during the Last
Supper. The same refuting of transubstantiation seen above in the context of the Last Supper
applies also to consubstantiation.23

The belief of the Lord’s Supper by followers of John Calvin (what theologians refer to as
Calvinists) primarily during the Reformation period is what theologians refer to as the Reformed
or Calvinist view of the Lord’s Supper. The Reformed view of the Lord’s Supper does not
believe that the bread and wine (or juice) of the Lord’s Supper actually changes into the literal
body and blood of Jesus Christ. This view also rejects that the body and blood of Jesus Christ are
somehow alongside the bread and wine (or juice). However, this view does believe that Jesus
Christ somehow gives grace to those who participate in the Lord’s Supper. There are two issues
with this belief. First, this belief of grace being given to those who participate in the Lord’s
Supper is not found anywhere in the Bible. Additionally, this belief also falls into the danger of
possibly making the Lord’s Supper as means of salvation and not an obedience to Jesus Christ for
those who have been saved. While Calvinists (including those during the Reformation period) do
not believe that the Lord’s Supper is a means of salvation and solely believe in salvation by grace
through faith in Jesus Christ alone, this belief of the Lord’s Supper does seem to possibly counter
this belief if one is not careful.24

The belief of the Lord’s Supper held by many Christians is known as the memorial view. The
memorial view was originally put forth by the Swiss theologian Ulrich Zwingli. The belief rejects
that the bread and wine (or juice) of the Lord’s Supper transforms into the literal body and blood
————————————
22
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 375–76.
23
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 366–67.
24
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 377.
of Jesus Christ. It also denies that the body and blood of Jesus Christ are somehow alongside the
bread and wine (or juice). Additionally, It denies any grace given to those who participate in the
Lord’s Supper. The memorial view believes that the bread and wine (or juice) of the Lord’s
Supper are symbols. They are both used as figurative language that illustrates the body and blood
of Jesus Christ. As a Christian participates in the Lord’s Supper, one does so as a memorial in
remembrance of what Jesus Christ did in His death on a cross for one’s sins. The memorial view
best aligns with the way the Bible presents the Lord’s Supper, as well as the best way to interpret
the Last Supper as presented by Jesus Christ in its context.25

While baptism is a one-time occurrence in the life of a Christian, the Lord’s Supper is a regular
occurrence for Christians to participate in within the context of the church while assembling for
the worship and witness of the Lord. The Bible does not specify how often Christians may
participate in the Lord’s Supper. Some church congregations participate in the Lord’s supper
weekly, others quarterly, some annually, and some at no specified different times. It is up to the
leadership of one’s local church in order to determine how often its congregation should
participle in the Lord’s Supper. I personally believe around quarterly is a good frequency to
participate in the Lord’s Supper as such a frequency keeps the memory of the Lord’s Supper
fresh and alive in each Christian’s memory while also spreads out the participation of the Lord’s
supper at a good time distance so the Lord’s Supper does not lose its memorial focus in each
Christian’s memory. However, I would be comfortable with attending a church participating in
any frequency of the Lord’s Supper, and I have attended churches that used different frequencies
of participating in the Lord’s Supper.

Additionally, churches participate in one of two major methods that determine who can
participate in the Lord’s Supper. Some church congregations allow any Christian to participate in
the Lord’s Supper. This is what Christians refer to as open communion (communion is another
word used for the Lord’s Supper although the words Lord’s Supper are more commonly used).
Other church congregations only allow their own church members to participate in the Lord’s
Supper when hosted by their own local church. This is referred by Christians as closed
communion. The Bible does not specify which method church congregations should participate in.
It is up to the leadership of one’s local church to determine which method the church
congregation wishes to allow Christians to participate in. I personally believe open communion
to be the better choice of the two as I would not wish to exclude any Christian from participating
in the Lord’s Supper, but I have attended churches that participates in either method and am
comfortable with attending a church that participates in either method.

Functions of the Church

While the two ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper, there are also two
primary functions the church should be involved in. While others have extended this list to
include other functions of the church (such as fellowship, edification, and instruction in
discipleship), this discussion will focus on what I believe are the two primary functions of the
————————————
25
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, ed. Jim Vincent and Allan Sholes, Revised and
Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 377–78.
church. The remaining functions of the church derive from and fall under the category of the two
primary functions of the church, which are the worship and witness of God.26

Worship

The first primary function of the church is the worship of God. Worshipping God is essential to
the Christian life. Worshipping God places one’s entire Christian life into the proper perspective
and allows one to visualize one’s life as an ongoing worship service for the Lord.

When Christians worship God, most of the time they tend to worship God once a week during a
church worship service (usually on Sunday mornings). While this is a vital element of the
Christian life, worship does not simply end after the Sunday morning service at church. Worship
is an every day occurrence in the life of a Christian. Every day of a Christian’s life should
involve worshipping God in the daily tasks we as Christians perform walking in the will of the
Lord.

Corporate worship in a weekly church service (usually Sunday mornings) is still important,
however, and should not be neglected either. While individual worship happens daily between
the Christian and the Lord, corporate worship in a weekly church service is when the body of
Christ comes together to worship the Lord in unison, to edify each other and to strengthen each
other, and to start our week off on the right path ensuring that we begin each week focusing on
the Lord and worshipping Him.

I liken the difference between a corporate worship service at church and individual, daily,
personal worship of God to eating a large meal at an all-you-can-eat buffet and eating smaller
meals at home throughout the week. I could visit an all-you-can-eat buffet once a week, surround
myself with a meal that is pleasing and satisfying, yet if I did not continue to eat throughout the
week (such as smaller meals at home), I would starve of hunger. Likewise, the corporate worship
service at church is our large spiritual meal of the week when we as the body of Christ come
together and engage in worship together in unison, whereas the Christian is still to partake in
daily spiritual meals spending time alone with the Lord in individual worship.

There are four primary elements that involve worshipping God. We will take a closer
examination of each of them by studying worshipping God through Scripture, supplication,
singing, and sermons.

Scripture: The first element of worshipping God is through reading Scripture. Christians are to
participate in the daily reading of Scripture, the Bible, the Word of God, in order to gain the
Lord’s wisdom and perspective in the Christian life. We hold in our hands the mind and Word of
God, inspired and preserved for us. 2 Timothy 3:16 affirms: “All scripture is given by inspiration
————————————
26
The majority of the content in this section has been taken from a Bible study on discipleship
and spiritual disciplines I have written earlier, with a few minor modifications to adapt it into the
overall flow of this discussion.
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:”

How can we discipline ourselves to spend more time in Scripture? Donald Whitney gives three
excellent ways we can spend more time in Scripture: hearing Scripture, reading Scripture, and
studying Scripture.27 We can hear Scripture by either reading the Word of God aloud during our
personal devotional time each day, as well as by acquiring a copy of the Bible on audio to listen
while on-the-go or while busy taking care of some work that needs to be done, as well as
listening to solid, Biblical teaching (more on that coming up).

As for reading Scripture, the best way to begin reading Scripture is just to start reading it daily.
Get a copy of the Word of God, pick aside a time each day dedicated to reading the Word of God,
and begin reading. If one needs encouragement on where to start reading Scripture, pick the
biographies of Jesus in the Gospels, the comfort of the Psalms, the encouragement and
edification of the New Testament letters, or the wisdom of Proverbs. Various Bible reading plans
are also available that can assist in the daily reading of Scripture. InTouch.org has an excellent
one that can be requested for free.

As for studying Scripture, the best way to study Scripture is to slow down when reading
Scripture and focus on reading for quality, not quantity. It is not how much Scripture one
consumes when reading, it is how much the Scripture is applied and transforms the Christian’s
life when reading. Materials that can help one engage better in studying Scripture are always
useful as well. One of my favorite resources Christians can use for studying Scripture is the first
volume of John G. Butler’s Daily Bible Reading series. It contains short, easily digestible
outlines of the Word of God, as well as a built-in daily Bible reading plan. For those wanting to
take studying the Word of God to another level, Butler’s Analytical Bible Expositor commentary
series is very in-depth, yet still digestible to understand. It is always the first commentary series I
personally go to when studying the Bible.

A good Bible dictionary is also helpful to look up unfamiliar biblical terms one may come across
when studying the Bible. A good one I have used when starting out is Nelson’s New Illustrated
Bible Dictionary, due to the fact that the articles are easy to understand and less academic, as well
as the dictionary includes pictures to hold one’s interest while studying the Bible. Bible software
and Bible study apps are also handy as well. Software and apps such as Logos Bible Software,
Accordance Bible Software, and Lifeway’s WORDsearch Bible software are what I personally
use on a daily basis for Bible study, and each comes in a free version as well with a nice
collection of free books for Bible study.

Christians can also worship God through the reading of Scripture corporately during a church
service. There is nothing stronger than when Christians come together, stand together, and read in
unison out of the Word of God. This could either be done from Scripture text that is placed in a
bulletin or displayed on a church’s video presentation system, or through a responsive reading.
————————————
27
Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO:
NavPress, 1991).
While churches these days tend to simply lump the reading of Scripture with the sermon
message, and while the sermon message is an important part of the worship service, I still believe
that a separate portion of the service should be dedicated to the congregational reading of
Scripture in unison. It should be front and center and the focal point of every church service.
Nothing unites a church congregation more than coming together to read out of the Holy,
inspired, preserved Word of God. Nothing keeps a church stronger than to hear the voice of God
read through His Word during each service.

Supplication: Another aspect of worshipping God Christians are to practice is supplication (also
known as prayer). In addition to deepening our relationship with Jesus Christ by spending time
in Scripture (in the Word of God) we need to engage in a conversation with Jesus Christ if we are
going to truly deepen our relationship with Him and be more like Him.

The first way we are to parcipate in supplication is through daily, personal one-on-one time
prayer with the Lord. We are to come before the Lord daily and talk to Him as we would anyone
else we wish to have an intimate, deep, personal relationship with. Hank Hanegraaff uses the
acronym F.A.C.T.S. in his book, The Prayer of Jesus, to give us a wonderful outline on how we
should approach the Lord in prayer. We are to first of all have faith that the Lord will answer our
requests when we pray, whether it is His will to grant our requests affirmatively or if He tells us
to wait due to the fact that He has something better in store for us. We are to also come with
adoration, acknowledging Holy God as our Father (Matthew 6:9). We are to come with
confession, confessing our sins to God and turning to the Lord in repentance (Matthew 6:12). We
are to pray with thanksgiving, thanking the Lord for the blessings He has bestowed upon us
(Philippians 4:6). We are to also pray with supplication or intercession, bringing our requests
before the throne room of God.28

While prayer is something we do from the heart as a means of talking to the Lord personally,
those wishing to learn how to deepen their prayer life can consult any of the classic books from
E.M. Bounds on prayer. I have read through a couple of them, and I plan to read through more.
Each encounter I have had with E. M. Bounds’ books on prayer has deepened my personal prayer
life and drawn me closer to the Lord.

Another area we need to parcipate in supplication and prayer is during our corporate worship in
a church service. God’s house is to be a house of prayer. However, the short, simple prayers we
see in church services today to “bless this service” are not the kinds of prayers that should be
issuing forth from our services. It is time that the church congregation as a unified whole enters
into the throne room of God and engage in earnest, deep, passionate intercessory prayer as the
early church did in Acts 12. We should be coming together as a congregation and interceding to
the Lord on behalf of each other in the congregation, our families, our church’s leadership, our
nation as a whole and its leaders, as well as thanking the Lord for the freedom to assemble
ourselves together and to spend time in worshipping the Lord. When a church congregation
————————————
28
Hank. Hanegraaff, The Prayer of Jesus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005).
becomes serious about intercessory prayer, the floodgates of heaven are opened, and the power of
the Holy Spirit will work in the church that comes together to seek the face of God.

A final area in which we are to engage in supplication is that our supplication and prayer should
be without ceasing, that is, in reality, our praying never ends and we are always in constant
communication with the Lord.

Donald Whitney said it best when he stated:

Prayer is also a relationship. Prayer is in one sense an expression of a Christian’s unbroken

relationship with the Father. This verse, then, doesn’t mean that we do nothing but pray, for the
Bible expects many other things of us besides prayer, including times of rest when we could not
consciously pray. But it does mean that if talking with and thinking of God can’t be in the
forefront of your mind, it should always be peeking over and ready to take the place of what you
are concentrating on. You might think of praying without ceasing as communicating with God on
one line while also taking calls on another. Even while you are talking on the other line, you
never lose your awareness of the need to return your attention to the Lord. So praying without
ceasing means you never really stop conversing with God; you simply have frequent
interruptions.29

Our praying without ceasing should mean that whatever we are doing, we should always be doing
it standing within the presence of God, and that our direct line to the Lord should always be
connected and ready when we need to call upon Him. That is true supplication, and it is a way in
which we can continually deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ, our personal Lord and
Savior.

Singing: Another way in which we as Christians worship God is through the singing of God
honoring hymns. We are to make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalm 100). While this is usually
done during the corporate worship service (and we will devote this discussion to corporate
worship singing), the singing of hymns can truthfully be done anytime by any Christian, and it
does not matter if one’s voice is in “perfect pitch” or not. What matters is the heart of the
Christian, and singing before the Lord and giving the glory and honor due Him is what matters to
the Lord, not if the Christian has “perfect pitch”.

Our goal in singing God honoring hymns to the Lord is not to entertain the seekers, appease the
world, or to perform in front of an audience. Such singing focuses on the wrong person and the
wrong mindset. We do not sing hymns for our entertainment or for the world’s or seeker’s
appeasement. We sing hymns to honor God, to give glory to God, and to worship God. In the
worship service, we are not the audience, God is. We are all to come together in unison to sing
hymns to the Lord and to bring honor and glory to Him.

————————————
29
Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO:
NavPress, 1991), 67–68.
Some of the most beautiful hymns that have been passed down to us through the ages preserve in
music form the Word of God in Scripture, and in essence, we are singing Scripture back to the
Lord when we worship Him with hymns. Some of my personal favorites range from the classic
Amazing Grace that speaks of our salvation, Blessed Assurance that speaks of our eternal
security, Victory in Jesus that speaks of Christ’s victory on the cross, When we all get to Heaven
that speaks of our eternal home in glory, Jesus is Coming Soon that speaks of our Lord’s return,
There is Power in the Blood speaking of the power of the precious blood of Jesus that was shed,
There is a Fountain that speaks of Christ’s atonement Shall We Gather at the River that speaks of
that Glad Reunion Day (threw in another one there), the list goes on. When we break out the
hymnal and sing God-honoring and God-uplifiting music that glorifies Him (and caution
ourselves against glorifying ourselves and honoring the world instead of the Lord in our singing),
we usher ourselves into the presence of the Lord and Enter His Gates (yet another one) with
thanksgiving and His courts with praise.

An excellent book that focuses on the praise and worship of God is a book by Gary Reimers
entitled The Glory Due His Name. While a small resource, I highly recommend every church
wishing to deepen their God honoring and biblical worship of the Lord read through it. Reimers
mentions some major pitfalls to avoid when worshipping the Lord, as well as He goes through
the major elements of worship (his list is similar to mine in this discussion, although he lists five
elements instead of four since he also focuses on the offering).

One more caution that is infiltrating churches and even individual Christian’s lives in terms of
music today is the marriage between the music of Hell and the words of Heaven generally
referred to as Christian Rock, focused on the wrong mindset of the world, with a simple changing
of the words. It is obvious that the goal of rock music, in the past as much as it is today, is to
elicit drugs, sex, violence, rebellion to authority, the list continues.30 Simply changing the words
to more “Christian” sounding words, yet keeping the same underlying principles found in rock
music (much of the music that is appearing in our seeker friendly, contemporary churches), does
no justice in biblical worship to God. One can put lipstick and a dress on a pig to make it look
“beautiful”, but one cannot change the underlying fact that a pig is still a pig, no matter how
much cosmetics or fashion one can instill upon a pig.

Sermon :The final major element of worshipping the Lord is through a God-honoring, solid,
biblical sermon that proclaims the truths of the Word of God and expounds on God’s Word. This
is especially important during the weekly corporate worship service. Pastors are to proclaim
boldly to their congregations thus saith the Lord. They are to stand on a firm foundation in the
Word of God and to proclaim to them the truths the Lord would have them to proclaim each
week. Solid biblical exposition that is centered on Scripture, with solid biblical interpretation
and practical applications that Christians can take with them upon leaving the church service is
key to ensuring the church congregation is being fed a spiritually nourishing meal instead of
spiritual junk food.

————————————
30
Gary Reimers, The Glory Due His Name (Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 2009).
Pastors are not to engage in mere sermonettes for Christianettes and filling the majority of their
“sermon” time with jokes, stories, and motivational speaking with little or no emphasis on
Scripture. While there is nothing wrong with incorporating illustrations, stories, and even the
occasional humor in one’s sermon to better illustrate sermon points or provide a good interest
catcher to begin the sermon, the Word of God, just as it should be front and center to the worship
service, should be front and center to the sermon. The congregation should be able to walk away
from a sermon spiritually nourished and to be able to have listened to a sermon that is founded
firmly on the Word of God and includes a clear interpretation and exposition of the Scripture
passage, as well as clear applications to allow the Word of God to sink deep into the Christian’s
life, to transform and renew their minds (Romans 12:2).

In addition to the weekly sermon during a corporate church service, there are other avenues
Christians can encounter solid, biblical teaching. Throughout the week, finding solid biblical
teaching on television, the radio, or through the Internet is another way in which Christians can
listen to solid, biblical sermons that proclaim the truths from the Word of God in between the
weekly corporate worship services (provide one does not get wrapped up in some of the fluff-
filled televangelists who are strictly on the airwaves to rake in large donations). Some of my
personal favorite pastors I frequently listen to are: Dr. Adrian Rogers of Love Worth Finding, Dr.
Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries, and Dr. Neal Jackson of Truth for Today. Listening to
solid, biblical teaching throughout the week keeps the Christian spiritually sharpened between
corporate church worship services.

Witnessing

In addition to worshipping God, the other primary function of the church is witnessing for God.
As disciples, we are to continue the disciple making process by making other disciples. Jesus
Himself commanded it in the Great Commission when He stated: “Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

How do we make disciples, and how are we to be effective witnesses for the Lord?

First and foremost, it is important to realize that everyone is to participate in witnessing and
evangelizing for the Lord. It is not simply up to the pastor, Bible teacher, or professional
evangelist to reach the lost for Christ. Everyone is to participate in fulfilling the Great
Commission. There are people around you daily that may never step a foot into a church, may
never listen to a biblical message, may never open a Bible themselves to read it, but they will
listen to you. They love and trust you enough that when you present the Gospel message to them
about the saving power of Jesus Christ, they will open their heart to Him, ask Him to save them
of their sins, and begin a personal relationship with Him. You may not be the finest and most
educated expositor around, but if you have been saved by faith through Jesus Christ, you have a
message to tell.

One way Christians can tell their message is through their personal testimony. It does not matter
how exciting or dramatic one’s testimony is. There are no boring testimonies. Where the Lord
has worked to save a person from their sins, cleanse them from unrighteousness, and where a
person has entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that is a blessed and glorious
testimony to tell. So begin by solidifying your personal testimony on what the Lord did when He
became your personal Lord and Savior.

Furthermore, daily ask the Lord in prayer to lead you to new ministry and witnessing
opportunities each day you go out into the world, engage through conversations over the phone
or through messaging or social media, or however else the Lord wishes to use you to proclaim
His message to a lost and dying world. Ask the Lord to give you an opportunity each day to make
a difference for Him and to spread the Gospel, His Good News, to someone else in need of it.
Whether that be where you work, where you children go to school, around your neighborhood, at
the store, wherever the Lord sends you to be a witness for Him, fulfill His will for your life daily.

Lastly, churches as a whole should also do their part to witness for God and do their best to
spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, the ultimate fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Every church exists in a mission field, no matter where the church is located or what size the
church is. It is our Christ-commanded duty to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people
as possible, to tell the good news, to rescue the perishing. Our Lord is returning soon, and we
have a job to do. The fields are white with harvest, there are souls in need of a Savior. It is time
that churches return to one of their primary duties and that duty is to evangelize the world for
Christ, to be a witness for Christ. We have a message to proclaim! It is time to shout it from the
housetops that Jesus Saves!